Top Five Ways to Prepare to Have Your BEST Disney’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon Ever!

Can you believe it?? After months of training, you have just a few days to go before you run Disney’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon. Perhaps you’re a little nervous, especially if this is your first half marathon or first nighttime race. Don’t sweat it! Having run this race a few times, I am here to offer you my top five tips for running Disney’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon so you can have your best night race ever.

Wine and Dine Half Marathon TIP #1:

Don’t spend ALL day at the parks on race day. You’re excited to be on vacation, I get it. You want to make the most of every moment and every dollar spent, I totally understand. However, spending all day on your feet walking miles and miles around the park is a great way to insure you are going to sputter out towards the end of the race. So, take it easy. Plan a relaxing day. Hang out at the pool. If you just cannot stay away from the park magic, at least plan on visiting in the morning and head back to your resort in the early afternoon. Put your feet up, watch a movie, and RE-LAX!

Wine and Dine Half Marathon TIP #2:

Be Prepared! No, not for the “death of the king”, silly! Be prepared for the race. Check the weather often. Last year it rained…A LOT…the whole race (any other “Splash and Dash” veterans?). Luckily my mom is ALWAYS prepared and had a few ponchos in her suitcase. While running 13.1 miles wrapped in plastic wasn’t ideal, it was definitely better than being soaked to the bone for hours on end. Also, make sure you have a sweatshirt for after the race, either with your chEAR team or in your checked bag. Your body temperature will drop after you are done running and whether you are staying for the after party or heading back home, you are going to want something to wrap up in. Also the walk to the resort busses is LOOONG and the busses are always, at least in my opinion, really cold, so a warm, dry sweatshirt will be a welcome luxury.

Wine and Dine Half Marathon TIP #3:

Take a nap if you can. At 10pm your body is probably ready to close up shop for the night, not gearing up to run a half marathon. While the adrenaline from the start line will definitely perk you up, a little catnap at 4pm on race day could really make the difference come mile 10 of the race.

Wine and Dine Half Marathon TIP#4:

Stay as close to your normal diet as possible in the few days leading up to the race and HYDRATE! I know, I know, this is not as easy as I make it sound. It is difficult to eat “normal” when you’re on vacation and even more so during Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. But believe me when I say you DON’T want to discover around mile 5 of the race that Schinkennudeln doesn’t quite agree with your digestive system. Eating right before your race will take a bit of planning but your body will thank you for your efforts (or at least not punish you for your lack there of). Make sure you are drinking plenty of water too, especially on race day.

Wine and Dine Half Marthon TIP #5:

Don’t let race night be your only nighttime run. If you have not done so already, make sure you do at least one or two training runs at night. The demands of a night run on the body are very different than that of an AM race. You need to know how your body will respond to the late night stress and how best to cope with fatigue. Fueling during a night race will also be different so you may need to test out different ways of nourishing your body before and during your run to find what will work best for you on race night. Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT try anything new during the race. This includes the food that will be handed out at between miles 8 and 9. If you did not train using it, don’t use it during the race. Seriously, if I had a quarter for every person I have witnessed get sick during a race after eating the provided on-course nourishment …Well, let’s just say I wouldn’t need to worry about financing my runDisney habit for quite some time. So take my advice and DON”T DO IT!

Well there you have it, my top five tips to help you have your best nighttime race. Above all else, don’t forget to have fun. You trained long and hard for this and while 13.1 miles is no “walk in the park”, running through the Walt Disney World resort is an experience like no other—so enjoy the ride!

Wine and Dine Half Marathon TIP #1:

Wine and Dine Half Marathon TIP #2:

Wine and Dine Half Marathon TIP #3:

Wine and Dine Half Marathon TIP#4:

Wine and Dine Half Marthon TIP #5:

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