Pre-race Comforts

Race day can bring a variety of weather and you want to be comfortable and prepared for it as much as possible.  Over the years I have seen race morning temps below freezing with sleeting rain and water stops creating ice on the roads as well as over 80* weather with almost 90% humidity at 4:30 A.M.  Sometimes I need my "special" items and other times I do not.  Better to be prepared than suffer while waiting for the race you spent months prepping for.

A rain poncho.  This is great for keeping you warm with your disposable clothes under it.  It helps keep the heat in much like a mylar and it is cheap.  Also packs nice in a suitcase since it comes in a small bag.  Amazing if it is windy since it really cuts back on this getting through your clothes.  Another great feature is the hood for keeping your head warm... we all know that is where we lose a lot of heat.

 Fan of the salt packets.  I grab these at any local restaurant and put them in a ziplock baggie in my shorts.  When you are sweating you are losing salt and this will not taste gross as I originally though.  Time it right and it will be delicious... best is just as you are approaching a water/powerade station.  I've found I only need about 4-6 for an entire race if it is hot and fewer if it is chilly and I'm not sweating as much.  Remember to do what is right for you.

 Best Friend For Ever!  I love these instant break and freeze packs for those sauna hot days.  I carry it in my sports bra and break it when I am feeling the heat.  It brings just enough temporary relief to bring my core temp down a notch so that I can keep going.  Bonus if you have some extra pockets and can carry more than one or if you have an amazing support crew like me that will hand you an extra one about half way along with a cup of ice to put in your shirt for cooling off.

My other BFF for the other extreme is hand warmers.  These little babies get nice and toasty warm.  They will last for hours, especially if you have on mittens/gloves.  I also put a set on my hip flexors since they tend to get super tight in the chilly morning air.  This company also sells larger warmers that are perfect for placing in your waist band for that lower back to keep you warm and comfy while waiting for the start.  (More of an issue at WDW I've noticed for the January race).  When you get toasty and are ready to toss find a frozen kid in a stroller and give to the parents.  They will be amazed since they likely didn't plan on that chill.
Of course you will want those disposable clothes (old long sleeve you never wear, over size sweats or an old throw to wrap up in).  Stay off the wet and dewey grass even if it is shorter... it's just an early start on those blisters that are likely to start after some water stop messes.

Packing For Disney Races

When packing for any trip you don't want to forget anything that you might need.  When packing for a race away from home this is especially crucial.  You don't want to forget your running socks or your comfy shorts with the pockets for your gels because this could mean blisters or annoyance at the shorts during your race.  While the runDisney expos are great you still want to pack your tried and true clothes and such to make sure you have the best experience possible.

 For me this means a mini- first aid kit.  I sometimes get blisters and need this for day 2 of my racing but not very often.  However this has come in very handy after day 2 of racing for me to get around parks and such. Band-aids are a must for me and they have to be the flexible fabric kind since I find they stick best.  I also bring some medical tape and wrap stuff to make sure the bandage stays put and the wrap stuff is flexible so it doesn't "squish" my foots natural flexion.  The little blue squares are called 2nd skin and are the most amazing things in the world.  They are gel squares that alleviate blisters to the max.  Obviously not taking the whole tub so I put some in a snack bag and made sure to seal it good since they are "wet."

 Make sure you have all of your other toiletries.  I like to bring nail clippers and a nail file because who likes a just barely too long toe nail for a race.  Extra hair ties and snap clips.  I also make sure to bring an extra pair of contact lenses just incase.  If my eyes are super irritated or something happens to one I have an extra so I don't have to wear my glasses.

I like to put all my stuff in clear zip top bags to make things easier.  I take them out when I get to the destination but for airport security this is much easier.  Even if it isn't the "liquid or gel" item it gets a baggie so that I can easily find what I need and not spill my stuff everywhere.

 My suitcase packed.  If there is no over head bin room then the airline can check this bag... I just grab out my mini-bag that has my toiletries and I am good to go.  I have cereal and ramen noodles packed.  I love Disney food but let's be honest that sometimes we get a little nervous with running such a long distance race that certain foods/oils that we are not used to can upset our stomachs.  I eat cereal almost every morning before I run so I have no issues with milk and this as my pre-race meal.  Night before it's ramen for me.  Again, clothes in bags so that if something happens to the zipper on your bag your stuff isn't all over getting filthy.  Plus you can "suck" the air out of the bags and it is a little more compact.

Items I will be racing in are packed in separate bags that become my personal item (back pack).  I also put my shoes in the back pack.  No one wants to get to their final race destination and not have their race goodies with them so this stays with me at all times.  The other carry on bag is ok if it doesn't arrive... I've got my race stuff with me.