I am starting to feel the nerves....of reality.

[goofeygirl]

32 days as of today...

It is starting to hit me...nerves...the worries...mostly of the marathon part (I am doing the Dopey challenge).

Last night I had a dream...perhaps a nightmare...I was doing the 5k and decided that I didn't want to do it so I went back to my room...then the 10k the same thing...I started the half and jogged a few steps when I decided I didn't want to do anymore so I went back to my room...okay so now its Sunday (remember this is a dream I had last night) and we are standing there getting ready to go for the full and it suddenly occurred to me that I was a quitter! That I had given up on myself and walked away from the other three races for no good reason and I got soooo depressed and I was sooo disappointed in myself...I wanted to cry--in my sleep!
To make matters worse in this dream, I wanted to put on a Minnie costume but realized I left all my costumes at home and so all this planning to wear a certain costume for a certain race was nil and void!
I look around and see my cousin (who is signed up for the 5k race but nothing else) and she somehow completed all the races I should have and I am jealous that she did that and I just went back to my room.

Weird.

 

[DoctorK]

Wow, that's quite a vivid dream. I'm pretty sure the moral is "never give up," or possibly, "get a hotel room that's really crummy so you won't want to go back."

 

[RnbwSktles]

Crazy dream! But there is no way you're going to actually let that happen, so no worries!

I'm starting to get nervous about injuries. I had IT band issues about 2 months ago, but I've been able to run pain free since then. Except that now every time I have even the slightest discomfort in my leg I freak out that it's back.

Now I am worried that I will somehow hurt myself during the last few training runs. Instead of feeling like I may not be training enough, I keep thinking to myself "I should just skip the last few runs so I don't get hurt. I'll still be able to finish the race."

 

[fairestoneofall]

Running is also a mental sport! Don't psych yourself out at this point! you've put the training in and you WILL cross that finish line!!

 

[goofeygirl]

Wow, that's quite a vivid dream. I'm pretty sure the moral is "never give up," or possibly, "get a hotel room that's really crummy so you won't want to go back."

Lmao! That is funny...so the moral of the story is...get a room even a cockroach wouldn't stay in! That way I will NEVER want to go back there!

 

[goofeygirl]

Crazy dream! But there is no way you're going to actually let that happen, so no worries!

I'm starting to get nervous about injuries. I had IT band issues about 2 months ago, but I've been able to run pain free since then. Except that now every time I have even the slightest discomfort in my leg I freak out that it's back.

Now I am worried that I will somehow hurt myself during the last few training runs. Instead of feeling like I may not be training enough, I keep thinking to myself "I should just skip the last few runs so I don't get hurt. I'll still be able to finish the race."

I get nervous about injuries too. Though I haven't overdone anything .... I remember a race I was doing this past May and I got carried away with myself and feeling way too gung ho...I ended up hurting my ankle so much I limped...but lucky it was alright by the time the race came...but it took me out for a couple of weeks.

 

[goofeygirl]

Running is also a mental sport! Don't psych yourself out at this point! you've put the training in and you WILL cross that finish line!!

I did the same thing about this time last year...for the Goofy and I did cross the finish line...it felt like forever but I did do it.

If I get nervous now than perhaps all those nerves will gone in a month...right!

 

[bumbershoot]

If I get nervous now than perhaps all those nerves will gone in a month...right!

That's a good way to look at it!


I'm at the point where I want to bubblewrap myself and not run so I don't hurt myself. Because THAT would be a good idea for 5 weeks. And to say that the fact that I'm doing the 5K and the Half is freaking me out about the Half would be understating it!

I feel the same about my son and his dancing. At a certain point before a performance I barely even want him to walk anywhere.

 

[mufasa0505]

I always feel like my body is falling apart about 3 weeks before a major race. I turn into a hypochondriac runner

 

[Diskidatheart]

Things are certainly getting "more real" as we get closer. I'm also doing the Dopey Challenge and keep thinking, the 5k...no problem, the 10k...no problem, the half...no problem...the full...Houston, we have a problem . This will be my first full marathon so I have no idea how bad it's going to be. I'm sure it's bad enough all by itself, but tack on another 22.4 miles in the preceeding days and I'm not sure any of us really know for sure. We'll all get through it though and be walking proudly thru the parks with our medals on!

 

[goofeygirl]

Things are certainly getting "more real" as we get closer. I'm also doing the Dopey Challenge and keep thinking, the 5k...no problem, the 10k...no problem, the half...no problem...the full...Houston, we have a problem . This will be my first full marathon so I have no idea how bad it's going to be. I'm sure it's bad enough all by itself, but tack on another 22.4 miles in the preceeding days and I'm not sure any of us really know for sure. We'll all get through it though and be walking proudly thru the parks with our medals on!

Lol on the Apollo quote...

I did the Goofy last January and it was also my first full. Well people thought I was crazy to start...first for doing a marathon and second for combining it with a half marathon the day before! How nuts is that? However I did it.
Plus I also decided to throw in the 5k last year too...and why the heck not?

For me in the full...and I have written about this a lot on here...I was doing fine...not time wise...I was slow in the full but mentally wise I was fine until mile 21. I don't know what happened to me but this is what I think happened...because I went from a happy high to lousy low in a matter of minuets and I stayed low the last 5.2 miles of the race.

We do go through all the parks but most of it is highway...I knew this...when I was going up the entrance ramp I could the sign that read 21 ahead...if I recall correctly...I was expecting to see H.S. when I reached the top of the ramp and look down...I thought I was going to see the entrance to the HS...I was sure of it...however when I reached the top of that ramp and looked ahead all I saw was more long dark hot never ending highway ahead of me...and it kept going and going and going...even though it might have been another two miles till we got to the HS entrance...it was long and my mind was finished with the race.
I entered HS with head down...in fact, I was head down the rest of the race...I could hear the cheers from the guests and cast members...it was all good but I was over it...miserable...Epcot was forever and three days...I kept thinking...where the hell is the finish line?????? Finally, forever later I crossed the finish line.

So here is what is different...I know better. I am going to be mentally prep'd for this one. I want to...and I hope you do to...enjoy the last few miles of this race...because the last few miles are the best, the high light...it should be a wonderful experience ... considering how far you have traveled to get there ... I want to enjoy the crowds...I want to smile for the camera's I want to enjoy it...I want to get a beer in Epcot to take with me as I cross the finish line.

 

[Diskidatheart]

Lol on the Apollo quote...

I did the Goofy last January and it was also my first full. Well people thought I was crazy to start...first for doing a marathon and second for combining it with a half marathon the day before! How nuts is that? However I did it.
Plus I also decided to throw in the 5k last year too...and why the heck not?

For me in the full...and I have written about this a lot on here...I was doing fine...not time wise...I was slow in the full but mentally wise I was fine until mile 21. I don't know what happened to me but this is what I think happened...because I went from a happy high to lousy low in a matter of minuets and I stayed low the last 5.2 miles of the race.

We do go through all the parks but most of it is highway...I knew this...when I was going up the entrance ramp I could the sign that read 21 ahead...if I recall correctly...I was expecting to see H.S. when I reached the top of the ramp and look down...I thought I was going to see the entrance to the HS...I was sure of it...however when I reached the top of that ramp and looked ahead all I saw was more long dark hot never ending highway ahead of me...and it kept going and going and going...even though it might have been another two miles till we got to the HS entrance...it was long and my mind was finished with the race.
I entered HS with head down...in fact, I was head down the rest of the race...I could hear the cheers from the guests and cast members...it was all good but I was over it...miserable...Epcot was forever and three days...I kept thinking...where the hell is the finish line?????? Finally, forever later I crossed the finish line.

So here is what is different...I know better. I am going to be mentally prep'd for this one. I want to...and I hope you do to...enjoy the last few miles of this race...because the last few miles are the best, the high light...it should be a wonderful experience ... considering how far you have traveled to get there ... I want to enjoy the crowds...I want to smile for the camera's I want to enjoy it...I want to get a beer in Epcot to take with me as I cross the finish line.

Thanks for your honest opinions/expericence about the last 5+ miles. I think after reading all the posts about how difficult the end of a marathon is will certainly help me prepare for it mentally better than if everyone just keeps saying, it's not that bad. I know it will be tough, but the crowds, seeing my wife around mile 25, and just knowing that I am going to have to tough it out will certainly help. If it was easy, everyone would do it, right?

 

[RussTKD]

There's nothing worse than mile 20 of a marathon.

And nothing better than mile 25.

Just keep grinding.

 

[FFigawi]

There's nothing worse than mile 20 of a marathon.

I think 14 to 17 are the worst. You're barely past halfway, it's just starting to get hard, and you're still in double-digit miles to go. By the time you hit 20, it's only a 10k left, and after all the long training runs, a 10k is nothing.

 

[RussTKD]

I think 14 to 17 are the worst. You're barely past halfway, it's just starting to get hard, and you're still in double-digit miles to go. By the time you hit 20, it's only a 10k left, and after all the long training runs, a 10k is nothing.

You hit 14-17 so many times in training though that it's nothing new by the time the race comes around. Anything over 20 is kind of uncharted territory.

However, miles 17-20 on the WDW course are going to be pretty blah. Oh look, a baseball diamond... and another diamond... and another... Oh, and a big diamond.

Not looking forward to that.

 

[cewait]

I finally figured out the cause of Goofygirls problem last year. Its mental. Experienced marathoners have been there and can relate. She pushed and pushed, the weather was warmer than normal, she knew she was close to a landmark and yet, the course threw a nasty little hill at her that was totally unexpected and GG was expecting the gateway to the park. Instead, as thanks for making past Old Sarge (Army Guy) she was welcomed to a long stretch of World Drive, AGAIN! Having an unexpected turn can be a cruel and real crusher and as GG has indicated in a few posts, a game changer.

I fall back to a paraphrased Lao-Tzu quote A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. As I was preparing for my very first marathon I was watching the old ESPN Running and Racing program and that quote popped up and I took it to heart. Simply, the finish line of the marathon looks too far to conquer from the start line so one really must break the race into manageable bite sized pieces. As a start, break the course into highlighted landmarks. For Disney its the Start, MK, Indy Track, DAK, WWoS, DHS and then Epcot. What I do from there is lay out each section into the landmarks that make that section a winner and run to them. I try to know the mile marks, streets, and corners in mind as I hit those sections. I also want to know from driving and previous experience, the parts of that section I want to save and bundle energy for. I think the longest distance in my bundles listed is 5 miles if one counts inside the park/landmark as its own section i.e. WWoS is a 2-3 mile loop inside the landmark. This makes the prep time and the granular race strategy very manageable.

What I suggest as a tool for those energy zapped periods that can come on all of a sudden are those tools used to stay on a run in training. Focus on the runner in front of you and tie an imaginary string to them and allow them to pull you. Run to the next character, mile post, street light, crack, run 10 strides& whatever it takes to get going again and then keep pushing that distance out as you make your short goal. GG mentioned hanging her head  raise you head up, lower the shoulders and take in a few deep and cleansing breathes. These will lower the upper body stress and add a smile as you do it. You will recover the by doing these the first crash or so on course.

Grab the photographer location sheet at the expo and memorize their locations. You never what to look bad in a photo so if you know where to expect them, you can loosen up, smile and be on stride as you pass the photo zones. For the full, look for them on Main, In Tomorrowland, Coming out of Cinderella Castle, on the Indy Track, In DAK with the Tree of life in the background (I would assume Dinoland exit for that), just after the right turn past Everest, and possibly one where they catch the Dino from Dinoland in the background, In the ball park at WWoS, On the main street of DHS, possibly in front of the Thrill Ride, England/France and China as you crest the hills and along the Spaceship Earth. These locations are never guaranteed and have changed from year to year.

Hope this helps some&.


Oh, and yes, parts of the race will suck to high heavens as you run it. I tend to forget the sucking on Monday and only recall the top half of the experience.

 

[FFigawi]

You hit 14-17 so many times in training though that it's nothing new by the time the race comes around. Anything over 20 is kind of uncharted territory.

Only your first time. I view 20+ as the time to dig deep, start passing people, and get that next PR. If it's just a race for fun, though, then there's not much difference before or after 20. They're all just steady, easy miles spent looking around, enjoying the sights & sounds, and having fun with the crowd.

 

[RussTKD]

I finally figured out the cause of Goofygirl’s problem last year. It’s mental. Experienced marathoners have been there and can relate. She pushed and pushed, the weather was warmer than normal, she knew she was close to a landmark and yet, the course through a nasty little hill at her that was totally unexpected and GG was expecting the gateway to the park. Instead, as thanks for making past Old Sarge (Army Guy) she was welcomed to a long stretch of World Drive, AGAIN! Having an unexpected turn can be a cruel and real crusher and as GG has indicated in a few posts, a game changer.

I fall back to a paraphrased Lao-Tzu quote “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” As I was preparing for my very first marathon I was watching the old ESPN Running and Racing program and that quote popped up and I took it to heart. Simply, the finish line of the marathon looks too far to conquer from the start line so one really must break the race into manageable bite sized pieces. As a start, break the course into highlighted landmarks. For Disney it’s the Start, MK, Indy Track, DAK, WWoS, DHS and then Epcot. What I do from there is lay out each section into the landmarks that make that section a winner and run to them. I try to know the mile marks, streets, and corners in mind as I hit those sections. I also want to know from driving and previous experience, the parts of that section I want to save and bundle energy for. I think the longest distance in my bundles listed is 5 miles if one counts inside the park/landmark as it’s own section i.e. WWoS is a 2-3 mile loop inside the landmark. This makes the prep time and the granular race strategy very manageable.

What I suggest as a tool for those energy zapped periods that can come on all of a sudden are those tools used to stay on a run in training. Focus on the runner in front of you and tie an imaginary string to them and allow them to pull you. Run to the next character, mile post, street light, crack, run 10 strides… whatever it takes to get going again and then keep pushing that distance out as you make your short goal. GG mentioned hanging her head – raise you head up, lower the shoulders and take in a few deep and cleansing breathes. These will lower the upper body stress and add a smile as you do it. You will recover the by doing these the first crash or so on course.

Grab the photographer location sheet at the expo and memorize their locations. You never what to look bad in a photo so if you know where to expect them, you can loosen up, smile and be on stride as you pass the photo zones. For the full, look for them on Main, In Tomorrowland, Coming out of Cinderella Castle, on the Indy Track, In DAK with the Tree of life in the background (I would assume Dinoland exit for that), just after the right turn past Everest, and possibly one where they catch the Dino from Dinoland in the background, In the ball park at WWoS, On the main street of DHS, possibly in front of the Thrill Ride, England/France and China as you crest the hills and along the Spaceship Earth. These locations are never guaranteed and have changed from year to year.

Hope this helps some….


Oh, and yes, parts of the race will suck to high heavens as you run it. I tend to forget the sucking on Monday and only recall the top half of the experience.

This is fantastic.

I've only run races at home on courses I know very well, so I can look at a map and know what to expect. For Dopey I'll spend quite a bit of time memorizing the course maps to mentally get myself ready for the various "sections".

 

[ZellyB]

Great advice as usual, Coach. I refer to the WWoS section as the ninth circle of h.e. Double l. The wheels really fell off for me at that part of the race and the remainder was drudgery. I did manage to enjoy portions of the run after that but they were short-lived. I'm planning for this one to be better if for no other reason than I've done it before. But your suggestion of breaking the race up and giving myself small wins along the way is fantastic.

 

[Diskidatheart]

Thanks Coach for the advice. I will plan on breaking up the course into several different sections. That sounds like a great plan of attack and turns 1 long race into several mini-races (just what I need is to add more races to the Dopey Challenge ).

I've also read to have backup plans for your race. You should have an ultimate goal, a realistic goal, and a backup goal. My ultimate is to break 4 hours (I don't know if it will be possible with all the other races preceeding this one). My realistic goal is to run the pace I did in my training and finish with an average of a 10 minute mile or slightly better. If I get through parts of the race and I feel like I just don't have it in me and I can't push any harder, then my final backup plan is to just have fun and get some character pictures and just have a blast as I cross the finish line.