Official 2014 Dopey Challenge Thread!

[J3nn78]

Many of us are in that same boat. About two weeks ago I did 23.2 miles on the treadmill and did a few miles the days following and sadly nothing since. I ended up coming down with something...headache and sinus problems...its a norm for me when weather changes...and my headaches can turn to migranes so I have to be careful. My big goal was to do 13 miles this past Sunday which never happened. I still feel terribly under the weather...second time this has happened to me since November. I am prone to this I guess...however I would rather deal with it now then in January.
In the meantime the goal is to do another 13 miles tomorrow I hope!

My friend is doing the Goofy and she is getting scared...she feels she isn't even doing close to what she wanted to do..for various reasons.

So many of us are in the same boat.

Here is the thing..safety is number one...the goal is to finish in an upright position injury free.

I think we will all be fine.

I am oddly comforted in hearing that I am not alone. I had a bad episode of achilles tendinitis on Thanksgiving weekend when I was planning a 5,10, 20 mile back to back to back. My ortho prescribed intense PT and he cleared me to run last week. Last Saturday I successfully completed 21 miles and was feeling great-actually very strong with no real aches or pains. Then I started getting pain in my navicular bone on my right foot on Christmas. I now fear I have a stress fracture from that long run after a period of not running for almost 6 weeks. I was going to go out for 8 today, but I am resting my foot. I won't see my ortho again till after the race. I am too afraid to find or confirm any more issues.
It will be a miracle if I make it to the finish on Sunday.

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

NitroStitch, I had the exact same experience before the Rocket City Marathon (I get a two-fer out of my training: RC in December, then Disney, half this year, in January.)

Training was going fine, I completed every run in the prescribed time and then BOOM! 4 weeks before the race, my calf knotted up hard as a brick. I took a week off and tried to run and it knotted up again. Basically, I couldn't run any distance for 4 weeks before the marathon.

Massage helped. I had good luck with alternating ice and heat. The ice seems counter-intuitive since the muscle is tight, but I have to believe the knotting is due to a strain. A neoprene sleeve seems to help too. I 'joggled' 2-3 miles a couple of times a week to maintain some leg strength and rode the heck out of the exercise bike.

I lowered my expectations for the race and was able to complete it without any calf issues.

Take it easy, lower your expectations, and get to the starting line(s) healthy.

And just remember: DNF beats DNS! (I coached my DW on this response just in case.)

Good Luck and I hope to hear a successful Dopey report in January!

 

[NitroStitch]

I am oddly comforted in hearing that I am not alone. I had a bad episode of achilles tendinitis on Thanksgiving weekend when I was planning a 5,10, 20 mile back to back to back. My ortho prescribed intense PT and he cleared me to run last week. Last Saturday I successfully completed 21 miles and was feeling great-actually very strong with no real aches or pains. Then I started getting pain in my navicular bone on my right foot on Christmas. I now fear I have a stress fracture from that long run after a period of not running for almost 6 weeks. I was going to go out for 8 today, but I am resting my foot. I won't see my ortho again till after the race. I am too afraid to find or confirm any more issues.
It will be a miracle if I make it to the finish on Sunday.

I feel your pain...I really, really do! I hope we all make it across the finish line Thursday through Sunday, injured and not!

 

[NitroStitch]

NitroStitch, I had the exact same experience before the Rocket City Marathon (I get a two-fer out of my training: RC in December, then Disney, half this year, in January.)

Training was going fine, I completed every run in the prescribed time and then BOOM! 4 weeks before the race, my calf knotted up hard as a brick. I took a week off and tried to run and it knotted up again. Basically, I couldn't run any distance for 4 weeks before the marathon.

Massage helped. I had good luck with alternating ice and heat. The ice seems counter-intuitive since the muscle is tight, but I have to believe the knotting is due to a strain. A neoprene sleeve seems to help too. I 'joggled' 2-3 miles a couple of times a week to maintain some leg strength and rode the heck out of the exercise bike.

I lowered my expectations for the race and was able to complete it without any calf issues.

Take it easy, lower your expectations, and get to the starting line(s) healthy.

And just remember: DNF beats DNS! (I coached my DW on this response just in case.)

Good Luck and I hope to hear a successful Dopey report in January!

Thanks for the suggestions and the pep talk! It's good to know that you were able to make it through despite the calf problems you'd been having and what you did the last few weeks to keep up some stamina. I think I'll start alternating ice and heat too - heat could use some extra help, I think. :0)

 

[goofeygirl]

I am oddly comforted in hearing that I am not alone. I had a bad episode of achilles tendinitis on Thanksgiving weekend when I was planning a 5,10, 20 mile back to back to back. My ortho prescribed intense PT and he cleared me to run last week. Last Saturday I successfully completed 21 miles and was feeling great-actually very strong with no real aches or pains. Then I started getting pain in my navicular bone on my right foot on Christmas. I now fear I have a stress fracture from that long run after a period of not running for almost 6 weeks. I was going to go out for 8 today, but I am resting my foot. I won't see my ortho again till after the race. I am too afraid to find or confirm any more issues.
It will be a miracle if I make it to the finish on Sunday.

My goal is to do 10 miles tomorrow (it was 13 but I think I will make it 10) but we will see how I feel...feeling better now...
I would rest the foot and when its race time...don't over due it...meaning go slower than you normally would...whatever you have to do to keep injury free...that's more important...and if it means walking fast and keeping one foot ahead of the balloon ladies than do it.
I am walking the 5k
Probably walking or walking fast the 10k
A combo of speed walking and running for the half
As for the full..whatever...no plans other than stay safe and finish...and keep my mind happy.

 

[NitroStitch]

My goal is to do 10 miles tomorrow (it was 13 but I think I will make it 10) but we will see how I feel...feeling better now...
I would rest the foot and when its race time...don't over due it...meaning go slower than you normally would...whatever you have to do to keep injury free...that's more important...and if it means walking fast and keeping one foot ahead of the balloon ladies than do it.
I am walking the 5k
Probably walking or walking fast the 10k
A combo of speed walking and running for the half
As for the full..whatever...no plans other than stay safe and finish...and keep my mind happy.

Your Dopey plan sounds good! I'm hoping to do close to the same myself!

 

[WalkingintheFog]

2 WEEKS!!!!
In 2 weeks we'll be somewhere between DAK and EPCOT on the last half of the Marathon, and the final leg of the DOPEY!!!!!

WOO HOO!!! It's just around the corner, b'ys!:

I just want to say Thanks for all the info shared here & on the other related threads, the Dis community is just great!

It's been comforting to me, in a "misery loves company" sort of way, to hear that not everybody has been 100% able to stick to their training plan! (I have had to miss a scattered weekday run here and there.)
...and that we all have various aches & pains (luckily nothing has taken me out of the running game)!

 

[Diskidatheart]

I was reviewing my training schedule from the beginning of the schedule. I've got 480 miles down and 50.6 miles to go. 15 this week, 2 miles next Tuesday, and then the final 48.6 miles we've all been training for!

 

[billpete]

Well I am finally back to running too. Been for about a week. Leg is feeling better.

I feel for everyone that is fighting through injuries. We have invested much into this to "not fail"!

I am also being "hyper-sensitive" to the leg--every little thing seems to hurt now.

I, too, have lowered my expectations. At this point I want to get to the start of each race healthy, and go from there.

I personally think that everything will be good until the full--that will be the really tough one.

Hang in there team. Stay focused. Stay healthy. Remember this is fun!

See ya in about a week!

 

[providince]

Someone in my run group got pneumonia and can't do the Dopey challenge. Selling a bib. Message me if interested.

 

[SAHDad]

Finished up the calendar year with 4 miles in the snow and temps barely above 0 F. First run in weeks where things felt more or less normal when I ran. Messed up leg muscle is still weak, but running essentially without pain or discomfort was a great way to end 2013!

 

[NitroStitch]

Finished up the calendar year with 4 miles in the snow and temps barely above 0 F. First run in weeks where things felt more or less normal when I ran. Messed up leg muscle is still weak, but running essentially without pain or discomfort was a great way to end 2013!

Hooray for being able to finish 2013 with a pretty painless run! I keep wishing for the same myself, but I guess I have to hope to start 2014 that way.

 

[CaptHomer]

Finished up the calendar year with 4 miles in the snow and temps barely above 0 F. First run in weeks where things felt more or less normal when I ran. Messed up leg muscle is still weak, but running essentially without pain or discomfort was a great way to end 2013!

Update your ticker for us please.

 

[NitroStitch]

Amazon has a Gold Box Deal on GU right now.

 

[tazmario]

After completing my 18 mile run a few weeks ago.. I realized I had an achilles injury been seeing a Dr for a few weeks who says no full marathon at all.. Here is my question.. would you do the 5k/ 10k slow and try the half and see if I can make it.. or just do the 5k / 10k.? I guess my real question is .. is getting swept better than not trying at all?

 

[goofeygirl]

After completing my 18 mile run a few weeks ago.. I realized I had an achilles injury been seeing a Dr for a few weeks who says no full marathon at all.. Here is my question.. would you do the 5k/ 10k slow and try the half and see if I can make it.. or just do the 5k / 10k.? I guess my real question is .. is getting swept better than not trying at all?

I would go by what the doc says....I would rather be safe than be really sorry for a long time afterwards...my brother had to drop out of the Dopey because of his knee...he was sooo upset! At first he planned on doing the 5k and 10k and maybe the half...then it went down to the 5k...now its nothing...

Even though its frustrating...if you go for it and injure yourself more you will be paying for it for a long time...and in a worse way. Its a gamble I don't think I would take.

If your doc says you can do the 5k and 10k then walk it...but if he said no full...then no full!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

After completing my 18 mile run a few weeks ago.. I realized I had an achilles injury been seeing a Dr for a few weeks who says no full marathon at all.. Here is my question.. would you do the 5k/ 10k slow and try the half and see if I can make it.. or just do the 5k / 10k.? I guess my real question is .. is getting swept better than not trying at all?

Depends on the nature/severity of the injury. I suffered an achilles injury 4 months ago and was told by my doc, who is not a runner, to stop running until it healed (3-6 months). I laughed. I have not even dropped my mileage and the injury has very slowly improved. It is still there, but getting better. But I researched my injury and severity and discovered that my doc was being too cautious.

 

[SAHDad]

Update your ticker for us please.

Updated. I was on track for better than 1600 miles in 2013, but I spent basically everything from mid-November onwards doing 1-2 miles per day. I've had a couple longer runs (4-6 miles) since Christmas or so, which has given me a lot of confidence in my ability to finish at least the first 3 races without much trouble. That last one is going to be grit and determination doing it at this point.

 

[IamTrike]

After completing my 18 mile run a few weeks ago.. I realized I had an achilles injury been seeing a Dr for a few weeks who says no full marathon at all.. Here is my question.. would you do the 5k/ 10k slow and try the half and see if I can make it.. or just do the 5k / 10k.? I guess my real question is .. is getting swept better than not trying at all?

So is your doc a general practitioner or is he/she a sports med person. I'd probably try and meet with a Physical Therapist that specializes more in sports med for a second opinion.

I'd really want to understand what the potential consequences are of running. It might be that the consequences are worth it to still run.

I'm not a Dr. but the PT here recommends switch to something with a bigger heal to toe drop to help relieve the achilles tendon. A buddy and I were coming off an anchilles and a calf issue at the same time. For both of us he put hard insoles in our running shoes and put a hard cotton pad about a cm thick under the heal of the insert. It made it a lot less painful to jog or do other things.

I'd probably rather get swept rather than not start.

 

[WalkingintheFog]

Agree with PP who asks if your doc is a runner.
It's really easy for a non-runner doctor to just say "don't run at all".

I was really happy when I found out that my GP started running shortly before I did!