Wine and Dine Half Marathon Archives

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Lilo and Stitch at the 2015 Wine and Dine Half Marathon

The 2015 Wine and Dine Half Marathon aka The Wine and Dine “Little More Than a 10k”

6 Comments/in Races, Run Life, Seen on the Run/by Denny

I’ve made no secret of my fondness for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon held each fall at Walt Disney World.

2015 Wine and Dine Half Marathon

If nothing else, the 2015 Wine and Dine Half Marathon will go down in history as the race that was but wasn’t.

And for those of us that were there, I doubt many of us will ever forget the happenings of the evening.

What Happened at the 2015 Wine and Dine Half Marathon?

You’ve got to love Florida weather.

Even in November, when the crazy weather is supposed to have calmed down.

Here is a recap of the events leading up to the start of the race as I witnessed them:

I left the house with rumbling thunder and some rain, but according to the weather apps the Disney area was staying dry until about 2 AM.

I really wasn’t worried about the weather since isolated storms in Florida are pretty common, and just because there was a storm cell between the house and Disney it certainly didn’t mean there was a storm pushing across the state.

After parking at Epcot and riding the shuttle over to the Wide World of Sports complex, I found my friend Bill (who was spectating, not running) and we started chatting/catching up.

At about 9 PM (one hour before race time) the wind picked up like it does before a storm is about to blow in. There was a little bit of misty rain in the air, and the runDisney folks made an announcement that severe weather was in the area and that all runners and spectators needed to head to the buildings and take shelter.

So we did.

But that severe weather that looked to be in the area never showed up.

That said, if you looked at the radar it sure looked like we were about to get HAMMERED by all kinds of nastiness, but the skies never opened up and I never saw a bolt of lightning or heard any thunder.

Damn Florida weather…

The Race is Back On!

Wine and Dine Start

After about an hour, they made the announcement that we could head back toward the corrals and that the race would be starting soon.

People were obviously excited as we were still going to get to run. I mean, better late than never right?

Except for one thing: we were no longer going to be running a half marathon.

Due to the delay at the start, the decision was made that the race needed to be cut short by a little over 6 miles.

Needless to say, this wasn’t a popular decision.

My emotions ran the gamut from being pissed to being despondent to not even wanting to run anymore to just kind of feeling meh about the whole thing.

I trained for a half. I paid for a half. I really wanted to run a half.

Running a 10k+ just didn’t get my juices flowing.

But since I needed to get to Epcot somehow to get the car and head home, I didn’t have much of a choice.

My 2015 Wine and Dine “Little More Than a 10k”

My pity party lasted for about a mile.

I was in Corral A, planning on running hard and pushing for my second big half marathon PR of 2015, but when we were no longer running a half I didn’t feel like racing anymore.

So when the gun went off, everyone else in Corral A took off and I just ran at a comfortable pace listening to some music and trying to stay upset.

It’s funny how hard it is to stay mad when you’re running. It damn near impossible!

Somewhere around the mile mark, I looked ahead and saw the bears from the Country Bear Jamboree out cheering for runners and posing for photos.

At that point, I decided I was going to make the best of this situation and have some fun. So I stopped.

Country Bears at the 2015 Wine and Dine Half Marathon

Straight Chillin with the Country Bears

I ran up a little farther, singing along to the music in my headphones and stopped for another photo.

Lilo, Stitch, and I

Next up was the Studios and while running through Pixar Place these two guys looked lonely so I stopped to say hi.

Buzz and Woody at the 2015 Wine and Dine Half Marathon

My Homies Buzz and Woody

After the Studios, I hit the trail toward the boardwalk which is my favorite place to run at Walt Disney World. I used to run there every day during my lunch breaks when I was working at the Studios, and for whatever reason I still really love running there.

At this point, things were looking up. Sure, I was still bummed but I was enjoying the people out cheering and then I ran past what is now my favorite race sign I’ve ever seen.

It was so good, I literally turned around and went back to get the picture.

Best. Race Sign. Ever.

From there, all that was left was about a mile and I could shut it down for the night.

But first, I needed to take a detour.

The Things You Can Do When You Don’t Care About Your Time

Riding Soarin During the 2015 Wine and Dine Half Marathon

My Mid-Race Detour

When I was talking with Bill during the “severe weather delay”, I was talking about trying to hit a new PR during the race. I told him if I was no longer on pace to PR, I’d probably just run off the course to ride Soarin’ and then I’d finish the race.

Well, since I wasn’t running hard and the time was irrelevant due to the random route we were now running, I decided I was definitely going to have fun and go ride Soarin’ before I finished the race.

So I did.

I got a couple of weird looks when I jumped over the cones marking the course, took a hard left instead of a right, and ran up the hill to enter the Land.

But who cares?

I went in, cooled down, enjoyed my flight over California, and came back out to finish the race.

The Best Thing About the 2015 Wine and Dine Half Marathon

It took about a mile, but I made the decision to let go of the things that I had no control over (the weather and the decision of the race officials) and found a way to still have fun and have a memorable experience during this race.

Was it ideal?

Not hardly, but this race was a necessary reminder that I can only control what I can control and nothing else.

Running is absolutely one of the best teachers I have in my life, and class was definitely in session during the 2015 Wine and Dine Half Marathon!

Do You Have Any Experiences With Last Minute Race Issues That Were 100% Out of Your Control? Share Your Story Below!

Just a Little Heads Up for my Fellow Winers and Diners

0 Comments/in Products, Races, Run Life/by Denny

If you’re reading this post, odds are you are a somewhat regular reader of the blog.

And for that, I really want to say thank you.

I’ve had a lot of people ask me about potentially offering some kind of group coaching program, and I’ve held off on that for a variety of reason. But that’s about to change.

And I want to give those of you that are subscribed to the blog a little heads up and what I’m doing and give you a chance to get in on the action (if you want) for a super low price.

I’m super excited about this.

I’m putting together a group training program for one specific race, and it just so happens to be my absolute favorite race at Walt Disney World-the Wine and Dine Half Marathon.

You’re going to be hearing a lot more about this program in the coming weeks, but until registration opens on Tuesday, I’ve slashed the price from $97 to $37. So if you’re thinking about running this race, and if you’re thinking you’d like to meet some awesome runners and have a specific program in place, I’d encourage you to jump at this opportunity.

All of the details are available by clicking this link, and I’ll be explaining much more about what I’ll be offering going forward.

But please know, with what I have planned, the regular price for this is a steal. So take advantage.

And if you’re not sure, there is a 30 day, no questions asked, money back guarantee. So grab it for $37, and if you decide to change your mind as you learn more about it, no harm no foul.

But I can pretty much guarantee, you’ll be glad.

2013 Wine and Dine Half Marathon

2 Comments/in Races/by Denny

On Saturday evening, the 4th incarnation of Disney’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon took place at Walt Disney World.

And for the 4th year in a row, I was running in Disney’s only night race.

The Night Race Dynamic

For those of you that have never run a night race, it is a totally different ball game than the typical early morning starts. Some people like the night start, some people aren’t as keen about them.

Since most runners are creatures of habit, starting a race at night totally throws off the race day routine. Should you sleep in or get up early and take a midday nap? What time should you eat before the race? What should you do all day? Normal activities? Lay on the couch?

And what about your bathroom routine?

Yikes.

But me? I love the late start!

Until recently, I’ve never been a fan of early morning running. So the idea of running a half or a full that started at 6 or 7 in the morning was almost as daunting as the actual run itself.

But to start a race at 10 pm? Being wide awake, fully fueled, and ready to go? Where do I sign up?

That was the allure of this race 4 years ago. And after running it the first time, I’ve been hooked ever since.

Why Do I Run the Same Race Every Year?

First and foremost, Disney knows how to put on a race.

Yes, the price is steep compared to most other races. But when it comes to race organization and on-course entertainment, it’s really hard to beat a runDisney event. There are Disney characters sprinkled throughout the course for runners to be able to get pictures with, and the allure of running through the theme parks is pretty awesome.

And the route we run during the Wine and Dine Half is fantastic. In my opinion, running the January half course is nowhere near as cool as the Wine and Dine half. Not only do you get to run in 3 of the 4 parks instead of only running through 2, but you also get to spend more time running in each of the parks! During the January race, you’re only in the parks for a little over a mile. At Wine and Dine, you get about 3-4 miles of park running. And park running beats road running any day.

This Year’s Race

This year, my Wine and Dine experience was a little different than it has been in years past.

After running the Red Ribbon Half in the morning, I was slightly less than fresh for the start of the race.

But I had a plan and I stuck with it.

The plan was simple. Start just off at about 8:45 pace or the first 5k and see how the legs feel. If, after 5k I felt ok, I was going to try to bring that pace down towards 8:30 and give another PR a shot.

As we gathered into our corrals, I started to feel the excitement and nerves.

After that, it was time to run.

This year, the race organizers did us a huge favor by creating more starting corrals with fewer people in them to limit the cluster that typically happens during the first few miles of a runDisney event. So instead of being in the first corral with 1500 other runners, I was in Corral C with only about 500 runners.

And this small change made a huge difference.

Coming out of the shoot, runner traffic was flowing smoothly. Yes, the road was crowded. But we kept moving, and that is better than some past race experiences that I’ve had. And while the first water station (just past Mile 1) was still narrower than it could be, having fewer people passing through it at the same time did make it easier for those of us not wishing to stop to be able to keep running.

By the time we got to Animal Kingdom, I was still feeling alright so I decided to push it a little bit. At this point, I wasn’t sure my legs would make it for the entire 13.1, but I knew if I didn’t stay close to my target pace while my legs were still feeling good it wouldn’t matter anyway. I mean, there was no way I could knock out a couple of 7 minute miles at the end of this race, so I needed to keep my second 5k around 8:15 to keep an overall 8:30 within reach.

Coming out of DAK is tough, because the trip down Osceola is BORING! But, I kept an eye on my watch and focused on maintaining my breathing as I got through the worst stretch of the Wine and Dine course. By the time I got to the 15k mark, a PR was within reach. I had made it to the Studios, and my overall pace was down to 8:36.

I entered the Studios and tried doing some quick math in my head. I’d have to keep pushing all the way to the finish, but for the first time I really felt like I could get the second PR of the day. The Studios section of the race is tricky, because there are a lot of sharp turns that you have to navigate with tired legs. The first couple are 90* corners, so they don’t slow you down too bad unless runner traffic gets in your way. But there is a 180* turn around the 10 mile mark that is a killer, because it just totally stops all of your momentum.

And then there are the lights.

Photo by Amy. @MomsMagicMiles

Photo by Amy. @MomsMagicMiles

I’m not much of a Christmas lights person, but every time I enter the Streets of America to this scene, I can’t help but slow down and take as much in as possible. This year, I tried my best not to slow down too much through this section, but I know I did.

Coming out of the Studios with 2 miles to go, I liked my chances. I’ve run the route between the Studios and Epcot dozens of times, so I knew how to cut every corner and accelerate up and down every little “hill”.

Once we got to Epcot, there were so many yelling and screaming people that I knew I could get a lift from their energy. And I did.

I rounded the final corner, crossed the finish line, and the Garmin read 1:52:05! New PR!

Yahtzee!

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