Goofy 65% Full after 5 days!!!

[ultramickeymouse]

The Goofy is 65% full. Better sign up ASAP not to get left out

 

[MiniGirl]

Wow!!! That was quick!

 

[JimB.]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, well. No time to think about it. Just do it!!


I will make the GREAT leap of faith that, since I'm mailing in my entry due to using the DVC member application, that I won't get skunked if the entry officially closes while my entry is in transit.

Hopefully common sense applies.

But maybe not. After all, it IS the Goofy.

 

[escape]

Wow! There was some talk about increasing the # of Goofy entries. I wonder if it's gonna happen for this next one?

 

[Duanerice]

Still debating. I won't just sign up for the marathon again this year, it is Goofy or nothing. Actually Goofy or PF Changes in Phoenix (my Dad lives there).

Gotta decide!
Duane

 

[hoosmi]

The pressure!!!!

This is too soon- I'm still limping from this Goofy!!

Undecided Jen in GA

 

[JimB.]

Ahhh, the heck with the 10 bucks!!!

Just signed up on-line!!!!

Now. Someone please answer me........................

Just what the !@()*#& have I gotten myself into!!



Well, at the very least I'll have 3 really cool shirts.

 

[TnTsParty]

No Goofy for me but WOW those entries went quick!!

 

[ms.mightyduck]

DH and I were admiring those Mickey and Goofy medals.... He could probably do it without any training (he'd be suffering, but he'd finish...). I haven't walked farther than to carry stuff in from the car yet (not counting the intense walking done on park touring days for days at a time!).

I really want a Goofy medal. However, having never done a 5k let alone a half, perhaps my eyes are bigger than my sneakers....

But it would be so cool!

I don't think a year is enough to train to walk a Goofy, though.... I'm tempted to sign up for it so that I can decide next January whether I can do the Donald or the Mickey!

 

[AmyBeth68]

Just a word of caution on goofy for anyone who is considering. And this is not to say "don't do it" because it was an incredible experience. But please really think long and hard before signing up. It's serious business even though I know a few incredible dudes (ahem..Howard and Kevin) who can do it without a ton of training. But for most mortals this is super serious business...especially considering the heat and the humidity. I would truly suggest that before you sign on for an ultra event such as this that you get a marathon under your belt so you are prepared mentally for the rigor, pain and fatigue that will happen to most people by mile 13 of the marathon. I saw a lot of goofy runners suffering on Sunday and I'd hate to see any wishers in that state.

Sorry...stepping off soapbox. Best of luck to everyone. Guess I have to make up my mind soon. UGH!!! Thanks for the update!!!

 

[ultramickeymouse]

They did increase the limit from 3000 to 4000 and still is they high % filled

Goofy is tough but with a good marathon training plan can be done. It can be done with someone injured and only doing 9 total miles in last 10 weeks(and the last 5 miles 6 weeks away). I did nothing the last 6 weeks at all. I agree it was the hardest of my 3 Goofy's and and marathon/ultramarathon I have done. Set a good plan and listen to your body.

 

[ScoJo15]

I'm in total agreement with AmyBeth (I know...shocker there, eh?). After two solid years of running...including the full in '07, along with a couple of halves and a bunch of 5k and 10k's...I was shocked at how much the Goofy Challenge can take out of you. It's a tremendous accomplishment and can be very rewarding, but don't take it too lightly.

And...yeah....geesh....guess we have to sign up VERY soon. Yikes!

 

[windwalker]

Just a word of caution on goofy for anyone who is considering. And this is not to say "don't do it" because it was an incredible experience. But please really think long and hard before signing up. It's serious business even though I know a few incredible dudes (ahem..Howard and Kevin) who can do it without a ton of training. But for most mortals this is super serious business...especially considering the heat and the humidity. I would truly suggest that before you sign on for an ultra event such as this that you get a marathon under your belt so you are prepared mentally for the rigor, pain and fatigue that will happen to most people by mile 13 of the marathon. I saw a lot of goofy runners suffering on Sunday and I'd hate to see any wishers in that state.

Sorry...stepping off soapbox. Best of luck to everyone. Guess I have to make up my mind soon. UGH!!! Thanks for the update!!!

Amy, thank you for saying that. It sometimes sounds the way we talk about doing our races that it's a breeze and if you just have the desire you can do it. The Goofy is serious business, Erica and I did it this year and it is a very very difficult event. It's not just 39.3 miles, it's 2 days of little sleep and trying to recover from a half marathon in less than 24 hours. It's not an event to take lightly.

If you are planning it then plan to pay your dues. Yes a few can just buzz right through it with little training but you can't just expect to be one of them.

Caution Panda

 

[ms.mightyduck]

Oh, no.... I don't expect to do anything without a lot of training. It seems like a lot of walking... I just hope I can get through the half! I would love to walk the full marathon, but i'm not sure, even with a year of training, I'd be up for it....

 

[KeenHo]

I completely agree with AmyBeth and Scott.... even though I was one of the ones mentioned (w/ Kevin) as someone who didn't train too much (It's all true). I managed to train on average every other day from December 13 to just 3 days prior to the Half Marathon. Had I had an opportunity to do so, I would have followed a six month training plan for the marathon like most sane people do. My long run was only 9.88 miles, I did a 14.95 mile walk run while in Hilton Head over Christmas, but I was unable to actually run it as I had hoped due to shin splints and muscle soreness.

If you are undertaking a Goofy (this was my second consecutive Goofy), please train as if you were going to run (I mean run) a marathon. Completing a Goofy in Disney World which for most of us requires travel from a distance, staying up late packing before hand, getting up at 2:30 or 2:45 AM to get to the bus to the staging area by 4 AM, sitting or standing around until 6 AM in a corral, then running 13.1 miles, getting rest and recouperation and nutrition in your sore and tired body, then getting up at the same time (or earlier) later than night and doing it all over again for the marathon is very hard on a person - mentally and physically.

In most respects, I managed fine. I tore up my feet with blisters and had the normal muscle pain for a few days afterwards. It is not all glory like it may seem. Your body does pay. All that I ask is that if you sign up for your first Goofy, take it seriously. You'll be glad you did as will your loved ones.



Howard

 

[AmyBeth68]

They did increase the limit from 3000 to 4000 and still is they high % filled

Goofy is tough but with a good marathon training plan can be done. It can be done with someone injured and only doing 9 total miles in last 10 weeks(and the last 5 miles 6 weeks away). I did nothing the last 6 weeks at all. I agree it was the hardest of my 3 Goofy's and and marathon/ultramarathon I have done. Set a good plan and listen to your body.

Robert...I totally agree that with a good plan and a good base it is not only possible to finish...but possible to have a BLAST doing it. I just think that it's worth mentioning the serious nature.

Best of luck to all you GOOFY folks out there! There is NOTHING like it and it was an amazing experience.

 

[Buttercup]

I have to chime in and agree with AmyBeth. My sister and I attempted the Goofy 2 years ago. My sister was fairly well trained and in good shape. By mile 2 of the marathon her knee started hurting. Shortly after that it hurt whether we walked or ran. Then the Penquin passed us and there was no way to keep up with him. When we saw a medical tent at AK we both knew....it was over. She couldn't go on. It was brutal. Extremely emotional. She was a trooper for 16 miles. She didn't want to give up. She would not allow me to stop. It totally sucked leaving her there.

It was well over 6 months before she could run again. I completely feel responsible. I've done several marathons. I should've known better. One thing I know now... you cannot strictly train on a treadmill and expect your legs to withstand the pounding of pavement. She ran 13.1 plus 18 miles in 36 hours, and has never completed a marathon.

She has a great sense of humor and her motto for the experience is, "failure....when your best just isn't good enough".

Buttercup

 

[ultramickeymouse]

Almost all of my training the last 3 months is on treadmills do to snow and ice where I live. When I lived in OR and did ultras, all I ever did for training was the treadmill. I would only run/walk outside for races. Injuries can happen anytime and the big onramp/off ramp canter is tough.

As with others, I agree not to take any race lightly. But do not fear them, just respect them.

 

[skfulkers]

As long as we're on the Goofy soapbox, I'll chime in too. I totally agree with Amy and others that these races should not be taken lightly. I know some beginners may look at the weekend and say, "Wow, that's a lot of distance to do in two days," but what's easy to overlook is the months and possibly years of training that lead up to that weekend. Most experts agree that a person should be running/walking for at least a year before beginnning training for a marathon. This is in order to strengthen the muscular and skeletal systems of your body to prepare for the rigors of training for the marathon. The races on Goofy weekend, as those who just completed it can attest, are more of a "victory lap" for the months and months of training that led up to the race. Now I'm sure everyone can also say conditions during race week or race day, as well as injuries, can greatly affect how easy or hard that victory lap is. But the previous training allows them to adjust to those conditions and plan accordingly. (By the way, I don't mean the victory lap analogy to belittle the monstrous Goofy race, but I know you guys realize that. )

I'm rambling, I know, but I would just hate to see anyone make a sudden decision that they may later regret or end up overtraining and become injured, which could require months of recovery. Or worse yet, try to complete the races on no training at all, which can have much more serious consequences.

Having said all of that, I just clicked the confirmation button for the 2009 Goofy registration, so apparently I didn't learn my lesson that "once is enough" last year.

Good luck to everyone on their decisions and whatever you decide, be proud of your bravery for considering these races and the enormous personal rewards they can bring!

Steve

 

[TEK224]

OK, I'll chime in here, since I'm 1 for 3 on the Goofy. I so agree with the others - you must put in the training time to be able to enjoy the experience of race weekend. We all have moments where LTO and training time is hard to come by. But without putting the proper time in to prepare, you're setting yourself up for injury and a tough, less enjoyable race.

I finished the 1st Goofy (and love all my medals ). Last year, the heat was a killer, along with blisters, and I dropped out at mile 21. This year, after recuperating from achilles surgery, taking care of ill family members and being undertrained, I got swept at mile 17. It's not a good feeling. We're almost a week post race and I still have pain in my left leg from shin splints. I'm still in recovery mode.

I know that finding the time to train for the full is hard. So for the next year to 18 months, I'm going to focus on 1/2's and shorter races to help build up my stamina and speed. I'm hoping that I can return to challenge the Goofy again in 2010.

Duane - I'm also thinking of the Phoenix race next Jan.

Terri