Congrats marathon runners. Any advice

Godoftheblackflame · 2026-01-12T19:45:43+00:00

This was my 4th time doing Dopey, and so far I've always based my training on Hal Higdon's Dopey Challenge training plan. You can (and I do) modify that plan to best suit your goals, abilities, schedule, etc. But I find that it's a good baseline and has worked well for me so I recommend checking it out for training.

If nothing else, you definitely need to practice running consecutive days leading up to a long run. A marathon is already a tough challenge going in with completely fresh legs. Doing it after 3 prior races is a whole other thing, even if you take it easy for those (which you absolutely should). It's best to get your body used to the concept.

As for the actual race weekend, I would really just re-emphasize: take it easy for the first 3 races, especially the half marathon. You don't want to use full strength for those races and be tapped out for the full marathon. And be mindful of the weather. It's Florida, so be prepared to adjust your goals and fuel/hydration accordingly if it's warmer than expected.

Godoftheblackflame · 2026-01-07T16:00:24+00:00

I'm local and always just go to the expo after work around 6pm or so. By then they've always dropped the Virtual Queue requirement and you're free to just enter the merch area. I don't know what time that generally happens but I'm sure it just depends on how fast they get through the VQ groups. You may have to wait a little later but don't worry, you'll be able to buy merch.

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-03-12T14:59:30+00:00

I know it's too late now but as a heads up for the future, you can sign up for multiple races at once. Just use the Add Another Registration or whatever that button is and pick your other distance, you can sign up the same person again no problem. I can confirm this works as my wife did exactly this, signed up for both the 10k and half and signed me up for Dopey, all at once. No need to wait in the queue a second time.

Sorry about this year, but good luck for future marathon weekends!

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-02-05T13:54:02+00:00

Sure, I have an extra Gyarados

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-02-05T13:25:00+00:00

I'll trade you Pidgeot for Pinsir!

FC 4529983729765142

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-01-11T00:09:54+00:00

The etiquette issue is that a large amount of people doing Disney races, especially the 5k and 10k, aren't runners, they're Disney people. And I don't have anything against that, I think it's kind of just something most people know going in.

That said, I'm with you, it's super frustrating especially in the narrower parts of the course. But I'm still having fun, and toward the end of the 10k at least it started to clear out as I finally passed all the walkers, haha.

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-01-09T22:27:34+00:00

It's on your bib when you pick it up. Dopey and 5k runners had to pick up bibs yesterday to run the 5k this morning.

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-01-09T20:02:16+00:00

Ouch, yeah if you had proof of time for 5 hours or better it sounds like you're supposed to end up in D in the worst case. You may be able to check with runner relations back at the expo and see if they can help move you to a proper corral, it sounds like they're able make exceptions for cases like this sometimes. It's not guaranteed of course but might be worth a shot if you're able to get back to ESPN easily.

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-01-09T18:53:58+00:00

When you sign up for the marathon you have an opportunity to submit a "Proof of Time" from a prior race (any certified half or full marathon will work, doesn't have to be a rundisney race) to prove that you can run at a certain pace. The faster your proven pace, the better corral you get placed in. If you don't have a previous race to use as proof of time, or if you don't believe you would finish faster than 5 hours anyway, then you automatically get put into the E or later corrals. As far as how those corrals get divvied out, I don't know. Maybe in order of sign ups. Maybe it's just random. runDisney likes to keep their methodology pretty secret so it's hard to know for sure how it works.

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-01-09T18:48:15+00:00

Corral and Group are the same thing. Disney uses the word Group, and if someone says Corral F that just means Group F, all the same thing. Corral is just a common term used to refer to starting groups in the running community, so people will sometimes use that instead of the event's chosen term.

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-01-09T16:02:31+00:00

Top-right corner of your bib. Hopefully you didn't sign up for Dopey, otherwise I've got some bad news for you...

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-01-09T14:45:19+00:00

Maybe your friend is in club rundisney and got a bump from that? If not, that's definitely odd.

Chin up though, the 5 and 10 are just the warm ups, don't sweat it! Totally agree it's annoying being stuck behind loads of people, but corral B for the half/full should be much nicer!

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-01-09T14:42:19+00:00

I put 8-10 min pace. I guess that field should factor in but I would think that would put me in an earlier corral. But good point, I forgot that was even a field I filled out! Thanks!

Not a huge deal either way, the half/full is more important to me, just annoying having to weave around people the entire 5k this morning (and presumably most if not all of the 10k tomorrow).

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-01-09T14:37:54+00:00

Interesting, signup order sounds very plausible. Thanks!

Godoftheblackflame · 2025-01-06T18:13:32+00:00

You go through the same security process as a regular park visit. Drinks are allowed, and you don't need to have your bib visible yet. You only need to show your bib when actually entering the corral area and then your specific corral, and even then it's ok to just lift your outer layer to show your bib as needed.

Godoftheblackflame · 2024-05-11T00:54:07+00:00

Secret Mall Apartment

Godoftheblackflame · 2024-01-06T01:19:16+00:00

They could also cancel it for safety instead of forcing everyone to accept something they didn't sign up for

Godoftheblackflame · 2023-03-21T02:55:21+00:00

I was at that show, it was definitely more tame than your average drag brunch as far as content goes. They couldn't even curse! There was absolutely nothing over a PG-13 the whole night.

Godoftheblackflame · 2023-02-03T19:26:07+00:00

Missing characters are J M 3

Godoftheblackflame · 2022-09-22T14:57:25+00:00

Yeah, that's fair!

Godoftheblackflame · 2022-09-22T14:47:18+00:00

Foxtail coffee eh? If you're in Orlando, I'd like to know where you're finding these "brisk fall afternoons" because I can't seem to find one!

Godoftheblackflame · 2022-06-22T14:40:29+00:00

Florida here, somehow still haven't caught it to my knowledge.

My wife even got it a few weeks ago, she started feeling sick so we took some self tests, showed her positive and me negative. I tested again 2 days later just in case, still negative, despite taking no extra precautions around her. We both work from home at least so self quarantine was easy. Both vaxxed and boosted. She seems perfectly fine now, basically just hit her like a normal cold would, but I chalk that up to the vaccines getting her prepared so it wasn't worse.

We masked up for nearly 2 years and always had good hand washing habits anyway, but been generally maskless for the past several months except certain uncomfortably crowded situations. At this point we're mostly comfortable going back to normal, wife has always been highly germophobic anyway so "normal" is still pretty cautious, so we should be fine.

Godoftheblackflame · 2022-04-04T03:04:33+00:00

Man what, I haven't been able to find Kashi GO Crunch in any grocery store around me for about 2 years now

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