runDisney Race challenges - What You Should Learn from runners who’ve done them

Recently I polled a group of runners who ran at least one Disney Challenge this past season and asked them what would they do differently next time. I got over 100 responses that I’m going to share with you today and the take aways from these responses.

In this article.

1. Jump to the video

2. Top Response

3. 2nd Place

4. 3rd Place Tie

5. Other comments

6. Training for a Challenge

When I first asked this question I expected to see answers mostly about strength exercises and training. I did not expect to see answers about sleep, going to parks, or items they would bring with them.

40% of Runners Say They Needed To Do This Next Time They Run a Challenge

The top responses included training more.

It’s a common theme in the thread that many challengers did not train enough… or at all.

I’m super injury and risk averse so I train and follow the plan almost to a T (with a little room for variation).

So seeing that so many people commented on how much they trained it was shocking for me to see. 44 responses included the word “train” in their answer, that’s about 40% of all the answers.

This is the 2nd Most Common Thing Runners Would Do Next Time They Run a Challenge

I thought this one was going to be the top answer, but it came in second… and not even a close second.

Strength training was part of 9 responses.

Some runners felt that they should have added strength training to their regimen and others thought they needed to do more of it.

These 2 Things Were a Tie for 3rd Place of What Runners Would Do Next Time They Run a Challenge

The 3rd place most common thing runners would do the next time they ran a Disney Challenge was a tie with 7 answers each mentioning these things they would do differently.

Runners said they would run back to back days and hydrate as the 3rd most common things to do differently next time.

For running back to back days some said they would start it sooner and others said they hadn’t done it at all.

For hydration some runners said they need to start hydrating the week (or 2) before the challenge, others said they needed to start hydrating sooner in the race itself.

Other things runners mentioned

• Sleep/bed early

• Proof of time

• Stretching

• Pacing

• Not get sick/injured

• Not do it again

• Do shorter challenges (2 days vs 4 days)

• Tune out the negative comments about getting swept/balloon ladies

• Buy proper equipment (right shoes, right size shoes, right socks, etc)

• Use moleskin for blisters. 

• This one many said use moleskin after blisters and I’m going to make a correction: moleskin is best used BEFORE a blister forms, it helps prevent them from forming. It needs to be large enough to cover the whole area to not peel off. Use it generously, don’t skimp on the size area you use it.

• Fuel the entire training season

• Use/don’t forget massage gun

• Less park time before half/full marathon

• Do the parks after the races (days after/not same day)

• Not take it so seriously/have fun

• Make friends in the corral

• Add walking 2 miles before the run to training plan (for getting to start/finish line)

A few single comments

• Not get a pedicure the day before

• Drink more beer

• Get there later than 4am *** not sure if this person meant they did get there and they wouldn’t get there later than 4am next time… or if they do recommend getting there later than 4am.

• Trust your training

• More hill workouts

• Request a room with a tub

• Use a bib holder (not safety pins)

• Get someone else to do it with me

• Practice standing for hours in the corral before running

Race Preparation

Overall it seems like most runners would change how they prepared for the race… actually running and training.

Many felt like they weren’t prepared for such an arduous task and could prepare better next time.

Run multiple days in a row

One comment about training, besides actually doing a training plan, was to run multiple days in a row sooner rather than later.

This is what I felt, too.

When I set up my original training plan I factored in rest days, cross training days, run days and progressively adding miles to not over do it and get to the max 10 miles.

But, I didn’t realize until partway through the training program that I hadn’t factored in running multiple days in a row.

Every race I’d ever done before was a single race and it was encouraged to rest the day before the weekly long run… that’s what I was used to and that’s where my brain went when I planned the program.

Once I recognized that I started incorporating multiple days running in a row, but it wasn’t soon enough and it was challenging (no pun intended) to complete all 3 days in a row of the Springtime Surprise Challenge that I ran.

And it seems like many other runners felt the same way.

If you ran a Disney Challenge what would you do differently to prepare for the next one? Let me know in the comments.

Ready to Conquer Your runDisney Goals After Injury?

If you've faced setbacks but dream of crossing that finish line stronger than ever, the 0 to 5K Hero is your ticket to success. Personalized plans, experienced running injury coaching and supportive community are here to guide you. Take the first step today by booking a FREE call – let's rewrite your runDisney journey together!