Princess Expo Craziness

I like my race gear.  I'll admit it.  When RunDisney posted their sneak peak, I gave my husband and mother in law a list of things I wanted (three things- not crazy) and we created a game plan to split up and get them.  We even left for the expo at 4:30 am this morning from Lauderdale to make sure we could check in to our hotel and get to the expo early.  

There was already a fairly long line for Dooneys, packet pick up, and the expo, when we got there.  We went to our prearranged posts and waited patiently.  When they started a soft opening and letting a few people in at a time early I got  excited.  I just wanted to be done with it!

I went to merchandise first, which was actually apart from packet pick up this time.  The hubs and his mom attempted the expo merchandise area.  I got right in after some confusion, bought my three desired items, a jacket for the hubs and got out easily.  Even got my preorder jacket without hassle.  

Preorder:

That was not the case for my tag team partners.  They said it was a madhouse in their section.  Pushing, crowding, and crazy princesses snatching items, depleting shelves faster than the poor cast members could keep up.  Taking multiples of items.  I didn't believe it because my own experience was so nice, but I later saw it for myself.

I had to pick up two bibs and deal with being registered for both the half and Glass Slipper somehow.  I also had an issue picking up my preordered pin, but some amazing cast members helped me with both issues and I was on my way.

When I got to the expo part the hubs mentioned he thought he saw something I would like in the merchandise there so I scurried over.  It was a madhouse.  People everywhere, cast members surrounded by people trying to get items they wanted.  I finally saw the sweatshirt that they hadn't shown on the sneak peak and didn't have in the first area.  I dodged people and luckily saw one on the rack in my size.  I scooped it up and found the end of the crazy long check out line.

While in line I witnessed chaos, discussing it with those around me who only had a few items.  I saw one wine glass fall and break, but I think the woman legitly just dropped it.  I was feeling claustrophobic and anxious- and a little guilty that I was in the middle of this mess.  I hope that my actions didn't screw people up or that I was accidentally rude to anyone like the behaviors of so many around me.  I almost put the sweatshirt back several times and just left.  

I finally got to the front of the line and watched several people buying multiples of items.  I even saw someone spend $1200.  Obviously I began to suspect that many of these items would appear on eBay shortly.  I smiled at my cashier and told her I had just one item- that I'd make her job easy at least for a few minutes.  She smiled back looking frazzled and I felt bad for her.

We stopped to have lunch at the little restaurant in ESPN and then I realized I forgot to grab a poster board from the upstairs area to decorate.  The line for getting back into the expo was so long that I approached the cast member manning the door to see if there was ANY way I could just go and grab a poster board that was RIGHT THERE.  He told me he couldn't stop me but policy was... And I felt bad for him, a little embarrassed that I asked to break the rules.  Not very princess like.  I bet people were yelling at him all day, too.  I told him I would follow the rules and he was appreciative. I bet a lot of people weren't so cooperative based on his demeanor.  After seeing the line I decided the poster board wasn't that important.  I was frustrated and overwhelmed by the crowds.  Maybe tomorrow.

The packet pick up line was out the gate as we left just after 11:40.  This is my third princess and who knows how many Disney races, and I HAVE NEVER seen such ridiculousness.  I really do feel embarrassed to have been there and didn't even really look around because I just wanted to get out.  This very well might be my last princess since I will be finally getting my pink C2C at Tink this year.  I left feeling disappointed in humanity and unhappy- not excited and inspired to rock the races this weekend.  I'm happy that I did get the merchandise I wanted, but almost ashamed, too, and I didn't even do anything wrong.  

That's not to say that everyone was greedy and crazy- I met some very pleasant people today who were considerate and helpful.  I watched awesome cast members work hard to make my experience and other people's days positive.  Unfortunately there were also those who would stop at nothing to get what they want- and those are the ones who tarnished the expo for many.  

I'll conclude with a snap shot of my haul from the expo... But I feel bad even posting this after seeing and reading about the day.  I'm glad to have my keepsakes, but am saddened by the chaos they caused.  

A1A Half Marathon Recap

Who doesn't want to run a half or full marathon that runs along the ocean at sunrise?  That's what you get with the A1A Marathon and Half.  My husband grew up going to a time share on A1A, so this was an obvious choice for his first half marathon.  

It starts nice and early at 6 am- but that's good to avoid potential heat and humidity issues if it were to go later, especially for the full marathoners who have six hours to finish (the half course stays open as well as it is the same course).  With such an early start, my husband and I got a drop off at the start around 4:45.  We were anxious about porta potty lines and bag check so we wanted to be pretty early.  Race instructions also encouraged runners to get there early to avoid any traffic issues.  Luckily it was smooth sailing as we got to the start area with no problems.  There were plenty of porta potties and bag check was an easy process.  No stress!  

We were in the corral roughly 25 minutes before start.  A great rendition of the National Anthem was played on a saxophone and off the wheelchair racers went!  

My only complaint about the starting corral was that people didn't start according to their pace/expected time, which is not the race's fault as they asked people to, but it did make for a lot of weaving in the first mile as I dodged slower runners and even some walkers that had lined up at a 7:00 or better pace. 

The only MAJOR hill happens in the first few miles when you run if a drawbridge overpass, so it was a nice and relatively flat course.  They had aid stations and bathrooms nearly every mile it seemed, which is really convenient for runners.  

The course itself is pretty.  We got to run through some nicely lit up streets before hitting the beach, being welcomed by a statue of a snowman made of sand.  

There was a rough headwind once we turned on to A1A.  My husband estimates 20mph sustained with gusts, but I don't know for sure.  That's where I realized a PR was likely out of my grasp as a plodded through the wind.  About 4.5 or so miles in we turned into a park that was very pretty and virtually wind free, so it was a nice break before returning to A1A and pushing through a few more windy miles.  I can honestly say I was never more excited for a turn around point than I was when we finally saw the sign for the half marathon.  The wind wasn't nearly as bad as we started back in the direction of the beach and the finish line party that awaited us.

Having run on A1A a lot while on vacation, I was familiar with the landmarks and knew about how much farther things were, but the miles dragged on as I was tired from attacking the wind.  Luckily there were a fair amount of people out cheering, especially as we hit the park, and it kept me moving.  Crossing the finish line at 1:46:56 was well off of my goal for the race, but I tried to stay positive.  Weather conditions weren't the best, but it was the first half I ran nonstop (minus to tie my shoe) since I hurt my foot last August.  So hopefully this meant some new PRs are in my future.

The finish line area felt a bit chaotic.  Once we received our medals we were inundated with all sorts of goodies- Mylar blankets, water bottles, towels, Gatorade, water... All as we were hurried through the chute.  I was super excited to see the sand sculpture finishing area.  I took another girl's picture and she took mine.  

After that I went back to watch my husband finish his first half in under two hours!  It was exciting to see him finish and capture a finisher pic for him. 

 

The after party was pretty cool.  It was right there in the park on the beach.  There were lots of free samples of things.  Including some wine from Barefoot that I enjoyed.  They had a tortilla/taco building area and burgers among the usual fruit assortment.  A live band entertained runners as we celebrated our accomplishments.

It did get a little crowded as more and more runners flooded the area, but it was definitely a nice party.

The medals were spectacular.  They were three tiered, with a blue sand dollar, a fish with the race name, and then a turtle that opened like a locket with a runner mural inside.  You can tell they take great pride in creating a medal that captures the spirit of Ft Lauderdale.  

I really liked this race and would recommend it.  The people were great, the race support was awesome, and the finish area and party are perfect for those runners who enjoy the beach.  I am definitely thinking about returning if it fits into my race schedule again!

Ft. Lauderdale here we are!!!

It's finally here!  The day before the A1A Half Marathon!  Of course, Western New York had to throw us a whirlwind of weather yesterday- which nicely gave me a snow day for school- but left me anxious that we'd get out this morning.  We had several back up plans in case we couldn't get out of Buffalo. White out conditions multiple times yesterday made the roads treacherous, but luckily we were able to safely arrive at the airport in -1 degree weather, windchills in the -30 range.  Yikes!  Glad we are racing down south.  All the races by us have been cancelled for safety reasons.

The weather did cause some issues with our departure, making us board late and sit for awhile.  We eventually got going and made great time in the air.  After getting our luggage and rental car it was off to the expo.  We really wanted the peace of mind of having our bibs in our possession before going to the resort and settling in.

The expo was pretty nice.  Lots of vendors/deals/free samples.  The race merchandise was pretty picked through, which disappointed my husband since this will be his first half and he wanted to get something.  (Don't worry- we each managed to spend plenty!) I really liked the styles offered and the greenlayer company seems to have some quality stuff and nice designs.  

Looking forward to the race tomorrow!  Temps a little warmer than I'd like and windy, but who doesn't want to run the beach at sunrise?