Five things that you need to know in preparation of running your first RunDisney marathon By Jason Rowe of Man of the Mouse
Before I decided to run in my first RunDisney marathon, I made a decision to do a little fact finding for myself. I have done several marathons before, so a lot of the information that I gathered was the same. The one message that rang clear from everyone was that it’s exciting and you will love it.
You hopefully will have plenty of time to prepare and stress about your run. When the excitement of your first RunDisney event settles down, make sure that during your preparation, you focus on these five key specifics.
1. Think about your activities prior to the marathon
I have often felt fatigued after a long day of travel, in and out of airports, be aware of what your body is telling you and the affect that travel may have. You may want to think twice about heading straight to a park and standing in lines all day can be very tiresome. Give yourself a day to adjust, there will be plenty of time for fun after your marathon. This leads me to nutrition. Eating Mickey Bars or Dole Whips could lead you to a bad outcome on race day. Celebrate your accomplishment with a tasty treat afterwards.
2. Plan for the weather
Know that the climate is going to be different in Florida or California than in your home state. Humidity differences are the silent demise for a lot of runners. This could prevent you from reaching the finish line and collecting that precious piece of hardware. Try varying your runs in different temperatures depending on the month of your marathon.
3. Take a moment to enjoy your surroundings
One thing that I have been told to prepare for and that is the many photo opportunities along the route of the marathon. Unlike most marathons around the country, you will be running through the parks, where you are sure to see characters and back lot items. You will have opportunities to take pictures with characters. Remember you paid a considerable amount of money to participate, sometimes it is not all about making your personal best time, but more about the experience. Enjoy Yourself!
4. Start Lines and Wake Up Times
There is a considerable difference in locations for this one. Disneyland is much smaller unlike Walt Disney World. Keep this in mind when determining which events to pick. This is also a good thing to keep in mind when determining how much sleep to get the night before. You do not want to get to the start line after the start of the race. Plan accordingly, you will need to plan on getting up early, taking a shuttle to the start line, and preparing for the big moment. At Disneyland, everything is close and within walking distance, whereas as Walt Disney World, you will need to shuttle between your resort and whatever park the race starts at.
5. Bring your smartphone
This is an area where I have done a bit more research. There are photographers positioned on parts of the course. They will take your picture, but there may be a wait time to get those pictures. There is almost always a cost associated with these professional photos as well. I have waited as long as 2-3 weeks for a professional photo to arrive, due to the number of racers in attendance.
Take your smartphone with you. Get that selfie with Goofy so that you can send to all of your friends after the race.
This should be a given if you are using a smartphone app to keep track of your run or if you are listening to music along the run. This is often times discouraged during most marathons, but not forbidden. The reason most marathons say no to headphones, is so that you can hear directions along the course.
I look forward to completing my first RunDisney event. If you are training now for a future event, I wish you nothing but the best of luck in you’re training for your magical race(s).
Guest blog post written by Jason Rowe of Man of the Mouse
Matthew Wallace is a Disney World fan from Ohio, and has been crazy about the place since his first visit on October 2, 1982! In the four years following, he made a total of eight visits, and deepened his love for The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Center parks. The years that followed brought challenges to making too many more visits for awhile. Then, in February 2012, he returned with his family for a new first, seeing the wonders of Walt Disney World through the eyes of his children, and wife.
