Official 2014 Dopey Challenge Thread!

[garner384]

Below is a jumbled mess of a post that I just wanted to get written, sorry for rambling.
So I am finally back to running consistently for the first time since the Goofy this year.
I had a hard time motivating myself between the Detroit Marathon in October and the Goofy. Because of that my Goofy results were not what I wanted them to be. After the Goofy I had a even harder time finding motivation, I basically took 4 months off. Now I need to lose 15-25 pounds and get back into running shape.

My longest run has been 4 miles and I have been running 3 days a week. This week I am adding a fourth day to my training and I am hoping to find time for strength training. I am running the Detroit Marathon this October again and want to start that training at the end of June. but I need to be able to run more than 4 miles for that to happen.

Hopefully I can lose the wieght and be ready to do the Dopey by January.

 

[swimfly]

Below is a jumbled mess of a post that I just wanted to get written, sorry for rambling.
So I am finally back to running consistently for the first time since the Goofy this year.
I had a hard time motivating myself between the Detroit Marathon in October and the Goofy. Because of that my Goofy results were not what I wanted them to be. After the Goofy I had a even harder time finding motivation, I basically took 4 months off. Now I need to lose 15-25 pounds and get back into running shape.

My longest run has been 4 miles and I have been running 3 days a week. This week I am adding a fourth day to my training and I am hoping to find time for strength training. I am running the Detroit Marathon this October again and want to start that training at the end of June. but I need to be able to run more than 4 miles for that to happen.

Hopefully I can lose the wieght and be ready to do the Dopey by January.

You ABSOLUTELY can! It took me awhile to get my running legs back below me after my first Goofy. Took me even longer to get running post-baby. You took the first step in venting your frustrations and getting a plan in place.

Thoughts on Detroit? DH is from Detroit and asked me to run it this year so we can visit with family. Not so sure I can handle Detroit (Oct), Savannah (Nov) & Dopey.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Hope everyone is doing well. I ran 35 miles this past week, including a 15 mile run in the rain, which was sort of fun, if you like not being able to see, lol.

 

[DoctorK]

Just an FYI, and maybe it's on me and I missed something but...

I submitted a 10K time for the Wine & Dine half marathon and asked that it also be used for the WDW Half Marathon portion of the Dopey, and was told that only 10 Mile+ times are acceptable for any portion of the Dopey. I will have a half marathon time to submit later this summer but just wanted to clarify in case it wasn't clear that there's no sense in submitting anything less than 10 miles.

 

[WhereInFlorida]

Hope everyone is doing well. I ran 35 miles this past week, including a 15 mile run in the rain, which was sort of fun, if you like not being able to see, lol.

A morning Spring run with light rain/mist is fantastic. A run in hard-blinding rain...not so great.

 

[garner384]

Thoughts on Detroit? DH is from Detroit and asked me to run it this year so we can visit with family. Not so sure I can handle Detroit (Oct), Savannah (Nov) & Dopey.

I like the Detroit Marathon, it is pretty cool to run over the bridge to Canada and then back through the tunnel. The run up the bridge is a big hill but at mile 3-4 and the tunnel can be very hot, if it is cold do not shed layers in the tunnel. The marathon route takes you through some of the better areas of the downtown area of Detroit. (Corktown, Downtown, Indian Village, Belle Isle, and the Riverfront) The few miles along the Canadian riverfront are also nice. There is a decent amount of spectators. I may be bias because I work downtown and run parts of the route often. You do need your Passport or enhanced Drivers License to pick up your packet since you go to Canada during the race.

Overall it is a well organized event.

 

[swimfly]

Hope everyone is doing well. I ran 35 miles this past week, including a 15 mile run in the rain, which was sort of fun, if you like not being able to see, lol.

Yikes! When it's really pouring and I have to get a run in I try to use a visor. Kudos for having a 35 mile week!

I like the Detroit Marathon, it is pretty cool to run over the bridge to Canada and then back through the tunnel. The run up the bridge is a big hill but at mile 3-4 and the tunnel can be very hot, if it is cold do not shed layers in the tunnel. The marathon route takes you through some of the better areas of the downtown area of Detroit. (Corktown, Downtown, Indian Village, Belle Isle, and the Riverfront) The few miles along the Canadian riverfront are also nice. There is a decent amount of spectators. I may be bias because I work downtown and run parts of the route often. You do need your Passport or enhanced Drivers License to pick up your packet since you go to Canada during the race.

Overall it is a well organized event.

Thanks for your feedback. I love the idea of running back and forth to Canada. Not so sure about that tunnel though!

 

[jeanigor]

Below is a jumbled mess of a post that I just wanted to get written, sorry for rambling.
So I am finally back to running consistently for the first time since the Goofy this year.
I had a hard time motivating myself between the Detroit Marathon in October and the Goofy. Because of that my Goofy results were not what I wanted them to be. After the Goofy I had a even harder time finding motivation, I basically took 4 months off. Now I need to lose 15-25 pounds and get back into running shape.

My longest run has been 4 miles and I have been running 3 days a week. This week I am adding a fourth day to my training and I am hoping to find time for strength training. I am running the Detroit Marathon this October again and want to start that training at the end of June. but I need to be able to run more than 4 miles for that to happen.

Hopefully I can lose the wieght and be ready to do the Dopey by January.

You ABSOLUTELY can! It took me awhile to get my running legs back below me after my first Goofy. Took me even longer to get running post-baby. You took the first step in venting your frustrations and getting a plan in place.

Thoughts on Detroit? DH is from Detroit and asked me to run it this year so we can visit with family. Not so sure I can handle Detroit (Oct), Savannah (Nov) & Dopey.

I hope to do the Detroit Half next year. I was on a cruise last year and find myself on another this year. I am attracted towards being able to run in two countries and enter/exit via different transportation viaducts. Yeah, I'm a geek.

 

[boxmaster]

Hope everyone is doing well. I ran 35 miles this past week, including a 15 mile run in the rain, which was sort of fun, if you like not being able to see, lol.

Try wearing glasses at the beginning of the races in WDW where it's foggy and quickly the glasses fog over, too. So, not only is it dark out (and, in some
spots, pitch black because of a lack of street lighting) but you can't see through the fog on your glasses. Talk about not being able to see!

 

[rachlovestv]

I had an awesome race this weekend and just wanted to share! I'm currently in training for the Seattle RnR Marathon in June, which will be my first full. Though I've been running regularly for the past two years, I'd always stuck to just doing 3 runs a week. 2 months ago, when I started my marathon training, I added a fourth running day, and have hit about 30 miles a week for the past month.

I've definitely felt stronger and stronger as the weeks have gone by, so I was hoping this weekend to finally break the 2:30 barrier that I've been aiming for in vain during the past year. My previous PR (set at Wine and Dine last year) was 2:31:58.

Yesterday, I ran the RnR Portland Half, and it went better than I could have even dreamed! The weather was perfectly overcast, and my race plan worked out perfectly - I pushed my pace in the early, flat miles so I could ease up a bit on the hills. Then it turned out I didn't need to ease up as much as I thought during the hills! By mile 8, I knew that, unless I injured myself somehow, I was definitely going to finish under 2:30, the question was, how far under. At mile 11, I caught up with one of my best friends, who had a PR of 2:25, and encouraged him to push the last two miles, so he could get a new PR, too.

At the end, I crossed the finish line at 2:24:17, a time that I dreamed of many times, but never realistically hoped for! I'm beyond ecstatic, and want to tell everyone about it, though they of course don't really know how amazing it is (to me, at least). And it too it all off, my friend who I caught up with at mile 11 got a PR, too, as did another of our best friends, who finally succeeded in breaking the 2 hour barrier and finished in 1:57:25!!

All in all, a fantastic weekend! I just wanted to share my excitement with you guys, and show the proof that of you stick to your training plan, you really can achieve your goals! See you all in January for Dopey (and some of you in Sept for Dumbo, too)!

 

[swimfly]

At the end, I crossed the finish line at 2:24:17, a time that I dreamed of many times, but never realistically hoped for! I'm beyond ecstatic, and want to tell everyone about it, though they of course don't really know how amazing it is (to me, at least).

Rock star! Congratulations on an awesome run! Enjoy the Seattle RNR in June. Be sure to keep us updated. Did you buy a RNR pass?

 

[rachlovestv]

Rock star! Congratulations on an awesome run! Enjoy the Seattle RNR in June. Be sure to keep us updated. Did you buy a RNR pass?

Thanks! I will!

I wanted to buy a pass, but I could really only do 3 of the races this year, so it wasn't worth it financially. My friend got one, though, and he's signed up for 7 races this year! It definitely seems worth it if you have the time/money to travel a lot in one year.

 

[ColleenG]

I had an awesome race this weekend and just wanted to share! I'm currently in training for the Seattle RnR Marathon in June, which will be my first full. Though I've been running regularly for the past two years, I'd always stuck to just doing 3 runs a week. 2 months ago, when I started my marathon training, I added a fourth running day, and have hit about 30 miles a week for the past month.

I've definitely felt stronger and stronger as the weeks have gone by, so I was hoping this weekend to finally break the 2:30 barrier that I've been aiming for in vain during the past year. My previous PR (set at Wine and Dine last year) was 2:31:58.

Yesterday, I ran the RnR Portland Half, and it went better than I could have even dreamed! The weather was perfectly overcast, and my race plan worked out perfectly - I pushed my pace in the early, flat miles so I could ease up a bit on the hills. Then it turned out I didn't need to ease up as much as I thought during the hills! By mile 8, I knew that, unless I injured myself somehow, I was definitely going to finish under 2:30, the question was, how far under. At mile 11, I caught up with one of my best friends, who had a PR of 2:25, and encouraged him to push the last two miles, so he could get a new PR, too.

At the end, I crossed the finish line at 2:24:17, a time that I dreamed of many times, but never realistically hoped for! I'm beyond ecstatic, and want to tell everyone about it, though they of course don't really know how amazing it is (to me, at least). And it too it all off, my friend who I caught up with at mile 11 got a PR, too, as did another of our best friends, who finally succeeded in breaking the 2 hour barrier and finished in 1:57:25!!

All in all, a fantastic weekend! I just wanted to share my excitement with you guys, and show the proof that of you stick to your training plan, you really can achieve your goals! See you all in January for Dopey (and some of you in Sept for Dumbo, too)!

Congrats on an awesome race! PRing is the best feeling ever. I PRd 2 weeks ago in a half and wasn't expecting to. It's early in the season and I hadn't been running as much as I would have liked. I know what you mean about getting to that point and knowing you can do it, but by how much. Way to kick those hill's @$$!

 

[goofeygirl]

I had an awesome race this weekend and just wanted to share! I'm currently in training for the Seattle RnR Marathon in June, which will be my first full. Though I've been running regularly for the past two years, I'd always stuck to just doing 3 runs a week. 2 months ago, when I started my marathon training, I added a fourth running day, and have hit about 30 miles a week for the past month.

I've definitely felt stronger and stronger as the weeks have gone by, so I was hoping this weekend to finally break the 2:30 barrier that I've been aiming for in vain during the past year. My previous PR (set at Wine and Dine last year) was 2:31:58.

Yesterday, I ran the RnR Portland Half, and it went better than I could have even dreamed! The weather was perfectly overcast, and my race plan worked out perfectly - I pushed my pace in the early, flat miles so I could ease up a bit on the hills. Then it turned out I didn't need to ease up as much as I thought during the hills! By mile 8, I knew that, unless I injured myself somehow, I was definitely going to finish under 2:30, the question was, how far under. At mile 11, I caught up with one of my best friends, who had a PR of 2:25, and encouraged him to push the last two miles, so he could get a new PR, too.

At the end, I crossed the finish line at 2:24:17, a time that I dreamed of many times, but never realistically hoped for! I'm beyond ecstatic, and want to tell everyone about it, though they of course don't really know how amazing it is (to me, at least). And it too it all off, my friend who I caught up with at mile 11 got a PR, too, as did another of our best friends, who finally succeeded in breaking the 2 hour barrier and finished in 1:57:25!!

All in all, a fantastic weekend! I just wanted to share my excitement with you guys, and show the proof that of you stick to your training plan, you really can achieve your goals! See you all in January for Dopey (and some of you in Sept for Dumbo, too)!

Congrats on that! Nothing like the feeling of doing better than you thought, much better and setting a pr at the same time.
Good luck with your full in June. My next full before the Dopey challange is in Oct.

 

[boxmaster]

Just an FYI, and maybe it's on me and I missed something but...

I submitted a 10K time for the Wine & Dine half marathon and asked that it also be used for the WDW Half Marathon portion of the Dopey, and was told that only 10 Mile+ times are acceptable for any portion of the Dopey. I will have a half marathon time to submit later this summer but just wanted to clarify in case it wasn't clear that there's no sense in submitting anything less than 10 miles.

Must be relatively new, because for the 2012 Dopey Challenge, I submitted a 10k time from November 2011. (And was able to get Corral A for it, even though I surely wasn't quite that fast.)

 

[swimfly]

Must be relatively new, because for the 2012 Dopey Challenge, I submitted a 10k time from November 2011. (And was able to get Corral A for it, even though I surely wasn't quite that fast.)

I think you're confusing Goofy with Dopey. The Dopey is new for 2014. I'm pretty sure the 1/2 marathon requirement for POT is to deter new runners from attempting the Dopey and encouraging runners to get in a 1/2 before the Dopey. It wasn't really clear on the runDisney site until I re-read the information. Thanks to posting it here DoctorK.

 

[boxmaster]

I think you're confusing Goofy with Dopey. The Dopey is new for 2014. I'm pretty sure the 1/2 marathon requirement for POT is to deter new runners from attempting the Dopey and encouraging runners to get in a 1/2 before the Dopey. It wasn't really clear on the runDisney site until I re-read the information. Thanks to posting it here DoctorK.

D'oh! I can't believe I did that. Yes, of course, you are correct. I was talking about the Goofy Challenge for 2012. Which, clearly, shouldn't be relevant for what they will be accepting for times for Dopey.

 

[rachlovestv]

Congrats on an awesome race! PRing is the best feeling ever. I PRd 2 weeks ago in a half and wasn't expecting to. It's early in the season and I hadn't been running as much as I would have liked. I know what you mean about getting to that point and knowing you can do it, but by how much. Way to kick those hill's @$$!

Congrats on that! Nothing like the feeling of doing better than you thought, much better and setting a pr at the same time.
Good luck with your full in June. My next full before the Dopey challange is in Oct.

Thanks so much! I'm still so excited! Good luck on your next races, too!

 

[croach]

I was just reading an article that said runDisney has in the past had a small table for race day bib pick up. Anyone seen or heard of this? Apparently they don't advertise it. I don't remember seeing it at the 2013 marathon weekend but I wasn't really looking. Would be nice for the 5k morning since I could get into Orlando later and skip the expo on Wednesday.

 

[PaGaLaGirl]

Does anyone have a good feeling about how many corrals there will be and what type of times corresponds to the first few corrals? Trying to decide if I should try to run a fast ( for me) half before submitting my final POT. The one I used for registration was from a race I ran with friends and did not push at all. 2:06 half. Where does that put me in terms of corrals?