Marathon Weekend 2018

Tokyo because Japan is one of our favorite countries we've spent time in. The people are wonderful, the culture is really interesting, and the local food is delicious.

I'm with you on this one @FFigawi. I spent two months in the Sendai area in college and really enjoyed the culture and people and found the country outside of the cities to be far more beautiful than I expected. Another vote for Tokyo Disney here.
 
We visited friends who were living just outside of Tokyo in 2015, but did not have enough time to make it to Tokyo Disney/DisneySea. It's definitely on the list for a return trip! (I often daydream about the sushi I ate in Japan, especially the fatty tuna...so good!) Had a 24 hour layover in Hong Kong back in December, but again, wanted to see some of the city rather than Hong Kong Disneyland, since it was our first time there. DH would prefer just about any trip over Disney trips, but even he has mentioned wanting to go to DisneySea! :)
 
I think there's a pretty big difference between stealing bibs to run races and paying for races and misrepresenting your accomplishments in said race. Stealing bibs is pathetic and criminal, misrepresenting yourself is just kind of sad.

There are people who misrepresent their accomplishments all over the place and runDisney is ripe for that sort of behavior. Does it bug me? Yeah, sometimes. Many of the people who misrepresent themselves didn't sweat all summer long, freeze in the winter, deal with blisters, lose toe nails, and have aches, pains, etc. They didn't put in the work and yet get the same respect as those of us who did. But, then I think how sad something in their lives must be if they have to pretend to run a Disney race just to feel some sense of pride or satisfaction. Also, most fakes are easy enough to spot.

Ultimately, people who steal bibs or pretend to run races aren't taking away our accomplishments.

It is different for sure but the same in another way. In both cases the person isn't respecting the work put in by other runners. Not that it matters, I agree with your assessment and wasn't trying to say they were the same in anyway. I think they both stink. I have been on these boards for three years now and it is no secret to those than know me on the threads I participate in that I credit running for changing my life. So, if it is someone who steals a bib from a person who worked hard and put in the training, or someone who is suffering so badly from poor self-esteem that they need to lie to get attention, I think it is awful either way. My theory is, put in the work and do things the right way and the rewards you get from that far outweigh the underhanded and crooked way of doing it. Just my opinion.

I agree most fakes are easy to spot. Ironically, the person in my story has a friend on this thread. Birds of a feather flock together. :rolleyes1
 


Wow guys, we all need to book a Tokyo trip and go because it seems like most want to go. Party plane! :rotfl:


Okay so... I'm curious how everyone's training is coming along so far. Have we started or do you guys start in another month or two?

I'm on week 4 of 16 of my marathon training class this week and am doing pretty good at checking off the boxes and sticking to the run schedule. The program is run by a local running store and it's really great at building up the milage per week - two runs at four miles, followed by a longer run on weekends. Then Friday is strength and conditioning stretching day. Having the structure of a class is helping with accountability to make sure I keep the momentum moving and transition from half marathons to the full.

Goal is to complete my first marathon on October 8 - not at a race pace but more as just feeling the milage and knowing I can do it. As Jeff Galloway says: Finish in an upright position!


Where I'm struggling is how do you maintain miles between the marathon (10/8) to recover but not lose momentum over the next 3 months until Dopey. I wonder if any of you past Dopey participants can share some thoughts or suggestions? Or maybe marathoners, what you did?

I appreciate any insight you're willing to share. You've been extremely helpful so far and I am so thankful for all of your guidance/suggestions from doing this previously. :thumbsup2
 
Wow guys, we all need to book a Tokyo trip and go because it seems like most want to go. Party plane! :rotfl:


Okay so... I'm curious how everyone's training is coming along so far. Have we started or do you guys start in another month or two?

I'm on week 4 of 16 of my marathon training class this week and am doing pretty good at checking off the boxes and sticking to the run schedule. The program is run by a local running store and it's really great at building up the milage per week - two runs at four miles, followed by a longer run on weekends. Then Friday is strength and conditioning stretching day. Having the structure of a class is helping with accountability to make sure I keep the momentum moving and transition from half marathons to the full.

Goal is to complete my first marathon on October 8 - not at a race pace but more as just feeling the milage and knowing I can do it. As Jeff Galloway says: Finish in an upright position!


Where I'm struggling is how do you maintain miles between the marathon (10/8) to recover but not lose momentum over the next 3 months until Dopey. I wonder if any of you past Dopey participants can share some thoughts or suggestions? Or maybe marathoners, what you did?

I appreciate any insight you're willing to share. You've been extremely helpful so far and I am so thankful for all of your guidance/suggestions from doing this previously. :thumbsup2
Thankfully its early because I am struggling a bit. I just don't have a big urge to get out there right now in the summer heat. I'll get into a rhythm eventually. It just seems so far away yet. I think I need to add another race in between to help me get moving.
 
Hmm, to be honest an overseas Disney trip just doesn't seem realistic to me (I definitely want to do some worldwide travel, but my top choices for a first trip don't really coincide with a Disney park). That said, I think it would be awesome to visit one of them. My aunt lived in Paris for several years, and she went to Disneyland Paris often, so I guess I'm the most familiar with that one from hearing her talk about it. It sounds wonderful!

Okay so... I'm curious how everyone's training is coming along so far. Have we started or do you guys start in another month or two?
I'm at the tail-end of one half marathon training cycle, and then will begin WDW marathon/fall half marathon training in August. I think it's really tricky figuring out how to maintain your mileage when in between races. It's been tricky for me to figure it out for half marathons, so I can't imagine figuring it out for fulls!
 


Okay so... I'm curious how everyone's training is coming along so far. Have we started or do you guys start in another month or two?

I start at the end of the month. This year, I am really trying to improve my diet with training, so I feel like I've been on a dessert binge as training draws closer!

Does anyone use Jeff Galloway's training program? I find it useful in terms of scheduling, and change things up for me as needed.

In terms of maintaining miles, I'd recommend just not letting yourself see the first marathon as your end goal. Think of it as part of the training process, take some short time to heal (speed things up with a massage, stretches, the works..), and try to keep your mind and body fixated on working towards January.

As time consuming and painful the process is, I'm so excited to go through it all with everyone!
 
Wow guys, we all need to book a Tokyo trip and go because it seems like most want to go. Party plane! :rotfl:


Okay so... I'm curious how everyone's training is coming along so far. Have we started or do you guys start in another month or two?

I'm on week 4 of 16 of my marathon training class this week and am doing pretty good at checking off the boxes and sticking to the run schedule. The program is run by a local running store and it's really great at building up the milage per week - two runs at four miles, followed by a longer run on weekends. Then Friday is strength and conditioning stretching day. Having the structure of a class is helping with accountability to make sure I keep the momentum moving and transition from half marathons to the full.

Goal is to complete my first marathon on October 8 - not at a race pace but more as just feeling the milage and knowing I can do it. As Jeff Galloway says: Finish in an upright position!


Where I'm struggling is how do you maintain miles between the marathon (10/8) to recover but not lose momentum over the next 3 months until Dopey. I wonder if any of you past Dopey participants can share some thoughts or suggestions? Or maybe marathoners, what you did?

I appreciate any insight you're willing to share. You've been extremely helpful so far and I am so thankful for all of your guidance/suggestions from doing this previously. :thumbsup2

If you figure this out, let me know. I had planned to run a half a few months after the marathon, started training and I couldn't get beyond 8-9 miles without feeling like I was going to injure myself due to wear and tear. Looking back now, I wish I had given myself more time to recuperate.

I am scheduled to officially start training next week for an October marathon. At this point, I feel about 50/50 on the likelihood of the race, given some recent foot problems.

My advice is to take it easy and not push yourself too hard with your first marathon. Let this be about figuring out the mental aspects of 26.2 miles and save your body for WDW.
 
Okay so... I'm curious how everyone's training is coming along so far. Have we started or do you guys start in another month or two?

I'm on week 4 of 16 of my marathon training class this week and am doing pretty good at checking off the boxes and sticking to the run schedule. The program is run by a local running store and it's really great at building up the milage per week - two runs at four miles, followed by a longer run on weekends. Then Friday is strength and conditioning stretching day. Having the structure of a class is helping with accountability to make sure I keep the momentum moving and transition from half marathons to the full.

Goal is to complete my first marathon on October 8 - not at a race pace but more as just feeling the milage and knowing I can do it. As Jeff Galloway says: Finish in an upright position!


Where I'm struggling is how do you maintain miles between the marathon (10/8) to recover but not lose momentum over the next 3 months until Dopey. I wonder if any of you past Dopey participants can share some thoughts or suggestions? Or maybe marathoners, what you did?

I appreciate any insight you're willing to share. You've been extremely helpful so far and I am so thankful for all of your guidance/suggestions from doing this previously. :thumbsup2
I'm just mainintaing miles over the summer for the marathon & working on speed is the plan (although I hurt my upper thigh/hip last week which is putting a damper on anything fast running wise right now). Towards the end of summer my weekly mileage will get higher with a more marathon focused plan to carry me into January. I've learned I'm better off if I go out and get some running in so I'm not so stiff but keep it light and slow for about 2 weeks, although I don't feel back to my groove for about a month (even after racing just a half). Everyone's different though, but if it were me I would pick a plan back up for the last 8 weeks to cover November and December and take October as recovery time still getting some miles in but not as high mileage.
 
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Okay so... I'm curious how everyone's training is coming along so far. Have we started or do you guys start in another month or two?

Where I'm struggling is how do you maintain miles between the marathon (10/8) to recover but not lose momentum over the next 3 months until Dopey. I wonder if any of you past Dopey participants can share some thoughts or suggestions? Or maybe marathoners, what you did?

I appreciate any insight you're willing to share. You've been extremely helpful so far and I am so thankful for all of your guidance/suggestions from doing this previously. :thumbsup2

I ran a half marathon 3 weeks ago, and I'm enjoying some reduced mileage. I've been doing about 4 miles on the weekends, just to maintain some fitness, but I'll start back up at the end of this month with Jeff Galloway's Dopey training.

I have one more half marathon on November 4, and I'm trying to figure out how I want to handle it. This has traditionally been a very fast course for me, and I'd love to try for a PR. I'd have 2 full months between this and Dopey. Is it a bad idea to run hard for a half marathon 2 months before Dopey, while at the same time increasing mileage in preparation for that event?
 
I'm training for drinking pretty well since I didn't drink for over a month due to surgery. I can now have 2 drinks without feeling it again!

(Physical Therapy for my ankle starts Thursday)
 
Where I'm struggling is how do you maintain miles between the marathon (10/8) to recover but not lose momentum over the next 3 months until Dopey. I wonder if any of you past Dopey participants can share some thoughts or suggestions? Or maybe marathoners, what you did?

I've done an October/Nov marathon and Dopey three times now. For me, I do the following -

-Marathon
-2 weeks off completely from running (lose about 6% fitness)
-1 week of only easy running (about 50% of peak mileage)
-1 week of transitioning back into paced/hard workouts (about 75% peak mileage)
-7 weeks of building to peak mileage (all at about 80-100% peak, fitness regained from time off after about 2 weeks of training)
-3 weeks taper

Normally, I'd do about 3-4 max runs (150 minute long run) during a normal marathon cycle. But with the truncated timeframe, I've done only one max run and felt reasonably prepared on race day (last year set PRs at 5k, 10k, and marathon during Dopey).

I am a firm believer in the 2 weeks off after the marathon mindset. I take the long term picture in terms of development and recovery. So, it's best not to rush back into it so that with what little time you have you can get quality training in.

Is it a bad idea to run hard for a half marathon 2 months before Dopey, while at the same time increasing mileage in preparation for that event?

I think it's completely reasonable as long as you take the appropriate recovery afterwards. My rule of thumb is one day off/easy for every 3k of racing. Thus, a half marathon raced hard requires 7 days off from running or 7 days of only easy running (which means no workouts faster than long run pace (MP + 45-90 sec) and no long run the weekend after HM). Then, you should be able to jump back into training without much issue. It will take a bit away from training for Dopey, so keep that in mind.
 
Okay so... I'm curious how everyone's training is coming along so far. Have we started or do you guys start in another month or two? :thumbsup2

I started unofficially when I signed up back in Feb, lost almost 20lbs and got up to a 9 mile long run a few weeks ago. I tweaked a ligament in my knee during a run (ironically during a walk phase) about a week and a half ago so I am giving it a little rest right now. I used the Galloway plan for my first Dopey and it got me through so that is the plan for this one as well so the official start of my training is the end of June.
 
Okay so... I'm curious how everyone's training is coming along so far. Have we started or do you guys start in another month or two?

I'm on week 4 of 16 of my marathon training class this week and am doing pretty good at checking off the boxes and sticking to the run schedule. The program is run by a local running store and it's really great at building up the milage per week - two runs at four miles, followed by a longer run on weekends. Then Friday is strength and conditioning stretching day. Having the structure of a class is helping with accountability to make sure I keep the momentum moving and transition from half marathons to the full.

Goal is to complete my first marathon on October 8 - not at a race pace but more as just feeling the milage and knowing I can do it. As Jeff Galloway says: Finish in an upright position!


Where I'm struggling is how do you maintain miles between the marathon (10/8) to recover but not lose momentum over the next 3 months until Dopey. I wonder if any of you past Dopey participants can share some thoughts or suggestions? Or maybe marathoners, what you did?

I appreciate any insight you're willing to share. You've been extremely helpful so far and I am so thankful for all of your guidance/suggestions from doing this previously. :thumbsup2

We are currently training for our local marathon (that I hope to PR with a sub 5:00) which is November 5th. I'm also training for (hopefully) a PR half marathon on October 1st to use for our Dopey POT. And then, of course, the Dopey training. So, we basically have a lot of overlapping training and goal races.

We are pace group leaders for our local Galloway group with the November marathon as our goal race, so we are already a few weeks into training for that. This next weekend we are up to a 9-miler for the long run.

Our plan for the time in between our November marathon and Dopey is to take a short rest recovery and then just maintain some longer long runs and then throw in a back to back and a Dopey simulation with shorter distances. We don't have as much time in between as you do, so not as hard for us to maintain. Given that for us Dopey is strictly a fun time where pace is meaningless to us, I don't feel like I have to do much other than maintain endurance to meet our Dopey goals which is finish and have fun!

I would think if you give yourself a couple of weeks post marathon of some recovery and then just short easy runs and then ramp back up a bit from there with some longer long runs (maybe building back up to a 20 miler in there before taper to January) you'll be fine to finish Dopey.
 
Wow guys, we all need to book a Tokyo trip and go because it seems like most want to go. Party plane! :rotfl:


Okay so... I'm curious how everyone's training is coming along so far. Have we started or do you guys start in another month or two?

I'm on week 4 of 16 of my marathon training class this week and am doing pretty good at checking off the boxes and sticking to the run schedule. The program is run by a local running store and it's really great at building up the milage per week - two runs at four miles, followed by a longer run on weekends. Then Friday is strength and conditioning stretching day. Having the structure of a class is helping with accountability to make sure I keep the momentum moving and transition from half marathons to the full.

Goal is to complete my first marathon on October 8 - not at a race pace but more as just feeling the milage and knowing I can do it. As Jeff Galloway says: Finish in an upright position!


Where I'm struggling is how do you maintain miles between the marathon (10/8) to recover but not lose momentum over the next 3 months until Dopey. I wonder if any of you past Dopey participants can share some thoughts or suggestions? Or maybe marathoners, what you did?

I appreciate any insight you're willing to share. You've been extremely helpful so far and I am so thankful for all of your guidance/suggestions from doing this previously. :thumbsup2

I'm a little crazy with running marathons. :) What I do may not be best for everyone. I actually have a marathon on Saturday. Saturday also marks the start of my local running store's training for a fall race, usually the first or 2nd weekend of October also. So I will run my marathon this weekend (take a week of vacation) and then jump back into marathon training with the group. The good thing about this is that that first long run weekend is significantly reduced mileage from what I have been doing. I also have a couple of marathons in September, so after the first week of the group training, I will start adding a few more miles onto my long run compared to the group.

What I think works for me after a marathon, when I have another marathon a few months later, is to take the next weekend and either don't run or just run a few miles - something under 10. Then back my marathon training plan up from my next marathon, and pick it up from that point. So far this has worked for me. I probably don't push myself as much as I could during marathons, so thankfully haven't had too many issues.
 
Okay so... I'm curious how everyone's training is coming along so far. Have we started or do you guys start in another month or two?
I'm in my basic base running mode now: 2 4 mi run day, 1 speed or hill work day, 1 long run day, 1 rest day, 1 yoga day, 1 ST day each week. Long run is 8-10 miles. I tend to think of Dopey training "starting" when I start building back-to-back mileage days, and that starts next month.
 
Where I'm struggling is how do you maintain miles between the marathon (10/8) to recover but not lose momentum over the next 3 months until Dopey. I wonder if any of you past Dopey participants can share some thoughts or suggestions? Or maybe marathoners, what you did?

Is it a bad idea to run hard for a half marathon 2 months before Dopey, while at the same time increasing mileage in preparation for that event?

Like anything else, this is probably going to depend on the individual... that whole "Running is an experiment of one" thing.

I've never done Dopey, but last year had the experience of an October 9 marathon (Chicago), a November 6 half marathon (Bowling Green, KY), and then the WDW marathon 2 months' later on January 8. I didn't set out to do this last year, but things worked out well for me. Here is how it sorta came together:

  1. Sometime before the marathon I realized I had signed up a year prior (coupon!) for a half marathon in my daughter's college town. This would be coming 4 weeks (Novembe 6) after the Chicago marathon. I had spoken to a couple people on whether to actually participate or not. Chicago was the A-race, so I'd play the half marathon by ear. But another excuse to go visit my daughter at school was always a good thing.
  2. October 8 @ Chicago was my 2nd marathon. I trained considerably harder for it than my first one. I had a plan put together for me by @DopeyBadger that was largely based on Hanson. It was 18 weeks of running 6 days per week. The marathon went pretty well. I had a big PR, but probably started out a little fast and paid for it later in the race. I was only about 4 minutes off of my goal, so can't complain too much. For the most part the race was fairly easy up until about mile 21 or so.
  3. After the marathon I took 1 week totally off.... the following week I ran 3 days with no pace whatsoever. I think it was 2 days of 4 miles and then 1 easy 12 mile run with a couple friends.... so the 12 miler was essentially 2 weeks after the marathon.
  4. At this point, I was feeling good and really had no lingering effects from the marathon. So in week 3, I ran four days for a total of 27 miles with one 13 mile long run. Again, none of these had any real pacing beyond "easy".
  5. For half marathon week (Sunday race) I ran 4 easy on Monday, 6 easy on Wednesday, 5 easy on Friday, and then 3 easy the day before the race.
  6. November 6 Half marathon morning was chilly. It was the most relaxed I had ever been before a race. I didn't have a care in the world. I had no real goal and just wanted to run relaxed the whole time. Before the race I thought it might be nice to try a pacer. The thought of staying with someone never interested me, but since this was a bit of a "fun run" for me I thought it would be a nice time to try. We actually talked quite a bit. He told me about how he had paced in Chicago and why he liked pacing. I could tell this race felt like a nice long run with friends... I was chatty and finding the pace easy. Somewhere after mile 6, the course gets flatter and I found myself picking up the pace with no real change in effort. I said goodbye to the pacer and ran on my own for a couple miles. I ended up catching another runner and we stayed together for a while. She was doing the full and not looking forward to repeating the loop. We talked for several miles and I was very relaxed. With a couple miles to go, she pointed out to me that I could pick up my pace and actually PR. I did some quick #math and it sounded "less relaxing" than I wanted and I really saw no reason to push. We stayed together for another mile and then I decided to pick up the pace. I ended up only 41 seconds off of my PR but felt like I hadn't pushed much at all. It was a very surprising and enjoyable race. Something about my relaxed state + the fitness I gained prior to Chicago had me dialed in that day.
  7. After the November half marathon I signed up for the January, 2017 WDW marathon. I think I actually signed up the next day. I wanted to make sure I was okay after my October full and November half. It was basically on a whim. I talked to my wife and daughter and we decided we'd do a 4/5 day long-weekend with no park tickets to just chill (literally this year) and I'd do the marathon.
  8. The week after the half marathon I ran 4 miles easy on Thursday and then ~12 miles really easy on Saturday (basically 1 week post-half). I felt good enough to begin training pretty hard the following week. I basically just inserted myself back in my Chicago plan at week 11 (with some adjustments the first couple weeks) and then stuck with the mileage/pacing of what I did for Chicago. I was really surprised at how easy I was able to adapt... ymmv. Note: I'm doing a similar plan now for Chicago, but took a lot more time "off" earlier this year and the plan isn't as easy as it was for me Nov/Dec. I'm sure part of it is fitness and part of it is weather.
  9. January WDW Marathon: As I said earlier, I didn't do the Dopey so not exactly what you are planning to do. I approached this race like the half marathon. No goal... just run relaxed. I had a blast. I was less than 4 minutes slower than Chicago, but never had anything close to a bonk moment. I ran a slightly negative split and my last mile was my fastest mile. I'm sure my fitness level was pretty high for me after that cycle and a half of marathon training. That combined with my very relaxed approach contributed to me having a really good experience.
 
It's so awesome to read through all of these training plans and recommendations. Appreciate everyone's feedback so far and am enjoying reading about your ramp up to officially train. Good luck everyone. :lovestruc

I am also running a fall marathon (Detroit, Oct 15) and will likely have a rest period and ramp up similar to what @DopeyBadger said. Right now I'm questioning my sanity training for a marathon in the summer heat! At 5:00am this morning it was 73 degrees with Florida-like humidity - I was dying during my easy 3 mile run! :crazy2:
 

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