Daily Archives: December 30, 2014

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Starlight Half Marathon and Mount Dora Half Race Recap

Hello Friends!

I’m finally ready to talk about my husband and I’s double half marathon weekend! If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw that for our 6th wedding anniversary we decided to complete two half marathons in 1 weekend.

Our Schedule:

12/20 – Happy Anniversary!!!!

  • 10a – drop off Little Lady
  • 10:30a – drive to Palm Coast, FL 
  • Lunch time – Panera Bread, and a quick trip to Kohls for a car charger
  • 4:30p – Packet Pick up! 
  • 6:00p – Starlight Half Marathon!!
  • 9:15p – Starlight Half Marathon completed
  • 10:00p – McDonalds Cheeseburger
  • 11:30p – Arrive in Central Florida 
12/21 – Half Marathon 2
  • 4:30a – Alarm goes off…
  • 5:15a – Leave for Mount Dora
  • 5:45a – Packet Pick Up!!
  • 6:00a – Meet some AWESOME RunDisney people from an Online RunDisney Forum (shout out to RtD) 
  • 7:00a – Mount Dora Half Marathon
  • 11:00a – Mount Dora Half Marathon completed
  • 11:20a – The biggest serving of iHOP food I’ve ever eaten… 
  • 12:00p – Shower / Stretch / Nap
  • 3:00p – Drive to Disney
  • 4:00p- Check into Allstar Music
  • 4:30p – Explore Disney
  • 9:00p – Dinner at Beaches and Cream 
  • 11:00p – Goodnight Moon 
Okay, now that you’ve seen the schedule here’s my recap! 
Starlight Half Marathon

The Course:
  • I loved it! It was so lovely, and there were so many Christmas Lights, and other festive decorations throughout the course. 
  • The only negative was the course was VERY dark at parts. … VERY dark. 
The Amenities:
  • Shirt (long-sleeved)
  • Medal (large size)
  • Beer / Hot Chocolate
  • Snack after the race
The Volunteers / Directors:
  • Fabulous! Honestly, there was a great support system from the local police, and just locals. Everyone was so positive and encouraging – it was wonderful! 
Considerations for next year? 
  • more bathrooms (this preggo was in desperate need of a potty!)
Would you run it again? 
  • I think so, I really enjoyed the course and the support from the volunteers and coordinators. 
Time: 3:18:50 (~15:00 min mile pace)

The Mount Dora Half Marathon

The Course: 
  • Really pretty
  • Too many hills 
  • Seriously… like Florida MOUNTAINS
The Amenities:
  • Tech Shirt
  • Snacks
  • Fuel Station 
  • Water Bottles at the finish
  • Advil at the finish (if desired)
  • Nice medal with spinning rocking chair
  • Bag with race logo 
Volunteers / Coordinators:
  • Wonderful! 
    • I truly felt that the people organizing the event truly enjoyed watching others run, and were so encouraging throughout the race. There was also a lot of support from the local police station, also very encouraging! 
Considerations for next year?
  • Couldn’t think of any… 
Would I run it again? 
  • If I was in the area, i’d do it again – but NOT after 3 hours of sleep…. 
Time: 4:00 hours (~18 min mile)
What went wrong? 
Well, due to the lack of sleep, lack of proper hydration and food I got a cramp. Since I’m pregnant, I’m really sensitive to any discomfort (especially in my side or abdomen) so we decided to walk for the first mile or so. 
That’s not a problem, but… it was a little chilly out and with already sore muscles and hills – we got cold and tight. Therefore, it was near impossible for us to get warmed up. I finally got my stride for a few miles, but I was cold, stiff and not feeling very well so it was tough. 
In tears I turned the corner towards the finish line – I’ve never felt worse approaching a finish line and hope to never make such poor choices again. 
Half Marathon #4 is in the books, and I’m looking forward to sharing some of the lessons learned and how I will manage the hit my pride took as I prepare for the Goofy Challenge next weekend!