This is part three of my six-part series on the 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Part three covers training for the race (or half-marathons in general), as well as planning for the event (including official schedule for race week/end).
Part 1 (Introduction) can be found HERE.
Part 2 (History of the Race & Registration Process) can be found HERE.
Part 4 (Course Preview with Virtual Run) will be posted mid-October to beginning of November.
Part 5 (Travel, Event Expo, & Pre-Race) will be posted on Race Weekend.
Part 6 (Race Day & Post-Race) will be posted after Race Weekend.
The event's official website can be found HERE.
Now that the registration process is all said and done, the real fun begins. Now it's time to plan out the trip, and the training, which will be starting about the time this is posted.
I will only be covering half-marathon training during the training section, so if you're doing any other distances, feel free to skip ahead to the Planning section below. I've already covered half-marathon training in the past, in my post for the Heartland 39.3 half-marathon series, but that was fairly specific to the 3-halves-in-5-weeks racing that I would be doing. This time, I'll cover training specific to just a single half-marathon -- and a relatively flat one at that. For those tackling their first-ever half, be it Walt Disney World or otherwise, this will be a great resource. Though my half-marathon training falls in to the intermediate-to-advanced category, I will be taking a fairly conservative approach to this one -- I want to be able to slow down and enjoy the sights and scenery this time, so my preparation won't need to be as intense. Not to say this won't be a great resource for intermediate runners, too... I will do my best to cover the whole gamut.
After a few notes on training, we'll get in to planning out the event. Specifically, we'll look at all of the resources that are provided to runners by runDisney: information about the Health & Fitness Expo, and how to get there, parking information that is provided, course maps (although, that will be covered more in-detail during my Course Preview post later coming up next), what to pack (as opposed to 'what to wear on race day,' which may change mere hours before start line -- so now's the time to think about it rather than later), etc etc etc.
As far as hotel and travel accommodations go, if you've traveled before, you should know how to plan that out. My only recommendation is to do it earlier than normal -- this will be a busy week for Orlando. I'll cover what I (and my family) did for accommodations during the Travel section, but won't likely cover in-detail how we obtained them (no need).
And with that...
Training for the WDW Half-Marathon
"Know thy route."
I don't want to give a full-out course preview (here, at least), but in order to adequately train for any targeted race, you need to know at least the basics of the route (particularly elevation changes).
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| The route and elevation profile. Though the course looks "bumpy," it is far from so. Note the elevation range on the profile (minimum elevation 85ft, maximum 144) -- any elevation change is very minor. |
The Walt-Disney Half? Not so much. In fact, elevation change is so minimal, Google Earth doesn't quite pick up on it (although I'm sure some of it has to do with limited ability to survey the lands as well). Training Peaks gives some idea...with not even 550ft of total climbing over the entire route, that means about 40 feet of change per mile -- not exactly a mountain expedition (despite the nearby Expedition Everest).
Training the Kansas City area, regardless of where it is, should be perfectly adequate. In fact, given the January race date, even some treadmill work would be fine (although, to note, setting a treadmill to 0.5 on the incline gives a more accurate simulation of a outdoor run on your joints and muscles). That said, the distance (or time) should be the only target.
Training by Time versus Training by Distance
While we're on the subject, I've read numerous articles talking about the benefits of training by distance rather than time, or time rather than distance. They both seem to warrant their own merits. As far as I've been able to tell in my own training, hitting your distance is great for newbies, as speed doesn't quite fluctuate as much, and the simple fact that you've hit 13 miles already (or nearly so) is a great confidence boost. Training by time, however, gives you a better simulation for your legs on how long you'll actually be on your feet. So, if you're targeting, say, a sub-2-hour half-marathon, during training target that 2-hour mark. If you go over 13 miles, righteous. If you don't hit 13, then obviously additional training is needed (or the natural boost in speed you normally get on race day will take effect). Either way, you've gotten your legs trained to run for 2 continuous hours.
For me, I like the confidence boost that comes with 13 miles. Then, after reaching 13 (usually at 1:50:00 or so), I focus on extending my time out further and further, rather than distance. But at least initially, training by distance has always been my preferred method. It's psychological, for sure!
Picking a Training Plan
If you prefer to train by your own accord, kudos. But when it comes to endurance events -- knowing all of the possible things that could go wrong in the span of 2 hours (and beyond) -- I prefer to have everything planned out to a T. And step one is laying out a training plan (we'll get to everything else later).
Picking the best training plan is highly dependent upon your current level of fitness, as well as your expertise/past experience running distance events. When I first started running distance, I liked Hal Higdon's plans (link HERE). Through Hal Higdon's massive amounts of time as a trainer (and athlete himself), he has put together five separate plans, dependent upon your level of expertise. There are two Novice plans -- Novice 1 and Novice 2 -- for individuals that can already run at least 3 miles, three to four times a week (Novice 1), or for individuals with similar or slightly better fitness that have run a half-marathon before (Novice 2). The Intermediate Plan is purposed for individuals that run 40-60 minutes (note how the focus changes from distance to time) at least 5 days a week. The Advanced Plan is meant for runners that run up to six times a week of nearing 60 minutes each time, and have advanced skills in performing speedwork -- the focus here in competing for top spots at the targeted half-marathon race. Higdon even has a half-marathon Walker's Plan (even walking 13.1 miles is no small feat, people).
After last year's KC Half (my first), this March's Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half (my 1:48 PR), and this year's Heartland 39.3 Series (three half-marathons in five weeks), I have put my eggs in the Intermediate basket (although, I will say, since the high-speed focus -- including multi-sport -- of this summer, my distance fitness has suffered tremendously). By the time Disney comes around, I will also have competed in this year's KC Half and possibly even the Longview Half in November.
Beyond the Intermediate plan, I also keep up on cycling and swimming fitness, so I've had to incorporate those in to my plan as well. That said, I've had to do a fair bit of revision (which is NOT recommended for newbie marathoners). Most the plans, particularly the Intermediate, are 12-week. The first week in that plan includes this year's KC Half, so that also revises it quite a bit. Also, on days with two recoveries planned, I like to swim at the very least for one of them.
Like I said before, there's a good chance the Longview Half-Marathon will be included right smack-dab in the middle of this plan, so if you're interested to catch up on my progress, check out that race report.
Planning
Air Travel
I have never done a RunDisney even before, so I came in to this knowing nothing about whether or not accommodations would be difficult. That said, as soon as ticket sales were available for flights to Orlando, I snatched them up through Southwest Airlines. It will be interesting to see the ticket prices climb (if they do).
ALSO, as an added note, if you're searching for airfare, and find yourself frequenting booking sites, BEFORE YOU PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS, clear your Internet browser's cookies and history. Air travel (and hotel) websites like to access your history (via cookies) and see if you've been "in the market" for tickets. If they see you've been frequenting their site, they'll boost prices so they'll be a bit higher by the time you purchase them (the thought is that the traveler will see the small increase in price the next time s/he is on the site -- let's say Travelocity -- and say to themselves "oh my goodness prices are already going up, I should book them now!). Clearing your cookies will bring those prices back down to (near-) baseline.
Hotel Accommodations & Car Rental
This can get sticky for a destination run. In planning for my early-season Rock 'n' Roll Dallas half-marathon, I noticed hotel rates through the roof downtown (the location of the start line and expo). Further away, by about 40 minutes, in the sleeper town of Arlington, no so much. It was still off-season for the local Six Flags, so hotels near the park were below $100 for suite-style rooms. If you're willing to drive the extra distance, off-site stays are the way to go. In towns with more than one airport (like Dallas), often even rental car companies will drive down prices at the airports with the lower traffic. Luckily, in Arlington, that was the case for the R'n'R Dallas HM. So the price of extra travel was hugely offset by the cheaper car rental and cheaper hotel rates.
For Disney, you have loads of on-site hotel accommodations, however. For an instance, we'd considered (traveling with my family) staying on the grounds to save on car rental and further travel. With enough research, we were able to find an off-site hotel that greatly offset savings. And with two-bedroom-plus-kitchen amenities, which would be perfect for day-before carb-loading (frozen pizza, anyone?).
Whichever you decide, keep in mind the costs as well as the benefits of all available options. A little extra research (and Internet savvy, as it were) will pay off in dividends.
Packing for a Destination Race
In a day of baggage fees, it's easy to want to pack conservatively. But the added cost of a destination race doesn't end at registration check-out; packing conservatively would be extremely unwise.
During my trip to Dallas in mid- to late-March, the part of the Midwest (or "South" for my Texas friends) that always sees the earliest signs of spring, the expectation was dead-set: we would be running in 50-degree weather at start time, with temperatures nearing 60 by race finish. Worse-case, we would see mid-40's in the morning.
Then come race week, and the damned "Polar Vortex" hits again, sweeping sub-freezing temperatures and snow as far south as Southern Oklahoma -- not far from our Downtown Dallas route. Temperature at the start line? 39 and a strong, chilly breeze. And by the looks of many scantily-clad runners in the start chute (and the extra layers of Mylar Space Blanket snatched up in the finish chute by both runners and spectators), few were expecting such conditions.
However, upon packing, I considered multiple scenarios. The resulting suitcase included four tech running shirts, three cotton t-shirts, thermal arm sleeves, thermal leg sleeves, thermal tights, a tech-fabric and fleece-lined base layer, two long-sleeve tech running shirts, a sweatband, a running skull cap, a neck warmer, running gloves, two wind-proof jackets and one rain slick. Not to mention two pair of running shoes.
I know it's Florida, the Land of Sunshine. But I've been to Florida during a cold snap, much to the conditions witnessed in Dallas -- Floridian chills can be unrelenting. And January? And a likely-still-active Vortex? Better come prepared.
For me, I will likely be sporting the same get-up as Dallas. Overkill? Maybe. But come January 10th and Florida is suffering their first snow in three years (I was there during their last snow), I will be laughing.
Also, bring an extra (empty) bag or backpack if you're like me and hoard free goodies at race expos. :-P
And about checked baggage...
Another note: all said running gear, albeit somewhat unattractive, can be lived in if Murphy's Law takes hold. So don't leave said gear and $250 worth of running shoes in the oh-so-trusting hands of the TSA and your chosen carrier's baggage handlers -- this should be your carry-on. If you roll all of your clothing, you can pack a lot in a tiny space. Add a few small toiletries (not to exceed 3oz!!!), and you should be golden even if your checked bag gets lost -- for both the race AND for every-day clothes.
Race Events Planning
As of early October, the following reflects information posted on the RunDisney website about all of the events leading up to and including the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.
runDisney Health & Fitness Expo --
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Times...
- Wednesday, January 7th, 2015; 10:00am - 8:00pm
- Thursday, January 8th, 2015; 9:00am - 7:00pm
- Friday, January 9th, 2015; 9:00am - 7:00pm
- Saturday, January 10th, 2015; 10:00am - 4:00pm
For those that are merely spectating (and to many who are even participating), the Health & Fitness Expo (including packet pick-up) promises to be of the more exciting events of the race week(end). According to reports (aka reports from friends), this is one of the best expos in the country. And the most exciting part (aside from the free goodies, and Disney character meet-and-greets, and etc etc etc)? Specifically, the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, which takes place every January, acts as runDisney's flagship event -- so if they are any new features, it will be likely to happen here. Including, my favorite: The shoes!
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| The 2014 New Balance runDisney collection. |
New for 2014 in to the 2015 runDisney calendar year is the New Balance Virtual Queue. Just short of any given runDisney event weekent, a "pre-order" of sorts is available through the Queue to athletes only (sorry spectators). In all reality, though, it's more akin to a reservation. You sign up through the Queue, you arrive at the Health & Fitness Expo with your Queue details, and you're guaranteed shoes while non-reservers (i.e. spectators) are left in wait.
The date for the 2015 WDW Marathon Weekend's shoe queue has yet to be released. If interested, be sure to sign up for email alerts so you know when it is likely to happen: usually the queue fills up within hours of opening (at the time I am writing this, the queue is open for the 2014 Tower of Terror 10-Miler Health & Fitness Expo for the 2014 editions, and it has been open since 6am -- it is just about full). If you plan on taking advantage of this wonderful resource, read the website in-detail well before sign-up. There's a few peccadilloes worth noting.
Other Lead-Up Events to Race Weekend (via runDisney official website) --
Taken straight from the official website, the following are events leading up to the various races offered on race weekend...
FAMILY REUNION BREAKFAST:
Dates & Times:
- 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 8, 2015
- 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. on Friday, January 9, 2015
Includes:
- Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Breakfast Pricing includes Breakfast Buffet
- Disney character meet & greets
- Opportunities for photos and autographs with Disney Characters
PASTA IN THE PARK PARTY:
Location: Epcot® Park
Dates & Times:
- 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 8, 2015
- 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 9, 2015
- 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2015
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Races (up-to-date via runDisney official website) --
RUNDISNEY KIDS' RACES:
Start/Finish Location: New Balance Track & Field Complex
Dates & Times:
- 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 8, 2015
- 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 9, 2015
- 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2015
MICKEY MILE:
Start/Finish Location: New Balance Track & Field Complex
Dates & Times:
- 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 8, 2015
- 12:30 p.m. on Friday, January 9, 2015
- 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2015
WALT DISNEY WORLD® 5K presented by CIGNA®:
Start/Finish Location: Epcot® Park
Date & Time: Thursday, January 8, 2015, 6:15am local time
Start/Finish Location: Epcot® Park
Date & Time: Thursday, January 8, 2015, 6:15am local time
WALT DISNEY WORLD® 10K presented by CIGNA®:
Start/Finish Location: Epcot® Park
Date & Time: Friday, January 9, 2015, 5:30am local time
WALT DISNEY WORLD® HALF-MARATHON presented by CIGNA®:
Start Location: Epcot Center Dr., off Northeast corner of Epcot® parking lot
Finish Location: Epcot® Center, East parking lot
Date & Time: Saturday, January 10, 2015, 5:30am local time
WALT DISNEY WORLD® MARATHON presented by CIGNA®:
Start Location: Epcot Center Dr., off Northeast corner of Epcot® parking lot
Finish Location: Epcot® Center, East parking lot
Date & Time: Saturday, January 11, 2015, 5:30am local time
Phew! That's all I got for now. Next up, in about a month or month and a half, we'll take a close-ish look at the course, including Virtual Run. Expect that beginning-of or mid-November.
Until then, keep R/B/S-ing.
-tds
-tds
~~__o
_-/<,_
@/ @
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