2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – Part 2 – Family 5K – January 9, 2014

January 22, 2014ianesenior 5 Comments

After a few hours of sleep it was time to get up for what would be the first of the 4 races that make up the Dopey Challenge, the Walt Disney World Family 5K. For the first 2 races I had planned to run in Disney themed costume and for the last 2 races I would be wearing the charity team gear. For this race I would be running dressed as ‘Pinocchio’ (as my wife will gladly tell you, she didn’t approve of this one). This was only the second time I had ever run a race in costume, the first time was a year before at the Family 5K where my wife and I ran as Cinderella and Prince Charming. Today would let me know if running in Florida in red velvet overalls would be a wise decision 😉

I set out from my hotel (I stayed off property about 10-15 minutes from EPCOT) and arrived early for the 6:15am start. I wanted to get there early as I would be repeating this journey over the next few days and wanted to make sure I was comfortable with the drive. It also gave me a chance to meet up with folks before we had to head for the corrals and some time to relax a bit before the start of the race.

My latest start of the week. Arriving early at EPCOT

Pinocchio for the 5K

On arrival I headed over to the bag check area (not the corrals) as I was planning to meet up with the folks from Team #runDisney for a pre-race meetup and photo. Whilst there I bumped into some folks that I had only until then known through Facebook (Rhonda and her daughter Rabekah, Sarah and Matt who I briefly met at the expo a day earlier and Scott and his wife Susan). It began to rain lightly and so I moved into the tent which would later become the merchandise tent and hung out and chatted to folks only to find when we looked outside that everyone had already moved out to the corrals. There was no announcement that we heard and we appeared to have missed the photo at the meetup so I headed straight to my corral (corral A) where I met up with Rob, a fellow Autism Speaks runner who was also running the Dopey Challenge. He recognised me by my costume…I was kind of conspicuous. Hey, it’s a runDisney event, when else can you run in costume and not feel self-conscious 🙂

The 5K event was launched with the usual fireworks and Pluto was at the start line to send everyone off. Those fireworks (something I always look forward to) were the start of what would be an amazing 4 day journey for me…and about 7,000 other ‘Dopey’ runners. The course was the same as it had been last year, leaving EPCOT through the parking lot, entering the park behind ‘Test Track’ and winding through ‘World Showcase’ back to the finish line area just past the park entrance.

Feeling a little ‘wooden’ at the start.

During the 5K when I entered the Germany Pavillion I saw a long line for a character photo opportunity. I slowed down and saw that it was Dopey. I had to take that photo no matter how long the line. One thing about Disney races is that the photographers and the cast members are very efficient about moving everyone through the photo lines. Although there was a bit of a wait for the photo it was an advantage being in corral A and getting there early. I heard that later on during the 5K the line stretched from Germany through the Italy Pavillion. I heard people waited in line for about 10 minutes. As 7,000 of the 10,000 runners were attempting Dopey and would probably be taking the race easy I wasn’t surprised to hear that.

Here is my photo with Dopey. My wife is sure Dopey is laughing at my choice of costume. You can decide for yourselves.

Dopey and I during the 5K

I did pass a couple of character stops in the 5K (and some of the other races). I had made a rule that I would only stop at a character where I intuitively remembered their name without having to think too hard. Although I can always look up the character name based upon the movie after the race, if I approached the character and I had to think too much I passed it. My theory being that someone may ask later who the character was in the photo and if I couldn’t think about it on the spot then I didn’t want to look like a ‘Disney amateur’! Sorry Remy (from ‘Ratatouille’ who was in the France Pavillion), next year 🙂

I had a lot of fun in the 5K. It’s great that the cast members are all out cheering you on and there were plenty of volunteers (who did a great job all weekend). It was raining lightly when I finished the race but it kept me cool (in my red velvet costume).

Daisy Duck

Crossing the finish line

What was noticeable throughout the whole race was that there was a lack of ‘families’. This race is advertised as the ‘Family 5K’ and they kept announcing the fact at the start line that there were 10,000 runners. But if you strip out the 7,000 runners doing the Dopey Challenge this left only 3,000 runners (same numbers for the 10K). When signing up for this race they announced that they were getting rid of the stroller division. It seems sad that they put an emphasis on this being a family event and indeed the 5K is a great way to get young folks into running especially when they can run with other family members but the actuality didn’t match up to the name. I know I was up front in Corral A but from what I saw families were few and far between.

Overall though I had great fun. It was a good opportunity to start the weekend off stretching my legs and getting in some (very) early morning Disney Magic. The medallion (first of the six for the Challenge) was cool and I had a fun time.

The first medal of the Dopey Challenge

Now a quick word about the Dopey Challenge. As I mentioned in my post about the Expo, Dopey runners were provided with 2 bibs. One for the 5K and 10K and another for the Half and Full marathon. A quick tip for making sure your bib survives each of the two days. First, I attach ring reinforcers that I used to use back in my University days to make sure the bib holes were more secure as I needed to reuseeach bib, and second, after each race I had a manila folder with me so I could keep the bib flat and let it dry out a little between races. It was very warm the first three days of the Challenge and I think this did help ensure my bibs were able to make it through the races.

Some practical bib protection

Also, for Dopey runners and later for the Goofy runners, at the end of the 5K we were ushered over to the left hand side of the finishers chute and we were given a plastic wristband showing that we were 5K finishers. It was a bit chaotic the first day but I will say that the subsequent races the volunteers were much more efficient. Today was all about receiving the first of the wrist bands, the subsequent races involved extra steps to mark off each wrist band and add another.

The first of many wirst bands (and a source of pride walking through the parks LOL)

The first of many wrist bands (and a source of pride walking through the parks LOL)

I didn’t stick around too long after the end of the race as (1) it was raining, and (2) I had brunch plans with the team from the Mickey Miles Podcast at the Yacht and Beach Club at 10am after the race. Brunch was great. I got to meet up again with Michelle and Mike together with other great folks who have been on the podcast or who had become friends through Facebook (too numerous to mention but you know who you are! 🙂 ) During the brunch Mike and Michelle anounced the launch of the Mickey Miles Podcast running team, the ‘Mickey Milers’ which will raise funds for the Charity ‘Give Kids The World‘. You can check it out and sign up to run with them here. Also, a Disney vacation (yeah, right…a vacation) would not be complete without my Mickey Mouse waffles fix. Thank you Mike and Michelle for hosting.

Refueling for tomorrow’s 10K 🙂

After the brunch I headed out to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for some park time. Still not doing the ‘stay off your feet’ thing I was supposed to. So I ran a 5K which is 3.1 miles, my Fitbit stats for the day ended up being 11.26 miles. We will see how that works out over the coming days.

Next up, the Inaugural ‘Minnie’ 10K.

2013 – Looking back and forward

December 31, 2013ianesenior 3 Comments

Today marks the last day of 2013 and the first full year keeping this blog up to date. It has been a most enjoyable experience writing my recaps, my thoughts and communicating with folks from all over through the comments and on Facebook. Thank you for your support.

2013 was a very busy year running wise with approximately 1,744 miles run (and a few chasing my kids which didn’t get recorded).

2013 Summary – Nike+

I started this blog at the beginning of the year to recap on the Walt Disney World ‘Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge’ and finished this year writing about my training for the 2014 Walt Disney World ‘Dopey Challenge’. That’s a great start and end to my year. You can read all my race recaps here. The year included 3 full marathons and 5 half marathons. Most of these I had the pleasure of running with my wife (she ran 2 full marathons and 5 half marathons). It wasn’t a big year for PR’s but I did squeeze a fast 10K run (fast for me) in the fall. Overall I just enjoyed running with family and friends and staying fit and healthy which is what counts the most. PR’s will come I have no doubt.

2013 took me running across the country to San Francisco where my wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary by running the 2013 San Francisco Half Marathon. That was such a great trip. We ran everyday to sightsee and walked all over the City. A great place to visit.

So now I am planning for 2014 and some upcoming races. On the slate for now (confirmed and paid up) are:

January – Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge (4 race, 4 days, 48.6 miles)

March – The Love Run, Philadelphia (Half Marathon)

April – Hot Chocolate 15K (Philadelphia)

April – New Jersey Marathon

My wife and I also entered our names into the lottery for the 2014 New York City Marathon and we will find out if we get in around the end of March. We do have a couple of other races in the hopper should we not get in, but we will wait and see.

Distance running is individual sport (no one else can put the miles in for you) but there are ways to use it to good effect. Back in January I raised a total of $3,406 for Autism Speaks running the Goofy Challenge. In 2014 I will be running the Dopey Challenge again to raise funds for Autism Speaks and as at the time of writing I have raised a total of $3,555. I was also inspired by watching a friend guide a blind athlete during the Trenton Half Marathon to look into becoming a guide for future events. This week I ran with the local chapter of the Achilles Foundation and in doing so introduced myself to the group and hope to be involved in some capacity working with them to volunteer as a guide during some races in 2014. I look forward to the opportunity.

Again, I would like to thank you all for taking time over the year to read my posts and wish you all the very best for the New Year.

Thank you.

Ian

Preparing for the 2014 Dopey Challenge

November 13, 2013ianesenior 2 Comments

8 weeks from today I will be heading down to Orlando to take part in the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, specifically the inaugural Dopey Challenge. This is a four day event from Thursday January 9th through Sunday January 12th and consists of a 5K (3.1 miles), a 10K (6.2 miles), a Half Marathon (13.1 miles) and a Full Marathon (26.2 miles) for a total of 48.6 miles.

This weekend I am running the 2013 Philadelphia Marathon and after this I have less than 8 weeks between this event and the Dopey Challenge in which I need to build in recovery time, ramp up my distance and taper again. This is a pretty short span of time (unless you are one of those folks who runs multiple marathons a year). I actually have done this process twice before, I ran the Philadelphia Marathon in November 2011 and the Walt Disney World Marathon 8 weeks later in January 2012 and I ran the Philadelphia Marathon again in 2012 and ran the ‘Goofy Challenge’ 8 weeks later in January 2013 (Philly2Goofy!) and will pretty much be using the same approach this time.

The first time I did this I used Hal Higdon’s 8 week back to back marathon plan just as Hal designed it. I changed it up a little for the 2013 Goofy Challenge so that my Saturday runs would be exactly half the distance of my Sunday long runs to try and mimic the Half plus Full scenario. Training, in addition to building endurance and general well being, is the place to simulate and practice race conditions. The small modifications for the Goofy were simple to slip into the plan as it just meant adding a mile or two the day before the long run. Dopey training calls for a somewhat different approach.

Although I plan to similulate the 4 day event by doing 4 consecutive days of running, I still need to build in some recovery time, some rest time and some taper time. With that in mind I adjusted Hal’s program slightly to similuate race week just twice during the training plan but these will be on the longest distance weeks to make the training most effective. See below.

Back to Back Marathon Training Plan
Philly to Dopey

I think the key to this training plan is to take advantage of as much rest time as the plan allows. I have used Hal’s Intermediate 2 Marathon Training Plan for my last 5 marathons and the back to back plan follows a similar pattern with the exception that Mondays are rest days vs cross training days. The plan still calls for 5 days of running each week with the same pattern of a semi-long run each Wednesday and the long run on Sundays. I also allowed myself one race (the Thanksgiving 5 miler for the Bucks County Road Runners).

I’m getting pretty excited about this now. I have reached my fund raising goal for Team Up with Autism Speaks so that pressure is now gone (but not the pressure of completing the 4 day event of course) and I have chosen to run both the 5K and 10K in costume (yeah…not sure how that is really going to work out) and the Half and Full Marathons in ‘Team Up’ gear. At the end of the day very few people are running these events to PR. This is a Disney race where there is so much atmosphere and entertainment along the courses to take in. Not to forget the toll that 4 very early mornings will take on the body in addition to the events and some park time (I know, that is all my personal choice). My goal is to finish the event with a smile on my face with great memories and most importantly knowing that I raised money for a worthy cause. PRs can wait for other times. This event is going to be fun.

My planned 5K costume

My planned 10K costume

I’m not saying that this plan works best for anyone other than me but having used it a couple of times I am comfortable with the approach and hope to stay fit and healthy enough to get to the start line and to finish the event. My travel plans are fixed, I have my advanced dining reservations (including a character dine) and I am looking forward to buying lots of presents for my two little boys who will be cheering my on from back home in Pennsylvania). I look forward to meeting up with all my Facebook friends who are also taking part in the Marathon Weekend and look forward to meeting new people and seeing my favorite characters out there on the course and in the parks. This will be my third consecutive Walt Disney World Marathon and ultimately my second Goofy (as a matter of doing the Dopey too). Lots to look forward to over the coming weeks.

Thank you for reading.

September 2013 – month in review

September 30, 2013ianesenior Leave a comment

September 2013 –
Nike+ Summary

175 miles this month.

I’m getting into the peak of my training for the Philadelphia Marathon. I’m well over half way through the training plan and luckily feeling healthy and not too tired. The weather has been great and I’ve been able to take all my runs outside still although it is definitely feeling like fall. The long sleeve shirts and gloves are coming out and now I am finishing my morning runs BEFORE sunrise. We don’t turn the clocks back for another few weeks so I’ll have to accept that as the norm for a little while. The training runs are getting longer and I just knocked out a 20 mile run yesterday with another couple coming in October. All the training is worth it as I appreciate the journey as well as the race although I am looking forward to taper time which I can see coming shortly.

Fall race is season is now in full swing. My friends are all training for their respective marathons (Chicago, New York, Atlantic City, Marine Corps) and I have to wait another couple of weeks after these for Philadelphia. I’m looking forward again to this race as this year I will be running the full maratthon alongside my wife. We have a time goal which is essentially to beat our Walt Disney World Marathon time (which should not be too difficult). I was actually featured on the Philadelphia Marathon blog earlier in the month for their ‘Why I love the Philadelphia Marathon’ [2013 ENTRY #6] series. As you can see from the article, as it was my first marathon it will always be special. Last year I broke the 4 hour mark so that helps too. 🙂

My wife and I ran the Philadelphia Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon mid month. The weather was perfect and we beat our time together from last year. You can read the race recap here. Not sure we would rush to do this again as there are many other races to run and places to explore (Disneyland 2014/Coast to Coast perhaps?).

Speaking of runDisney (as I often do) they just released some official photographs of the all new medals for the upcoming races. It brings everything closer to reality and is generating a lot of buzz. There are less than 100 days to go now to Marathon Weeekend. I am looking forward to running in January in the first official Dopey Challenge. The good news is that I made my fund raising goal this month to be able to run the event with Team Up for Autism Speaks. If you are interested in learning more about Team Up and the events they have for 2013 and 2014, please head over to my page on their site and go from there.

All it takes is faith and trust. And just a little bit of pixie dust.

August 2, 2013ianesenior 8 Comments

Now, think of the happiest things. It’s the same as having wings. (Disney’s Peter Pan, 1953)

Today is my ‘Runniversary’.

Three years ago today, August 2nd 2010, I set foot inside a gym and did my first Couch to 5K workout. It hurt. I had a hard time using stairs the next day and my shins did not like me at all. For some reason I went back the next day and then the next.

As of July 2013 I have lost 55 pounds, logged over 3,500 miles and completed 8 half marathons, 5 full marathons and many 5K and 10K races. My wife Shari started running a few months after me and she has been equally as successful. To date we have completed 4 half marathons together and 1 full marathon (Walt Disney World in 2013).

July 2010 – Before my journey

January 2013
At Walt Disney World the night before the ‘Goofy Challenge’

For about 6 weeks into my Couch to 5K program I had been working out only on the treadmill. I decided to take my first run outside. I was a little ambitious. I had just purchased a Nike+ Fuelband to start tracking my mileage and decided to take it out for a spin in the park next to where I live. This is where I do all my workouts now but at the time I had maybe walked it once or twice before and I had never attempted to exercise there. I wasn’t ready for running on hills but yet I went back again and again.

I stuck to it and started to progress in distance. I ran the equivalent of my first 10K on December 31st 2010 while on vacation with my family in Florida. It was on this same vacation that I read the January 2011 issue of Runners World. There was an article called “New Year New You: A 1st to Remember” which mentioned a marathon at Walt Disney World. I hadn’t really thought about doing a marathon and wasn’t sure I really could but it planted a seed. Also in that month’s issue was a half-page write up on the Philadelphia Marathon. Hmm…

On New Year’s Day 2011 I said to my wife that I planned that for every mile I ran in 2011 I would put $1 in a jar and see how much I’d save by the end of the year. I said that if she wanted to join in I would also do the same for her. We officially started our ‘Miles for Smiles’ account as an incentive to get out and run. I figured we would treat ourselves at the end of the year as our reward. The ‘Miles for Smiles’ fund I started has paid for all our Walt Disney World/runDisney vacations (‘runcations’) in 2012, 2013 and soon to be 2014.

I continued running and upgraded my Nike+ Sportband to a Garmin GPS watch in February 2011 with my birthday gifts (my wife will attest it’s just easier to get me Amazon.com gift vouchers as I am terrible to buy for). Around the same time I discovered Jeff Galloway and his Run/Walk/Run method. I was experiencing some knee pain around this time and I liked his aim for runners to run ‘injury free’. I started using his methods and signed up for my first half marathon (the Bucks County Half Marathon) in April of 2011. I’ve been a Galloway proponent ever since. Jeff also happens to be, although I did not know this at the time, the offical training consultant for runDisney.

Around the same time I saw that that the Runner’s World Challenge was coming to Philadelphia for the 2011 Marathon. That made up my mind to decide to attempt a marathon. I can tell you that I was shaking after I hit ‘complete’ on the online registration. What had I done?

I diligently followed the training program that Runner’s World had provided. During this time I suffered from increased knee pain and ended up at the end of summer at a physical therapist. They took a look at me on a treadmill and a look at the shoes that I was wearing and recommended I get properly fitted. I went to a specialist running store and they analyzed my needs and properly fitted me with shoes (Brooks Adrenaline – I’ve been using this brand and model including the newer versions ever since). I also began to concentrate on my running technique and after 6 weeks of PT I was discharged and feeling comfortable to run again.

My friend Mike had told me about the ‘Goofy Challenge’ at Walt Disney World and this got me thinking about the Walt Disney World Marathon in 2012. We managed to convince our wives to let us sign up (yes, I signed up for a second marathon before even finishing my first) and we made our plans for our first runDisney event. My wife signed up for her first half marathon at the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. Now we were all in it together.

About 2 months before my first marathon (September 2011) my parents had planned a trip over from the UK to visit us. They were to spend a week in Florida and then spend a week with us in Philadelphia. A couple of days after they arrived my father suffered a heart attack and I dashed down to Florida on the first flight I could get. I stayed in Florida until my father was discharged from the hospital. He would have to stay in Florida a little longer until he was cleared to fly again but once he was discharged he was over the worst.

I was down in Florida in the midst of my marathon training and that came as a relief to me as with all that was going on at the time I couldn’t really sleep much. In fact I got out of bed at 3am, strapped on my headlamp and my water belt and went out for a 12 mile run. That really was the first time I felt that running was a big stress reliever. It was just what I needed. Sitting in the hospital talking about being heart healthy my father said that if I could keep this training up, maybe aim to do a marathon twice a year, I would maintain a level of fitness. I was 39 and had been overweight for much of my life and probably emotional at the time but I promised him I would try. Again, I should point out that I still had not completed my first marathon, I had now signed up for two marathons and committed to my father to run two a year. I hadn’t really thought this through had I?

The big day finally came around for the 2011 Philadelphia Marathon. The night before the race I just couldn’t sleep. It was a mixture of nerves, apprehension and excitement. I will admit that being a Runner’s World Challenge participant had its perks and the morning of the event I was sitting in the Four Seasons hotel in Philadelphia having a pep talk with the organizers which totally helped calm me down. That and the private marble bathrooms (not your typical start to a marathon).

I have to say that it was a transformative experience running in my first marathon. Crossing that finish line took a huge weight off my shoulders. I had done what less than 1% of the population will ever do. I had completed a marathon. I looked up to the sky with relief. I was a marathoner. No-one can ever take that away from me. The best part of that day was my son Micah (almost 5 at the time) meeting me in the finishers chute as I got my medal. I was expecting to see him back in the hotel but this just lifted my spirits that much higher.

Completing my first marathon – Philadelphia 2011

A few weeks after that I ran my first runDisney event, the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon. I did not know what to expect. I had confidence that I knew I had completed a marathon so I knew I could do it so that took a little pressure off but it was so soon (7 weeks) after my first marathon I didn’t know what shape I would be in. It was one of my most enjoyable race experiences. Wow, just wow. The folks at runDisney know how to put on a race. I guess I drank the Kool-Aid as I’ve been back again and again. A nice surprise was that my wife and kids received the notification that I had crossed the finish line just as they were arriving for the morning at EPCOT and rushed over to see me in the finishing area. It was great.

2012 Walt Disney World Marathon

I ran the Philadelphia Marathon again in 2012 and broke 4 hours for the first time. That had been a goal of mine for the year and I was very relieved after all that training that I achieved my goal (3:59:05). I will be running the Philadelphia Marathon again this year except this time I will be running with Shari in her second marathon (her first was at the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon where we ran together).

Mile 20 with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto

In January 2013 I ran the Walt Disney World “Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge” (a half marathon followed by a full marathon the next day for a total of 39.3 miles) to raise funds and awareness for the charity ‘Autism Speaks’. I raised over $3,400 for this event.

I will be returning to Walt Disney World in January 2014 to complete the inaugural “Dopey Challenge” again for ‘Autism Speaks’. This is a new race for Disney this year and is a four day event comprising of a 5K, 10K, a half marathon and a full marathon for a total of 48.6 miles. I also hope to beat my fundraising from the previous year and I’m currently over half way to that goal right now.

Raising funds for charity sometimes feels harder than the actual training itself. In addition you feel a little extra pressure to make sure you achieve the goals you set out for yourself so you don’t let everyone down. It’s tough and hopefully your family, friends and colleagues understand why you repeatedly ask for sponsorship.

I started this blog back in January of this year to create a record of the races that I run and to keep me on track towards my goals.Sharing goals publicly makes you more accountable for them. If I can motivate a couple of people to join me on my journey that would be great. If people want to just read for enjoyment I am happy for that too.

Running is part of my life now. I hope I can stay healthy to keep on going. I am blessed that my wife joins me in my exploits and we can have a lot of fun out there. Hopefully a healthy lifestyle will be embedded in my two boys. I didn’t get the message until I was 38 years old but they have so much more opportunity than me at their age. I look forward to the future with my family.

Where will I be in another 3 years’ time? Who knows…?

Second star to the right and straight on till morning. (Peter Pan)

Hi Ho, Hi Ho…Off to the races I will go

July 15, 2013ianesenior 2 Comments

Today I started my training for the 2013 Philadelphia Marathon and the 2014 Walt Disney World ‘Dopey Challenge’. For the next 6 months through the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (January 9-12, 2014) I will be out there putting in the miles 5 days a week building my base until race day in Philadelphia (November 17) and then buckling down for the next 8 weeks until ‘Dopey’. As a reminder, the Walt Disney World ‘Dopey Challenge’ is 4 days of running and includes a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Full Marathon…truly ‘Dopey’.

Going Dopey in 2014

It’s hard to believe that just 3 years ago I hadn’t run at all. I actually reached 3,500 miles of cumulative running this weekend (since I started recording my mileage in September 2010).

My mileage total as of July 14, 2013

Philadelphia was my first marathon back in 2011 and I was so nervous when I signed up. The feeling of crossing the finish line in my first marathon will always be with me. This year’s Philadelphia Marathon will be my 6th marathon and my third Philadelphia Marathon in a row. I have been in contact with the Philadelphia Marathon folks and may be a featured blogger this year. I’ll share the link if that does happen.

Completing my first marathon – Philadelphia 2011

I am especially pleased that this year my wife Shari will be running with me for her second marathon. It should be a fun time. The crowds in Philly are really great and there are no real quiet spaces. It’s a great course. The first half takes you through the city, its neighborhoods and many of the well known sights. The second half of the race takes you along Kelly Drive up and back through Manyunk. The finish line is at the foot of the Philadelphia Art Museum (the ‘Rocky’ steps). Temperatures in the last 2 years have been ideal for marathoning. Cool to start and warming up just slightly through the morning but not too hot.

Rocky at the top of the steps – Philadelphia Museum of Art

I will then have 8 weeks between running Philadelphia and the Walt Disney Marathon weekend. In 2011 I had only 7 weeks between running Philly and the Walt Disney World Marathon. Having signed up for a second marathon before even finishing my first marathon you can only imagine the thoughts going through my mind if I would be able to do it. I did and even improved on my time from 7 weeks earlier.

2012 Walt Disney World Marathon

I had been turned on to the idea of the ‘Goofy Challenge’ (running both the Half and Full Marathon) from my experience running alongside the runners during the 2012 Disney Marathon and thought I might be up for the challenge in 2013. I wanted also to return to Philadelphia in 2012 and see if I could improve on my marathon time. I worked really hard in 2012 and PR’d by over 6 minutes, breaking 4 hours in the marathon. For the ‘Goofy Challenge’ I was running to raise money for ‘Autism Speaks’ and was more concerned with completing the event than of any specific time goal. In addition to the Challenge I also ran the Family 5K with my wife. We also ran the marathon together (her first) and we took as much time as we needed and as many photographs as we could. It was a great weekend. I was able to raise just over $3,400 for Autism Speaks in the process.

Mile 20 with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto

This year’s Philadelphia Marathon should be special as it is the 20th Anniversary of the race. Philadelphia really knows how to celebrate and I am very much looking forrward to the event this year especially running alongside Shari.

They actually moved the Philadelphia Marathon weekend back a week this year as there is another event going on in the city on the usual weekend in November. That will be beneficial for me as it gives me an extra week to train for the ‘Dopey Challenge’. To replicate the race conditions I have modified my race plan to have 4 days of consecutive running from Thursday to Sunday for the last few weeks of the training so my body get used to the effort (or abuse) and it can adapt to recover more effectively. It will also help me know what I need to do in terms of fueling and recovery techniques going into the event.

I will be heading to Walt Disney World solo this year due to the logistics of racing all four days. It will be a little different not having the family with me but through the magic of social media I have made lots of great connections with fellow runDisney enthusiasts and will no doubt be meeting up on one or more of these days to share the experience. Don’t feel bad for Shari for not being with me, she is headed down to Walt Disney World the following month to run the 2014 Walt Disney World ‘Princess Half Marathon’ and ‘Glass Slipper Challege’.

My training program is here if you are interested in taking a look. This is Hal Higdon‘s Marathon Intermediate 1 marathon plan for (Philly) and his 8 week multiple marathon plan modified so that there are four consecutive running days each Thursday through Sunday.

Again this year I will be running for Autism Speaks as a returning alum of ‘Team Up’. They are a great charitable foundation and do wonderful work.

I just completed hosting a virtual 5K to raise money for this years event and I am pleased that today it sold out. All 150 spots were taken. You can read about the event here. Everyone seemed to enjoy this event and I have had many kind comments from participants. This has gone a long way in helping me reach my fundraising goals.

If you would like to help by sponsoring me as I run ‘Dopey’ please visit my personal fundraising page. Your contributions will be greatly appreciated.

I hope you some of you will follow my blog and join me on this journey to the finish line.

If you’re going to San Francisco…

June 20, 2013ianesenior 4 Comments

My wife and I took a 10^th wedding anniversary trip to San Francisco last week and it seemed like a good opportunity to bring along a friend on my run…

As part of my fundraising for Team Up for next year’s inaugural Dopey Challenge I have set up a virtual 5K. As part of the fun I have been asking participants to take along Dopey on their run/walk. So in addition to earning the cool looking medal the best pictures will be eligible for one of the prizes that were generously donated from some of my favorite vendors. Although I am not eligible for the prizes I wanted to participate in my own event as I wanted to be part of the fun.

As this was our first trip to San Francisco we wanted to cover as much ground as possible and really the best way to visit a place is to do so on foot. We just happened to do it in running sneakers. Although we ran pretty much the same route from Union Square along Market Street then along the Embarcadero (it’s not easy to find flat areas to run in San Francisco) we took to this streets for 3 runs in addition to the Half Marathon. We did actually take a day off from running…but we hiked in Muir Woods National Park instead.

As you can see from the Garmin maps below we pretty much followed the same route on Friday, Saturday and Tuesday. Just a little different distance and pace on each.

Friday’s ‘Dopey’ run

Saturday’s run

Tuesday’s run – our last hurrah before heading to the airport

Here are a few highlights of the running the virtual 5K with Dopey (camera credits to my wife 🙂 without whom it would probably have been a single ‘selfie’ with Dopey).

Heading out for my run

Hey, look! A cable car

Is he still behind me?

At the Exploratarium

We cannot run to Alcatraz

Dopey hanging on tight

Just being Dopey

There’s still a chance to sign up for the event. It runs through July 31^st. Check out the event and the prizes on offer.

I will be writing a separate post on the Half Marathon.

April 2013 – month in review

May 1, 2013ianesenior 1 Comment

April 2013 – Nike+ Summary

I’m posting this a day late but there is quite a lot to look back on this month.

This month I logged 145 miles, logged a new Half Marathon PR, signed up for a new Disney race and began tapering for the New Jersey Marathon on May 5^th.

Spring is definitely here and I clocked more miles outside than inside than I have since the beginning of the year. I’m glad to be outside again although my podcast listening is falling behind (a decent trade off).

My new half marathon PR at the Atlantic City April Fool’s Half Marathon on April 7^th is pretty much down to me chasing my wife who is more often than not leaving me in the dust these days. The weather for the race was perfect and the flat course and pace I was able to maintain gives me confidence that I can achieve my goal in the upcoming New Jersey Marathon. 🙂

runDisney also announced this month an addition for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. The new Minnie themed 10K race and the new ‘Dopey Challenge’. Needless to say I am in. I signed up to run again with Team Up/Autism Speaks and hope to beat my fundraising of just over $3,400 that I raised for the 2013 ‘Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge’. Wish me luck.

The end of the month sees me in the last week of my taper with only a few days left before the New Jersey Marathon. Looking back at my mileage from month to month I am actually 40 miles or so less than March which was the peak of my training. That feels about a week less of running. I need to learn for future events that I cannot eat as if I ran that extra 40. I’ll worry about that for the next race 😉

The taper itself has not left me frustrated like people often say but the strange thing about running significantly less mileage and catching up on sleep (days without an alarm wake up call!!!) have left me achy and feeling exhausted. Running is definitely a daily energy boost and all the aches and tiredness is hopefully just a sign of my body recharging before the big day. I actually feel refreshed and good about this weekend and hope to meet my goals. If it works out it works out, if not I remember I am not an elite runner and there will be other races. It’s about overall long term health and enjoyment. PR or no PR I will still have run my race, met the distance and earned my medal (and dessert)…although I will be trying as hard as I can for that PR.

(If you want to follow me during the New Jersey Marathon my Bib number is #2492)

Hopefully I will be feeling fit and healthy and have a nice race recap or two at the end of May.

Thanks for sticking with me.

(If you want to support me as I raise funds for Autism Speaks you can do so at this link. Thank you.)

Running for a cause other than yourself

April 30, 2013ianesenior 3 Comments

On Sunday my wife and I ran a local 5K race to help raise funds for my friend Mike as he trains to race for Team USA at this summers Maccabi games. Anyone who knows me knows that if I have a plan I stick to it somewhat religiously. If someone in our family talks about weekend plans in the future I pretty much look up my calendar and see what run I have planned. I guess that’s my nature. My wife would tell me to loosen up a little. I guess it’s my profession to be measured and disciplined but sometimes you do have to have a little fun. Of course when I am at Walt Disney World it’s all fun.

Anyway, with a week before I run the New Jersey Marathon I am hitting the last part of the taper and resting up for my best efforts on May 5th and I was being extremely careful in my preparation as this is my ‘race’ for the year where I am going for a goal, but this was for a friend and I wanted to make sure I was there to support. I wasn’t going to run hard during the race but take it nice and slow to keep loose and have fun.

The weather was perfect. Clear sky, light breeze and cool temps in the 50s. I dropped my eldest off at his Sunday morning class and took the double stroller to run with Asher (and his Best Pal).

Taking it nice and slow with my race crew

Shari and I both wore our new ‘Boston Strong’ shirts and we were glad to see that many of the people there were also wearing Boston gear. Runners are their own support group.

I started at the back as I was the only one running with a passenger, mind you I was lucky I noticed just before the start that I was on the wrong side of the start line which would have put me at the front…oops. Shari went off with the main pack and ran a new 5K PR (just over 24 minutes). As the say in Boston she is becoming a ‘wicked fast runnah’. She makes it look good.

My little red haired ‘wicked fast runnah’

I took it nice and slow chatting with Asher all the way and asking him to tell me the directions of each of the arrows on the course. He was a good navigator and I made it back to the finish line running 10 minute splits. Asher was more excited to see his Mommy at the finish line although he had fun peeking through the window in the hood of the stroller to make sure I was still there during the race. Mickey, I am pleased to say, behaved beautifully.

Asher with Mommy and his Best Pal

We made it to the finish line. Asher already re-carbing for his next event.

After the race was over and we had said goodbye to everyone we headed over to Dunkin’ Donuts for coffee (me) and a treat (Asher) as promised. It seems I do run on (or at least for) Dunkin’.

Asher ‘earned’ his treat after all his hard work during the 5K

Once I have completed the New Jersey Marathon next week I will be getting ready to hold a virtual 5K to raise funds for Autism Speaks and hopefully get closer to achieving my fundraising target for the 2014 Dopey Challenge. (Watch this space, the medal looks awesome).

When I decided to run the Goofy Challenge last year I actually signed up for the race before I signed up for a charity. I had made the choice to run the Goofy well before I signed up for the event. It was after I had registered that I began to think that running such a high profile event made me feel a little like I was showing off and I thought that it would be more of an achievement if I ran for a cause other than my own ego. Around the same time that I registered my niece was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This led me to join up with Autism Speaks and run with them them at Disney. I had run enough miles for myself it was time to run for someone else. I had the shirt below made for the occasion, although it will need to be updated this year as I go from Goofy to Dopey 🙂

My 2013 Goofy shirt courtesy of ‘One More Mile’

The back of my shirt for ‘Team Sadie’

If you would like to follow my progress please sign up to follow this blog. If you would like to contribute to the cause you can do so using this link.

My goal is stay healthy through running and go onto raise funds for other events in the future. My hope is that in 2015 (a long way off I know) that I get to run the Boston Marathon for Autism Speaks if they have places for the event. I’m not a ‘wicked fast runnah’ and this may be my only way to that great event. I know that if I get there to run for others that will be my personal BQ.

Thanks for reading.

(If you want to follow and support my friend Mike you can do so at this link)

Here we go again…let’s do this together

April 9, 2013ianesenior 5 Comments

Am I nuts? How do you define ‘fun’?

Dopey Challenge

Thursday, January 9 – Sunday, January 12, 2014

Start/Finish: Epcot®

Run 48.6 miles of fun in the Dopey Challenge!

Are you ready for the ultimate endurance challenge? Then take part in four days of fun for a total of 48.6 miles in the all-new Dopey Challenge! Participants will run the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon, and if you complete all four races within the pacing requirements you will be awarded the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge medal and the brand new Dopey Challenge finisher medal for a total of six pieces of “bling.”

Dopey Challenge is now official

Today runDisney officially opened up registration for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. About a week ago some limited pre-sales opened for the Runner’s World Challenge, Disney Vacation Club members and Disney Visa Card holders. Spots were limited and it seemed were snapped up very quickly due to the excitement of the new events in 2014, the Minnie 10K and Dopey Challenge.

I personally registered to run last Friday by signing up again to run with Team Up to raise funds and awareness for Autism Speaks. I ran the Goofy’s Race and Half Challenge with them last year raising just over $3,400 of which I am very proud. I will admit that the expectations of my donors were on my mind during the Marathon when I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and as much as I was proud of myself for achieving the Goofy I was relieved that I hadn’t let everyone down. Of course I said to myself I would never do something so crazy again. Umm….

So there are a few changes that runDisney implemented this year which can be seen here.

The big takeaways from this are that in addition to the new races, they have made changes to the numbers of entrants so that the courses can move more efficiently. They have trimmed back numbers for the Half Marathon (traditionally the most crowded) and runners now have to submit proof of time to get a corral assignment. There will be more corrals at the start so they can spread the runners out according to ability which should ease congestion on the course. Will this work? We will see when we hit ‘Cone Alley’ after leaving the Magic Kingdom.

The other news is that they are keeping the Marathon Course the same as in 2013 which took us through the Walt Disney World Speedway and also through the ESPN Wide World of Sports. I ran the Marathon course in 2012 and 2013 and had a few thoughts on this.

In 2012 we started with a loop through EPCOT on our way to the Magic Kingdom and the park still had the holiday decorations lit which was nice. As this pushed the mileage reached at the Magic Kingdom to mile 10 instead of mile 6 as it was in 2013 it was daybreak when we reached the Castle which I thought was pretty cool. In 2013 instead of the lights at EPCOT we arrived at the Magic Kingdom still in the dark and saw Main Street USA all alight and the Castle glowing in the distance. That could not be beat. It is really an unbelievable experience.

There was a very tough out and back in 2012 between miles 18-20 and this is where I struggled in 2012. I lost a minute per mile from mile 20 but still finished upright. In 2013 this was eliminated with the run through ESPN (although that seemed like it went on forever but that may have been the excessive heat).

I liked the 2013 course and will be looking forward to running it again. At this time they haven’t announced the 10K course but I believe it will be in EPCOT where all the races start.

So, I’m registered and looking forward to the four days of early wake ups (start times are 6:30, 5:30, 5:30 and 5:30), carb loading on Mickey shaped treats, trying my first Dole Whip which everyone seems to know what they are but me and meeting new friends and sharing the experience. Logistically this needs to be a solo trip as my eldest will be in grade school and my wife and I are taking turns to participate in runDisney events next year so we can look after the boys. She will be signing up for the Princess Half Marathon in February 2014. Don’t worry boys, Daddy will bring you some overcompensating gifts home!

I’m planning to use the same training plan I used for last year’s Goofy Challenge which is to use Hal Higdon’s Marathon Intermediate 1 plan to get me through the Philadelphia Marathon and then use Hal’s Multiple Marathons plan for the period between Philadelphia and the Dopey Challenge with an adjustment on the weekends so that my Saturday runs are at least half the Sunday run in length (see my plan here). Wish me luck.

Okay, so I’m signed up. What I now need to do is to train hard and healthily to get me to the starting line but also, and often the hardest part, is to raise the required donations for the cause I am running for. Autism Speaks is a charity near and dear to me. My niece in the UK was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and although I am not able to be there on a day to day basis to help, by raising funds and awareness I am doing what I can to help her and similar families. Over the next few months I will be raising funds for this cause. If you would like to make a contribution I would be very appreciative. You can follow this link. Feel free to share this link if you can.

If you have any great fundraising ideas that would be great too. I’m planning a virtual 5K later this year (watch out for it) which may have a Disney theme with a bit of a twist. You have been warned!!

So, let me know if you are also signed up for any of the Walt Disney Marathon weekend races in 2014. What you are looking forward to most? What you are most apprehensive about? Let’s share this journey together.

philly2goofy

…and all the miles in between

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2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – Part 2 – Family 5K – January 9, 2014

2013 – Looking back and forward

Preparing for the 2014 Dopey Challenge

September 2013 – month in review

All it takes is faith and trust. And just a little bit of pixie dust.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho…Off to the races I will go

If you’re going to San Francisco…

April 2013 – month in review

Running for a cause other than yourself

Here we go again…let’s do this together

Dopey Challenge

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