RACE: Race For The Taste 10K @53:24.00, DWWS-->Epcot, Lake Buena Vista, FL

[This entry is ATF.]

This was my first Race for the Taste 10K and my first Disney race for a long while in which I wasn't running as part of a Team Ugly Shorts or Team Pud Muddle...

Anyways, I stayed over at my friend's house in Orlando and woke up at 4:30am, got dressed, then picked up a quick breakfast sandwich (1/2 serving of roast beef and a potato pancake on wheat with onions, watercress, & thousand island dressing). I took I-4 to Epcot, where I put on my inappropriate "Got Crabs?" apron (avec plush crab), grabbed the disposable camera, and got onto one of the many tourist buses there to take us to the race start at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

I made it to the race staging area about an hour ahead to time and sat on the curb and waited. Suzy-Q was hosting this event too and the DJ played food-related songs -- a lot of oldies and Weird Al parodies but also quite a number of dance mash-ups (e.g., Paul Oakenfold's "Planet Rock" vs. Coldplay's "Clocks") -- so that was cool. I'd put its starting line festivities at about the same level as the Expedition Everest Challenge or Tower of Terror (sans big screen), but there were hardly anyone wearing costumes.

Anyways, the race went well. I started off too quickly, but I knew that I would. The weather was nice... dark and cool at the start and didn't get too hot, but as the race went along, I had to take more walking breaks. I also took a couple of breaks to have a couple pictures taken -- there weren't any characters to pose with on the course, but we made it onto the Lights, Motors, Action jumbo-tron, which was cool since we didn't get on Angel Stadium's during this years Disneyland Half.

that's me!Then at the World Showcase at Epcot.
oui!
It was by this time that my goal changed from "going sub-55:00" to "not throwing up". I ended up meeting both goals! (thanks to not having more food beforehand).

After crossing the finish line, I went straight for the medical tent to get an ice pack for my head. I sat down, and they also got me a cool wet towel for my neck/shoulders and cups of cold water for me to drink. It was nice... and may become a habit my post-race ritual.

feels good
I got my finisher's medal (with the cool dangling utensils) and baggie of snack with some water/powerade (efficient), then got my picture taken, showing off both my medal and my bag of ice; it looks like I'm not wearing anything underneath the apron!

Anyways, I wandered around the post-race party area for a little before I decided to head to the car to grab my camera and take my sweaty ceddy pics:

I also put on some fresh clothes and then headed back for FOOD!

By this time, the lines at the taste stations were huge but the service was very efficient and the wait was not long at all. I started off with the "Baked Ziti" from Bologna, Italy. The fact that it was served using an ice cream scoop didn't make a difference in its taste, which was still nice and meaty. And the carbs and protein were very much welcomed.


Next, I got in line for the "Quiche au Fromage de Chevre et Poireaux (goat cheese and leek quiche)" from Lyon, France. I didn't have any lactose pills, so I just carried it with me to the finish area where I watched some of the kids' races. A guy there commented on the quiche, that it smelled good, so I gave it to him (like candy from strangers... the best type). Anyways, I was glad it found its way to a good home.


Lastly, I went to pick up a "California Strawberry Shortcake" from San Francisco, USA. Yeah, the race announcers ragged on the this one all morning, being like "Why does San Francisco get the Strawberry Shortcake?" (they did this SO many times... *me rolling eyes*). Anyways, it was cool that there was one without the standard whipped cream (for people like me... awww) -- Disney earned an extra point for that. It was nice though nothing out of the ordinary.


After that, I headed across the parking lot to have my picture taken with Chef Donald. And who else was in line but the Spartan from last year's Tower of Terror 13K! He's a really nice guy. I told him about the race volunteer report I read, and he confirmed that he was actually seated at RnR when they released the restraints and said that he couldn't ride. He was a really good sport about it. And he was a really good sport about not being able to get his picture taken with Chef Donald too.

jealous?

Anyways, he says that he plans to run the 2009 Goofy and do it for charity (awww). If I find his donation page after he sets it up, I'll post a link on the blog.

Wishful thinking? How about Dream Come True?!

Anyways, after that I went to go pick up a can of soda at the beverage station then hung around to watch more of the kids races before I made my way back to the car.

It was a good race, and one at my own pace for once in a long time. It was a little different running from Point A to Point B, and admirable by how well-prepared Disney was with that. The costume, I'd probably reconsider... maybe wear a painted-on apron (i.e., painted-on-a-shirt apron). And the festivities afterwards with food gave the race some nice... flavor. I'm not sure if I'd pay $60 to run it again, but it was a very nice experience.

Epilogue: When I got back to the car, I noticed that I had some unsightly red stuff on the side of my mouth. At first I though was from the strawberry shortcake, but upon review of pictures once I got home, I figured that it was residual thousand island dressing from my breakfast sandwich, meaning... that I had that on my face ALL morning... daaah. :P.

(a few other artifacts)