I can’t believe the time is almost here for Hannah to take on the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge!! It seems like just yesterday when she wrote her first Mission to Marathon post on putting her training plan together for this race weekend. Boy time sure does fly! Well as she is continuing to taper, she is getting ready to leave for Walt Disney World and she is here with some great packing tips for a RunCation!
Best of luck Hannah and we can’t wait to see you get all that runDisney bling in a few short weeks!
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Holy Moly, can you believe its December! And, halfway through at that!? Time is flying…I would know. I turned 30 on the 5th and it just came and went and wow…I can’t believe I’m in my 30s now! But enough about me, here’s some info on how to get yourself all packed up and read for your Disney RunCation! This post is highly focused on those flying into their destination, but modify as you will for those driving/train-riding/etc.
[Side note that I’m still in my temporary living arrangements so I wasn’t able to dig out the suitcases (in storage) or do a big full Disney packing photo montage. Sorry!]
First things first…
BEFORE you pack anything, check the weather and then check it again, and again, and possibly plan for weather different than what you’re anticipating…Florida is notorious for drastic weather changes.
Your Race Day gear is the MOST important thing you’ll pack. I strongly recommend laying out the clothes, socks, shoes, underwear, etc that you will need for the actual race before you do anything else!
Pack your race day gear into your carry-on luggage. You do not want this getting lost.
Next up I add in my cover-wear (my throw-away clothes).
And finally I add in all my race “extras.” Things like my sunglasses, my running belt, compression socks (for after the race), gels, etc…
You can use your discretion with what is “essential” for race day to determine what needs to go in your carry-on. The rest can go in checked luggage.
Here’s all my race stuff laid out, ready to be packed!
Once your race day gear is packed, you will have a better idea of how much room you’ll have for other stuff and how much luggage you’ll need.
When I pack for Disney I tend to know ahead of time what park I will be visiting. I then plan my clothing accordingly. I will typically pack one black pair of shoes and one blue pair of shoes and then make sure all of my clothing matches one of the two pairs of shoes. For each day I lay my clothes out like this:
Once I get my whole trip laid out I will pack it all into my luggage.
This trip will be a bit interesting as we are flying with a new airline and are limited with both carry-on and checked luggage (ugh, don’t these new airline luggage rules stink?!). Between the hubs and I we are planning for one carry-on, one checked bag, and two personal items. Make sure to check your airline for their restrictions and guidelines before you start packing.
I hope this helps you out and allows you some relief from the packing stress!
Things to remember about packing for a running vacation (because we all know I can’t resist a list):
1 - No NEW is good NEW… pack the stuff that’s tried and true for you. This is not the time to find out that the cute new top chaffs like no other.
2 - Extra shoes if you’re running multiple races. You do not want to be starting out a marathon with soggy shoes because it rained the day before.
3 - Check out the expo and race info online before you go to see if they’ll have the gels/fuel you like. If not, pack some from home!
4 - Don’t freak out if you forget something. While its not ideal to wear new shoes for a race, it can be done. Don’t let missing something in your packing add additional stress where its not needed.
5 - HAVE FUN. If you’re running a Disney race, then you will definitely have a good time. But don’t let PR’s or PB’s, or PD’s, or anything else get in the way of enjoying your race. 99% of us are not running for a place in these races, so just remember to have fun with it!
Here is my January 2014 Run Training Plan:
**RACE WEEK!**
28 – Week Jan 5: Tuesday and Thursday 45 mins; Saturday 13.1; Sunday 26.2
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday – long stretches
29 – Week Jan 12: Tuesday and Thursday 45 mins; Saturday 3 miles
29 Alternate: Walk Disney Parks!
Stretch, Stretch, Stretch and then stretch again. 
30 – Week Jan 19: Tuesday and Thursday 45 mins; Saturday 3 miles
31 – Week Jan 26: Tuesday and Thursday 45 mins; Saturday 3 miles
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Hannah is an attorney from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She started running in 2011 while preparing for the Bar Exam as a means of helping her focus on her studying. Hannah completed her first half marathon in October 2011 at the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco. In 2013 she completed 13 running events including 5 half marathons, 2 10ks, 3 5ks and 3 fun races (2 color runs and a zombie run). She enjoys setting goals and crossing things off of her “bucket list.” Follow Hannah at www.workorrun.com, where she blogs about her everyday goals and challenges.