Wow! I can’t believe I’m only 48 hours away from being in my favorite place, Walt Disney World!
I’m so freaking excited to run my 7th Dopey Challenge and also be in WDW doing all the fun things. I’m super excited to play in the parks and spend time with my husband too since WDW is the first stop on our honeymoon!
However, I am running a bunch so I need to also get my head in the game and make sure I know what my goals are for this race weekend.
5k
Expected start temp: 56F no rain (all temps as of 9:38pm MST 1/5)
This is just the easy run/warmup for the weekend. I’d like to run this at a normal training pace, maybe take some pics, but the main goal is to run it comfortably and get back to the resort so we can make Animal Kingdom rope drop!
10k
Expected start temp: 66F, no rain
This again is just going to be an easy run & may stop for some characters but the main goal is to run this and then get to DHS so make the 7am rope drop. The temperatures will be a little warmer but still in the comfortable range.
Half Marathon
Expected start temp: 72F, no rain
When I was planning out this weekend, I decided to race the half marathon and I’m sticking to it. It’s going to be warmer and more humid than I would like but we’ll see how it goes. If I can come in around 1:35 I’d be a happy camper!
Run it hard and then get back to the resort for some pool and relaxing time before going to Disney Springs for lunch. Saturday is always our non-park day during race weekend and if history predicts anything, we’ll be asleep by 8pm.
Marathon
Expected start temp: 71F, slightest chance of rain
Since I’m running hard Saturday, i’m taking the Marathon nice and easy and planning to do something I’ve never done before… ride Everest! Luckily they pushed Animal Kingdom to later in the race which helps so the plan is to get all the character pictures and just have fun out there (and hopefully not melt too much).
How should you plan?
Have a plan of attack for your race and know your goals – do you want to run a PR time or PR in character pictures? Do you just want to finish? Know what your goal is and how you define “fun” for your race.
It’s going to be hot and humid – All the races are looking warm this year so be prepared to drink more water on the course and bring extra fuel. Especially if you’ve been training in colder weather (like me) you’ll want to be very conscientious about this. 91% humidity with 70F starts is going to feel very “soupy”.
Plan for at least an hour at the expo – Even if you are just getting your bib, the walk from the buses to the main buildings is long and even if you have a great plan of attack it just takes time. Also if you can go during another time other than right when it opens Wednesday, do it. It’s always a mad house. Don’t stress out and maybe send your family off to do something fun rather than bringing them with you!
