Help for new parents wanting to run Disney Half Marathon

[mtnbearcolorado]

Hey! Its just approximately 30 days until our first born arrives!!!

Interestingly enough Jan is also the first year we (wife and I) are registered to run the 1/2 Marathon. When we registered we had family members that were going to be at WDW with us and would be able to watch our baby.

We do not know uch at all about parenting and I am already nervous about having a 4 1/2 month old with us. However, the baby needs to come with Mama so she can feed him. Plus we are not very ope to the idea of leaving our newborn behind for a week.

Since the day starts at 3 Am to ensure getting to the run in plenty of time, does anyone know what people with very small children do?

Denny J of Golden CO

PS: Maybe were just out of our mind?

[Hakuna Makarla]

ok, so you hire me nanna Karla, ( yes I have references you fly me down I will care for baby and we can walk around the park, get some fresh air and just remax and you can run the race sounds good to me!

[Hakuna Makarla]

awwww seriously, just bring along a trusted friend or family member, they can care for your sweet baby and you can do what you have to do. easy and simple ( make sure mom expresses milk for baby so its in the fridge ready for the days feedings, everything else is a piece of cake. Have a good time enjoy and win!!

[Drince88]

Wow, running a half-marathon 4.5 months after giving birth - I'm impressed. (Having never accomplished either of those tasks.)

If you go to the Parenting-in-the-parks forum, there are some threads there that talk about babysitting-type services in WDW, but I'm not sure if they'd be willing to do the EARLY morning start you're talking about OR if they do newborns. Too bad your travel companions backed out, that really is the less-stressful way to deal with a little baby in your situation. Is your wife SURE she wants to run? I seem to have heard 'something' about sleep deprivation in brand-new parents, that would make training fairly low on my priority list.

I know you could switch to the full marathon and your wife could still do the 1/2, since they're on different days this year! (How's that for a crazy suggestion - I don't know if the marathon still has openings or not, even)


Oh, I almost forgot - CONGRATULATIONS on the upcoming addition to your life!

[ericles]

have you a grandparent who would like to accompany you?

perhaps if you guys switched off....as noted above, one of you do the half, one of you do the whole. or...one of you does the 1/2 and the other does...nothing.

Have you a decent teenaged niece, cousin, close family friend whom you could take with you or fly down for just the weekend?

[adriennek]

Have you a decent teenaged niece, cousin, close family friend whom you could take with you or fly down for just the weekend?

If you can't find a relative or friend, I would highly suggest this.

Last week I took my favorite babysitter to Disneyland just for the day when I was going alone with my three sons (1, 4, 6.5). She was awesome. 4.5 months is newborn but not itsy bitsy so they're a little easier for teens to handle. My sitter is a girl from our church. For most of the trip you'd be with her anyway so you wouldn't need her to be completely independent and leading up to the marathon, you can "train" her along the way to the baby's needs and routines.

Adrienne

[mtnbearcolorado]

I am doing both days (1/2 and full marathon) it was the grandparents who backed out and the rest of the family is taking their holiday time off around the holidays.

Maybe I should call WDW and ask them if they have solutions to this marathon thing. After all this is the first year that they are doing this on split days. They may have special hours for this event.

Denny J of Golden CO, soon to be Indy...

[Lani]

You're going Goofy and doing both events?

I think you should seriously consider bringing along a relative to help as nanny/sitter while you are out on the course. Given the early star-times, it will probably be near impossible to hire anyone out there.

[Hakuna Makarla]

I agree with bringing a good person with you. If you choose to get a babysitting service are you going to be comfortable that your child is with a stranger? I am sure you know some one who would love to come along and spend time there with baby. Heck I would love it! So yeah take some one along and you will feel more comfortable. Good luck !

[mtnbearcolorado]

We got it all taken care of...I think...

Grandparents are re-considering and if that fails, I have my roomate from College (who lives about 45 minutes away) and his family to help!

On a side note, I've ran 51 miles in the last 3.5 weeks, hmmm thats a 2 mile a day average, I guess thats a start

Denny J
Golden, CO

[Lani]

That's great to hear, Denny! Thanks for updating us.