16 must haves for RUDM 2016:
Tennis Balls
Standing on your feet can take a lot out of you. After standing for eight to ten hours, your feet can feel pretty sore and are just begging for rest. Having a couple of tennis balls to roll your feet with will be the most relaxing thing your feet will experience after everything you put into them! Plus tennis balls can also be used for entertainment! Ever seen that episode of friends where Joey Monica and Ross throw a ball for eight hours? That could be you!
Shoe Insoles
As you already know your feet are going to be very tired. Slipping some gel insoles into your shoes half way through the marathon could make or break your feet. Dr. Scholls even makes specific insoles for different types of feet, so if you have flat feet or super high arches theres a sole out there for you! My recommendation is to stick them in your bag and wait until your feet are absolutely killing you to sleep them on, it will feel much better than putting them on at the start of the marathon!
Portable Charger
Okay don’t lie, you know you’re gonna be snapchatting, live-tweeting and gramming during the marathon. It’s such a pain to have to stand and wait for your phone to charge, and (IMO) its unsafe to leave your phone in one of those charging stations provided. Keep a (charged!) portable charger with you so you can stay on the go during the marathon. Your feet will only hurt more if you’re standing still!
Water Bottle With A Filter
Having a water bottle is important, but having a water bottle with a filter is more important. During the marathon the huge water jugs are filled with New Brunswick tap water, and after chugging five bottles of it last year, my body was not a fan of me. I know a few other people, besides myself, who felt incredibly nauseous after guzzling bottles of water. I recommend having a filtered bottle because you can still chug as much water as you want, and it’ll be cleaner than New Brunswick tap!
Iced Coffee
When it gets to 4 a.m. post-Club DM, you will be exhausted. Last year I went hard during Club DM, and afterwards, I just felt drained and in need of a cup of coffee. All of my friends were asleep and there was no one to bring me some. At that moment, I wish I had a bottle of Starbucks iced coffee to get me through until breakfast. You can run over to your local convinence store, or the grocery store and pick up a bottle or two of your preferred coffee for that early morning/late night.
Medicine
In the middle of the marathon last year, I had the worst nausea of my life, and one of my sisters practically saved my life by giving me a Tums. Advil could save your life when it feels like your feet are about to fall off, or if you have a pounding headache. Plenty of people get sick during DM, so maybe bring some cold medicine or even cough drops if you feel like a cold is coming! Having medicine with you can make or break for experience. You could suffer throughout the whole marathon with a killer headache, or insane nausea; or you could pack wisely and have Advil at the ready!
Plenty of Socks
One of the best feelings during the marathon is changing your socks. I don’t know why but slipping on a fresh pair of socks feels like a second (or third, or fourth) wind to help finish the marathon! I personally love slipping on a nice thick pair of socks, it gives more cushion and comfort compared to a thin pair of socks. Pack at least one extra pair of socks in your bag to switch half way through the marathon when you feel your feet feeling tired.
Theme Attire
Last year, Club DM’s theme was galaxy, and I cannot tell you how much i regret not having theme attire. I saw all of my friends get dressed up in cute costumes and it all looked like so much fun! Being able to dress up for the theme will provide much needed clothing changes throughout the day. And if one of your outfits isn’t exactly the most comfortable thing you’ve ever worn, you can switch right back into your nice comfy clothes at the end of the hour!
After 12 hours of eating nothing but cereal and hansel gator tots your body will not be pleased with you. During the marathon last year, one of my sisters brought in a tray of fresh fruit, and that was genuinely all I needed in life. After eating only greasy junk food, having the option to eat fresh strawberries or melons sounded like a blessing sent down from heaven. The light, refreshing taste of fruit is exactly what you need for a tired, exhausted body, If you don’t want to bring fruit in your bag just ask a friend who’s visiting to bring some with them — not only will you have your friends to support you, but you’ll also have a nice snack!
Lip Balm
Maybe it’s just me but my lips are always dry. I only had my EOS lip balm, which comes in a round “egg” shape, which I definitely could not keep in my pocket. If you’re not carrying around a bag keep a standard sized chapstick with you. I felt much better after applying chapstick compared to when I was standing around with dry lips. It’s the little things like that which can help ease you of some stress and exhaustion throughout the day.
Entertainment
One of the most important thing’s that I learned during DM last year is to stay entertained!Time flies by so much faster if you’re running around playing volleyball or another type of game compared to just standing around. Not only are you having fun, but you also feel much less tired and you may not notice the time that has passed! There are a bunch of activities planned throughout the entire marathon, so you never have to scramble to find something to do! Do the line dance, or the colour wars activities every few hours and time will fly by! Bring some stuff to stay entertained with too; colouring books, balls and frisbees are only a few of many options!
Sunglasses
Sad fact, the first time I left the RAC all of Dance Marathon last year was when they opened it up in the morning before breakfast. My body desperately needed the sun, and a chance to walk around outside, but I forgot my sunglasses so I was pretty much blind outside. I would have loved to have stayed outside much longer than I actually did, but since I couldn’t see anything without the sun blazing in my eyes I returned inside nearly 20 minutes later.
Fannypack
Dancers are only allowed to have one drawstring backpack this year so I totally recommend bringing a fanny pack! That way you can check your bag, so you don’t have to carry it around the whole day, but you can still have your essential items close by! In your fanny pack you can keep your portable charger, some chapstick, advil and anything else you would want to squeeze in there!
Wipes/ Deodorant
Smelling bad is my biggest fear, I always get super nervous if I feel like I smell bad. After dancing, or being on your feet for a long amount of times you are sure to feel smelly. Stick some wipes and/or deodorant in your bag for when you feel gross. Quickly wiping your face (makeup wipes!) or body can be exactly what your body will need at times. Its super soothing, and you’ll feel refreshed and extremely better after that!
A Good Attitude
The absolute most important thing to bring to Dance marathon this year is a good attitude! Staying positive throughout the day will not only make other people’s day better, but it’ll also help you feel better! Last year was my first time dancing, and I was exhausted (I also had a pretty bad throat infection- but didn’t know that until the next day), and the only reason I didn’t go home was because of the people who encouraged me to stay motivated when all I wanted to do was sleep. It’s going to be hard to be motivated and happy the entire time, especially towards the final hours, but at least smiling and pretending to be happy will make you feel better. I heard people complaining about how badly their feet hurt and how tired they were, and I saw plenty of people hiding out and sitting. That isn’t the type of attitude you should have. Make the best out of any situation you’re in. The pain of the marathon is only temporary for you, but for others this is what they feel like all the time. Everything you do during the marathon is FTK, so make the best out of it.
Tips from Former Dancers:
“Set a three strike rule for complaining, and stick to it! Enjoying DM is all about mindset. If you have a positive attitude you’re going to have a blast! If you have a negative attitude you’re going to hate it and bring down the mood for everyone around you!” - Gailen
“Pain is only temporary-for us. Think about what the kids face to keep you motivated”- Alexis
“Make sure that you have a support system! Friends to go through this with, and people on the outside who can bring you emergency coffee (preferably Wawa), and someone who could even offer a piggy back ride at some point when needed”- Rachel
“Just remember why you are on your feet and that your pain is nothing compared to theirs, so you can do this!” - Rachel
Keep the caffeine and junk food to a minimum! Save the energy drinks and coffee for the last few hours to prevent crashing too early.”- Olivia K
“Never forget who you’re dancing for!”- Olivia
“Get really involved and take advantage of all the activities even if you think they’re lame- if you get really into it and get your friends into it too, you’ll have a blast and time will pass so fast instead of you standing in a corner complaining about everything.” - Shannon
