Help settle a "debate"

[tehvalerie]

Now reading about people entering Goofy undertrained?? Oh my word. I can't imagine spending nearly 400 dollars to get swept.

I found a blog yesterday written by someone who registered for the 2012 Goofy and did maybe a quarter of the scheduled training runs. They finished the half (in 3:35, so just over the cutoff time) and were first approached by the sweepers at mile 4 of the full marathon. She made it to about mile 21 before getting swept and was given a Mickey medal, but not the Goofy one. I just found the whole thing annoying and am using it as a cautionary tale to keep up with my own training for the full! I can almost (almost) see giving someone a medal if they made it to mile 21, but this person was obviously way undertrained. I think I'd be too ashamed to accept the medal if I wasn't able to cross the finish line. I guess this is the downside of Disney's "make everyone happy" approach to customer service!

 

[Ariel484]

...Now reading about people entering Goofy undertrained?? Oh my word. I can't imagine spending nearly 400 dollars to get swept. At least Goofy is one thing you never get just for entering! I've heard you won't get your Goofy medal unless you finish both races under the 3:30 and 7:00 time allotments.

Where's this?! On Facebook?

Goofy excites and TERRIFIES me. I'm training my you-know-what off for it! It's bizarre to me that anyone would do otherwise.

 

[Reep]

This probably isn't a popular belief, but I'm disappointed they give medals to those who don't finish. I have seen so many brave and determined people cross the finish line after spending many hours in a race, and to give a medal to someone who did less than that just doesn't seem right. I wish they would find some other way of recognizing them.

The most impressive one I ever saw was a couple of ladies that finished the Ice Goofy in 2010 in 2.5-3 hours for the half and 5.5-6 hours for the full. That is a long time out in very harsh weather. I told them I thought they deserved double medals for that one.

 

[tedhowe]

Last year I was at the Expo to pick up my bib for the 1/2 when some mutual 'friends' were picking up their registrations for goofy. I was amazed they'd attempt it as at a previous 5k they finished last and 2nd to last and didnt appear to be more 'trained' well one made it it less than 5 miles in the 1/2 before being swept. The 2nd finished with a 4hr+ time (decent corral placement) but got swept in the first 3 miles in the full. Waste of a registration? In my opinion? Definitely

I know that this wasn't aimed particularly at us slow folks... rather it was commenting on undertrained people, but when I first read this, I got a bit defensive.

I'm training my butt off right now (literally)... working up to the endurance for a half next month (and maybe for the WDW full in January if I get the courage up), but I am SLOW by racing standards. To date, I've been in 5 races (3 5Ks, 1 10K and 1 10 Mile race) and have been dead last in my age/gender group in three of them... and one of the other two, I was third from last.

Not everyone who is slow is undertrained. We're just.... s l o w.



Ted

 

[Reep]

I'm training my butt off right now (literally)... working up to the endurance for a half next month (and maybe for the WDW full in January if I get the courage up), but I am SLOW by racing standards. To date, I've been in 5 races (3 5Ks, 1 10K and 1 10 Mile race) and have been dead last in my age/gender group in three of them... and one of the other two, I was third from last.

Not everyone who is slow is undertrained. We're just.... s l o w.



Ted

I'm relatively fast (top 20-40 finisher), and I have to say how much respect I have for those who run these races slowly. For a marathon, I'm out there for only about three hours. I can run pretty easily in that amount of time. But, if I had to run (even slowly) for 5-7 hours I would be in bad shape. I mean I would really be hurting by the end.

 

[JCH]

I know that this wasn't aimed particularly at us slow folks... rather it was commenting on undertrained people, but when I first read this, I got a bit defensive.

I'm training my butt off right now (literally)... working up to the endurance for a half next month (and maybe for the WDW full in January if I get the courage up), but I am SLOW by racing standards. To date, I've been in 5 races (3 5Ks, 1 10K and 1 10 Mile race) and have been dead last in my age/gender group in three of them... and one of the other two, I was third from last.

Not everyone who is slow is undertrained. We're just.... s l o w.



Ted

I didn't take it as anything against slow people. There is a big difference between strong 15 minute miles, and not having gotten up to any reasonable distance before attempting a race. If you've worked your way up to at least 20 miles before the marathon, even if they are slow miles, you have still trained. I know I will never be fast, so I have focused on increasing mileage at a slow pace rather than increasing speed. I keep my same 14-15mm and just do it longer each long run. This is still training. This is my first marathon, and I feel like my life revolves around it, so to think I am not in training would be ridiculous.

I take issue with those who think they can just come out and try the race with no training, or very little training. A half marathon is not something to just wake up and try, especially if you are out of shape. It is seriously dangerous for everyone involved, and really a slap in the face to those slower runners who DID train, but at a slow pace, as these people should have done also. I cannot fathom doing this for a Goofy!

 

[ironz]

I don't think they should be given out to non-finishers, either. I just got one thrust into my hands and the volunteers wouldn't hear of my refusal when I said, "oh, no, I didn't earn this, I don't want it." So I just took it and tucked it away. I did not get a Goofy medal, though. And wouldn't have wanted one. That's why I'm working on staying injury free this winter and going back for it! (no trapeze classes in December, if you want a helpful hint--lol)

I do triathlon and wouldn't accept an Ironman finisher medal if I didn't finish, either.

I am on the slower side...I'll be happy with 3 and 6 hours this year.

 

[Reep]

That's why I'm working on staying injury free this winter and going back for it! (no trapeze classes in December, if you want a helpful hint--lol)

I love to trail run, but I cut out all dangerous activities during taper. Too easy to blow months of training. I also avoid sick people like they have the plague.

 

[cobbler]

But when the woman posted about getting her medal at Mile 2...I was actually angry. I could feel my blood boiling. I had worked my butt off for 18 weeks to get that medal, and it was given to someone who walked a couple miles. There is a 5k option for a reason.

.

I have to ask.. What were the responses to this person when people found out she still received a medal.

To the OP-
Bet you never thought you'd get this kind of reply

 

[JCH]

I have to ask.. What were the responses to this person when people found out she still received a medal.

To the OP-
Bet you never thought you'd get this kind of reply

I don't remember much of people saying anything to her directly, but there were people referring to it on the runDisney wall that it wasn't right. Mostly people trying to be cordial. It was on a blog, I think. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[JCH]

Okay, here is the blog. Since it is a real person who struggled, everyone was nice to her. It isn't her fault Disney has this policy.

http://shrinkingkrista.blogspot.com/2012/03/lonliest-2-miles-of-my-life.html

Here is another from the Princess who got a medal at Mile 5.

http://runaroundsara.blogspot.com/2012/02/disney-princess-half-marathon-2012-race.html

Again, I am sure these are very nice women, but I still hold that is dangerous to try to do something like this so woefully undertrained and I fear stories like this will cause more people to do the same. I am all for getting out there from couch to half, as I did the same, but you need to start with a 5k, then a 10k, and follow a training plan first. I've only been running a little over a year, and it worries me, so I can only imagine how the running veterans view it!

 

[johde]

Again, I am sure these are very nice women, but I still hold that is dangerous to try to do something like this so woefully undertrained and I fear stories like this will cause more people to do the same. I am all for getting out there from couch to half, as I did the same, but you need to start with a 5k, then a 10k, and follow a training plan first. I've only been running a little over a year, and it worries me, so I can only imagine how the running veterans view it!

I would tend to agree, especially when your thinking about entering a destination race with airfare, hotels, large entry fees etc. I did the Disneyland Half Marathon last September, 2 1/2 year after I started distance training. During that time I did several races with the following major milestones.

June 2009 5K 47:01
Sept 2009 10K 1:37:07 (4 hour time limit)
May 2010 1/2 3:28:30 (3:45 time limit) All walking
Oct 2010 1/2 3:07:42 (3:45 time limit before moving to sidewalks) Marathoning for Mortals walk/run plan.
April 2011 1/2 2:51:02 (no time limit)

Along with several other 5K's/4 milers etc. Even with all that at Disneyland, between flying across country, and warm weather, I ended up with a 3:11:30. I probably started a corral too early based on the weather conditions. All of my prior half marathons had been in cool to cold conditions and it was 65-75 at Disneyland and once you leave the park there was minimal shade. I was on pace for a 3:00:00 expected finish at the 15K split (9.3 miles) before bonking right about mile 10.5 I ended up dong 18:00+ for a mile from 11.5-12.5 before finally being able to very sorely start running to the finish.

 

[bwolfe]

I could not fathom taking a medal after not earning it. I am looking forward to my first half at Disney. Honestly, that medal is a big deal to me. It's a part of the larger goal of the race. I am training at a pace so that I don't have to worry about being swept. It must the Little League mentality...everyone gets a trophy/everyone's a winner. The way i see it...I am paying my money for a chance to EARN that medal.

 

[cobbler]

I could not fathom taking a medal after not earning it. I am looking forward to my first half at Disney. Honestly, that medal is a big deal to me. It's a part of the larger goal of the race. I am training at a pace so that I don't have to worry about being swept. It must the Little League mentality...everyone gets a trophy/everyone's a winner. The way i see it...I am paying my money for a chance to EARN that medal.

 

[dburg30]

I could not fathom taking a medal after not earning it. I am looking forward to my first half at Disney. Honestly, that medal is a big deal to me. It's a part of the larger goal of the race. I am training at a pace so that I don't have to worry about being swept. It must the Little League mentality...everyone gets a trophy/everyone's a winner. The way i see it...I am paying my money for a chance to EARN that medal.

I TOTALLY agree with this!!! I'm sure it has something to do though with xx,xxx people paid to register, so we need xx,xxx finisher medals... So since we have xx,xxx medals, just give one to everyone so we dont have to figure out what to do with them later.. I'm going to train for the 2014 version, and if I dont cross that finish line on my own after the whole length, they can keep it, and if anyone tries to give it to me I think I'd either just drop it on the ground or throw it away.. I would no way take it.

 

[Reddy]

so my understanding is if you try to get the Mickey medal
but if you finish then you get the Goofy medal
right??
hmmmm maybe they shoud start with a Donald medal, then a Daisy Medal, Minnie next, pluto then Mickey & last Goofy
then make each just alittle bigger that way the people can try to do better next time

 

[Ariel484]

so my understanding is if you try to get the Mickey medal
but if you finish then you get the Goofy medal
right??
hmmmm maybe they shoud start with a Donald medal, then a Daisy Medal, Minnie next, pluto then Mickey & last Goofy
then make each just alittle bigger that way the people can try to do better next time

Nope.

The Mickey Medal is if you finish the full marathon (or...I guess if you partially finish it )
The Donald Medal is for finishers of the half marathon.

The Goofy medal is if you complete Goofy's Race-and-a-Half Challenge...finishing BOTH the half and full marathons. Somehow I think they would be less lenient in this case.

 

[Ebeezy]

Kind of wish I didn't see this thread.. I kind of thought it was sweep = no FINISHER'S medal. You didn't finish, you don't get the reward at the end of the journey..

 

[cewait]

Recapping. Yes there are hard sweep points as well as rolling sweepers. The hard points are generally points where you are about to head back out onto a public road, or enter a park.

There are points in each race where one is generally considered safe from the weeper. That is the point whee you no longer can impede traffic. So on the half, it is between mile 10 and 11, once you get onto the overpasses. For the full, it's once you turn into the back stage area of DHS. Generally once you hit these points you are left alone as long as you are moving.

Yes, you get a medal. The blog referenced above is not as blatant an insult to finishers as one from south Florida in the mid 2000's. In that case a lady was bragging that she FINISHED after being swept well before the halfway point.

I have an older friend whose performance started to fall off in the late 2000's. He tried Goofy a couple times before throwing in the towel. He was swept on the marathon and handed a medal. Being old school, he shoved it back but they insisted he take it. I think he made $15 for the medal on ebay. He was livid that the race would hand them out. BTW - no Goofy's for swept marathoners... You are in a different line from what I understand.

For me personally, I think that one should actually finish the event before getting a medal; else, why not hand them out at the expo? It's the same thing. They are FINISHER medals. I can remember and still run a couple local races where shirts are handed out post race - to FINISHERS. That is the way most races were when I took up endurance running. I honestly miss those days. But as a slower runner back then, I usually had to settle on wrong sized shirts.

I could not accept a finisher medal to an event I failed to finish. I am not sure what I would do but would probably hand it to a kid nearby - hopefully in front of the folks handing them out.

I guess I have strong feelings about this since I have failed to finish a few races in my life. There is nothing wrong with failing to finish; be it due to injury, training, pace, etc. The point is that you tried to do the event. That in my book counts for more than finishing for folks who are finding a new and fitter lifestyle.

So... As a coach we have the ability to not worry about the sweeper if we work from now to the race on getting fast. It's just a dedicated step up in the weekly effort. It does not need to be extreme, only one or two hard runs a week will drop your pace by January.

 

[mahipp]

As a newbie, I don't want a medal unless I finish. I also wish the expo were AFTER the race. I don't want to go shopping for cool stuff, not finish, and feel like a fraud. I feel like if I buy a 13.1 sticker (I'm signed up for the Princess Half Marathon) before I finish, I'm jinxing myself!