5 Tips For Your Best Dopey Challenge Race Experience

April 17, 2019

This year I ran my 5th consecutive Dopey Challenge. I had said that once I did five in a row that I would be ok with not doing Dopey anymore. However, I may be changing my thoughts on that because of my 2019 Dopey Challenge race experience.

The Dopey Challenge is a runDisney event where you run four races within four days. Day one is a 5K, day two is a 10K, day three is a half marathon, and day four is a marathon. Like I said, this is my 5th year running the challenge; but I have run the Walt Disney World Marathon for seven years in a row.

This year’s race was particularly hard for me. I had a lot of struggles prior to the race. I’ll have my race recap for you soon; but for now I’ll share advice on how to have your best Dopey Challenge race experience.

1. Train For The Dopey Challenge

I can’t stress enough how important that is. It sounds silly; but if you have run the runDisney races before, like me and several other runDisney runner friends of mine; you become a little cocky. We have done so many of the races, we know the course, so we assume we can do it even with little or less training. Sure, you can do it; but you will also hurt more and suffer more during and after the race because of the lack of training. Bad idea.

For my first Dopey Challenge I signed up for Jeff Galloway’s e-coaching program. He personalized a training plan for me and I checked in with him regularly to discuss any issues or concerns I had throughout the training.

When doing the Dopey Challenge you have to prepare your legs to run while tired. They have to get used to running on back-to-back days. RunDisney has a training plan designed by Jeff Galloway on the runDisney website. I suggest you take a look at the training plan prior to registering because you will need to dedicate a lot of time to the training.

2. Know How To Fuel For Dopey Challenge

With the Dopey Challenge Race Experience comes a different challenge. How do you provide your body with the proper nutrition prior to the race? The races begin at 5:30 a.m.; but you have to be at the corrals for the races much earlier than that. You also don’t start at 5:30, each corral is released at different times, so you can possibly stand in your corral for up to 30 minutes before you begin running.

Test Your Nutrition During Your Training

You also need to test out your sources of fuel during your training. I used to use Gu packs and Gatorade to fuel my body. I learned that this wasn’t the best source of nutrition for me. As soon as I got finished my training run, I was running to the bathroom with gut issues.

Now I use real food as fuel on my runs. I prefer to use pretzels for the salt and carbs, skittles for sugar to my brain, and Nuun tablets in my water for electrolytes. But that’s why training is so important. You need to use that time to find what works for you in regards to your nutrition.

You also need to make sure you are getting calories in every two miles, and you have to start from the beginning of your training run. If you get behind in your fueling, you can never catch up.

Fuel During The Races

The 5K Race

This race is easy enough to get by with a banana, granola bar, or a yogurt in your hotel room prior to going to the corrals, then you may want to have another banana or gu before the race.

I typically run very slowly or walk this race if I am with my family. So I am not running it for time or speed. I can eat some toast back at my hotel and I’m fine until after the race and I can go back to my hotel to have breakfast.

The 10K Race

This is also similar to the 5K race. I need to eat a little bit more than toast back at my hotel before arriving to the race so sometimes I’ll have a banana or bring a GoGo Squeez with me to have while waiting for the start. I do that because I tend to get hungrier at this race. I’ve run this race for 6 years and each year when I smell the food near the Boardwalk Bakery my stomach starts to growl!

The Half Marathon

The Half Marathon is when your real fueling strategy starts. You will test this out while training at home; but like I said earlier; you have to start taking in your nutrition right from the first two miles.

I like to bring cereal or pretzels and have them starting at mile 2 and continue to nibble on it from miles 4 through 8. Around mile 8 I may have some sugar to help with any monkey brain I may be experiencing. When running long distances, your mind plays tricks on you because of the lack of sugar. Therefore, you should take in something like gummy life savers, gummy bears, jelly beans, etc. to help ward off the doubts and fears that start to creep in.

The Marathon

Finally, the last race of the Dopey Challenge. This race must be taken seriously. You don’t want to mess around with undertraining, not taking in the appropriate nutrition or your hydration.

When running these races in Florida in January, the weather is always very unpredictable. But one thing remains the same, you need to take in your fuel every 2 miles and you must hydrate. Even if it is cold out, hydration is important.

Again, I can’t stress enough the importance of getting your fuel on board right from the beginning. This is going to help you make it past the 20 miles mark and beyond with less distress and you will feel much stronger, confident and will have a more enjoyable race experience.

Getting The Proper Nutrition Prior To The Races

When you arrive in Florida before the races, you should immediately begin to hydrate. Make sure you are drinking at least the same amount of ounces that is equal to your body weight. This is very, very important.

Your food prior to the races are also important. I have always enjoyed having the Salmon with couscous at Columbia Harbor House the night before the marathon. This past year we cooked dinner with vegetables, chicken and potatoes the night before the marathon. Pizza from Blaze in Disney Springs is also a great option. I met up with friends there one night before one of the races.

Always a good thing to note, never try something new during race weekend. You don’t want to go out and have a Mexican dinner prior to a big race, if that is not something you are used to or have done at home during your training. Err on the side of caution and choose foods that you know won’t upset your stomach the next day.

3. Sleep And Rest Prior To Each Race

What do you need to know about sleeping for races? You need to know that you can’t stay up late at the parks and expect to have a good race the next day.

One of the challenges with running the Dopey Challenge is being there with family or friends and wanting to play at the parks during the day and then you have to wake up at 2:00 a.m. to get ready and drive or take the bus to the starting line.

I have been very diligent about having a 9:00 bedtime when I am running the Dopey Challenge. My family knows that and we stay in a hotel with separate bedrooms so I can go to bed and everyone else can still be awake without disturbing me.

Get to bed early, try to stay off your feet, especially the days before the half and full marathons. I can’t stress that enough. If you plan the trip like I do, we save days after the marathon to go play at the parks.

4. Be Prepared For Any Type Of Weather

You can refer to my Dopey Challenge packing list for help preparing for the trip. With the races taking place in January, the weather in Florida can go from one extreme to the other. Several years ago it was 30 degrees for the marathon, and last year there were heat warnings. Even if you are watching the weather weeks prior to the event, you should ALWAYS pack for anything.

It’s hard to train for the extreme conditions depending on where you live. But as long as you do the training, pack and dress appropriately for the weather, you will at least be more comfortable on race day.

One important note to share is that it is hard to find clothing for cold weather in Florida, especially if you are staying on property and don’t have a car. So keep that in mind and be sure to pack gloves, hand warmers and extra layers. You should also make sure to have rain gear with you as well.

5. Enjoy The Races

This is Disney after all! You signed up for the Dopey Challenge for a reason. So that’s why it’s important to enjoy each race. Stop for pictures at the character stops. Especially during the 5K and 10K races.

If you have a friend or friends you are running with, that makes the races even better! If you don’t have a friend, you can easily make some on the course! Eventually you will begin to see the same people while you are on the course and they typically don’t mind chatting throughout the race to help pass the time. Sometimes the best friendships are made while going through a difficult challenge, like a marathon!

Depending on my corral placement, I like to get as many pictures done during the shorter races so that I stop less during the marathon. In the past few years I have been in the last corral. What this means is that I have less time to stop because I will be closer to the back of the pack and the balloon ladies.

The balloon ladies are the peacekeepers from the time the last person crossing the starting line. If you are with the balloon ladies, you would have to maintain a 16:00 per mile pace throughout the entire race so that you wouldn’t get swept. When you fall behind them, then you will be pulled from the course and put on a bus to the finish line.

I have outrun the balloon ladies and have also had to chase the balloon ladies in the past; but that was because I was having TOO much fun on the race course with Team Shenanigans. And I was totally ok with that. But you typically don’t want to be in that situation.

Will You Be Registering For The Dopey Challenge in 2020?

Like I mentioned in the beginning I have to decide what I want to do this year. Of course having 2020 as an anniversary year for the Goofy Challenge, I want to sign up for that. Then my logic says, when if I am going to do the half marathon and the full marathon, then I might as well add the 5K and 10K because those are easy enough to do.

Since my schedule allows for me to be flexible with my travel, I can arrive a few days earlier than my family, and rest while they aren’t there. So if you can’t tell, I am already talking myself into this race! Will you be signing up for any of the races?