Up Where They Walk, Up Where They Run: Going the Distance with Disney & My Dissertation (comments welcome!)

But, also worth considering, I ran just the marathon, didn't try to race it, and still don't feel like I'm even close to recovered. So if you do all those races, or even the marathon along with any DL races, keep your paces as easy as possible and give yourself LOTS of time for recovery afterwards...because the DL races could be rough after running a marathon a few days before. Not saying you shouldn't do it - the pull of the bling and the friends and the redemption is real - but keep that in mind when you're planning and definitely when you're training.
 
But, also worth considering, I ran just the marathon, didn't try to race it, and still don't feel like I'm even close to recovered.
I’m getting there on the recovery front but there is no way I could have run a HM that close to the marathon. I did a 2 mile run 8 days after Dopey and my legs had forgotten how to run properly. It took about 1.5 miles for my gait to feel normal. Obv your recovery may go totally different, but as cool as this would be, I know that for myself I couldn’t swing this challenge. I’ll get my C2C with a different combo of weekends.
I also only know you from these boards and 1 brief prerace meetup, but putting myself in your shoes I would focus on whatever combo of races you choose for MW then do the 10k at DL with your friend. From what I am hearing, the 10k is an awesome course, and you could do it with as little running as possible if your legs aren’t fully recovered. It’s a short enough distance that you would be unlikely to be miserable.
 
What pace would your friend want to do the DL race at?

If you completed the MW marathon, and then were swept during the DL race, how would you feel?

How much anxiety would you feel after completing the marathon, being likely fatigued during the week, and then attempting the DL HM? Would the fear of how you feel during the race maybe take some things away from the experience of running the race with your friend?

How much of a FOMO person are you? Will not having the C2C medal outweigh the joy of whatever you accomplish at DL? If you had to choose, what matters more - the experience with your friend, or the C2C medal?
 


What pace would your friend want to do the DL race at?
Well, one time we did a race together but I did the half while she did the full... she finished the full about 10 minutes after I finished the half and that is not an exaggeration haha. She is a really strong runner and also does not even do traditional training (just a bunch of runs every week... usually maxing out at like 10 miles). She is pregnant right now and not running at the moment. So, we wouldn't be running together most likely (maybe she would do the 10K slow with me) but rather just enjoying the experience of the weekend together. For me, my goal for Disney races is generally just to finish strong and have fun!
If you completed the MW marathon, and then were swept during the DL race, how would you feel?
I would be so so happy I finished the MW marathon. I imagine I would be sad about DL, but I have been swept before and survived it. Knowing myself-- and also all my growth this past year-- I think I would rather try and fail than not try at all and wonder "what if."
How much anxiety would you feel after completing the marathon, being likely fatigued during the week, and then attempting the DL HM? Would the fear of how you feel during the race maybe take some things away from the experience of running the race with your friend?
Hmmm... this is a good question. I'd have to think on this more. I think my anxiety is more going to be around the idea that something is going to go wrong, especially after getting sick this past race weekend. Having to travel two places just amplifies the chance that something will happen. For fatigue, though, my plan would be to go spend a few days at my parents' house in Tampa to relax after the marathon and then fly to California. And since we wouldn't be running-running together, I wouldn't be too worried about that. She is also going to have an 8-month old at this point, so she might be tired herself haha.
How much of a FOMO person are you? Will not having the C2C medal outweigh the joy of whatever you accomplish at DL? If you had to choose, what matters more - the experience with your friend, or the C2C medal?
The experience with my friend matters more, but like I said earlier I think I would feel worse wondering "what if" than if I were to fail at DL. We have done a few races together and like I said don't run together but just enjoy the expo and the travel weekend together.

I do think if I was going to sign up for races at DL, I would sign up for Double Dare just because I have found that I love the Disney 10K (a distance I normally hate, lol). But take the 10K very easy. And probably all the other races very easy, lol.

Right now what I am leaning toward is doing marathon + 5k and/or 10k at MW like I planned to do this year. I really liked that doing the 5K and 10K helped adjust my sleep schedule but I still had Saturday off so I could get a really good night of sleep two nights before the marathon because knowing me I would not get great sleep before the big race. My sleep this past MW was also a lot better than it was in 2022. Maybe because I was sick. I also really liked getting to just practice everything with those races-- like I realized I forgot something at the 5K and was able to fix that for the 10K, etc.
And unless the theme is something amazing I really don't have FOMO around not doing Dopey at this point.

Then I would sign up for the Double Dare at DL with my friend.

-If- I were to do that, @DopeyBadger, I would really appreciate your insight on a general plan/outline of what I should be doing the upcoming year. I know I cannot train for something for an entire year and would risk burn out, etc. with that, but I am curious what you'd recommend in regard to base building, when I should plan to officially start a training cycle for it, etc. I know my training cycle for this past marathon did not go up in volume as much as it maybe could have because I started it late due to the timing of my Olympic tri-- and my run base before then was low because with tri training I was only running 2 times a week. If I had to forego training for a tri this summer, I would. Also, I'm curious if you'd recommend any shorter races and when. I haven't really had an opportunity to test my fitness from this past MW training cycle and am curious what would happen if I actually attempted to race a 5K/10K and what I could do with pace. My guess is I could PR both based on how some of the speed workouts went. And my current PRs are nothing impressive.

Right now, all I have planned this year is PW (everything-- yoga, 5k, 10, and half) and then RAGBRAI in July (a bike tour across Iowa... obviously intense and I will need to bike a few times a week to train but I have done multiple bike tours at this point, including one last May, and am pretty confident that I have the fitness and experience necessary to do it). It's just riding my bike all day :) Not a race.

ETA: Okay so actually i just got a spot in the SS 10K!!! Haha. Which I had been hoping for. I still ask my above question but wonder what it would look like if I tried to PR/race that 10K? My 10K PR is an outstanding 1:20:17 (road) from 2012 and 1:18:53 (trail) from 2015.
 
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WDW Marathon Weekend 2023 Trip Report

Thursday, January 5 (5K + DAK)


After the 5K, the bus finally arrived and I headed back to POFQ. When I got off the bus there was a little table with props for pictures, which was fun. I went back to my room, showered, took a short rest, and then headed back out on a bus to DAK! I have not been to DAK in a long time-- I went during my bachelorette party but it was at the end of a rope-drop to close park hopping day with extra hours, so it was like midnight. My friends and I were all very hangry and a CM gifted us cupcakes. All we did was the river ride in Avatar. Ha. So, I was excited to go back and actually experience the park.

I met my friend C and her friend J there. We had been unable to get a reservation at Tusker House for breakfast but once our whole party was there they said they had a table for us... we waited like 5 minutes for it. Amazing! This meal was great. There were so many delicious vegan options (I love Disney and its vegan options. This is why I keep planning trips there honestly. All other vacations make food kind of suck). They even brought me vegan Mickey waffles! And, of course, the characters! We had great interactions with Daisy, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey-- the Mickey interaction was the best one because I had my Mickey nuimo with the 5K medal and he kept playing with it. Sooo cute. The juice was yummy, the food was delicious, the characters were fun... I would go back for sure.

mickey food.jpg
(Image description: Mickey nuimo with a plate of delicious plant-based food!)

mickey toy.jpg
(Image description: Mickey and my Mickey nuimo. He was so happy to see little Mickey with his medals.)

me and mickey.jpg
(Image description: Me posing with Mickey.)

I don't really remember the order of everything we did so I'll just talk broadly. I will say that one of us had DAS, and I was very impressed with how Disney made that work. As a disability studies scholar, I do appreciate Disney's accessibility-- for both physical and mental disabilities. (Although I did talk to a friend who is a wheelchair user and was on the Wish... seems like accessibility was rough there.)

It's Tough to Be a Bug: I am not a fan of 3D, and I especially do not like jump scares but was brave and made it through. The screaming and crying kids though... lol. When we got done with this it started raining but wasn't too bad. I decided not to take out my poncho.

it's tough to be a bug.jpg
(Image description: Me, J, and C in our bug glasses.)

Otters: Not really a ride or show, but we did visit the otters as one of the first things. I love otters so much. I could have sat there and watched them all day, and that is not an exaggeration. I wish I had the disposition of an otter.

Kilimanjaro Safari: AMAZING. C said that we really lucked out with how many animals were out. There was an ostrich that was making me uncomfortable... I'm pretty scared of ostriches lol. But we saw all of the animals... cheetahs, hippos, giraffes, lions, rhinos, elephants (P.S. did you know in some zoos cheetahs are given a pet dog/dog companion to help manage their anxiety? I am a cheetah. Minus the run speed.)

mickey safari.jpg
(Image description: Me holding my Mickey nuimo in front of a giraffe.)

sleepy lion.jpg
(Image description: A yawning lion. He must have also gotten up at 2 AM for the 5K.)

Animation Academy: This is one of my favorite things at Disney parks. I did it for the first time during my November visit to DLR, and I do prefer their set up there-- they change who they draw throughout the day and have a little sign outside with the times and who you'll draw. At DAK, it was a surprise. And for some reason they thought the best character to draw would be CHIEF BOGO lol. It was a complicated one, that's for sure. Still lots of fun, though!

chief bogo.jpg
(Image description: Mickey nuimo holding a pencil on top of a Chief Bogo drawing. I think Mickey did pretty good.)

Rafiki's Train: More of transportation than a ride, but I do want to note that my friends were talking about how they had COVID already and I didn't want to mention that I had somehow avoided it the entire pandemic out of fear of jinxing myself. Well, apparently my thoughts jinxed me.

Affection Section: I think the clang of my 5K medal made the animals a little skittish around me. But I loved them and pet a goat and a pig. Some of the animals were just standing there SO still which was a little creepy.

affection section.jpg
(Image description: A candid shot of me interacting with a goat.)

Feathered Friends in Flight!: Very cool. There was some sort of sound/tech problem, and I couldn't tell if it was scripted or not lol. Hearing the birds SING REAL SONGS was wild and also slightly haunting.

Festival of the Lion King: I loveee The Lion King, so obviously i loved this show. The monkeys were cool as heck. Just a great experience. Reminded me a bit of Drawn to Life.

Everest: So fun! I scoped out how to do the single rider entrance in prep for the marathon but obviously didn't need that knowledge yet... We ended up getting to ride this twice.

Flight of Passage: Ummm... I loved this ride. So amazing! I think I really like rides where it's like you're on a bike between this and Hagrid's. I have high hopes for Tron, haha. I also thought it was cool that it was like you could feel the animal breathing.

DINOSAUR: Also fun. I liked this theming better than Indiana Jones in California.

At the end of the day we stopped at Yak & Yeti, where I asked if I could order the vegetable lo mein to go. I could. I ate it back in my hotel room and was sadly disappointed with it. Overall, though, I had so much fun at DAK and would like to go back sooner this time!
 
What is RAGBRA? Is it like the Spartan and Ragnar races?
RAGBRAI stands for Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, and this summer will be the 50th anniversary. The route changes every year, but it goes from West to East across the state. Last year there were over 18,000 riders. It's a fun ride-- not a race-- and from what I've seen in videos the people in the towns really go all out. You camp in the various towns, and it's basically just a party across the state on bikes!

ETA: The route was just announced! It's going to be 500 miles and a lot more climbing than my ride last summer, but nothing I can't handle! Excited to start riding my bike more again :)

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My ultimate goal will be finishing the marathon. Or will FOMO hit, especially if I am also going to DL, and should I just do Dopey? (see further considerations about DL below)

So, I am like maybe I will just do the 10K with her. But if I'm also doing the marathon shouldn't I do the half to get the special challenge medal since I would be traveling anyway!?

Late to the discussion, but I might consider doing "just" the marathon at DW and then the half marathon at DL. If you are doing the marathon, you might as well try to get the C2C medal. But everyone has made the DL 10K very appealing.

I talked to my running coach (Galloway customized training program) about what the training for a Dopey/DL challenge double would look like. Not for 2024 for a whole bunch of reasons, but I'm eyeing the possibility for 2025. His advice was to basically train for Dopey, but that I would need to be fast enough that my "long race pace" would keep me ahead of the balloon ladies for the marathon. For example, if I trained to realistically do the entire marathon at 13-14 mm pace, I could then slow down my actual marathon to a 16 mm, which would speed up my recovery and give me a good chance of feeling recovered enough to run at Disneyland. Having followed the Galloway training plan for Dopey this year and seen how slowing the long runs waaaaay down aids in recovery, I can see how it totally makes sense. My plan for this year was already focused on getting faster so this fits perfectly and just gives me extra motivation to put the work in.
 
What is RAGBRA? Is it like the Spartan and Ragnar races?
@lookingforsunshine hit all the key details. Although I’ve never participated, I’ve lived in Iowa for more than a decade so I can answer most questions in you have any others.

It really is a ride and not a race. Every town throws a huge party for the riders. Obviously you have to be kind of fit to complete it, but it’s all about the experience.

Also, I guess this is a good time to announce that I'm doing RAGBRAI! @GollyGadget maybe I'll be in your neck of the woods-- you live in Iowa, right? Or am I misremembering?
You’ll definitely be in my neck of the woods. I live in central Iowa. We can discuss more details as it gets closer but let me know how I can support you! We’d be happy to hold stuff for you that you didn’t need the first half of the week or offer you a room and/or shower. I can also provide two cute dogs to pet 😁. I'm currently waiting for my partner to wake up so I can ask him to drop me off so I can ride one of the days.
 
t's Tough to Be a Bug
This is the one atttaction in all of WDW that I refuse. There's just no redeeming qualities, at least not enough to compensate for all the bad.
I love otters so much. I could have sat there and watched them all day, and that is not an exaggeration. I wish I had the disposition of an otter.
Same! I used to think that if I were an animal, it'd be an otter. I've since come to terms that is not the case. I'm not that playful and I sleep way more, but I wish it were true.
did you know in some zoos cheetahs are given a pet dog/dog companion to help manage their anxiety?
This is so bizarre! I had never heard that.

Also, your drawing is amazing. I'm very impressed. I walked through there on Saturday and they were drawing Flash from Zootopia. Must be one of their go to movies.
 
We can discuss more details as it gets closer but let me know how I can support you!
I imagine a real shower will be EXCELLENT by that point haha. I’m still trying to decide if I want to do it all self supported or join a charter. I’m leaning toward the former but I don’t know for certain yet. I’ll definitely do a charter to get me from the east end of the state to the west before the ride starts so I’ll have my car at the end.
I also obvs love dog pets (I am contemplating bringing Rosie bc I have a bike trailer for her… but that’s too crazy right? The elevation profile makes me think this is not a great idea haha) and would love to ride together if you get out there and want a buddy!
Must be one of their go to movies.
It was some sort of promotion for the new Zootopia show(?) on Disney+. I saw one person got to draw Scar once, which I’m jealous of.
 
-If- I were to do that, @DopeyBadger, I would really appreciate your insight on a general plan/outline of what I should be doing the upcoming year. I know I cannot train for something for an entire year and would risk burn out, etc. with that, but I am curious what you'd recommend in regard to base building, when I should plan to officially start a training cycle for it, etc. I know my training cycle for this past marathon did not go up in volume as much as it maybe could have because I started it late due to the timing of my Olympic tri-- and my run base before then was low because with tri training I was only running 2 times a week. If I had to forego training for a tri this summer, I would. Also, I'm curious if you'd recommend any shorter races and when. I haven't really had an opportunity to test my fitness from this past MW training cycle and am curious what would happen if I actually attempted to race a 5K/10K and what I could do with pace. My guess is I could PR both based on how some of the speed workouts went. And my current PRs are nothing impressive.

Right now, all I have planned this year is PW (everything-- yoga, 5k, 10, and half) and then RAGBRAI in July (a bike tour across Iowa... obviously intense and I will need to bike a few times a week to train but I have done multiple bike tours at this point, including one last May, and am pretty confident that I have the fitness and experience necessary to do it). It's just riding my bike all day :) Not a race.

ETA: Okay so actually i just got a spot in the SS 10K!!! Haha. Which I had been hoping for. I still ask my above question but wonder what it would look like if I tried to PR/race that 10K? My 10K PR is an outstanding 1:20:17 (road) from 2012 and 1:18:53 (trail) from 2015.

Most start training for MW at the beginning of September. You'd want to be comfortably at at least 50% of what you plan on peaking at. So if you want to peak at 8 hrs in the MW training plan, then you need to be comfortably doing 4 hrs. So maybe:

-Princess/SS (7 weeks of speed training after Princess)
-RAGBRA
-Base
-MW training

Based on previous data, I've got your 10k around 1:14 under ideal conditions. SS is unlikely to be ideal conditions.
 
Maybe it's a bit sick, but honestly this is why we keep going back to ITTBAB. I do love the show, but we pick out what looks like a newbie group in the crowd (not necessarily kids) and sit near them to catch the reactions.

Yes! I love bringing new people to this. My best buddy is one of those guys that doesn't show much emotion ever and I swear he hit the ceiling at the end during the march out.
 
We LITERALLY just kept missing each other on 5k day! I went to POFQ after going to my resort to change while my friends were at Animal Kingdom. Then I finished my day at AKL.
 

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