Marathon Weekend 2023

[lookingforsunshine]

Unfortunately I caught Covid and have been feeling horrible. Did not sleep hardly at all last night, and tonight looks to be the same. I

Ugh, I’m sorry you’re sick. Here’s to a speedy & easy recovery.

 

[BigEeyore]

@Baloo in MI feel better soon!

SAFD: Like everyone else said - just keep moving and drinking that water! In the past, I did parks every day of Dopey, but I think taking Saturday super easy after the half and skipping the parks is the best way to go.
I got a pair of Normatecs a few years ago as a Christmas gift from my husband and they are AMAZING! I will put them on every night while I'm there for Dopey, and I do feel they make a big difference. Some places let you rent them - if you can do it, I strongly recommend!
I also make sure to stretch and roll after each race, and ice the things that need ice.

 

[NYC_MW]

SAFD (addendum):
All that to say: if you, like me, are incapable of visiting Disney parks without doing 5-10 miles of walking, going from attraction to attraction for 8-10 hours (minimum), burning the candle at both ends, taking advantage of every trick/strategy/habit/stroke of luck in your arsenal, eating (almost) nothing but sugar and salt as you go, crashing and (hopefully) getting a second wind along the way; well, you’ll probably be surviving rather than thriving from such actions.

Oh no, that was going to be my plan for January...

 

[DopeyBadger]

Oh no, that was going to be my plan for January...

Don't worry. It's possible to do a full Disney trip and almost PR every race too. I did just that in 2018.

2018 Dopey Challenge Trip Report, Race Recap, and Coaching Recap

My go to advice for multi-race day challenges:

-Stretch as soon as you make it to the post-race parking lot area.
-Zensah calf compression sleeves in your checked bag after every race. Slip them on right after finishing.
-Buy shelf stable Nesquik chocolate milk from the resort and put it in your checked bag.
-Go back to resort, clean up, and then go enjoy a full day walking around the parks with your family/friends.
-Eat dinner around 5pm, and head to bed around 6-7pm.
-And before you even get to race weekend, make your training resemble want you want to do at Disney. So if you plan to tour parks after races, then make sure post-training runs you're still moving around. Go shopping, take the kids/pets for a walk, play outside, don't lounge around the house and go do something like you want to do on race day. This will make all these things routine, such that on race day it'll be routine just the same.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

Thanks for sending in the question today @DisneyParrothead. Normally I do try to get the question out fairly early on Sunday. Unfortunately I caught Covid and have been feeling horrible. Did not sleep hardly at all last night, and tonight looks to be the same. Ironically, I was awake this morning and got a question set, made my answer and promptly closed up my iPad…. I never hit send. Did not realize this until just a minute ago when I decided to check the thread. So my apologies for the dropped ball today. But hey I have a question set for next week.

SAFD: I havedone several multi-day races and what works best for me is to simply take it easy, but keep moving. So my family will still go into the parks after races and I will stay with them for the day. I do make a concerted effort to minimize steps and I always head back to the hotel after dinner. I am more focused on taking it real easy btwn the half and full. On that day, I do a cold water bath and take a little more time to get to the parks, (i.e. nap time!). But I do try to spend time with family and play in the parks for a bit. The only other thing I can think of, and this is especaillly true when it is a really warm Marathon Weekend. I drink a ton of water

Oh ick! Get better soon! Family members have gotten this variant and slept a lot.

 

[jrsharp21]

For pre-race prep, not much in mine. Just keep drinking water the day before. I am usually at the parks until around 9pm each night before each race.

For half and full marathon post race, I will usually chow down a big meal afterward. That usually balances me out. Then it's just walking around the parks to keep the legs going. That night I will throw on my Marc Pro (TENS machine) on my hamstrings and quads. Also will roll them out. But that is about it.

 

[Barca33Runner]

Oh no, that was going to be my plan for January...

It can definitely be done. I’d say that the overall experience (especially if it’s a one off Marathon Weekend experience) can actually be enhanced. I just can’t endorse a rope drop to fireworks day at the parks as an optimal race-preparedness strategy.

 

[pluto377]

SAFD: Pre-race prep for me is to drink lots of water and gatorade. I like to have dinner fairly early and try not to eat something completely fried and greasy. Last year I had good luck getting some grab and go veggies and hard boiled eggs at Beach Club. I try to get to bed early (although I failed at this miserably last year even though I was in my room early). And try to take it easy at the parks.

Post race I like to have a snack and shower. Then I nap for 1-2 hours. Last year I went to the parks after the 5K and 10K and stayed at the hotel after the half and lazed around in the pool. I'm not sure yet about this year. I'm thinking of just doing a park after the half (not running the marathon), but I'm afraid I'll get bored at the resort since I'll be solo.

 

[sandam1]

A lot of people have mentioned using ice or hot tubs and I think that this is one of those "try it in advance and know what works for you" things.

Last year I was dealing with a lot of pain in my feet going into MW and my feet responded significantly better to heat. I had used ice at home - and I know that there are people that swear by ice baths - but it wasn't helping at all post-race. However, a hot bath helped get a handle on the pain. So keep in mind with any advice that your mileage may vary.

 

[Ronski]

A lot of people have mentioned using ice or hot tubs and I think that this is one of those "try it in advance and know what works for you" things.

Last year I was dealing with a lot of pain in my feet going into MW and my feet responded significantly better to heat. I had used ice at home - and I know that there are people that swear by ice baths - but it wasn't helping at all post-race. However, a hot bath helped get a handle on the pain. So keep in mind with any advice that your mileage may vary.

Good point. We always try to stay somewhere that has a hot tub to soak in after a race— ice doesn’t do it for me

 

[sandam1]

Good point. We always try to stay somewhere that has a hot tub to soak in after a race— ice doesn’t do it for me

Actually, that reminds me of another thing - if you plan on soaking - either in ice or a hot bath - make sure that your room actually has a tub in it. A lot of hotels are moving to only having showers. Double-check on this!

Also, even if you have a hard time falling asleep early (particularly the first night), there is significant benefit to just being horizontal and stationary.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

Good point. We always try to stay somewhere that has a hot tub to soak in after a race— ice doesn’t do it for me

I’ve doesn’t do it for me either. I packed Epsom salts in January to take a hot soak before the 10k. I hate ice baths and read a while ago do what you like between ice baths or hot baths. Hot it is.

 

[The Expert]

SAFD: Last year was my first Dopey, but I felt like it was a culmination of all my learnings from rD weekends past.

-- Take the redeye. Coming from the Mountain time zone, acclimating is HARD. I've found if I take the overnight flight, landing expo morning, there's enough activity that day to keep me going. I'm DVC so usually don't get my room until around 4pm. By that time, I've made my grocery pick-up, I'm ready to wind down for the evening and am plenty tired by 7pm to go to bed.
-- Prep and lay out all my items and take a "flat me" photo to social media. RESIST THE URGE TO READ COMMENTS! Save those for that time on the bus or waiting in the corral. I even ask people to post something for me to read in the morning before the race.
-- Set the alarm for 45-60 minutes before the first bus. I like not having to rush, having time to eat some real food for breakfast and have coffee. THEN I get ready.
-- If I don't drive, I get on the first bus. Just get there.
-- After the race, eat from the snack box and head back to the room. Shower, change and have a late breakfast or early lunch that is the largest meal of the day.
-- Put on the shirt and medal and go get park pics! Have dinner 4-5pm and start getting the "flat me" together around 6pm. In bed at 7pm.
-- For longer races, the park pics are a much shorter timeframe, I wear compression sleeves and recovery shoes, and I'll spend some time floating my legs in the pool before dinner.
-- Big celebratory dinner the night of the Half, or on Monday for Dopey, with whatever family is still hanging around.
-- Join all the DIS meetups!

 

[Cabius]

SAFD: I injured myself during my one full marathon, so my post-race routine mostly involves foolishly NOT visiting the first-aid tent, limping back to the room, and then hobbling around WDW on swollen feet for a week afterward. And lots of ice.

I'm taking notes from all y'all though.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

Shoe question to the group: I just did a half marathon race this weekend and my toes hurt and got a little bruised. Are my shoes causing it? If so what should I do?

 

[Herding_Cats]

Shoe question to the group: I just did a half marathon race this weekend and my toes hurt and got a little bruised. Are my shoes causing it? If so what should I do?

was there a lot of uphill or downhill that might have made your feet smash into the ends of your shoes more than normal? ends of your toes? sides of your toes? Did you start "grabbing" with your toes during the race when you got tired?


I didn't have any foot issues (just a few small blisters from wearing the first socks I found on a few summer runs) leading up to my October marathon last year, and then I got a BUNCH of bigger blisters, including one under my toenail, and that bruised toe feeling. My feet are "between sizes" for things like socks, and I had been using the smaller size because I didn't want to have LOOSE socks bunching up in my shoes. The bigger sock size felt soooo much better. And I switched to a wide width shoe, even though I don't have wide feet, and just tighten my laces more (heel lock!) and I haven't had any issues since. All of which is to say, if you are in a similar situation with sock sizing, I would start with that because it's the cheapest fix.

 

[MissLiss279]

Shoe question to the group: I just did a half marathon race this weekend and my toes hurt and got a little bruised. Are my shoes causing it? If so what should I do?

I wear a whole size up for running shoes. Some people do a half size, but the one time I tried a half size (in a different brand of shoe), I got more blisters than normal.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

was there a lot of uphill or downhill that might have made your feet smash into the ends of your shoes more than normal? ends of your toes? sides of your toes? Did you start "grabbing" with your toes during the race when you got tired?


I didn't have any foot issues (just a few small blisters from wearing the first socks I found on a few summer runs) leading up to my October marathon last year, and then I got a BUNCH of bigger blisters, including one under my toenail, and that bruised toe feeling. My feet are "between sizes" for things like socks, and I had been using the smaller size because I didn't want to have LOOSE socks bunching up in my shoes. The bigger sock size felt soooo much better. And I switched to a wide width shoe, even though I don't have wide feet, and just tighten my laces more (heel lock!) and I haven't had any issues since. All of which is to say, if you are in a similar situation with sock sizing, I would start with that because it's the cheapest fix.

There was some up hill and down hill but not too much. It was my first time going this fast for this long the in these shoes. All my long run, which was up to 14 miles, in these shoes I was doing 16ish min pace (easy pace) and this race was my first time doing 13 to 14 min pace at long distance. I already have wide version of these shoes. Socks are compression that fit my wide calves. So I do not have much option in that area since very few compression sock actually really fit wide calfs even when they say they do.

I wear a whole size up for running shoes. Some people do a half size, but the one time I tried a half size (in a different brand of shoe), I got more blisters than normal.

I could try a half size up. The problem is my heels are super narrow (and I have wide feet so they conflict a lot) so my heals do start coming up very easily if I go too big and then i get bad blisters. Right now my shoes are a half size larger than my normal shoes.

 

[The Expert]

Socks are compression that fit my wide calves. So I do not have much option in that area since very few compression sock actually really fit wide calfs even when they say they do.

I have also had toe issues due to socks that were too small/tight, so I second @Herding_Cats suggestion. If you need compression for your calves, maybe look for calf sleeves and separate socks to give you more options.

 

[NYC_MW]

Don't worry. It's possible to do a full Disney trip and almost PR every race too. I did just that in 2018.

2018 Dopey Challenge Trip Report, Race Recap, and Coaching Recap

That was amazing. Feeling all the feels