Dopey 2020.....

[camaker]

Signed up for Dopey 2020 today!! Woohoo!! Wonder if a Dis Dopey meet up might be possible? (I should probably read through this entire thread...)

There are usually multiple Dis meet-ups during Marathon Weekend. Everyone running from Dis is invited, so it’s not Dopey-specific. This year there were meet-ups prior to each race, a Friday afternoon “social” at Hurricane Hannah’s and DATW the Monday after. Pop over and follow the Marathon Weekend 2020 thread. It gets a lot more traffic than this one.

 

[Dawn71]

This thread is still a bit quiet....
We are registered for Dopey, staying at Shades of Green again. We ran the marathon (25th) in 2018, I'm hoping it won't be as crazy in 2020...maybe the kids will be back in school by then?
I've started the first cycle of training culminating in a half in October here locally, then I'll continue my marathon training. We follow the Hanson's marathon method and hoping it will work well for us in 2020. We found that, in 2018, we walked 6-10 miles every day Wed-Sat anyway, even without doing the races and kinda wished we had just done Dopey anyway. This time we are mostly staying away from the parks until after the races.

 

[flav]

It is true that this thread is a bit quiet but it might be because many of us slowly migrated to https://www.disboards.com/threads/marathon-weekend-2020.3729134

For me, flights, resort and Dopey bib are reserved. I will be at Pop Jan 7-13.

DD12yo will be running the 5k and 10k with me. DM and Duncle will be there as supporters. DH and DD14 have decided to join the party as well. I don’t see myself succeeding in staying off the parks much.

Training wise, I am in a Marathon training cycle and will attempt my first at the end of September. Good luck to all for this summer running stretch!

 

[Katie Trott]

Hi, I am thinking of signing up to the dopey but have a couple of reservations.

Firstly, I currently run 3 times a week anything from 5-14km each time (continuous running rather than run/walk in case that makes a difference), and have done this for a number of years now (with focus on 5-8km type training runs). I rarely do races but have done a number of 10k running races as well as half and full marathon walking races. Do those who are experienced think this is a sufficient base on which on train for dopey? I have time for plans such as the Jeff Galloway one.

Secondly, I have never been to Disneyworld without my kids and if I sign up for Dopey I would be coming alone (from the UK). For anyone who has travelled solo to race, did it feel a bit lonely? Any suggestions for support for the weekend.

Thanks very much!

 

[camaker]

Hi, I am thinking of signing up to the dopey but have a couple of reservations.

Firstly, I currently run 3 times a week anything from 5-14km each time (continuous running rather than run/walk in case that makes a difference), and have done this for a number of years now (with focus on 5-8km type training runs). I rarely do races but have done a number of 10k running races as well as half and full marathon walking races. Do those who are experienced think this is a sufficient base on which on train for dopey? I have time for plans such as the Jeff Galloway one.

Secondly, I have never been to Disneyworld without my kids and if I sign up for Dopey I would be coming alone (from the UK). For anyone who has travelled solo to race, did it feel a bit lonely? Any suggestions for support for the weekend.

Thanks very much!

I find that training for a marathon is sufficient preparation for Dopey as long as the plan has back to back days of running, if your goal is to complete all the races and have fun rather than race them all. I would also personally hesitate to follow a specific training plan for Dopey, as the increased mileage seems like a prescription for a high probability of an overuse injury. I also do my race weekends solo and find that to be preferable to traveling with family. Traveling solo you are free to set your own schedule, eat where and when you want to eat and you can go to bed whenever you need to in order to make the early wake up calls. You don't have to worry about your races impacting someone else's enjoyment of their Disney vacation by making them leave parks early, skip fireworks, etc. Sometimes it can be a little lonely, but I enjoy that and combat it by attending meet ups with the people on the boards here. There are typically two afternoon meet ups (Friday at Hurricane Hannah's and Monday Drinking Around the World) and meet ups in the morning prior to each race. Hope to see you there in January!

 

[Katie Trott]

I find that training for a marathon is sufficient preparation for Dopey as long as the plan has back to back days of running, if your goal is to complete all the races and have fun rather than race them all. I would also personally hesitate to follow a specific training plan for Dopey, as the increased mileage seems like a prescription for a high probability of an overuse injury. I also do my race weekends solo and find that to be preferable to traveling with family. Traveling solo you are free to set your own schedule, eat where and when you want to eat and you can go to bed whenever you need to in order to make the early wake up calls. You don't have to worry about your races impacting someone else's enjoyment of their Disney vacation by making them leave parks early, skip fireworks, etc. Sometimes it can be a little lonely, but I enjoy that and combat it by attending meet ups with the people on the boards here. There are typically two afternoon meet ups (Friday at Hurricane Hannah's and Monday Drinking Around the World) and meet ups in the morning prior to each race. Hope to see you there in January!

Thanks so much time for taking the time to respond! Definitely going for the fun factor and completing them all rather than a time! I can happily do 2 x 10km back to back (which sometimes lack of work-free time has required in order to get out and run that week), and would aim for run/walk for the half and full. Thanks for the tip on following plans - I never have done for other races/distance progression so good to have your thoughts.

Now to break it to the kids I am going to disney without them...!

And finally, where do people prefer to stay? Whats easiest for getting back to the hotels after races etc (I think I read there is a bus to the races from all hotels but can you walk back through epcot for example if you are staying at epcot resort hotels?)

 

[Professor_Cookie]

Hi, I am thinking of signing up to the dopey but have a couple of reservations.

Firstly, I currently run 3 times a week anything from 5-14km each time (continuous running rather than run/walk in case that makes a difference), and have done this for a number of years now (with focus on 5-8km type training runs). I rarely do races but have done a number of 10k running races as well as half and full marathon walking races. Do those who are experienced think this is a sufficient base on which on train for dopey? I have time for plans such as the Jeff Galloway one.

Secondly, I have never been to Disneyworld without my kids and if I sign up for Dopey I would be coming alone (from the UK). For anyone who has travelled solo to race, did it feel a bit lonely? Any suggestions for support for the weekend.

Thanks very much!

Do it.

 

[flav]

Welcome!

I am not a training expert but from other posts I read, 3 to 4 training sessions per week is ok for Dopey training. This is what I am planning to keep doing. I plan to increase my volume during all three weekly sessions to peak at a 5 to 7 hours week. Consistency, stretching and recovery times are key to make it without injury.

Other threads you might be interested that will cover some of your questions:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-running-thread-2019.3726898/

https://www.disboards.com/threads/marathon-weekend-2020.3729134
I ran my first Disney races solo. It is something I was only able to pull off once... I vividly recall my daughters’ faces when I announced them: “Mom, you are going to Disney without us?!” I am sure that moment was decisive in one of my DD decision to start running. Which means that she is coming with me this time... And everyone else just tagged along!
I was a bit lonely at rare occasions but also did tons of things I would never have been able to do otherwise. And the DISmeet are fun too!
https://www.disboards.com/threads/official-upcoming-rundisney-dismeets-thread.3638260/

For race weekend, I stayed at Pop Century. I found it convenient: It is a compact resort, the food courts at Pop and AoA are practical and transportation to the races are by bus but the Skyliner should be fun to reach the Epcot area. Of course, if money was no object (or if someone feels guilty for a solo trip... ) I would stay at Poly or BC anytime!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Secondly, I have never been to Disneyworld without my kids and if I sign up for Dopey I would be coming alone (from the UK). For anyone who has travelled solo to race, did it feel a bit lonely? Any suggestions for support for the weekend.

I have traveled to Disney World solo since 2009. In 2012 and 2017, I ran races solo. While my little sister also ran in 2018 and 2019, I was solo in the parks for all of the 2019 trip and had 3 days by myself in 2018.

Honestly, I don't mind traveling solo because it allows me to set my agenda. I can eat where I want to eat assuming I can get an ADR if applicable and if I do the attractions that I want to do even if I watch MuppetVision 4 times because it involves sitting down a lot. PLus I love the Muppets.

And finally, where do people prefer to stay? Whats easiest for getting back to the hotels after races etc (I think I read there is a bus to the races from all hotels but can you walk back through epcot for example if you are staying at epcot resort hotels?)

Answers are going to vary on this one. I've stayed at All Star Sports, Port Orleans Riverside, and French Quarter for race weekends. I'm trying All Star Movies in January to save money since I'm heading back down in April for Star Wars Rival Run.

For race weekends, my favorite of those is French Quarter because it's such a compact resort and is pretty close to Epcot, where I spend most of my park time. But I also had a great stay at Riverside for Dark Side 2017 and am staying at Movies this January to save money, so I do just fine for race weekends with the value resorts as well.

While you can walk through Epcot after the race to get to an Epcot resort, you will need park admission to do so. If you plan on skipping the parks after a race, then you cannot walk through Epcot. Similarly, if you do not have a park hopper, then walking through Epcot after a race means you are spending that day in Epcot.

I am not a training expert but from other posts I read, 3 to 4 training sessions per week is ok for Dopey training.

Jeff Galloway's official Dopey plan calls for 4 days a week once the back to back portions start up. I have followed his plans to successfully cross the finish line many times in the past, and while I use a different training plan now that is more customized for me, I still incorporate Galloway's run/walk/run principles.

I was a bit lonely at rare occasions but also did tons of things I would never have been able to do otherwise.

Yes, sometimes you may feel lonely when traveling solo to Disney, but it's still a tremendously fun experience.

 

[PrincessV]

Hi, I am thinking of signing up to the dopey but have a couple of reservations.

Firstly, I currently run 3 times a week anything from 5-14km each time (continuous running rather than run/walk in case that makes a difference), and have done this for a number of years now (with focus on 5-8km type training runs). I rarely do races but have done a number of 10k running races as well as half and full marathon walking races. Do those who are experienced think this is a sufficient base on which on train for dopey? I have time for plans such as the Jeff Galloway one.

I've seen plenty of folks go from couch to Dopey, so I think having any kind of base is a better-than-average start! Find a plan that works well for your individual needs and follow it and you should be fine. For me, the back-to-back-to-back-to-back training runs are really the critical key for completing Dopey and feeling good.

For anyone who has travelled solo to race, did it feel a bit lonely? Any suggestions for support for the weekend.

I do nearly all of my race weekends solo and relish the opportunities to enjoy some self-care and self-indulgence! I do spend some time visiting with runner friends from far away that I only see at races, but I also enjoy a lot of quiet downtime, resting at my resort, doing a ride or two in a park, etc. Nope, I never feel lonely!

And finally, where do people prefer to stay? Whats easiest for getting back to the hotels after races etc (I think I read there is a bus to the races from all hotels but can you walk back through epcot for example if you are staying at epcot resort hotels?)

I, personally, stay offsite, but I drive to WDW and have my car to get to the races. Any of the onsite resorts will get you to the expo and races, so I always advise people to first determine your budget, then look at the options and see what theme feels best to you. Yes, you can walk through EP to reach the EP resorts after the full, and maybe the half, depending on when you finish, but EP probably won't be open to do that when you finish the 5K and 10K. You'll have to use an admission ticket to go through EP, and it's a pretty long walk after finishing a marathon, so I wouldn't put a lot of weight on that location.

 

[Katie Trott]

Thanks to everyone for your help. I'll be seeing you all there as I have signed up for Dopey!

 

[KevM]

It’s over I. The 2020 marathon thread as well, but here is the Dopey medal. It’s a spinner.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

My dd (18 year old) will be running Dopey for the first time (I fear there will be many more, lol). She had really wanted to do it in 2019 but was just a few months shy of the 18 year old age limit. The races and trip are my gift to her for her high school graduation.

We will be staying for several days after the marathon as I don't want her to over do it trying to get park time in on race days. For the last Run Disney weekend at DL she ran the 5k, 10k, and half. She's also run the LA Marathon twice. So I know she can do this!

I am so excited for her!

Does anyone have previous experience with spectators for the marathon? When she ran the Princess half a few years ago I signed up for the cheer squad. It was great to see her in MK but I almost missed her at the finish line because it took me so long to get back to EPCOT. Poor planning on my part I think. So I'd love to hear if anyone has good tips and if they cheer squad is worth it or not.

I do like to see her start, catch her midway (roughly) and see her finish. One of the benefits of the runs they had at DL was that I could easily walk from place to place. For the LA Marathon I have been able to drop her off, drive to park at finish, metro to midway point, and get back to finish in good time. At WDW it might be a bit trickier getting around I think.

Thanks!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Does anyone have previous experience with spectators for the marathon? When she ran the Princess half a few years ago I signed up for the cheer squad. It was great to see her in MK but I almost missed her at the finish line because it took me so long to get back to EPCOT. Poor planning on my part I think. So I'd love to hear if anyone has good tips and if they cheer squad is worth it or not.

I do like to see her start, catch her midway (roughly) and see her finish. One of the benefits of the runs they had at DL was that I could easily walk from place to place. For the LA Marathon I have been able to drop her off, drive to park at finish, metro to midway point, and get back to finish in good time. At WDW it might be a bit trickier getting around I think.

Do you know how fast approximately she plans on running each of the races? That would help define how much time you would have between different viewing locations. I've got a spreadsheet that can run the timing. Also, do you know her POT that she is submitting as that will help define her starting time?

 

[rteetz]

My dd (18 year old) will be running Dopey for the first time (I fear there will be many more, lol). She had really wanted to do it in 2019 but was just a few months shy of the 18 year old age limit. The races and trip are my gift to her for her high school graduation.

We will be staying for several days after the marathon as I don't want her to over do it trying to get park time in on race days. For the last Run Disney weekend at DL she ran the 5k, 10k, and half. She's also run the LA Marathon twice. So I know she can do this!

I am so excited for her!

Does anyone have previous experience with spectators for the marathon? When she ran the Princess half a few years ago I signed up for the cheer squad. It was great to see her in MK but I almost missed her at the finish line because it took me so long to get back to EPCOT. Poor planning on my part I think. So I'd love to hear if anyone has good tips and if they cheer squad is worth it or not.

I do like to see her start, catch her midway (roughly) and see her finish. One of the benefits of the runs they had at DL was that I could easily walk from place to place. For the LA Marathon I have been able to drop her off, drive to park at finish, metro to midway point, and get back to finish in good time. At WDW it might be a bit trickier getting around I think.

Thanks!

Good for your DD! I did Dopey at 18 as well and will be on my 4th this coming year.

You don't need cheer squad. It is nice to have if you want a guaranteed spot to view but otherwise I don't think its necessary.

Your best option is to view from the start and then you have a few options. You could monorail to MK and view on Main Street. You could go to Animal Kingdom and view in the parking lot there as thats around mile 14. And then I would go to the finish. You probably won't have enough time to go to Studios and then to the finish.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

Do you know how fast approximately she plans on running each of the races? That would help define how much time you would have between different viewing locations. I've got a spreadsheet that can run the timing. Also, do you know her POT that she is submitting as that will help define her starting time?

For 5k & 10k - I think she's just walking. So for those I'll do drop off at entry to corrals and go wait for her at finish line.

For the 1/2 I estimate she'll be running a 8-9 minute mile but... photo opps may slow her down for this, lol.

For the full I imagine she'll slow things down a bit (if not at the start then in the second half) to maybe 10-12 minute mile.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

Good for your DD! I did Dopey at 18 as well and will be on my 4th this coming year.

You don't need cheer squad. It is nice to have if you want a guaranteed spot to view but otherwise I don't think its necessary.

Your best option is to view from the start and then you have a few options. You could monorail to MK and view on Main Street. You could go to Animal Kingdom and view in the parking lot there as thats around mile 14. And then I would go to the finish. You probably won't have enough time to go to Studios and then to the finish.

Thanks! Thats awesome!! Every time she's increased her distance after the first race she says "no more" then about a week later she signs up for another run, lol.

So I can view in MK without cheer squad? That's awesome. Im assuming that's along main street as if I remember correctly right in front of the castle is reserved. At the DL events only cheer squad as in the park.

I was thinking about trying to get to Animal Kingdom since that's the half way point. I know she's hoping to get a ride in on EE depending on the time she hits there. That would give me extra time to get to the end and get a spot.

 

[rteetz]

Thanks! Thats awesome!! Every time she's increased her distance after the first race she says "no more" then about a week later she signs up for another run, lol.

So I can view in MK without cheer squad? That's awesome. Im assuming that's along main street as if I remember correctly right in front of the castle is reserved. At the DL events only cheer squad as in the park.

I was thinking about trying to get to Animal Kingdom since that's the half way point. I know she's hoping to get a ride in on EE depending on the time she hits there. That would give me extra time to get to the end and get a spot.

Yes you can go into MK without cheer squad. You can line up on main street.

For viewing at AK you probably would be better off seeing her outside the park vs. inside the park. There isn't a lot of viewing areas inside compared to the parking lot/park entrance area.

 

[DopeyBadger]

For 5k & 10k - I think she's just walking. So for those I'll do drop off at entry to corrals and go wait for her at finish line.

For the 1/2 I estimate she'll be running a 8-9 minute mile but... photo opps may slow her down for this, lol.

For the full I imagine she'll slow things down a bit (if not at the start then in the second half) to maybe 10-12 minute mile.

Alright, this is what I came up with:

Half Marathon



Given her 8-9 min/mile HM pace, I placed her in Corral C. She would start around 5:39am. She would reach Main Street at about 6:20-6:25 assuming an 8-9 min/mile with no character stops. So that leaves you about 40-46 min to see her start and then make it to MK.

-The walk from the start viewing to EPCOT monorail appears to be ~0.7 miles

-So assuming a walking pace of 20 min/mile (that's fairly slow), That would be a ~15 min walk. (Now 5:54am)
-The monorail to the TTC from EPCOT takes 15 min of ride time. Assuming a few min of waiting in line or waiting for monorail, that seems to put you at TTC around 6:10am. That happens to be her projected time exactly (6:11-6:15) for when she would arrive at the TTC. So you may or may not miss her there.
-The monorail to MK from TTC takes 15 min (and is a bit of a transfer). So let's say best case you didn't wait at TTC for viewing to go straight for MK. That would be ~6:25-6:35am arriving at the MK stop. Then a few minute walk to the inside Main Street. She is estimated to arrive at Main Street at 6:20-6:25am. So I would estimate that you would miss her and that's even if you didn't stop at the TTC.

So if your daughter runs at an 8-9 min/mile with no character stops and you use the EPCOT monorail line, then you would be estimated to miss her on Main Street. The other option is uber to MK from EPCOT. There are road closures, but I would imagine you'd get their quicker. But again, it's probably going to be a tight window if she maintains pace and takes no stops along the course. Lastly, the other option is to drop her off at the start, don't see her start, and then head right to MK to get a viewing spot on Main Street.

Let's say you choose one of the two alternative options (uber or head straight there). She is expected to finish at 7:23-7:36am (again assuming 8-9 min/mile and no characters). That leaves you about 60-70 min to make it from Main Street to the finish line. The above estimate was about 45-55 min for monorail transportation. So this would suggest that you could make it to the finish with about 5-25 min to spare using monorail transport.

Marathon



She is estimated to hit Main Street at 6:31-6:41am (10-12 min/mile no character stops). The above HM scenario stated an arrival time of 6:25-6:35am. So it would be close using the monorail system. The other options for MK are discussed in the HM area above.

She is estimated to hit the AK exit at 7:59-8:27. If she wants to ride Expedition Everest, then she'll need to burn some additional time than her 10-12 min run pace. The ride does not start operation until 9am marathon morning. She's estimated to arrive there at 7:50-8:16am. For you, that leaves about 80-90 min to get from MK to AK. I think an uber would be sufficient. I don't think the normal bus transportation would get you there with much time to spare if she was on her 7:59-8:17 pace. But if she planned instead for the 9am EE ride, then you could easily just use transportation from a hotel to AK and be fine.

Lastly, she is estimated to finish at 10:01-10:53 (based on 10-12 min/mile, no characters, and no EE). This gives you ample time to take transportation from AK to EPCOT directly.

Questions?

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

That's awesome information!! Thank you