runDisney 2013 The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler

Video to come shortly

I was beyond excited to run my first The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler. Why – because it was my very first night race, I also had a super cool costume and it was my 13th runDisney event of 2013!

I had run the Happy Haunted 5K Trail Run that morning and by 3pm I had decided to try to eat and nap in preparation for the race. I didn’t fall asleep, but did lay down and got off my feet. I ate a chicken salad around 3pm and ate my prerace meal of a cereal bar and banana 1 ½ hours prior to the race.

I was staying the Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter hotel. Pamela & I were on the bus prior to 7:30pm and had an easy ride over to the holding area in Disney’s Hollywood Studios parking lot. There we met up with a few of our Team runDisney friends and my Disney Social Media On the Road Mom, Abby from Abby’s Road to Amazingness!

We were in Corral F for the race. I had an assignment of D, but moved back to run with Pam in Corral F. The speaker system was not operating correctly for the start of the race, but they managed to get it back together for the National Anthem and wave starts. The new corral system worked great! Although being back in “F” was painful for me – the pain was lessened by the shortened time between waves and running with a friend! The time went by fast and soon we were on our way. We were running a 2 minute run followed by a 30 second walk ratio.

Pam and my plan was “to have fun,” but by the time we got to the first photo opportunity the line was way too long for us to wait for a snap shot. We decided to skip the Witch from Snow White and run to the next stop. The next stop was Jafar. We waiting at least 5 minutes to get to the front of the line and just when it was our turn Jafar took a break!!! Mortified – we decided to skip photo opps and just take photos of the characters on the go!

The course was fun. It was Miles 22 to 13 of the WDW Marathon with the Happy Haunted 5K Trail Run thrown in for good measure! Running the course in the opposite direction and at night was actually a novelty and I loved the shorten distance of the 10 miles and the darken course.

I thought the theming of the race was excellent – there were a lot of character stops. The trail run through ESPN Zone’s Wide World of Sports was more chewed up than previously in the day so we walked that section. I enjoyed the run around the complex more than at the 2oth WDW Marathon – probably because we weren’t on Mile 20! I did have difficulty late in the race at mile 9. I was beginning to get nauseous. It wasn’t until Pamela ripped off my pink wig did I realize that I was suffering from heat exhaustion!

Earlier in the day we were planning on staying for the Post-Race party, but because we both didn’t nap and needed to catch early morning flights we did not stay to celebrate. We were in bed by 1:30am and happy to crash!

My The Twilight Tower of Terror 10 Miler Tips:

Run in Costume: If you are new to runDisney, costumes are expected, but not required. Preparing your costume adds to the fun of a runDisney race. Everything from tutus to Disney Villains were seen at the Tower of Terror race.
Take it Easy: Get off your feet early in the afternoon. Prepare to eat small meals and then your normal race meal prior to the start of the race.
Bring a Flashlight: After listening to Jeff Galloway, on the Mickey Miles Podcast, recommend a flashlight, I carried one and used it during the trail portion of the race. I’m glad I did – there was uneven footing.
Learn How to Use Your Camera at Night: My photos didn’t come out as great as I would have wanted. I vow to read my operation manual in preparation for Wine & Dine!
Expect The Heat: October in Florida can be hot. This race wasn’t too bad, but remember that runDisney events in Florida can be hotter than you are used to – slow down and enjoy the journey!

Special thanks to Pamela Potter Frost for ripping my wig off during Mile 9 and walking with me into the finish!