If you go to FSU, you’ve probably heard of Dance Marathon (DM) one way or another, and if you haven’t, I’m shocked. Dance Marathon is the largest student-run organization at FSU. Its goal is to fundraise money for the Children’s Miracle Network and raise awareness for kids in need of specialized medical care. DM isn’t just at FSU; this community can be found at over 400 school campuses. While you don’t have to be at FSU to take part in Dance Marathon, it’s a great adventure here, especially since it is the fourth-largest DM program in the country.
Throughout the year, participants fundraise money until they finally reach the big event in the spring and actually participate in the dance marathon. When you participate in DM, you’re given the option to take part in either a 10-hour shift or a 20-hour shift. For each shift, you are required to stand for the duration of your time, absolutely no sitting unless allowed. While this may sound like a simple and easy task, it can be grueling on the body.
While you can never be 100 percent ready for the marathon, you can do several things to prepare your body for such a labor-intensive weekend. Despite having a year of experience myself, I talked to Julianna Caban, a past participant of Dance Marathon (who has been involved for four years), to bring you some great ways to get your body and mind ready for the big day.
- Drink Lots of Water
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Sometimes water can slip our minds and we can get used to casually drinking flavored drinks throughout our day. While you can get drinks at the marathon itself, it’s important to remember to bring lots of water and also to drink it. During the marathon, you leave your bags on shelves while participating, and having the water out of sight doesn’t have to mean out of mind. Keeping my water while participating was essential to my mood.
Julianna Caban (JC): “Remembering to take a few minutes to visit my stuff and drink some water throughout the marathon really helped me stay hydrated and positive. My first year I forgot to drink water and I got so cranky; my friends definitely saw me have a moment.”
- Bring Snacks that Pack a Punch
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At the big event for DM, there tend to be slim pickings for food. While there are a couple of meals provided and a few snacks available for purchase, these items aren’t giving you the amount of energy needed to sustain yourself throughout the marathon. It can be tempting to bring the yummy snacks you eat on a daily basis. Something that Julianna found helpful was packing snacks like protein and energy bars.
JC: “Bringing my own snacks helped me save so much money. The snacks can get so pricey, and they really don’t provide a ton of food, so my protein bars saved me.”
- WEAR COMFY SHOES
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For this one you may be thinking, “Duh I’m going to wear comfy shoes,” but it’s not that simple. Yes, lots of shoes are comfy and you may think your worn-down Air Force 1s are the comfiest shoes you own. That’s what I thought at least, and I was brutally shown that they indeed were not my comfiest shoes. In this case, I was lucky enough to have brought an extra pair that ended up being a lot comfier. Standing for such a long time can hurt your feet, especially once that halfway mark hits. Bringing an extra pair of shoes made sure that once I did start feeling the aching in my feet and ankles, I was able to switch to something different.
JC: “I don’t bring an extra pair anymore, but I have a certain pair of running shoes that never fail me. I like to wear On Cloud shoes; they fit my feet really well. I definitely underestimated how much my feet were going to hurt my first year. Now that I’m in my fourth year, I finally know how to prepare better.”
- TRY TO EXERCISE BEFORE
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When I first did DM, I didn’t do anything to prepare my legs, and as someone who didn’t work out much prior, I definitely should have. Standing for 10 hours sounds easy on paper; actually doing it is a different story. My legs were aching so much after the marathon that I was so excited to sit for a few hours. After Caban’s first year, she started doing physical preparations for the marathon a couple of months before.
JC: “I started doing cardio and walking a lot in January and February before the marathon, and I noticed my legs not getting as achy breaky during the marathon. Now I try to do cardio three times a week to prepare. It may sound like a lot, but doing this has literally helped my legs so much.”
- FIND A FRIEND
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This is a bit of a bonus tip in the sense that it isn’t necessary but still can be super helpful. One thing you’re able to do during the event is have friends come and bring you outside food. You do have to pay to have friends come visit you throughout the duration of the event, but if you have a craving for some Chick-fil-A or a Publix sub, it’s helpful to have a friend designated to help you. With the marathon being on a weekend, friends tend to be a bit busier. I found it helpful to text my friend a few days beforehand to arrange for her to bring me food.
JC: “Personally, I am not a huge fan of the food served, so I love having my friends bring me my meals. It’s so nice after standing for so long to have a hefty Chipotle bowl. Not only does it help with my energy, but it also just generally keeps me happier having a full stomach.”
Dance Marathon is not a casual fundraising event. It’s labor intensive and can be really hard on the body. Don’t get me wrong, DM is an amazing experience that gave me a larger perspective on life and my privilege. The reason it’s such a large organization is because of all the families they help, and the action people have seen from the larger organization of Children’s Miracle Network. The assistance provided to these families is unmatched and it’s so amazing to see these children in person at the event.
It’s important to know how to prepare to have a fun and happy DM. With the big event coming up on March 1, you’ll be able to find Caban and me getting our walks in across campus and staying hydrated.
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