Part 1: PRs at Disney – Training

It’s a glorious 3 months until the Dumbo Double Dare/Disneyland Half Marathon weekend kicks off….and I’m really starting to focus on training as I want me a new half marathon PR…and maybe a 10K PR if I can make it happen…because there is nothing I love more than running PRs at Disney….regardless of what the haters say.

Now, I have wrote about the haters before….the ones that say you aren’t running Disney right if you are running it for a PR.  Sigh.  Run the race you want to and do so in a way that doesn’t negatively impact the other runners around  you. Whether you are running “fast” or “slow,” just get your miles in and get your bling!  Nobody really cares about your time and your race except you and those who love you…and even those who love you, probably don’t understand the time thing unless they are runners.

me and my double PR, coast to coast bling from 2013

I have run Disney with PRs in fun as goal and I’ve done Disney and I have achieved new PRs.  Both approaches have left me with very fond race memories and I don’t regret any of my runDisney race approaches….though I do regret doing as much theme park time as I did for GSC last year. Oy!  That made for some very cement feeling legs.

Admittedly, Disney races can be more difficult to PR in simply due to the volume of runners and the number of inexperienced runners.  The key is to plan ahead for this and any other possible problems before you may encounter.

Here are my training tips:

1. Pick a race day strategy and train to it.  This is key.  If you want to run a PR you need to try and replicate what is likely to happen on race day as much as possible.  One strategy I like to use is starting out a bit slower in the beginning and picking your speed up in the middle to end miles, once the crowds have thinned a bit.  Also, going slow will allow you to more effectively navigate and weave through runners.

Another strategy I have found to be effective if I opt to do intervals is to actually try to run without intervals for the first mile or so.  Again, this will allow you to get some distance between you and the crowds when the race starts.

So once you find something that works for you, train to it.  Practice it at a few local races to see how it feels.

2. Train like you are doing the challenge.  I recommend doing 3-5 back to back training days to replicate your race weekend – essentially doing a 10K one day and then a 10 plus mile run the next day.  It makes all the difference in making sure your body and mind are ready for what is ahead of you.  I would even recommend trying one or two at your race pace so you can get an idea of what you will feel like if you were to hit your goals on race day.

3. Speed work, speed work, speed work. I cannot stress this enough.  Do this regularly and consistency.  There are so many different types of speed work drills so you can’t get bored…but know this…speed work is hard….and it can be hard on your body, so don’t do it too much..I aim for one workout a week.  I like mixing up between distance repeats (be it 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile or mile repeats), pyramid or ladder runs, or hill training.  This way,  you get some variety and will be less likely to hurt yourself.

4. Cross train and then run on those tired legs.  This is a bit of a variance on tip two. Try to do some sort of physical activity before you go for your run.  Like a boot camp class or some weight training.  Yes, the run will be hard with fatigued muscles, but there are definite benefits when it comes to the mental toughness of making it through a run when fatigued.  This will be especially beneficial if you are going to be doing the parks pre-race and during the race. Oh and then there is the whole strength training/cross training benefits, too.  Almost forgot about those. 🙂

5. Schedule some 10K races during your training, if possible.  I did three 10Ks in preparation for my DDD in 2013.  I found that they were excellent in teaching me how to keep and hold pacing, esp. with race jitters and adrenaline flowing.  It also highlighted the progress I was making in my endurance, speed and mental toughness, which spurred me on to keep working harder.

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!

~Lisa

You Do You: PRing at Disney or not?

So the Star Wars Half Weekend medals are just starting to gather dust, Tink is getting ready to fly  and a number of runners’ credit cards are on fire because they just registered for Dopey, Goofy or any of the other race opportunities at Disney World for the 2017 Marathon weekend.  I’m a member of some Disney focused fb groups and during the last week or so my feed was filled with fun posts, inspiring posts and indeed some annoying, complaint filled posts, of people participating in the race weekend, registering, etc.

Part of my GSC team in 2015

RunDisney has truly made distance running a whimsical fun event.  The on-course entertainment, character stops and simply running through the theme parks make for an experience unlike any other I have had in a race before…which is precisely why I have done repeat visits to Disney to run races.  Then there is the vast array of costumes that runners trot out, which is arguably, more entertaining than the Disney entertainment. Seriously, these races are a lot of fun. 🙂

The other great thing about Disney races is that the events are more accessible to runners of all stripes.  I love that someone who is just getting into fitness can participate in these races just as easily as someone who can run a six minute mile with ease.  Be it fast or slow you are getting those miles in and that medal (or medals) and I think it is awesome.  I say this as someone who encouraged a group of 10 from my gym to participate in the Glass Slipper Challenge weekend – all fitness levels, ages and abilities and all sorts from regular runners to never runner/only walkers.  Everyone trained, pushed their limits and finished…it was wonderful.

But as good ol Taylor Swift says…the haters are gonna hate…and I guess that is what bothers me most, however, is the negativity in these groups toward anyone that attempts run for a specific time or a PR at these races and I fear that this negativity prevents people from even considering trying to run these races for a specific time/PR.  There have been a number of times where people say:

• Disney isn’t the place to PR because it is too crowded
• You’re missing the point if you are trying to PR at Disney
• You aren’t getting your money’s worth if you are running straight through a Disney race.

My response, aside from a MASSIVE eyeroll is just “you do you.”  I have honestly had as much fun PRing at Disney as I have had PRing in fun in Disney and both approaches to racing have their merits.

PRing in Fun at the last Tower of Terror run

Yes, PRing in Disney, especially toward the back of the corrals is difficult because of the crowds…no question.  But it is NOT impossible. It can be done but it will require some training, strategy and patience. It’s harder, for sure, but it is possible.

I would suggest that the idea that PRing at Disney is missing the point, is not correct and at the very least is up for debate.  If pushing yourself, trying to achieve a goal is what you enjoy…you will enjoy it just as much, if not more at Disney. As someone who has ran Disney for time on a number of occasions, I find I tend to get so excited that I run really fast anyway and best of all, I am distracted by all the fun around me that I don’t notice the effort I’m putting forth…which is perfect for PRing. 🙂

This is a very happy girl with two PRs in 24 hours

I also disagree with the “value proposition.” I may be on the course less time when I’m running for time, but at the end, even when if I fall short, I feel like I have left EVERYTHING on the course and received a gorgeous medal and a TON of wonderful memories of what I saw as I ran the course…regardless of whether or not I have a dozen character race photos. That to me is money just as well spent as running to get pics with all my favourite princesses.

 

In the coming months, I will be running two RunDisney challenges….I will be running the Dumbo Double Dare and the 10K from Lumiere’s Two Course Challenge  for time and I’ll be running the Wine n Dine half aka the second course of Lumiere’s for a PR in fun with the Team Can-Am ladies.  I’m beyond excited for both of these opportunities to go out and run and have all sorts of running fun in the form of hopeful PRs and amazing race photos.

I encourage all Disney runners to do what you like for your races… be it run for time or not.  Make yourself happy…just do YOU!  As long as you do that, who cares what anyone else says/does/etc.  Get your medals, wear them at the parks, and embrace every single proud moment of training, running and post race recovery. 🙂

What are your thoughts on this?  Let me know!  I’m all ears! hah!  Get it? Ears!

Six months til Sub 1:50

1:49:59…that’s all I want.  I mean…don’t get me wrong…a 1:48:27 would be great, too…more than great…but really, 1:49:59 is what I want. Oh and a sub 49 minute 10K if the running gods are feeling generous…but that isn’t my priority. 🙂

I had set the goal for a sub 1:50 half marathon time in 2014…and my training suggested that I could do it with training runs of 12 miles at 8:15 paces and 10Ks at a 7:47 paces, but a nagging hip flexor injury that began in June 2014 and lingered for almost 18 months ruined that goal not once but four times.

With a rut breaker half marathon scheduled for mid-June (my first half in over a year) and then another as part of the Dumbo Double Dare in Disneyland on Labour Day weekend, I feel like I could finally make my sub 1:50 goal a reality…esp if I sneak in a few motivational 10Ks between my two halves.

I’m finally running, lunging, sprinting, rowing and planking without any twinges of pain. I’m running 7 miles at an 8:24 avg. pace and not feeling completely like death.  The avg pace for a sub 1:50 time is about 8:22.  I def. need to get back to some serious tempo runs and speed work, but I’m not going to start that until I return from Australia in mid March.  I also plan on doing some regular weight training as I always get injured when I stop doing it.

I plan to post a more detailed plan when I return from Australia..including weights and what I plan to run.  Though, for the record, I’m pretty horrible when it comes to sticking to really formal training plans, so if I manage to stick to this one, it will be a definite first. 🙂

Have any tips?  Let me know in the comments!

~Princess Lisa