Marathon Weekend 2017!

[camaker]

This morning on my tempo run I ran past a restaurant and the smell of bacon had filled the air. What is the proper running decision: 1. Slow down the pace considerably and enjoy that glorious smell or 2. Continue along at pace and not ruin my average?

3. Pause the Garmin. Go in and have some bacon. Resume the run at the previous pace. No impact to average!

 

[opusone]

3. Pause the Garmin. Go in and have some bacon. Resume the run at the previous pace. No impact to average!

Of course, this assumes the recently consumed bacon will have no effect on your average pace.

 

[Tardisblue]

3. Pause the Garmin. Go in and have some bacon. Resume the run at the previous pace. No impact to average!

Doesn't someone do an unofficial Bacon Challenge during the WDW Marathon with a medal and everything? Near Boardwalk or Beach Club? Help me me out people.

Bacon.

 

[Baloo in MI]

so would I be nuts to sign up for dopey in Jan? I just completed W&D half. I've been on a good training plan so why not keep going?

I recognize this conversation is from yesterday so I am a little late to the party. I read through the responses to your question, and I think the feedback is sound and coming from some of the threads really accomplished runners. All people I pay attention to.

I am struggling a bit only in that I believe the choice is up to you and what you want to experience in the races. Is it just to finish the distance or are you wanting to set a time goal? Jumping from the half to the full is a big challenge; including it as part of Dopey really increases the challenge! It is not just the increased distance, but the difficulty of more distance on successive days on tired legs. For me anyway that has been the challenge.

Here is the thing. With the right amount of time I am sure you would kill it! And I think if you are motivated enough you could finish it this year following a plan like @LSUlakes outlined. But it would be very tough and you would increase injury possibilities. Would you enjoy that? If yes, go for it. This is ultimately all about ourselves anyway - setting and achieving personal goals.

Otherwise, set sights on next year and crush it! I hope I am not coming off preachy. Good luck which ever way you go.

 

[Ariel484]

The increased potential for injury that @LSUlakes and @Baloo in MI mentioned in increasing weekly mileage in such a short time is SPOT ON. I feel like that's why we see newer runners getting injured when they're jumping to something like Dopey in a short about of time. For some, it takes time - maybe even years - to adapt to running this much. Others can do it, but it's not for everyone...and that's one reason why the challenges that runDisney offers make me uneasy. I love doing them, but I didn't do my first one until I'd already been running for 4 years and had done multiple half marathons and a marathon, so I felt like by then I could handle it. I think a lot of people jump into them too early in their running careers and it sometimes borders on being unsafe.

 

[PrincessV]

I'll vouch for taking your time to build up mileage... as a life-long athlete and runner of short distances for a couple decades before training for my first double-digit race, I thought I could safely increase mileage pretty quickly. I wound up with injury after injury after injury. Finishing races in immense pain is not fun. NOT. FUN. And to me, the whole point of paying an exorbitant fee to race at Disney is to have FUN! My first full came after a more gradual buildup of weekly and monthly mileage over a couple years and I really think that's what led to a really good experience in both training and the actual marathon. As always, YMMV.

 

[PrincessV]

This morning on my tempo run I ran past a restaurant and the smell of bacon had filled the air. What is the proper running decision: 1. Slow down the pace considerably and enjoy that glorious smell or 2. Continue along at pace and not ruin my average?

3. Run faster until the smell is no longer there. (I hate the smell - and taste - of bacon!)

 

[Keels]

So question for all of you past Goofy and Dopey runners: @Ariel484 mentions the above highlighted for low point of the half (and I agree after running PHM), so is this area NOT an issue for the marathon too?

Yeah, it still sucks for the full ... but at least they play "Go The Distance" from 'Hercules' on repeat!

I'm curious to learn how you all determined you were ready for a marathon (i.e. How many halfs or challenges) and then on to dopey?

I'm confident I could run the 5K, 10K and half consecutively (although I've not ran a challenge) but the marathon (never having ran one) on the last day worries me.

Short Answer: For Dopey, it was because @FFigawi talked me into it.

Long Answer: I was planning on making the 2016 WDW Marathon my first Marathon. But when the time came for registration, I had run a 10K with success ... then trained up and ran my first half-marathon six weeks later. I was registered for both the 2015 Disneyland Half and 2015 Wine & Dine Half (they would be my first RunDisney weekends). I was already running four times a week to train for my two RunDisney half, along with the inaugural (SEE - SO EASY TO SPELL CORRECTLY) Cocoa Beach Half that was the weekend before Wine & Dine.

We got close to registration week and the Dopey seed that John had planted in my head had really started to take hold ... and grow and grow and grow. I talked to my husband and my parents, and then my Dad registered me for Dopey!

There were a LOT of other factors at play - I'm a SAHW, so I have lots of free time to train. I'm lucky that John helped me come up with a training plan that got me to the mileage I needed AND worked around multiple races I had scheduled and travel that I was planning to take.

If you're looking for an exact MOMENT when I knew I could do Dopey? I guess it would be Wine & Dine Weekend, maybe? I'd done a half marathon the weekend before, I'd been in the parks all week and then I did the Jingle Jungle 5K in the morning and the W&D Half of a Half that night and felt great.

Plus, I'm not really great at quitting things, so I knew that one way or another I was crossing that finish line - even if I had to crawl.

so would I be nuts to sign up for dopey in Jan? I just completed W&D half. I've been on a good training plan so why not keep going?

Only you can know what your limits and your training are! But if you're already thinking about it, well ...

No one can answer that question but you. I think you need to look at why you truly want to sign up for it (it sounds harsh but I think some people just want the medals and/or the attention - not saying that's you but it's something I have noticed) and whether you are prepared to dedicate yourself to taking your training up a notch.

This is what is SUPER annoying to me this time around.

 

[croach]

Yeah, it still sucks for the full ... but at least they play "Go The Distance" from 'Hercules' on repeat!

The last time I ran Marathon Weekend they had a poll to pick the song played for cone alley - Shake it Off won. So that was played on repeat. Not I that don't like TSwizzle but on a loop - nah.

 

[jeanigor]

The last time I ran Marathon Weekend they had a poll to pick the song played for cone alley - Shake it Off won. So that was played on repeat. Not I that don't like TSwizzle but on a loop - nah.

More incentive to not slow down in Cone Alley...

 

[TeeterTots]

I appreciate everyones input! You are all so helpful and with so many races under you all, it's great support.

I really enjoyed my first runDisney race. It's likely that this years Dopey won't work out but there is always next year! I guess I just wanted to know if I was a lunatic for thinking it. Lol.

 

[opusone]

I guess I just wanted to know if I was a lunatic for thinking it.

runner = lunatic (so, embrace your inner lunatic)

BTW, I think you are wise to hold off on Dopey. There is no need to rush since the race occurs each year, and there is no harm in getting more training in prior to a big challenge such as Dopey.

 

[WhereInFlorida]

The last time I ran Marathon Weekend they had a poll to pick the song played for cone alley - Shake it Off won. So that was played on repeat. Not I that don't like TSwizzle but on a loop - nah.

I don't remember that but probably blocked it out. How about her song "22" at mile 22 though: "...I don't know about you but I'm feeling 22..." seems appropriate.

 

[DOOM1001]

Doesn't someone do an unofficial Bacon Challenge during the WDW Marathon with a medal and everything? Near Boardwalk or Beach Club? Help me me out people.

Bacon.

The last time they did that was either in 2013 or 2014,you signed up and at the Boardwalk they had a booth where they gave you several strips of bacon to consume and a piggy bacon medal so you had a medal before actually finishing the race.I was looking forward to doing it but Disney for whatever reason shut them down from doing it.

 

[lhermiston]

http://www.themainstreetmouse.com/2...ed-images-of-their-2017-rundisney-collection/

The New Balance 2017 runDisney shoes are out and I'm ... underwhelmed. I had seriously been weighing getting a pair, but now I'm not so sure. Give me a Splash Mountain shoe, NB, and maybe I'll reconsider.

 

[hauntedcity]

http://www.themainstreetmouse.com/2...ed-images-of-their-2017-rundisney-collection/

The New Balance 2017 runDisney shoes are out and I'm ... underwhelmed. I had seriously been weighing getting a pair, but now I'm not so sure. Give me a Splash Mountain shoe, NB, and maybe I'll reconsider.

I'm very interested to see the Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion shoes in person. I don't have any RunDisney shoes yet, but these may be the ones. I'm hoping they have some more Disney flourishes that aren't visible in those low-res photos.

 

[lhermiston]

I'm very interested to see the Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion shoes in person. I don't have any RunDisney shoes yet, but these may be the ones. I'm hoping they have some more Disney flourishes that aren't visible in those low-res photos.

I like the color scheme of the Toy Story Mania shoes, but nothing about them feels very "Disney" to me.

 

[rteetz]

I like the color scheme of the Toy Story Mania shoes, but nothing about them feels very "Disney" to me.

I think the best one of them is HM because they have the eyes and purple color scheme. The rest just seem like they have colors from the attraction. I have dumbo, goofy, and Donald rundisney shoes and all of those are very well themed.

 

[lhermiston]

I think the best one of them is HM because they have the eyes and purple color scheme. The rest just seem like they have colors from the attraction. I have dumbo, goofy, and Donald rundisney shoes and all of those are very well themed.

I think the Sorceror Mickey shoes have been the best themed shoes. That's what I was hoping for.

 

[UNCBear24]

Hey everyone! Does anyone have recommendations on switching FROM 100% running to a run/walk plan? I've done four half marathons in the last three months, all between 1:57 and 2:05. I'd like to switch to run/walk to slow myself down to help prevent further knee injuries and to allow myself to have more energy after the first thirteen miles. Thank you to anyone who can help!!!

When I switched to run/walk it made a big difference in how I felt at the end of a marathon. So much better. I did run/walk for all but the 10k in Dopey and mile 26 was my fastest mile of the marathon. The best by FAR I've ever felt at the end of a marathon. I did a 2 min run/ 2 min walk for both the half and full. I would experiment on your longer runs with the ratios and see what works or feels the best for you depending on time goals vs just finishing. You may even run faster half times with the run/walk. I PR'd in my first run/walk marathon when I switched. Good luck!