Ep 211 Around World Showcase with Coach Chris Twiggs
.Ready to arrive at the start line feeling like a coiled spring instead of a burnt match? Coach Chris Twiggs joins us to lay out a clear, no-nonsense roadmap for the final weeks before race day
The episode begins with an introduction from Michelle’ from Iceland. If you’d like to introduce an upcoming episode, please reach out to us on our social media. You can also email us, or leave us a message on our hot-line (727-266-2344).
Coach Chris Twiggs
Coach Chris Twiggs is back with his words of wisdom. He will tell us how to be ready for your next big race. He will also share some of his big announcements for the upcoming Race season.
Training for a runDisney weekend is equal parts planning, patience, and perspective, and this conversation distills a season’s worth of wisdom into practical steps you can actually use. The big idea is simple: arrive at the start line fresh, focused, and confident, then let the course, characters, and community carry you to the finish. That means honoring the taper so your legs feel like caged energy rather than heavy lumber, using smart run-walk ratios anchored by 30-second walk breaks, and avoiding the classic rookie traps like new shoes, new fuel, or over-walking parks before race day. It also means seeing race day as a celebration of your training, not a verdict on your worth. You already did the hard work. Now take your victory lap with intention.
A lot of runners sabotage the final weeks by squeezing in “one last” long run or speed session; Coach Chris Twiggs calls this out as the most common late-cycle mistake. Tapering isn’t inactivity—it’s strategic restraint: short, easy running to maintain rhythm, plus costume and shoe checks to ensure nothing rubs you the wrong way at mile eight. If you’re behind on a marathon plan, you can safely add endurance with a clever structure: walk five miles, run-walk your planned long run distance, then walk five home. You’ll bank the endurance without over-stressing the legs. On challenge weekends, purposeful patience is the secret weapon—save your legs for the last day, nap after each race, use compression boots if you have them, and say no to park marathons. The fun comes after the finish.
Run-walk works best when walks are short and consistent. Thirty-second breaks resist late-race slowdown, while 60-second walks often degrade into 19–20 minute paces you can’t recover from without sprinting the run segments. Test your ratio at target pace on short runs—90/30 will suit most, but your sweet spot might be 75/30 or 60/30. If you plan to join a pace group, expect them to use the Galloway charted ratios for their advertised pace. And as corral waits can be long, treat the first mile or two as your warm-up: start slower than goal, take more frequent breaks, and settle in once the crowd thins. Bring earplugs for loud speakers, a warm layer if it’s chilly, and fluid you know agrees with you. Disney corrals are not the place to “try Indian food for the first time” the night before.
If your goal includes character stops and castle photos, train for foot speed so you can surge to a short line and maintain average pace between stops. That requires awareness as much as fitness. Run without headphones in Disney races to keep your head on a swivel—respect wheelchair athletes, don’t cut across traffic, and rejoin cleanly after photos. For first-timers, drop the time obsession. Outside of Corral A, Disney races are experiences, not time trials. Treat them as a celebration of your fitness: soak in the entertainment, enjoy the backstage peeks, and remember that finishing upright and smiling beats any arbitrary clock. If nerves hit in the corral, talk to the people around you—getting out of your own head dissolves anxiety and reminds you you’re part of a big, welcoming community.
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