What were your mistakes from your first Goofy challenge

[goofeygirl]

I did the Goofy for the first time this year...first marathon too. I did finish and finish without injury which was the goal. To my suprise I was sore but it didn't stop me from going to the MK that night just so I could wear my Goofy medal! However I have decided to change things up a bit for next year.

My training needs to be more muscle specific. I need to work harder on my lower body. This will include eliptical work and perhaps some p90x or those old step up box videos.
Last year the heat outside stopped from working out outside as much. I cannot use that excuse this year. If it means going out as the sun rises at 0500 hours than that is what I will do. If it means going out an hour before it sets at 830 that is what I will do.
I am going to incorportate not just a gps in my training but a heart rate monitor and know my thr and how long to maintain it and work at that.
The goal is to get a better finish time with minimal pain.

On the morning of all the races...I wont have coffee. I cannot tell you how many times I had to visit the pop. It was terrible. If I have coffee, I will have a sip or two and it has to be several hours before I take the bus to the race which would mean I will be drinking coffee at midnight.

I think thats all I have.

 

[IamTrike]

Getting distracted by WDW and staying out too late was my biggest issue last year. I think I am going to try meletonin so I don't wind up running 4 races with 2-4 hours of sleep per night wheni do dopey this year.

 

[goofeygirl]

Getting distracted by WDW and staying out too late was my biggest issue last year. I think I am going to try meletonin so I don't wind up running 4 races with 2-4 hours of sleep per night wheni do dopey this year.

I know the excitement keeps everyone up. I find that (this year anyway) I did the 5k and of course had all this energy ready for the half...so I had perhaps 3 hours sleep. However the most important thing for me was getting enough sleep the night before the full. I was so tired from minimal sleep the previous nights that I was in bed by 7pm on saturday night. By the time the
3am alarm went off...I was ready.

Now my brother on the other hand made the foolish mistake of having one too many mixed drinks on thursday night...he was drained for the 5k but I think it effected him the whole weekend. His logic was that he can drink quite a few drinks on thursday, because the big race doesn't start till saturday...that was wrong.

 

[dburg30]

I will be watching this thread with interest..

 

[BriarRabbit]

Not a mistake but a tip...I'm glad that I brought two pair of shoes to the Goofy in 2010. That was the cold year with some rain and sleet for the half. My other shoes were dry for marathon morning.

 

[lmb80129]

I won't take "taper" to mean that I should only run a total of 6 miles the last 2-3 weeks before the race. Next year, I will follow the training plan to very end.

 

[Haas4Concern]

I won't take "taper" to mean that I should only run a total of 6 miles the last 2-3 weeks before the race. Next year, I will follow the training plan to very end.

Haha. i was guilty of this too. I knocked out my 20 miler on christmas day and thought i was good to go. Im hoping to do better this year.

 

[thebwit]

My mistake was that I stopped remembering to eat every 3 miles. I brought enough shotblocks to last for the entire run on the full, but for some reason I stopped eating every three miles like I had set out to do. In the end it cost me as I cramped up and I had a section of very little energy until the food kicked back in.

 

[JoeKir]

This is an awesome thread! Already have some great tips in here that we never would have thought. We will definitely be checking back here often.

 

[croach]

I don't think I will get to the starting area as early this year. Last year was my first Disney event so I was nervous about getting there. The morning of the half I got to the TTC(walked from Poly) so early they were still cleaning the monorail.

Also maybe trying to do a little less walking in the parks but I don't know if that is really a possibility. Hard to stay away.

 

[paxsarah]

My only real mistake was trying to engage in an iron-on project for my marathon race day shirt the night before. That always takes longer than I think it will, and I could have used the extra sleep!

 

[kmorganj]

Yes: 2 pairs of sneakers, 2 outfits, 2 race plans...

Don't underestimate the mental fatigue and anxiety that can exist from Saturday to Sunday of race weekend. The emotional toil of feeling like "I am already tired from 13.1, can I really do 26.2?" can be draining if you don't mentally prepare for that.

Also, be ready to forgive yourself for any necessary pace adjustments on Sunday morning while your legs wake back up! It sounds easy in theory, but it can be more difficult to let a goal go if you haven't even entertained that possibility before you're actually out on the road.

One thing I did absolutely right: Spend Sunday afternoon and evening moving, moving, moving. I took a shower and hit the parks (until Sunday 11pm!) and by Tuesday morning I was jogging up and down the stairs no problem.

 

[goofeygirl]

Yes: 2 pairs of sneakers, 2 outfits, 2 race plans...

Don't underestimate the mental fatigue and anxiety that can exist from Saturday to Sunday of race weekend. The emotional toil of feeling like "I am already tired from 13.1, can I really do 26.2?" can be draining if you don't mentally prepare for that.

Also, be ready to forgive yourself for any necessary pace adjustments on Sunday morning while your legs wake back up! It sounds easy in theory, but it can be more difficult to let a goal go if you haven't even entertained that possibility before you're actually out on the road.

One thing I did absolutely right: Spend Sunday afternoon and evening moving, moving, moving. I took a shower and hit the parks (until Sunday 11pm!) and by Tuesday morning I was jogging up and down the stairs no problem.

I did the same thing. I went to the park after the full and stayled till closing.

As for the mental preperation - yes! I learned a lot from trolling the threads here last year about prepping for the Goofy and about that 'wall' that everyone hits. I was great for the 5k , the half and most of the full...till I got to mile 21..litterally I was at the sign at mile 21 and hit that 'oh ****' wall.
I was really over the whole thing by the time I got to Epcot. I wished I could have enjoyed that more...that final mile...but I was SO friggen over it..I couldn't wait for it to be over and I don't want to feel like that next time...but what can I do?

 

[Haas4Concern]

Yes: 2 pairs of sneakers, 2 outfits, 2 race plans...

Don't underestimate the mental fatigue and anxiety that can exist from Saturday to Sunday of race weekend. The emotional toil of feeling like "I am already tired from 13.1, can I really do 26.2?" can be draining if you don't mentally prepare for that.

Also, be ready to forgive yourself for any necessary pace adjustments on Sunday morning while your legs wake back up! It sounds easy in theory, but it can be more difficult to let a goal go if you haven't even entertained that possibility before you're actually out on the road.

One thing I did absolutely right: Spend Sunday afternoon and evening moving, moving, moving. I took a shower and hit the parks (until Sunday 11pm!) and by Tuesday morning I was jogging up and down the stairs no problem.

The "keep moving" advice is probably the best of advice ever given. After the half i slowly sauntered around the boardwalk wearing my recovery compression socks and felt surprisingly good the morning of the full.

I hit my wall at mile 20. Those last 6 miles were a slog. I wasnt too tired to stop and get my margarita in mexico on the way to the finish line though. Priorities

This thread is amazing!

 

[WVUFan]

I've run the Goofy three times. The first time I tried to PR on the marathon- I did it, but the last 5 or so miles were brutal and after I needed ice. The second year I tried to PR the half- it was so crowded that I gave up by the third mile. This year I did both for fun and had so much fun! I'll be doing the Dopey next year and plan to focus on being in Disney rather than the time. Have fun!

If you eat bananas before running (it's the only thing I can stomach), buy them early the day before. I found out the hard way that they sell out quickly marathon weekend.

I agree to bring two sets of clothes and walk both on Saturday and Sunday.

 

[goofeygirl]

I wanted to stop in Epcot and grab a beer on route to the finish line...I was so sure I would do it. However when it came right down to it, I passed the place where I could buy a beer or frozen drink. I just wanted to keep moving forward to cross that finish line. Really, my mind had it by then.

My plan for 2014 would be to enjoy it more...or friggen try! Stop and buy a soda at least.

Banannas yes. I buy my banannas the day before. I stay at the Dolphin and they seemed to have an abundance of them at any time of the day anyway.

 

[Goofierunner]

If I were to do it again (I'm not), I would do a little more off road running. Because I started in the last corral and the roads were crowded, I ended up running in the grass quite a bit. I would have liked my legs to be a little more used to that.

I did a handful of back to back runs and I think it helped me both mentally and physically. I woke up strangely sore the morning of the marathon but I knew I could press through because I had done it during training. We were fortunate to have a beautiful summer last year so I made it a point to do a lot of running then because I knew that once Nov and Dec came, I was not going to want to run 20+ miles in the NW rainy months.

I wore compression sleeves during the marathon and there's no way I could have run without them. Highly recommend getting some and train with them. And add me to the "bring two pairs of shoes" camp. Have some chocolate milk right after the races. One of the best recovery drinks out there.

Someone commented about not getting to the start area so early. I second that. I think I was on the first bus both days from SOG. Uh, yea. Not necessary. Could have slept in a little more.

We went to the after party at Downtown Disney and had a really good time. Great way to get out and walk around and be with other superstars like you!!

 

[RussTKD]

I think I'm going to spend my taper time conditioning myself to waking up ungodly early so the sleep time won't be as much of a factor.

And in training, I'll do two runs during the week of between 3-6 miles, and whatever long run I have scheduled for Sunday, I'll do half of Saturday to get my legs used to running tired.

This whole thing is nuts. I can't wait.

 

[kmg148]

I didn't do the Goofy, just the marathon, but walking around the parks was one of the best post race decisions I made. I was in the least amount of pain I have even been in after a race.

I also know this isn't Goofy...but eating a huge lunch at Crystal Palace after a half marathon was a really bad decision. I felt terrible.

 

[RussTKD]

I didn't do the Goofy, just the marathon, but walking around the parks was one of the best post race decisions I made. I was in the least amount of pain I have even been in after a race.

I also know this isn't Goofy...but eating a huge lunch at Crystal Palace after a half marathon was a really bad decision. I felt terrible.

That's a bad decision regardless.