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Goofy Challenge 2012 Prologue This report consists mainly of extracts from my blog, enhanced by links to photos that have appeared on FaceBook. My wife Cathy and I stayed with our son Bill, his wife Stacey, and our grandkids Sarah and Billy at the Saratoga Springs Resort at Disney World. This was a repeat of a similar trip in 2011 when I felt I had unfinished business to accomplish. Saturday 01/07/12 This was the day of the first half of the Goofy Challenge, the Disney Half Marathon. I had set my alarm for 1:45 AM, but awoke at 1:15 AM and tried to eat breakfast without disturbing my son Bill, who was sleeping in the living room of our suite at Saratoga Springs Resort. We got ready and left the room at about 2:25 AM. We were a half hour early for the shuttle bus. I wore my throwaway hoodie from Walmart, but the temperature was about 52 degrees, warmer than last year. Cathy was still ill from a bad cough, so Son Bill used her wristband for the Runners Retreat. I had purchased the retreat for both days of the weekend ($186). We enter a large heated tent with tables and chairs, a buffet line, stretching mats, private porta-potties, changing rooms, and the presence of Disney characters Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jess. I was able to put my legs up and relax before the race. We joined the other runners at 4:45 AM for the long walk to the starting corrals. Son Bill and I were both in Corral B due to my 1:52 in the Philly Half Marathon in 2010. I was thinking about holding back for a 2:15 finish, but then decided to ignore my GPS and just run relaxed and easy. I felt very comfortable during the race, and finished with a 2:07. Here's the report: After the race, I re-entered the Runners Retreat, where I received congratulations and a pair of Disney Half Marathon socks. I iced my calves and drank Recoverite. I drank a seedful smoothie on the shuttle bus to Saratoga Springs. Back at the room, I iced my calves once more and elevated my legs. After a hot shower, my legs felt pretty good. I took an hour's power nap. We all ate lunch at the T-Rex restaturant and then Son Bill and I chilled out for the afternoon while the others went to Magic Kingdom. Son Bill and I ate dinner at the restaurant and were in bed around 7:30 PM. Nutrition Breakfast: 2 poppy seed bagels with jam; drank 2 cups of Chai tea with the meal pre-race: 2 Clif Bars and a bottle of Heed; popped 3 Extra Strength Tylenols and 5 Endurolytes. race: 8 oz. bottle of Heed and no-caf Hammer Gel at miles 4, 8, and 12; 3 Extra Strength Tylenols and 5 Endurolytes at mile 8 post-race: 8 oz. bottle of Heed, a bottle of Recoverite, and a seedful smoothie; popped 5 Endurolytes Lunch: pasta and bread at T-Rex in Downtown Disney Dinner: pasta and bread at the resort restaurant; drank a bottle of Saratoga Water with the meal a cup of Sleepy Time tea and 2 Clif Bars as a snack after dinner Sunday 01/08/12 This was a day that was a long time in coming. In the past, I had registered twice for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Marathon but got injured in training both times and didn't make the events. I did the Georgia Marathon in Atlanta in 2010, but the hills took my legs from me by mile 20 and I had to power walk to the finish. Although I finished 2nd of 4 in my age group, I wasn't satisfied that I had actually "run" a marathon. Almost immediately after the race, I signed up for the Disney World Marathon because it was flat. Son Bill decided to do the Goofy Challenge. I got a bad calf injury before Thanksgiving. I used a physical therapist in Naples to try to get back into training. After a couple of 5 mile runs, I entered a 20K race in Naples to test my leg. I had to quit after a mile and limp back to the start. As soon as I got home, I signed up for the Goofy Challenge, deciding to walk both races. I modified my training schedule to include two long walks per week and was able to complete the Goofy Challenge with around 3 hours for the half and 6 hours for the full. But, I had still not run a marathon, at least not in my way of thinking. I "slept-in" until almost 1:45 AM and got breakfast and dressed. Son Bill and I caught the 3:00 shuttle to the start. I entered the Runners Retreat by myself and thought about race strategy. I knew that the 2013 qualification time for Boston was 4:25 (4:30 for 2012). Instead of dwelling on that, I decided to go out slowly and actually run a marathon! I always thought that a 4:30 would be a respectable time, so that became a minor goal. I walked to the start at about 4:30 AM. I ran easy at the start and ignored my GPS. When I hit the halfway point at 2:08, I was happy with the time and felt that the day wouldn't be a total loss if I didn't make it to the end. I took a long potty break at about mile 14 and got back on the road. My legs were starting to feel numb, which was better than hurting, but I kept waiting for the wall (which never came). I walked at miles 20 and 24 while I drank my Perpeteum and ate two Hammer Gels. I finished feeling strong. Son Bill lamented that I was perky and looked as though I could do aerobics when he saw me. My legs didn't hurt and I felt fine. I finished in 4:28 and was happy with that even though my Garmin told me later that If I hadn't taken the 3 breaks I would have finished in 4:20. I had finally run a marathon and could take heed of these great words of Dean Karnazes:
Here's the report: After the race, when we returned to our room, I iced my legs. After lunch I played in the swimming pool all afternoon with the grandkids. We had our celebration dinner at the California Grill in the Contemporary. Nutrition Breakfast: 2 bagels and jam; drank 2 cups of Yerba Mate with the meal pre-race: bottle of Heed, 2 Clif Bars, and 2 caffeinated Hammer Gels; popped 3 Extra Strength Tylenols and 5 Endurolytes race: 8oz bottle of Heed and a Hammer Gel at miles 4 and 8; 8 oz bottle of Perpeteum and a Hammer Gel at miles 12 and 16; 8 oz bottle of Perpeteum and 2 Hammer Gels at miles 20 and 24; popped 3 Extra Strength Tylenols and 5 Endurolytes at miles 8 and 16. post-race: a bottle of Recoverite Lunch: flatbread pizza, no cheese and a bottle of Vitamin Water at the resort cafeteria Dinner: sushi appetizer, fish dinner and lots of bread, and big bottle of Peligrino at the California Grill; shared lotsa dessert: cheesecake, lava cake, and bananas Foster; drank a cappucino. epilogue I finished 3rd out of 33 in my age group for the marathon and later received an award. I was also 2nd in my age group for the Goofy Challenge, but that result is not an official one. The next day we all celebrated at the Magic Kingdom, where Son Bill and I wore our Goofy Challenge shirts and medals. Here is a sortable list of the Goofy Challenge results. |
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