2020 Dopey Challenge: The Walt Disney World Marathon

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On the final morning of the Dopey challenge, the early mornings caught up to me, and I completely slept through my alarm. Thankfully, I roused right as Mike was finishing up getting ready, before he had to resort to shaking me from my slumber. I had set out my costume and packed my pre-race bag the night before, so I just had to get dressed and we were on our way.

We walked over to the All Star Sports bus stop and joined the queue of runners climbing on board. Mike and I found seats and settled in for our ride for the start. There was more traffic that morning and getting to the race start area took significantly longer than it had other days, but it gave us time to enjoy our Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches in comfy bus seats, instead of on the floor of the corral.

When we finally got to the start area, there was a long line of people waiting to go through security, and we joined in, slowly stepping forward. Once we were into the start area, I rearranged my possessions so that anything I needed for the race was on my person, and then dropped by bag off at the bag check truck. We made a quick stop at the porter potties, and then walked over to the start corrals, which were about a mile from the start area.

Mike and I were starting the race from corral D that day, and the corrals seemed emptier than they had the day before. They didn’t close the corrals as they had they day before, and as 5 am approached, the corrals didn’t start to collapse.

5 am came and went, and there was no indication that the race would be starting, which was weird. With all of the RunDisney events I had participated in previously, I had never experienced a late start. I hopped online and saw that RunDisney had announced a delayed start. Then checked some RunDisney Facebook groups and saw that many runners were stuck in so much traffic, even some on resort busses, that they still were not at the start area! 

So, we waited in the corrals, wondering when the race would begin, and I started to get a little anxious about the warm temps that were predicted for that day - a later start meant more time running in the sun! Mike took advantage of the late start, running to the porter potty one last time, and when he came back to the corrals, they had finally started to move us forward. The race officially started around 5:20, and Mike and I crossed the start line at 5:36 a.m.

There was a marching band not far after the start, and we worked on settling into an ok pace as we made our way towards Epcot for the first time that day. There was a water stop before the first mile marker, which I was thankful for after the long wait in the start corral. Shortly after the first mile marker we spotted the first character on course that day - Tinkerbell with one of her fairy friends, and a larger than life teacup.

With the mileage adding up on our bodies, Mike and I made the decision to run intervals for the full marathon - it would hopefully keep my knee and his ankle happy for the full distance. So even early in the race, we listened to my watch as it beeped and instructed us to walk or run. 

Mile marker two was in the parking lot at Epcot, back near the race start. It was the same path that we had taken the day of the 5k, and we would be in Epcot before mile three. I was surprised at the number of spectators lining the way to Epcot so early in the race. Just before heading into Epcot Judy Hops and Nick Wilde were on the course, greeting runners as they ran by.

We entered Epcot near the imagination pavilion, and there was a giant Figment sculpture placed in front of the journey into imagination ride. I lost Mike as we lost Epcot, but thankfully found him without too much effort. Even this early into the race it was hot out, and the air was thick thanks to the humidity. 

The mile marker for the third mile had seen better days, as the number three was sitting on the floor in front of it, instead of hanging as it should have been. Phineas and Pherb were the next character we spotted, as we made our way through Epcot. As we left the park, they had an old ride vehicle out - the Nautilus from the closed 20,000 leagues under the sea ride. 

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Now that we had left Epcot for the first time, we had a long stretch of highway ahead of us, as we ran to Magic Kingdom. The course had changed from recent years for the 2020 event, and Magic Kingdom would be around mile 10. Previous years that I ran this race it was closer to mile 6, so it was a little odd for me to wrap my head around.

There were surprisingly few characters out on the long stretch of highway, and the sun started to peek up around the time we hit mile 7. I was very disappointed when we got to the Magic Kingdom entrance sign, and instead of running under it, we ran on a road to the right of it - such a bummer! For me, that point in the race really gets me excited that we are so close to Magic Kingdom. 

More characters started popping up as we got closer to Magic Kingdom, starting with Goofy out with his water skiing gear, followed by Vanallope out with her Sugar Rush Racer car from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Parade. Mike and I stopped for our first characters when we saw Flick and Princess Atta, partially because there was no line. 

When we got to the ticket and transportation center, there were spectators lining both sides of the road. My husband Dennis and Mike’s husband Jude were there cheering for us, and we started searching for them in the crowd. Before we found them, we found frozen, and then spotted them cheering! I dropped my running belt off with Den, and Mike grabbed his sunglasses from Jude, and then we were on our way again. The crowd had so much energy that I couldn’t help but to cheer back at them, and even accepted a pack of fruit chews from a spectator. By the time we left the ticket and transportation center, we were already up to mile 9.

When we got to the hotels that surround the magic kingdom, the road narrowed, and we dealt with some course crowding as we ran by the contemporary resort. 

The course didn’t bring us through the main entrance to magic kingdom, but we did enter right onto Main Street. The first thing we saw was the big Christmas tree, and then after a quick turn, The Castle!!!

Main Street was lined with spectators, and I was so excited as we made our way further into the park. I knew the mile we had in the park would fly by, so I tried to just soak it all in. Just as we got into fantasy land, we spotted the white rabbit in front of Alice’s teacups, and we hopped in line for a photo. 

We ran through the castle and got our jump shot, and then the course took us through Frontierland, before making the sad park exit. We got to go through a backstage area as we left the park, and when we saw Jafar, Mike’s favorite villain, we had to stop for a photo.

There was a sport beans stations as we made our way through the backstage area, and then the big dragon float from the festival of fantasy parade was positioned along the course, threatening to breathe fire on runners if we didn’t make it by fast enough - but with the rising temps it felt like we may have been a little singed. 

We had a few miles of highway ahead of us, as we ran from Magic Kingdom to Animal Kingdom. Just as we got onto the highway the Haunted Mansion grave diggers were on the side of the road, inviting runners to join the ranks of the 999 happy haunts that live within the mansion - we stopped for a photo, but opted to keep moving forward with the race, which was quickly approaching the half way point. 

There were a handful of spectators as we ran through the Magic Kingdom resort area, and when we got to the Grand Floridian, Daisy and Donald were out, and all dressed up, so we stopped for a photo with them. 

The crowd levels got smaller as we left the magic kingdom resort area and approached Animal kingdom, and it was weird to already be halfway done with this race! When we got to mile 15 there was a special mile marker commemorating the 15th anniversary of the dopey challenge, and Goofy was out and dressed up as a football player for runners.

One of my favorite “character” stops was out again this year, as we entered animal kingdom - there were real animals out, each with their own race bib. Mike and I stopped and took photos with a possum and a parrot before heading into animal kingdom through a backstage entrance. 

Mickey was in his safari clothes greeting runners right before we entered the park, which had more spectators than I expected lining the course. As we ran through animal kingdom, we spotted Timon, stopped for a quick selfie with the tree of life, and made the tough decision not to ride expedition Everest. It was something that we discussed prior to race day, but there are times where I am nauseous after riding when I am not in the middle of a marathon, and with the heat of the day we decided against it. 

Mile 17 came just after we passed Everest, and then as we headed into dinoland Kevin, the bird from Up, was out, so we decided to stop for a photo. As we exited the park there was a boat from the nighttime river of life show along the road, and I was excited to see it up close! The adventurer’s club cast was also out, talking with and entertaining runners as we ran by. As we left the “animal kingdom” area of the highway, there were a few more animals out, and the then we were headed for blizzard beach. The sun was high at this point, and we were taking a conservative pace - we just wanted to really enjoy the experience and complete the dopey challenge!

As we continued along the highway, Mike and I made a new friend and chatted with her for about a mile, before she hopped in the line to meet Minnie Mouse. We would yoyo with her for the rest of the course and get to chat a few more times. 

We would later learn that the marathon course got cut short for some runners as a result of the heat of the day, but lucky for us we made it to Blizzard beach before that happened. It was the first time I would get to run through that park, and actually the first time that I had ever gone to the park in general. We ran past mile marker 21 while in the park’s parking lot, and since the mile marker featured Mike’s favorite movie - Lilo and Stitch - I snapped a photo of him with it. We were closing in on the end of the race now, with 5 miles to go, that would bring us through three parks. 

Blizzard beach wasn’t operational as we ran through it, but honestly, I wish it had been. It was hot out, and the water attractions looked so nice! It was a huge tease to see them and not be able to cool down. Olaf was in the park though, with his own personal flurry going, and making a mini snowstorm over runners. 

Right after we left Blizzard Beach, we were given Bananas, and upon entering Hollywood studios through a backstage area we were handed Hershey kisses! It was a short distance through Hollywood studios, entering just after mile 23, and exiting before mile 24. We got to run by the tower of terror, and then past the front entrance gate as we left the park and headed toward the boardwalk resort, which would lead us to our final park - Epcot!

We ran around the boardwalk, stopping for photos with Pluto and Max before we finally, at long last, made our way into Epcot. Mile 25 greeted us as we entered the France pavilion in the world showcase, and our marathon was coming to a close. We took our time as we travelled around the world, meeting some princesses as we went. The park was already open to the public at this point, but runners had a priority line for characters that were out for the race. 

In the last stretch of park before we headed for the finish line, my husband Dennis was waiting for mike and me, with margaritas for us in hand. We said hello, grabbed our drinks, and headed for the last finish line of the weekend - the frozen drinks were so refreshing that it was hard not to drink them all as soon as we had them! 

We reached the final mile marker - 26 - and turned one more corner. The finish line was in sight. Mike and I ran through the finish, smiles on our faces and margaritas in hand. Plus, a PR for Mike, and a PB for me in the most fun I have ever had during a race. 

We enjoyed finishing our margaritas as we walked through the finisher’s chute, collecting drinks, snacks, and the best bling of the weekend - our well-earned Dopey Challenge medals. I was so happy that we had completed this race together, and I had so much fun thought the experience. 

We spent the rest of the day recovering, taking naps and eventually making our way to Disney springs for a celebratory brunch. It felt surreal that the weekend was coming to a close, and we were all left with the same question - when can we do this again?!

 

Spring 2020: The Season of the Virtual Race

Disclaimer: I received an entry to the Virtual Lincoln Park Run for the Zoo as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I assume that you all had a march that was similar to mine - the month started with business as usual (heck, I went to Tijuana for my job, and then to California for the Napa valley half marathon at the beginning of the month), and then over the coming weeks, the world became a really weird place. Covid-19 started as something that we heard about happening in other countries, but that quickly spread to the United States, and then in what felt like a blink of an eye I transitioned from being in an office everyday to working from home, and staying put as much as possible. While I am so thankful that I have the ability to work from home, I would be lying if I said I was not bummed when suddenly all of my spring races started to get cancelled - first the NYC half, then the Long Island half, and finally the Delaware half - not to mention the shorter races that I had on the calendar.

When the NYC half was cancelled, I headed out locally with Mike and Michal to get in our 13.1 miles, bummed that it wasn’t through the city, but glad I was still able to get out with friends… but shortly after that, even running with friends was cancelled, as recommendations to social distance grew stronger, to help flatten the curve, so that hospitals would not become overloaded with patients as Covid-19 continued to spread.

So, whats a runner to do when her spring races get cancelled? Well, first I scaled back my training - my knee still isn’t 100%, and with no spring races to worry about, it made sense to scale things back, and focus on strength training a little more. The runs that I did head out on changed too, as my running partners changed from people with two legs, or Dad on his bike, to a four-legged pal - my mother-in-law’s dog, Riley. We even got a great running leash that I can wear around my waist when I head out with him, and I am thankful to get a little companionship at least. My husband and I are living with my in-laws currently, and with everyone home we have a five person, three dog, and two cat house hold - so it can be a little bit of a zoo at times!

Through BibRave, I heard about the Lincoln Park run for the zoo event - the Lincoln Park Zoo is free and open every day of the year, and their annual “Run for the Zoo” helps keep them running! While it was not in the cards for me to travel to the race, like many races this season, it has become virtual - which allows runners near and far to help keep the Zoo going. I am hoping I will even get to take a visit to the zoo when I visit Chicago in September!

This virtual race includes a race packet, that will be mailed to each participant, with a bib and a tech shirt. Plus, if you are someone who is highly motivated by bling, a $25 donation to the zoo adds a medal to your swag! The proceeds from this run help to support the more than 800 animals - including 50 endangered species - that are cared for at the zoo.

After each runner completes their virtual race, they just need to upload their results to the Race for the Zoo website to make it official, and the “winners” with the fastest GPS verified time will win a special plush animal from the zoo’s gift shop. The virtual race runs from June 7-21, and runners and walkers of all levels can participate - so if you are looking for some motivation to get moving, use the coupon code “BIBRAVE10” to save 10% off the cost of registration.

So wether it is your first race or your hundredth, I hope you will consider joining me in the Virtual Run for the Zoo!

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Race Recap: The Napa Valley Half Marathon

Disclaimer: I received an entry to the 2020 Napa Valley Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I got to head to Napa Valley, California to run the Napa Valley Half Marathon! This post covers the expo and the 13.1 mile run through the hills of Napa.

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What about the SWAG? Goodies from the hot chocolate 15k race Series

Disclaimer: I received an entry to the 2020 Atlanta Hot Chocolate 15k as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Since 2018, I have completed a total three races within the hot chocolate race series, which are put on by RAM racing across the United States. Before I took the dive and completed my first event, there were two things I knew about the races: the chocolate, and the awesome race giveaways!

Each year the events giveaway is some sort of long sleeve sweatshirt or pullover, that always becomes a staple in my running wardrobe.

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In 2018, runners got a purple or blue half zip pullover, depending on if the opted for a women’s size or a men’s size. The pull over featured thumb holes at the end of the sleeves, and a breast pocket, that is big enough to fit my cell phone, or my keys when I drive somewhere to run. The medals for the 15k that year came with a key chain attachment that specified the city you ran in, so my medal came with a small Atlanta peach keychain. If you’d like to read about that race, you can find my recap HERE.

In 2019 the race series came a little closer to home for me, when they put on a Brooklyn edition of the event. They were giving runners zip up sweatshirts - maroon for the women’s jackets, and black for the men’s cut. My uncle was nice enough to go to the expo for me, as I wasn’t able to get there because of work, so I wasn’t able to try on my sweatshirt at race pickup - which resulted in it being slightly oversized, but I love it nonetheless. It has thumb holes at the end of the sleeves and inside pockets, both of which are a win in my books. Instead of a keychain to show the race city, the bottom of the medal featured the Brooklyn bridge. For a recap about the Brooklyn 2019 race, click HERE.

This year I headed to Atlanta again for the 2020 race, since the Brooklyn edition of the race was cancelled after the first year. They had zip up sweatshirts once again, and I was really pleased with the quality of this one- it’s a solid, heavy jacket! I made sure to try it on before leaving the expo, and was happy to find that it once again has some good interior pockets. The 2020 jacket is a dark blue, featuring coral zippers on the women’s cuts, and blue zippers for the men’s. As for medals, this year they began offering one for 5k finishers, where as in the past only the 15k finishers were awarded a medal. The 5k medal looks like a cup of hot chocolate, while the 15k metal retained its classic chocolate bar shape, and the lanyard was marked up with Atlanta to represent the city. For my most recent Hot Chocolate race recap, the 2020 Atlanta edition, clock HERE.

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On top of all of this sweet swag, there are also some sweet treats! Once you’re done running, every runner receives a cup of hot chocolate, surrounded by goodies - my favorite part is the dark chocolate fondue, paired with the banana and marshmallows that can be dipped into it,

So what I’m trying to say here is that if you’re into great race giveaways and sweet treats, you may want to find a Hot Chocolate race that is coming to a city near you! Head to www.hotchocolate15k.com to see a complete list of cities that are hosting an event.