Official Dopey 2018 Thread

[LilyJC]

I’m looking for insight from anyone who has used the Hal Higdon Dopey training plan. DH and I are both doing our first Dopey in January. It’s his first full ever and will be my fifth. He is using the above mentioned plan which looks like it might be ok, but my favorite full plan includes two 20 milers and a 23 miler. We definitely don’t have any lofty time expectations, but I want to make sure he’ll be ok during and after the races. Does anyone have any experience with/recommendations for the Hal Higdon Dopey training plan?

 

[rteetz]

I’m looking for insight from anyone who has used the Hal Higdon Dopey training plan. DH and I are both doing our first Dopey in January. It’s his first full ever and will be my fifth. He is using the above mentioned plan which looks like it might be ok, but my favorite full plan includes two 20 milers and a 23 miler. We definitely don’t have any lofty time expectations, but I want to make sure he’ll be ok during and after the races. Does anyone have any experience with/recommendations for the Hal Higdon Dopey training plan?

I used a modified Higdon last year and am doing the same this year. Last year I ran 20 miles ones before the race and I finished just fine. I’m sure @DopeyBadger can give you way more info but most things I’ve seen/read says you don’t necessarily need a lot of 20 or 20+ mileage runs before a marathon. Galloway has you go up to 26 which I think is a little crazy but I think it’s more for the mental confidence.

 

[FFigawi]

I’m looking for insight from anyone who has used the Hal Higdon Dopey training plan. DH and I are both doing our first Dopey in January. It’s his first full ever and will be my fifth. He is using the above mentioned plan which looks like it might be ok, but my favorite full plan includes two 20 milers and a 23 miler. We definitely don’t have any lofty time expectations, but I want to make sure he’ll be ok during and after the races. Does anyone have any experience with/recommendations for the Hal Higdon Dopey training plan?

I've never used Higdon's Dopey plan, but his other plans have gotten hundreds of thousands of runners across the finish line of a marathon just fine. I'm sure his Dopey plan works well too.

 

[LilyJC]

Thank you @rteetz and @FFigawi! I’ve just been really happy with my plan as I actually enjoy the 20 and 20+ long runs. My marathons using it have gone well, and recovery was great which I also find extremely important. I just want my hubby to be ok as it’s his first full and he decided to do Dopey against my recommendation. Thank you so much for the encouragement though -it definitely sets my mind more at ease!

 

[DopeyBadger]

I’m looking for insight from anyone who has used the Hal Higdon Dopey training plan. DH and I are both doing our first Dopey in January. It’s his first full ever and will be my fifth. He is using the above mentioned plan which looks like it might be ok, but my favorite full plan includes two 20 milers and a 23 miler. We definitely don’t have any lofty time expectations, but I want to make sure he’ll be ok during and after the races. Does anyone have any experience with/recommendations for the Hal Higdon Dopey training plan?

Tons of different ways to accomplish the same goal. I personally have my runners max at 150 minutes for their long run whether they are 4, 5 or 6 days per week. But that's because the long run is just a single piece to the puzzle. No matter which plan you use (Galloway, Higdon, Hansons, Gaudette, Daniels, Nike, etc.) I'd say read the instructions to really understand the concepts as to "why" you're doing a certain run over their plan.

For example, Higdon states the following for training paces in the Dopey plan:

-long runs are to be done at 30-90 seconds slower than marathon pace
-race pace are to be done at marathon pace, or really any tempo as he says "feel free to innovate"
-run are to be done at comfortably easy (which is likely but not guaranteed to be slower than marathon pace based on his explanation)

I always tell my runners that training is 99% of the running we get to do, so if you like and want to do multiple 20+ milers then by all means do what you want to do.

 

[PrincessV]

I’m looking for insight from anyone who has used the Hal Higdon Dopey training plan. DH and I are both doing our first Dopey in January. It’s his first full ever and will be my fifth. He is using the above mentioned plan which looks like it might be ok, but my favorite full plan includes two 20 milers and a 23 miler. We definitely don’t have any lofty time expectations, but I want to make sure he’ll be ok during and after the races. Does anyone have any experience with/recommendations for the Hal Higdon Dopey training plan?

I don't use Higdon, but my plan is similar. I schedule an 18, 20 and 22 miler, but with the idea that the 22 isn't necessary and can be a 20 instead. The last two years, the 22 wound up falling on the first cool day of fall (FL), and it felt so good I went ahead and did the full 22, but I'll be perfectly fine with 20 if conditions aren't ideal this year.

 

[LilyJC]

Thank you @DopeyBadger and @PrincessV! For myself I’ll just do a hodgepodge of the two plans otherwise I’ll also seriously miss my Yasso 800s! I’ll encourage DH to continue with the Hal Higdon plan but also hassle him to actually do the cross training which he hasn’t yet gotten to on those weekends. We’re super excited to cross the country for our first WDW races and even more happy with our decision after seeing the amazing medals and of course the sad hiatus of our beloved DLR runs. Avengers weekend will be a great mini-Dopey training trial!

 

[whaler8]

It's the weather. Anything can happen. Nobody can accurately predict the future especially months ahead BUT these predictive maps from NOAA for December through February can at least give us a little bit of hope. I just hope it doesn't end up being too warm but after hearing/reading about last years frigid temperatures I will certainly take some milder temps!

 

[PrincessV]

Here's the thing, though: overall, it was a pretty mild winter here in FL. I mean, yeah, it's always mild compared to the rest of the US, lol, but it was mild even by our standards. We only get super cold like the full this year when a cold front dips down as far as FL for a day or two - and that can happen even during a year that's warmer overall. Be prepared for anything!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Here's some historical weather data from the last six years on three separate days around the time of marathon weekend:



Personally, I like to run in a T+D of 80-100 for PR like weather. That's 40-60 degrees in many situations. When it gets above 130-140 I definitely start to take notice. Of course, I'll be coming from WI and it'll be potentially in the -50 to -20 wind chill region like some of the past years. Anything will feel downright tropical to me at that point.

 

[rteetz]

Here's some historical weather data from the last six years on three separate days around the time of marathon weekend:

View attachment 278295

Personally, I like to run in a T+D of 80-100 for PR like weather. That's 40-60 degrees in many situations. When it gets above 130-140 I definitely start to take notice. Of course, I'll be coming from WI and it'll be potentially in the -50 to -20 wind chill region like some of the past years. Anything will feel downright tropical to me at that point.

Yeah even that 30 degree marathon start this year was warmer than back home.

 

[ZellyB]

It really wasn't a bad temp to run in at all last year. It's all that waiting around before the race starts in the cold that kills you.

 

[FFigawi]

It really wasn't a bad temp to run in at all last year. It's all that waiting around before the race starts in the cold that kills you.

Very true. Bring along throw away clothes like cheap sweats or blankets (I even saw a few Snuggies last year) to help keep you warm. Disney will collect all the clothes and donate them to people in need, a better outcome than using black plastic trash bags which end up entangling the feet of the runners behind you after you drop them in the road.

 

[JeffW]

I really liked last year's temp, I PR'd the marathon! I'll take a T+D of 70 any time

 

[Z-Knight]

Should have posted this here (ioriginally put it on the Marathon thread) :
My gear for the race...hopefully it is NHL-like cold for the race!!

 

[ZellyB]

@Z-Knight love that shirt!!

 

[Z-Knight]

@Z-Knight love that shirt!!

thanks! I got it made in Korean when a friend was there - cost $60 (totally worth it). Hoping the weather is cool enough to wear it - but probably not during a run.

 

[bellrae]

My Dopey plan had me running 14 miles this weekend, so I decided to sign up for a nearby half. It rained for a week beforehand - the poor folk doing the full marathon had a landslide on their course so had to do the half course twice instead. The half course had about 3 miles of nothing but slippery, messy MUD! We also had to run (twice - it was an out and back course) through a flooded highway underpass (water up over the shins). Oh, and it rained the entire race. I don't think I've ever done more to earn a medal!

 

[Sailormoon2]

Wow @bellrae that sounds awful! Hoping it was atleast warm.

 

[jmasgat]

My Dopey plan had me running 14 miles this weekend, so I decided to sign up for a nearby half. It rained for a week beforehand - the poor folk doing the full marathon had a landslide on their course so had to do the half course twice instead. The half course had about 3 miles of nothing but slippery, messy MUD! We also had to run (twice - it was an out and back course) through a flooded highway underpass (water up over the shins). Oh, and it rained the entire race. I don't think I've ever done more to earn a medal!

Wow! I'm surprised they ran the race under those conditions, especially that underpass. Running in wet shoes is no good, and the slip danger from the mud.....