2019 Goofy Challenge Race Report
I ran Goofy this year without benefit of a taper, but with the plus of treating the races as supported training runs.
Half Marathon
I don’t like the half marathon course. There, I said it. I find it the least appealing of all the courses at Marathon Weekend. It doesn’t help that the course chewed me up and spit me out with a personal worst half time by a whopping 23 minutes last year. There was a score to settle here.
I went out targeting just over an 11:00mm pace and held it easily through the first half of the course. I consistently sped up the 2nd half of the course. Why? TMI, but I didn’t want to use an on course bathroom. Ended up cruising in with a 2:24:47 final, which is a personal best on this course by some margin. I’m always running a challenge at this weekend so the half gets the “take it easy to get ready for the full” treatment. Regardless, mission accomplished and demons exorcised.
Marathon
The morning started with a great meet up, which always helps calm the nerves. Ran into
@garneska and DH again in the corral and ended up running some with him later around the TTC. Even though this was to be a supported training run at heart, I had a goal of sub-5:00. All 3 previous marathons here have finished in the 5s. I just wanted a time starting with a 4 to add to the mix.
Long story short, all went smoothly until WWoS, when the effort in combination with the heat coming into play started to drain me. I was also on the
@Keels math struggle bus as I, for some reason was having a hard time calculating what I needed to run the rest of the way to get sub-5:00. I settled on using the mile markers instead of my watch, which was off by >1\4 mile by that point and all went smoothly until I hit the 26 mile marker. I was expecting to see ~4:50 on the clock, but it read 4:59 which put my goal in danger. I “sprinted” the last 1/4 mile only to see 4:52 on the finish line clock as I turned the corner! @#$&#! Finishing time was 4:48:41, well within my goal. Thrilled with that.
Bonus Marathon Coverage
A lot of you got to meet DD, who was running her 1st marathon today with a sprained ankle. She looked great on tracking through halfway and then her pace dropped by ~3:00mm at the 20 mile mat. Found out later that she stepped off the road and aggravated the ankle in a crowd on the pre AK out and back section. I went into Epcot to watch for her and sweat out her ability to stay ahead of the sweepers. While waiting, I think I saw
@run.minnie.miles go by, but wasn’t sure and then definitely saw
@jennamfeo. Spoiler alert: the Pom poms made it to the bitter end! DD finally came through with a pace group she’d hooked up with late to finish her first in 6:27:24. I am one proud dad right now!
Overall
It’s been one of the most fun Marathon Weekends yet, despite the Dopey FOMO. Now bring on DATW and Pandamonium 2019!
. After getting swept last year, I needed this redemption. Thanks to all of you for the support and to @DopeyBadger for the coaching 
