If you missed any of my recaps of the Dopey Challenge, you can see them here: 5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2.
After we finished the Dopey Challenge, it was time to celebrate. I learned a few years back to book a few days AFTER a destination race to do the sightseeing (not before!).
It’s official – I’m Dopey and Goofy.
And props to the boy for putting up with being in Orland for 4 days without visiting a theme park! Now he was to get his long awaited reward!
He was all smiles by now (and stole my sister’s hat).
Immediately after the final race (26.2), which ended at Epcot, we went ahead into the park. They have a few fun rides there, though most of em aren’t all that exciting (the boy likes them though). A lot of people visit for the different countries (some like to drink around the world). There’s a pub there where we had a celebratory Guinness or two. Then we ate some tacos in Mexico. To be honest, after running four races through Epcot, I was ready for a change of scenery.
After four days of running through Epcot, it was time to wave goodbye.
The next day my mom, sis, the boy and I hit up the Magic Kingdom. It was fun to be there without having to run through it like we had in the previous days!
We chose an unique location for a photo. OK, everyone who visits takes the same snapshot.
Yes, we wore our Dopey medals – When else would we get a chance? It’s also a great conversation starter with other runners, and non runners alike. The amount of “Congrats!” we got was unbelievable…especially from the “cast members” (Disney employees).
On the Buzz Lightyear ride with the boy. It was very exciting (it’s always good to know where the cameras are).
I’ve always loved the Magic Kingdom. I’m constantly amazed by their attention to detail and cleanliness. And this visit, we got a rare treat. They are redesigning Fantasyland and as part of that the Beauty and the Beast portion has a new castle restaurant. It’s a 6 month wait for reservations, but we were able to snag one that day! LUCKY!
Just a couple o’ sad gargoyles outside the castle entrance.
And while you can have an adult bevie at other Disney parks, never ever could you at Magic Kingdom (unless you sneak it in, I suppose, like a teenager injecting vodka into oranges, and then eating the oranges in the park). But now at dinner service only, you can order a drinky poo. My sis and I had some wine.
We so fancy.
And remember the attention to detail I mentioned…even the napkins were folded like the Beast’s enchanted rose.
We had until the last petal fell off to find true love. Or until we finished eating at least.
The “real” rose.
We went ahead and made this our celebratory meal. Though I didn’t pig out on fatty food like we’re supposed to post big races. They had some wild Scottish salmon that I had to get.
I know I kind of ruined the presentation when I added the broccoli (that the boy didn’t want to eat).
I also actually had a desert. I never have dessert. No real sweet tooth in my mouth.
We like to hug before dessert.
After we ate, we had an audience with the host of our meal.
He was very gracious and has the most stunning blue eyes.
We spent the rest of the day riding rides (of course I had to go on Pirates of the Caribbean)!
Capt. Grif didn’t like the flash on my phone.
It was another great visit to Magic Kingdom!
The same castle as earlier, but at night.
The next day we hit up Universal Studios. I love their theme parks!!! No, they aren’t as clean, classy, and family oriented as Disney, but they have some really extreme and fun rides! This time around we hit up the new Simpsons Springfield.
We got a Duff beer at Moe’s Tavern!
But then I had a misunderstanding with the chief.
One of the coolest new rides was the Transformers one. And outside they had Bumblebee. This was an actual moving character, not a statue….
I guess that’s my “Transformers” pose.
And of course we had to stop by Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. I am a huuuge Parrothead, so this is always a must!
Booze in the blender…
The next day, we hit up one more park – Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM). Again, it was fun to be there leisurely and not all sweaty like when we ran though it for the marathon.
Big wizard hat.
The highlight here was for the boy. He had been waiting a year to be chosen to fight Darth Vader at the Star Wars part of the park. This year he made it in got some light saber training from his Jedi master.
Like a choreographed dance they were.
Then he got to fight the dark lord himself!
Attack the dark side!
Then we took a ride on one of those things they rode in one of those movies.
Look out for that tree!
And we were able to meet up with the man mouse himself, Mickey!
He hadn’t had time to change out of his robe yet.
And thus concluded our Disney adventure. I must say we had a lot of fun and I tip my hat to them!
See what I did there?
So there it is!
How bout you? Do you plan vacations around races? Do you sight see before or after? What’s your fave Orlando attraction?
This is it. The last race of four on consecutive days. If you missed my recaps of the earlier races, you can see them here: 5k then 10k then 13.1 half marathon.
Now we have the 26.2 full marathon to complete the Goofy and Dopey Challenges. I had stuck to my plan of running personal worsts (PW) for the first three races. Now I wanted to go for it in the final race.
Ready to go 26.2 rounds with Mr. Mile.
My “A” goal was to break 4 hours (9:10 per mile). Considering my pace at shorter distances, I should be able to shatter 4 hours, but I have yet to do it. My “B” goal was to PR (PB). I would accomplish one of the two goals.
Traditional pre-race family photo.
We got a gift this day from the Weather Channel gods. The temps went from hot and humid the day before at the half, to chilly (and a little humid) for the full!!! It was in the 50’s (American) at the start!
With Sis on way to the corral!
Even thought it was chilly, I knew my body temp would warm up once we started running, so I wore light clothes – including a new Ohio University tech tee that the wife got me for Christmas!
Ain’t I purdy?
I also carried the GoPro camera with me. Looking back, it probably was a bad decision considering I was going for a PR. It definitely took energy and brain power (I don’t have much to spare) to use it throughout the course. But I decided to take it anyway, and I don’t really regret that. We did pass some cool attractions along the way.
Mid race selfie vision.
The edited down video is a bit blair-witchy, but I think it shows the race experience. It’s funny to watch how I go from cracking jokes and getting somewhat stable shots, to gradually having zero sense of humor nor the energy to hold my arm out straight! Haha!
The night before the full I spoke via phone with my “coach” – My good friend (and awesome endurance athlete) Rexy. We actually have history of sports at Disney World. In college, we were cheerleaders and competed in the National Championships there my senior year.
Rexy is 3rd from left in front. I’m 2nd from right in back.
Anyway, she gave me a pep talk and helped work out the race strategy. She said to stick to exactly 4 hr pace for the first half. Then evaluate how I felt and pick up the pace if I could for the next 7 miles. Then let it all hang out the last 6.2. She told me to leave it on the course, and that if I crash, it’s better to do so the last few miles knowing that at least I tried.
Peace homey.
Again, we had a 2am wake up call. And the race started at 5:30am. The course began and ended at Epcot. It immediately went from there to the Magic Kingdom.
26.2 magical miles. Click to enlarge.
The first few miles were a bit crowded. I wasn’t able to go my normal pace, and I had to do some weaving. By the time we got to Magic Kingdom, I knew from the clock that I was going too slow. But I also knew I had time to correct that. 5 Mile in 47:39 – 9:32 per mile.
Runnin Down Main St, USA!
We got into the park – which is the highlight for me. It’s still dark out, and the whole park is lit up. Main St. is lined with tons of cheering spectators. And Cinderella’s Castle is all lit up! We get to run right through the castle, which is neat. The MarathonFoto folks had some pictures of me at the castle, but they lost them. I had even stopped for the official Castle photo – like I took with my sis during the Half the day before…
They did NOT light up the castle for the half. I wish I had the pretty lit up one to share with y’all.
…But they lost that one too. Bummer. If they find them later, I will share. They did have these though…
Still in the park.
Feelin the love.
Feelin a little fuzzy in Magic Kingdom!
After we left the Magic Kingdom, we then headed past the Polynesian Resort and the golf course. There was a glow in the East and I knew the sun would be rising soon. The weather was still cool, and I felt GREAT! I was actually smiling and having a really good time. My pace was steadily fastening.
Suns comin up. Right on my forehead.
Then we headed into the Speedway – their race car track. We did the mile lap, and there were a ton of classic cars out. A childhood fave – Herbie the Love Bug – was there, but for some reason the characters from the movie Cars weren’t out this year. Where’s Lightning McQueen???
I think running on this race track is a pretty unique experience though – how many people get to do that? Again tho, the MarathonFoto folks couldn’t find my photos from that locale. Sorry dude.
(photo missing)
Then it was on toward Animal Kingdom. Still feeling great. Still picking up steam. 10 Mile in 1:32:49 – 9:17 per mile.
*Side note. My sis works at AK, so I happen to know a few other of the zoo keepers there. I was glad to see some of them at the entrance to the park. They were there to cheer for us, very cool!
Feelin fine.
AK also had some animals and characters out. And some marathoners would stop to ride the roller coaster, but I didn’t have time for that.
I’m ahead of the guy that thought he could fly.
Once we left the park, we reached the halfway point. I was almost EXACTLY at 4 hour pace. Right at 2:00:06 for 13.1 miles – 9:10 per mile. I had made up the time I lost due to the slow start.
B.O. check.
Now was time to reevaluate. I still felt good, so kept picking up the pace. We were on the way to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. There we got to run through the sports fields, along with a lap on the track where we had been before for the Kids Race.
Unidentified location.
The highlight here is getting to run a lap on the baseball field. This is where the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball do their spring training. It’s a really cool experience, especially with people in the stands cheering! It was in WWOS that I had my fastest mile, but that would soon change.
I already got to first base, now I’m going for home.
Looking back, I think all the energy I spent trying to make up the time took it’s toll. I started to feel it around this point. But at mile 20, I was still on pace to break 4 hours. 3:02:30 – 9:07 per mile.
An angel in the outfield.
From there we headed toward Hollywood Studios. Getting closer to home, but like they say, the real marathon starts at mile 20. I was really feeling it and took short walk breaks at the drink stations to grab a little powerade (and one port-a-potty stop to get rid of the old powerade).
The tower of terror ain’t got nothin on my towering form.
But then I felt doing that worked and I got a second wind! Awesome!!! But then at mile 21 I think I made a bad choice. Instead of continuing on with my new energy, I decided to stick to my recent pattern and grab a quick drink at the drink station. After that brief walk, I never recovered. I should’ve just kept running past it.
Putting on a brave face.
Also at this point, I think the cumulative miles from the previous 3 races started to kick in. My legs started to cramp. Every step I could feel my quads tense, and when I pulled over to try and stretch them, my hammies cramped into a giant ball. OUCH!
You lookin at me?
My pace slowed considerably as I tried to deal with the cramping. Kept running, but had to take a few walk breaks. Mostly at drink stations, but also on a hill or two. Speaking of which….
…This is supposed to be a flat course. It is decidedly not! Sure, it’s not super hilly, but it does have it’s fair share of long steady inclines and declines. Mostly from the bridges and overpasses we had to traverse.
That’s a big wizard hat. Where’s the wizard sleeve?
Anyway, at this point I could see my “A” goal slipping away. It was frustrating, and I felt like I was letting people down who I knew were following along with the auto text/facebook/twitter updates runDisney was sending of my splits. I also felt like I was wasting a great opportunity because of the weather and all the training I had put into it. But I couldn’t control the leg cramps. Maybe I wasn’t mentally tough enough to fight through it this time. Ahh, the stuff we think when we look back.
Goodbye Hollywood.
By now the sun was up and the parks were open, so there were lots of people there. I’m sure they were annoyed that they had to wait behind a rope for us to pass before they could get to the churro stand, but many of them still cheered, and I appreciated that. And I had made it through the Studios.
I almost wore the same outfit as that chick…that would’ve been embarrassing for her.
We then made our way to the Boardwalk Resort. I know that we’re close to finishing, as it borders Epcot. I was slowing even more, but still going.
Somewhere in Disney World.
Finally we enter Epcot. You’d think we’d be right at the finish, but get this – we still have 1.2 miles to go before getting to the parking lot finish. That’s how big those theme parks are!!!
The big spiky golf ball means we’re in Epcot.
Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament.
By now I knew my “A” goal was gone. And when I saw some characters with virtually line (queue), I decided to take the opportunity to stop for a photo – especially with DOPEY!!!!
I cannot explain the Dopey expression on my face, other than we were 47.6 miles into the Challenge.
Disney puts characters ALL along the course, but this is the first time I’ve ever stopped for a photo. Then I got a second one with one of my Asian wife’s fave movie characters – Mulan!
I want a funny pet dragon.
One of the highlights, right before you leave Epcot, hidden from the general public, is a gospel choir. When I ran past them, I turned to look at them and had one final big full body CRAMP! I stopped in my tracks and doubled over in pain. A race attendant asked if I needed the medics. I shook her off, sucked it up and ran toward the finish!
Waving to my fans.
About 100 meters to go and I see my boy! My sister’s roommate and her boyfriend graciously agreed to babysit him while we ran, and they made it just in time to the race to see me finish! That was the final boost I needed to finish strong!
Waving at the boy. Pretty cool pic!
Past the bleachers of cheering spectators, I ran to the finish, and high fived Donald Duck (why wouldn’t I?)…
That guy quacks me up.
His hands were downy soft.
And finished with a defiant fist pump!
I will punch you air, in your face’s mouth!
Yes, I was disappointed that I didn’t break 4 hours, but I still PR’d! I broke my previous personal best by 2+ minutes to finish at 4:07:47 – 9:28 per mile.
Yay for me!
They said there were somewhere between 25,000 – 30,000 people in the marathon. In the end, only around 19,000+ of them finished.
It’s too bad, I had a nice negative split going on until I bonked. But hey, at least I finished the challenge! Next time I run a Full Marathon however, I will NOT run 3 races in the days leading up to it!
Pace getting gradually faster…
…and then the wheels fell off.
After we crossed the line, I collected my Mickey medal for the full. Then on to the Goofy station to get that medal. Then finally to the Dopey station to get that medal.
Finally our blingy reward!
It’s funny, as soon as they put that medal on my neck, I felt real emotional. Instantaneously. I guess it finally kicked in all those months and months of training, all the early hours, all the miles and miles, all the preparation. But sadly, the Disney folks don’t let you stop and enjoy the moment. They.keep.you.moving. “You can’t stop here. You can’t stretch here. Keep walking. Keep moving.” If only I had the energy to tell them that I can’t walk right now. My legs are a ball of lactic buildup!
I’m screaming in triumph, or pain, either or.
Funny story after I collected the medals and walked past the medical tent, a medical person started screaming – the other medics all thought someone was really hurt, but it turns out she went to Ohio University too. You have no idea how many “Go Ohio!” and “Go ‘Cats” I got on the course. Such great support!
After a chat with her, I then retrieved my gear bag, which had the other medals ready for their photo op!
Finally, they are all got!
Later on after all our friends and family members finished, we wore our 6 medals into Epcot to cheer on the later finishers and to ride some rides and get some Guinness and grub. People commented that we sounded like robots with all the clinking that accompanied each step.
It really was kind of heavy. The weight we Dopes carry is indeed a heavy burden of joy.
So there it is: 48.6 miles done. It was a fun challenge, and I’m glad I did it. It’s always a treat to run through all the parks that we would visit as kids. And they do a good job of having characters and volunteers along the way to keep your spirits up! Also, I’m glad I followed my “coach’s” plan the best I could, and even though I crashed toward the end, at least I left it all on the course.
Rumors confirmed – I am dopey.
In the future I’m not sure if I’ll do it again. But I would like to do another full with this same training. I think if I put in the same mileage, but with only one race as the goal, then I can slap that timing clock around!
I will say this though, the thing I’m most proud of is that while I was doing the Dopey Challenge, and posting about it on Twitter and Instagram and such. That I had people message me that I had inspired them to get out and run themselves! That’s probably the best result of this whole thing!
Did I leave anything out? Any questions about the inaugural Dopey Challenge? You have any desire to do it? What’s up?
As many of you know, I’ve spent the past several months training for the Disney Dopey Challenge. It’s 4 straight days of racing. Thurs: 5k, Fri: 10k, Sat: 13.1, Sun: 26.2. I’ve been waiting patiently for them to release the course maps…they finally have!
**CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO SEE AN ENLARGED VERSION**
Here’s the 5k and 10k routes…
The warm-up runs.
The first few miles of the 10k ain’t all that exciting, but I’m glad that at least both races follow somewhat different routes (in the same area). I love variety in my running! I’m also happy that the start and finish are near each other. That way any spectators we have can at least see us twice!
Next up is the half marathon…
Half of the most magical place on Earth.
Basically a jaunt up to the Magic Kingdom and back from EPCOT. Only thing that concerns me is the round-a-bout at mile 10. I’ve been there before and it is a man made hill. It’s a swirly overpass of road, and it. is. very. angled. You can’t take two even steps because of the slant. I’ve had several friends get injured at that overpass. At least I know what to expect and can try to be safe there.
Finally is the main event, the full marathon…
26.2 magical miles. Or so they claim… 🙂
I really like this course. You get to see most of the main attractions of Disney World. I only wish there was a way they could mix in Downtown Disney.
As you can see, they take us through all 4 major parks – EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, & Hollywood Studios. In addition, we also get to do a lap on their race car track (1 mile around) and through their Boardwalk resort.
In between we pass by various other “attractions”. Running past the golf course is cool, but in years past running past the waste water management plant didn’t smell too pleasant. But I guess you gotta take the good with the not so good, right?
I also really like how that now have us going through the Sports Complex. There we get to run through the training soccer and football and baseball fields. We also get to do a lap on the track! And the highlight is running thru the baseball field where the Atlanta Braves do their spring training. Last year, that was coolio because there was a big crowd in the stands cheering for us (and they had cameras putting us on the big screen on the outfield wall).
It all ends up back at EPCOT. Which, if you look at the map, is over a mile in itself. That just goes to show you how big the parks actually are. I can say this from experience: there’s not much more deflating than entering the final park, thinking you’re almost done, then turning a corner and seeing the “mile 25 marker”. Ugh, another 1.2 to go, all in the same theme park!!!
But it’s all good. I’ve done the Disney Marathon 3 times now, and I know how the game is played. In the coming weeks I’ll offer my tips from experience for anyone else who happens to be running at Disney Marathon Weekend.
What about you? Do you obsess over course maps before a race, or do you care? Have you run at Disney? Any tips? What do you think of the courses?
So it’s hot outside. Like, devil fart hot. That makes for tough times running. I’m getting somewhat acclimatized, but there’s only so much you can adjust to. I tried to get up early and run before work hoping the small clock hour would mean cooler temps. Didn’t help much – sure the sun wasn’t baking, but for some reason the dawn hours around here are extremely humid. I did my run, sweated, took a shower, kept sweating, drove to work, sweated at my desk – I’m quite sure my co-workers think I’m up to something. “Why’s that guy sweating? What’s he looking at on his computer?”
But then on Wed, I met some peeps for a track workout…at 5. PM! Holy horse it was blazing. Trying to sprint 400’s when it’s 102, no clouds, and heat radiating off the black track ain’t easy. But I got through it (mostly).
Then comes the Thursday social run. What’s this? Rain clouds? Sure it was just a quick downpour that sopped, but at least the clouds will provide relief from the sun that seems to normally be leaning against my face. Not so much. The sun that was shining through cooked the wet ground and turned it into rather thick humidity. But I got through it again. It helps when there’s 50 other people running with you. One of which was a Boston Marathon qualifier for this coming year (She told me she qualified with a 3:30’s marathon!). She kept my pace up by nipping at my heels the whole 2nd half of the run. We ended up doing a rather decent 7:30 pace – pretty good for a hot casual social run! And she had a great point – if you can get through these crazy hot runs, as soon as the temps drop, it’s going to feel like you were let out of a cage. ‘Tis true. I’ve gone through it before. Running Texas summers = easier fall/winter runs.
Anyhow, we were able to cool off on the fantastic patio at the Katy Trail Icehouse Outpost in Plano.
Only part of our group that was there. We like the mister fans!
I’m not making duck lips, they always look like that.
Anyway, we got no choice. Gotta train through it. This weekend will bring more. I’m thinking long run again on Saturday, possibly followed by yoga. Then another trail run Sunday, followed by a secret run group meeting. Stay tuned for info on that last part.
Gotta keep at it! 179 days till the Disney World Marathon Weekend and the Dopey Challenge (3.1, 6.2, 13.1, &26.2)!!!
Who put a cartoon character in charge of a major race?
OK, so I’ve been preparing myself the past couple months for the Dopey training. Yes, I’ve been training for my training. Good thing too, cause I just settled on which plan to follow and Hal Higdon is the winner! As you can see, week 1 requires you to be able to already run 13 miles at once. So you better have done some pre-training to be ready to do that.
Not too bad, right?
Honestly, it doesn’t seem too bad. Sure the back to back long runs will be tough, but they’re not as long as I thought they’d be. I may add a little extra mileage, but maybe I should be smart and stick to the schedule as made. After all, he’s the expert. I settled on this plan because I’ve heard a lot of good things from several runners about following his plans before for marathons. It’s worth a try. Though I’m sure no plan is perfect since this is the inaugural edition of the Dopey, so if nobody’s done it, then maybe nobody knows the best way to prepare for it. And maybe there is no best way to train. I’m sure there are several plans that good for different people. It’s not an exact science, after all.
True words. It takes a lot of work.
My only addition to his plan is I’ll continue on with my cross training during the week. I know he has some cross training days in there, but I currently do more than that and want to continue. I believe it is VITAL to cross train when doing distance running. Need to keep your body strong in order to run strong. So I’ll keep up with yoga, weight lifting, etc. Not sure if I’m going to play soccer this fall though – I’d hate to invest in running this Dopey only to get an injury playing soccer – may have to skip a season.
Anyway, the official kickoff for this program is September 9th, 2013. Just gotta make sure I’m ready to run 13 miles by the end of that week in addition to the other runs. Shouldn’t be a problem. I’m almost to that distance on my current long run and I’m basically running 5 days a week anyway. Here’s to hoping for a successful training season and a successful Dopey completion!!!
So Disney World announced this new challenge last week – the appropriately named Dopey Challenge, cause that’s how you’ll feel doing it! Here’s the breakdown: Thurs-5k (3.1 miles), Fri-10k (6.2 miles), Sat-1/2 marathon (13.1 miles), Sun- full marathon (26.2 miles). Included in this is their original endurance challenge of running the half and fool marathons on consecutive days – which they call the Goofy Challenge. Now when you complete the Goofy, in addition to the 1/2 Donald Duck and full Mickey Mouse medal, you also get a Goofy themed medal (coincidentally enough). And if you know Disney, they go all out with their medal design and each year they change it up. I also heard a rumor that the Goofy is having it’s 10 year anniversary, so that should be a special design too.
Medals dang near big as yo head!
For the 5k, you get a Tres Amigos finishers medallion (it’s like a regular medal, but made of rubber). And for the new 10k you’ll get a Minnie Mouse medal, I hear. And for completing all four races, you’ll get an innagural Dopey medal. That’s in addition to the 5k, 10k, 1/2, full, and Goofy medals. So you get 6 total medals! You also get 6 shirts. I believe the 5k is a cotton T, but the others are long sleeved tech tees.
I am tempted by this challenge. Funny that I’ve never really had an inkling to do the Goofy, but I’m interested in the Dopey, which includes the Goofy. I pretty sure the 5k is not timed, so could walk it if we wanted, but I think I’d want to complete the challenge by actually running all the races. Tho there most likely won’t be any PR’s! From what I hear, you’ve got to take it easy on the earlier races to save everything you can to finish the final race (the 26.2).
What I am not tempted by is the starting entry fee of 500 skrilla units! And the price will go up as time passes! Yowzy! Add to that the cost of travel, and it would more than cover a year’s worth of races. But I’ve been trying to rationalize it – you get 4 race entries, 6 shirts (5 of them tech), and 6 medals. Still doesn’t quite add up, but I guess that’s the price you gotta pay to run with the mouse.
My standard Disney statue and castle photo op.
So anyway, I’m debating registering. My only fear of hesitating is that their similar Disneyland Dumbo Challenge (10k and 1/2 marathon) sold out in less than one day. Not sure if this one will too, but it adds pressure. I’m sure it will be a magical four days of running, so this will be a tough call.
OH WAIT, I HAVE A SOLUTION!!! Anyone out there want to sponsor me??? I’ll promote your gear/cause/business/company/family/product/etc. with all my powers…blog, “celebrity” friends, twitter, facebook, Instagram, and did I mention I’m a multi-Emmy award winning TV producer??? If anyone has any extra skrilla units hanging around, feel free to send em my way! Haha, I’d love to be sponsored by something mundane, like “Running on behalf of John Doe’s 27th birthday”, or something of the like. Think about it you and let me know and I’ll send you my Pay Pal account!
Piratebobcat 