I ran the Belle Terre Bobcat 5K on February 10th. Proceeds from this race go to support student programs at Belle Terre Elementary School in Palm Coast.

The race was accompanied by a cute little health fair with local vendors, as well as a free pancake breakfast for runners following the race.

Goals
My motivation seems to be taking a vacation without me. My desire to run has been AWOL since Dopey. So if I wasn't signed up for some races I might not be running at all. I guess that shows that I didn't have any particular goals for this one (although that's not entirely new).

Race Day: February 10, 2018
Arthur and I drove up to Palm Coast race morning. Parking and packet pickup were smooth. We had a look at the health fair before the race began. It was 66°F with 100% humidity by the time the race started at 9AM. The early clouds cleared up very quickly and it was a hot slog in shadeless bright sun on the run back.

Mile 1: 10:00

Mile 2: 10:34

Mile 3+: 10:56, 1:08

After the Race
Arthur and I stayed in the cafeteria after the race to watch the awards ceremony. I had some complimentary pancakes. For the second 5K in a row I came in 4th in my age group, womp womp (awards are given to the top three in each group).

Recommendation
This was a cute little charity race. It was well-run by school officials and Red Pointer Productions. Recommended for locals.

Chip time: 32:37
Placement details: 4th of 17 in Age Group, 55th overall out of 207 finishers
Race Amenities: Thin unisex cotton t-shirt, finisher medal for all, health expo with various swag
Cost: $22.75

Report written February 16, 2018

I ran the inaugural Running with the Herd 5K in the Villages. I like to race in the winter and some of the local races I've run in the past are no longer happening. I thought it might be fun to take a drive out to the Villages for this school charity race. Proceeds from the race were to go to the Buffalo Scholarship Foundation.

Race Day: Feburary 2, 2018
The drive out to the Villages was about an hour and 15 minutes. The race start and finish were at the Villages Charter School. It was about 61°F with 82% humidity at the 8AM start for the race.

Mile 1: 10:19
We started on the school track and headed out to run around the Villages Charter Elementary School grounds.

Mile 2: 10:23
There were some twists and turns around the school parking lot and at one point it wasn't clear which way to go. We had to ask a course marshal to point the way.

Mile 3*: 10:07
The race finished with a longer run around the school track, which was fun. These cheerleaders were at the finish line.

Unfortunately the course was short, which is a bummer. My GPS gave me 2.99 miles for the run. Another bummer: I was 4th in my age group. Womp womp.

Since the race took place on school property, runners could use the facilities. Not having to use a porta potty is always a bonus. I was even able to change clothes in the restroom before leaving the venue -- woo hoo!

Recommendation
This was a cute little race. Course direction was fair, as was the course itself. There were two water stops. The short course was a bummer. It's a good cause but there was nothing extra special about the race that would make me come back. Mildly recommended for locals.

Chip time: 30:47 (short course)
Placement details: 4th of 9 in Age Group, 56th overall out of 185 finishers
Race Amenities: Cotton t-shirt and finisher medal for all
Cost: $20

Report written February 10, 2018

I ran the 9th annual Daytona Beach Half Marathon on February 4th. I ran the same race last year and I guess I had a good time if I came back for more! The good course, great organization, and awesome beneficiary all brought me back.

Goals
So I put on a bunch of weight during the fall, feasting for the holidays and packing on pounds through Dopey training. I knew I wouldn't beat my time from last year. I hoped to run under 2:45.

Race Day: February 4, 2018
It's a lot of fun driving into the speedway. Getting to the venue, parking the car, and picking up my shirt and bib were all super smooth.

I had pre-ordered the race Tervis cup and forgot about it. It wasn't offered or mentioned during packet pickup. While looking around the vendors on the way to the bathroom I noticed a booth selling the cups along with previous race year t-shirts and swag. When I mentioned that I didn't get a cup, the volunteer just gave me one without asking for my name. I thought that was kind of strange. Anyway.

West Volusia Runners had a pretty large presence at the race. There was a tent to promote Lighthouse Loop as well. Here's our group before the half marathon.

It was 63°F with 94% humidity at the start of the race (last year it was 55°F with 100%). It was partly cloudy through the race, with the sun beating down at times and extremly light sprinkles touching down around the time I finished.

Mile 1, 2, 3: 11:03, 11:27, 10:57
Running on that racetrack was pretty cool once again. Even though I'm no Nascar fan, it's neat to be running in such a famous and recongizable place.

Mile 4, 5, 6: 11:16, 11:38, 11:29
We ran down residential streets of Daytona, with a few spectators out to watch the runners. The traffic police did a great job keeping drivers in line and us runners safe.

Mile 7, 8, 9: 12:29, 11:05, 12:54
Just before the race began we learned that it was high tide so we would not be running on the beach. I don't really understand this because I thought that tides were predictable, but whatever. We still had to run over the causeway bridge twice, and it sucked. Going back over the bridge after the turnaround was particularly brutal and I had a nice stream of profanities running through my head as I trudged over. Ugh.

Mile 10, 11, 12: 13:10, 12:57, 13:34
So after the bridge, I struggled. My watch can detect my heart rate, and while it spiked during the two bridge crossings, it remained elevated for the remainder of the race. This is kind of interesting / discouraging / motivating. I think I need to try hill repeats in my training more often -- maybe it will help my future bridge / hill performance. Right now it's quite abysmal.

Mile 13+: 14:06, 2:50
Total mental defeat for the last mile, and I'm not sure why. Way too much walking, too much struggling and failing with race math, too much defeat. Ugh. I managed to run the last bit on the speedway on my way to the finish line. I heard my name called again as I went over the mats and that is always fun.

After the Race
I picked up my medal and found fellow club member Naymond, volunteering at the finish line, to get my finisher towel. I went and got a complimentary sack of popcorn and sat down on the grass along the track to watch 3+ hour half marathoners and superfast 5K runners finish their races. Eventually I got up and checked out some of the sponsor tents. I got photos with our two famous local turtle mascots.

The noms on offer weren't as elaborate as last year but I didn't mind. I snagged a egg muffin sandwich to go before saying goodbye to my club mates and heading home.

Recommendation
No complaints. I like this race and will run again in the future if it fits my schedule. I decided to "just" run the half marathon rather than the challenge, which would have added the 5K and some more awesome swag. I do think I'll run that challenge at some point, though...

Chip time: 2:40:53
Placement details: 38th of 75 in Age Group, 678th overall out of 1058 finishers (I don't know why there is a difference in my certificate info and the official race results?)
Race Amenities: Nice gender specific race shirt, finsher medal for all, beach towel for all, great course, free race photos. After the race there were some free treats, like breakfast sandwiches and popcorn.
Cost: $85.80

Report written February 10, 2018

Professional race photos (c) BB Action Photo

WVR team photo (c) Almost There Photography

I ran the Lady Track Shack 5K on January 27th. This is a long-running local all-women 5K race that celebrates women's health and raises money for mammograms for members of the community in need.

Training & Goals
I've been struggling a bit with motivation and keeping up an extremely modest weekly base are about all the miles I've managed to log lately. I was just looking for a good tempo run and hoped to avoid tripping on Orlando's cobbled roads.

Race Day: January 27, 2018
I had picked up my shirt and bib prior to race day so I didn't have to worry about getting to the event early. Arthur drove down with me and we found a spot to park the car in a nearby parking garage. We followed pink people to the race staging area, which had a lot of vendors and activity. With over 2K runners, the race lineup stretched around a corner. It was 63°F at the start with 83% humidity.

Mile 1: 11:13
I was a bit late getting to the starting area so I found myself towards the back.

It took me over two and a half minutes to cross the starting mat! I had to walk on and off while I made my way through the sea of pink. It was a fun atmosphere, with lots of runners in costume and many groups of women running or walking together.

Mile 2: 11:28
The field thinned out a bit but there was still some bobbing and weaving. We passed a DJ playing music behind Track Shack at around the halfway point.

Mile 3+: 10:53, 1:39
The approach to the finish line was full of spectators. I tried to pick it up at the end for a strong finish. This was a slower 5K for me but I was happy with the run.

After the Race
All runners received a finisher medal as well as a small plant as a finisher gift. I picked out a little palm. I got a banana and a bottle of water and found Arthur. We looked around the runner village for a while and I got a couple of treat samples before we headed back to the car.

Recommendation
Track Shack events are typically slick and well-run, and this race was no different. Support on the course was very good and there was a lot to look at and do at the start/finish area. The race supports a great local cause. Recommended.

Chip time: 35:11
Placement details: 61th of 255 in Age Group, 618th overall out of 2213 finishers
Race Amenities: Long sleeve Raw Threads t-shirt, nice medal, choice of baby plant
Cost: $30.00

Report written February 7, 2018

Professional race photos (c) BB Action Photo

I first ran the Lake Helen Holiday Stress Buster in 2016. In 2017 it was my only holiday-themed race.

Training & Goals
The Dopey Challenge of four back-to-back races would start the following Thursday. For this race I was looking to have fun and remain uninjured (same old same old).

Race Day: December 24, 2017
Lake Helen is close to home. I had to get my packet before the race but there was plenty of time to get parked, pick up my stuff, and drop it off back at the car. Arthur came along to spectate. It was 61°F at the start with high humidity and partly cloudy skies.

Mile 1: 10:44

Mile 2: 10:44

Mile 3+: 10:20, 1:32

Recommendation
A nice little local holiday race. The course through Lake Helen is cute and the event was well-managed. Recommended.

Chip time: 33:05
Placement details: 10th of 28 in Age Group, 159th overall out of 426 finishers
Race Amenities: Swag included a nice long sleeve tech shirt and finisher medal for all
Cost: $18.00

Report written January 28, 2018

The day after the 2018 WDW Marathon, Arthur and I boarded the Disney Dream for a 4-night cruise. This particular cruise is tied to marathon weekend, in a way.

While all Disney cruises that visit their private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, offer a "ship 5K", only once a year does runDisney offer a race there. And anyone who ran any race during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend who also runs this special runDisney Castaway Cay 5K earns an extra special medal for completing the Castaway Cay Challenge.

Naturally that means that this cruise attracts a lot of runners as passengers. There were some runDisney events on board, including runDisney crafts (making spectator signs) and runDisney trivia. There was also an information session the night before we docked at Castaway Cay. There were about 3000 passengers on board, and about 1000 of us ran the Castaway Cay Challenge. It was fun to be on a runner cruise like this.

The four-night cruise started with our departure on Monday evening. Tuesday we docked in Nassau. It was overcast and drizzly but Arthur and I still had a nice walk out to a small zoo for a visit, where we could do some birding in addition to seeing the resident animals. We stumbled upon the Rainbow Lorikeet enclosure at just the right time.

Race Day: January 10, 2018
Wednesday we docked at Castaway Cay.

Castaway Cay Challenge 5K
The first race was early -- runners were able to leave the ship before anyone else and we had a nice view of the ship docked in the dark. The race included four rotating characters at two different stops. We ran an out-and-back along the island's airstrip and finished by making a loop on the bike path. It was 70°F with light drizzle and 100% humidity at the start of my run.

Mile 1: 19:06 | Mile 2: 18:02 | Mile 3+: 13:53, 7:15*

After the Race
After picking up our medals (a rubber one for the race and a nice metal one for completing the challenge) we picked up water, bananas, and runDisney snack boxes. Characters were out for finisher photos, and there was a beverage kiosk offering beer and champagne for sale.

"Ship" Castaway Cay 5K
The challenge race was followed by the usual "ship 5K" race which was open to all passengers. Arthur signed up for it and I ran that along with him (although he ran ahead of me, bored with my walking pace). It was still 70°F at the start of this race, with intermittent light rain.

Mile 1: 13:45 | Mile 2: 14:07 | Mile 3+: 15:31, 1:48*
Arthur finished before me so he saw me get my last medal from this whole Dopey ordeal.

After the Race
For this free race there were no characters out on the course or at the finish. The beverage tent was gone but water, bananas, and leftover runDisney snack boxes were still out when we finished.

After the second race, Arthur and I headed back towards the ship, where Captain Hook was out for photos. Back on the ship, we had breakfast, rode the AquaDuck (fun, too cold, no lines), and freshened up. Back on the island, we took a few glamour shots with all of my medals.

We had some BBQ lunch in the rain and looked at a couple of the island's shops. The weather was pretty lousy so we didn't stay on the island too long.

Garmin Times: Both races were untimed. Garmin gave me 58:17 for the CCC and 45:10 for the ship race
Race Amenities: Rubber finisher medal, Challenge medal, personalized bib, and short sleeve tech shirt for CCC. Rubber medal and generic bib for the ship 5K.
Cost: $70 for the CCC; $0 for the ship 5K

*I often forget to turn off my Garmin after a race, so the final time is skewed.

Report written January 28, 2018

The 2018 Dopey Challenge concludes with a full marathon! My first 26.2!

This MAGICAL course takes runners through all four theme parks in Walt Disney World, plus the ESPN Wide World of Sport complex.

For my first full marathon I decided to wear a shirt with my name boldly printed on the front. I got an obnoxious neon greenish yellow tech top with the balloons from UP printed on the front and back. On the back I added the slogan "26.2 Miles of Adventure are Out There."

Training & Goals
The last 3+ months had been all about Dopey training, with the goal being to finish all of the races and have lots of fun. I wanted to enjoy every minute of the full marathon! I was hoping to arrive in Animal Kingdom at the right time to be able to ride Everest, to pet all of the animals, stop for some character photos, and to take a funny picture with the grave diggers.

Race Day: January 7, 2018
Arthur and I left our All-Stars room at 3:52AM and arrived in the Epcot parking lot at 4:04AM. We sat in the car for about 20 minutes before heading out to the staging area so I could get one last photo with the Dope before running. Yay, I got him each morning!

It was another cold morning, but I was prepared. I had on a throw-away hoodie and wore a thermal shirt and extra arm sleeves under my shirt. Again I picked up a discarded blanket to keep my legs warm in the corrals.

By the time I started running at 5:58AM it was 43°F with a feels-like temperature of 39°F.

At the end of the 26.2 mile run my Garmin had me at 27.7 miles. I'm not going to post my Garmin mile splits below, just the official timing mat splits from runDisney.

Mile 1-5 | 5 Mile Split: 1:13:02
I'm pretty sure I had a smile on my face the whole time, right from the start. The first 5 miles of this race were the same as the half marathon the day before.

Around the Mile 2 marker I was running along the left side of World Drive in a very wide part of the course. It was really dark and people were thinned out. I heard someone go down hard to my right, and looked over to see someone had fallen on the other side of the road. Several people stopped to help. The injured runner was wailing and it was so heartwrenching. It sounded like such a hard fall -- her race was almost certainly over, if not worse. I almost started crying. It was terrible. About a half mile later we came across bike medics and several runners in front of me told them they were needed back up the course.

Sometime after the Mile 3 marker I heard the theme to Ducktales and knew I would be making my first character stop.

I dropped my hoodie before reaching the Magic Kingdom. It was an old well-loved Mickey Mouse zipped hoodie that was too big for me after weight loss but I'd held on to it. My first marathon felt like an appropriate last hurrah. Thanks for your service, hoodie. LOL

Mile 6-10 | 10 Mile Split: 2:33:51
Another fun mile run through Magic Kingdom! I saw Arthur at the same spot on Main Street and then I was able to spot him as I ran through the castle, but he didn't see me.

This guy ran in front of me by the photographers outside the castle. I'm not even mad. LOL

Backstage at Magic Kingdom they had the steampunk dragon from the Festival of Fantasy parade out and it was really cool to see up close. Too bad it wasn't breathing fire -- it was still cold.

In Mile 9 I stopped again for another character photo -- Russell, Carl, and Dug from Up. I mean, when your shirt refers to the characters, you have to stop, don't ya?

Further down the road there were old ride vehicles and other Disney artifacts set up on the side. I'm still trying to figure out what everything is, but some of them I know. The ride vehicles are an old nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, plus vehicles from Mr. Toad & Snow White, an old Space Mountain shuttle, and a skyway bucket. Some of the large heads are old float decorations from a food court at Port Orleans. I don't know about the bears (Club Cool? Maelstrom?) or where the Finding Nemo tiki head aquarium decorations were originally found.

Around here I was excited to see the Adventurer's Club out for photos. I had regretted running by them during Wine and Dine last year.

Some more back road miles brought us through a stinky waste water plant on our way to Animal Kingdom.

Mile 11-13.1 | Half Split: 3:17:43
A little out-and-back on Western Way and another couple of back road miles were up before we reached our second park. In Mile 13 we were offered bananas but I didn't think I would be able to stomach one. I was keeping with my gel / sport bean / salt tablet routine and felt fine so far.

Before entering Animal Kingdom I saw a big bunny out for photos. I got excited because there were so many animals out for the runners last year, but as I ran on I didn't see any more animals. No goats, no pigs, no hawks, no horses. I was bummed.

Mile 14-20 | 20 Mile Split: 5:24:24
I reached Everest at around 9:15AM. There were so many excited runners in the single rider line! We tried to gauge how long we'd have to wait and some runners who were tracking the balloon ladies (effectively the last runners before the sweepers come through) let us know we had about 40 minutes on them. I was seated by 9:29AM.

So. Much. Fun!

Arthur found me outside of Animal Kingdom and walked with me for a little bit. It was great seeing him again on the course. I am sure I was completely giddy from being able to ride Everest so I'm not sure I made any sense talking with him.

So I really thought I was paying attention and taking everything in, but somehow in the Animal Kingdom parking lot I completely missed seeing the grave diggers! I only found out about them after the race was over -- I thought they just weren't on the course. Sad face.

Back out of Animal Kingdom we ran on to our next destination -- Wide World of Sports.

There were few spectators here but some characters and, for me, a couple of familiar friendly faces. Two club members were course marshals in WWoS, so I got to shake hands with Naymond and took a selfie with Diane. Diane also got a photo of the back of my shirt.

Thanks for sharing your photos with me, Diane. ♥

Mile 21-26.2 | Finish: 6:59:33
After WWoS we had just five miles to go, with lots of characters and other stuff to look at. We ran through Hollywood Studios and Boardwalk before finishing with a run around Epcot.

I had thought it would be fun to get a margarita in Mexico to have for the last mile and finish line. For the last few miles of the race I kept checking my watch, struggling to calculate my projected finish (race brain, I can't math after 3 miles). Anyway, it seemed like a sub-7 hour finish was possible if I didn't stop. I didn't wait for a nice blank slate for photos by mile markers 25 and 26 because I was looking at my time. I'm glad I did because I squeaked in just under 7!

After the Race
I got my marathon medal and found Arthur spectating right after the finish line. He handed me my other medals.

I got a water and a banana and a snack box. I scooted over to the challenge medal tent for my Goofy and Dopey medals. Further down the chute I saw volunteers handing out something else to runners but I couldn't see what it was. Surprise! They were giving us special Mickey ears for the 25th anniversary of the marathon. I took "I Did It" finisher photos with all of my medals and reunited with Arthur. The line for Donald was short so I had a finisher photo taken with him, too.

I got a big beer and saw Amanda and Carrie from my running club walking by. It was also Amanda's first marathon. I don't know what I said to them but I am pretty sure I was still grinning from ear to ear like a lunatic. It was SO MUCH FUN!

Recommendation A+

Chip time: 6:59:33
Placement details: 1026th of 1353 in Age Group; 16680th overall out of 20085 finishers
Race Amenities: Usual Disney goodness
Cost: $576.30 for all four Dopey races

Report written January 20, 2018

The 2018 Dopey Challenge day three run would be 13.1 magical miles in somewhat warmer temperatures.

I had signed up for the WDW Half Marathon in 2017, which was officially cancelled due to stormy weather but was unofficially run by probably hundreds of runners on Disney propety and elsewhere, including me. I was happy to be able to run the race this year!

This course took us from the Epcot parking lot out to the Magic Kingdom and then back for another finish through Epcot.

I dressed up as La Befana. I had a running skirt made by RunningGorgeous using fabric Arthur designed based on the Epcot storyteller's outfit. Arthur also designed an apron for me based on the same character. I cut up a green tech shirt to copy her look but it didn't end up looking how I would have really liked it. I should have gotten a seamstress to make a top for me, but I ran out of time. And then I forgot to bring my broom. Oh well. Even with the prop I doubt anyone would have known who I was supposed to be. LOL

Training & Goals
The last 3+ months had been all about Dopey training, with the goal being to finish all of the races and have lots of fun.

Race Day: January 6, 2018
Arthur and I left our All-Stars room at 3:39AM and arrived in the Epcot parking lot at 3:49AM. We stayed in the car until about 4:15AM, trying to keep warm, before heading out to get a photo with Dopey.

It was only slightly warmer than Friday so it was still cold at race time. By the time I started running at 5:55AM it was 39°F.

On the creep up to the start I picked up a really nice discarded fleece blanket with a colorful tie-dye pattern. I kept this tied around my waist to keep my legs warm.

There were lots of discarded mylar blankets and other stuff alongside the corrals and the piles got bigger the closer we got to the start line. Finally we saw our wave's fireworks and it was time to run!

Mile 1, 2, 3: 12:51, 13:41, 17:04
The first four miles of the race were on the highway between Epcot and Magic Kingdom. Somewhere in the second mile there was a huge Mickey Mouse hot air balloon. I literally said "WOW" when I first saw it -- it was really cool!

Mater and Lightning McQueen were out for pictures in the Magic Kingdom (TTC) parking lot. I forgot about the blanet around my waist when I got up for my picture so I awkwardly ripped it off and dropped it on the ground -- you can see it in the photo at me feet. Woopsie.

Mile 4, 5, 6: 26:31, 13:41, 19:26
Before we got into the park we could have photos with Wreck-It Ralph & Vanellope and then Jack Skellington & Sally. I dropped my waist-blanket for good in the line for Jack & Sally. It was that cold!

And then we were running through the Magic Kingdom! I saw Arthur when I ran down Main Street, but I missed seeing him when I ran through the castle. There were a lot of characters out in the park, including the White Rabbit and Sebastian in Fantasyland.

Mile 7, 8, 9: 19:00, 13:44, 19:52
By Mile 7 we were out of the park and on our way back to Epcot, this time running by the Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts.

Somewhere around Mile 8 my phone decided to die, so I missed a couple of photo ops, including the mile marker. After messing with the phone for a while I got it to power back up and got it in low power mode where it remained (10%) for the rest of the race. Luckily PhotoPass was out for Vacation Genie and the Incredibles.

Mile 10, 11, 12: 15:42, 15:19, 16:24
More highway miles, with a couple of Disney hills (overpasses) thrown in for fun.

Mile 13+: 15:19, 13:13*
It was a long slow race but it was still over too fast. Before I knew it I heard the choir singing and was running over the finish mats.

After the Race
I remembered to find my friend Jim, who was giving out medals. Jim volunteers with me at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey on Thursday mornings.

I found Arthur and we went back to the hotel for an ice bath and shower before heading out for an early lunch at Ale & Compass at the Yacht Club resort.

Then we went to the Magic Kingdom for a few rides and ice creams in the afternoon. Dinner was a big pile of pasta at Noodles & Co. before turning in early for the big 26.2 on Sunday and the final run of the Dopey Challenge!

Recommendation A+

Chip time: 3:51:40
Placement details: 1407th of 1505 in Age Group; 20058th overall out of 20801 finishers
Race Amenities: Usual Disney goodness
Cost: $576.30 for all four Dopey races

*I often forget to turn off my Garmin after a race, plus there was obviously something wonky going on with my GPS as it gave me .8 miles overage, so those split times are skewed.

Report written January 18, 2018

I ran my first marathon, at Disney World, on January 7, 2018. It was one of the four races in the Dopey Challenge. The marathon was the 25th running and it was the 5th year of Dopey. Anniversary years mean special medals, and the bling from this series is indeed awesome.

The first part of any race weekend at Disney is attending the expo to pick up essentials (bib(s) and shirt(s)) and other goodies like souvenirs, running gear, and race nutrition. I attended the expo on the first day, Wednesday. The expo opened at 12PM; I arrived around 11:30AM. Most of my time was spent in lines. It was crazy busy!

First there was a line to pick up bibs.


Then there was an even longer line to get into the merchandise hall.


There were some photo ops along the way.




And special merchandise included runDisney themed Mickey Mouse cupcakes (it was delicious).


I got my bibs (2 for Dopey and one for the Castaway Cay Challenge) and my shirts (6 (!!) for Dopey and one for the CCC). In the official merchandise area I stood in another long line to check out. In the expo hall I got some gels for the half and full, and picked up some freebies too (including obligatory GoGoSqueezes).

I survived! Next up: 4x crazy early, crazy cold race mornings -- so Dopey!

The 2018 Dopey Challenge rolls on with the 10K on day two!

This run would be another fairly standard Disney route, taking us from the Epcot parking lot, through the park and around Crescent Lake, back through Epcot to the parking lot finish.

I dressed up as classic Donald Duck, using a white Sparkle Skirt with long yellow socks, a blue tech shirt with simple DIY embellishment. I wore a thermal undershirt and white armsleeves underneath. The final piece was a fun vintage hat I found at Goodwill some months ago.

Training & Goals
The last 3+ months had been all about Dopey training, with the goal being to finish and have fun.

Race Day: January 5, 2018
I left home at about 3:19AM and drove down I-4 with very little traffic. I had the car parked by 4:13AM. I headed to the staging area and stood in a long line to have my photo taken with Dopey (I hoped to get him each morning). Because of the frigid cold, I brought along throw-away pants, a throw-away hoodie, and my warm beanie hat from the day before.

The line for Dopey was long -- really long. Cast members minding the line kept warning us that those of us towards the back wouldn't make it. Finally the last of us reached the front of the line and the cast members gave us the 5 minute warning. I think most of us got our photo but the staging area was eerily deserted when I headed out to the corrals.

Since it was so close to race time I made the last-minute decision to gEARcheck my throwaway hoodie and pants before heading to the corrals. I got to keep my clothes (picked them up after the run) but I ended up missing the cut-off for my corral! I had to start in D instead of C. Worth it! I was glad I got the picture with Dopey out of the way before the race.

It was warmer than Thursday but still cold at race time. By the time I started running at 5:55AM it was 37°F.

During the creep up to the start I picked up a discarded runDisney mylar blanket to keep warm. Right before reaching the start I dumped the mylar and picked up a fleece blanket that I kept over my shoulders as a shawl for the first couple of miles.

Mile 1: 12:26
My hat fit on my head but it was a little bit uncomfortable and I worried about it falling off, so I carried it in my hand. I noticed it was making a flapping sound and I was dismayed to see that the old plastic snapback had broken! Oh no!

Mile 2: 21:32
I decided to stop for a photo with Meeko. With my warm beanie on my head, the Donald hat stayed on, even with my head down, at least when I wasn't running. Good news. I picked up my blanket after the photo and ran on.

Mile 3: 21:25
The first three miles were on the highway around Epcot. There were three photo ops: Meeko; Flik & Atta from A Bug's Life; and the Evil Queen in Wicked Witch mode. I skipped the ants and stood in line for the old hag. After about 10 minutes the line didn't seem to be moving so I changed my mind and got back on course, discarding my blanket along the side somewhere around here.

I did stop for a selfie by a parade bus (sweeper bus).

I should have practiced taking selfies with the hat -- it was pretty hit or miss.

Mile 4: 14:57
Finally we reached World Showcase. Backstage there were some stilt walkers and I snapped some pictures of old Maelstrom ride boats along the side of the road. I also ran by Pinocchio in Italy. There always seems to be a huge line for the boy puppet. I tested out running with Donald the hat on and while it stayed on, it shifted around from side to side a lot. Oh well.

Mile 5: 18:36
I ran by Marie in France and Vacation Genie in his usual spot by ESPN Zone. There were some enthusiastic spectators with signs around the Boardwalk.

Mile 6+: 16:47, 15:11*
I ran by a huge line for Duffy who was just coming back from a break. I don't recall ever seeing Duffy on a course before.

Just before the finish there were some more stilt walkers out for photos.

After the Race
I was glad I remembered to pick up my throwaway clothes from gEARcheck. Since I got my photo with Dopey before the race I didn't see any reason to linger. It was still very cold.

I headed home to collect Arthur -- we'd return to Disney later in the day to look around Disney Springs, have dinner in the area, and check into All-Star Sports for the following two nights. Just a Goofy 39.3 miles to go!

Recommendation A+

Chip time: 2:00:11
Placement details: 966th of 1009 in Age Group; 12405th overall out of 12890 finishers
Race Amenities: Usual Disney goodness
Cost: $576.30 for all four Dopey races

*I often forget to turn off my Garmin after a race, plus there was obviously something wonky going on with my GPS as it gave me .7 miles overage, so those split times are skewed.

Report written January 16, 2018