This weekend is the Disney Marathon Weekend. I have run the 26.2 magical miles x’s 4. And last year I ran the inaugural Dopey Challenge – 4 straight days, 4 straight races – Thurs 5k, Fri 10k, Sat 13.1, Sun 26.2. For all those running any of the events this weekend, or thinking about running in the future, here’s my official guide.
BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE RECAP LINKS BELOW FOR TONS OF PICS/VIDS/INSIGHT!!!!
The 6 Dopey Challenge Medals.
1. The Expo!
Yup, that’s an expo.
The Expo is Huuuuuuge. It’s takes over three buildings at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. You pick up your race packets, you get to see famous expert speakers, and you shop. You can shop for miles. It can be pretty overwhelming, but luckily there is a bar on hand where you can relax with a cold one, if you so desire.
Our boy has run the Kids’ Race x’s 3. The races also take place at the ESPN sports complex. Distances depend on age and desire, from the 100 to a mile. And yes, parents can run with their kids. And yes, it can be pretty chaotic. The start times, corrals, etc. can AND DO change at the drop of a hat. My advice: Be early, be ready, be flexible. They are a lot of fun though, and it’s great to get kids involved in the marathon weekend.
To read my full in depth Kids’ Races recap, CLICK HERE NOW!
3. The 5k (or Day 1 of the Dopey Challenge)!
All smiles at the finish photo line!
The 5k takes place on Thursday at the parking lot of Epcot. The race itself basically takes you in and around the theme park. It’s actually kind of neat to be in the park before it’s open. They still have characters you can take pictures with, and tons of volunteers to cheer for you. And just like that, it’s over. A quick 3.1 miles through Epcot.
Don’t really need gloves in Florida heat, but ya know…
2014 was the also the inaugural 10k. I gotta say, this was probably the least exciting of all the races. Again, you start/end at Epcot, but the first 3 miles you are on the dark roads outside the park. There’s a little entertainment, but mostly it’s silent. The second 3 miles you do run through a resort before entering Epcot to the finish – that part is fun!
5. The Half Marathon (or Day 3 of Dopey & Day 1 of The Goofy Challenge)
Yes, I wore a child’s Snow White apron.
The half marathon again starts/ends at Epcot. The difference is here that you do an out and back from the park to Magic Kingdom and back. The highlight is running through Magic Kingdom (and thru Cinderella’s Castle), but in between the two parks, again you’re just running on roads. Of course, they do have people cheering, characters, entertainment, and there’s more to see (resorts, etc.). And this race can be a lot of fun.
To read my full in depth Half Marathon recap, CLICK HERE NOW!
6. The Marathon (or Day 4 of Dopey & Day 2 of Goofy)
Medals 6/6 (includes Dopey & Goofy bonus medals)
The marathon is the shining jewel of the whole weekend. The granddaddy. The big kahuna. And it’s my favorite as well. Over the course of 26.2 miles, you go through all the theme parks (Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios) as well as through several resorts and also a lap on the race car track and a jaunt through the ESPN sports complex (incl. a lap on the track & baseball stadium). There is excellent support along the course & tons of entertainment. This is Disney at it’s best. They pull out all the bells & whistles. Really a magical marathon.
Of course, Disney is a big draw. Not only for tourists, but for runners as well. I’m really happy that at the Disney races I’ve run, I’ve been able to meet-up with so many long lost (and new) friends. At the Dopey Challenge, I couldn’t believe how many old friends, fellow bloggers, etc. that I had the fortune to meet up with.
Of course, Orlando is a huge tourist destination. There’s tons to do and see there. Disney World has so much to offer. But so do others, such as Universal. So many rides, foods, drinks, good times.
To see my in depth recap of how we celebrated CLICK HERE NOW!
9. Finally, Be Thankful!
Anyone who runs, knows it takes a lot of support. Months and months of early morning miles can’t happen without the support of family, friends, social media pals, etc. This was not lost on me when I was Dopey last year. And so I made sure to thank everyone – from fellow runners to fellow bloggers to the fams.
So to all you who are running in any or all of the races this Disney Marathon Weekend, I wish you the bestest of luck! Whether you’re running or not, or just thinking about running this event in the future – hit me up with any questions you have! I’ll try to help! Soooooo……
Today’s Question: What Disney Marathon Weekend questions do you have for me?
Welp, we’ve dun it. Anuther trip around the sun. Looking back, 2014 was a pretty decent year. Let’s take a peek at a few hightlights, shall we?
It kicked off with a BANG! In January I ran the Disney World Dopey & Goofy Challenge. That’s 4 straight days, 4 straight races.
The 6 Dopey Challenge Medals.
Day 1 – Thursday – 5k (3.1 miles)
Medal 1/6 gotten!
Day 2 – Friday – 10k (6.2 miles)
Medal 2/6 got.
Day 3 – Saturday – Half Marathon (13.1 miles)
Medals 3/6 got.
Day 4 – Sunday – Full Marathon (26.2 miles)
Medals 6/6 (includes Dopey & Goofy bonus medals)
All in all, it was a magical 48.6 miles.
Running at Epcot, waving to my fans.
Included in the weekend was the Kids’ Race, where the soon to be 5 year old rocked it!
Medals for everyone!
Oh, and did I mention my sis and ma also did the Dopey?
At Magic Kingdom with our medals.
Shortly afterwards though, I was going for a run, tripped, felled, and Nancy Kerriganed my own knee.
Put me out of commission for a little while.
I was able to eventually get active again by doing a lot of yoga in a retail store.
Cat, cow, what difference does it make?
I really think yoga is important for everyone – including runners. So I do a lot of it. And besides…
#NotCreepyatAll
Another part of my cross training is lifting weights. And besides…
Dumbells make you smart…and sexy.
I also like to mix up my runs with track work. And besides…
Track work makes you sexy. Here’s the proof!
Trail runs are also great. And besides…
#truth #obviously
Eventually my knee felt better and I got back on the roads with some of my fave people. Like Thursday Night Social Runners.
TNSR, Representin
And also my crazy early morning elfen crew.
They like to run at like 5am. They cray cray.
I also made a few Luke’s Locker social trail runs.
Run trails, eat pancakes. Repeat.
And the White Rock Running Co-op, who really helped me to become a better runner this year.
WRRC. Good runners.
To help fuel my workouts, I ate lots of tacos. Lots.
Legit, son!
In between training, I also got to see some of my fave bands…like at this FREE concert – The Killers!
About 30 rows deep, my mouth a gasp with excitement.
And the Old 97’s.
Seen this band countless times.
And I was super thrilled to see the traveling Broadway show, based on the movie – Once!
And I got to make my annual Jimmy Buffett concert experience…TWICE!
JB concert #1. Just call me Front Row Joe.
JB concert #2. Things get wild at the tailgate parties…trust me!
I also got to hangout on stage during a Graceland Ninjaz concert.
On stage open mouth selfie.
As well as Pentatonix.
I liked to imagine they were all cheering for me (they may have been).
They were amongst the Celebs that got to hang out with me this year.
They asked me to join the group based on some of my youtube karaoke videos.
And my model friend Brooke Becker.
She’s kewl.
And long time friend, fashion blogger, and TV host, Hilary Kennedy.
We had to wear our shades because of the flashes from the paparazzi.
And all around media star, and long long time friend, Ashley Kamrath.
At the Emmy’s. We didn’t win this year, but we’ll get again next year!
And I made another video with friend & TV host, Emily Reppert.
On the set with my actor friends.
And I made a new BFF when I interviewed Olympic gold medalist, Jennie Finch.
See, told ya we were new BFF’s.
And my Dallas Half Marathon Champion friend, Logan Sherman.
Logan, Me, Patrick. Mustachioed.
And model/actor buddy, Shane Land.
We have played brothers in two movies. Can you see the resemblance?
And a Dallas Cowboy – Charles Haley.
A couple of legends.
Anyways, back to running. I ran a bunch of races. Starting with Abby’s Run 5k, where I won my age group!
Yay! I got a photo with Abby (who the race is named for) and her mom. Ann photobombed us.
Then came the Rock the Block 10k. New PR – 46:00!
And we’re off! -Photo from Dallasnews.com
During the months of Texas heat, it was really hot, so I only ran a few unofficial races. Like the Boston Marathon virtual run.
And the America, F**k Yeah 4th of July 10k.
Censored Bling
And the TNSR Beer Mile.
This was a bad idea.
Then came the Fall. Autumn is always a time of change. For us, a big change was the boy starting kindergarten. Where does the time go???
He’s grown about 5 times his size. Based on that growth rate, I figure he’ll be about 80 feet tall by his 20’s.
I even volunteered to coach his soccer team. That was a lot of fun!
Landsharks on three!
And the little girl just keeps growing too!
Stop looking at me swan.
Fall also saw a lot of PR changes. Starting with the Oktoberfest 5k – 21:33. When you PR, you have to celebrate…
They love me.
Next up was the Dallas Mavericks 5k. Another PR!
The Mavs Dancers asked to have their photo taken with me. I obliged.
Speaking of which, my brother ran his first half marathon this fall! And my dad is running his first half in January 2015!
Dad, Bro, Me at an FC Dallas game this fall.
The next PR to fall was at the Dallas 13.1 – 1:42:59!
Bottle opener medal.
Next was the annual Halloween fun run.
Our costumed group.
One sad change was that we lost our oldest doggy this fall. She was such a great pup.
sweet Bailey girl
But in happier times, I set another PR at the North Texas Turkey Trot 5k 20:04. Bummer was the course being .1 miles short.
Stop looking at me turkey.
Next up was the Rudolph Run 5k. And yet another PR – officially 21:29, but my watch had the course being long. According to it I came across at 20:50-something. Either way, I got 2nd in my age group!
Last year’s race was cancelled due to ice. So I got two medals!
The final race of 2014 was the Dallas Half marathon. No PR this day, but still got my 2nd fastest half – 1:45:01.
Big state, little medal.
And as part of the Dallas Marathon festivities, I got to meet MEB!!!!!!
Me n Meb
The end of the year was spent with friends and family for the holidays.
Looking back, it was a pretty good year. Lots of tacos, shows, good times, and running. In fact, I went over 1,200 miles on my feet. I even surpassed 5,000 miles total with my Nike+ watch – starting when I got it a few years ago.
5 g’s over the past few years.
Here’s hoping 2015 will be even better! Happy New Year, y’all!
Today’s only question: What’s your top 2014 highlight?
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?
Race 3 of 4 of the Dopey Challenge. This time it was time for the Donald Duck themed half marathon. The evening before the race, we prepared by chilling a bit at Downtown Disney.
My sis and I carbo-loading.
Our sunny set view.
Then came the morning and another 2am wake up call. By now I was used to it. I had used up all my pre-race sleep jitters before the first race (5k). And while I still hadn’t had a full night sleep, at least I got a few hours. And of course we took our customary pre race photo.
Sis, Me, Mom.
Still wanting to take it easy, so I wore one last costume (as you can tell). This time it was my PR 214 tech tank with an Alice in Wonderland apron. My friend (who looks like an elf) lent it to me the day before I left for Florida.
Knee out. Hands on hips.
She told me she got it at Disney World when she was a little girl…so it’s probably like 50-60 years old (JK – if she read this). She also lent me the matching dress, but I could no way in Hades get it on. I tried, but couldn’t get the waist over my broad manly shoulders. Nearly split it in four. I guess costumes meant for a 6 year old girl don’t work on me.
I do like how the rabbit is chasing time – just like us runners!
The apron got quite the few comments and gawks. One example during the race: a couple bros asked me if I lost a bet – I told them that it was either a result of too much medication, or not quite enough.
I’d be much faster if I ran like a normal person.
I also ran with the GoPro camera. But I had forgotted to charge it the night before, so I only got a few moments of video recorded during the race. You can see the fleeting moments here:
As you can see in the video, there was a bit of a let down at the start of our corral. Now I won’t get into the corral complaints here, as I’m sure the runDisney folks have gotten quite the mouse earful already. But what I wanted to bring up was that our corral got extra jacked up. You see, Disney shoots off a pretty nice little fireworks show for each corral start – except for ours. Something happened when the dude pushed the boom button and we got zilch sky explosions. Bummer, bro.
But no matter, we were underway!
Follow the yellow brick road…or painted line, as it were.
I ran the whole way with my sis. We chatted the whole way too, further ensuring that we’d take it easy (in addy to the costumes).
I have to correct my running form. So does she.
We didn’t stop for any characters, but we couldn’t pass up the Cinderella’s Castle photo op (no lines!).
As much as my arms are in the air, I hope I didn’t have B.O.
I was looking forward to this leg of the Dopey. I had run the Disney Marathon 3 times, but never one of their 13.1 races. I wanted to know what it was like.
I think I thought I was in 2nd place here.
But after running it, I can now say that I’m glad I run the fulls. They didn’t have all the bells and whistles out for the half. The course only hit up two parks (Magic Kingdom and Epcot).
Half of the most magical place on Earth.
The lights of the castle weren’t even on. The people who run the half really do miss out on all the action of the full – but I guess that’s part of the reward for the people who are more than half crazy???
Catchin flies.
Anyways, it was pretty warm and humid. So the apron and everything else got nice and sweaty (if Elf reads this – we did wash it after). I’m really glad we didn’t have this weather for the full! It was swampy!
Put the guns away already!
Once again, the race started and ended in the Epcot parking lot. The crowds of supporters were bigger than the day before (10k), which was bigger than the day before (5k).
No mid race selfie for you! Battery is dead bro!
But once again, I was trying to go for a personal worst (PW). This was the 3rd of 4 legs of the Dopey Challenge and the 1st of 2 legs of the Goofy. And once again I succeeded!
I must’ve run the entire way with my hands in the air. Sheesh.
We finished at 2 hrs 17 mins. A near 30 minutes slower than my previous half (1:48). Just a nice easy medium-long run.
And at the finish, I did a little high step dance, but I couldn’t get the video for y’all, but you can kind of tell from the pics.
Sideways high steppin.
Anyways, we enjoyed the journey and Disney does make a fine race medal!
Thumbs up, finally arms down.
So now we’re 3 races down, with just one to go – the full 26.2 mile marathon!
Family reunion time.
The only scary thing was that people started to point out that even though we’d finished 3/4 races, we hadn’t yet reached halfway of the total mileage!!!!! We wouldn’t reach that until a few miles into the full. I wish nobody had pointed that out.
You can lick the medals if you want. One of the benefits.
So there you go. We are now 1/2 Goofy and 3/4 Dopey. One (big) race to go to complete the challenges!!!
***Side note – I saw a really funny race shirt that day – it read on the back, “Is this the line for Space Mountain?” Bwhaha!****
If you missed the previous recaps, here’s the ones for the Expo, 5k, and 10k.
How bout y’all? Ever cross dress in an ill-fitting outfit for a race? Can you suggest a new mid-race pose other and arms up? Should we had made fireworks sound effects when their real ones malfunctioned?
Day 2 of the inaugural Dopey Challenge was the inaugural Minnie Mouse 10k. Day 1 was the5k Family Fun Run. This race was warm and humid. And still early. Yet another 2 am wake up call for a 5:30 am start. It was also much more packed and energetic than the 5k. There were a lot more people this morning. A lot more buzz.
My best Mickey pose
For this race, I was again rockin’ an Ohio University shirt. My costume consisted of my over-sized Disney cartoon gloves, and my customized Mickey Mouse ears.
Sis, Mom, Me B4 da race.
To help keep the ears on, I wore the GoPro camera on my head with a head strap that held the hat in place. The only issue was that it was hard to tell if the camera was recording or not. The solution was to hold my hand in front of it to see if I saw the reflection of the red blinking light…or ask one of the volunteers if it was blinking.
Hitting record on the GoPro.
Same corral as the 5k —> A. The course once again started and ended in the Epcot parking lot. Truth be told, the first few miles were kind of boring. Actually, a lot boring. It immediately took us out on the roads that link the parks within Disney World. Dark. Quiet. Sure, there were a few attractions (characters, deejays, etc.) placed along this stretch, but not much.
The 10k is the RED line.
Plus, I got to see first hand the corral start separation that everyone was complaining about after day 1. I got to see it because the course started with about a mile out and back on the road. I kept watching the road on the way back looking for corral B. It never seemed to come. Not sure why they held them so long. There was plenty of room on the roads. As you can see from the highlights from my head mounted video camera:
Anyway, once the course finally got us into Epcot, it livened up. It also took us around the Boardwalk Resort. That was pretty cool too. It’s so weird being there so early in the morning, and I’m sure we woke up a few tourists staying in the hotels there, but it was eerily cool.
Running and waving and sweating. Talented.
The final stretch took us back through Epcot before finishing back at the parking lot near where we started.
Running and smiling.
Once again, I tried to take it easy. My last 10k I finished in 46:23. This one I came across in 1:04:28. Once again, I reached my goal of finishing with a personal worst (PW)!!! Mission “Take It Easy Races 1 Thru 3” successful so far!
I have weird running form.
Again, I ran the entire way, as I wanted to complete the Dopey Challenge by actually running all 4 races – no matter how slow I took the first few.
I really need to stop running like that.
Again, I was trying to relax, enjoy the run, and not exert myself too much. This was all in design to be able to have something in the tank for the 26.2 in just a couple days.
Moments before I pounced on Snow White.
At the finish, I decided to do something other than just run over it – so I did a little heel click hop!
Heel click wide shot.
Heel click close up.
The Minnie medal was pretty cool too. I do love getting new hardware! Bling Bling Race Bling!
Medal 2 of 6 got son!
And now we were done with 2/4 races. 9.3 miles down, 39.3 to go! The 39.3 is the Half and Full marathons back to back – they call that the Goofy Challenge. So all that’s left for me to get Dopey is to be Goofy.
Next up I’ll recap the Half Marathon. If you missed my recaps of the Expo and/or 5k, you can see them HERE and HERE respectively.
How bout you? How was your last 10k run or race? Ever run with a camera? Ever do anything special at a finish line?
The folks over at Run Disney finally posted the official photos of the brand new race medals for the Dopey Challenge. I am running this inaugural event in January. It’s four straight days of racing (5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2), but you’ll notice there are six medals total. That’s cause you also get one for doing the Dopey, and doing the Goofy (13.1 & 26.2), which is included in the Dopey.
My neck feels heavy just looking at them.
I’m glad they show us the medals ahead of time, gives us motivation! My first marathon was the Disney Marathon in 2008, and that was the 15th anniversary of the event. That year they kept the medal design a secret – you didn’t get to see the medal until you crossed the finish line. But like I said, I like knowing now because I’m an impatient American!
If you click on the picture, you can see an enlarged view. And if you see an enlarged view you’ll notice that there are two innagural etchings. One on the Dopey and one on the 10k, as it’s the first year for that race. Pretty cool.
Next up, I can’t wait to see the course maps. I really liked the marathon course last year, and I’m not sure if they’ll be changing it up, but knowing Disney, they like to go all out all the time. If they were using the same courses as last year, it’d probably still be on their website, but they ain’t on there. Come on Run Disney, give me those maps now! I’m an impatient American!
Haha, anywhoodle, those medals won’t come without doing the work. So I’m back at it today with a weight session at the gym-ola, then a hot social run tonight at the pub-ola.
Over the weekend Disneyland in California held a weekend of races. 5k, 10k, and 1/2 marathon. If you do the 10k and 1/2, they call it the Dumbo Double Dare, and get a special Dumbo medal. I wasn’t there. But I did follow what was going on via Twitter. And there was one thing that really surprised me – at the race Expo, then medals for the Disney World Dopey Challenge (among other races) were on full display! @RunDisney tweeted this teasing pic:
Blingy.
If you don’t know, the Dopey Challenge is what I’m training for. It’s 4 straight days of racing – 5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2. 48.6 miles total. You get a medal for each race, plus the Dopey medal, plus the Goofy Challenge medal (that’s doing the half and full marathons back to back). So at the end of the four days, you’ll be clangin 6 medals around your neck.
Anyway, another run blogger posted close up photos on Twitter. They show every medal except the 5k one for some reason. Here’s the Dopey:
My Precious.
I snagged that photo as teaser, to see the rest of them, visit their blog HERE.
I was surprised that they let the medals be revealed this way. Each year they redesign all the race medals, and so it’s always a mystery of what they’ll look like. Last year they did a whole big production about it. It lasted for weeks and involved hints, clues, videos, etc. But I just want to see them, so I’m cool with it coming out this way!
Last year I ran the marathon, and if you missed it, here’s what the medal looked like (complete with two spinning components):
Medals dang near big as yo head!
So if you’re running the Dopey, you now have new motivation. And if you’re like a lot of us, you probably look like this:
So RunDisney tweeted this week that their official training for the Dopey Challenge begins this week. That must mean we’re 28 weeks away, as they follow a 28 week program. I am going to follow Hal Higdon, and he has an 18 week program for the Goofy Challenge. But in that program, week 1 features a long run of 10 miles, so you better already be in decent shape before you start! I’m a couple months from starting, but already my miles are going up in preparation. This past Sunday I ran 9. Would’ve run more but passed by my house at mile 9 and decided to call it a day.
And can I just say that the freaky cooler temps we got this week are making a huge difference. It’s July. In Texas. It should be miserable like it was last week with temps reaching 104. This week the lows are in the 60’s and highs in the 80’s. Holy crap that’s awesome. I’ve been getting up early to go run in the 60 degree temps just to take advantage. And can I also say that running in these temps makes it so much easier to run. Makes me feel better about my conditioning as I was struggling during some of the high 90’s runs. Had to take some walk breaks to cool down. But with the cooler temps, no need to stop. So glad that that’s the case!
So, I’ve been running track workouts with a friend and he’s signed up for a race on July 4th. He kept asking me to register. I ran it last year and wasn’t sure about doing it this year. But the cooler weather has swayed me. I need to run that day anyway, so why not race? Who knows when we’ll get temps like these again? Gotta keep taking advantage!
Anyway, I’ll fill you in with a race preview tomorrow. Holla!
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 