Official Dopey 2017 Thread

[leaf44]

Could someone who registered tell me how much it cost to register for Dopey this year with Active Fees and such. I deferred last year, so I'm just wondering how much I will have to pay to register this year, minus last years registration cost. I spent a lot at the Star Wars half, last weekend I am just trying to plan how broke I will be . Thanks!

 

[FFigawi]

$596.96

 

[leaf44]

Thank you so much! Good luck in your training!

 

[Baloo in MI]

Sure hope to join the ranks of the 2017 Dopey Runners, but need to wait patiently (not likely) until Tuesday. Very excited. Congrats to those already signed up!

 

[mr incredibleS1]

Quick but silly question: Do we register through Disney using our active.com account or through Active.com? Just trying to get ready for Tuesday!

 

[surfde22]

Quick but silly question: Do we register through Disney using our active.com account or through Active.com? Just trying to get ready for Tuesday!

The link will be posted on the runDisney site, but it will redirect you to active.com to actually register.

 

[Chasing Dopey]

Okay, Dopes...

A lot of planning, $, and training goes into the Dopey Challenge. Since 75% of finishing is showing up healthy, how do you avoid getting injured when the event itself requires that extra training effort?

 

[Dan1]

Okay, Dopes...

A lot of planning, $, and training goes into the Dopey Challenge. Since 75% of finishing is showing up healthy, how do you avoid getting injured when the event itself requires that extra training effort?

This is a GREAT question. I myself have a 'bum knee' that is very delicate....so much so that I had to stop running the past week or so after tweaking it during a 1/2 practice run after 7 miles (and a darn good pace for me too....rats!) in order to hopefully still run a 1/2 race on Mothers Day.

For me, strength training helps, as well as cardio work in the gym during some non-run days. Going to cut back to only 3 actual run days per week (when my trick knee is all better) and 2 gym strength & cardio days per week.....and lengthening the strength & cardio gym sessions to 2+ hours....and increasing in duration the closer to the Dopey we get.

That's my current plan.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Okay, Dopes...

A lot of planning, $, and training goes into the Dopey Challenge. Since 75% of finishing is showing up healthy, how do you avoid getting injured when the event itself requires that extra training effort?

I didn't last year, so someone else is going to have to help with this one.

 

[Barca33Runner]

Okay, Dopes...

A lot of planning, $, and training goes into the Dopey Challenge. Since 75% of finishing is showing up healthy, how do you avoid getting injured when the event itself requires that extra training effort?

I have made it through the first three Dopey Challenges and plan to continue that streak for as long as possible. As far as staying healthy goes, I think a lot of it begins with good luck. Whether that means that you are not particularly injury-prone or that you avoid any major accidents there isn't always a particular reason why injuries happen. As far as things I can control, I think favoring volume of miles/workouts over intensity has been a good strategy. I have also approached training as though I am preparing for a marathon, so there isn't necessarily a ton of "extra training effort" required that I wouldn't be putting in for any other race. I have the belief that if you are prepared for the marathon, you can figure out the other three races as you go. I am always prepared to take a day (or three) of rest when I am feeling fatigued or something isn't feeling right.

I'm not sure whether my approach has helped avoid injury or if I'm just lucky, but it has worked so far. Hopefully this helps.

 

[FFigawi]

I agree with @Barca33Runner. I don't think there's much extra effort required beyond a normal marathon training program. The key to injury prevention is a slow increase in mileage over the training period, strength and core work to keep your body aligned, and flexibility/stretching to keep you from being too tight from the running. You also need to use a training program that suits you. Not everyone can handle every program that's out there.

 

[Terapin]

Hello- nice to see some familiar faces from previous years. I am registered for Dopey 2017 with my partner. My running coach is also coming down to run with me which is a lot of fun.

My last big race was in 2014, and I spent much of 2014 battling a foot and tendon issue. I spent 2015 sidelined due to pregnancy, and started running within a month of my daughter's birth. She is almost 7 months now. I am registered for Pixie Dust Challenge. Woot! I have run two 5k races and one 10k since her birth, and training is going well. I am running three to four times a week now, with one speed work, one long run, and two shorter runs. I am actively working on losing weight again - down 30+ since the birth, with another 40 to go.

My training plan is, well, whatever my coach tells me to do. I think that it means keeping my long runs around 2-3 hours, and doing a semi-long run during the week (75% of my long run), speed work, and a 'just get out there' run. We'll do some back to back runs to prepare for Dopey (so I am running my long runs on tired legs), as well as some speed work at the end of my long run. My coach is awesome and so encouraging, and had a long history as an elite runner.

I'm so THRILLED to be back to running. It's been a slog to run after having a baby, being heavier than I would like, and running after continuous crappy sleep. I've had some pain and some little things I am working on with a physio, but they all seem to be getting much better as my body gets more conditioned. So yay!

This will be my partner's first marathon. It should be a great weekend!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Okay, Dopes...

A lot of planning, $, and training goes into the Dopey Challenge. Since 75% of finishing is showing up healthy, how do you avoid getting injured when the event itself requires that extra training effort?

Can't add much that hasn't already been said. I'm 3/3 so far in making it through the Dopey. I don't really do anything different than my normal marathon training. I believe for me there are four important factors in staying healthy/injury free.

1) Most of the running (>80%) is done at paces +30 seconds slower than marathon pace. In most of my efforts in training, I'm never really pushing myself that hard.
2) I only exceed 120 minute runs about 4 times in an 18 week schedule and never exceed a 150 minute training run. When I do exceed 120 minutes it is never more than 30% of the week's mileage.
3) I listen to my body. I've run lots of miles over the last 4 years and thus have become very in tune with effort levels and what things should feel like. In general, I can tell when something isn't right and can usually attribute it to something I'm doing that I probably shouldn't. That tells me when I need to back off (either on paces or needing a rest day)
4) Save it for race day. Yea, it would be nice to know in advance what race paces feel like prior to each run and during your simulated Dopey weeks. But honestly, part of staying healthy/injury free is pulling back during training and saving those extra efforts for the actual race. That doesn't mean you can't train at race pace, just that race pace days probably shouldn't be stacked back to back like the real Dopey. It's just what I've learned about myself. When I ran the 5K at Disney I finished at a min/mile pace that I literally did zero training at during the entire cycle (about 20 sec faster than anything I trained at). I just let my body's effort guide the pace.

I'm young and not injury prone so that helps as well. Lastly, as @Barca33Runner says, be lucky. Sometimes it's just that simple.

 

[cavepig]

Okay, Dopes...

A lot of planning, $, and training goes into the Dopey Challenge. Since 75% of finishing is showing up healthy, how do you avoid getting injured when the event itself requires that extra training effort?

My only advice is don't try to cram training into just a few months, start now and build slowly like others said. I got injured in mid-November with a glute injury/sciatic pain combo (it's still lingering too some), not sure why it happened my only thing different was I was doing long runs at a way slower pace with someone that threw my training/gait off I'm thinking, so yeah don't train with someone just because it's sounds good if they don't match your normal pace & stick to YOUR plan. OH and staying healthy once you get there is just as important avoid all condiment bars and buffets before races, no joke...I suffered with most likely food poisoning from Pecos Bills condiment bar the night before the marathon (eating there after the half) and marathon day was terrible. Oh, and don't visit anyone for like 2 weeks before the marathon, if they have any sort of sniffle avoid them at all costs, no joke, because I got the flu before and ran with it at the 2015 marathon...so yeah get a flu shot probably too. So, yeah there's my tips on what not to do like me But...Good Luck & most of all keep it fun, the training too so you don't burn out!

 

[dburg30]

Cavepig pretty much summed up my thoughts. Especially the part about avoiding people a couple weeks before..

 

[ANIM8R]

Cavepig pretty much summed up my thoughts. Especially the part about avoiding people a couple weeks before..

Whew! It's a good thing Marathon weekend isn't near Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years!

 

[Mimsy Borogove]

If you've never done it be wary of the mile 1, 6 and 10 hills. However, mile 10 is the real beast, it is an 80 foot incline in 0.15 miles, or a 10.1% incline! Save your energy for it because you'll need it. Lots of spectators on the hill yelling you through it but it can be demoralizing to see it in the distance if you aren't prepared for it.

Oof! I am very familiar with that hill - it is a beast!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Whew! It's a good thing Marathon weekend isn't near Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years!

Kinda funny anecdote - I run races every January or February. I love training through the fall and into the winter. Last year, because of my broken foot, I had no races scheduled and couldn't run at all during the holidays. I got a few comments from family and friends that it was safe to kiss me this year because I wasn't training for something. Made me feel bad - apparently I had been pushing off physical contact during the holidays more than I thought.

 

[cavepig]

Oh gosh, I totally forgot about the holidays when I said avoid people before...that does sound funny to say, but it's true to avoid any crud if they've got it

 

[Keels]

Okay, Dopes...

A lot of planning, $, and training goes into the Dopey Challenge. Since 75% of finishing is showing up healthy, how do you avoid getting injured when the event itself requires that extra training effort?

Make a plan, follow it as best you can and then LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.

I can't stress the last part enough.

During what should've been my last sim weekend, I just wasn't feeling right during the marathon long run. Things weren't clicking and I could tell that if I kept going, I was going to be in a world of hurt going forward. What should have been a 22-mile run got capped at 18 miles. Luckily in my plan, I had another opportunity two weeks later to attempt another sim (granted, it was the week of Christmas, but I was in Florida by then), and I was able to do that one no problem.

Personally, I feel that if you get to a certain point during Dopey training, you WILL be able to finish Dopey regardless of the situation. You may not be able to hit the time goals you had in mind, but you WILL finish. You have to do the training, and then trust in the training. And a little support from your favorite people on Marathon day doesn't hurt.

Dopey is just one race weekend out of hopefully many more amazing and challenging race weekends. Listen to your body. Don't risk a new "career" of fun challenges because you're pushing too hard and something doesn't feel right.