Running to the Castle

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn how to get faster as a slow runDisney runner. If you want to run faster, increase your speed and increase your pace follow the steps in this episode. Learn the top mistake runDisney runners make when working on getting faster and avoid it by doing what is laid out in this episode. Learn more about the Stronger. Faster. Finisher...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn the amount of time it takes to recover from a marathon. I’ll review the typical timeline of recovery from the standpoint of normal breakdown that happens during running a marathon. You’ll hear a variety of different stories about how long it took other runners to recover and I’ll break down which stories to listen to. There are...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn what to do during the 6 weeks from Marathon Weekend to Princess Weekend when you ran the half marathon and are running the Princess half marathon. There are 3 main parts of this training schedule that will break up the training schedule the right way. These 3 main parts are Rest & Recover  Run Taper You’ll learn how to rest...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn the 3 Main Elements you need to include in the time between Dopey and Princess Weekend. The 3 Main Elements are: Rest & Recover  Run Taper You’ll learn how to rest and recover properly so you don’t need to take more than a week off from running and you’ll be ready to run at that time. You’ll learn how much you need to run l...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn how to recover fast from a Marathon so you can keep training for your next race. This episode is for runDisney runners who just ran the Marathon, Goofy or Dopey and are wanting to continue training for Dumbo Double Dare Challenge at Disneyland or Princess Half Marathon Weekend. I map out exactly what your post-race week trainin...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn what to do in the first few days after Dopey to recover fast and get rid of pain and soreness. Gentle movements</> like mobility exercises where you go through a range of motion but don't hold the position too long Get up every 30 minutes or so. Every 30 minutes get up and walk some steps: go get some water, then the...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn how to fuel as a marathon runner running a marathon 6 hours or longer. Avoid the top mistake that runDisney marathon runners make when fueling so you don’t bonk at 18 miles and hit a wall. Aim for 60-90 grams of carbs per 60-90 minutes you’re out on the marathon race course. You can fuel with honey stinger waffles because they’...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn what to do to fuel for your half marathon. In general for a half marathon aim for 60-90 grams of carbs per hour you’re racing, starting at the start line. Options for half marathon fueling include gu, gels, flat soda, gummy bears, pretzels, tortilla chips, cosmic brownies, gatorade, powerade, liquid iv, scratch, pickle juice an...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn if you can go to the parks after each Dopey race or if you should be resting.  In this episode I give examples of what seasoned Dopey runners do. And I include after each race day for Dopey, the 5k, 10k, half marathon and full marathon at Disney. There is one day in particular that seasoned runners, the majority, said the same...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn how to fuel yourself during the Dopey Challenge races. Learn how to fuel for the 5k,10k, half marathon and full marathon.  Some often forgot times related to the Dopey Challenge like waiting around in the corral for hours and family reunion area means you need to bring fuel for those times, too. Listen to the whole episode to h...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn what to eat and how to eat first thing in the morning for breakfast on race day, especially if you’re not hungry in the morning or you have to wake up super early (hello runDisney 2am wake ups!) Some things that may sound crazy include me trying soda first thing in the morning! Learn what to eat the morning of the race if you a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn my recommendation as a coach for runDisney runners who needs to fuel for a 5k and in what situations you should fuel for a 5k. Special situations you’ll learn about: Multi-day races like Dopey Challenge Workouts that include strength training or stretching runDisney races with early early morning races The best tip: you’re fuel...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn how much and when to start carb loading for the Dopey Challenge at Disney World. If you’ve ever bonked, felt like your legs were dead during a race and your training and strength were on track it could be because you weren’t fueled well enough, if that’s the case: this is the podcast episode for you. You’ll learn which day to s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn tips to avoid one of the most common running problems that’s easily avoidable. You’ll learn about specific clothing and socks to wear to avoid chaffing on your legs or blisters on your feet. There are special types of bandages you can use in addition to the special socks to give your feet an extra barrier to prevent blisters. Y...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn whether it’s a good idea to run the week of your race. For the injury-prone runDisney runner you may want to run the week of your race to get a few final miles in… or you may feel guilty about taking time off. Listen to this episode to find out which is best: running race week or taking some time off. Learn more about Stronger....

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle I’m talking about how to warm up and stay warm before your runDisney race. The mornings are early and waiting around in the corral is long, to avoid muscle cramping, vice-grip like feeling in your calves warm up properly before your race. Recommendations for your pre-race warm up include how to stretch in the tight corrals and how to get st...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle I’m talking about what to do after your race to make it so you don’t feel so sore the next day. This is particularly important if you are running a Challenge like the 2-course Challenges, Springtime Surprise Challenge, Goofy or Dopey because you need to make sure you aren’t too stiff and tight for the 2nd, 3rd or 4th day of racing at Disney...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle I’m talking about a new phrase you’ll start hearing from me “more is more, balance is better.” If you’ve ever experienced knee pain or other running injury and you’ve thought to yourself “oh I need to strength train more”, “I need to stretch more”, or something like that… more in these cases are just more, it’s not better. In this episode y...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle Stephanie Vukovich joins me to tell us about Coast to Coast and how to earn that coveted medal! Stephanie shares that Coast to Coast is not new, it’s back after a hiatus when Disneyland races took a break pre-pandemic. She shares with us what Coast to Coast was like in years past, in 2024, and what it likely will continue to be in the futur...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle Sarah Zuk shares everything she knows about fundraising to run runDisney races. She shares information she knows as a runner who has been fundraising for years and has worked closely with charities that have bibs for runDisney races. She shares places to search if you’re interested in running a runDisney race for a charity. Sarah shares inf...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle Sherry Marcotte joins me to talk about running runDisney races with a pacer and pace group. Sherry answered the most common questions runDisney runners have about using a pace group to make it across the finish line. Some important topics covered in this episode include: 12:43 What to do if you have to go to the bathroom when in a pace grou...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode of Running to the Castle I had the opportunity to chat with Registered Dietitian Stephanie Hnatiuk. We discuss best practices when fueling for long distance races and multi-day events like the 2 Course Challenge and 4 day events like Dopey. Topics we talk about in this episode: How much food/fuel to take in during training runs How to handle fueling if you typic...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle I recount what I did for my back when I hurt it a few days earlier and relate this to what runners can do when they have pain or hurt themselves during training runs. Tactics mentioned in this episode: The importance of having a correct diagnosis Signs and symptoms of a muscle injury Treatment from a Physical Therapist Mobility and stretchi...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle I’m answering a question a runner emailed me: They missed their long run, what should they do to make it up? Some options when you miss a long run Skip it and move on Start a week behind and skip the next planned cut back week  Some questions to ask yourself: Have I recently ran beyond this long distance? Am I starting from 0 miles lately?...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Running to the Castle I am discussing Runner’s Knee. Runner’s knee is also known as Patellofemoral pain syndrome, it’s called Runner’s knee because it’s common in runners but it’s not exclusive to runners. A few common symptoms are: Pain in the front and around the knee cap, often in a U or C shape Pain going down stairs Pain going up stairs Pain with squatting...