A Beginner’s Guide to Training for runDisney (Episode 3)

I’m officially registered for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend! Come see what I’ve been up to this last month!

Spring is a great time to get outdoors and be active! After two months of being stuck on the treadmill, it feels great to get outside and run! We have had gorgeous weather for the most part here in the Midwest, and I have been taking full advantage.

If you need to get caught up on past episodes of my guide, you can read Episode One and Episode Two. Then come back here to read the rest!

Wine and Dine Half Marathon Registration

Since I am an Annual Passholder, I was able to register early for the Wine and Dine 10K during Disney’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend!

I am part of several runDisney facebook groups and was becoming increasingly nervous that I would not get in for the event. I knew I needed to get into the queue early, but I did not anticipate it feeling like I was trying to get a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance or secure a Flight of Passage FastPass on the first day of a trip! That’s exactly how it felt though!

If you are hoping to register for an upcoming runDisney event, I have two suggestions: join the queue early (like 10 minutes early), and use new tabs to try to get in.

I left my original tab up once I was in the queue. After 10 am, I would randomly open new tabs to try to get in the queue and see if I was able to get in more quickly. My original tab got me in first though, at 10:07 am.

Also, I have read you can go back in later and purchase merchandise. I have also read the sizing and quality of merchandise during past events have been hit or miss so I haven’t bought anything yet.

I was relieved to get in and register without an issue! Looking at the banner for the race, I am getting some serious Ursula vibes. I love the play on words with the Wine and Dine Festival and Villains. I also see some hint of Snow White with the poisonous apple. What do you think? Any guesses?

10K Training Plan

There was a 10K training schedule in the confirmation email I received from runDisney. After taking a look at it, I am feeling confident this is the direction I will move in as I train for the event.

Here is how the schedule looks for beginners (that’s me):

For 18 weeks, you run three times a week. The first two runs of each week are 30-minute runs.

Then, the third run of the week varies but is mostly a distance run. The first week is 1.5 miles, the second week is 2 miles, and so on. Some weeks are all 30-minute runs.

Here are the first 6 weeks of the plan. By the end of the program, you are running 6.5 miles.

I have also looked more closely at the run-walk-run method now that I am running 3 miles consistently and have a better idea of my pace. For my average 3 mile run, which I have been doing twice a week for the entire month of March, my pace per mile is about 11 mins 30 seconds.

According to the chart listed below, I should be running 60 seconds and walking 30 seconds. Right now I am running about 17 minutes before needing to stop, so it is taking me some time to adjust from the C25K program (where you aren’t supposed to stop at all) to this new method.

I imagine if I were to start following the run-walk-run method, my pace would probably get better since I wouldn’t be so fatigued.

Pace	Strategy
9:00 min/mi	run 2 min, walk 30 sec
9:30 – 10:45 min/mi	90/30
10:45 – 12:15 min/mi	60/30
12:15 – 14:15 min/mi	30/30
14:30 – 15:45 min/mi	15/30
15:30 – 17:00 min/mi	10/30
17:00 – 18:30 min/mi	8/30
18:30 – 20:00 min/mi	5/30

So, if I start this 10K training program next week (end of March, first of April), I will complete it at the end of July.

Then, I will be able to start the 19-week training program for the Half Marathon. I will be ready (as I’ll ever be) for Princess Half Marathon Weekend by mid-December!

I am feeling more comfortable with the idea of running and seeing it all laid out for me doesn’t feel so overwhelming. Are you any of you super planners like me? Or do you prefer to go with the flow?

Some Words of Encouragement

With so much of our daily lives turned upside down due to coronavirus, I want to encourage anyone who has been contemplating becoming more active to get up and start! With most of us at home and stuck inside, going out for a walk or beginning your own running program outside could be just the thing that helps you.

What better time to start? The weather is getting warmer (for most of us), we are home more, and we are in a position where our mental health could be greatly affected by what is happening around us. Just make sure to keep your distance from others doing the same!

I know some of you have lost jobs, some of you have loved ones who are sick, and some of you are canceling your Disney trips (I am one of those waiting to hear how the end of April is looking). Please hold on to hope and find something that helps you cope. It doesn’t have to be exercising! It could be cooking, crafting, or working on those house projects.

Just please find something you enjoy doing!

Are any of you registered for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend? Which event will you be participating in? Let me know how the registration process went for you over on Kenny the Pirate’s facebook page. Also be sure to join our KtP Planning Crew. We are a community of kind Disney-lovers and love to share advice and ask questions!

-Monica