I am not a runner. I do not enjoy running, BUT I did finish the Disney Dark Side Half Marathon (I’m on the far left in the pic above for proof!) and actually had a blast doing it! I know. I cant believe it either. Stay with me and I will walk you through my journey achieving this crazy goal. If you just want to skip my story and go directly to my tips for a first-time runner, feel free to scroll right along to the end. Hopefully these tips will help some other novice runners out there. Trust me, if I can do it, you can do it too. If nothing else, do it for the cool medal.
Like I said, I would not describe myself as a runner. I was that athlete in high school who only ran if I was in pursuit of something, like a soccer ball. Now in my late thirties, when I work out, I mostly turn to yoga, walking and strength training. My husband, on the other hand, is a serious marathon runner. He has run 6 marathons over the last 10 years. So, when his side of the family asked me if I would like to sign up for the Dark Side Half Marathon with them, I hesitated. I LOVE going to Disney and this was a great excuse for another trip down, but I would have to run -A LOT. 13.1 miles to be exact. After talking it over with my husband and taking a deep breath, I decided to do it. I mean, it would be a long weekend in Disney, and an adult focused girls trip no less. I also knew that the run would be through the Disney parks. How cool is that? Once my husband’s cousins started texting me pics of adorable t-shirts we could wear- I was sold. Cute outfit too? Check. I registered and paid my 100 dollar registration fee. I was committed. Oh man. What did I get myself into?
Fast forward to end of January 2018- Race training officially started. I did not use the run Disney training schedule. My team and I ( there were six of us girls all together) used the Hal Hidgon Novice 1 training program. We used this one because it seemed to fit our lifestyles better, and the longest training run was 10 miles.
Over the next several months I started with 3-mile runs, three times per week, slowly building up to running 10 miles as our farthest run. According to my marathon-loving hubby, you don’t need to run the full 13.1 in training because the excitement and adrenaline you get during the actual race will get you through the rest of the 3.1 miles. Excellent- I thought – the less I need to run in training, the better!
Over the next several weeks, every time I needed to run, my thought process was like this:
“I need to run 5 miles today. Ugh. I’m tired. Maybe tomorrow? I don’t want to but I also want to run the 1/2 marathon and still be able to do the Disney parks in the afternoon. Ok lets just start and see how a couple of miles feels.”
“Ok I can get this done. I’ve done two miles. I can do a few more. Its actually not so bad.”
“Nice I’m done!” big smile and relief
Before I knew it- I was up to six, seven and eight miles. Because the training was so gradual, my body could handle it, and adding an extra mile every week or so did not seem so overwhelming as it had in the beginning.
What kept me going was my love for Disney and the fact that the course was scheduled to run through 3 out of the 4 WDW parks. Starting in the MK parking lot, the runners ran back roads to Animal Kingdom Park, then on to Hollywood Studios, through Epcot, finally ending in the Epcot parking lot.
Although there were times the run was challenging, the race was really well managed, and the EXPO was incredible. After grabbing my T-shirt and bib, I walked around enjoying the pre race buzz and excitement. To my dismay, I was very pumped, although still very nervous to run the 1/2.
Since the race had a 5:30 start- we needed to be on the busses by 3:30. I stayed at the beautiful Swan Hotel, because of the good hotel rates and proximity to the Epcot park. I love to be able to walk to a park from my hotel. Also – it is absolutely gorgeous at night!
Once we arrived at the starting location – we were able to take our race bags (only the provided plastic race bags were allowed) and could at that time take pictures with the famous Star Wars characters; Darth Vader, Kylo Ren and other Star Wars villains from the Dark Side. The lines were really long for these pics, and I was stressing a bit about having enough time to snap the pic and still get into our corral in time for the race start. It turns out that since I was in the last corral – I did not need to worry. Even though the race started at 5:30 I didn’t actually cross the start line until 6:30.
Of course – the main reason for the run- is the Disney theming. The start was amazing with great MC’s getting you pumped up for your start at the starting line along with the lights- and fireworks they send off right before you go. Of course, along the way there are many Star Wars characters you can get your picture taken with or just wave to in my case (I was too worried that if I stopped I would not start again). They also had water/Powerade stops along the way every mile or so. During the longer stretches of no-man’s land, there were signs set up with Star Wars theming and Star Wars music being pumped through a sound system to get you through the run.
My favorite part of the run, besides being able to run through all three of the parks, were the last few miles running – coming in the back of Epcot into World Showcase and jogging past all of my favorite countries towards the ball. The feeling of accomplishment as I crossed the finish line was incredible. And celebrating your long run at the parks is one of the best things of all. Especially when the medals are so cool.
As far as the overall trip, I mentioned before I stayed at the Swan. Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was beautiful, and the location can’t be beat. I was able to walk to Epcot and in a matter of 15 mins be through security and into World Showcase ready to start the day. Few lines, and no busses! Best of both worlds. The rooms had a nice, contemporary feel, and they had Starbucks coffee in the room. I’m a coffee drinking gal and need to grab some during the early mornings on my way into the parks. Also, if you want to grab some quick breakfast, walk over to the Dolphin. It has a few more restaurants and a nice little coffee shop, Fuel, to get a breakfast sandwich or some other healthy, on the go options. Although I did not eat there for dinner, the restaurants looked amazing and something I want to try during my next stay.
Things I learned:
You do not have to be super ridged in your training. You need to make sure that you get your miles in every week, but if there is bad weather on your Saturday long run day, you can switch it to Sunday. Or if you find that you have an extra busy Monday, you can move that run to Tuesday. I tried to fit in two runs, and cross training session during the week and a long run on the weekend. I found that I not only felt good after the run but could celebrate in Epcot for the rest of the afternoon.
It is SO much better to run with friends – especially for the long runs. I was worried about being too slow for my younger, fit ladies, but we ended up just running at our own pace and cheering each other on. We also grabbed breakfast after a few of them. Nothing motivates me more than a good meal and a Bloody Mary!
Make sure that you run at a pace that is good for you – You should be able to carry on a conversation while you are running. Don’t get wrapped up in whatever everyone else is doing. Track your pace and keep track of it on race day. There is a tendency to run faster than you do when the adrenalin of race day hits you.
It’s OK to walk. Seriously– Walk every mile even- It is like they say – its not a sprint is a half marathon….
Make sure you take the water breaks– As in each and every time offered. Disney does a really good job of making sure there are plenty during the 1/2 marathon. Disney is HOT. Do not misjudge this- the heat and humidity does really affect your run- especially if you are from New England such as myself and are not used to training in the heat and humidity. I ended up running a minute longer per mile because of it
Get there as early as runDisney recommends to catch the race busses. A 3:00 AM wakeup call is tough but it is worth making sure that you get your spot on the Disney race busses. Do that and you will be there in plenty of time to take some pictures with your favorite Star Wars villains and get a spot in the porta potty line -They are looooonnnnnnggg.
Make sure that you stick to a training plan for the race. It is such a fun run (I can’t believe I am saying this about a 13.1 mile race – but it really is true) You want to make sure that your body is ready for it, so that after the race you can head to the parks and celebrate! My favorite is grabbing a beer in the UK pavilion and snagging a place on the bench with a good friend (feet up of course!).
If you want specific race gear – get to the Expo early First come first serve and they can run out of sizes.
Glide is your friend. Your bestie. Trust me- you want to put that stuff all over- even on your feet. It helps avoid chafing and blisters.
Dry fit socks are no joke- use em- They help prevent blisters. I wore the Nike dry fit and they were awesome. I actually wear them on regular park days as well. If you are Disney fanatic like myself you know that you walk 5-8 miles per day. Try em and let me know what you think.
Speaking of blisters- Get your running shoe a 1/2 size larger than what you usually wear. Your feet swell when you run and that extra room is needed after doing that much mileage in the heat.
You can do more than you think you can.. The hardest part is just getting started. Plus the medals are super cool. Just give it a try and you may surprise yourself. I did.
Maybe I am a runner after all….
yourdisgal
Your Dis Gal 