Marathon Weekend 2024

[DisneyParrothead]

Ooh, sunscreen.
With my skin, I typically need SPF 100 to keep from bursting into flame in direct sunlight. For the 5k thru the half, the sun either isn’t up or not enough to matter, but for the full, I need some sunscreen in the final hour or two.
I found small packets of SPF 30 on Amazon. A packet or two is enough for face and ears and small enough for a pocket or the belt. I need stronger for the parks later in the day, but 30 works for races or as an afternoon booster in lieu of carrying around a bigger bottle.

When I started getting skin exams, the very first thing my dermatologist said to me was "wow you're really fair!", and nothing like almost always being the whitest person in the waiting room.

 

[sandam1]

for the full, I need some sunscreen in the final hour or two.

Something that I learned during Springtime this past year is that the medical tents have spray sunscreen available.

 

[Bree]

I cannot stand things in my hand when I run. I try and buy clothing with pockets, but I will use a hydration belt when necessary. I do not normally carry ID with me for Disney races. FL drivers licenses can be accessed with an app and I use Apple Pay most of the time. I do carry a $20 bill in case the terminals go down for parking lot beers, but I have never had to use it. I can't tell you how many "bonus" $20 bills I have found in my clothing months after Disney races LOL!!!

 

[marty3d]

Something that I learned during Springtime this past year is that the medical tents have spray sunscreen available.

For the full, the medical tents near the end ran out (at least for runners as slow as me!) so always good to carry your own as backup!

 

[Chasing Dopey]

I cannot stand things in my hand when I run.

I KNOW! (What is wrong with these people.)

These have crossed my ads and look interesting: https://www.compressport.com/usa/en/35-belts
Intriguing, but expensive. And there's nowhere to go test them out.

 

[Stitch&Co.]

I started out using a belt and it worked okay in the beginning, but soon it started driving me nuts. It just wouldn’t stay where I wanted it to and sometimes it was hard to get things out of it without possibly dropping something else. I switched over to the Running Buddy magnetic pouches last year and they’ve worked out great. Between the pockets in my leggings and the pouch I find I can separate everything out based on expected need. I may need to get another one to hold extra nutrition for the marathon though.

 

[FFigawi]

However, when I got a Garmin that could connect to my headphones and play music, DW and I conducted an experiment. At a half marathon this Spring I ditched the phone altogether and stuck an AirTag in the zipper pocket with the ID and cash. We wondered if it would provide something like real time tracking because of all the runners around me that would have their phones. Not quite, but still pretty good! It would update every time I hit a water station, and occasionally when I would pass by some spectators. So we'll be doing that again at the marathon. (And probably at the 10k this weekend.) With 17 or 18 water stations on the course, it should work pretty well in January to give her a better idea than just the timing mats.

Wonder if everyone around you with a phone will get the “unidentified AirTag moving with you” notification

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

When I started getting skin exams, the very first thing my dermatologist said to me was "wow you're really fair!", and nothing like almost always being the whitest person in the waiting room.

Hold my beer....

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I cannot stand things in my hand when I run. I try and buy clothing with pockets, but I will use a hydration belt when necessary. I do not normally carry ID with me for Disney races. FL drivers licenses can be accessed with an app and I use Apple Pay most of the time. I do carry a $20 bill in case the terminals go down for parking lot beers, but I have never had to use it. I can't tell you how many "bonus" $20 bills I have found in my clothing months after Disney races LOL!!!

I used to carry cash for the massage tent after the race. I still carry cash, but I'm not sure if they have the post-race massage tent.

I have an expired DL that stays in my running belt for ID purposes. Credit cards, cash, and credit card room keys aren't an issue. I keep them in the little outside pocket. Its the bulky phone that has been the issue, and I'm really liking the side pocket thing. It works so well that I'll get home after a run (from the greenway) and be looking for my phone, and it is still very comfortably in the side pocket.

As for finding money after events, yeah, I can relate.

Good to know about sunscreen in the medical tent, but I prefer to not have to stop (as if I'll be setting any PRs), plus I'll still take one into the park (or other events) if I need a "booster" from sweating all day. And I've been known to hand one to someone lamenting that they need sunscreen and don't have any. I'm very sympathetic to that. I go several times a year to the dermatologist to have places frozen off my skin. I've had so much frozen off me that Anna and Elsa call me for advice...

 

[Let's Get Kronk]

I used to run with a Spibelt for years and had no issues. After coming back to running last year and training for Goofy, I got a Spibelt for Christmas and was going to use it for the races to hold gels and IDs and stuff. I don't know if they changed the design, but the loops for gels on this new belt weren't tight enough to hold GU gel packs. They kept falling off of the belt in the corral so I just stuck them in my pocket. So, I ended up running with an empty belt for the half and the only thing I used it for in the full was to hold an extra headband so I could swap them out around mile 16.

I also tried an experiment for Goofy where I left my phone in the room for both races. I have an Apple Watch Ultra and since it has cellular capabilities and syncs with my wireless headphones, I didn't feel like I'd need the phone and I was right. I was able to make/receive calls and texts on my watch (including a text from my TA around 7:00 AM during the half to run faster because she'd gotten me group 10 for Guardians ) and I just did not miss having the phone until I got back to the room. I will definitely do that again for W&D, Dopey, and DL this year. I like to carry as little as possible and I don't check a gear bag.

 

[PrincessV]

Pre- and mid-race sunscreen tip:
I also am VERY fair and burn easily, AND am super sensitive to sunscreens - I only use the couple tried & true ones I can tolerate. AAAANND I live in FL, where I use huge volumes of sunscreen in a year and don’t want to spend extra for tiny bottles. I use a contact lens case with screw caps for races/long runs: just fill up the little reservoirs with your favorite sunscreen and stick it in a pocket.

 

[jmasgat]

I use a contact lens case with screw caps for races/long runs: just fill up the little reservoirs with your favorite sunscreen and stick it in a pocket.

I've used this hack for a while. Although with me it's one side sunscreen, one side A&D ointment (for chafing prevention in a delicate area) Works great!

 

[azrivest]

I was going to ask how everyone manages the whole sunscreen issue during the marathon.

What a great idea!

 

[Chasing Dopey]

Wonder if everyone around you with a phone will get the “unidentified AirTag moving with you” notification

We thought of that! But I don't think so. The locator would bounce from one location to the next, and it was pretty consistently at the aid stations. The only time it didn't was a stretch with a group of spectators, and even then the little dot jumped into the Waffle House along the course, so I guess it was one of those phones that picked it up?

 

[Chasing Dopey]

I was going to ask how everyone manages the whole sunscreen issue during the marathon.

Run faster. Or burn.

 

[Let's Get Kronk]

Run faster. Or burn.

I'd be lying if I said that shaving hopefully an hour or more off of my marathon time this year is not motivated by getting out of the sun faster (and just being done in general). By that point of Dopey, I am just going to want it to end (although I think I've decided I WILL stop and get either a beer or a margarita this year for the finish line photo. Last year I was so incredibly over it by the time I hit EPCOT and my knee was injured so I just wanted to be done) Lol.

 

[RunWI1265]

I also tried an experiment for Goofy where I left my phone in the room for both races.

I definitely read that as “in the bathroom” and I was like…in the porta potty? And I was very confused

 

[nekonekoneko]

I definitely read that as “in the bathroom” and I was like…in the porta potty? And I was very confused

My DW did that during one race . She managed to drop it into a porta-potty. The phone call to Asurion was really awkward:

Them: "So the phone is lost?"
Me: "No, I know exactly where it is, I'm just not getting it. It fell into porta-potty 6224"

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Pre- and mid-race sunscreen tip:
I also am VERY fair and burn easily, AND am super sensitive to sunscreens - I only use the couple tried & true ones I can tolerate. AAAANND I live in FL, where I use huge volumes of sunscreen in a year and don’t want to spend extra for tiny bottles. I use a contact lens case with screw caps for races/long runs: just fill up the little reservoirs with your favorite sunscreen and stick it in a pocket.

Omg, that is genius!

Of course, then it is the countdown to me, accidentally putting sunscreen in my eyes…

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I've used this hack for a while. Although with me it's one side sunscreen, one side A&D ointment (for chafing prevention in a delicate area) Works great!

Double genius!