Marathon Weekend 2017!

[jhorstma]

As for bus system there isn't too much more you can do. Sure you can add more buses but that adds more traffic to the area which might still slow things down. I think the bus system is just about as good as it can get...

I'm sorry but I disagree about the bus system - there's a bunch more Disney could do beyond adding more buses: electronic message boards at transit hubs with wait times/ETAs/capacity, added functionality in their mobile app tied to GPS showing where your desired bus is at (and the next one), enhanced queue control during "rush hours" combined with better communication on ETAs for anticipated loads (i.e., I'm #45 in line here at the resort - when can I expect to get to MK?), etc. And that's not even touching on advanced concepts such as personalized door-to-door VIP treatment based on the Uber model and, gasp, driverless vehicles. Pie-in-the-sky, it'd be totally Disney to go with a WEDway People-Mover system linking resorts with the parks...

 

[Ariel484]

My beef with the buses is that the deluxe resorts share them. Sort of ridiculous for what you pay per night.

 

[camaker]

I'm sorry but I disagree about the bus system - there's a bunch more Disney could do beyond adding more buses: electronic message boards at transit hubs with wait times/ETAs/capacity, added functionality in their mobile app tied to GPS showing where your desired bus is at (and the next one), enhanced queue control during "rush hours" combined with better communication on ETAs for anticipated loads (i.e., I'm #45 in line here at the resort - when can I expect to get to MK?), etc. And that's not even touching on advanced concepts such as personalized door-to-door VIP treatment based on the Uber model and, gasp, driverless vehicles. Pie-in-the-sky, it'd be totally Disney to go with a WEDway People-Mover system linking resorts with the parks...

I don't know if it's a pilot program that Disney is evaluated or just a "new Deluxe resort" thing, but in our recent stay at AKL they had TV message boards up at the bus stop showing the arrival time of the next bus. Could be a step in the right direction if they follow up on it...

 

[Ariel484]

I don't know if it's a pilot program that Disney is evaluated or just a "new Deluxe resort" thing, but in our recent stay at AKL they had TV message boards up at the bus stop showing the arrival time of the next bus. Could be a step in the right direction if they follow up on it...

They had them at French Quarter when I was there in August.

 

[rteetz]

I'm sorry but I disagree about the bus system - there's a bunch more Disney could do beyond adding more buses: electronic message boards at transit hubs with wait times/ETAs/capacity, added functionality in their mobile app tied to GPS showing where your desired bus is at (and the next one), enhanced queue control during "rush hours" combined with better communication on ETAs for anticipated loads (i.e., I'm #45 in line here at the resort - when can I expect to get to MK?), etc. And that's not even touching on advanced concepts such as personalized door-to-door VIP treatment based on the Uber model and, gasp, driverless vehicles. Pie-in-the-sky, it'd be totally Disney to go with a WEDway People-Mover system linking resorts with the parks...

They have screens and almost all bus stops at the resorts now telling you when the next bus will arrive.

Disney has been trying to add the bus time function to their app for over a year now but it just isn't reliable in testing so that's why we haven't seen it.

Have you paid attention to Disney lately? Disney is cheap and they aren't going to spend the money on a people mover system linking every resort to the parks. If they did your room rates would go through the roof. You already pay a huge premium for staying at a monorail resort.

 

[rteetz]

I don't know if it's a pilot program that Disney is evaluated or just a "new Deluxe resort" thing, but in our recent stay at AKL they had TV message boards up at the bus stop showing the arrival time of the next bus. Could be a step in the right direction if they follow up on it...

They are at pretty much every resort bus stop now.

 

[pixarmom]

Training question! This is for Dopey.

For the 2015 full marathon, I ran three to five 3-milers per week and a long run every other weekend. The long runs were all 10-milers with one 17-miler, one 20-miler and one 21-miler. I ran a very happy and comfortable full marathon!

For Dopey, I have the same general plan with two exceptions: 1) I ran three half marathons in September and will run two in November - so I'm exceeding my mileage from last time by a few miles here and there; and 2) I'm running my 3-milers faster because it's fun.

For some reason, I'm feeling like I need another 17-miler in there - maybe because of the Galloway plan on the website and maybe because this is Dopey and not a 5K + marathon. On the other hand, I've been running for a while and can run a 10K and half without wearing myself out, if I remain aware of my pace. Thoughts?

 

[Ariel484]

Training question! This is for Dopey.

For the 2015 full marathon, I ran three to five 3-milers per week and a long run every other weekend. The long runs were all 10-milers with one 17-miler, one 20-miler and one 21-miler. I ran a very happy and comfortable full marathon!

For Dopey, I have the same general plan with two exceptions: 1) I ran three half marathons in September and will run two in November - so I'm exceeding my mileage from last time by a few miles here and there; and 2) I'm running my 3-milers faster because it's fun.

For some reason, I'm feeling like I need another 17-miler in there - maybe because of the Galloway plan on the website and maybe because this is Dopey and not a 5K + marathon. On the other hand, I've been running for a while and can run a 10K and half without wearing myself out, if I remain aware of my pace. Thoughts?

I think if you've been comfortable with what you did in the past for the marathon, you don't need to change it. Personally, I'm not treating Dopey training much differently than I did when I was training for the marathon. But if you'd feel better doing another 17-miler, go for it!

The one thing you may want to do is throw in a back-to-back run or two - maybe make one of your 3-milers a more mid-distance run and do a back-to-back (like a 10-miler one day and your 20-miler the next day). Physically I don't think these are essential, but it'll give you some confidence and may give you some things to work on for the actual race weekend. Example - I just did a back-to-back last weekend (5- and 10-mile runs getting ready for Lumiere's 2-course challenge) and I was ZONKED the day after the 10-miler, I think because I didn't get enough sleep afterward. So that's something I will keep in mind going forward!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Thoughts?

I agree with @Ariel484 - the Dopey isn't significantly more effort. I would just start adding back-to-back-to-back runs if you are doing so already to get used to running on tired legs.

Me - I have already run three 20 milers and have another 5 planned ( 2x20, 2x22, and 1x24) for Dopey - but I am really Dopey when it comes to running, so this plan works for me.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Training question! This is for Dopey.

For the 2015 full marathon, I ran three to five 3-milers per week and a long run every other weekend. The long runs were all 10-milers with one 17-miler, one 20-miler and one 21-miler. I ran a very happy and comfortable full marathon!

For Dopey, I have the same general plan with two exceptions: 1) I ran three half marathons in September and will run two in November - so I'm exceeding my mileage from last time by a few miles here and there; and 2) I'm running my 3-milers faster because it's fun.

For some reason, I'm feeling like I need another 17-miler in there - maybe because of the Galloway plan on the website and maybe because this is Dopey and not a 5K + marathon. On the other hand, I've been running for a while and can run a 10K and half without wearing myself out, if I remain aware of my pace. Thoughts?

Agree with @Ariel484 and @BuckeyeBama. If it was good enough for a marathon it will likely be good enough for Dopey. Adding in a few back-to-back days would be advantageous for the tired legs.

I personally will max at 15, 17 and 18 (roughly 2.5 hours) for weekend long runs. But I run 6 days a week (not Wed) and tend to run higher mileage on weekdays than most (low of 6 miles and high of 14 miles). The two phrases I like to use for training plans are: "Don't survive the training, thrive because of it." and "Save it for race day.". Whenever I think about what to do next in training I always use these two phrases to guide my decision making process.

The other thought process to consider when making decisions about your training is, "What is your goal for Dopey?" Goal of pictures? Goal of comfortable? Goal of new PR at one distance? Goal of PR at all distances? Completion? Any and all of these goals are great and admirable, and no one goal is any better than another. Which goal you choose will dictate the decisions you want to make in training.

 

[pixarmom]

I think if you've been comfortable with what you did in the past for the marathon, you don't need to change it. Personally, I'm not treating Dopey training much differently than I did when I was training for the marathon. But if you'd feel better doing another 17-miler, go for it!

The one thing you may want to do is throw in a back-to-back run or two - maybe make one of your 3-milers a more mid-distance run and do a back-to-back (like a 10-miler one day and your 20-miler the next day). Physically I don't think these are essential, but it'll give you some confidence and may give you some things to work on for the actual race weekend. Example - I just did a back-to-back last weekend (5- and 10-mile runs getting ready for Lumiere's 2-course challenge) and I was ZONKED the day after the 10-miler, I think because I didn't get enough sleep afterward. So that's something I will keep in mind going forward!

Really good advice - thank you!!! GSC prepared me a little bit, but I'm reconsidering. During GSC weekend, my mom experienced a health emergency and I was at Celebration Hospital with my parents the night before/morning of the 10K. Total of 90 minutes of sleep that night. She stabilized, and I ran the 10K with my kids. We spent the next day at the hospital with her, and then took the kids to dinner at Epcot. It was the last day of our APs, and my husband granted every kid request for fireworks, treats, etc. So 3.5 hours of sleep . . . and we ran the half. So that involved very little sleep and some of the distances, but not full marathon. Are you planning the 10-mile followed by 20-mile, or are you not doing that this time around?

 

[pixarmom]

I agree with @Ariel484 - the Dopey isn't significantly more effort. I would just start adding back-to-back-to-back runs if you are doing so already to get used to running on tired legs.

Me - I have already run three 20 milers and have another 5 planned ( 2x20, 2x22, and 1x24) for Dopey - but I am really Dopey when it comes to running, so this plan works for me.

Thank you!!! And yes, truly Dopey! I love long runs for the running part - just start to get bored on the treadmill or outside on my own. I actually get sleepy, which my husband thinks is completely bizarre. With so many 20+ runs, would love to hear about what keeps you going - are you running with a group? Outside?

 

[pixarmom]

Agree with @Ariel484 and @BuckeyeBama. If it was good enough for a marathon it will likely be good enough for Dopey. Adding in a few back-to-back days would be advantageous for the tired legs.

I personally will max at 15, 17 and 18 (roughly 2.5 hours) for weekend long runs. But I run 6 days a week (not Wed) and tend to run higher mileage on weekdays than most (low of 6 miles and high of 14 miles). The two phrases I like to use for training plans are: "Don't survive the training, thrive because of it." and "Save it for race day.". Whenever I think about what to do next in training I always use these two phrases to guide my decision making process.

The other thought process to consider when making decisions about your training is, "What is your goal for Dopey?" Goal of pictures? Goal of comfortable? Goal of new PR at one distance? Goal of PR at all distances? Completion? Any and all of these goals are great and admirable, and no one goal is any better than another. Which goal you choose will dictate the decisions you want to make in training.

These are great guidelines! Really thoughtful and excellent reference points for decision-making. I'm reviewing my written plan right now with these guidelines in mind.

As for my goal, I go back and forth on that a bit. I'm more than a little Type A and have been obsessive about running in the past. It's in the genes - when I was growing up, my dad once ran every single day for over 500 consecutive days (usually 6 or 7 miles/day) with no breaks for recovery, illness or weather conditions. And yes, he recorded all of that (it was way before spreadsheets!!) He still works out every day in his retirement, has a full gym in his basement and gym memberships pretty much everywhere he travels. So it's been tough to step away from the Garmin, allow recovery days, and let go of the time. I'm still in awe of your ability to "run blind" and not look at the mile marker clocks for so long! Running 5Ks with our youngest son, assistant coaching his cross country team, running half marathons with our teens - these things are completely joyful and have really helped. So my stated goal for this Dopey is to run happy and run comfortably. I can't let go of the clock enough to do the really fun stuff, like photos, rides (although if I did, it would be 3 Caballeros) or beer, but I'm trying to focus on happy and comfortable! Now that it's in writing, maybe I'll stick to it!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Thank you!!! And yes, truly Dopey! I love long runs for the running part - just start to get bored on the treadmill or outside on my own. I actually get sleepy, which my husband thinks is completely bizarre. With so many 20+ runs, would love to hear about what keeps you going - are you running with a group? Outside?

I just love running for the sake of running. I carry everything on me and run out/back trails alone. I talk to people who I might come across, but these runs are meant to be alone. I listen to music - very relaxing music on these long runs. I disappear into these runs. I am more, and less.

 

[DopeyBadger]

These are great guidelines! Really thoughtful and excellent reference points for decision-making. I'm reviewing my written plan right now with these guidelines in mind.

As for my goal, I go back and forth on that a bit. I'm more than a little Type A and have been obsessive about running in the past. It's in the genes - when I was growing up, my dad once ran every single day for over 500 consecutive days (usually 6 or 7 miles/day) with no breaks for recovery, illness or weather conditions. And yes, he recorded all of that (it was way before spreadsheets!!) He still works out every day in his retirement, has a full gym in his basement and gym memberships pretty much everywhere he travels. So it's been tough to step away from the Garmin, allow recovery days, and let go of the time. I'm still in awe of your ability to "run blind" and not look at the mile marker clocks for so long! Running 5Ks with our youngest son, assistant coaching his cross country team, running half marathons with our teens - these things are completely joyful and have really helped. So my stated goal for this Dopey is to run happy and run comfortably. I can't let go of the clock enough to do the really fun stuff, like photos, rides (although if I did, it would be 3 Caballeros) or beer, but I'm trying to focus on happy and comfortable! Now that it's in writing, maybe I'll stick to it!

Oh, do I know a Type A personality! Always looking for some competition.

Running blind came out of necessity because of my Type A personality. I found during races I obsessed WAY too much about my splits mid-race (a second here, a second there, 10 seconds here or there, what's my heart rate? what's my cadence?, what was the last mile?, what's my current mile pace?). I lost motivation or started doing recalculating way too early in races. It got to me mentally. I found a mental program that really struck a chord with me - Psychobiological Model of Endurance Running (it's in the bottom part of this post). I found that by losing motivation I was potentially increasing my perception of effort. So while physically the race didn't become harder, it did become physically harder because I let it get to me mentally (if that makes sense). I use a lot of spreadsheets (surprise to everyone), plan my day, plan my week, plan my months, and this goes beyond running (my job is like 75% spreadsheet based). But I found that race day is the one place I needed to learn to let go. Just run and whatever happens, happens. It's interesting that in a life of planning and spreadsheets that one of the most important things to me I've learned to just run blind. Trust my body and just do the best I can do that day. Whatever that ends up being.

As my daughter grows up I hope to share in many of those same types of moments that you get to do.

 

[Ariel484]

Really good advice - thank you!!! GSC prepared me a little bit, but I'm reconsidering. During GSC weekend, my mom experienced a health emergency and I was at Celebration Hospital with my parents the night before/morning of the 10K. Total of 90 minutes of sleep that night. She stabilized, and I ran the 10K with my kids. We spent the next day at the hospital with her, and then took the kids to dinner at Epcot. It was the last day of our APs, and my husband granted every kid request for fireworks, treats, etc. So 3.5 hours of sleep . . . and we ran the half. So that involved very little sleep and some of the distances, but not full marathon. Are you planning the 10-mile followed by 20-mile, or are you not doing that this time around?

OMG, what a stressful weekend! I hope your mom is doing better!

Yes, I'm planning on a back-to-back 10/20 weekend as part of a "mock Dopey" (2.5/5/10/20 in a row). Before that I'll likely do 3 days in a row at some point. Gonna be tiring!!

 

[WhereInFlorida]

These are great guidelines! Really thoughtful and excellent reference points for decision-making. I'm reviewing my written plan right now with these guidelines in mind.

As for my goal, I go back and forth on that a bit. I'm more than a little Type A and have been obsessive about running in the past. It's in the genes - when I was growing up, my dad once ran every single day for over 500 consecutive days (usually 6 or 7 miles/day) with no breaks for recovery, illness or weather conditions. And yes, he recorded all of that (it was way before spreadsheets!!) He still works out every day in his retirement, has a full gym in his basement and gym memberships pretty much everywhere he travels. So it's been tough to step away from the Garmin, allow recovery days, and let go of the time. I'm still in awe of your ability to "run blind" and not look at the mile marker clocks for so long! Running 5Ks with our youngest son, assistant coaching his cross country team, running half marathons with our teens - these things are completely joyful and have really helped. So my stated goal for this Dopey is to run happy and run comfortably. I can't let go of the clock enough to do the really fun stuff, like photos, rides (although if I did, it would be 3 Caballeros) or beer, but I'm trying to focus on happy and comfortable! Now that it's in writing, maybe I'll stick to it!

These are good guidelines especially with your stated goal of happy/comfortable. The thing that sticks out to me is 3 mile distance for your weekly runs, even at 5 days a week and then add in a long run that is well over 50% of your weekly mileage on the long run. You sound like you have the ability to improve significantly with increasing the runs during the week. Just the increased mileage will do great things along with a longer midweek run. They do not have to be fast, the mileage and time will do you good and help out with not being able to 'let go of the clock' during the race.

 

[Keels]

So, in preparation for my final meeting with my PT and a trainer tomorrow (before I leave for Florida), I'm pulling all relevant Marathon-training plans to help devise what I plan to do to prepare for Dopey. (Did I mention I'm running Dopey again in 2017? Yup! I'm doing Dopey again!).

I happened to look at the second-tier Galloway plan for the Marathon. AND *** - a 29-miler in Week 24? No.

Has anyone done this?? That just seems ... ridiculous.

 

[PrincessV]

So, in preparation for my final meeting with my PT and a trainer tomorrow (before I leave for Florida), I'm pulling all relevant Marathon-training plans to help devise what I plan to do to prepare for Dopey. (Did I mention I'm running Dopey again in 2017? Yup! I'm doing Dopey again!).

I happened to look at the second-tier Galloway plan for the Marathon. AND *** - a 29-miler in Week 24? No.

Has anyone done this?? That just seems ... ridiculous.

Oh HECK no! I went to 22 last year training for he full, but that was only because it happened to be the first cool weather long run day I had in all of my marathon training: my plan was for 18-20, but it felt so good to not have heat stroke, I kept going, lol! My plan for Dopey this year is to top off at 20.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

So, in preparation for my final meeting with my PT and a trainer tomorrow (before I leave for Florida), I'm pulling all relevant Marathon-training plans to help devise what I plan to do to prepare for Dopey. (Did I mention I'm running Dopey again in 2017? Yup! I'm doing Dopey again!).

I happened to look at the second-tier Galloway plan for the Marathon. AND *** - a 29-miler in Week 24? No.

Has anyone done this?? That just seems ... ridiculous.

I am going to 24, but not past. I like to run long and am running long more in preparation for the Dopey than I would normally do, but that is because I plan to approach the Dopey in a very Dopey way. My race times will be very long compared to my normal race times, so I want/need to practice running slower for longer periods of time.