Official Dopey 2019 Thread

I’m in the exact same position as you. I have walked 6 runDisney half marathons but never a full and am contemplating Dopey (or maybe Goofy to avoid 4 days of getting up so early) in 2019. Not worried about the 5k, 10K, half, but have no idea if I can walk a full. I’ll definitely need to slow down. I walked Princess at a 13’30” pace. Figure I should go much closer to 15’ miles for all of the races if I’m going to try to do Dopey.

Well, I made the mistake of not training for the past year so now I’m really really slow :rolleyes: but I figure starting now I can pick it up, so that like you I can pace myself at a slower rate to complete all. I agree that the early mornings will be hard (drat that 4 hour time difference) but it should be fun!
 
I’m in the exact same position as you. I have walked 6 runDisney half marathons but never a full and am contemplating Dopey (or maybe Goofy to avoid 4 days of getting up so early) in 2019. Not worried about the 5k, 10K, half, but have no idea if I can walk a full. I’ll definitely need to slow down. I walked Princess at a 13’30” pace. Figure I should go much closer to 15’ miles for all of the races if I’m going to try to do Dopey.

Well, I made the mistake of not training for the past year so now I’m really really slow :rolleyes: but I figure starting now I can pick it up, so that like you I can pace myself at a slower rate to complete all. I agree that the early mornings will be hard (drat that 4 hour time difference) but it should be fun!

PoT is going to be your best friend going into Dopey! A half will work, but a 10 Miler is the "magic distance" I found for corral placement for Dopey.

Check out the Galloway plans for Dopey and try a 30-30 Run/Walk interval for a couple of weeks following the plan and see where that gets you! The thing about the Marathon is it's a LOT of time on your feet, and your muscles will get tired of the same movement by walking. Run/Walk/Run helps break up that same-set muscle fatigue, but also provides a little burst with a recovery period. Y'all have enough time to start working on that - and then you'll DEFINITELY crush Dopey!

Dopey was also my first Marathon, so I know what y'all are going through!
 
PoT is going to be your best friend going into Dopey! A half will work, but a 10 Miler is the "magic distance" I found for corral placement for Dopey.

Check out the Galloway plans for Dopey and try a 30-30 Run/Walk interval for a couple of weeks following the plan and see where that gets you! The thing about the Marathon is it's a LOT of time on your feet, and your muscles will get tired of the same movement by walking. Run/Walk/Run helps break up that same-set muscle fatigue, but also provides a little burst with a recovery period. Y'all have enough time to start working on that - and then you'll DEFINITELY crush Dopey!

Dopey was also my first Marathon, so I know what y'all are going through!


Thanks for the advice. I’m going to work on getting a little faster, but I don’t know if I will be fast enough to need a PoT. There aren’t any 10 milers close to me so I’ll have to see if I can find one should I travel before Oct.

Also, thank you for reminding me why I need the running segments (for me it’s more of a walk run walk thing :)) it does help with the muscle fatigue. I downloaded the Galloway plan and started my training this week. I am going to get so that I can finish the Dopey and have a great time doing it.
 
sheesh, there is nearly as much traffic on the Dopey 2020 thread as we have here...hehe

my TA send me an email yesterday about my Dopey registration...i was able to pay for my reservation and now just have to wait for those Active links in the next few weeks. Im guessing no earlier than AP/DVC.
 


sheesh, there is nearly as much traffic on the Dopey 2020 thread as we have here...hehe

my TA send me an email yesterday about my Dopey registration...i was able to pay for my reservation and now just have to wait for those Active links in the next few weeks. Im guessing no earlier than AP/DVC.
I am considering signing up now with acclaim... So do you get the links before general registration?
 
I am considering signing up now with acclaim... So do you get the links before general registration?

When I signed up before general registration with Acclaim for Dopey 2018, links were not sent out prior to general registration opening. I think the links came a couple of months later, if I remember correctly. Acclaim has all the bibs that they pre-sell guaranteed, though, so there's nothing to worry about with the delay. Your slot has been secured when you make your reservation with them.
 
When I signed up before general registration with Acclaim for Dopey 2018, links were not sent out prior to general registration opening. I think the links came a couple of months later, if I remember correctly. Acclaim has all the bibs that they pre-sell guaranteed, though, so there's nothing to worry about with the delay. Your slot has been secured when you make your reservation with them.
that was an odd year...in the years past Acclaim another TAs actually had links even before AP/DVC...actually, now that i think about it, they would actually register you and youd get the confirmation email. but still, the 2018 thing was some kind of rundisney delay issue, so not sure that is normal
 


that was an odd year...in the years past Acclaim another TAs actually had links even before AP/DVC...actually, now that i think about it, they would actually register you and youd get the confirmation email. but still, the 2018 thing was some kind of rundisney delay issue, so not sure that is normal
When I signed up before general registration with Acclaim for Dopey 2018, links were not sent out prior to general registration opening. I think the links came a couple of months later, if I remember correctly. Acclaim has all the bibs that they pre-sell guaranteed, though, so there's nothing to worry about with the delay. Your slot has been secured when you make your reservation with them.


Thanks guys!
 
Me last night: Dopey 2019 is going to be incredible. I've even got my race costume for the full tenatively planned out. I was planning out where I might stay and where I might eat. I'm doing the 5K and First Order Challenge next month. Why not go for Dopey in 2019?

Me today after running 11 miles for Dark Side weekend: Do I really want to run a full? Do I really want to do that for another 3-4 hours. Maybe I'll stick to half marathons only.

So yes the mental struggle is real.
 
Me last night: Dopey 2019 is going to be incredible. I've even got my race costume for the full tenatively planned out. I was planning out where I might stay and where I might eat. I'm doing the 5K and First Order Challenge next month. Why not go for Dopey in 2019?

Me today after running 11 miles for Dark Side weekend: Do I really want to run a full? Do I really want to do that for another 3-4 hours. Maybe I'll stick to half marathons only.

So yes the mental struggle is real.

You after finishing your first full as part of Dopey: when can I run another full? Sign me up! The addiction is real!
 
I'm considering signing up. I just finished the Fairy Tale challenge. I swore up and down that I never wanted to run more than a 10K ever again, but Dopey is just so darn crazy I want to try it once. So tell me, how hard is it? I've run 4 marathons before, but my last one was Disney 2010. Does anyone tour the parks on race days? I probably wouldn't be able to stay after at all, maybe Monday. How important is proof of time? My Princess half time wasn't quite good enough to prove a 5:30 marathon (I ran a 2:53). I took it really easy during the race though because I'd been sick for a few weeks before. So I'm sure I could get a better time, but that means another long race that I'm not sure I want to run.
 
I'm considering signing up. I just finished the Fairy Tale challenge. I swore up and down that I never wanted to run more than a 10K ever again, but Dopey is just so darn crazy I want to try it once. So tell me, how hard is it? I've run 4 marathons before, but my last one was Disney 2010. Does anyone tour the parks on race days? I probably wouldn't be able to stay after at all, maybe Monday. How important is proof of time? My Princess half time wasn't quite good enough to prove a 5:30 marathon (I ran a 2:53). I took it really easy during the race though because I'd been sick for a few weeks before. So I'm sure I could get a better time, but that means another long race that I'm not sure I want to run.

I've run Dopey each year so far in varying states of disrepair. This year was the least prepared I have been and it made the Marathon very difficult and not much fun. From a pure "how hard is it?" standpoint, I'd say if you are prepared for a Marathon you can run Dopey. That said, I have found that my degree of enjoyment of the races corresponds directly to the amount and adequacy of the training I've done. If I was handy with graphics I'd put a simple little chart illustration here but, alas, I am not. I have toured parks on each day of Dopey at different times, following the Marathon this year was the first time I did not feel going to the parks would have been a wise move. I have also run Dopey from a wide variety of Corrals and I would say that my Corral has never really influenced my enjoyment much.

So I guess what I'm saying is that proof of time isn't particularly important; if you are prepared to have a good time at the races a magical experience can be achieved from any corral. Preparation and training, on the other hand, are of paramount importance. Just finishing is an incredible achievement and will feel good after the fact, but it is a lot more fun when you are confident in what you are doing and able to really soak up the experience rather than spending a lot of time worrying about finishing. Parks are very possible for people running Dopey, but they certainly aren't a necessity.

Hope that helps.
 
I'm considering signing up. I just finished the Fairy Tale challenge. I swore up and down that I never wanted to run more than a 10K ever again, but Dopey is just so darn crazy I want to try it once. So tell me, how hard is it? I've run 4 marathons before, but my last one was Disney 2010. Does anyone tour the parks on race days? I probably wouldn't be able to stay after at all, maybe Monday. How important is proof of time? My Princess half time wasn't quite good enough to prove a 5:30 marathon (I ran a 2:53). I took it really easy during the race though because I'd been sick for a few weeks before. So I'm sure I could get a better time, but that means another long race that I'm not sure I want to run.

I'm very happy to say I'm Perfectly Dopey and agree 100% with @Barca33Runner - if you train properly for a marathon, the Dopey won't be a problem.

This past Dopey - much like Barca - was my least prepared. Work, injuries, and weather all contributed to that. Unlike Barca, this was my most enjoyable marathon at Disney! I knew my time was going to be sub-par so I was much more inclined to stop for pictures that I would not have in previous years. It was a blast!

Beyond the marathon training, don't underestimate the impact of four painfully-early mornings! Even at Disney, 4:30 AM is *NOT* magical! My wife and I do the parks each day. I tried to set ADR's for dinner around 5:30-6:00 and planned on leaving the park by 7PM to return to the resort. I think we did that once. All of the other days we stayed later than planned - sometimes it was my fault, other times less my fault (because it's never her fault! :D)

The Dopey really is a lot of fun. I know some people are one-and-done but I don't remember reading one trip report in which the runner regretted doing it.
 
Beyond the marathon training, don't underestimate the impact of four painfully-early mornings! Even at Disney, 4:30 AM is *NOT* magical! My wife and I do the parks each day. I tried to set ADR's for dinner around 5:30-6:00 and planned on leaving the park by 7PM to return to the resort. I think we did that once. All of the other days we stayed later than planned - sometimes it was my fault, other times less my fault (because it's never her fault! :D)

The Dopey really is a lot of fun. I know some people are one-and-done but I don't remember reading one trip report in which the runner regretted doing it.
I think the four early mornings are harder than the running sometimes.

I am not one and done but definitely did not regret either time I signed up for it. Some of the best races I have ever done.
 
I appreciate all the responses. Bear with me while I outline my running life and how I came to even think that I might attempt Dopey.

My very first race of any distance was the 2011 Disneyland Half. It never even crossed my mind to build up to a half. In 2012, I ran the Coast to Coast, but didn't even want to run a 5K before the Half because I didn't want to risk my legs since the Coast to Coast was at stake for the Half. Well, running a half in Disney World after running around the parks for 4 days before the half persuaded me that if I could do that, a multi race challenge could happen to. And since I love Star Wars, that became the perfect choice. So I ran the 2015 and 2016 Star Wars Rebel Challenges. Then they went and announced the Kessel Run for 2016. Only one problem. Due to professional demands, I can only run an April race in the last half of the month. And those same professional demands last from February through mid April so training for a race becomes a problem in and of itself. But when 2017 Dark Side was announced for after mid April, I realized I could essentially train for a race during that very busy time of year to see if I could (1) handle the training on top of professional demands and (2) actually handle the distance mere days after working insanely long hours. Well I could so I signed up for 2017 Kessel Run and finished both the Light Side and Dark Side Challenges.

Fast forward to last October. Disappointed about the (hopefully temporary) end of runDisney races on the west coast, I signed up for Avengers 2017 just 3 weeks out from the race. My last long at that point was the Dark Side Half itself and I had run intermittently over the summer, but not at all in 6 weeks. So I found a 4 week training program for a half, modified it for 3 weeks, and set myself to it. Lo and behold I learned that I could run 5-6 days a week without destroying my legs. Next thing I knew I signed up for Dark Side 2018 and successfully finished Avengers on just 3 weeks training. Well this got me to thinking. If a Half on just 3 weeks training could happen, what about the heretofore impossible? What about a full marathon? Maybe Goofy? Or even Dopey?

My feelings about attempting a full marathon essentially remained the same for most years. I never really wanted to run one. While I came to believe that I could run a full with proper training, I never really wanted to. While Star Wars Half was at Disneyland, I didn't even think about the full because I didn't want to risk Star Wars. I'm also slow. I have yet to run a sub 3 half. While all but one of those runs have involved multiple character photo stops along the course, I'm concerned about increasing my speed. Every single attempt to increase my speed has resulted in pain, including knee pain this past January that forced me to take time off from running and had me briefly fearful that the pain would cause problems with my goal to finish Dark Side next month. Fortunately, I successfully resumed running in February, but have taken my return slowly to keep the knee pain at bay.

I believe I could run the full and finish in the allotted time runDisney gives you. I don't care if I take 7 hours to finish because I still finish. But the training required for that distance worries me. I don't really want to sacrifice 5+ hours in training every other Saturday for the full. @DopeyBadger and his custom training plans intrigue me especially because of the possibility of not running all day for my long run weekends. But I also know that I must respect the training if I'm going to do this.

I'm viewing next month's Dark Side as a mini test of Dopey. Obviously the full is the biggest part of that test, but I want to see how I feel the day after the half and how feasible Dopey would be.

So I'm looking for feedback. Am I completely insane? Is it foolish to do nothing longer than a 20 mile run in preparing for a half? Any other experience in attempting Goofy or Dopey without running anywhere from 5-7 hours every other week on long runs?
 
I appreciate all the responses. Bear with me while I outline my running life and how I came to even think that I might attempt Dopey.

My very first race of any distance was the 2011 Disneyland Half. It never even crossed my mind to build up to a half. In 2012, I ran the Coast to Coast, but didn't even want to run a 5K before the Half because I didn't want to risk my legs since the Coast to Coast was at stake for the Half. Well, running a half in Disney World after running around the parks for 4 days before the half persuaded me that if I could do that, a multi race challenge could happen to. And since I love Star Wars, that became the perfect choice. So I ran the 2015 and 2016 Star Wars Rebel Challenges. Then they went and announced the Kessel Run for 2016. Only one problem. Due to professional demands, I can only run an April race in the last half of the month. And those same professional demands last from February through mid April so training for a race becomes a problem in and of itself. But when 2017 Dark Side was announced for after mid April, I realized I could essentially train for a race during that very busy time of year to see if I could (1) handle the training on top of professional demands and (2) actually handle the distance mere days after working insanely long hours. Well I could so I signed up for 2017 Kessel Run and finished both the Light Side and Dark Side Challenges.

Fast forward to last October. Disappointed about the (hopefully temporary) end of runDisney races on the west coast, I signed up for Avengers 2017 just 3 weeks out from the race. My last long at that point was the Dark Side Half itself and I had run intermittently over the summer, but not at all in 6 weeks. So I found a 4 week training program for a half, modified it for 3 weeks, and set myself to it. Lo and behold I learned that I could run 5-6 days a week without destroying my legs. Next thing I knew I signed up for Dark Side 2018 and successfully finished Avengers on just 3 weeks training. Well this got me to thinking. If a Half on just 3 weeks training could happen, what about the heretofore impossible? What about a full marathon? Maybe Goofy? Or even Dopey?

My feelings about attempting a full marathon essentially remained the same for most years. I never really wanted to run one. While I came to believe that I could run a full with proper training, I never really wanted to. While Star Wars Half was at Disneyland, I didn't even think about the full because I didn't want to risk Star Wars. I'm also slow. I have yet to run a sub 3 half. While all but one of those runs have involved multiple character photo stops along the course, I'm concerned about increasing my speed. Every single attempt to increase my speed has resulted in pain, including knee pain this past January that forced me to take time off from running and had me briefly fearful that the pain would cause problems with my goal to finish Dark Side next month. Fortunately, I successfully resumed running in February, but have taken my return slowly to keep the knee pain at bay.

I believe I could run the full and finish in the allotted time runDisney gives you. I don't care if I take 7 hours to finish because I still finish. But the training required for that distance worries me. I don't really want to sacrifice 5+ hours in training every other Saturday for the full. @DopeyBadger and his custom training plans intrigue me especially because of the possibility of not running all day for my long run weekends. But I also know that I must respect the training if I'm going to do this.

I'm viewing next month's Dark Side as a mini test of Dopey. Obviously the full is the biggest part of that test, but I want to see how I feel the day after the half and how feasible Dopey would be.

So I'm looking for feedback. Am I completely insane? Is it foolish to do nothing longer than a 20 mile run in preparing for a half? Any other experience in attempting Goofy or Dopey without running anywhere from 5-7 hours every other week on long runs?
I have trained for Dopey twice now and never ran more than 20 miles either time. In both of my marathons I never felt unprepared. Definitely trust the training and try to stick with it though. My first marathon was part of Dopey and I am not the only one who has done it that way several have.
 
I have trained for Dopey twice now and never ran more than 20 miles either time. In both of my marathons I never felt unprepared. Definitely trust the training and try to stick with it though. My first marathon was part of Dopey and I am not the only one who has done it that way several have.
Trust the training got me through my very first half when I started out way too fast and felt a pain comparable to shin splints less than half a mile into the race. I guess what really almost terrifies me is bathroom stops and fueling for that long a distance. In a sense, I've heard enough horror stories about a full that I'm still questioning whether or not I really want to run a full.
 

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