Wine and Dine Half Marathon Training Begins!

Well we are officially one week into runDisney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon Training!  Only 16 and a half weeks to go!  runDisney provides training guides for runners based on the Jeff Galloway training methods.  You can find them here! They update them every year and you can import them into your calendars for some gentle, or not so gentle reminders.

First Run of the 2014 Wine and Dine Half Marathon Training Guide!

I am notorious for not training.  I mean well, but then I just don't do it.  It seems like every race post starts out with some version of how it's another race that I haven't trained for.

Which there's no reason for that nonsense.  Jeff Galloway has 2 - 30 minute runs a week followed by a long run on Saturdays.  Like I can't find 30 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays to run, and I'm certainly not doing much on Saturdays. (except in the fall....we'll see how this works with football season!)

Running in the 90 degree heat along with at least 60% humidity should have me ready for Florida in November, right?

I'm combining the Couch to 5K intervals with the runDisney guide.  So last week, I did 2 - 30 minute runs, at 1 minute running and 90 seconds brisk walking, and then a 2 mile run on Saturday with the same intervals.  This week it's 2 - 30 minute runs with 90 seconds running and 2 minutes brisk walking with a 3 mile run on Saturday.

I'm hoping a combination of both increasing my intervals and mileage slowly will help me build my endurance, along with letting my knee and ankle heal from...whatever it is that's ailing them.

A very welcome unseasonably cool run!

I'm planning on heading to good old FleetFeet this weekend to get fitted for some new shoes.  My bargain bin Nike Outlet shoes aren't cutting it.  I plan on getting some new SuperFeet insoles as well. I L-O-V-E those.

What helps you to stick to your training for races?

Wine and Dine Half Marathon - First Obstacle Completed

Shoot runDisney races are so stressful just to register. They keep getting more and more expensive, and more and more popular.  I don't get it.

In the summer of 2012, I registered for the 2013 Princess Half Marathon. I registered for it early, but I don't remember doing it as soon as registration opened.  I do remember that it was after that that we learned about the Coast to Coast Challenge after that and many months later Ben registered.  I want to say that was around October but I'm not sure.

Our first runDisney and half marathon medal - Princess Half Marathon

We realized that if we were going to run one half marathon, we might as well go for our Coast to Coast.  We've never been to Disneyland so we figured now is a good time as any.

Disneyland Half Marathon Medal

Fast forward to January of 2013, Disneyland Half Marathon goes on sale.  runDisney had added 2 new events, the 10K and the Dumbo Dare Challenge.  Apparently these types of challenges make the races difficult to pass up.  The race sold out in 26 hours.  I remember fortunately being off that day from work, and calling Ben in a panic because we needed to register IMMEDIATELY!  We were calling our friends who we had planned on running with making sure they had registered.  Very stressful.

But nevertheless, we were able to get that coveted Coast to Coast Medal!

As it is with most people, as soon as you finish a race, you immediately start planning the next one.  Well the same things happens with me, for both running, and Disney trips. I immediately had my eye on the Wine and Dine Half Marathon.  Honestly, how could you pass up a party in the World Showcase until 4 in the morning for only the runners and their families?

I then started recruiting to get people to come with us.  We have a group of runners from college that I worked on selling it to, I tried to sell it to some friends who love Disney as much as we do.  We came up with 6 of us.  Should be an awesome time!

So I started doing my research, stalking blogs, and all that to find out exactly when the race would go on sale. I found out it was sometime in March, then sometime in early March, then March 4th.  Should be easy to remember, it was noon eastern time on Mardi Gras.  So 11:00 here in Nashville. I was working (dangit) So I told my boss that I would be out of commission at about 10:50 until...well until I got registered.  My husband called, we had a plan, both register for ourselves.  That way one of us isn't trying to register for the other. I stared at the clock for about 10 minutes, which takes FOREVER.  Like trying to watch a pot boil.

tick tick...tock tock...tick tock...go clock go!

I had roughly 10 tabs open in my Chrome. Facebook running groups, runDisney pages, active.com.  11:05...still nothing.  Then the facebook groups started blowing up "IT'S LIVE!".  HOLY CRAP I COULDN'T FIND THE LINK.  I am panicking.  I could feel my heartbeat in my throat as I think, am I seriously going to throw up because of registering for a runDisney race?

Finally, after some freaked out phone calls to the husband we found the link.  I got registered for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon and the Jingle Jungle 5K just as planned.  I call Ben back to make sure he had gotten registered.  He hadn't!  The page froze before he could get it submitted.  Cue another freak-out.  I take the reigns and get him registered.  WHEW!  We got in.  We check with our friends who are going with us.  Everyone got in!  HOORAY!

Now for the fun, and not so fun part.  The planning and waiting...oh and yes...the training.

So a heads up, if you are reading some of these posts and thinking, 'man runDisney sounds like ALOT of fun' you'd be right.  But do you research!  They are expensive!  They just announced a new Avengers Half Marathon in Disneyland where registration starts at $195!!!  Also know when it goes on sale.  Like your blood sugar check the runDisney website and check it often. They sell out fast, and seem to only be getting faster!