Runner Leana

...sometimes with a little swimming and biking thrown in...

Goofy Challenge Tips and Tricks

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This weekend I’ll be running my third Goofy Challenge!  I cannot believe it is race week already!!

Are you running the Goofy or the Dopey Challenge at Disney World this weekend? If so I thought I’d share some of my tips and tricks for executing back to back races while you are on vacation at Disney World.

Save your park hopping for after the race

It is really easy to want to cram a lot of Disney into your race weekend. If you can I would suggest saving your park hopping for after the race.

Did you know that from the main entrance gate at Magic Kingdom and making a full lap around the park is 1.5 miles? It is really easy to put a lot of extra miles on your legs on race weekend without intending to.

That being said a little gentle walking around the park can help to flush your legs out, but be careful not to overdo it.

Try not to eat all the food

There are so many delicious treats to eat at Disney World. Dole whips, Mickey ice cream bars, funnel cake, cupcakes…

You might be hungry and stressed but before and during race weekend is not the best time to be scarfing all of those treats down. Stick to your healthy foods and snacks and save it for a reward after the race!

Choose your pre-race meals wisely

There are so many great places to eat at Disney World, but there are a lot of race day pitfalls out there. You know what meals have worked well for you in training and pick a dish that aligns with that. Skip the rich meals…even though the buffet at Germany (and accompanying stein of beer) is very delicious!

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

The tap water at Disney World is a little on the warm side and isn’t the most delicious. Pick up plenty of bottled water so you have no excuse to not hydrate.

Fuel for recovery

As soon as your first race is over you need to start fuelling for recovery. Ideally you want to get your recovery snack within 30 minutes of finishing your race. I plan on putting an insulated bag with an ice pack, chocolate milk and a peanut butter sandwich in my checked bag for all of my races.

You will get a snack box, a banana, a bottle of water and a bottle of Powerade on your way through the finishers’ chute.

Plan your race execution strategy

If you are planning on running back to back (or back to back to back to back) races it is unlikely that you can race them all fast. Decide what your overall goal is for the weekend ahead of time. Is the half marathon your sacrificial race so that you can execute a good marathon? If so have a plan in place so you don’t start out too fast on the half. Are you trying for an overarching goal for the entire weekend? Do you want to set a personal best in character photos?

Whatever your goal is, come up with a plan to help you achieve it.

Are you running any of the races at the Walt Disney Marathon Weekend? What is your goal for the weekend?

I’m linking up with run.geek.run (disney) and Adventures by Katie for Mickey Monday!

I’m also linking up with MCM Mama Runs, Run the Great Wide Somewhere and My No-Guilt Life for Tuesdays on the Run!Tuesdays-on-the-run3

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Comments

  1. 1

    How fun! Maybe someday I could run a Disney race, but living in Iowa makes it hard since it would cost so much to travel there.. Right now I just run local races. Less than 2 hours from home. I know how my husband would react if I told him I wanted to go to Florida just to run. He has warned me twice already this month about not planning our whole summer around races… 🙁 He’s suck a party pooper!
    Amy recently posted…Half Marathon Training & Other thoughts {Day 7}My Profile

    • 6

      My hat is off to you for hitting up a park after the marathon on Sunday!! I think a little walking around the park will probably be good for your legs though and will hopefully keep them from stiffening up and getting too sore.

      Best of luck this weekend!
      Runner Leana recently posted…How I Spent My Christmas HolidayMy Profile

    • 10

      Thanks John! I definitely want to enjoy vacation and eat all of the delicious treats…but then running might be a little less fun. I am sure there will be a Dole Whip with my name on it for after the race though!

  7. 13

    Great tips!! I usually walk over 9 miles a day when we visit Walt Disney World and I definitely try to save my park visits until AFTER the race(s)! I didn’t do that on my one trip to Disneyland (for Tink) and really really paid for it! Thanks for linking up with us!

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