Goofy, Dopey or not yet? Advice appreciated!

[DianaMB333]

Hi!

How did you know that you were ready to run a marathon?

What cues should I look for pls? (just make my mind into it… or finishing a HM feeling that I can keep going, or finishing a HM with no pain and have easy recovery.. any other?)

I’m thinking about doing it either 2025 or 2026.. maybe will be a once it a lifetime, or maybe I could continue doing it… lol

Some background:

I have run so far two half marathons (and the respective 5k, 10k challenges) at Princess weekend 2023, W&D 2023, and I‘m signed up for the upcoming Princess and Springtime.

I do run/walk at the min pace of 16m/mile, meaning the HM time is 3.5hrs.

I started running (or run/walk) about Jun/22, after posting here this thread, for which I received amazing advice.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/where-to-start-what-is-a-reasonable-ambition.3878249/

I have to confess though that reading it back I realized that I made the mistakes that you warned me of ☹… both the under training (after Princess to about July/23) and the over training (from July to Sept-ish), which led me to knee injury about a month before the W&D weekend…

I have mostly trained following indications on regards to distance to cover, number of times/ week etc…. and about 3-4 weeks ago I have started just following low heart training approach, as it seems more sustainable for a healthy longevity. It is being a challenge to go even slower, but I understand that overtime the pace will pick up. Also I went to a runlab for advice on my training form, and I’m working on correcting heel strike. Along with more focused strength training and some swimming.

Knee injury seems to be healed. At the time I consulted with orthopedist (s), and got different opinions.. from running is not for you.... to keep it to 5k/10k only... to you can do anything if you train properly....

All of this to say, that I’m still working on “basics” of how to run and do it right for my body in the long term.

Which led me to question if 2025 is the right moment to jump into marathon, either doing it as only race instead of any of the challenges… or if I train for the marathon then the fitness needed for the challenges is at reach… // or if I would be better off, just keep working on basics and wait until 2026..

Your thoughts are very much appreciated, thanks!!

 

[Herding_Cats]

If you go back to your linked post/thread, the information there is still good.


Now, if you want someone to tell you that you can do it (with an anecdote) then I'm your girl.

(Insert anecdote here
I basically went from 0-to-Goofy in just over a year. Was I a moderately fit/active person before then? Yes. Did I wonder how I was going to even walk to the start area the day of the marathon based on how I felt the afternoon after the HM? Yes. Did I finish, and then sign up for Dopey the next 2 years? Also yes. Does all of the expert advice/podcasts/books say that I "should have" been doing 30+ miles/week for awhile before doing that? Yes? Have I done ANY over-30mi training weeks with my DopeyBadger plans? No. Because I am a not-so-fast runner and that amount of hours that would take would mean I wouldn't do the training. So I got a custom plan that worked for me and my paces and my schedule that allowed me to commit to the training. Billy often says that a proper marathon training plan will allow you to finish the challenges.

But let's be realistic here too. Let's assume that you can do base/building training through the summer and then start a marathon-focused plan. Will your schedule allow you to still fin in your training through the holidays? Because the weeks from Thanksgiving-New Year are going to be your largest mileage weeks of your plan, and then you taper. And this is also the point in the plan where a lot of people are very much "over it" and tired (mentally) of training, and weekend long runs, and you're just physically tired.

Is run/walk something you're interested in?

 

[camaker]

There's no magic answer to the question of when you're ready to step up to the marathon distance. You know what goes into preparing for a half marathon and you have something of a training base mileage established. I think there are three questions that go hand in hand that need to be answered:

1. Do you have any physical conditions that say marathon training is a bad idea or dangerous for you?
2. Do you want to run a marathon? Not casually, but seriously have a drive to accomplish it. Training will be hard, the race will be difficult, you'll need the mental strength to push past those challenges.
3. Take a look at some likely training plans and the time involved in completing them. Are you willing to dedicate that amount of effort to the endeavor? Training for a marathon can feel like a job in and of itself.

If the answer to any of those questions is no (or yes for the first), then I'd say you're not ready. I don't say this to be discouraging. I think running a marathon can be a life-changing event. It was for me. The confidence and feeling that I could accomplish so much more than I ever thought I could that it gave me was transformational. You just have to be ready for the dedication and work that training for one requires.

Good luck if you decide to start out on this journey! Marathons are like Pringles, though, you can't have just one!

On a side note, I would also say be very careful trying "fix" your heel striking. If that's how your body is set up to run, changing those mechanics may cause more problems than they solve. Heel striking is not some kind of running disease that needs to be "fixed" unless there's something extreme and damaging in the way you do it. I cringe when I see people saying they're being retrained to a different way of running.

 

[KCO5988]

So I ran my first full marathon after running 2 or 3 half marathons. First half was fall 2010, first full was fall 2011. I ran un-official dopey in Jan 2013 (there was only goofy then and unofficial dopey just added the 5k, no 10k because it was the same day as the half maybe or it didn't exist? Basically, wasn't possible to do it or I would have) after running full 3 marathons and more half marathons. I didn't start from zero though. I was consistently running 3-6 miles a few times a week for years prior to starting races. I ran in college (not like for the college or anything just recreationally) and started training for my first race right after I graduated. I did sports in high school and some time on the track team (wasn't winning anything haha). All this to say if you feel you are still working on the "basics" of how to run, I wouldn't recommend 2025 for dopey. Maybe plan for 2026? Get a couple marathons under your belt before you run a challenge that includes a marathon.

 

[kristenabelle]

Another team not-so-fast here (more like team slow AF).

I had a couple of 2-race challenges and lots of halfs under my belt before my first Dopey/full, so I was used to the waking up & multi-day movement. I had a pretty big gap in races (2018 - 2022), but I still did Saturday & Sunday long runs during those years, keeping my body used to the idea of consecutive distance runs.

I learned a little about race nutrition and introduced it into my training for the first time, which definitely helped for the longer distances. I also did a customized plan (modified Galloway, basically) and cleared my schedule to be able to devote the time I needed to train the way I wanted to. I'm not doing Dopey next year because I have a crazy busy winter, so I know I won't be able to train the way that works for me and my body.

That said, the Marathon was 90% mental for me. I thought I was done for in the first three miles (even though they were my fastest, go figure) but hooked up with a pace group from 3 - 16, got my steady mojo back, and felt like magic through the end of the race. I also tried to walk the parks after each race to stretch my legs out and not cramp up. Nothing crazy, just easy movement. I was able to tour the parks for a full day the next day and felt pretty good, all things considered.

If you feel a calling, go for it. It's scary and sometimes overwhelming, but the best kind of personal challenge. I don't know why I said 2023 would be my year, I just felt it in my bones. So I started training before they even announced the themes, and knew when it was 90s that it was a sign. I went for it, and it was so freakin worth it.

 

[Herding_Cats]

On a side note, I would also say be very careful trying "fix" your heel striking. If that's how your body is set up to run, changing those mechanics may cause more problems than they solve. Heel striking is not some kind of running disease that needs to be "fixed" unless there's something extreme and damaging in the way you do it. I cringe when I see people saying they're being retrained to a different way of running.

This.

 

[Baloo in MI]

There is not a lot I can add that has not been said. But I want to emphasize what @camaker shared about heel striking. There has been an unhealthy push to get people to shift their foot strike to mid-foot or fore-foot. The reality (at least according to my PT) is that more important than where along your foot you touch ground is your turn over, my goal is (again set by my PT) is 160-180 per minute. He also has me working on cutting my stride so my foot lands not out in front of my body but almost under my body. I am a heal sticker but a quicker turn over and cutting my stride has really helped reduce fatigue in long runs for me.

I am also a run/walk/run person and that has made long distance so much more manageable!

Lastly I would say you can absolutely run a marathon! You have to respect the distance and put in the time. But you can do it!

 

[jmasgat]

How did you know that you were ready to run a marathon?

What cues should I look for pls? (just make my mind into it… or finishing a HM feeling that I can keep going, or finishing a HM with no pain and have easy recovery.. any other?)

Do you want to run a marathon?

@camaker's answer was the tipping point for me. I had run 2009 WDW Half (my first and only half to that point)and it was only then that I felt that I could make the enormous mental and physical leap to try a marathon. And the mental leap was probably the bigger hurdle.

Finding a reasonable training plan and sticking with it is key--and setting the right expectations for what you want to accomplish. It is a scary jump to make, but can be worthwhile.

 

[The Expert]

Excellent advice here! I just wanted to add an element that came into play for me: time.

When races went away during Covid, it was at the height of my rD participation. I knew I wanted to do a full marathon once in my life, and that it was going to be at Disney. I actually did my first just before the pandemic -- January 2020 -- and was cut short due to heat. I immediately wanted a do-over and even briefly considered Dopey, but I signed up for the 10K and full again.

Then everything shut down. rD changed the weekend to virtual, and we weren't even sure rD would come back at all, let alone in what form. I kicked myself for stalling Dopey, and vowed that if they brought it back, I'd sign up. Because you never know. If that race will still be there. If you'll be healthy enough to do it. If you'll have time to train for it. If you'll be able to afford it. If you'll be able to travel. "Someday" could become "never" really fast and without warning, and I didn't want to have the choice taken away from me because of fear.

 

[GollyGadget]

If you have the time and discipline to train for a marathon, then go for it. Discipline is important because there will be days when you don't have the motivation. As a slower runner, you also won't have as much wiggle room if things go sideways so you really need to mitigate that risk the best you can buy doing the training.

 

[Zutroy]

On a side note, I would also say be very careful trying "fix" your heel striking. If that's how your body is set up to run, changing those mechanics may cause more problems than they solve. Heel striking is not some kind of running disease that needs to be "fixed" unless there's something extreme and damaging in the way you do it. I cringe when I see people saying they're being retrained to a different way of running.

Considering that OP mentioned that they had a knee injury from running, I would say that heel striking is causing an issue. Generally heel striking is synonymous with over-striding, which is biomechanically inefficient and leads to injuries. The odds are low that a new runner is heel striking with good form. Good form has you leaning forward while your foot lands under your center of mass, transferring the impact to your muscles, which release the loaded energy in the push off. Heel striking transfers energy to your joints and that energy is lost in the gait cycle, making you have to work even harder. But it’s your run, not mine. If the people who claim that heel striking is fine also have to go to orthopedists, PT, etc. for recurring injuries, there might be something wrong with their form.

 

[camaker]

Considering that OP mentioned that they had a knee injury from running, I would say that heel striking is causing an issue. Generally heel striking is synonymous with over-striding, which is biomechanically inefficient and leads to injuries. The odds are low that a new runner is heel striking with good form. Good form has you leaning forward while your foot lands under your center of mass, transferring the impact to your muscles, which release the loaded energy in the push off. Heel striking transfers energy to your joints and that energy is lost in the gait cycle, making you have to work even harder. But it’s your run, not mine. If the people who claim that heel striking is fine also have to go to orthopedists, PT, etc. for recurring injuries, there might be something wrong with their form.

View attachment 832299

Please note that I included the caveat "unless doing something extreme and damaging" in their heel striking. Significant overstriding could fall into that category. It's also quite likely that addressing the overstriding can be accomplished without something nearly so dramatic as a change in foot strike location. It's a common misconception that heel striking leads to more injuries. The articles that I've read indicate that different foot strike locations don't change the frequency of injury, just the likely location. Heel strikers tend to have knee issues. Forefoot strikers tend to ankle injuries. Here's a semi-recent article that discusses the topic:

https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a36650122/heel-striking/

 

[Sleepless Knight]

How did you know that you were ready to run a marathon?

Honestly, it took many years before I even gave serious consideration to it. It was a process with most of that time being in I will never run a marathon, but if I do it will only be in Disney World.

Long backstory. It's nowhere near as crazy as Dr. Doofenshmirtz though so consider yourselves warned. After two consecutive years of visiting Disneyland during Half Marathon weekend, I finally talked to some Disney runners and they proceeded to explain to me that even someone who had never run before could do it. 2 years later when circumstances allowed, I registered for the 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon. And then proceeded to train all sorts of not very well, but at least I got the long runs in.

Come race day, nerves, excitement, and intense fear of failure resulted in me starting way too fast and experiencing intense pain less than half a mile into the race. I knew I could not handle another half mile in this kind pain, let alone 13, so I decided to slow down to a manageable pace. If I was swept, then at least I tried. Only, I finished.

The next day I marveled at Coast to Coast runners with their Goofy medals because every step I took was painful that day and I could not fathom doing twice the distance I had the day before at all, let alone the day after a half marathon. I vowed that I would never run a marathon. In fact I hurt so much that I concluded that I might never run again.

Pain subsided and I decided that I could tolerate it two more times to earn a Coast to Coast medal. So in 2012, I was set up for Coast to Coast and figured that would be it. Except this time I had an inkling of what I was doing so I actually had fun. I wanted to race some more. However, professional circumstances necessitated other priorities for a while and I did not start running again until 2014 when runDisney announced Star Wars races. Only this time, they were throwing a challenge medal into the mix for the 10K and Half Marathon back to back. Because it's Star Wars, I jumped in. Because I done my normal Disney World vacation aside from the Wine & Dine Half Marathon in 2012, I knew that I should be able to handle the time on my feet of back to back races.

Now, I really had fun. I loved the new experience perhaps for Star Wars reasons, but I enjoyed it. When they announced the Kessel Run, I was even trained during the worst time of the year to train just to see if I could handle training for a half marathon during my busiest professional time of year. I did. So in 2017, I ran both 10K/Half Marathon challenges for Star Wars. I had now accomplished more "impossible" things in running. Still, I had no desire to try the marathon. For one thing, I would not give up Star Wars races at Disneyland and the WDW Marathon was the week before. And another thing, I just didn't want to train for a marathon. I disliked running still, but visits to Disneyland justified it. I was signed up for 2018 Star Wars at Disneyland as well. And then the unthinkable happened. Disney announced the cancellation of all 2018 Disneyland races and it looked like it would be a very long time.

Seeing that this might be the end of Disneyland races, I signed up for the 2017 Avengers Half Marathon at Disneyland completely untrained with 3 weeks to train. I modified a 4 week training program and went for it. This became the incident that broke down my last mental barrier. I discovered that running 6 days a week was not impossible, nor did it physically destroy me. In fact, I even *gasp* enjoyed it. So missing out on runDisney, I signed up for the 2018 Star Wars Dark Side Challenge at Disney World, only this time I threw in the 5K for good measure, one week before I even ran Avengers on just 3 weeks training.

Another one of my marathon barriers was the long run. I never liked long runs in half marathon training. I really did not want to incorporate more into marathon training. And because I'm not very fast, (my lifetime PR in the half is 2:58 something) I didn't want to lose my entire Saturdays to marathon training. But then I discovered DopeyBadger's marathon training plans. They required a lot more running during the week than I had ever done before, but not significant distance increases compared to what I was already doing. I could compensate for shorter long runs by doing slightly longer short runs during the week.

Having done multiple normal Disney World trips tied to races, I began to view Dark Side 2018 as a marathon/Dopey simulation of sorts. How would I handle 3 races? I would feel the day after 3 races? I believed that I could train for it.

At this same time, I began to look at my life in running and wondered what now? Should I stick with the half marathon and be completely fine with it? Or is there a new frontier to attempt? As I read marathon training journals and race reports here on the DIS, I began to be intrigued by the description of so many first time marathoners of what finishing the marathon felt like. I knew it would be insanely difficult, but I began to want to know what that felt like.

With the last of my mental barriers now fallen, I began looking at the next question. Do I run "just" the marathon or do I go for Dopey? I had talked to enough far more accomplished runners than me to recognize the the Goofy or Dopey training is not much more demanding than marathon training. So if I was in for the marathon, I could go for Goofy or Dopey. I also had to wrestle with the questions of what if I fail? What would that mean? How would I feel about myself? Many here were willing to share with me their experiences of failing the first time and why they were glad they had tried. I was extremely happy for them when subsequent effort(s) to finish the marathon were the successes they hoped for.

Ultimately, I came to the following conclusion. With training, I should finish the marathon. But if I despised the marathon distance, I would forever kick myself for knowing that I "could" have done Dopey, but lost my one opportunity because if I hated the marathon distance, I would never attempt it again. This is very on brand for me as a runner because my first race was a half marathon, my first 10K was the day before my 4th Half Marathon, my first 5K was part of a multi race weekend and so forth. So why not just go for broke on the Marathon and run Dopey as well?

As it turns, out I actually have a twisted love for the marathon distance. It's incredibly difficult. It messes with your mind. One can and often will question the life choices that lead up to running the marathon during the marathon. But what the marathon demands of me, both physically and mentally, is surpassed in droves by the feeling of crossing that finish line. I have now finished 5 Marathons and 5 Dopey Challenges. I have yet to convince myself that I want to run a marathon anywhere else besides Walt Disney World.

What helped me in the leadup to whether or not the marathon was knowing that I had already finished 8 half marathons before registering for my first marathon and would finish 2 more half marathons (including the WDW Half the day before) attempting my first marathon. I had sufficient experience in how my body reacted to races at Disney and how I recovered especially when weighing the physical test of the marathon. This is insanely long already, so I'll end it below. Thanks for reading.

I have learned a lot about myself from the marathon. I'm very glad I signed up for it and then kept going, with large doses of encouragement from so many here when I doubted myself in the middle of training.

 

[fatmanatee]

It was four years between my first half and my first full. I actually signed up for my first full two years after the first half but never got it going with training. There’s a big time and effort investment to this and as it turns out I wasn’t ready for it in 2017. I can’t explain why I was in a better mindset about this in 2019, maybe it was just the feeling that I couldn't let myself fail twice at this, but I obviously did a better job committing from the start.

Honestly though I like the idea of a two year plan. Year one gets you to the half, year two there's no reason why you can't take the leap to get to the full. You just really need to be committed to it. There’s a point in the standard training cycle where you’re doing more miles than you’ve ever done in your life like every two weeks, 14, 16, 18, 20 (and maybe 22 depending on the plan), it’s overwhelming when you get there but you just have to work through it.

Not sure how I feel about doing a challenge as part of your first full though. I know people here have done it, I just feel like if I was in the same position I would want to focus on the marathon. When I did Dopey (as part of my second full), I took it very, VERY easy on the half in order to save energy for the full, basically did a steady jog on the way to MK and walked a lot of the way back. I was also recovering from a minor surgery on my leg so I missed out on a month of training. But I'm toying around with the idea of doing Goofy in 2025 and I'll probably have the same plan: very easy half, more effort in the full. Anyway, people who have done the challenge as part of their first full can chime in.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

I choose to do my first marathon on its own in 2023. I do not regret this decision. I have seen to many people try to do their first marathon doing Dopey... and they are soo tried from the other races before it that they end up getting pulled during the marathon. I wanted to make sure I could say I am a marathoner. So I saved all my energy to complete it. Also your first marathon is special so it is nice to savor it on its own. Also "only" doing the marathon gives u something to look forward after finishing it... marathon blues is a real thing. I am now going to try for Dopey in 2025 and feel very confident now on it and ready for it since I have now done a marathon.

 

[DianaMB333]

Honestly, it took many years before I even gave serious consideration to it. It was a process with most of that time being in I will never run a marathon, but if I do it will only be in Disney World.

Brief backstory. It's nowhere near as crazy as Dr. Doofenshmirtz though so consider yourselves warned. After two consecutive years of visiting Disneyland during Half Marathon weekend, I finally talked to some Disney runners and they proceeded to explain to me that even someone who had never run before could do it. 2 years later when circumstances allowed, I registered for the 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon. And then proceeded to train all sorts of not very well, but at least I got the long runs in.

Come race day, nerves, excitement, and intense fear of failure resulted in me starting way too fast and experiencing intense pain less than half a mile into the race. I knew I could not handle another half mile in this kind pain, let alone 13, so I decided to slow down to a manageable pace. If I was swept, then at least I tried. Only, I finished.

The next day I marveled at Coast to Coast runners with their Goofy medals because every step I took was painful that day and I could not fathom doing twice the distance I had the day before at all, let alone the day after a half marathon. I vowed that I would never run a marathon. In fact I hurt so much that I concluded that I might never run again.

Pain subsided and I decided that I could tolerate it two more times to earn a Coast to Coast medal. So in 2012, I was set up for Coast to Coast and figured that would be it. Except this time I had an inkling of what I was doing so I actually had fun. I wanted to race some more. However, professional circumstances necessitated other priorities for a while and I did not start running again until 2014 when runDisney announced Star Wars races. Only this time, they were throwing a challenge medal into the mix for the 10K and Half Marathon back to back. Because it's Star Wars, I jumped in. Because I done my normal Disney World vacation aside from the Wine & Dine Half Marathon in 2012, I knew that I should be able to handle the time on my feet of back to back races.

Now, I really had fun. I loved the new experience perhaps for Star Wars reasons, but I enjoyed it. When they announced the Kessel Run, I was even trained during the worst time of the year to train just to see if I could handle training for a half marathon during my busiest professional time of year. I did. So in 2017, I ran both 10K/Half Marathon challenges for Star Wars. I had now accomplished more "impossible" things in running. Still, I had no desire to try the marathon. For one thing, I would not give up Star Wars races at Disneyland and the WDW Marathon was the week before. And another thing, I just didn't want to train for a marathon. I disliked running still, but visits to Disneyland justified it. I was signed up for 2018 Star Wars at Disneyland as well. And then the unthinkable happened. Disney announced the cancellation of all 2018 Disneyland races and it looked like it would be a very long time.

Seeing that this might be the end of Disneyland races, I signed up for the 2017 Avengers Half Marathon at Disneyland completely untrained with 3 weeks to train. I modified a 4 week training program and went for it. This became the incident that broke down my last mental barrier. I discovered that running 6 days a week was not impossible, nor did it physically destroy me. In fact, I even *gasp* enjoyed it. So missing out on runDisney, I signed up for the 2018 Star Wars Dark Side Challenge at Disney World, only this time I threw in the 5K for good measure, one week before I even ran Avengers on just 3 weeks training.

Another one of my marathon barriers was the long run. I never liked long runs in half marathon training. I really did not want to incorporate more into marathon training. And because I'm not very fast, (my lifetime PR in the half is 2:58 something) I didn't want to lose my entire Saturdays to marathon training. But then I discovered DopeyBadger's marathon training plans. They required a lot more running during the week than I had ever done before, but not significant distance increases compared to what I was already doing. I could compensate for shorter long runs by doing slightly longer short runs during the week.

Having done multiple normal Disney World trips tied to races, I began to view Dark Side 2018 as a marathon/Dopey simulation of sorts. How would I handle 3 races? I would feel the day after 3 races? I believed that I could train for it.

At this same time, I began to look at my life in running and wondered what now? Should I stick with the half marathon and be completely fine with it? Or is there a new frontier to attempt? As I read marathon training journals and race reports here on the DIS, I began to be intrigued by the description of so many first time marathoners of what finishing the marathon felt like. I knew it would be insanely difficult, but I began to want to know what that felt like.

With the last of my mental barriers now fallen, I began looking at the next question. Do I run "just" the marathon or do I go for Dopey? I had talked to enough far more accomplished runners than me to recognize the the Goofy or Dopey training is not much more demanding than marathon training. So if I was in for the marathon, I could go for Goofy or Dopey. I also had to wrestle with the questions of what if I fail? What would that mean? How would I feel about myself? Many here were willing to share with me their experiences of failing the first time and why they were glad they had tried. I was extremely happy for them when subsequent effort(s) to finish the marathon were the successes they hoped for.

Ultimately, I came to the following conclusion. With training, I should finish the marathon. But if I despised the marathon distance, I would forever kick myself for knowing that I "could" have done Dopey, but lost my one opportunity because if I hated the marathon distance, I would never attempt it again. This is very on brand for me as a runner because my first race was a half marathon, my first 10K was the day before my 4th Half Marathon, my first 5K was part of a multi race weekend and so forth. So why not just go for broke on the Marathon and run Dopey as well?

As it turns, out I actually have a twisted love for the marathon distance. It's incredibly difficult. It messes with your mind. One can and often will question the life choices that lead up to running the marathon during the marathon. But what the marathon demands of me, both physically and mentally, is surpassed in droves by the feeling of crossing that finish line. I have now finished 5 Marathons and 5 Dopey Challenges. I have yet to convince myself that I want to run a marathon anywhere else besides Walt Disney World.

What helped me in the leadup to whether or not the marathon was knowing that I had already finished 8 half marathons before registering for my first marathon and would finish 2 more half marathons (including the WDW Half the day before) attempting my first marathon. I had sufficient experience in how my body reacted to races at Disney and how I recovered especially when weighing the physical test of the marathon. This is insanely long already, so I'll end it below. Thanks for reading.

I have learned a lot about myself from the marathon. I'm very glad I signed up for it and then kept going, with large doses of encouragement from so many here when I doubted myself in the middle of training.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer! Loved it!

 

[DianaMB333]

Thanks a lot for your comments! Love the insights, good spirit and intentions to define what is best to do…
Really appreciate it!

 

[steph0808]

I was a very new runner when I happened upon a story about the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon and thought "hey, that sounds like fun."

I had just started running in January of 2012 and had run a 10k and a 5k when I made my decision. The most I had run was probably 7 or 8 miles. I was also 26 years old with no kids or other life commitments besides a job, a husband, and four dogs

So I went from a non-runner to a marathon finisher in the span of a year. You are in a way better place than I was, so if you want to do it, go for it!

That said, just getting into marathon shape requires much more mileage than half training. After so many years of running, I just ran an almost-PR in the half marathon on a peak training week of 26 miles. For marathon training, I'm running 40-50 miles and I'm not setting any PRs or getting close to it

 

[Disneyhanna]

I ran a regular non-Disney marathon before I ran Dopey, and I'm very glad I did. Running a marathon is a big deal, and I was glad I got the chance to celebrate it without it being overshadowed by Goofy/Dopey. Finishing the regular marathon also gave me the confidence going into Dopey that I could do it, so I wasn't so nervous.

Lots of people run the Disney marathon standalone as their first marathon and if you go that route, you probably need to be prepared to have some FOMO about Goofy/Dopey! But if this is something you plan to do more than once if you enjoy it, I think I would recommend doing just the marathon, and then letting that FOMO motivate you to train for the challenge the next time. If you think you will be a one and done, well might as well go for the challenge. Though pretty much everyone I know that thought that ended up doing it again

In terms of being ready, I think I was about four years into running before my first marathon? I hadn't progressed much over those years, but I had been running regularly for a while. I was ready when I wanted a new challenge, and since speed isn't something I'm very good at, distance was the most logical next step.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

Hi!

How did you know that you were ready to run a marathon?

What cues should I look for pls? (just make my mind into it… or finishing a HM feeling that I can keep going, or finishing a HM with no pain and have easy recovery.. any other?)

I’m thinking about doing it either 2025 or 2026.. maybe will be a once it a lifetime, or maybe I could continue doing it… lol

Some background:

I have run so far two half marathons (and the respective 5k, 10k challenges) at Princess weekend 2023, W&D 2023, and I‘m signed up for the upcoming Princess and Springtime.

I do run/walk at the min pace of 16m/mile, meaning the HM time is 3.5hrs.

I started running (or run/walk) about Jun/22, after posting here this thread, for which I received amazing advice.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/where-to-start-what-is-a-reasonable-ambition.3878249/

I have to confess though that reading it back I realized that I made the mistakes that you warned me of ☹… both the under training (after Princess to about July/23) and the over training (from July to Sept-ish), which led me to knee injury about a month before the W&D weekend…

I have mostly trained following indications on regards to distance to cover, number of times/ week etc…. and about 3-4 weeks ago I have started just following low heart training approach, as it seems more sustainable for a healthy longevity. It is being a challenge to go even slower, but I understand that overtime the pace will pick up. Also I went to a runlab for advice on my training form, and I’m working on correcting heel strike. Along with more focused strength training and some swimming.

Knee injury seems to be healed. At the time I consulted with orthopedist (s), and got different opinions.. from running is not for you.... to keep it to 5k/10k only... to you can do anything if you train properly....

All of this to say, that I’m still working on “basics” of how to run and do it right for my body in the long term.

Which led me to question if 2025 is the right moment to jump into marathon, either doing it as only race instead of any of the challenges… or if I train for the marathon then the fitness needed for the challenges is at reach… // or if I would be better off, just keep working on basics and wait until 2026..

Your thoughts are very much appreciated, thanks!!

I signed up for a marathon never having run in a 5k before. I was 28. I trained and I survived. So you’re good!