Every Mile is Misery ... I Mean, Magic

[pshaw_raven]

I hung back one corral to stand around freezing with Fox, and my 10k time today was 1:02:22. Disney races aren't really the place to try to PR unless you're up towards the front, but I was also not expecting a spectacular finish time here. Man, was it miserable waiting at the start, though. 58 degrees and dropping as it misted rain and the wind gusted across the open asphalt of the Ticket and Transportation Center. I really regretted not having a mylar blanket. I was shivering, even in among all the other people huddled up like baby penguins in a creche.

I know Disney races are supposed to be fun, every mile is magic, and all that good stuff, and I don't want to take anyone's good time away. But I really feel like folks could use a race etiquette refresher, or a primer for those who are running their first in-person event. Namely, what I think it's important to impress on everyone is that

SLOWER RUNNERS
STAY TO THE RIGHT

If you need to slow down and walk, that's fine. Hold up your hand to indicate to people behind you that you're stopping, then

GET RIGHT

If a faster runner on your left needs, for whatever reason, to slow down themselves, please for the love God, LET THEM GET TO THE RIGHT. I got boxed in at one point, someone's trying to pass me on the left, and I have no place to get over and give them room, and I'm embarrassed about it.

But just like driving, you're always going to find some slowpoke in the far left lane, forcing traffic to stack up behind them, oblivious to the chaos they're causing. Please don't do this. I don't want to hate you.

Headed over to Epcot for a little while this morning, but most of the afternoon is going to be resting and eating ahead of tomorrow's half marathon. I may not really hit my goal time on that one, but I'm willing to bet I can PR, especially since I'll be in my "real" corral and I have no qualms about creeping up to the front of said corral.

Aside from that though, it was a great morning to run. Once you get going it's cold enough that you stay cool, and it didn't start to rain hard again. I was pretty thoroughly soggy by the finish line, but I managed to avoid puddles until literally the mile 6 marker, when I stepped in one up to my ankle (aaarrrrrrgh), but I ran most of the race with dry feet.

Fox finished just behind me at 1:06:54 but he also had an emergency potty stop, otherwise we might have finished at the same time.

Comments

[cdayzee]

I can relate to some of these struggles! Where I walk/run people have no sense of etiquette & it's frustrating. I want to yell at them - do you drive like this??! I also experience another problem because there's 'oncoming traffic'. So you can well imagine the frustrations. It would be great if everyone was on the same page.

[pshaw_raven]

Most of the walkers and slower runners I've raced with have followed that rule. Maybe 95% of them understand and they don't want to get in someone's way, where I know when I'm trying to put on some speed, I don't want to "pressure" or bother people who are going slower than me. This morning before the race I noticed they did make a couple of announcements asking people to stay to the right, and asking walkers not to walk more than two abreast. Happily, it wasn't as congested, because by the time we reach the choke points on these longer races, the crowds have gotten strung out.

[cdayzee]

I'm glad that things went more smoothly this time.

I have another running question for you lol :P I've noticed lately where I run/walk that people have been running zigzags. What is the benefit of that?