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Lyle F.
Lyle F. Sendmail

Goofy Challenge - 2010

posted about 3 years ago | Report

I just signed up today, but, in reality, I probably have no real clue what I've gotten myself into. I'm not an ultra marathoner or anything of the sort. One marathon on the resume, one half-marathon, five 10-milers and a handful of 5Ks.

My first question... am I nuts?

And my second... can I do this, with a year to get ready?

Respond

36 posts

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  • Margo L.
    Margo L. Sendmail

    what is the goofy challenge? then ill let you know how nuts you are!! :)

    posted about 3 years ago

  • Devin B.
    Devin B. Sendmail

    What's nuts is the $350 entry fee I paid this morning to sign up with you.

    EDIT: OK, I'll give you something more meaningful. yeah, i think you'll be fine if you can dedicate yourself to a training program of at least 18 weeks, if not more. After all, I've only ever run one marathon and one half as well!

    If your Google skills are strong, you will be able to find several training programs tailored especially for the Goofy Challenge. Even if not, you can find a 50k training program that will probably get you in fine shape for the races.

    My plan is to do them both nice and slow. I think if you get excited and go out too fast on the half, you might get a good half time, but you'll be fried for the full on Sunday. I plan to add 45 minutes to both my PRs and I may end up adding even more to the marathon time, depending on how I feel. Remember, the Goofy Challenge is a completion grade!

    posted about 3 years ago | edited about 3 years ago

  • Leane B.
    Leane B. Sendmail

    Can you and Devin explain what the Goofy Challenge is?

    posted about 3 years ago

  • Dan C.
    Dan C. Sendmail

    The Goofy Challenge is running a Half Marathon Saturday morning and getting up Sunday morning to run the Full Marathon. Goofy mean finishing 39.3 miles within about a 30 hour period.

    I also signed up for the event today. Crazy? Maybe but you have plenty of time to get ready...

    posted about 3 years ago

  • Devin B.
    Devin B. Sendmail
    in reply to what Leane B. said:Can you and Devin explain what the Goofy Challenge is?

    It's called the Goofy Challenge because it's the Walt Disney World Marathon. The full is named for Mickey, the half is named for Donald, and doing both is just Goofy :)

    Here's a link:
    http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/events/eventDetail/detail?name=WdwMarathonDetailPage

    posted about 3 years ago

  • Leslie G.
    Leslie G. Sendmail

    If only Northern CA were closer to FL, I would SO do the Goofy Challenge!!!

    posted about 3 years ago

  • Eric
    Eric Sendmail

    Are you nuts? Yes, but so am I. I just got home from running the 2009 Goofy Challenge. I had a great time. I, like many of the runners I met, took my time and enjoyed what the challange and Disney had to offer. I stopped many times to take pictues with the characters that were cheering us on throughout the park. I did this run for the challenge,it wasn't easy and the fun. As for getting ready in a year. Yes you can as long as you build up to it gradually.

    posted about 3 years ago | edited about 3 years ago

  • Toni W.
    Toni W. Sendmail

    Hey Lyle,

    I just finished the Goofy and you can do it! The numbers seem overwhelming, but after all is said and done, it was a blast!! There are too many fun distractions, that the 39.3 miles are easily done. I wasn't going for any times, and all I was shooting for was to finish. To put it in perspective, I said to myself..."self, can you finish a half within 3 1/2 hours...yes Self, can you finish a marathon within 7 hours...yes....after that, everything is water under the bridge. My main goal was to finish and most importantly ENJOY THE MOMENT and both events...and now I can cross it off my list...woo hooo! Nothing beats walking around with the trifecta Goofy 3 medal bling after all is said and done. I've never done a marathon before, so this was my first....so Cograts, you can do it and props to you for Going Big and not Going Home!!

    posted about 3 years ago

  • Devin B.
    Devin B. Sendmail

    Hey Lyle, it's not just the Goofy Challenge you need to worry about. I just found out about the Disney Coast-To-Coast Challenge. You do the half or the full marathon at Walt Disney World (or Goofy like you and me) and then do the Disneyland half marathon in the same calendar year and you get a super mega ultra special award.

    http://www.disneyenduranceseries.com

    posted about 3 years ago

  • N B.
    N B. Sendmail

    The Goofy Challenge is an awesome experience. Like one of the previous posters, I just ran it, too. My PR half is 2:04 and full is 4:28. My Disney half was 2:17 and full was 5:08. If I had known how fun the half was, I would have brought a camera along and spent more time on the course taking pictures. We took a nap midday and were up and partying that night.

    We met a gal on the plane that trained to power walk the challenge. We saw her on the way home and she completed both. She WALKED the full in 6:30. Not sure what her half was.

    One of the other responses indicated there are several training programs out there -- this is not what I found (and I have good Googling skills). I am a slow but steady runner with not a lot of training time. We used Hal Higdon's intermediate 1 training program and finished injury free. I ran an easy 3 miler yesterday and all the parts are working. I've run a marathon a year for the past six years. When I'm not in a training schedule, I generally run about 15 miles a week. If you build your general running base during the year, you can easily transition to an 18 week training plan and finish fine.

    posted about 3 years ago | edited about 3 years ago

  • Devin B.
    Devin B. Sendmail

    Don't make a liar out of me :) Here's the program I was referring to: http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=mr050513lt and
    https://www.trainingpeaks.com/bbs-forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=39079&posts=10

    It's not a program designed specifically for the Goofy Challenge but as you can see, it's being used to train for it. I'm a big fan of Hal Higdon's programs. His 18-week novice programs have gotten me through my first two marathons and they got me under 4 hours last weekend.

    posted about 3 years ago | edited about 3 years ago

  • David O.
    David O. Sendmail

    Hi Lyle,

    I did the Goofy Challenge twice and the answer to both questions is a resounding yes.

    It is a challenge, out of the ordinary and something you will remember forever and a day. You will never remember the "great time" you had cutting your lawn or a perfect day at work. This one will stick with you.

    My suggestions would be to train as if you were training for a marathon. About 2 months or so from the marathon date, do a couple of back-to-backs. This will get your body used to the long miles.

    Also, eat more than norm. Most people get hungry around mile 18-20 or so. With Goofy, you get hungry and a little wobbly around mile 7-9 or so. Additional calories will take care of this.

    Any other questions, please let me know. You can do it!!

    posted about 3 years ago

  • Lisa L.
    Lisa L. Sendmail

    Dear Lyle,

    I also have done the Goofy Challenge in 2007. You can absolutely do this race. My best advice is to bring a water proof camera and have a ton of fun taking pictures along the course. I would agree with David Orman that if you train hard for a full marathon and then a couple of months before do just one or two back to back runs of a much shorter distance then necessary you will be fine! Make sure to eat enough calories in between this was my big error. I was tired and slept more when I should have stayed up and eaten more! To put it in perspective I spoke with a couple who hardly train for this event they don't run, but do it every year together and they walk both days. They just love walking from park to park.
    I wouldn't recommend that training plan however!

    posted about 3 years ago

  • Simone A.
    Simone A. Sendmail
    in reply to what Leslie G. said:If only Northern CA were closer to FL, I would SO do the Goofy Challenge!!!

    Hey Leslie, what do you think about 2011.

    posted about 3 years ago

  • Cari H.
    Cari H. Sendmail
    in reply to what Toni W. said:Hey Lyle, I just finished the Goofy and you can do it! The numbers seem overwhelming, but after all is said and done, it was a blast!! There are too many fun distractions, that the 39.3 miles are easily done. I wasn't going for any times, an... read more

    Nice job! Can't imagine 1st marathon following the finish of a half!

    posted about 3 years ago

  • Scott C.PRO
    Scott C. Sendmail

    Sounds really cool, or, just a ruse to get more money out of us!

    posted about 3 years ago

  • Bob J.
    Bob J. Sendmail

    Lyle,

    I signed up for the 2006 Goofy having done my first marathon also. Ultra marathoners in my group suggested doing marathon weekends instead of the normal 20 miles long runs. I do 16 miles on Saturday followed by 10 miles on Sunday, 7, 5 & 3 weeks out from the race. The Sunday run gets you used to running tired on Sunday. The other advice was to take it easy on the half. I jogged and walked the half in 3:00 instead of my normal 2:00. On Sunday I started the same way. After 8 miles of jog/walk I went to straight running at a easy pace. I figured if I bonked, I should have enough time to walk it in. After 18, I had to switch back to jog/walk and made it in without a problem. I have done all of the Goofy's now and each year I try to see how much I can push on Saturday and still have enough left for Sunday, but was glad I took the first year easy. Take a look at DisneyRunning.com They have forums on all of the Disney races. I also think that half the fun is bringing a camera and having your picture taken with all of the Disney characters that are on the course. While the goal is to finish, hopefully you can take time to enjoy it too.

    posted almost 3 years ago

  • Mauricio S.
    Mauricio S. Sendmail

    If you're nuts, then so am I... I signed up for this event about three weeks ago, I have booked my hotel and have made plans to vacation the week after. The event is now 95% full, so there are plenty of Goofy people out there. At the rate the registrations are going, I expect this to be filled within a week.

    posted almost 3 years ago

  • Liz
    Liz Sendmail
    in reply to what Leslie G. said:If only Northern CA were closer to FL, I would SO do the Goofy Challenge!!!

    Hey Leslie I am in ENGLAND and I'm doing Goofy 2010! Distance is no object!!!

    posted almost 3 years ago

  • Liz
    Liz Sendmail
    in reply to what Mauricio S. said:If you're nuts, then so am I... I signed up for this event about three weeks ago, I have booked my hotel and have made plans to vacation the week after. The event is now 95% full, so there are plenty of Goofy people out there. At the rate the r... read more

    Disney closed Goofy and then opened it again - the limit was to be 5000 and it is now 7500. There's still time to get in there folks!!!

    posted almost 3 years ago

  • Shanna P.
    Shanna P. Sendmail

    I have done Goofy two times. It really isn't as bad as it sounds IF you pace yourself both days. Do not get into the mindset that you will have stellar "races" both days. After the half marathon make sure you eat, hydrate and REST. Stay off your feet as much as you can. It is a lot of fun and there are many other people doing it to so you are not going to feel like you are alone. Do your normal marathon training and add in a few back to back longer runs toward the end of the training and you will be fine. The bling is worth it!

    posted almost 3 years ago

  • Bill S.PRO
    Bill S. Sendmail

    I did the RunTex Challenges when I lived in Austin. They were a great way to get ready for the Austin Marathon - it's a series of races from October through February. I still fit into all 3 of my award jackets!

    It's called the Austin Distance Challenge now.

    http://www.austindistancechallenge.com/

    There's something similar this year in Honolulu, but I stopped running marathons in 2001 and am concentrating on 5 and 10 k races these days.

    Good luck!

    posted almost 3 years ago

  • Mark H.
    Mark H. Sendmail

    Greetings ,,, So I just ran across your post from 5 months ago....

    I "ran" disney last year,,, but acutally just survived,,, I torn up my leg in November, and was not able to train after that ... so I completed the Marathon, crawling in at just under 6 hours,...anyway,,, I - like you - am not an ultra marathoner - nor even in that great running shape,,, but the Goofy sounded like a challenge !! so - I have also sin=gned up for it next year,,,, - I have been reading , and asking, and the general rule seems to be for us middle of the road guys, and gals,,, SLOW - let me repeat ,, SLOW - 1/2 on Saturday,,,2 plus minutes per mile over the normal pace, then Sunday,,, well you do what you can,,, as someone else here said,,, hey,, you have 3.5 hours for the 1/2 and 7 for full,,,, We can walk faster than that ! Mark

    posted over 2 years ago

  • James M.
    James M. Sendmail

    For those of you close enough to FL to make it happen:

    The Race for the Taste 10K finishes up the last 5+ miles on the same ground that would be doing the marathons 21-26.2 miles. If you believe in a good recon of your route, this is the way to go.

    See ya in October!

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Paul P.
    Paul P. Sendmail

    Hey Lyle,

    You look like a complete douchebag so I'm thinking you'll fit right in with the Goofy Challenge crowd.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Kevin
    Kevin Sendmail

    Yes. You are nuts. Enjoy every minute of it.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Tory K.
    Tory K. Sendmail

    Let's see...You paid $350 to run two races in two days right after the holiday season, when traditionally people have little money for travel...much less travel to one of the most expensive places in the US.

    Yeah. I'd say you were nuts!

    I'm nuts too! I can't WAIT!

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Jean
    Jean Sendmail

    Hey Lyle!
    I guess I'm a little nuts too! I am also signed up for the Goofy as well as the Chicago marathon in October. I am also a bit nervous after being asked "Are you nuts???" over and over LOL. Good luck to you and I hope to pick up some good training tips here.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Robert J.
    Robert J. Sendmail

    I've run all five and feel proud to wear the title of "Perfectly Goofy." Only 176 people are Perfectly Goofy, per last count. This January will be my sixth Goofy in a row. Aiming for ten!

    posted over 1 year ago

  • Christine D.
    Christine D. Sendmail

    Hi Lyle

    No problem. I did the Seabrook Trail Challenge and it was not a problem. Actually enjoyed and plan to do it again this year. Make sure that you get some back to back runs and you should be fine. Have a great time!

    posted over 1 year ago

  • Kymberly S.
    Kymberly S. Sendmail

    I see it's been 2 years and I'm curious how everyone did. But, also, for those, like me, that are looking for a training program, I found this site

    http://www.hoedlshaven.com/DISNEYMARATHON/

    it has a training program and before/after run care. I'm going to bookmark it so I can find it later. Goofy and Coast-to-coast are both on my bucket list.

    posted about 1 year ago

  • Robert J.
    Robert J. Sendmail

    I completed the first five Goofy Challenges with little problem, and intend on completing my sixth Goofy 18 days from now. We trained only to run a full marathon and never did we do back to back runs. The key for us was to take it real easy when running the half, walking much of it.

    It's all about finishing, not setting PR's, etc.

    posted about 1 year ago

  • Jim H.
    Jim H. Sendmail

    That was my thought. If you go out trying to set PR's in this you may end up hurt. I would look at real easy run/walk for the half and concentrate on the full. Have fun.
    I am looking at either 2012 or 2013 for doing this. Gonna try and get my first full by the end of this year. My first half is probably May 1.

    posted about 1 year ago

  • Lathan F.
    Lathan F. Sendmail

    Oh, your just fine good sir. I went from a 25 minute to 17 minute 5k in 6 months and was running 15 mile runs at a decent pace. So you will do just fine Lyle :) If you want, you can check out some tips on my blog... http://l8nightrunner.blogspot.com/

    posted about 1 year ago

  • Tim H.PRO
    Tim H. Sendmail

    Leslie;
    You can develop your own back to back challenge in Northern CA; I'm sure you can find a pair of events on the same weekend SAT-SUN close enough to do back to back.
    I did that at the Freedom Run 26.2/OCT 3/Harpers Ferry,VA and Blues Cruise 50K/4 OCT-Reading PA this fall. Made for a terrififc weekend with a couple of great events.

    Northern CA is loaded; you're sure to be able to find a 13.1 and 26.2 on a SAT-SUN.
    Tim
    Marietta, NA

    posted about 1 year ago

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    Fisher D. Sendmail

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