Let the 2018 Dopey Challenge begin! I was so excited and nervous for this weekend for so long, and the time was finally here! In just a few days I would be running my first marathon, but first, as part of the Dopey Challenge, I had three other races to run.

First up -- the WDW 5K!

This run would be a fairly standard WDW 5K from the parking lot in Epcot, through the park, and back out to the parking lot.

I dressed up as Dr. Seeker from the Dinosaur attraction in Animal Kingdom for this race. I pieced together a thrift store lab coat, old blue fishing shirt, and new khaki running skirt along with a replica of Seeker's neck tie for this look. Arthur designed my tie and created a Dino Institute name badge for me as well. The finishing touch was an Iguanodon puppet I picked up on eBay and brought out for photo ops.

It was extremely cold for this race so I brought along a throw-away hat that I kept on for the whole race. I brought a pair of socks to wear as mittens. I also layered with running tights, a long sleeve running shirt, and extra arm sleeves. I was still uncomfortably cold.

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

Race Day: January 4, 2018
I left home at about 2:40AM and drove down I-4 with very little traffic. I had the car parked by 3:32AM. I sat in the warm car for just about 10 minutes before venturing out to the staging area. It wasn't very busy yet and I was able to get photos with all six of the characters that were out before the race; the longest line was for Dopey.

Unfortunately my photos with Mickey didn't come out and my Minnie photos never showed up in my PhotoPass.

It was cold waiting in the corral. By the time I started running at 5:42AM it was 28°F -- frigid!

Mile 1: 12:16
An easy mile with some of the usual jostling around for position. Before going into Epcot Chip and Dale were out for a photo op but I didn't stop for them.

Mile 2: 15:01
Inside Epcot there were plenty of photo stops (I ran by most). There were vikings in Norway; Jiminy Cricket in Italy; and Vacation Genie in Morocco.

Mile 3+: 19:56, 4:11
Kenai and Sitka from Brother Bear were out in Canada. I stopped for Horace Horsecollar by The Land.

And then just like that day one of the 2018 Dopey Challenge was complete! A typical slow and fun Disney 5K for sure.

After the Race
I didn't linger too long -- there were still three days to go after all. I left by 7:20 to get ready for the coming days.

Recommendation
A+

Chip time: 51:19
Placement details: The 5K wasn't timed except for Dopey runners; no placement information was given
Race Amenities: Usual Disney goodness
Cost: $576.30 for all four Dopey races

Report written January 14, 2018

For the past two years I purchased a Daruma doll at the beginning of the year. It is a modern Japanese tradition to use the dolls, symbols of good luck and encouragement, in the setting of goals for the new year. I made my running goal, filled in one of the eyes, and hoped to fill in the other one once my goal was reached.

For 2016 I purchased a red Daruma doll. I hoped to run a sub 30-minute 5K. I filled in the doll's second eye on April 9th.

For 2017 I purchased a black Daruma doll. I hoped to run a sub 2:30 half marathon. That goal was reached at the Swamp House Half Marathon on March 5th.

For 2018 I purchased a white Daruma doll. Today is January 1st and I haven't been able to come up with a running goal that I really like out of the ideas I've been floating around. I am both terrified and excited for the Dopey Challenge and have been so focused on that that I am not sure what I should focus on afterwards. So I'm settling on a grab-bag kind of goal -- trying for 2 PRs (Personal Records) for 2018. This is actually a gimme since I'm signed up for three new-to-me distance races in 2018 (guaranteed PRs!). I'll attempt my first marathon in a week (EEK), I'm registered for two 15K races, and one 8K. But I'll still try to beat at least two of these PRs:

Part of running a runDisney race is enjoying the entertainment on course, including characters, live and recorded music, elaborate photo ops, and more. I love this part of Disney runs so I often stop as often as possible, meeting all the characters and taking all the photos.

Here are some of my tips for capturing photos while on the run.

1. Before the race, clean up your phone if memory or storage could be an issue! This might mean deleting old photos, removing unused apps or disabling memory hogs. This will also keep your phone running smoothly in case you're using it for other stuff during the race, like listening to music, runner tracking, and even texting or recording live video. Get your phone in its best shape for the tasks at hand.

2. Practice taking selfies. Get good at holding your phone in one hand and snapping selfies or regular photos while you're on the move. There might not always be someone to help you take a photo with a character or maybe you don't have time for a posed photo. When a selfie will have to do, you want to be ready. Selfies are fun by mile markers, too.

3. Learn how to use your phone's camera. Check out features like burst, live photos, voice control, timer, and anything else that might come in handy on race day.

I try to ask Cast Members to use the burst feature or at least to take multiple photos when they are available at character stops.

4. It's also a good idea to practice getting your phone out and putting it back wherever you're carrying it while on the move. You might want to grab your phone to take a quick photo and you don't want to be fumbling around or risk dropping it.

5. Be aware that most PhotoPass photographers on the course are going to be in the parks, not on the long boring highway miles. Check out the course map before the race and note where the theme park restrooms are. These are a great spot to freshen up before passing the green PhotoPass tents, if you're looking to get some great race photos.

6. Make sure your bib is showing for PhotoPass photographers! That's the only way you'll be able to retrieve your photos after the race.

These are just some of my random tips for enjoying the scenic part of a runDisney race. Here are some other awesome photo tips from other blogs.

Joyful Miles has a ton of tips: How to get Great Character and Race Photos
Magical Miles: Tips for Character Photos During a runDisney Race
Disney Parks Blog: Tips for Using Disney PhotoPass Service

Figment is a mascot of sorts for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival each year, appearing on official festival merchandise and signs. That means Figment is a popular costume choice for a lot of runners during the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend. I ran as Chef Figment for the 2017 10K. It was an easy and affordable costume with some DIY elements.

The Taylor Wildcat 5K in Pierson, Florida, benefits the Taylor High School softball and cross country programs. This is a local race in a quiet part of western Volusia County and this was the first year I ran. The race had a Thanksgiving theme though no one was really dressed up like a typical Turkey Trot. Overall awards included turkeys and pumpkin pies.

Training & Goals
All the time on my feet for Dopey training hasn't helped my speed much, so I just went into this little race looking for a nice speed workout.

Race Day: November 18, 2017
It was a quiet drive on country roads to the race for the early start. It was 55°F with clear skies at the start. Really nice running weather.

There was a good turnout from West Volusia Runners and it was nice to run with club mates.

Mile 1: 9:26
Zoom! The course was a nice run through residential streets of Pierson.

Mile 2: 9:45

Mile 3+: 9:54, 1:12
The race finished on the school's track. I came in at 30:14, good for my 3rd fastest 5K, and good for 2nd in my Age Group. Woot! There were a lot of AG award winners in the club; a photo of the winning WVR ladies is below.

Recommendation
This was a very well-organized local race with great volunteers and good swag.A+

Chip time: 30:14
Placement details: 2nd of 6 in Age Group, 68th overall out of 140 finishers
Race Amenities: Nice tech shirt, no finisher medal
Cost: $23.50

Report written December 12, 2017

Pro photos (c) Almost There Photography

I ran the Red Ribbon Half Marathon in Lakeland Florida on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2017. The race is a fundraiser for the drug abuse prevention group Inneract Alliance.

The pretty suburban course runs through Lakeland in central Florida, on roads and multi-use trails, through neighborhoods, and along several lakes.

Training & Goals
My training had been focused on getting miles on my feet for the four back-to-back Dopey races in January. Since our long trip over the summer I had felt like I was struggling with running in training and races, though the Wine & Dine half went fairly well the week before this race. Prior to race day I didn't have any particular goals except to remain injury-free. I felt really good race morning and decided to give it my best shot and actually race, hopeful for a sub-2:40 finish.

Race Day: November 11, 2017
Arthur and I left crazy early to get down to Lakeland in time for packet pickup before the 6:30AM start. We found a parking spot and walked over to the start. I had time to use the restroom before heading out to the start, with Arthur there to cheer. We noticed a crazy amount of runners in Sparkle Skirts as I got ready to run, which is unsurprising when you realize that Sparkle Skirts HQ is in nearby Plant City.

It was a pleasant 59°F at the start with clear skies. My weather app tells me it was 100% humidity at the start but I don't remember it feeling so humid.

Mile 1, 2, 3: 10:32, 10:11, 10:49
For some reason I decided to hold off starting intervals, and ran the first two and a half miles straight. I felt good. There was a nice long downhill run at the start that I knew would be no fun on the way back.

Right from the start the on-course volunteers were awesome. There were plenty of course marshals and pointers and the water stops were well-staffed.

Mile 4, 5, 6: 10:39, 10:34, 10:37
I started to split my run with my regular walking interval, running 4 minutes and walking 1. I was still feeling pretty good.

The on course support continued to be impressive. Water stations with sport drinks were clearly marked with signs ahead of time to indicate where we would find water vs. drink -- so handy.

Mile 7, 8, 9: 10:51, 10:57, 11:11
Feeling good but slowing down, I realized I was on good pace to run a sub 2:30.

At the 5th water stop I had a total cup fail and dropped water, hopefully not splashing too much on the volunteer. I felt really bad about it. The volunteers were super nice though and I managed to get a cup from another volunteer.

Mile 10, 11, 12: 11:25, 11:37, 12:07
We ran around Lake Hollingsworth, which was full of ducks, geese, and pelicans. The nice scenery here was a great distraction when my hamstrings started aching. I tried hard to keep up my pace. I ran by a Purple Gallinule and started laughing -- normally I would stop to take a photo of a PUGA.

There was a 70 foot elevation gain in mile 12, which isn't a lot but for a flatland runner like me it was a mountain! I power-walked up as best I could, trying not to lose too much time. Course marshals and spectators here encouraged us back-of-the-packers to keep moving.

Mile 13+: 12:01, 2:49
For this last mile we circled around Lake Morton before another uphill climb to the finish. Arthur saw me on the course somewhere here and cheered me on. I knew a PR was just out of reach but sub 2:30 was still possible if I could make it up the last little hill without a total crash and burn.

We ran past downtown and towards the finish line. I did my best to run in and finish strong, beaming that I was coming in under 2:30. I finished at 2:26:19, my second fastest half marathon, 2:12 off of my PR. When I checked my results later I was amused to see that my overall pace was 11:11. On 11/11!

After Party
The runner village after this race had a lot going on. Title sponsor Publix was giving away chocolate milk, lunch boxes, tote bags, and treats. Runners got bananas and water too, of course. It was a nice atmosphere and we only saw a little bit of everything because there was more going on by the 5K and kids run finish lines.

Recommendation
This was one of the most well-organized races I've run. The volunteers on course were amazing, cheering us from start to finish. It was a great scenic course with pretty good swag. Highly recommended.

Chip time: 2:26:19
Placement details: 14th of 29 in age, 215th overall out of 330 finishers
Race Amenities: Really nice soft t-shirt and spinner medal. Various freebies at the runner village after the run.
Cost: $54.38

Report written December 11, 2017

Professional race photos (c) BB Action Photo

Disney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend concluded with the half marathon on Sunday. Because I ran the 10K as well, I had the extra challenge medal to look forward to.

I kept my kit simple with my 10K wine and dine themed shirt from last year and a denim-look Sparkle Skirt.

The course for this race was different than the 2016 Wine & Dine Half Marathon. We started at the TTC (Transportation & Ticket Center) and ran through Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. Last year we started at Wide World of Sports and missed running through Hollywood Studios.

Training & Goals
Both the 10K and this half marathon fit nicely into my continuing training plan for Dopey, which called for back-to-back runs on this weekend. As usual for Disney races my goals were to have fun and finish healthy. Arthur was with me, waiting for me to finish, so I did plan to race and skip most photo stops.

Race Day: November 5, 2017
Arthur and I drove in the wee hours to make it in time for the start. Runner Drop Off was at the TTC and I was happy to have access to real facilities before walking to the corrals.

More of the same weather for this race: 66°F with 94% humidity. It was overcast for most of the morning, keeping it cool. I started at the front of the second wave of corral D and had a nice view of the stage while waiting for the gun.

Mile 1, 2, 3: 10:41, 10:51, 10:59
These were speedy highway miles heading towards Animal Kingdom. I tried to snap pictures of the photo ops on the run but they came out very blurry. The Mickey Mouse golf cart was out in the first mile. In the second mile we had Tinker Bell out with friends, and then some Adventurers Club style characters out, which I kind of immediately regretted not stopping for. Maybe next year. After this I stopped seriously trying to take photos of the characters as I ran by so I'm not sure what else there was going forward.

Mile 4, 5, 6: 11:03, 11:53, 12:01
We ran on to Animal Kingdom, passing through Pandora, and then back out via the parking lot. There were drummers playing in Pandora, which was neat. I know I passed by King Louie and Rafiki through Animal Kingdom and Pluto outside of the park.

Mile 7, 8, 9: 12:06, 11:57, 12:22
More highway miles on Osecola Parkway and World Drive on our way to Hollywood Studios. Here I ran by the Country Bears and the penguins from Mary Poppins.

Mile 10, 11, 12: 12:51, 13:22, 12:01
These miles took us through Hollywood Studios and the Boardwalk area on our way to Epcot. And here, just into mile 10, I made my first full stop, to see Oswald again. The line was a lot shorter and it was light out so I thought it was worth stopping once more for this relatively rare character.

Then Arthur was there spectating at the Boardwalk, and I stopped for a quick selfie. And then Remy and Emile were out in France when we ran through Epcot, and I can't resist these rats so I stopped again.

Mile 13+: 13:05, 6:30*
The fun run continued around World Showcase before leaving Epcot for the parking lot finish. We were treated to a marching band backstage before the finish line.

I got my medals and then I met up with Arthur. We waited to have a finisher photo with Donald before heading off to clean up and visit the Magic Kingdom for the rest of the day.

Recommendation
A+

Chip time: 2:41:34
Placement details: 260th of 890 in Age Group, 5069th overall out of 13178 finishers
Race Amenities: Long sleeve tech shirts and sweet travel themed medals for the race and challenge.
Cost: $319.30 for the 10K & half marathon challenge.

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

Report written December 9, 2017

I had wanted to run all of the Wine & Dine races, but I kept putting off registration. As the dates for the race weekend approached, some charities and travel agents began to offer their bibs at a discount. I ended up getting a challenge bib from Sparrow's Nest without a fundraising obligation. I saved about $30 off of regular registration and Sparrow's Nest wasn't stuck with an unsold bib.

Figment is always a mascot for the Food & Wine festival and he's a popular costume choice for these races. For the 10K I decided to run as Chef Figment. I made a pair of orange Figment horns out of felt and attached them, along with a cheap kid's chef hat, to a purple cap. I got a chef jacket and wore that over light purple running clothes for my Figment-inspired outfit.

I went to the expo on Thursday afternoon to pick up my bib, look at the official merchandise, buy a race challenge magnet, and meet Chef Mickey.

The course this year was different than last year's inaugural Wine & Dine 10K run. This time we started in the Magic Kingdom parking lot and made our way down to run through Hollywood Studios and the Boardwalk area before a standard Epcot finish.

Training & Goals
Both races fit nicely into my continuing training plan for Dopey. As usual for Disney races my goals were to have fun and finish healthy.

Race Day: November 4, 2017
The race started at 5:30 which called for the usual ridiculous pre-Disney race wake-up call and commute on dark and deserted I4. I arrived in time to use the portapotty and get a good spot to wait at the front of the corral (C for the 10K this year).

The weather was exactly the same as for the 10K last year! It was 66°F with clear skies and 94% humidity.

Mile 1: 11:45
This mile took us from the parking lot out to World Drive. Right as we got onto World Drive there was an awesome school marching band playing music as we ran by.

Mile 2: 11:50
This was another highway mile along World Drive. I don't think there were any character stops in this mile.

Mile 3: 21:07
Another highway mile on World Drive before looped around the exit onto Buena Vista Drive. I stopped to meet the 3 Little Piggies. There was also a DJ along this highway stretch.

Mile 4: 19:51
This mile took us through part of Hollywood Studios. As we took the uphill onto the overpass a green toy soldier motivated us along. And then right inside the park was an awesome character stop with a huge line: Oswald! I got in line first and asked questions later. I saw a ton of runners turn around to get in line after they saw it was Oswald.

Mile 5: 29:28
We ran from Hollywood Studios to the Boardwalk. There was a full moon and huge traffic jam of runners trying to photograph the moon over the Tower for part of this stretch. I tried too but my phone couldn't handle it.

Mile 6+: 16:58, 14:01*
The last mile took us from the Boardwalk area to Epcot for the finish in the parking lot. There were a few photo ops here: grape stompers; vacation Genie in front of ESPN; Brother Bear in Canada.

There were several photographers in front of Spaceship Earth too.

Before running into Epcot we went through a big backstage construction area where they are building a Skyliner station. I took out my phone and took a bunch of photos but a cast member admonished me "NO PHOTOS BACKSTAGE"! Eek!

Then we were running past the choir, out of Epcot, and racing towards the parking lot for the finish. Like last year I stopped a lot and though I started among the first half of runners (corral C out of F) I ended up coming in among the last 100 or so runners.

After the race I stood in some epic lines for character photos with everyone dressed up as chefs.

I went to Epcot for a little bit to get some more photos before heading home.

Recommendation
A+

Chip time: 2:04:56 (about 15 minutes longer than last year!)
Placement details: 788th of 795 in Age Group, 11010th overall out of 11118 finishers
Race Amenities: Long sleeve tech shirt and sweet travel themed medal.
Cost: $319.30 for the 10K & half marathon challenge.

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

Report written December 9, 2017

Lighthouse Loop is my club's race. WVR puts on this awesome local race that benefits the athletic departments of 10 Volusia County schools. Student athletes and coaches from the schools staff the 10 water stops on the half marathon course. The Lighthouse Loop 5K was my very first race ever in 2015. This year runners were given the option of running the new Aunt Catfish Challenge, which offered extra swag for those that completed the half marathon and the 5K race, which was moved to later in the morning. I signed up for the challenge.

Training & Goals
All of my running focus for the last months of the year are going towards training for Dopey in January 2018. I had long runs of 16 and 17 miles in the month prior to this race, along with regular maintenance runs. Since I had been somewhat struggling with speed, especially during those long runs, my main goal was to finish the half within 3 hours so I could be at the 5K start line and complete the challenge.

Race Day: October 29, 2017
I drove over to Port Orange for the races early in the morning. I found a good parking spot and headed over the bridge to packet pickup and bag drop and the start line. I met up with some club members and we got a group photo.

At the start, the weather was clear. It was 68°F with 94% humidity.

Mile 1, 2, 3: 11:25, 10:52, 11:27
Feeling pretty good! Ran my usual intervals from the start and tried to slow myself down. The kids at the water stops were all pretty great and it was always a nice boost to hear the cheering students.

Mile 4, 5, 6: 11:53, 11:28, 11:48
Still feeling good and slowed to a nice pace. The course took us through Lighthouse Point Park. Everyone was taking selfies with the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Good times.

Mile 7, 8, 9: 13:07, 12:54, 13:15
Since starting training for Dopey I've been a little bit terrified of injury. So when I got an ache in my hamstrings around the halfway point I decided to slow down even more. I took a selfie with the school mascot at one of the water stops.

Mile 10, 11, 12: 14:28, 15:44, 15:48
The weather took a turn. It looked stormy and a light misty rain started to fall. The wind really picked up and the long slog across the bridge was tough. More aches and more worry about injury = more slow trugging along.

Mile 13+: 15:44, 1:44
Well, I did not conquer the bridge.

I came in at 2:51:35 and chugged a water. The breakfast buffet would have to wait -- I had made it back in time for the 5K so it was time to find the start line and get ready to move again.

5K
I started out jogging a bit but mostly walked after the first mile or so. I came in at 46:47, 204th out of 262 finishers.

After Party
The famous Lighthouse Loop after party! There was a breakfast buffet from Aunt Catfish and beer for finishers of age. There was music and dancing. The PR bell was rung numerous times. Good times.

Recommendation
Lighthouse Loop is a great race with a nice course, awesome volunteers, and a great cause. I'm totally biased but seriously, this is highly recommended.

Half Marathon chip time: 2:51:35
Placement details: 34th of 46 in Age Group, 382nd overall out of 487 finishers
Race Amenities: Aunt Catfish Challengers got both race shirts, medal for the half, and a nice custom tumbler for completing both races.
Cost: $88.40 for the Challenge

Report written November 28, 2017

Pro running photos (c) Almost There Photography