Two years ago, my hubby surprised me with a trip to Walt Disney World to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary.

We’re not there today, but I’m excited and nervous to say we’re just one month away from going ‘home’ and enjoying the Magic Kingdom all decked out for fall once again.

Excited because we are taking our girls on this trip and will get to watch them trick-or-treat at their very first Mickey’s Not-So Scary Hallowe’en Party on Hallowe’en night. You can read all about the party here.

Nervous because that means my first 10k is all too close, and while everyone else here is busy putting together Hallowe’en costumes, I’m trying to find training time and am focusing on a running costume.

Now it’s not the distance of the 10k that has me worked up, it’s the conditions. Heat. I hate heat. I’m one of those Canadians that revels in the long cold months of winter and dreads the heat and humidity that comes with summer. I’ve put in time strength training, doing Pilates, and of course the cardio and the running shoe miles, but the heat gets me every time.

This past weekend, our family ran the Oasis Zoo Run 5k at the Toronto Zoo and IT WAS HOT! Like REALLY HOT! It was perfect though to test out some of my costume pieces and some new socks, and I had no choice but to run, hot or not. So glad I did! Yeah, socks didn’t work and my feet suffered in the heat (I now have my first black toenail to prove it), and I was nowhere near hydrated enough.

BUT, I did learn a lot. I now know Nuun is a great option for me for hydration. The fabulous volunteers were handing out both water and Nuun at the one and only hydration station along the route (ummm, which we felt came a little too far into the run, but whatever..) so we got to sample. Sadly, I’m one of those people who cannot stomach Gatorade and generally avoid it at all costs, but having started the run on the weekend already thirsty (please stop yelling at me – I know, I know), I eagerly accepted the Nuun solution. Loved it! No horrible taste and no stomach churning. Even my big kid commented after the run that she loved it too.

I also learned that my shoe/sock combination will not work when my feet get overheated, and I’ve learned to make sure my toenails are all well trimmed. Thankfully, I have time to test out new socks and will switch to my other alternate running shoes (am I the only one with more than 1 pair of running shoes?) for the remainder of my training and for the run which are slightly bigger and still my preferred shoes for longer runs.

Now, all this being said…it could pour rain and be cold for the run. I’d prefer the cold but not the rain. Still, I’ve read up on that and will have plenty of newspaper handy to stuff my shoes should they end up soaked, and I’ve got layers ready, including a light warm-up sweater to wear while in my corral before the run begins. I picked it up at a second hand shop and am prepared to toss it aside should I want to ditch it once the run starts. I’m happy to say that Disney collects any discarded clothing along the route and donates it to families in need. Knowing this, countless runners actually purchase clothes to wear and toss aside on the runs. It’s a total win/win!

So, with fall and cooler temps now settling in in Ontario, and the days to the 10k growing short, my runs grow longer and hopefully I’m better prepared for what lies ahead.