Back in January, I accomplished my biggest goal to date. I ran my first half marathon. Running my first half (in Disney World, of all places) taught me more than I could’ve possibly imagined. So as I begin to train for my next half, here are 13.1 things I learned from running 13.1 miles.
- Trust your training (or lack thereof). My biggest piece of advice to anyone training for anything-- stick to your training plan. Like religiously. I let myself use my busy school schedule as an excuse for not training as thoroughly as I wanted. My longest run pre-race was 9 miles. I had convinced myself that that was enough, though I knew deep down it wasn’t. I probably would’ve slept better the week before knowing I had prepared better than I had. No matter how young and spry you are (or you think you are), you cannot wake up and expect 13.1 miles to be a breeze.
- Every mile is not magic. I love that RunDisney’s slogan is “Every Mile Is Magic.” It’s filled with so much hope. And while, yes, your surroundings at every mile are quite magical; physically and mentally it’s not always that way. I had very non-magical miles at miles one, two, nine, 10, and 11. Miles 1 and 2 were so dark and foggy that I was never quite sure where I was. And let's be honest, one and two tend to suck during all races. It’s your first huge mental hurdle. Miles nine, 10, and 11 were the miles between parks where you’re just running on a beautifully paved Disney highway, and though there is entertainment occasionally, when there’s not, all you’re thinking about is how much you wish you could see the finish line and how badly you want to give up.
- Use the resources provided. It is such a huge blessing to have 9 water stops and multiple med tents. Use them. I stopped for water every time. My body isn’t used to the Florida humidity and I was sweating more than I ever have in my life. I needed all the extra fluid I could get. I also hit a low point at about mile nine when my IT Band decided it had had enough. It was very hard for me to forget about my time and not be a hero, but I had to slow down. I stopped at two med tents for BioFreeze which worked as a good enough placebo to keep me going to the end. The people at those tents are there to help you--let them.
- Test your outfit. I was so excited about running a Disney race because that meant I could run in costume. I chose Maleficent because, let’s be honest, I had to channel Disney’s most powerful villain to get through 13.1 miles. I had spent months planning this outfit. I had this great skirt that I wore with shorts underneath and put a belt to hold my phone between layers. I had not predicted the belt riding up and taking my skirt with it. I was constantly tugging on things and it was quite annoying. I’m trying things out before the race next time.
- Have a cheer squad and thank them often. I was very lucky to have my parents and my aunt cheering me on at the race and three of my best friends tracking me from their phones. My family woke up at 3:30AM with me, took me to the start (mostly), and went back and forth from the Magic Kingdom to Epcot to be able to see me twice. It was so nice to see familiar, friendly faces about half way through and to see them at the finish as well. I finished to hugs from them and congratulatory texts from my friends who had been watching virtually. Don’t ever take that for granted. Thank them for supporting your crazy plan to run as far as you did and thank them for being there to watch you accomplish a major feat in your life.
- Do your research. Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is one of the biggest race weekends in the world. I knew that going in, so I made sure I did my research. I did everything from reading rundisney.com a thousand times to reading random blog posts about people’s experiences. I’m so glad I did. It was nice to not be shocked/overwhelmed by the size of the expo, the amount of runners, and the 1 mile walk to the corrals (not kidding, it’s seriously a mile). That definitely took some stress off.
- Be a volunteer and thank a volunteer. Most races wouldn’t run without the help of volunteers. Last March, I volunteered at NYC Half and had so much fun that I couldn’t wait to be a race volunteer again. The amount of volunteers on the half marathon course was amazing. They were doing everything from giving out water, to directing runners where to go, to just standing there with noise makers and signs, cheering for everyone. It was awesome. The day after the half I got to be a course volunteer at the full. I thought what I had accomplished was incredible. But man, I was wrong. I was stationed in Hollywood Studios between miles 23 and 24. Watching the joy and determination on the runners’ faces was like nothing I’ve ever seen. Also, these volunteers, though they’re not running, they’re spending more time on their feet than the runners. I was standing in the same spot listening to the same 3 songs for 8 hours. If I had known during my race just how taxing that actually is, I would’ve thanked more volunteers than I did.
- Embrace the magic. This one is RunDisney specific. Even though I said that not every mile is magical, when there is magic, you should embrace it. Disney finds ways to keep you entertained constantly. This includes putting out characters for photos. For the love of God, you paid so much in an entry fee, don’t run past these characters, many of which don’t ever make park appearances. Though it is sometimes hard to let your time go for a picture, it’s worth it in the end. I have amazing pictures that are going to last me forever. I wouldn’t trade a reminder of those memories for anything, including a faster race time.
- It’s okay to leave your earbuds out. I’m someone who loves running with my headphones in. I made the choice to leave them out for this race. Well worth it. I could listen to the six marching bands, three DJ’s and two stand-up comics on the course as well as hear important safety announcements that I might have missed with them in. I felt more open and alive as a human being and enjoyed the experience more than if I had been listening to the same songs I listen to all the time.
- It’s okay to leave the watch off. This one took some self-convincing and in the end was probably more worth it than I realize. I had my Garmin around my wrist but didn’t turn the GPS on. I really didn’t want to know my time. I didn’t want to judge myself for being slower than normal or whatever. I just wanted to enjoy the experience.
- Plan your celebration. Congratulations! You just ran 13.1 miles! You get to celebrate. Plan your celebration before you race. It gives you something to look forward to. I knew when I was done I was going to get a Mickey muffin and a whole order of Pizza Hut breadsticks and I could not wait. It helped to have something to look forward to during those miles when life sucked a little.
- Running alone is great too. In the weeks leading up to the race I was like “aw man, I really wish I was running with someone.” Though, yes, it would’ve been great to run with a friend, running alone was just as enjoyable of an experience. I got to talk to some fellow runners and I got to appreciate that I had set a goal for myself that was coming true. Finishing was my moment, as selfish as that sounds. I don’t know if I would’ve wanted to share that first time experience with anyone else.
- “You are braver than you believe, smarter than you think, and stronger than you seem.” This quote from Winnie the Pooh is one of my favorites. I had heard some doubt from people before the race. “Do you really want to do this? Are you sure you’re gonna make it? You probably should’ve done the 10K.” At some point I did start to doubt myself. Then I remembered this quote and the fact that anything you put your mind to, you can do. If you want to run a half marathon, run a freaking half marathon and have a great time doing it. You can do anything you want as long as you believe in yourself.
13.1. I can’t wait to do it again. I’m getting my RunDisney Coast to Coast medal this September running the Dumbo Double Dare (10k Saturday and Half on Sunday) in Disneyland. I can’t wait. Somewhere along that 13.1 miles I fell out of love and back in love with running. I can’t wait to feel that again.
