Star Wars Rival Run 2019 Part 5: Rival Run Challenge

The Rival Run Challenge was supposed to be my first runDisney challenge but then my friend Melissa and I impulsively decided to do the Fairy Tale Challenge in February so welcome to the recap of my second runDisney challenge. For those of you who don't know, Princess, Star Wars and Wine and Dine challenges involve running a 10k on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday. (Marathon weekend has it's own challenges which are extra because marathons....) The upside of my spontaneous Princess weekend racing was that it was a nice practice run for Star Wars Weekend.

I was actually able to train properly for the Star Wars Challenge, which was nice. I can run a half marathon and I can run a 10k but it's something else to do them back to back with a bunch of Disney park time thrown in for good measure. I ended up using the Jeff Galloway challenge training plan available on the runDisney website by picking up at week 8 after a one week recovery post Marathon weekend. Princess weekend made me move a few things around, but over all, I stuck with the plan and it paid off with a half marathon PR! (Which I hope to crush in the fall when it's a) cooler and b) I haven't run a 10k the day before.)

My favorite thing to do after a runDisney race is nap and then visit the parks to see the characters from your race. The characters love seeing the race medals and you get some really great interactions! Bonus tip: if the character does autographs, they'll sign your medal if you bring a sharpie. There are only a few Star Wars characters you can meet in the parks and none of them do autographs (hopefully that will change with Galaxy's Edge opening later this year!) but we still got some photos with them.

Kylo Ren was on the half marathon medal so we went to see him. He wasn't impressed with our bling but he did challenge us to join the dark side. I guess the First Order must have pretty high PT standards if a half marathon isn't impressive!

We also got some medal photos over by the Galaxy's Edge mural. It's going to be so amazing to take photos there for Star Wars Weekend 2020! The mural is still pretty awesome and it was nice to get some shots with the Millennium Falcon. And we rode Star Tours because you can't not ride Star Tours! Then we headed back to the hotel for yet another nap.

We capped off the night with karaoke with some of our friends at the Swan resort. It was a bit of an adventure getting there since we didn't want to pay $25 to park at the resort but we made it and it was an absolute blast. I'm not usually one to stay up late and especially not after two super early runDisney race mornings but it was worth it. I really hope this becomes part of our runDisney traditions.

For those of you considering a runDisney Challenge, I have a few tips and suggestions.

1) Practice those back to back runs. Even if you don't use the Galloway plan, make sure you do back to back runs to get your legs used to running tired. You will thank yourself when the half marathon rolls around.

2) Take care of yourself after the 10k. It's easy to want to go crazy at Disney and eat all the things and spend all day at the park but don't forget that you have another race the next day. Naps are highly recommended along with getting to bed early. Also, be careful with your nutrition and hydration. It's totally ok to treat yourself but I wouldn't suggest drinking around the world until after your half is done.

3) Take at least one of the races very easy. The competitive types among us might want to crush both races but that's probably not a recipe for success. I'm sure someone has PR'd both the half and 10k in a challenge weekend but many more people have ended up in the medical tent by pushing themselves too hard at both races. This is especially important if it is hot and humid like it was this weekend.

4) Bring something to hold your medals while at the parks and during travel. One of the best parts of a challenge is all the bling but I personally don't like wearing all of my medals all the time. They can be quite heavy and the constant clanking drives me nuts. Even if you do like wearing multiple medals, you'll likely want to remove them for more intense rides like Tower of Terror. I made mine using this tutorial from Heather but Joyful Miles also has a no-sew tutorial if you don't have a sewing machine. I was really glad to have my medal holders this weekend.

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Star Wars Rival Run Posts:

Part 1: Expo
Part 2: Joyful Miles Meet Up

Part 3: 10k
Part 4: Half Marathon
Part 5: Rival Run Challenge-you are here.
Part 6: Kessel Run Challenge

Star Wars Rival Run 2019 Part 4: Half Marathon

On Sunday, the buses started even earlier than for the 10k so we got up at 2 am with plans on being on the first bus out at 3 am. I really appreciated having a much simpler costume for the half marathon. It definitely made getting ready so much easier! We did make it on the first bus and our bus was one of the first ones to the start area.

The character lines were really short and we were able to get so many photos! We opted to skip Darth Vader since we caught him at the 10k but we got through all of the other lines really quickly. If you want to get lots of character photos before the race, plan on getting to the start area early.

We decided to hang around the main stage area. I've never really watch the preshow but we found a group of Joyful Milers and ended up in a prerace dance party. It was really fun hanging out with my friends and rocking out to some music.

Once we got into the corrals, the preshow entertainment continued. I really liked not having a hike to the corrals for the half like I did for Marathon and Princess weekend but there's a lot of repeat material between the 10k and half marathon preshows in the corrals. Will and I each decided to run this race for time so he went up to corral C and I went to E. Soon we were headed out to the start line and the race began.

The first four miles or so of the course were along the highway in the dark. runDisny had two sections of the course with lazers, lights and sound effects to make it more interesting. One was Darth Vader dark breathing noises and the other was the battle of Endor sound effects. It definitely made this section of the course more interesting but it was dark and I was a bit nervous about injuring myself. I wish some of the course could have had better lighting.

Around mile 3, I had to take my hat off. It was just way to hot so I carried it for most of the race. I wore it for photopass photographers and when I ran through the water stops so I could have two hands free. My hat was definitely not a tech hat and it was just too hot for this race.

My goal for this race was to beat my Marathon weekend half time which was my first half so I decided before hand not to stop for photos unless I was really struggling and knew I was past all hope of hitting my goal time. Rey was out again and there were also a bunch of 501st members along the highway section of the course. I would also have loved to stop for the Hoth and trash compactor photo ops but they had super long lines!

I ran into fellow Joyful Miler Leslie outside of Animal Kingdom and we ran together for a bit. Just inside Animal Kingdom, we ran into Kimberly in Africa but I was still on track so I just waved and kept going. I really wanted to make it to Pandora in the dark because it was going to be beautiful and with the projected high, I wanted to get a lot of the course done in the dark.

I did enjoy running in Pandora in the dark but it seemed less glowy than when I've been there at night during normal park hours. It was also wet and tight through this area so it's a good place to slow down a bit and watch your footing. It wasn't as exciting as Magic Kingdom in the dark during Marathon weekend, but Animal Kingdom was definitely a high light of the course for me.

Then it was out into the Animal Kingdom parking lot and out towards Hollywood Studio. I was in corral E which had a 2:30 and 2:45 pace group. Since my goal was to hit a 2:45 half, I planned on staying in front of the 2:45 pace group and joining them if I started struggling and they caught up to me. I had been safely ahead of them but after Animal Kingdom, they kept catching up with me at the water stops when I slowed down to get water.

I ended up joining the 2:45 pace group in the stretch into Hollywood Studios. I was really struggling with the heat and humidity and having run a 10k the day before. The pace group was using a 30:30 interval (mine was 60:30) so running with the felt like a break due to all the extra walking. My body got a bit of a rest and I was able to stay on pace. If I had been on my own, I probably would have slowed down a lot more and lost quite a bit of time.

I started feeling better in Hollywood Studios so I put my hat on, pulled away from the pace group, and put on my happy face for the photopass photographers. I love the candid shots from these races and runDisney really stuff the photopass photographers inside of the parks!

Once I exited Hollywood Studios, I knew that the race was almost over. I've walked from Hollywood Studios to Epcot enough times to feel really confident in handling that distance. It was a bit crowded along that narrow stretch but I took the opportunities to pass people when I could and slowed down a bit when there was less space. Once I hit the Boardwalk, there was plenty of space. I also ran into my friend Audrey in this area but we were both trying to hit tough time goals so we just said hi and kept on with our own intervals.

I entered World Showcase near the UK and made my way around the world. There were more character stops and photopass photographers in this stretch but I just kept moving. Then it was a straight shot out of Epcot and into the finish chute. Just like for the 10k, there were more 501st members just outside of Epcot with very short character lines but I was rocking my time so I skipped these photo ops too.

In the final stretch, I saw Will cheering for me and yelling at me to skip my walk intervals. Which I did to sprint across the finish line. I didn't have my official time by my phone time indicated that I crushed my PR. Whoohoo!

I made it down to the challenge area to get my two challenge medals. It was really cool to get the extra medals! After stopping for an I did it photo, I met up with Will and some Joyful Milers to chill and see how everyone's race went. It was a really rough race for a lot of people which made me even more excited about my half PR. I'm hoping to get an even better time in the fall once the weather cools off again.

Having run one runDisney half race for photos, one mostly for time but with a few photos and one completely for time but with no photos, I can definitely say that each strategy gives the race a really different feel. For me personally, I think I prefer not stopping for every photo because waiting in too many lines and getting passed makes me feel anxious, but not stopping for no photos because there are always a few really short lines that make for some great photos.

The runDisney race weekends are pretty much spread equally out over the best running weather in Florida so that limits my opportunities to PR a longer race like a half so I think that if I continue to run several race weekends at Disney every year, I'll probably pick one to run for time and run the rest with a few spontaneous photos. So you can definitely PR at Disney but it's all about figuring out what you want out of your race and making the most of that experience.

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Star Wars Rival Run Posts:

Part 1: Expo
Part 2: Joyful Miles Meet Up
Part 3: 10k
Part 4: Half Marathon-you are here.
Part 5: Rival Run Challenge
Part 6: Kessel Run Challenge

Further, Higher, Faster

Growing up, I was never into comic books and the only super hero cartoon I watched was Sailor Moon but have have enjoyed all of the Marvel films that have grown into the MCU. One thing that has been lacking from this great movie universe was strong women. We have Black Widow who is awesome but she still hasn't gotten her own film and, to be honest, the sexy, undercover assassin stereotype always seemed to fit more of what a guy would want out of a female superhero that what I would like. Black Panther gave us so many great strong women, and all women of color! We got the warrior, the social justice champion, the genius and the wise queen all in one film! I especially loved Shuri and I would 100% be behind her getting a stand alone film or TV series. But the heroine I've fallen head over heals for is Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel.

I'll be the first to admit that the movie is not perfect and that I definitely wouldn't say it's the best Marvel film from a film critique perspective but I love the story that it tells and the message that it sends to young girls. One of these is how we should respond to sexism and discrimination against women (though these lessons could be applied to any sort of discrimination). Every time she gets shot down, Carol gets back up and says "You don't get to define my limits."

There's a very vocal section of the Marvel fandom that is upset about this film and thinks that it is just about some sort of extreme feminist agenda. The fact of the matter is that while things have improved, racism and sexism are still alive and well today and that is not ok. Comics are not just for boys. Sports are not just for boys. Being strong is not just for boys. Fashion is not just for girls. Expressing your emotions in public is not just for girls. Being a stay at home parent is not just for girls. These are all activities for humans and we're all human.

Sadly, these upset fans are proving the exact point they are arguing against. 

One thing that I didn't like about the film the first time I saw it was Carol's extreme power up towards the end of the film after talking to the Supreme Intelligence. I still think it was a bit of a stretch and I like to see my heroes work for their powers but on my second viewing, I realized the picture the film was trying to paint here. This is what happens when a woman wakes up and realizes that she is strong! And it is amazing!

It is only when Carol frees herself from the arbitrary rules created to keep her down and that she realizes that she has nothing to prove to the world that she reaches her full potential. I think too often that as women, we allow ourselves to be limited, consciously or unconsciously, by "rules" set by society, tradition or even ourselves. I hope that this film helps women turn their I can't into an I can. I'm realizing that I can be more than I ever though I could be. I am strong and I have so much to give to the world!

Another thing I love about Carol is that she has a strong drive to do the right thing which I think is common in many women. She joined the military not to prove she was better than a man but so that she had a shot at doing something that would save lives! We can see that in her decision to pilot Dr. Lawson's plane during it's fateful last mission. Dr. Lawson wanted to go alone but Carol knew that if wars and lives were at stake, she couldn't sit idly by. Even when she was living with the Kree, she still tried to do her bit for the Kree Skrull war. And when she found out that the war was not what she thought it was, her first instinct was to brave dangers to try and make things right. And isn't that what a super hero is supposed to do?

When we take a look at our beloved male heros, many of them do not have this attitude from the beginning. Tony Stark is far from a hero when we meet him and he's still got his share of character flaws. Thor is so bad that his dad grounds him from his power and kicks him out of the house. Hulk has his own set of issues that cause Bruce Banner to go into hiding. Probably the Avenger who is most like Carol in this respect is Steve Rodgers. He also had a strong desire to stand against evil even when everyone around him told him that he had nothing to give.

Hopefully, this next phase of the MCU will give us more strong female superheroes. Until then, we're the ones who have to show the world that we can go further, higher, faster.

Do You Even Lift?

One of my favorite things to do post-runDisney race is to meet characters in the parks. If the medal character for your race is available for meet and greet, that's a great option. You can even get them to sign your medal if they do autographs! But if not, it's always fun to meet other characters too.

When we saw Gaston sauntering out in Magic Kingdom after the Star Wars Rival Run 10k, we scurried over and got in line. Will likes to give him crap about leg day but Gaston is actually one of the more athletically inclined Disney characters.

 Gaston admitted that his workout routine involves a lot of checking himself out in the mirror. He and Flynn Rider need to have a smolder off sometime! I do suspect Gaston follows the same bicep routine as Captain America in addition to bench pressing blonde triplets. Or maybe it's all of the eggs....

Au revoir, Gaston. Until next time!

Star Wars Rival Run 2019 Part 3: 10k

When Will and I first started talking about Star Wars Weekend 2019, my total running career amounted to one 5k and I hated it. But runDisney looked like so much fun and Star Wars weekend was just a month before our 10 year anniversary so we came up with the genius idea to run a 10k for our 10 year. By the time registration came around, however, I had already signed up for the WDW Marathon Weekend half marathon and talked myself into trying the Star Wars Weekend Challenge. We decided to still run the 10k together and then go at our own pace for the half.

We had a 2:30 am wake up call and made it out on the second bus from our hotel. When we got to the start area in the Magic Kingdom parking lot, the character lines were already so long! I think the rain on the morning of the 5k kept people from getting as many photos that morning so they were all out trying to get photos at the 10k. The only character photo we got before hand was Darth Vader.

Once we got out of his line, we decided to head to the corrals as the other lines were all 45+ mins. Will was supposed to be in corral A but he dropped back to C with me. We got a nice spot in the corral and enjoyed some dancing to the music the DJ played. They did a little preshow with First Order Troopers and resistance fighters. The Troopers' bit seemed to be about the same as last year and the whole thing was a bit cheesy. (It was even cheesier the next morning during the half as the performance was almost word for word the same.) But soon it was time to start!

We quickly came upon our first character stop which was Rey with a Takodana backdrop. She did a really great job as Rey.

Soon afterwards, there were a bunch of 501st and Rebel Legion members. The 501st and Rebel Legion and dark side and light side star wars cosplay groups, respectively, who do a lot of charity events. There's no photopass photographers for them but we had the people behind us snap a photo on our phones. There were also big screens along this section of the course playing Star Wars clips.

Another cool photo opportunity was sitting in the Emperor's chair. Don't I look like I belong on a throne? The first four miles of the course were along the highway which can be kind of boring between photo stops. I also had a really hard time hearing my phone beeping for my intervals as the music along the course was really loud! Just something to consider if you use intervals.

Look! An ewok!

We did have one clover leaf on ramp where the green army man usually is. They had the rebel leaders from the preshow here challenging us to keep moving. I didn't like them as much as green army man but it was a nice touch.

We stopped to see Sabine and Ezra (I think) from Star Wars Rebels just outside of Epcot. Hopefully, Rebels will be on the new Disney streaming service so I can finally watch it!

Finally, we hit Epcot during mile 4. We came in the front and took a side detour over by the Sea and the Land before heading out to World Showcase. I love running in Epcot as they really cram in the photopass photographers. The candid running shots are always my favorite. We ended up with some really great couple shots from this area.

 I pretty much had to give up on my interval beeps in Epcot. The music was too loud. So I ran intervals by feel. I wasn't running for time so it wasn't a huge deal but it did make me really nervous for the half as I was planning on going for a PR. I wasn't going to do that without my interval beeps! Will kept me focused on having fun through the end of the race.

One of my favorite photo stops was Darth Maul in the America pavilion. I wish they had a Darth Maul meet and greet in the park somewhere. He's my favorite Star Wars villain!

Soon enough we were headed out of Epcot and into the final stretch. There were more 501st and Rebel Legion members just outside of Epcot and we stopped for a few more photos. Then it was time to cross that finish line and get our medals! I really loved the design of the 10k medal. The gold and green was really striking.

Star Wars Rival Run 10k

Time: 1:59:21

Pace: 19:15 min/mi

We headed down the chute for water, snack boxes and I did it photos. I have to confess that I didn't eat anything from the snack boxes at either race.  This year, the Oreos had been replaced by gluten free pretzels. Normally, I'm all for more gluten free options but as everything else in the box was already gluten free, I didn't think it was necessary. Please bring back the Oreos! I don't really need to refuel much after a 10k, so I ate the banana and then had a chocolate chip Larabar when I got back to the room. (So yummy! Tastes like cookie dough).

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Star Wars Rival Run Posts:

Part 1: Expo
Part 2: Joyful Miles Meet Up
Part 3: 10k-you are here.
Part 4: Half Marathon
Part 5: Rival Run Challenge
Part 6: Kessel Run Challenge