Marathon Weekend 2023

[FFigawi]

SAFD: I only have two goals for marathon weekend. One, to have as much fun with the Goof Troop as possible all week long. Two, pace my friend to her elusive first sub-2 half.

 

[Dom497]

Might have jumped the gun, but I went ahead and booked my airline tickets - blew a bunch of miles on getting first class for the trip back, but I think a lay-flat seat on the first leg two days after the marathon will be welcome. Going down January 6, coming back the 10th. Gives me one day in the parks (probably just Epcot, maybe also DHS) after the marathon itself.

I don’t think you jumped the gun tbh. With everything going on in the world it’s a gamble if you think prices will go down.

 

[jpeterson]

SAFD: I have super simple goals. I signed up for Dopey and I want to complete it! This is my first Dopey (and marathon!). I know I can do it and I've been training hard at just general running fitness for the last year. Anytime I get discouraged I look back a year and realize how much progress I have made!

I don't care what my times or pace are for any race. I just want to finish. I'm training with a specific pace in mind that I think is doable, but come race day I just want to worry about crossing the finish line.

 

[Herding_Cats]

SAFD: My goals for MW in order are
1. Do the training.
2. Finish all of the distances.
3. Have good couples’ costumes for myself and DH for the 5k and 10k.
4. Do the finisher backdrop pics after each race.
5. Have even more fun than last year (I don’t know if that’s possible though?!)
6. Be less awkward at the HH meetup

 

[camaker]

SAFD: My goal is to simply enjoy a relaxing weekend of running. I'm in for Dopey and plan to tackle it at comfortable training paces as a mid-training cycle check-in for my March 100k.

The highlights of the weekend for me are always the Hurricane Hannah's, pre-race and DATW meet-ups with the folks on here, new and old.

 

[Z-Knight]

My Goal: Be Better

seems simple but these past years have been a challenge in many ways. i have a lot to be better in.

I'd like to sniff my 4 hour marathon time but I'll take 5 hours for now.

Doing the Dopey - Mostly for the medals. i cant wait

 

[lookingforsunshine]

SAFD:

Signed up for MW 5k, Goofy, & Castaway Cay. I attempted Goofy last year and had a good half but only made it 10 miles through the marathon. By race weekend, I wasn’t planning to actually attempt the marathon but then decided to try anyway. This year will hopefully be my redemption.

Goals:
1. As @Herding_Cats said, do the training. In addition to hopefully working with @DopeyBadger on a plan, I want to incorporate yoga & strength. I am doing this currently and seeing a lot of benefits to my mobility.
2. Lose 30 lbs by MW. This will get me under 200 lbs for the first time in a decade. I need to clean up my nutrition and continue working on cutting sugar.
3. Not running related, but graduate!!! I am hoping to walk in December and MW will be a celebration! Why did I choose such a difficult way to celebrate?
4. Figure out my feet problems that are the bane of my existence.
5. Finish all of my races within the 16 min mile time limit. Have fun while doing so!
6. Be in good enough shape after the marathon to not be debilitatingly sore on the cruise and still be able to run/walk the castaway cay 5k.
7. Bonus goal (because 7 is my lucky number): Ride something during the marathon.

 

[Jwild10]

SAFD: Goals- make it to the start line healthy and complete my first Dopey

 

[Barca33Runner]

SAFD: Finishing all four races will leave me happy. I’ve mucked it up the past couple weekends and beyond my personal redemption I feel, to a certain degree, a sense of duty to not waste my registration in lieu of all those who didn’t get the races they wanted or missed out on the weekend altogether.

In addition:

-I’d like to PR all four races. I don’t run a ton of races outside of Disney and my PRs are modest. Its eminently achievable if I do proper training.

-If I fail my 10k PR I want it to be because I’m having so much fun with my niece and nephew. We’re planning Rescue Rangers costumes but I’m not sure if the plan will be for all of us to run together the whole time.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

SAFD: Run my first marathon without being totally destroyed afterwards!

I'd love to spend some time in the parks after the race too but logistically might be a challenge since I'll be staying with my parents across town. But I mostly just want to finish!

 

[GuinnessRunner]

SAFD: Was able to get registered for Goofy. Too early for me to really think about time goals, but that being said:
- Make it through finish line Sunday healthy and smiling
- Consistency in training especially with core strength work
- Make it to the morning meet ups and maybe even DATW Monday (although through bad planning on my part my current checkout date is Monday)
- Keep from being frustrated with the crowds given how close it is to New Years
- Will revist time goals in the fall, but ideally they will involve a HM <2:30 and full <5:00

 

[kristenabelle]

SAFD: Finish my first full, and all four - come hell or high water, and at whatever pace.

Feeling good after this weekend's outings but January is a ways away. Still, love learning from everyone who has done it before, and sharing enthusiasm with y'all (including my fellow first timers)!

 

[PrincessV]

I'd be curious if anyone thinks demand would drop if the race medals weren't guaranteed?

I very much think there’s a HUGE desire to get those medals and post pics at the time, not months later. Couple that with a theme that targets the very age group most likely to be social media influenced/influencers. I think we’d still see big demand if medals were strictly for finishers, but it might drop those who have no intention of training or finishing. What I see every year are a good number of people who sign up before finding out just what marathon or more training entails and then find themselves scrambling because that level of training doesn’t actually work well for their life/fitness level/other commitments. I suspect we may see more of that than the usual.

 

[Bree]

SAFD: I signed up for my third Dopey. No goals for the weekend. I’m just looking forward to seeing everyone at HH, pre race meet ups, Goof Troop, parking lot beers and DATW.

 

[LosAngelesRunner]

SAFD: Registered for my first Dopey after doing just (ha) the marathon in January - and the Castaway 5K! I am still wrapping my head around what my goals should be for the races (just finish? try to PR one? all?) but I'm excited to have a goal to train for again. I'm running a half marathon in August that will hopefully qualify me for the corrals, and a few 10Ks on the horizon. I've realized that training for races really helps my mental health and gives me structure and accountability towards my fitness goals.

My mom, younger sister, and boyfriend are all running the half and Castaway 5K with me (!) - and it'll be my mom and sister's first half, too. I think I'll want to slow my pace to run with them and cheer them - but we'll see if they want that or if they want to be left alone! All in all, I'm excited for a fun, exhausting weekend that will push my limits and give me a new accomplishment to be proud of.

 

[nekonekoneko]

SAFD: I got my own 5k, and Dopey for the DW. We've done them before So I guess my own goal is to go fast enough to not get swept by the balloon ladies (though the 5k is not a sweeping race). As for my wife, I need her goal to bring at least one pair of running shoes to MW!

SAFD: I don't run, much, but I've been wearing New Balance shoes for as long as I can remember. I'm currently wearing a pair of 840v4 shoes.

My DW, on the other hand, will wear Hokas, NBs, Reeboks, it doesn't really matter. This past MW trip, she packed 10 pairs of shoes (for a 9 day trip), and then realized she forgot to pack running shoes... while we were in Epcot... before the expo... and she's a Dopey runner... ... She got a new pair of Hokas at the Expo, we really didn't have much of a choice.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

I very much think there’s a HUGE desire to get those medals and post pics at the time, not months later.

I agree. And with that maybe becomes an extra pressure to train to finish. They say one way to keep yourself accountable is to share your goal with people. If people who signed up have a large following, they may feel more pressure to finish the races. I know that is somewhat effecting me more this time around (even though I am in no way an “influencer”).

 

[Wvujodie30]

Hello everyone! It is my first time in this thread as up until now I’ve only done princess. I’ve said for years that a marathon so not for me as the distance quite honestly scares the crap out of me. Well here I am… I was fortunate enough to get in for the marathon this year. At 42, I thought why not do the thing I’ve been fearing. So for SAFD… my goal is to show up at the start … and to make it across the finish in hopefully decent shape.

 

[dancingtodisney]

SAFD: I've completed Dopey before and although I loved the experience I really struggled for the last 6miles of the marathon. My goal this time around doing 'just' the marathon is to enjoy the entire experience start to finish. I think it's an unbelievable course and so much fun with the characters, potential ride stops and the amazing people out cheering and I just want to enjoy every minute. Of course that requires a lot of training so I can be race day ready!

 

[WillRunForPizza]

SAFD: I've completed Dopey before and although I loved the experience I really struggled for the last 6miles of the marathon. My goal this time around doing 'just' the marathon is to enjoy the entire experience start to finish. I think it's an unbelievable course and so much fun with the characters, potential ride stops and the amazing people out cheering and I just want to enjoy every minute. Of course that requires a lot of training so I can be race day ready!

Wait...you can take a break from the marathon to get on a ride??