Things about to get real, my fit & focused friends. Why? Next week I will officially begin my Dopey Challenge journey.
Typically, I’d give myself four months to train for a marathon, but the Dopey Challenge is a whole other beast and therefore requires a whole other level of training.
Since this challenge is relatively new (2016 will only be the 3rd Dopey Challenge in history), there aren’t a lot of training programs out there. Fortunately, Angela, who will be my running buddy for this crazy challenge, did the Dope last year (can that be a phrase? “did the Dope.”), so I got a few tips from her. Disney also posted a Jeff Galloway plan on their site, so I decided to use that plan and Angela’s tips to create my own Dopey Challenge training plan.
I know a number of you are also doing the Dope, so I thought I’d share my plan with you all FOR FREE! Just CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD my Dopey Challenge Training Plan!
Here’s the gist of the plan:
- Run 3 days a week. I’ve been doing this for all my races this year and it has been working wonders for me. Less pain, less exhaustion, more speed! Feel free to turn the 45-minute weekday runs into interval run and tempo runs if you want to keep up with your speed game, but do the long runs slow and steady.
- Do a simulation weekend every few weeks. This means every few weeks you’ll be running Thursday, Friday, Saturday AND Sunday, upping the mileage with each day. This will prepare you for all the back-to-back races by teaching you how to run on tired legs.
- Run a full marathon as part of training. The Galloway plan had me running a full 26.2 miles in December, and Angela suggested running a fall marathon. So Angela and I decided to run the Philadelphia Marathon at the end of November! Eek! Whether you sign up for a race or get in the miles on your own course, you’ll see that the “training” marathon is part of a simulation weekend. This will be the true endurance test. If you do sign up for an actual race, don’t give yourself time goals. You’ll be running the 3 days leading up to the race, so your goal should just be to finish strong.
- Inspirational Disney quotes! Stay motivated with a new inspiration quote each month from some of your favorite Disney Characters!
Are you ready to train for Dopey?! Simply CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD the FREE Dopey Training Plan!
Are you doing #TheDopeyChallenge? Check out this FREE downloadable training plan! #rundisney
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Let’s Chat:
Are you doing the Dope?
What are you currently training for?
Have you ever made up your own training plan?
*Note: I am not a certified running coach. Please consult your physician before embarking on any sort of new fitness or training regime.
This post is linked up with Wild Workout Wednesdays and is part of Sweat Pink’s Race Training Series.
