Marathon Training Archives - Chip and Co

Category Archives: Marathon Training

All new Dopey Challenge Among Dizzying Enhancements for 2014 WDW Marathon Weekend

Saturday, March 23, 2013 Erin B 6 Comments

Four-race challenge will produce six-medal opportunity for runners; New Walt Disney World 10K expands weekend event to five days; popular Runner’s World Challenge returns

After celebrating its 20th anniversary earlier this year, the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna is getting even bigger next year and is offering runners another challenge that will be, well, Dopey.

The 2014 Disney Marathon Weekend, Jan. 8-12, will expand to five days and will include a 10K, along with the Family Fun Run 5K, the Disney Half Marathon, the Disney Marathon and Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge. That creates the opportunity for an unparalleled proposition in the running industry: The Dopey Challenge – running all four timed events in successive days (48.6 miles) for the chance to earn an unprecedented six medals.

After the Disney Family Fun Run 5K on Thursday, runDisney’s new alt Disney World 10K, a 6.2-mile timed event, takes place Friday, at Epcot. Runners completing the race will receive a Minnie Mouse inspired medal.

Disney Cruise Castaway Cay 5K

Friday, December 7, 2012 PixieLesley 2 Comments

If you are going on a Disney Cruise in the future and have a runner in your family or have always wanted to run a fun Disney 5k as a personal goal then the Castaway 5k is a PERFECT option for you.

My husband Tim is not a big runner but wanted to run the Castaway 5k as a personal goal of his so we started looking into it. The 5k is completely FREE and you do not have to register ahead of time.

All you need to do is pack your running shoes and keep an eye on your navigator that they place in your stateroom nightly. The night before we saw the instructions for the 5k and all he had to do was meet up in the D lounge onboard around 8:30-9:00 am and they registered him for the event and gave him his number. They all walked to the starting line together and the race started around 10 am.

The kids and I were able to meet him at the finish line and watch him get his Mickey medal. They had water for the runners at the end and there were a few cast members there clapping as they handed out the medal.

Taking the Plunge…RunDisney!

Saturday, September 1, 2012 Ashley 2 Comments

If you decided to read on, perhaps you’ve been intrigued by the hype surrounding RunDisney. Maybe you’ve seen ads, emails, photos, and videos promoting RunDisney events and in the back of your mind, you’ve always said, “maybe one day!”. Maybe you’ve thought that for like about 5 seconds before you come to your senses and start listing of an arsenal of reasons why you (of all people) have no business running, period. Today I am here to help you stop that negative self talk and redirect your negative thoughts into positive realities.

About a year ago, I did just that! I put that negative talk to the side and committed to running the Princess Half Marathon. With 13.1 miles staring me in the face, my first step was to sign up. I knew that once I committed my money, my dedication would follow. That was seriously the best choice I could have made. I was that girl who always joked when I saw people running on the side of the road; “the only way I would be able to run is if someone chased after me with a knife!”. But, then I learned a little something about myself (that I think is true for everyone)… what is to be is up to me! In terms of training and running, I pushed myself like never before. It was hard! I am not going to kid you. But, it was SO worth it. Not only for the satisfaction of completing a RunDisney event, but more so, for just showing myself that I can take on a challenge and succeed. I am officially addicted to RunDisney! Running is all about putting one foot in front of the other. That is how I thought of the process; each action was a next step! I think you (insert your name here…yes, especially YOU) should take the plunge and RUN…Disney!

If you have been thinking about signing up for a race, take a look at my list of 5 pro’s to signing up for a RunDisney event! These will help you combat all those cons I know you’ve cooked up!

Marathon Training – Fuel Your Run

Sunday, April 1, 2012 Jenn 1 Comment

Talking to a friend who has been sick for several days, she mentioned that her doctors told her the sickness probably hit her harder than it should have because she had been dehydrated from her running and exercise regiment. This conversation reminded me of a woman I met in a yoga class who bragged that she never fueled before or during her half marathons because she “wouldn’t eat before noon.” While I understand that strong desire to be thin, common sense and proper nutrition are more important to me. I knew what she was saying was crazy, but I realize that many people don’t know that nutrition, especially for endurance sports, is incredibly important.

When I first started training for my first long race, a coworker and endurance athlete told me the simple rule: after an hour, you need nutrients – whether that be sports drinks, power gels, bars (heck, I know marathoners that eat sandwiches during the 26.2) – you need something to replace the calories you’re burning.

But, what about before the race? I found this fantastic article from Active.com – The Pre-Race Meal. It states:

The main purpose of the pre-race meal is to fill your liver with glycogen, especially if it precedes a morning race. Liver glycogen fuels your nervous system while you sleep, and as a result, your liver is roughly 50 percent glycogen-depleted when you wake up in the morning. Your muscles, inactive during the night, remain fully glycogen loaded from the previous day.

It follows up with tips for breakfast before race time as well as meal suggestions. Sorry carb avoiders – not the best bet to fuel your run!

Another article, this one from Runners World.com, shares Hydration Tips for Runners. There are dozens of different philosophies on this – what to drink/when to drink/how much.. but they all basically say the same thing. You need water. You need sugars/carbs. You need them before, during, and after. It’s important to figure out what types are best for you – some like Gu (chocolate gu tastes like frosting.. makes frosting hard to eat, but it’s fairly easy to swallow during the run). Some prefer sports drinks and water only. Either way, a combination is very important.

Recovering after your run is important, too. Running Times has a Post-Run Recovery article that backs up the claim that chocolate milk is a great recovery tool. Sugars + protein + deliciousness= good recovery tool for me! Your body needs more hydration than you probably think after a run and protein helps repair muscle damage that occurs during the activity. **Beware of popping pills after a run – with your body dehydrated and muscles inflamed, taking anti-inflammatory drugs can be dangerous. My husband ended up in the ER a couple of years ago after a half marathon thanks to sickness caused from post-run motrin. Wait 48 hours to be fully hydrated and back to normal before you take those pills!**

Craving a Run (disneybabiesblog.com)
runDisney Marathon Weekend Update (delightfullydisney.com)

Addicted to runDisney

Saturday, March 31, 2012 Jenn 1 Comment

Since the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in January when I ran the 5k and was a spectator for the half marathon, I haven’t done much running. No guilt here – I was 6 months pregnant for Marathon Weekend and continuing running to that point was a huge accomplishment, especially from who I was in my younger days.

But, post race, running became nearly impossible – too much pain. And, even though I’ve completed 2 half marathons at 13.1 miles each (and all the training runs leading up to that), I’m not good with pain. However, now that I haven’t been on a run in over 3 months, I’m craving some time on the pavement. And, being due with baby #2 in a few short weeks, it’s looking to be another few months before I get in real run time.

Without my actual runs, I’ve been exciting watching runDisney announce their new race – the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler and move the Wine and Dine race to a different weekends – races I hope to someday partake in. And, I got to read all about the newest Disneyland Half Marathon inaugurate the Tinkerbell Half Marathon. Plus, registration for the 2013 WDW Marathon Weekend opens soon and we can start planning our next trip – our first trip as a family of 4!

Of course, after not running for 5 months, I’ll basically be starting over, but I have until January to run 13.1 and thanks to Jeff Galloway, runDisney’s official trainer, I’ll be ready. Will you be running with me?