Tower of Terror Ten Miler...CONQUERED! Part 1

Disney rocks! They left Mickey
towels on my bed.

 September 28, 2012 my family and I arrived at Disney's All Star Movie Resort. At check-in they asked if I was there for the race. I grinned like the Cheshire Cat and responded "YES"! She then welcomed us and handed me the Race Guide. It was real! This was happening! I was so excited and I hadn't even been to packet pick-up yet.
I really liked our room but I was anxious to get to the expo. 

The guardian dalmatians
warned of coming rain.

Despite the incoming rain warning from the 50 foot dalmatians (and the bus driver) we hopped on the bus. Man was it poring! There were tidal waves created as we drove to ESPN Wide World of Sports . People were being swept from the sidewalks into the newly created lakes! Okay, I am exaggerating a bit....take a look for yourselves.

The bus drop off was a pool by this time.
The bus attendants were soaked! Poor people.

We will be back!

 










Needless to say we did not get off of the bus and instead headed back to the hotel. The All Star Movies Resort had a pretty decent food court. Knowing that tomorrow was the race I decided to carb load a bit. What is the best way to do that on the cheap yet with Disney flair? Get the pepperoni pizza of course!

Not a bad deal. $15 for a large.

Yummers! They had Barq's Rootbeer as well so of course I had rootbeer with my pizza. After dinner the old folks were really tired from the trip up. They headed for the room and we tried once again for the expo. 

Sunshine and a
happy attendant!

Success! There was sun and the bus was actually full of people this time. One of the experiences I like about a Disney race is the people. Everyone is so happy to be there and will willingly be silly. We followed the signs for packet pick-up and found ourselves facing a bell hop from the Tower of Terror. I wish I had taken a picture of her. We asked her how to get to the ground floor and she replied in a creepy voice "You can either use the stairs" (points to stairs) "or" (Insert creepy smile) "take the elevator. " We chose the stairs.

So much to see! But first I had to pick up my free ToT 10 Miler Stitch poster. Then I got my bag, walked across the chip activator for the bib, broadcast to the world my name and age, and walked over to the orientation meeting. I am glad I attended that meeting. In it they told us about the various terrains we would encounter. That helped because I wasn't surprised like some when during the race we had to walk down a rocky dirt road. Next, I checked out the bling for this race and for the Half Marathon in January. They were so shiney and pretty!

Jeff Galloway -
Hydrate so you don't vomit.

We then attended the Jeff Galloway presentation "Strong To The Finish". He spoke about race day nutrition, hydration, and rest. In addition he advised us on the run/walk methods and various paces to use. What did I get out of it? Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and eat small light portions all day on race day."Eating a big meal the night before (or the day of) a long run can be a real problem. You will have a lot of food in your gut, and you will be bouncing up and down for an extended period. Get the picture?" - Jeff Galloway. He also discussed pacing yourself so that you could finish strong and with a smile. I soaked it all in. I sure didn't want to vomit.

Now it was time to shop! I found some fantastic earbuds for my mp3. They are called Snuggbuds and they are the first ear buds that have not hurt my ears. My ears are little and so I needed some that were small. You can replace the soft plastic cushion with different sizes. Also, the cord is fabric which I really liked. The sound was incredible...noise canceling...so in my bag they went. Of course I bought a new running shirt as well. We walked around, got some free moon pies, and caught the bus back to the hotel. 


It was then that I pinned my bib onto my cheshire race shirt making it official in my mind. I was about to run my longest race yet...ten miles! Time for bed.


Check out Part 2 RACE DAY!