Official Wine & Dine 2014

[taratru]

Starting to talk with the hubby about what meals we want to go to for this trip! Trying to figure out how the heck to fuel for such a late run. The most night running I've done is 9 miles after work (starting around 6:45 or so). I'll eat my normal breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, and then another snack about 1.5 hours before the run. One of the reasons why I hate doing these longer runs at night, is that I'm just so HUNGRY by the last 2-3 miles or so, no matter what.

I was thinking to try and sleep in as much as I can, have a larger/later breakfast, larger lunch, and then a light dinner before heading to the race? I don't want the food sitting in my stomach...but at the same time, with the race not starting until 10 pm, I'm worried I'll be starving before I even start running!

I had a huge breakfast at about 10:00 (Tonga Toast, eggs, bacon, coffee), a big turkey sandwich at about 4:00, lots of water all day, and a banana and the little Clif bar I got in my race bag on the way to the race. I felt great until about mile 8...which is where the Clif shots were!

I think it's more important to hydrate...for me, I'm so used to not having to drink a bunch before a morning race, ya know?

 

[mking624]

Starting to talk with the hubby about what meals we want to go to for this trip! Trying to figure out how the heck to fuel for such a late run. The most night running I've done is 9 miles after work (starting around 6:45 or so). I'll eat my normal breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, and then another snack about 1.5 hours before the run. One of the reasons why I hate doing these longer runs at night, is that I'm just so HUNGRY by the last 2-3 miles or so, no matter what.

I was thinking to try and sleep in as much as I can, have a larger/later breakfast, larger lunch, and then a light dinner before heading to the race? I don't want the food sitting in my stomach...but at the same time, with the race not starting until 10 pm, I'm worried I'll be starving before I even start running!

It really varies for everyone, and trial and error during your training is going to be the best way to figure out what works for you.

I am not a big eater in general, and less of one on training days (especially with long runs). I did W&D in 2012. I skipped breakfast (I very rarely eat breakfast anyway), had lunch at Earl of Sandwich (caprese sandwich, fruit cup, Earl's Grey Lemonade). No dinner, just a banana and some sports beans right before heading out to the race. My stomach was growling while waiting for the race since it was so late, but that very quickly went away once the race started, and I was very happy I did not have a meal before it. I heard people along the course complaining about how they shouldn't have eaten "that big meal" before the race, or how they shouldn't have gone through the Food & Wine Festival that day, etc. What helped sustain me through the race was my running fuel. I used a combo of honey stingers and glucose tablets, alternating them so I wouldn't get bored with the monotony of only one type of fuel. After the race, I stopped by the food truck that was there, got myself some fish and chips, and scarfed those down. I also drank a lot of water throughout the day. I don't expect this year will be much different as my eating habits have not really changed.

As I said, this will be trial and error for you. What works for me or anyone else may or may not work for you. One thing you don't want to do is wait until race day to try and figure it out. You want to know your routine by then, and not try anything new the day of the race.

 

[rebeccam31]

Anyone doing the pre race party...?

We are.

 

[fashionista311]

It really varies for everyone, and trial and error during your training is going to be the best way to figure out what works for you.

I am not a big eater in general, and less of one on training days (especially with long runs). I did W&D in 2012. I skipped breakfast (I very rarely eat breakfast anyway), had lunch at Earl of Sandwich (caprese sandwich, fruit cup, Earl's Grey Lemonade). No dinner, just a banana and some sports beans right before heading out to the race. My stomach was growling while waiting for the race since it was so late, but that very quickly went away once the race started, and I was very happy I did not have a meal before it. I heard people along the course complaining about how they shouldn't have eaten "that big meal" before the race, or how they shouldn't have gone through the Food & Wine Festival that day, etc. What helped sustain me through the race was my running fuel. I used a combo of honey stingers and glucose tablets, alternating them so I wouldn't get bored with the monotony of only one type of fuel. After the race, I stopped by the food truck that was there, got myself some fish and chips, and scarfed those down. I also drank a lot of water throughout the day. I don't expect this year will be much different as my eating habits have not really changed.

As I said, this will be trial and error for you. What works for me or anyone else may or may not work for you. One thing you don't want to do is wait until race day to try and figure it out. You want to know your routine by then, and not try anything new the day of the race.

yeah...I don't think I would make it on a normal day with that amount of food by 10 pm, much less running a half I already know this race is going to suck because I'm running new york the week before, and my legs will be shot from that.

I'm probably going to end up winging it for the most part...I just have no idea when it's practical to really go for a long run at night. I would not feel comfortable doing a long run in my neighborhood that late (even tho I live in a very safe area!)

 

[mking624]

yeah...I don't think I would make it on a normal day with that amount of food by 10 pm, much less running a half I already know this race is going to suck because I'm running new york the week before, and my legs will be shot from that.

I'm probably going to end up winging it for the most part...I just have no idea when it's practical to really go for a long run at night. I would not feel comfortable doing a long run in my neighborhood that late (even tho I live in a very safe area!)

I have a hard time running if I eat anything considered a "normal" meal on that day. I usually have one smaller meal and then a couple snacks or something. Otherwise I feel sluggish and nauseous. That's just how my body is.

For what it's worth, I never did long runs at night. I did 30 minute runs in the evenings when the sun was still out, but never anything at night. My long runs were always during the day. I just read up on nutrition tips from a sheet I picked up at the 2011 W&D expo, and would adjust accordingly for my shorter runs. I would eat dinner once I was back inside.

 

[Freight Train]

Hi everyone! I've done the Goofy challenge, ToT 10-miler, and Princess half. I wanted to ask the community if anyone with experience in those races would please compare them with Wine and Dine. I'm signed up and excited but I have found these forums to be LOADED with excellent information. So if anyone wouldn't mind comparing and contrasting I would surely appreciate it! Good luck in training everyone!

 

[Ariel484]

Hi everyone! I've done the Goofy challenge, ToT 10-miler, and Princess half. I wanted to ask the community if anyone with experience in those races would please compare them with Wine and Dine. I'm signed up and excited but I have found these forums to be LOADED with excellent information. So if anyone wouldn't mind comparing and contrasting I would surely appreciate it! Good luck in training everyone!

I've done Goofy (2013), Princess (2011) and Wine & Dine (2013 and again this year). My personal observations:

1. Besides the marathon, this is my favorite course. Lots more park time compared to the AM half marathon course. I think some people will miss the MK portion/castle run but I didn't. LOVED seeing Animal Kingdom in the dark all lit up.

2. Less characters in the course, and those that were there seemed to have shorter lines.

3. The starting area is super different. It was surreal to me to arrive in the dark just like the morning races, yet it was at night. It's also easier to navigate...that 20-minute walk to the corrals in the morning is gone. You just walk around the corner from the holding area and bam, you're in the corrals.

That's all I could think of on the fly beyond the obvious stuff (at night vs. AM).

 

[jeanigor]

Hi everyone! I've done the Goofy challenge, ToT 10-miler, and Princess half. I wanted to ask the community if anyone with experience in those races would please compare them with Wine and Dine. I'm signed up and excited but I have found these forums to be LOADED with excellent information. So if anyone wouldn't mind comparing and contrasting I would surely appreciate it! Good luck in training everyone!

I like it because it starts in the dark and ends in the dark, meaning that it theoretically doesn't warm up as the run progresses as it does over Marathon Weekend and the Princess (and the DL races too...).

The new November time frame allows for overall lower temps and hopefully humidity levels as compared to the Tower of Terror.

The Wine & Dine seems to be full of people who love food and drink. Instead of being a gender focused race or a weekend devoted to all things running, its all about getting to the food and wine at the end. Most people are jollier too.

 

[Ariel484]

I like it because it starts in the dark and ends in the dark, meaning that it theoretically doesn't warm up as the run progresses as it does over Marathon Weekend and the Princess (and the DL races too...).

The new November time frame allows for overall lower temps and hopefully humidity levels as compared to the Tower of Terror.

The Wine & Dine seems to be full of people who love food and drink. Instead of being a gender focused race or a weekend devoted to all things running, its all about getting to the food and wine at the end. Most people are jollier too.

Great points, especially about the darkness. It was super nice not having to worry about sunscreen, sunglasses, and being totally drained by the sun.

I agree about the "jollier" atmosphere. The morning races have an exciting atmosphere too, but this one is more like an all-night party.

 

[VAfamily1998]

I've done Goofy (2013), Princess (2011) and Wine & Dine (2013 and again this year). My personal observations:

1. Besides the marathon, this is my favorite course. Lots more park time compared to the AM half marathon course. I think some people will miss the MK portion/castle run but I didn't. LOVED seeing Animal Kingdom in the dark all lit up.

2. Less characters in the course, and those that were there seemed to have shorter lines.

3. The starting area is super different. It was surreal to me to arrive in the dark just like the morning races, yet it was at night. It's also easier to navigate...that 20-minute walk to the corrals in the morning is gone. You just walk around the corner from the holding area and bam, you're in the corrals.

That's all I could think of on the fly beyond the obvious stuff (at night vs. AM).

Is the starting area/corrals more similar to Tower of Terror? I know you (the poster I quoted) didn't run TOT, but maybe someone else could answer?

 

[Hk331]

Question for you slightly faster runners in regards to the volunteers at the mile markers...

I was in the back of the pack last year and at each mile marker there were volunteers who were letting us know how far ahead of pace we were... like "you guys are 2 minutes ahead of pace"

My question is, do they do this for those who are not at the tail end? Any faster runners experience the mile marker volunteers telling them something like "you guys are 28 minutes ahead of pace" ? I really liked this feature and would love to know if they do this for faster runners, mostly because I will be in a higher corral this year. - Hope that made any sense






.

 

[Ariel484]

Is the starting area/corrals more similar to Tower of Terror? I know you (the poster I quoted) didn't run TOT, but maybe someone else could answer?

Yep, can't help with that one...sorry. I would GUESS it would be the same but having never done ToT before you can take my guess with a LARGE grain of salt.

Question for you slightly faster runners in regards to the volunteers at the mile markers...

I was in the back of the pack last year and at each mile marker there were volunteers who were letting us know how far ahead of pace we were... like "you guys are 2 minutes ahead of pace"

My question is, do they do this for those who are not at the tail end? Any faster runners experience the mile marker volunteers telling them something like "you guys are 28 minutes ahead of pace" ? I really liked this feature and would love to know if they do this for faster runners, mostly because I will be in a higher corral this year. - Hope that made any sense
.

I was in Corral E last year and I don't remember them telling me how far ahead of pace I was...every once in awhile I think I ran by someone with a stopwatch calling out times but not in relation to how far ahead of the sweepers we were.

 

[Castle2Castle]

I was in the back of the pack last year and at each mile marker there were volunteers who were letting us know how far ahead of pace we were... like "you guys are 2 minutes ahead of pace"

My question is, do they do this for those who are not at the tail end? Any faster runners experience the mile marker volunteers telling them something like "you guys are 28 minutes ahead of pace" ? I really liked this feature and would love to know if they do this for faster runners, mostly because I will be in a higher corral this year.

I do not think so. We've run near the back for most our races and it's been the volunteers on bikes letting those who are near the pace cutoff, which starts from the last runner, how they are doing relative to the course limits. Those who are running well ahead of that via a higher corral or faster pacing out of the back shouldn't encounter them. Volunteers couldn't reliably tell anyone else how they were doing outside of the back-of-packers since any given group would be travelling at a different pace depending on when they started and what their pacing is through the course.

 

[Limes96]

Question for you slightly faster runners in regards to the volunteers at the mile markers... I was in the back of the pack last year and at each mile marker there were volunteers who were letting us know how far ahead of pace we were... like "you guys are 2 minutes ahead of pace" My question is, do they do this for those who are not at the tail end? Any faster runners experience the mile marker volunteers telling them something like "you guys are 28 minutes ahead of pace" ? I really liked this feature and would love to know if they do this for faster runners, mostly because I will be in a higher corral this year. - Hope that made any sense .

Don't have an answer for your question, but... I'm a beginner runner with dreams of running a Run Disney half marathon in future (W&D hopefully someday!). Just want to say congrats on moving up in the corrals and on improving your time! That inspires me to keep at it!

 

[Hk331]

I do not think so. We've run near the back for most our races and it's been the volunteers on bikes letting those who are near the pace cutoff, which starts from the last runner, how they are doing relative to the course limits. Those who are running well ahead of that via a higher corral or faster pacing out of the back shouldn't encounter them. Volunteers couldn't reliably tell anyone else how they were doing outside of the back-of-packers since any given group would be traveling at a different pace depending on when they started and what their pacing is through the course.

I was in Corral E last year and I don't remember them telling me how far ahead of pace I was...every once in awhile I think I ran by someone with a stopwatch calling out times but not in relation to how far ahead of the sweepers we were.

Thanks, that totally makes sense that they wouldn't know how fast the last coral is moving... until the last coral is moving. Good point! lol I guess you're also right that if I'm 28 minutes ahead of pace so to speak, I shouldn't have to worry about seeing them anyways. - Thanks for the responses, I'll have a watch with me so I'll know where I'm at in correlation to my own pace

 

[Hk331]

Don't have an answer for your question, but... I'm a beginner runner with dreams of running a Run Disney half marathon in future (W&D hopefully someday!). Just want to say congrats on moving up in the corrals and on improving your time! That inspires me to keep at it!

Thanks for the kind words!

I was swept at mile 9 during Wine and Dine 2013. As soon as I got home, training for Wine and dine 2014 started! This time around, I've added in some cross training, yoga, swimming, biking and run three times a week. My pace has gone from a 15/16 per mile to a 12/13 per mile. As soon as I was swept last year, getting on the bus, I immediately turned to my friend and said.. LETS DO IT AGAIN!! I'm ready to conquer this baby!!

Best wishes on your goals as well!!! I know you can do it, with passion and hard work there's nothing you can't achieve! Hope to see you at a future run Disney event!

 

[PlutoBaby]

Hi everyone! I've done the Goofy challenge, ToT 10-miler, and Princess half. I wanted to ask the community if anyone with experience in those races would please compare them with Wine and Dine. I'm signed up and excited but I have found these forums to be LOADED with excellent information. So if anyone wouldn't mind comparing and contrasting I would surely appreciate it! Good luck in training everyone!

I've done the W&D in 2012 and 2013, and the WDW Half this year. IMO, everything about the W&D rocks SO much better than Marathon Weekend. Like jeanigor said, everyone IS jollier! You have what I call the "serious" runners, but it's more about the party atmosphere, people who just want to run for fun, and just having a good time, as opposed to just all things running, if that make sense.

The fact that the course goes through three parks instead of two helps break up the miles too. That out and back during the WDW Half seemed SO monotonous! Plus, since the entire thing is at night, it seems like it goes by faster as you're not out there starting in the dark and then watching the sun come up. Being able to run through the Osbourne Lights and not feeling like a sardine while doing so can make your whole night right then and there!

Having the corrals right next to the staging area is a huge bonus too. If you get those last minute bathroom jitters, you can always jump out of your corral, run to the bathroom, and jump back in, even if it's to a later corral. There's alot fewer runners running over to the bushes, that's for sure!

Unless I finally get the courage up to do the full marathon, I don't see myself ever running any other race at Disney except for this one. Okay, maybe I'll throw in the ToT one of these years, but this one will always be my fave.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Question for you slightly faster runners in regards to the volunteers at the mile markers...

I was in the back of the pack last year and at each mile marker there were volunteers who were letting us know how far ahead of pace we were... like "you guys are 2 minutes ahead of pace"

My question is, do they do this for those who are not at the tail end? Any faster runners experience the mile marker volunteers telling them something like "you guys are 28 minutes ahead of pace" ? I really liked this feature and would love to know if they do this for faster runners, mostly because I will be in a higher corral this year. - Hope that made any sense






.

I've never run W&D, but in my experience at other Disney races, no.

 

[Castle2Castle]

I guess you're also right that if I'm 28 minutes ahead of pace so to speak, I shouldn't have to worry about seeing them anyways.

I was swept at mile 9 during Wine and Dine 2013. . . My pace has gone from a 15/16 per mile to a 12/13 per mile. As soon as I was swept last year, getting on the bus, I immediately turned to my friend and said.. LETS DO IT AGAIN!! I'm ready to conquer this baby!!

Congrats on the improvement from last year to now! That's a great way to respond to having been swept last year.

Between an earlier corral and a faster pace, you should be golden and have more opportunities for pictures if that's one of your interests. We took so many pictures last fall during TOT that we finished with an average pace over 17:00/mi, but because we were in an earlier corral, we still never saw the official pacers.

Congrats again on the improvement and good luck on an even better race this year!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Question for you slightly faster runners in regards to the volunteers at the mile markers...

I was in the back of the pack last year and at each mile marker there were volunteers who were letting us know how far ahead of pace we were... like "you guys are 2 minutes ahead of pace"

My question is, do they do this for those who are not at the tail end? Any faster runners experience the mile marker volunteers telling them something like "you guys are 28 minutes ahead of pace" ? I really liked this feature and would love to know if they do this for faster runners, mostly because I will be in a higher corral this year. - Hope that made any sense






.

I've done all the w&d races and have never seen this.

Maybe run with a garmin or phone app. As long as you don't stop and have it auto pause you should be able to tell how off the clock you are.

--And I agree with everyone. This race is very laid back and people really seem to be enjoying themselves.