The 2016 Walt Disney World Half Marathon

After arriving in Florida and being picked up by my brother, we drove to ESPN's Wide World of Sports to get our race packs. All the while I kept reading Team Run Disney's  Facebook feed about the 10K that morning, and how wet it was. Not that I needed confirmation. I had to hide the waivers under my shirt just to avoid getting them drenched on the way from the car to the Expo. I was a little worried but not too much about rain the next day. Florida weather can be so unpredictable. I was half expecting Saturday to be 90 degrees and sunny.

Flat Frank #1

Well, Saturday was not 90 degrees and it wasn't even close to being sunny. As we walked out of our hotel at 3:30 am to head for the race, we were met with the most fog I have ever seen in Florida. And it would stay that way the entire day. Not even a little bit of Sun. The temperature was iffy. It sure was not warm but I wouldn't call it cold either. This, was not good for me and what I was trying to do.

Even as I sat in the corral, my mind kept wondering towards the fact that I had not trained enough for the Goofy Challenge. I knew I could finish the Half no problem but in what condition? Was I gonna be able to go the full distance the very next day? We were sure gonna find out.

So few people showed up for this one...

As if I was not worried enough, my brother was having his own set of issues. When we woke up, the first thing he told me was "I just threw up." I thought it was just nerves but then he went to the bathroom for #2 again before we left, then again at the gas station we were getting coffee in, then twice in the port-a-potties at the race. Clearly there was something wrong. We didn't know what. First culprit of course is something he ate but we had the exact same thing for both lunch and dinner the day before and I was fine. This mystery might never be solved but the fact remained: he was not well.

It's go time!

 And just like that, our corral was called and it was time to head off. Donald Duck gave the countdown and off we went. Not three minutes went by when my brother told me he had to go again. Mercifully, there were port-a potties not too far away and we stopped. They were crowded but he managed to get in. We started up again. He was having trouble keeping up and told me that as soon we started a run interval he would get the urge to go. This was not good. First mile: 17:06. There was no way we were gonna survive at that pace. Not that early in the race. With every running interval, he kept falling further back. Then he gave me the signal to go ahead and leave him. I was torn. Our plan was to run this together as slowly as we could so he could finish his first Half and I could survive to run another day but this pace was dangerous and he knew what was at stake for me so he told me to go on.

I kept tabs on him through my phone as I had signed up for runner tracking for both of us. His official pace remained in the 19's and then after the 10K update I heard no more. He got picked up at mile 8.

Meanwhile, I was having my own set of issues. A bit of panic had set in regarding my pace and I got a little overeager to try and make up the time. I went as high as the 14s and I felt I was all over the place. Crowding was an issue and I zig-zagged a lot from one side of the course to the other. This would have been fine if it was just the Half but I had a whole other race to run the so this was not the most efficient use of my energy. And then there was the fog... It was so foggy! Everything seemed to be hiding in a haze of gray, giving the whole place an eerie feel. Seemed like a great day to take some moody pictures. 

Can you see Space Mountain?!

...or the Castle?

Then we got to the Magic Kingdom...

A runner kindly took this for me.

Might as well been called the Slow-way while I was passing through.

And everything was fine! This will never get old folks. You turn right on Main Street USA and suddenly you forget everything and a huge grin shows up across your face. It truly is magical, even with all the fog. You go through Tomorrowland and Fantasyland and then you reach Cinderella's Castle which was lit up but you could hardly tell in the fog. Anna and Elsa were waiting for us there. Here, Disney was giving runners the choice to go through the tunnel and take pictures or run through the side of the castle for those who could or would not wait for the queue formed up in the tunnel. I decided to wait it out and took my pic in front of the Castle. A luxury I have never dared to take. I also took a bathroom break in Fontierland. Thinking back now, it sure was gutsy of me to take my time like that during my run through the Magic Kingdom but I guess I just felt I had made up enough time back or something.

My daughters are so jealous!

As I exited the park, on a downhill ramp right after seeing the the train, I tweaked my knee. I seem to have trouble while going downhill the most with the knee and it took me a while before I felt it was OK again. It was at this point you reach the 10K mark and a hydration station right before leaving the service entrance to the Magic Kingdom. There I had a gel and met Mary, a fellow Team run Disney member who was volunteering during the Half. It would not be the last time I would see her thankfully.

Thanks Mary!

Then came the time to head back down towards Epcot. This part was uneventful and while there was plenty of stuff (dj's, characters etc.) I was back to focusing on the matter at hand. After spending a while on this section, I realized I had stopped getting updates from Ernest so I texted him and found out he got picked up. His day was over. I was feeling pretty good and the knee was behaving even with the little mishap at mile 5. So, right before mile 11 I did the math and saw that I could take it easy. I walked almost the entire rest of the way.

Best sign on the course

That's not to say it wasn't a hard decision. Both the runner and the competitive person in me went into a bit of a fit at this point. If I were to keep going hard, I would have posted a somewhat decent time, and by that I mean less than 3 and a half hours. Way less than that maybe. By walking, I was "dooming" myself to finishing with my worst time ever in a Half Marathon and officially over the time limit. So, while this would seem like a no brainer to most people, I was having some issues. Thankfully, cooler, more logical heads prevailed and I kept walking from there to Epcot.

Fog... fog everywhere!

So hard to photograph such a huge thing...

Once in Epcot however, the fast-approaching finish line got me going and I ran the "victory lap" around the square in Future World and through the finish line. Official time: 3:40:58. My worst ever.

We live to run another day... hopefully.

I wasn't really upset with the time, even though it is the worst by a lot. Taking it easy and saving myself for the next day was my main objective. My problem with the race was how inconsistent I ran. Sometimes I was slow, sometimes too fast. If I would have kept a more consistent pace, it surely would have been more efficient and maybe I wouldn't have had to walk in the end. Of course, all this frustration was mainly due to the fact that I still had a marathon to run. The very next day I might add.

So, I got my medal and walked to the parking lot where my brother was waiting for me. I apologized for leaving him behind but he was actually pretty unscathed by the whole thing. I think he was just happy that his stomach was feeling better. So we had lunch a Panera Bread which, I had never tried before and then to the hotel to get ready for the next day. This folks, was not over. Not even close.

The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Saga

Wow... that's all I can really say about this past weekend. Wow...

Don't worry though, I will be posting full race recaps and give as much detail as I can on how I did as usual. After some thought however, in order to streamline this as much as possible, I felt I should do this post first, explaining some stuff ahead of time and reminding you guys of some other things before diving head first into the details. This way (hopefully) the recaps won't run too long.

The Galloway Method
I think regular readers of this blog are very familiar with this and I have praised the Galloway Method countless times as it has allowed me not only to run long distances but to run them faster. However, other than saying that I do 2:1 intervals (2 minutes running, 1 minute walking) I have never really given any more details on how I do it. It just was not important I guess. Well, it was important for Marathon Weekend. As it turns out, in the run/walk equation, I seem to be seriously lacking in the walking part. 

I'm a slow walker. Some people are very good at walking quickly. Some can even maintain the 16 min/mile minimum pace without running at all and believe me, I saw a lot of people doing it this weekend. Well, I can't do that for whatever reason. If I really focus and hustle, I can get to 18:30 min/mile but I cannot sustain it for too long. For me, anything above 20 min/mile is "fast". 

The Balloon Ladies
Again, something I have talked about several times in this space. In fact, it was a big part of my narrative during the recap for my first marathon (which you can find here). These ladies maintain the 16 min/mile pace after everyone has crossed the start line. If you fall behind them, you will eventually get picked up at one of the many cut off points along the race courses. You end up in a bus and your race is over.

There is plenty of debate on the internet regarding where exactly, the last cut-off point is. In other words, what part of the course do you have to reach in order to avoid being swept even if the "ladies" pass you by. During Marathon Weekend 2014, I was told that if I reached Disney's Hollywood Studios I would be safe and that is what I used as reference. The logic behind it being that once you reach DHS, there are no more public roads that have to opened thus, you are officially safe. Turns out, that is not accurate. In fact, I have to this day not heard any official word from Run Disney regarding this so don't take my word for it but I seemed to have discovered it this past weekend.

Of Finishing and Medals
Which brings me to my brother. If you read my 2014 marathon recap you know who I'm talking about. He signed up for the Half Marathon this year and sadly got swept at mile 8. While I have a nagging feeling he did not train as he should have, we didn't get to find out. He got sick and could not stay out of a port-a-potty long enough to stay ahead of the Balloon Ladies. There is no way I can pass up an opportunity like that. An actual "victim" of the sweep police? You can bet I will post a full interview on what exactly happens. He also shared with me some very interesting perspectives regarding the medal "issue" and what he heard while in the bus back to the parking lot. Some of you might recall I wrote a post about that a while back. Well, I have some new info to share and some of it might surprise you and even shock you.

The Knee
Like you have not heard about this enough already. Even though I will do my best to not mention it during the recaps, it is important to understand that the knee issue figures heavily in this whole story. It's the reason why I could not train properly and therefore why I had such a hard time during Marathon Weekend. 

Tomorrow, we begin our story in earnest. Stay tuned.

Clif Builder's Bars

This week, thanks to my relationship with Fitfluential, I received some goodies from the nice folks over at Clif Bars. They are promoting their Builder's Bars and I thought I would share with you what my experience has been using them.

 

As runners, we tend to focus (some would say obsess) on carbs and whether we are getting enough of them for running. Sure enough, they are extremely important to avoid stuff like, bonking, which can be a bad thing. But I have often found that runners don't pay much attention to protein and more importantly, the crucial role it plays in recovery and even during runs and hard workouts.

Here's the Clif notes (see what I did there?) version of protein and working out. A lot of people think that when they work out (lift weights, run, etc.) they are building muscle but they'd be wrong. You are actually breaking down muscle fibers during your workout. After you are done, your body starts rebuilding those fibers. Do this enough times and your body eventually figures out that it has to build them stronger and thus, stronger and bigger muscles. Yay!

Now, a bunch of people a lot smarter than myself figured out that if you feed your body protein right after working out, preferably within 30 minutes of doing so, that process of rebuilding muscle fibers is greatly enhanced. This helps with a whole bunch of things like muscle building, avoiding soreness and proper recovery. 

Which brings us to Clif Builder's Bars. Along with a nice 30 grams of carbs, they also contain 20 grams of protein. Now, what sets Builder's Bars from other protein bars out there is the quality. You'll notice a lot of people prefer protein shakes over bars post-workout. Mainly because protein bars use low quality protein that is not optimal for use at that time. Clif Builder's Bars on the other hand have soy protein isolate as their first ingredient. The isolate part is important. Unlike say, eating a steak after your long run or eating something with protein concentrates which is what you'll find in other protein bars, protein isolate has been processed to work faster on your system so you can really take advantage of the 30 minute window post-workout.

Since Clif Bar Company was gracious enough to send me plenty of Builder's Bars to share, I made sure to put them to good use and get an overall reaction to the product from runners aside from myself. So, I showed up at the finish line of the Lola Challenge Weekend Half Marathon with a bag full of goodies. The Lola Challenge is a 5K, 10K and Half Marathon done over the course of three days. Who better to take advantage from the recovery benefits of these bars than runners who had gone through that gauntlet?

So, my friend Indiana and her running group, the Diva Moms, became the "test group" for this post. They all loved the flavor, especially the chocolate peanut butter and the reaction I got every time I said "protein" or "recovery" was priceless. "Just what I need right now!" was a common statement. I also gave bars to as many finishers as my bag allowed and I can tell you, I think Clif has really struck the right chord with this product.

Some of the Diva Moms reveling in their success... and recovery,

As for myself, regular readers of this blog know I am currently training for the Goofy Challenge, where I will attempt to run a Half Marathon followed by a full Marathon the next day. This means double long runs on the weekends to get the body used to the actual conditions I will be facing. Proper recovery is important after a long run. Can you imagine how important it is when, after completing a long run, you go right back out the next day for an even longer one? Yeah, I would say it is.

So I have been using Clif Builder's Bars after my long runs and after cross-training on non-running days. The combination of a Builder's bar along with some sports drink right after a long run is pretty hard to beat and puts me on the right track to get ready for the next one. On cross-training days, it is a lot more convenient than a protein shake. No powder, no mess, no shaker bottles and no need for refrigeration. Just unwrap and consume.

Attempting to cross-train...

So there you have it folks. If you are looking for a solid recovery product, Builder's Bars are tough to beat. They are convenient, they taste great and are extremely versatile.

Disclaimer: Clif Bar Company provided me with some product along with Clif-branded gear for promotional purposes through my affiliation with Fitfluential. All opinions on the product are my own.

The Winds of Change

So a lot of stuff going on in The Fat Runner household...

We're cross-training ourselves into shape. Hopefully a nice shape. As far as shapes go, round doesn't seem to agree with my running. The biggest change by far though, has been nutritional. A complete 180 degree turn in that area and so far, our kitchen makeover has proven to be for the better. We have severely cut back on fast food and other processed stuff and the effects are already being felt.

Chicken Sausage Frittata

 My wife started feeling funny about two days after we started. I've been thinking of a word to describe what she was feeling and the best I could come up with was malaise. A general feeling of malaise. She felt weak, with no real desire to do much. I thought at first that it was the onset on a cold or something like that. Then, she told me "I feel like I need to eat candy or something sweet." Well, she didn't need to say anything else after that. She was going through withdrawal. A natural side effect of eating home cooked meals instead of processed is that you consume a lot less sugar. Sure enough, a couple of days later she was feeling great and I'm kind of surprised about how great actually. She is also doing P90X3 and she wakes up every morning charging to do it. Amazing how we get used to things and let them take over.

Then there's me. After a week of eating as clean as I have in a very long time, I was faced with the situation I was kind of dreading. I was on the road, no lunch from home and hungry. I had to eat something so after much pondering I settled for a Mexican food place and had some tacos. I went heavy on the salad and went for chicken instead of beef trying to at least minimize the damage. An hour later I was regretting that decision. I had to get to the bathroom. Bad. The tacos were really not agreeing with me or my stomach. I've never had any problems with eating fast food. Believe me. But after only a week of better nutrition my body just said "Hey! What happened here? You were throwing in the good stuff!"

Panko breaded Tilapia, asparagus and rice with beans

And it's not like we have been lacking flavor-wise. I love to cook so I took this opportunity to revamp our diet as a challenge. Chicken Marsala, Mexican Tostadas, Open-faced Bacon and Egg Sandwiches... it has all been made at home with healthy recipes and it has all been good. Of course, I've had to manage my time a little better to be able to cook. My wife is taking care of dinners (and subsequent lunch for me the next day) while I do breakfasts and try to keep it interesting on the weekends. Not only are we feeling great but the cut on fast food, as I mentioned in the beginning, has been severe, which is a good thing. Where we were doing 13-15 meals eating out, the average these past two weeks has been about 3-4. Not bad right?

Philadelphia Half Marathon: The Food

While it would seem from my previous post that all I ate while in Philly was Ramen -and I admit, sometimes I wished I did- I actually had a chance to eat at some cool places I would like to share with you guys. In the spirit of bringing something different, I avoided going for Cheesteaks completely and I hope you guys appreciate how hard that was because they are awesome. Though, if you want, we can talk about them. I sure have had my share of them.

Five Guys Burgers

What?! Fast food? Really? "What is going on here at The Fat Runner? Have you lowered your standards?" Well, I don't think they were that high to begin with but this is really  a case of "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."

I had this meal in Atlanta International Airport, during the longest layover in the history of humanity on the way to Philadelphia. While many of you might be familiar with this chain, they have not expanded to Puerto Rico. Strange, as this is the land where McDonald's and Burger Kings, among others, seem to grow out of the ground. I decided to mention them here because, compared to other fast food burgers, this was truly, above par. I'm kind of thankful they have not reached my shores actually. I probably would have to change the name of the blog to The Fatter Runner.

Essentially, this is fast food done right. The ingredients were fresh, the bacon was very crispy and everything made to order. While not the healthiest option, cooking burgers on a flat top is the way Nature intended. I'm not saying to go have this every day folks, but if you are gonna do a "cheat day", I can't think of a more glorious option. It certainly beats most cardboard burgers out there.

Reading Terminal Market

Not really one restaurant but an entire experience. If you don't mind the hustle and bustle of crowded places, you should go try something from this amazing place. If you think Epcot over at Disney World Resort is the bee's knees for all the different food, you should come here. Epcot has got nothing on this place. While the place is huge, it feels tiny because it is always filled with people and with good reason. You can find anything you want from most parts of the World to eat under its roof. Middle Eastern, Asian, Mediterranean, Italian, American, Latin American, Southern... I could go on. And it's not only the variety, it's all good too. It's not every day you can eat BBQ Ribs while your friend has an authentic Greek Gyro right next to you. I had some Chicken Lo Mein at a Chinese joint. Very yummy.

Federal Donuts

My friend Al took me to this place right after the race. Federal Donuts is... unique. They really only sell three things. Coffee, Donuts and Fried Chicken.

And that's it. This can be a double-edged sword for a restaurant. The phrase "simple menu" is thrown around a lot  these days but if you are gonna do only one thing, you better deliver the goods. Federal Donuts delivers and then some. Yes, the combination of chicken and donuts sounds weird but it's really not too far off the chicken and waffles combo that is so popular. Plus, it really works. The coffee and donuts are of course, a proven entity but add in the fried chicken -which you can order in several incarnations from Asian inspired to dry seasoned- and you will end up with something special. The donuts in particular stand out. Served piping hot, they really are like nothing I have ever tried before. And when I say piping hot, I mean "I can't hold them long enough to take a bite" hot.

And that is it. Those are all the interesting places I managed to fit into a weekend. Although I did not do the Cheesteak "thing" on purpose, I can't talk about Philadelphia eats and not tell you about the classic steak joints like Pat's and Geno's or my "regular" spot when I lived there, Jim's Steaks. Don't let the local passion for these places deter you from trying them all out. They are all good. In fact, I'm gonna tell you a little secret regarding the famous Pat's/Geno's turf war (they are across the street from each other in case you did not know): Their sandwiches are pretty much the same.

Please allow a minute or five for the mob with pitch forks and Eagle's Jerseys to quiet down their chants of heresy. I'm not saying they taste exactly the same. The concept of the authentic Philly Cheesteak is one and the same: Bread, Rib Eye, Cheese Whiz(yes, the radioactive orange stuff) and the option of onions (wit' or wit' out). Anything beyond that is not a Philly Cheesteak. Peppers, mushrooms, Provolone... all great and tasty additions but not authentic. So if the concept is the same, what gives?

The difference between them is the bread they use and the fact that Pat's chops their rib eye and Geno's slices it. No more, no less. So do yourself a favor and go to both joints. Better yet, go with someone else, order a sandwich from each, then share half of each right in the middle of the intersection where these two legends face each other every day. That would be the right thing to do in the City of Brotherly Love.

Fitletic (iFitness) Hydration Belt - A Review

I was avoiding this for some time, but I finally gave in and bought a hydration belt. A while ago I mentioned on this post, that I didn't want to be the fat guy running with every piece of gear he could carry (and buy). For the most part I have done my best to avoid it but you know, a tech shirt here, an iPod holder there... The hydration belt was the proverbial line I would not cross. "Those are for either posers or really serious runners." I thought. But alas, need has caught up with me. I have become THAT guy. All I need now is some knee-high compression socks and some ridiculously expensive sunglasses to complete the transformation.

All kidding aside, the whole issue that prompted this is very simple: The long run. It's starting to actually become, well... long. I can run seven, probably eight miles without water during the run if I really push it, but beyond that, I need to plan in advance. Also, consuming gels require plenty of water (according to the instructions) so you got to have something for that as well. During races, you got hydration stations and if you plan accordingly you probably don't need a belt but if you intend to train for those races...

In my effort to avoid the belt I tried several things. Carrying a bottle in my hand was a disaster. It threw my form off and it becomes really uncomfortable as the time passes. Then I tried hiding said bottle somewhere along the course I intended to run which turned me paranoid someone would find it. Then I tried to adjust my long run so it would pass through my house at least once and I would leave the bottle in the mail box. It didn't always work. Finally, I was watching Spirit of the Marathon on Netflix (awesome documentary by the way) with my wife. She saw all the runners there with belts on and said "Honey, you should get one of those." SOLD! Two days later I went to the LRS (Local Running Store for the uninitiated) and arrived home with my new toy.

Check out the reflective strips. Pretty handy at night

I bought the 16oz. XL version, which means it has two 8oz. bottles and fits people with bigger waists but it comes in smaller sizes and there is a 12oz. version. Based on what I read online, I was worried I was too fat for the belt to fit but there were no problems at all. There was room to spare. It fits very comfortably and it is obviously designed for runners. Once properly adjusted it fits very snugly without being bothersome. The biggest complain runners have with these things is that they move around a lot which can get annoying (and painful) but this fits just right for me. Bonus: You can use it either way. With the bottles and pocket in front or back.

Looks small in my hand but it will hold 8 oz. 

The bottles by the way are very interesting. They have this seal on the spout that easily gives way when you suck on the spout or press the bottle but immediately closes up when you stop, thus restricting water flow (and a very wet mess in you shorts). It's cool but I wonder how it will hold up with repeated use. They are secured to the belt by elastic straps. Once they are in place, those babies don't move at all. The center pocket will allow you to carry even the biggest smartphone. My Brother in Law's Galaxy Note II fit with a lot of room to spare. I think it's made of neoprene but I don't think its waterproof. The adjustment clips double as holders for gels and you will need them if you plan to carry several of them for longer races.Gel packs are large and I'm not sure you can fit all you would need for a marathon in the center pocket. Of course this depends on individual needs so it will vary person to person.

It is also worth mentioning that the system is expandable. There are several add-ons for extra water bottles, cell phones and the like.

After taking it out on my most recent long run I have to say it did not disappoint at all. There is absolutely no bouncing to speak of or any annoying sloshing of water in the bottles even when they are partially filled. It did take me a couple of miles to adjust it properly as I had set the belt to the max size. The belt would slowly slip down to my butt mainly because of the weight of the full bottles but after some tightening and finding the proper position it stayed in place no problem. I have to add that tightening the belt does NOT put any extra "squeeze" on your waist. The whole thing is elastic and will not put any unwanted stress on your waist.  I also have to add that I have no butt, therefore making it easier for the belt to slip down. If you have a butt you might not have the slipping problem but again, adjusting the belt properly will solve the problem easy.

So there you go. Hope this helps anyone thinking about a hydration system for their runs. I highly recommend the iFitness belt. It's comfy and practical and allows you to carry a lot of stuff like gels and phones or whatever you need it to plus, it's expandable. For around $40.00 retail, it is also reasonably priced in my opinion. For more info, here is their website.