WDW Fun Run 5K

Before the Fun Run 5k dressed as Elsa from Frozen

The WDW Fun Run 5K was the first leg of the Dopey Challenge! There were 7,000 Dopey runners in a field of 10,000 runners.  I was placed in Corral B for the 5k and the 10k.  Both of these races shared a bib if you were registered for the Dopey Challenge.  The bib was chipped, but it was unclear to me if they were really going to be timing us.  I had never run a runDisney 5k where they timed the runners.  I don't think the other 3,000 runners who were running the 5k and were not Dopey had a timing chip on their bibs.  

In front of the start line before they brought the corrals forward.

Corral B waiting in the corral
(Dark January morning for a 6:15 start)

Anyway...I really did not think much of it and ran the race with a total disregard for my finishing time.  That was until another runner reminded me that Dopey runners were supposed to maintain at least a 16 minute pace.  Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you think about it, I had already blown the 16 minute pace after waiting 20 plus minutes in the Dopey character line. I calculated that if I ran flat out from Remy in France to the finish I would still exceed the 16 minute pace. So I reassured myself that runDisney would not disqualify all those Dopey runners who waited to see him and I enjoyed the rest of my slowest 5k ever!

My favorite picture from the Fun Run 5K

Runners speeding past the Dopey line

Runners waiting for Dopey
(the line went all the way across the front of Germany
 from left to right)

The best part about waiting in line for Dopey
was waiting with Dopey!

After at least 20 minutes I got my chance with Dopey

Still happily goofing off
forgetting the 16 minute pace requirement

Stopped to do a selfie with the medics
they have bicycles - bicycles are cool!

Run buddies on the course

Does pace matter?
I asked the rats, but they did not know!
Neither did any of the Dopey runners in line waiting for pictures.

Run buddies at the finish line
(I beat Santa! I bet he stopped for Dopey as well.)

With Bob Hitchcock at the finish line!
He liked how much fun everyone was having on the course.

runDisney volunteers make the races happen!
Thanks to my volunteer for a great photo finish!

Your questions:

Competative 5ks? At Disney?

Snow Cream and Syrup @SnowCreamNSyrup
@LoveDisneyRun @runDisney is it possible to run a competitive race? They call it a "fun run" and I have heard its not timed.

Well for the first time ever a runDisney 5k was timed, but only because it was part of the Dopey Challenge. There are only 5k times listed for the Dopey Challengers WDW Marathon weekend. There are no 5k times listed for other runners at either WDW Marathon Weekend or subsequently at Tinkerbell weekend.  So I would say runDisney intends to continue with their un-timed 5Ks.  That said, you can certainly qualify for Corral A with a great qualifying time and run your race from the start of the corral. You will find wide open running from the front and the course is gun timed. 

Characters on the course:

@MPStephanie: "@LoveDisneyRun what characters did you spot?"

The only characters that I passed on were Flik and Princess Atta. They were out between the parking lot and the back entrance to Epcot. They have never had character's outside of Epcot on a 5k course that I am aware of so I was caught off guard not even looking. I thought for a brief second about doubling back, but I let them go. All of the other characters are pictured above.

My Elsa Costume:
Amanda Nichols Bumm Do you make all your running costumes? They are just great!
For the love of Disney running I do Amanda! They are functional and fun! Thanks!
Amanda Nichols Bumm Do you use a pattern or just free style it? I loved your Elsa too!
For the love of Disney running I use a favorite running dress that I bought as a pattern for the base and then I let my creative side run wild! My Elsa was just a long version of the running dress with slits up above the knees on the sides.  The sparkle overlay is just one large square of fabric cut into 2 triangles.  The front triangle was safety pinned to the top of my bra in the center and at the sides of my bra to create a bodice effect.  The back triangle was pinned at my shoulders to give a draping cape effect.  Other runners told me the shimmer could be seen at quite some distance.

Dopey reality check

runDisney Dopey reality check or how I made it work for me!

Based on a Facebook conversation with Rhonda Sweeney.

I was a bit all over the place on the Dopey courses, actually a whole lot all over the place during the 10k, half, and full. All my goofing off/photography left me with slower runners. I think I ran the grass during both the half and full after leaving MK. I definitely ran the grass on the off camber interchanges. I can not do the one leg shorter than the other thing. It kills my knees. The base of the Speedway was level enough, but you better believe I was hugging that turn and running the grass when need be to get around slower runners. 

During the WDW Marathon
(I always step out of the way if I'm going to stop to take a picture.
That said, it take plenty of pictures while still running.)

I also ran tangents when the road was bending. The course is measured shortest distance point to point, so I try to run it that way. We are not automobiles! The lanes do not apply to us! 

Running toward the WDW Half Marathon mile 10 interchange
that puts you onto the overpass from which I shot this photo. 

Since I knew there was a right turn coming after the straight away, my usual plan would be to drift right and be prepared! However in this instance I was thrown off by the addition of the Disney cruise folks/buses and one individual in particular who caught my attention! You all know by now that photo ops play a huge part in my runDisney funDisney approach to running!

My Mile 10 photo op!
Bet you did not know I almost went to the Coast Guard Academy! 
He wasn't the only one with a cool hat!

As for the early mornings...I simply function differently at Disney. I kick into an overdrive setting. I try to go to bed early. I'm usually asleep by 10 pm, but 5 hours sleep is something simply unheard of in my real life. I am a 7 hour minimum kind of girl! And 4 days in a row...insane! Yet it happened and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

My rule is to try and be in my room by 7 pm, but I know my body would never let me go to bed that early. It gives me time to get organized and settle myself for sleep. My big shock came before the marathon when my sister and roommate went through her pre-race routine. She reviewed the course mile by mile. I was half asleep, but could feel the adrenaline rush through my system! I am very much into visualization and she put me on the course. We each prepare in our own ways. I was just not prepared for our very different needs. Long story short, it led to an interesting night. I never thought I was a "mumbler". Of course I have absolutely no recollection! I wonder if I was pre-running the course? I'm just glad it did not come back to bite my sister! She PRed over last years WDW Marathon! Way to go sis! 

Having a car was a huge help to me. I did not need to bag check anything and I was able to sleep later than I would have if I was taking race transportation. I turned my phone on when I woke up and was shocked to find that runners were already tweeting from the Epcot parking lot. I skipped all pre-race entertainment. I arrived in time to potty at the finish line and move to the corrals. I am a master at simplifying for self-preservation and it really paid off at Dopey! 

These are all just my ramblings about my Dopey Challenge experience. I hope there is something in here that will be of help to you. What I would like to end with is that I was having a ton of fun throughout this whole experience! These are all just self-preservation techniques to make sure I keep having fun during what is a very serious distance! 48.6 miles is the farthest I have ever run in 4 days and I want to be able to do it again! #DopeyChallenge2015

To Dopey or not to Dopey

To Dopey or Not to Dopey ... that is the question!

Brigitte Mittler - "I'm really considering doing Dopey next year. However, it would be my first full. Am I crazy? I have a ton of halfs this year and just feel that I might actually be the best prepared after this running crazy year. You've inspired me!"

Brigitte when I was deciding if I was ready to run my first full I decided to test myself. I was two months out. I went out for what I knew would be a long training run and left it open ended. I would run until I was done. I went 17 miles. I knew with 2 months to go I would be ready. 

If you are already half marathon ready, I suggest you do the same. Test yourself and try taking a low key training run to the next level. Make sure you have fuel and fluids and make sure your have a rescue plan. Like someone you can call to pick you up if you are ready to stop before you make it back home or to your car. 

Of course this is all just what I did (March 2012). So take it with a grain of salt and choose your own course of action, but it was the motivation and proof I needed to take the marathon leap. I am a firm believer that you should try these things out on your home turf. No need to spend lots of money and be untested headed into Dopey until you have proven to yourself "I've got this! I'm Dopey!"

There are lots of different kinds of athletes out there.  I happen to be a mental one who is blessed with a strong body.  You may think I am crazy, but I do look down at my knee (substitute any body part you want) and think "oh not now" during my race. As in you will not fail me now! I adjust my stride or protect the joint and move forward.  Hyper-extending ones knee in a race is just not acceptable (for me).  

I guess what I am trying to say is that we are all different and I do think I am pretty high up on the toughness scale.  It freaked me out a bit that I was so far behind on my distance training for Dopey, but I simply did not allow it to scare me since race day (x4) was going to happen regardless of how I had or had not trained.  As I passed the 10 mile mark on the WDW Marathon course I set of into the "no man's land" of my training plan, my reaction ... "it's all icing from here!" More on that later!

runDisney costumes - from behind

It all began with my Minnie Mouse running costume for the 2013 WDW Marathon. I wanted my Minnie Mouse ears to be super special! Rather than having my name embroidered on the back, I had them add my social media handles! That is how most people know me at first after all. 

Sure you want the front of your costume to look great for the pictures, but runners don't spend much time looking at each other! Most of the time they are running behind each other looking at their back side! When I see other great costumes on the course I always notice them first from behind. It really takes work to actually see the front side! 

WDW Half 2014 wearing my Minnie ears

These 3 princesses really caught my eye on the half course! They actually are laced into those dressed! Not bad choices on the jog bras either!

Next up was this great Goofy runner! Way to wear your Goofy pride on your belt! I saw lots of plush character charms clipped onto belts, but using the bottle cage, pure genius! 

This tuba player takes the cake! He was playing Sesame Street songs while running! How could you miss Big Bird!

They were back for the full marathon ... with the tuba!

Eeyore and Pooh were trooping along with their music on looking fabulous! I did tell them how amazing they looked, but this time I was too tired to get a front shot! One mile to go in the half and I needed to be done! Such simple costumes so perfectly executed! 

Moving on to the full marathon! Generally speaking I love how runners transform the landscape! What was once only the expo grounds was now the "do or die zone" of the marathon! Miles 17-20 at ESPNWWOS! Everyone is in pretty standard running attire, but you have to love the RunningSkirts chevron skirt and heart socks! I have always wanted that skirt!

Around mile 20.5 I ran across these ladies! Dopey to the core! I had to capture their awesomeness! They did Dopey proud ... Stride for stride!

Their smiles made the costumes! Amazing run buddies!

Finally there is my WDW Marathon running Mickey dress! If ever I needed that extra boost I knew Dopey had my back all the way! He helped me get to the finish line where his medal was waiting!

Next time you put a running costume together think about the back. It's a great place to send a special message out to your fellow runners and to hold something close to your heart! 

Send me your pictures and I will add them!

Dani Holmes-Kirk as Snow White

Brandi as Figment

"The Tremaine Sisters had their back bibs PHM they were a HUGE hit. People took back photos." - from Julie

Sarah Franklin

"Here I am, running the Donald Duck half last weekend!"

Emily Bosworth Harmer 
"Here's the back of my costume from Princess Half two years ago."

Deb Strong ‏@dboswo1now
"Hey! I made @emomily5 Emily's sign! She was pregnant with twins ;) 
Had such a fun time as Anastasia and Drizella!"

Lilly Barajas Funny u mentioned this! 

I Just posted our pic on my Instagram from this morning!

#Tink10k run buddies!

Dopey Training

"Was this weekend your first full marathon?

Also, you mentioned in a post that the most you trained for your full was the half at Wine n Dine in Nov and you would tell us more about it later. Is it later? 

Great job and thx for sharing so much of your journey! It made me feel like I was there!" - Jerri Mack

This was my 6th full marathon. My first full marathon was on my home course in May 2012.

So why did my Dopey training stall out at 13 miles? The simple answer is that I used a different training method ... a Dopey training method. Last year for Goofy I just trained like it was a real marathon. That worked for me. 

With Mexican Donald after 2013 WDW Goofy Challenge

This year so many Dopey folks seemed to be training simulated Dopey's with 4 days in a row. That seemed like a good idea to me so I gave it a shot. I just never seemed to be able to get the long run done on the fourth day. Either I would end up needing to skip it or would only have time for another 10 or 11 miles. I will go back to more traditional marathon training next time.

Dopey had my back during the WDW Marathon!
(It is important to know you have a support system,
even if it one you construct to keep yourself going!)

So much of racing is finding out what works for you. The first race at any distance is very much a learning race. I learned a lot about myself and back to back races. I am really good at recovery. Like the song I can "Let it go!" I shed the miles and move on! I am also really good at goofing off, but also knowing when enough is enough. My 10k and half paces were 14:18 and 14:20. Same running/photo pace! I knew I had to do less photo across the full in order to go the distance and I cut it back to a 12:30ish run/photo pace. 

Next year I might not take as many pictures. (I always think that!) maybe less over all time on the course would result in a better Dopey Challenge because I would get even more recovery! 

I did cut out all post race photo ops after all four races, opting instead to get cleaned up and to breakfast more quickly! That was my one concerted effort toward increased recovery. The character lines at the family reunion line were way to long for this Dopey runner to physically handle! 

Officially Dopey!  

My only pictures after the Dopey Challenge were right after I got my 3 medals! Shelley Williams was awarding challenge medals and took a couple of shots for me. I went into full recovery mode after clearing the finish line area.  I tried to get fuel back into me and then went to the finish line to watch my sister cross.  After she crossed I was completely spent and headed to the car to get my 5k, 10k and half medals.  The idea of walking back over to the family reunion area for photos was more than I could fathom.  So I sat in the car and took a much needed rest.  I wish I could have mustered the effort, but I was completely drained. 

Back at the resort with my Dopey bling!
Dopey, Goofy, Mickey, Donald, Minnie, and Pluto!

You Inspire Me

You all inspire me to blog! Your questions often illicit answers that make me think "That is worthy of a blog post!"

Here is one such comment/question.

Andolise Bradshaw

"I love looking at your pics. WHAT an inspiration you are! I was curious after doing the Dopey challenge how are you feeling? Mentally &/or physically exhausted?"

The Dopey Challenge was an amazing experience.  I totally goofed around during the 5k, 10k and half and that made all the difference.  My plan was to have so much fun I would be able to run 48.6 miles and cross 4 finish lines! It worked! Of course I had nothing left in me when I finished, but I did feel like I could have run another half on Monday.  My body had become accustomed to the schedule and the effort. Then again when it was all over mid morning on Monday my body began to shut down driving to the airport.  My "Disney high" kept me going until it was over.  

I had just enough left in me to climb into the stands and watch my sister and trip mates cross the marathon finish line! Watching there effort was spectacular! These races mean so much to so many! 

Let it Go! Dopey Challenge Anthem

It was totally a Let it Go week for me! I let all those Dopey miles slide away from me as I ticked them off and let them go for even better ones ahead! I am completely and utterly a mental runner and this song is my anthem!

From the moment I saw Frozen I knew I was going to kick some Dopey butt this weekend! It was just the mental edge that I needed! If runDisney ever wants to get into the mind of a mental runner, i'm their girl! Until then I will keep running with the knowledge that I am one with the wind and the sky and I can do anything!!!

WDW Marathon! Leg 4 in the Dopey Challenge!

Minnie Marathon Bra goes the distance

You know the Minnie Marathon Bra by Champion was up to the 10k challenge and it passed my half marathon challenge, but the best news of all is that in the third successive day of racing the bra passed my marathon test with flying colors! No chafing, no fuss, no body glide! For me this bra is all that it is advertised to be! I will never run long in anything else ever again! 

The Minnie model is only being sold at runDisney race expos for those of you hoping to pick one up. I will be adding some other colors to my running bra arsenal. The basic bra is for sale at ChampionUSA.com and at major sporting goods retailers for around $48. I ran in a size large if you are wondering.

                                          

                                    Around mile 19 in the WDW Marathon! 

ChampionUSA provided this bra so that I could road test it and review the product. All of the above thoughts are my own. 

My Dopey Challenge costume lineup

So here it is...my Dopey Challenge costume lineup!

The WDW 5k as Elsa from Frozen!

The WDW Minnie 10k as you guessed it Minnie!

The WDW Donald Half Marathon as a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar! I had so much fun running in this costume at Wine & Dine I am wearing it again!

The WDW Mickey Marathon is getting the full runDisney treatment with sparkly runner Mickey on a blue running dress! 

Of course Dopey has my back on this fourth leg of his challenge! I am going to need his support! 

Make sure you say hello and stop for a photo if you see me! That's why I am sharing my costumes early. Travel safe and see you real soon in wonderful Walt Disney World !

Karen asked which one was my favorite? Here is my answer! 

Elsa because the cold never bothered me anyway. 

Minnie because she taught me I can really run a marathon in ears! 

The Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar because hello...it's a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar and the crowd loves it! 

Finally my runDisney Mickey and Dopey dress because it is elegant simplicity! 

Thanks for asking Karen!