Joseph
Well…when I decided to sign up to run the Dopey Challenge last week, I was mostly surprised that it wasn’t sold out (yet) and that my decision to go for it took into account logistics and travel dates more than anything else. So, I didn’t realize that the weekend of the Disney World Marathon (really, it should be a week – 5 days ago) is only 20 weeks away.
Most marathon training plans last between 16 and 20 weeks. The Dopey Challenge is 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, and Full Marathon on consecutive days. And that takes more training than running a marathon alone!
Run Disney has some free training plans to run 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Full Marathon, Goofy’s Race and Half, and Dopey Challenge. But the plans are best for anyone who wants to use the Run/Walk method (written by Jeff Galloway).
The Dopey Challenge training plan for experienced runners contains only 3 rounds per week for several weeks. After that, it increases to 4 days a week with a few 5 times a week thrown in at the end of the plan. The great thing about this plan is that it’s easier on your schedule and your body.
But if you want to complete any of the distances faster, go to PR or run the entire distance – you need a training plan tailored to your goal. And I think there are some important parts missing from most 5K, 10K, Half and Full Marathon plans – strength/conditioning, mental training and nutrition.
Therefore, I design training plans for each distance using these key features. * Stay tuned if you’re running any of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Runs and want more training plan options! It will be available next week.
Now to update my training…
When I decided to sign up to run the big beast at the WDW Marathon Weekend aka Dopey Challenge…it was the last minute. I love the ‘Team Run Disney’ posts on social media and have seen other contestants on Instagram and Facebook start training even before registration is open! They are in it to win it.
Fortunately, I’ve already been training for a few half and full marathons – so I have a solid base of endurance. I was going to start working on the speed then, but the Dopey Challenge is a real test of endurance with back-to-back races. This means that I need to re-evaluate my current training plan and adjust accordingly with this new addition to my racing calendar.
The first week of Dopey training…was informal in that I didn’t change anything about my current training plan because I also decided to run a half marathon at the last minute. This was my first person race since before the cheetah. [You can read the Race Recap here – AFC Half Marathon Recap]
I wasn’t sure what I would feel physically and mentally as I didn’t have any recent race results to tell my current running fitness. So the smart thing was to keep everything the same, run the race, give myself some time to recover and then move on with a new training plan.
I’ve been off a half marathon in less than a week and my legs felt a little tired running this morning. But I am trying to be diligent about my recovery and hope to start the second week feeling 100%.
Turn on EAT Updates
My love for watermelon is alive and well!! Or maybe he’s alive and morbid to an unhealthy level? Either way, I’m happy, so please let me live. Thank you.
I felt the need to take a picture the first time I served myself some watermelon on a plate and didn’t eat it straight from the Tupperware container on the kitchen counter like a savage. I am very proud of myself.
(Then I wanted more and ate it straight out of the container.)
After spending the night at Stuft Mama’s house last weekend, I remembered how much I loved this simple combination — rice cakes (or corn cakes) with cow cheese and laughing turkey. I topped it off with Sriracha and was as happy as a cow laughing.
(Wait… should I be offended that someone just called me a cow if it was the guilty party – me?)
I made a whole chicken!! It looks burnt out but it’s perfect.
La Croix Sparkling Water Limon Cello Flavor Review
In other less tasty food news…
I made it to the grocery store and was so excited to see La Croix for the same price as the sparkling water I usually bought at the grocery store. They had a few different flavors and I wanted to try new ones for me like lemon cello and passion fruit. The Kroger sparkling water I buy doesn’t usually come in those flavors, so I was all about it.
Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of the sparkling water lemon cello. Tastes like lemon and vanilla??! For some reason this combo doesn’t seem to work and I don’t know what to do with the two cases I bought.
I also shared these thoughts on my own Instagram Stories (RunEatRepeat) and got a lot of comments that others didn’t like too. So, it’s not just my taste.
I vote: Skip it at LimonCello La Croix. You’re welcome.
I randomly decided to make a vision board last night. I was browsing through a big pile of magazines I didn’t read and didn’t realize… I probably wouldn’t read.
I’ve been moving it around when cleaning because I don’t want to recycle or give it away – I want to read it! But at this point, they are a long time coming and I get new magazines that I can read if I want. And it crossed my mind to make a vision board a few times recently (I’ve heard about it randomly twice in one week and thought it’s a sign).
Yes, 2014 seems to be creating a vision board. But it’s not like the show stopped working. If anything – stop showing up! (Maybe if we all showed off a great year of health and wealth for 2020 – everything would be different today!)
Anyway – I’m making a vision board, it’s not just about running but I mostly have running and travel magazines so everything I’ve ported so far seems to be very focused. I will work with what I have and I will work with it.
The place I worked in college had everyone make vision boards at some point, but I was an executive assistant and in charge of organizing the project and getting supplies, so I didn’t get involved.
What a lose! If I were to go back, I had already run all the marathons and had amazing PR and had a watermelon farm and a beach mansion and 26 golden retrievers and a red Tesla and there would be world peace. Fuck her.
Keep moving forward… keep moving forward:
