Goofy runners - anyone have links to past stories?

[Dr.Girlfriend]

Would love to read past stories/blog posts if you've done the Goofy. TIA.

[Haas4Concern]

I would also like to hear these. Doing my first Goofy (and full marathon) in january.

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Here is my review. I separated the Half Marathon and 5K from it so you can also view those, because really the Marathon was the most difficult part of those three days and was the largest part of the Goofy.

This thread has the story about nearly being swept during the Marathon that is a bit more detailed because I really wanted to forget that weekend:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread....4#post45807934

I am only doing this again so that I can have the experience I wanted to have this year and didn't. The course is changing quite a bit, so that will be interesting and will probably add a bit more to the bottlenecks that people love so much.

[cewait]

http://disneyrunning.com/goofychallenge.html

This site may go down soon. It was Robert Mathis' site and sadly he passed late last year; the night prior to heading over to the race.

[FFigawi]

Here are some old race reports for you.

Goofy 2010, part 1
Goofy 2010, part 2
Goofy 2011, part 2
Goofy 2011, part 3

[wiigirl]

Originally Posted by Haas4Concern

I would also like to hear these. Doing my first Goofy (and full marathon) in january.

woah! good luck!

[booth22]

Here you go, hope it helps Wine and Dine report coming soon too...

Goofy's Challenge @ RaceEveryStep.com

[kmorganj]

Here is what I wrote last year... still happily sticking by my once-and-done promise as I train for just the full this coming year!


2011...
I may be one of the few Goofy veterans out there who "swore they would never do it again" and am (thus far) sticking to that promise. Don't get me wrong, Goofy is AMAZING. It is a major accomplishment, and you can bask in the glow of that for months. Not just the race, but knowing all of the work that went into training for it. Not training for Goofy this year, and only training for the relay, feels like a vacation.

I planned for the running part of the Goofy - trained back-to-backs, brought two complete outfits, two pairs of shoes, carried sunglasses, an ipod, and some Cliff Blocks. What I DIDN'T prepare for was the mental exhaustion. Finishing the half on Saturday was fine, but I hadn't bargained for the overwhelming dread that cropped up at Mile 12 when I was feeling tired and knew I still had a full looming before me the next day. That kind of took away from the magic of the half. Physically, it was no different than my training runs, but getting up early and adrenalin of race day certainly takes its toll. I spent the rest of the day eating, resting, walking and recovering physically, but the emotional facet of the entire thing was draining.

Having run 6 marathons before, and Disney four times, I knew exactly what to expect on Sunday. But my mind was a mess. I felt myself panicking from the start with slightly stiff legs and a grumbly stomach. But, I got off to a decent start and ended up forgiving myself quickly for a slightly slow pace (about 40 seconds slower than my trained race pace).

Coach Charles is right, you hit the same marathon wall, just sooner. By the time I hit the sponge station outside of Animal Kingdom I was mentally (and physically) pooped. Walked an entire mile before I could summon the strength and courage for a final push.

Needless to say, the finish was worth it. My sister and I have always hated that last mile around the World Showcase lagoon at Epcot, and this time I was weeping for joy the entire loop becuase I knew I was almost done.

It IS magical. It IS amazing. But you must remember to train mentally, and be prepared to forgive yourself and to adjust as needed. I remember thinking somewhere in the middle, "if I can do this, I can do anything." Looking forward to the relay this year, and probably sporting last year's Goofy shirt for one last bask in the glory.


ps> That Goofy shirt is still in regular rotation... it will NEVER get old!

[MouseDogMom]

Originally Posted by kmorganj

That Goofy shirt is still in regular rotation... it will NEVER get old!

Absolutely! I bought a Goofy jacket too, and I wear it with pride.

I did Goofy 2010 (or Arctic Goofy as it's sometimes referred to.) Swore NEVER, NEVER again. It's now on the calendar for 2014.

My biggest mistakes were going out way too fast during the half. I'm not a fast runner, but Saturday was cold and I was feeling strong, and I ran a PR even stopping to walk with friends for a couple of miles. The next day, I stupidly decided to try for a PR in the marathon. (Did I mention how stupid that was? ) Ran the first half of the marathon FASTER than the half the previous day, still felt great at mile 13. At mile 16, everything fell apart. Pretty much walked the last 10 miles. Begged DH to let me stop. But he coaxed me through, and the moment they put that Goofy medal around my neck was the highlight of my running career to this day.

Next time... Saturday will be an easy day. Sunday will be for fun!

Jackie