Marathon Weekend 2017!

[Ariel484]

This is my first time trying the Dopey. Anyone finish it a previous year have any tips for it? I think I'm going to take the first 3 races pretty slow so I can save myself to try and post a decent enough time in the marathon.

I finished Dopey in 2015 (I have a trip report linked in my signature if you'd like to read it). I agree with @FFigawi that training for it wasn't much different than training for a marathon for me - added in a few back-to-back runs and one week where I had a "mock Dopey," more for the mental confidence than anything else. Training and getting up early each morning (I think I was up at 4:30 for the 5K and 2:45 for the other 3 races) were the toughest parts. The races themselves were a blast, but I am one of *those* who stops for tons of pictures, so I almost never felt tired because I was taking every race easy and because I had trained pretty diligently.

So yeah, I guess my biggest piece of advice is to take the training seriously - pick a plan that works with your schedule and your body, and stick to it. Think of the race weekend as a reward for the hard work you did in those weeks and months leading up to it - it will be worth it!

4. Chear team packages are way overpriced--I have bought them in the past, and they are not worth the money. Your family can easily get to and meet you in the tent area when the race is over. They can also stand in the parking lots at EPCOT and the Ticket and Transportation center for free.

Okay, I'm glad someone said this! I've never used ChEAR packages but they seem like a total rip-off to me. I spectated the Princess Half in 2014 and was able to see my BFF 3 separate times, and it didn't cost me anything. Seems like if you have knowledge of the race courses and how the transportation system works, and if you're willing to get up early, you can see people a lot without having to pay for it.

 

[FFigawi]

1. Enjoy the Wide World of Sports Expo (race package pick up and merchant sales)--my favorite part--and have fun buying costume running wear, but make sure your skin is fully protected from chafing--my son's girlfriend ended up with serious chafing from a "Frozen" themed skort that did not protect inner thighs.

Speaking of the expo, I suggest buying a refillable mug of beer from the cart outside the expo. You can stick it in your check bag and use it to get half-price beer after the finish.

5. We will be in Florida, but it is almost guaranteed to be FREEZING (for a Floridian, this means 50 degrees or colder) at race start. So, I recommend you bring/wear your rattiest sweatshirt/hoodie to throw by the side of the race course, just as you would up North. Disney does pass out Mylar sheets at the end of the race.

I would ask that whatever you bring to discard is not the rattiest stuff you have. Disney collects all of the clothing and donates them to shelters and other places of need in the Orlando area. I'm not saying your throw-away clothes should be brand new, but leave the ones with the holes and grease stains at home and bring something used but still wearable by a person in need who will like to receive it.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Marathon Weekend Goals

Now that registration is out of the way for most of us, I'd love to hear your goals for Marathon Weekend. Here's how I see goals. They're personal. You chose it because that goal means something to you. It's important to you. Which means your goal is important to me. No goal is too big or too small. The person's goal to finish their first 5K and another's to take down Michael Wardian's Dopey World Record are equally important to me. So, I'd love to hear yours. And yes, even the super secret I don't want to admit it goals.

Here are some ideas if you haven't thought about it:

Finish my first: 5K, 10K, Half, Full, Goofy, Dopey
Finish with a time goal
Run a race with a family member
Overcome an adversity in your life
Drink a beer or margarita at a certain mile marker
Participate in DATW (Drinking Around the World) *Happens on Monday in EPCOT (ask @FFigawi about it)
Beat a family member
Get as many character photos as possible
Get a character photo with a certain character
Do lots of park time and enjoy the races
Have fun

So, let's hear them! What's your goal?

 

[FFigawi]

Good idea, @DopeyBadger. I think you should keep track of all the goals somehow and bring this topic and those goals up again in December. By that point, everyone will have completed their training and can make any adjustment to their goals needed to account for injury, improvements during training, etc.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

Marathon Weekend Goals

Now that registration is out of the way for most of us, I'd love to hear your goals for Marathon Weekend. Here's how I see goals. They're personal. You chose it because that goal means something to you. It's important to you. Which means your goal is important to me. No goal is too big or too small. The person's goal to finish their first 5K and another's to take down Michael Wardian's Dopey World Record are equally important to me. So, I'd love to hear yours. And yes, even the super secret I don't want to admit it goals.

Here are some ideas if you haven't thought about it:

Finish my first: 5K, 10K, Half, Full, Goofy, Dopey
Finish with a time goal
Run a race with a family member
Overcome an adversity in your life
Drink a beer or margarita at a certain mile marker
Participate in DATW (Drinking Around the World) *Happens on Monday in EPCOT (ask @FFigawi about it)
Beat a family member
Get as many character photos as possible
Get a character photo with a certain character
Do lots of park time and enjoy the races
Have fun

So, let's hear them! What's your goal?

My goal is just to finish Goofy/ my first marathon. I'm sure once it gets closer I will add times but for right now I just want to finish and have a good time,it is Disney after all.

 

[Ariel484]

My goal is to stick to training as well as possible (running, lifting and yoga) and not re-injure myself. And to really appreciate each successful run completed. And to have fun during the races. No time goals.

 

[rteetz]

Marathon Weekend Goals

Now that registration is out of the way for most of us, I'd love to hear your goals for Marathon Weekend. Here's how I see goals. They're personal. You chose it because that goal means something to you. It's important to you. Which means your goal is important to me. No goal is too big or too small. The person's goal to finish their first 5K and another's to take down Michael Wardian's Dopey World Record are equally important to me. So, I'd love to hear yours. And yes, even the super secret I don't want to admit it goals.

Here are some ideas if you haven't thought about it:

Finish my first: 5K, 10K, Half, Full, Goofy, Dopey
Finish with a time goal
Run a race with a family member
Overcome an adversity in your life
Drink a beer or margarita at a certain mile marker
Participate in DATW (Drinking Around the World) *Happens on Monday in EPCOT (ask @FFigawi about it)
Beat a family member
Get as many character photos as possible
Get a character photo with a certain character
Do lots of park time and enjoy the races
Have fun

So, let's hear them! What's your goal?

My goals right now are just to complete dopey. I don't have any specific time goals.

I have some family and friends doing the 5K so I just kind of want to enjoy that with them.

For races like the 10k and maybe the half I want to have fun and get character photos.

The full will be all about finishing. I'm sure I'll take a few photos but I just want to finish and get my dopey medal.

 

[Nole95]

Right now, my goal would be to PR the half.
I did Goofy in 2015 and got a PR in both races, so I know it can be done on the Disney courses.

Of course the weather for the half in 2015 was just about perfect for me, so it will all depend on that.

 

[Barca33Runner]

Marathon Weekend Goals

Now that registration is out of the way for most of us, I'd love to hear your goals for Marathon Weekend. Here's how I see goals. They're personal. You chose it because that goal means something to you. It's important to you. Which means your goal is important to me. No goal is too big or too small. The person's goal to finish their first 5K and another's to take down Michael Wardian's Dopey World Record are equally important to me. So, I'd love to hear yours. And yes, even the super secret I don't want to admit it goals.

Here are some ideas if you haven't thought about it:

Finish my first: 5K, 10K, Half, Full, Goofy, Dopey
Finish with a time goal
Run a race with a family member
Overcome an adversity in your life
Drink a beer or margarita at a certain mile marker
Participate in DATW (Drinking Around the World) *Happens on Monday in EPCOT (ask @FFigawi about it)
Beat a family member
Get as many character photos as possible
Get a character photo with a certain character
Do lots of park time and enjoy the races
Have fun

So, let's hear them! What's your goal?

My journal details my goal for Marathon Weekend 2017. I am trying to finish the entire Dopey Challenge in under 7:11:00, which is the time it took me to finish my first marathon. I am not always the best at updating my journal or weaving interesting stories into it, but I am trying to use it to stay accountable to my goal.

 

[lhermiston]

My primary goal is to just finish my first marathon, preferably with no walking.

My secondary goal would be to finish at or under 4 hours, 30 minutes.

Both of these goals infer I don't reinjure myself during training, which is an ongoing goal.

Finally, I just hope to have a fun-filled and rewarding long weekend at WDW, my first solo trip.

 

[alexksmith]

Good idea, @DopeyBadger. I think you should keep track of all the goals somehow and bring this topic and those goals up again in December. By that point, everyone will have completed their training and can make any adjustment to their goals needed to account for injury, improvements during training, etc.

That's a good idea. I suppose my main goal is just to finish each race of the Dopey. Secondary goals include getting my sister through the 10k, getting my brother through the half maraton, and finishing the marathon in a respectable time, despite stopping for characters.

How long, typically, do you have to wait for pictures and the like while on the course? I know I want to take time for that considering that seems to be the main reason for the extra cost of a disney race, I just don't know how much it will hold me up.

 

[CarolynFH]

My goals are to finish my first 5K (my first race ever), enjoy running with DH (who's doing this only because I want him to), and enjoy experiencing the race with DD & DSIL although I know they'll be far ahead of us during the actual race!

I would ask that whatever you bring to discard is not the rattiest stuff you have. Disney collects all of the clothing and donates them to shelters and other places of need in the Orlando area. I'm not saying your throw-away clothes should be brand new, but leave the ones with the holes and grease stains at home and bring something used but still wearable by a person in need who will like to receive it.

Thanks for this information - I'll share with my family members!

 

[Ariel484]

How long, typically, do you have to wait for pictures and the like while on the course? I know I want to take time for that considering that seems to be the main reason for the extra cost of a disney race, I just don't know how much it will hold me up.

Depends on a few things - the race you're running, the corral you're in, who the character is...

I have found that the lines are the longest at the 5Ks. Those races are way more relaxed, so more people stop for pictures.
Earlier corrals will have shorter lines
And the more rare characters will have longer lines. There's normally a villains photo-op on Bear Island Road that has a pretty long line. And lines toward the end of the race tend to be much, much shorter because at that point people just want to be done.

I think the longest I've waited in a line was 8-10 minutes. But they're normally pretty good about getting the lines to move quickly - there are no autograph books and minimal interaction with the characters, and they normally will have 2 CMs manning the cameras. CM #1 would be taking the current runner's picture, while CM#2 is getting the next runner's camera ready. Then CM#2 takes the next picture while CM#1 is getting the next camera ready, and so on.

 

[surfde22]

Marathon Weekend Goals

Now that registration is out of the way for most of us, I'd love to hear your goals for Marathon Weekend. Here's how I see goals. They're personal. You chose it because that goal means something to you. It's important to you. Which means your goal is important to me. No goal is too big or too small. The person's goal to finish their first 5K and another's to take down Michael Wardian's Dopey World Record are equally important to me. So, I'd love to hear yours. And yes, even the super secret I don't want to admit it goals.

Here are some ideas if you haven't thought about it:

Finish my first: 5K, 10K, Half, Full, Goofy, Dopey
Finish with a time goal
Run a race with a family member
Overcome an adversity in your life
Drink a beer or margarita at a certain mile marker
Participate in DATW (Drinking Around the World) *Happens on Monday in EPCOT (ask @FFigawi about it)
Beat a family member
Get as many character photos as possible
Get a character photo with a certain character
Do lots of park time and enjoy the races
Have fun

So, let's hear them! What's your goal?

I feel like one of these goals, "beat a family member", was targeted at me, since I haven't been shy about wanting to beat my brother. The goal there is two fold, one to beat him on the actual race days, and two, to beat each of his times from his 2014 Dopey. Other goals include a sub-4 marathon and watching my mom and cheering her on as she finishes her first 10k at 63 years of age and enjoying my son's first trip to Disney and watching him "compete" in the Diaper Dash.

 

[hotblooded]

Speaking of the expo, I suggest buying a refillable mug of beer from the cart outside the expo. You can stick it in your check bag and use it to get half-price beer after the finish.



I would ask that whatever you bring to discard is not the rattiest stuff you have. Disney collects all of the clothing and donates them to shelters and other places of need in the Orlando area. I'm not saying your throw-away clothes should be brand new, but leave the ones with the holes and grease stains at home and bring something used but still wearable by a person in need who will like to receive it.

Most of the "donated" clothes will likely be sent to textile recycling plants for cash anyhow, so I wouldn't worry too much about making sure you leave something nice.

 

[Dan1]

My goals are (A) to be able to finish on my bad knee the 3 races for which I am registered and (B) to get that special pic with DW during one of the races. During the Jan 2015 10K we got our pc with Genie, an amazing pic that we cherish and will forever.

 

[hauntedcity]

As Ryan mentioned, you can just call and book now. As a repeat January resort booker, and someone who really dislikes making decisions on the phone without a visual, I've used this trick to get a sense of resort rates for early January before calling: I plug in December 31 as a check-in date and then January 9 as our check-out date. You'll be able to see rack rates for each night at the beginning of January by clicking "rate details." I like to look it up and consider that info before calling. I'll probably call to book our first few days in a value soon, and then when discounts pop up in the fall, I'll book January 4-9 at a deluxe (and our choice will depend on availability of discounts.)

Thanks, that's a great idea. Apparently, they're maxing their rates for that weekend. For example, Pop is $102/nt on all the surrounding dates, but $140/nt for the Marathon weekend nights.

 

[hauntedcity]

the wife and I have used the plans that are on the rundisney site and they have worked amazing ! I was not a runner and within 12 months i completed the dopey challenge this past january

I love the Jeff Galloway plans, too.

The RunDisney YouTube channel used to have a bunch of videos where Jeff explained the plans, and showed how to do his various exercises (magic mile, acceleration gliders, cadence drills) which are referenced in the plans. However, I can't find those on YouTube anymore. Did RunDisney take them down?

 

[croach]

Speaking of the expo, I suggest buying a refillable mug of beer from the cart outside the expo. You can stick it in your check bag and use it to get half-price beer after the finish.

Quality advice right there.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

Can you get a better rate for WDW hotels through RunDisney? I know when I booked DLR through them the savings was significant.