Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Weather Watch, Racing Plans

And so starts the nervous watching of every possible weather forecast available for Orlando. Sigh. I am beginning to resign myself to the fact that this is going to be a warm race. My major concern right now if for the humidity... It is 9:30 in Orlando right now and it is 90% humidity. I am hoping my short running experience in Singapore and Perth will have given me a leg up on dealing with this humidity thing. So with that being said, what is my racing plan? I realized yesterday that I don't really have a plan so maybe I should come up with something... Here are a few key points I need to follow:

Pre-Race:

Healthy eating and Walt Disney World don't seem to be two things that necessarily go together. I need to watch my nutrition before the race and leave the Dole Whips and ice creams for later. I'll try not to wear my legs out too much and I'm planning on a reasonably early dinner and hope to get to bed early enough in time to catch a bus to the race start somewhere around 3:30 am.

Half Marathon:

I have 3.5 hours to finish this one. I don't want to wear myself out for the full the next day so time doesn't matter. I'll probably run for the first 5K at a nice easy pace until the crowd starts to settle out a bit, then I'll follow a run/walk plan maybe of 8:2. I will run through Cinderella's castle with a smile on my face in hopes of a great picture. And I will stop for pictures with as many characters as possible. I'll drink both Powerade and water at every stop, and will munch on Sport Beans on every walk break. Post race I plan to lounge by the pool, maybe watch a movie and relax as much as possible before grabbing another early dinner and as many z's as possible.

Full Marathon:

I have 7 hours to finish this one. I honestly don't have a time goal in mind at all apart from crossing that finish line somewhere ahead of the 7 hour cutoff time. I'll probably follow the same idea of running the first 5K before switching to a run/walk strategy just to bypass the crowds a bit and not get trampled when I start to walk. I will probably opt for a 9:1 interval. I will once again run through Cinderella's castle with a goofy grin on my face. I will attempt to keep said goofy grin whenever there is a race photographer nearby. I need some better action shots at races than the usual grimace I tend to give. And I will once again stop for a picture with as many characters as possible, drink Powerade and water at every stop, and munch the Sport Beans on every walk break. When I cross the finish line I hope to do so with a smile on my face, then I'll hobble over to receive my Mickey and Goofy medals.

I also vow to remember to slather the sunscreen and Body Glide on. Anyone else have any last minute pointers?

10 comments:

i am Susan said...

Hey...good luck on your Goofy race. My husband and I will be doing that race next year the half and the full. I am a bit nervous about doing it as it seems somewhat crazy. Have a fun time!!

RunToTheFinish said...

You don't need pointers, you are the race pro! Can't wait to see the goofy pics!

TNTcoach Ken said...

LOL....You are so funny! Left, right, left.....Just think of Saturday as a training run with a few thousand friends. Sunday is when we’ll concentrate on winning! Have fun and the rest will take care of itself. Good luck.

Mr. Satan A. Chilles said...

You're race strategy is FINE. Having fun seems to be one of the goals, and when that's the case, who can top that?

Take it really easy on Saturday (as you already plan to), and just smile for the cameras. Or bring a disposable camera of your own. Get yourself some pretzels (carbs plus salt) for when you're sitting by the pool or lounging, or something like that. On Saturday afternoon, actively rest your legs (that sounds weird, but I always sit and try to completely relax my legs for a little while the day before a marathon, it's amazing how nervous energy keeps us moving without thinking about it). And treat yourself like a queen Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. I always pack a big-ass cookie in my checked bag as a little post-race reward, I highly recommend it...

Good luck!

DGB said...

Good luck my goofy friend. I'll catch up on all your race activity in the mornings, but you'll likely be done the race already. I'm so proud of you Leana! I have got to see first hand your transformation!

GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN!!!!!

Southbaygirl said...

Great blog and good luck! You'll have a blast!

Maddy said...

Good Luck this weekend! I hope I see you! That would so awesome! I just posted running in the rain tips I found on my blog.

You are going to do great and I can't wait to hear about the result!

Yay Goofy!

Speed Racer said...

Sounds like a good strategy, especially the bit about the pictures with the characters. I can't wait to see them. Too bad Batman's not Disney.

I think your plan to eat tons and tons is a good idea. Keep in mind that the farther along you go, the harder it will be to start running again. Try to stick to your run intervals of your run/walk, or else you may find you never start running again. But you'll figure all that out. Cranky had a great marathon plan a few months ago, but now I can't find it. You should take a look for it.

Good luck! I can't wait to hear about it.

Before I'm 35 said...

Good luck Leana! You are going to rock it out. :)

Laurel said...

You are going to do great! Don't psyche yourself out about the weather. It is humid, but it's not as bad as it seems. The mornings lately have been beautiful.

Have a great time, can't wait to see the pictures! Good luck!!!