Official 2014 Dopey Challenge Thread!

i think the spouses of the dopey runners need a medal for dealing with the kiddos by themselves for the entire long weekend. the running part for sure is hard but it takes a toll on the family time.

Completely agree! Not just during WDW marathon weekend but throughout the entire training process. DH spends every Saturday morning with our little one so I can run.

I actually kind of disagree with the idea to walk everything except the marathon in your approach to the Dopey. You also want to consider/calculate time on feet and out in the weather (sun, rain, snow). During both of my Goofy Challenges, I just took both runs at an easy pace about 1 minute/mile longer during the first half of the race.

We will each have different approaches to the weekend. I think the most important thing is to train the way you plan to run and have an arsenal of mantras ready. Keep swimming!
 
For this past Goofy, i actually walked a couple laps around the boardwalk after the half. It worked well for me to stave off some soreness for the full the next morning. As of now, im planning on doing the same thing for the Dopey races. Im so excited for this race that im actually enjoying my training so far. Hopefully ill feel the same way for that 20 miler in december.
 
When I did the "unofficial" Dopey in 2010, I went back to the resort to shower after the half, and then went straight out to AK for a few hours. I was afraid I would stiffen up if I didn't walk at all that day. I think it's a delicate balance of stretching out your legs but not over doing it before the full. :)
 
my plan is to be extremely conservative in my dopey effort. i plan to walk all or most of the three races leading up to the marathon. i may put forth a harder effort for the 10k but i will definitely be walking the half because i agree with a previous poster that the half will be the one you have to really be careful with everything. fuel, hydration, blister protection. i'm planning on conserving my energy and then doing a harder marathon with my run/walk intervals.

for me, the wake up times will be the easiest part of the weekend. i'm already used to getting up every morning fairly early. so each evening should be a little easier to fall asleep early. the tough part will be trying to make sure my kids go to bed (and stay asleep) early.

i think the spouses of the dopey runners need a medal for dealing with the kiddos by themselves for the entire long weekend. the running part for sure is hard but it takes a toll on the family time.

Nancy, you are a much better mom than me! I am leaving them all home for Dumbo AND Dopey!! DH (that's not darling, dear, Disney husband) can deal with them. After 2 years of dealing with his crap, I deserve this!!! I am also going for crappiest mom of the year award! My kids will live!
 


Nancy, you are a much better mom than me! I am leaving them all home for Dumbo AND Dopey!! DH (that's not darling, dear, Disney husband) can deal with them. After 2 years of dealing with his crap, I deserve this!!! I am also going for crappiest mom of the year award! My kids will live!

LOL, hey Col, you get my vote for crapiest mother of the year award, too! Regardless, you have made the correct decisions.
 
ColleenG said:
Nancy, you are a much better mom than me! I am leaving them all home for Dumbo AND Dopey!! DH (that's not darling, dear, Disney husband) can deal with them. After 2 years of dealing with his crap, I deserve this!!! I am also going for crappiest mom of the year award! My kids will live!

YOU DESERVE ALL OF THE ALONE TIME AND MORE!!!

I'm so looking forward to meeting up again before the races and e-training together for this crazy dopey challenge.

We are all going to have a great time :)
 
I have been debating back and forth. Can anyone tell me why race retreat is worth as much as a 4 day park ticket?
 


I have been debating back and forth. Can anyone tell me why race retreat is worth as much as a 4 day park ticket?

I never even compared it to the cost of the park tickets b/c we're AP. For me, it's about staying out of the elements (cold, ice, snow, heat) until I need to be at the start or a place to cool down/warm up after. Disney has such a dreadfully early start time that it makes it a little more mangeable to be someplace comfy. After the sleet in 2010, I'm all about the race retreat.
 
OK, I did the Goofy and was mad for the Dopey. Unfortunately it sold out like hot cakes. I am pleading for help. If anyone has an in or knows of a sponsor that has an entry, please contact me and let me know. I even caved and told Chiquita I would run in a banana outfit. Looks like its only the Wine and dine this year and the Goofy again. Will have to wait for 2015 otherwise.
 
OK, I did the Goofy and was mad for the Dopey. Unfortunately it sold out like hot cakes. I am pleading for help. If anyone has an in or knows of a sponsor that has an entry, please contact me and let me know. I even caved and told Chiquita I would run in a banana outfit. Looks like its only the Wine and dine this year and the Goofy again. Will have to wait for 2015 otherwise.

Sent you a PM Lives4Dis
 
OK, I did the Goofy and was mad for the Dopey. Unfortunately it sold out like hot cakes. I am pleading for help. If anyone has an in or knows of a sponsor that has an entry, please contact me and let me know. I even caved and told Chiquita I would run in a banana outfit. Looks like its only the Wine and dine this year and the Goofy again. Will have to wait for 2015 otherwise.

Check with the wdw marathon weekend website registration tab travel agencies - they may still have spaces open but you have to book hotel (usually 3 night min) & park tix (2 days min) - its how I'm registered! (DH too)

Or you could go through a charity - again check the registration tab list!

Good Luck!
 
Galloway training plan has now been added to the RunDisney website officially.



I have always followed a Higdon plan and never used Galloway before. Seems strange to me that you only run 3 or 4 times a week ( which seems low to me) but then you practically run the Dopey toward the end 4,5,12,26 (which seems high to me). Anyone who has used his training programs have any insight? I kind of want to save the real deal for race weekend.
 
Galloway training plan has now been added to the RunDisney website officially.



I have always followed a Higdon plan and never used Galloway before. Seems strange to me that you only run 3 or 4 times a week ( which seems low to me) but then you practically run the Dopey toward the end 4,5,12,26 (which seems high to me). Anyone who has used his training programs have any insight? I kind of want to save the real deal for race weekend.

Look at any of Jeff's plans and you will see that he has runners run the entire distance as part of training. I am not a fan of doing the distance for anyone other than the elite end of the event. That is unless one is newer and struggling with the mental game. Then there is an assurance that comes with running close to the distance if not the distance.

You will do well on the Higdon marathon plan.
 
I have always followed a Higdon plan and never used Galloway before. Seems strange to me that you only run 3 or 4 times a week ( which seems low to me) but then you practically run the Dopey toward the end 4,5,12,26 (which seems high to me). Anyone who has used his training programs have any insight? I kind of want to save the real deal for race weekend.

Galloway's training plans that go to & past the race distance are meant for those who are using his entire training philosophy and take walk breaks early & often.

If you are not planning to use frequent walk breaks, you'll probably want a different training plan.
 
I am not a fan of doing the distance for anyone other than the elite end of the event. That is unless one is newer and struggling with the mental game. Then there is an assurance that comes with running close to the distance if not the distance.

Galloway's philosophy is that runners hit the wall at the distance of their long run in the past 2-3 weeks. His plans that go to & past the race distance are meant for those who use his entire training plan, not just look at the distances & go out and run them straight through.

I trained for the 2013 marathon and completed the long runs of 17, 20, 23, 26, and 28 miles, but I did it following his guidelines - I did them 1-2 minutes per mile slower than my planned race pace and I used my plan race run/walk ratio of 90 seconds:30 seconds as I learned when I attended the Galloway running school.

For me, it worked. My half PR is a 2:14 using his methods and I was able to finish the marathon in 5:16, which in that heat & humidity was a successful day for me.
 
Actually, run/walk vs run is not really a factor; its a tool or a method of running. Jeff focusses on long runs and emphasizes the weekday runs less than other plans. Other plans have differing focal points as well. Higdon's plan has a brutal midweek run that is long for most folks.

Since we are all an experiment of one, there is no magic plan what works for all. I have found through my experience that the longer the long run (more specifically, the more time on a long training run past 3-3.5 hours) the greater the chance for injury. The trade for going shorter on the long runs is that one must really step it up on the midweek runs. I coach hills and speed work and shorter long runs.

Saying all that as I previously stated, I do see merit in going up to race distance for those who need the mental boost. I offer support and training suggestions for any plan out there but I also will point out the weakness of plans as well when questioned.
 
Actually, run/walk vs run is not really a factor; its a tool or a method of running

No offense, but that’s incorrect. Jeff has said in person that he does not recommend going the full distance in training unless you are doing a run/walk from the start.
 
No offense taken, it's an opinion that I respect. However, he would not have a person run a 5 k without run/walking either. Don't get me wrong, I train run/walk and rarely run past 16-17 miles in training. But it remains a running method, not a plan.
 

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