#DopeyChallenge Training Schedule

   

 Princess and the Frog 5K-Epcot

      WOW WOW WOW!!  I can hardly believe it is getting close to start training for the RunDisney Dopey Challenge!! Woah. It seems like just a few days ago, I was trying to decide if I was even going to attempt this 4-Day challenge!! I'm beyond excited to get started and have been holding off on long runs recently knowing that I've got ALOT of training ahead of me! I am going to use the Jeff Galloway Training Plan for Dopey Challenge. Sort of. I will be tweaking the plan just a bit to accommodate my schedule. I'm working in a few long local races to count as the long runs. I don't see myself walking any of the plan but it will take some of the pressure off of running if I do need a "walk day".

      There are several things that I like about the Jeff Galloway run/walk plan:
1.  The plan is 29 weeks long. If I have to skip a run now and then, I can surely make it up. Also, I feel like after 29 weeks of training...I will be completely trained and have all of the confidence in the world that I will finish Dopey Challenge with no problems!
2.  The plan starts of relatively slow but not slow enough that I feel like I won't be getting a good workout.
3.   When the plan is at it's most intense...it will be cooling off! It gets HOT in Alabama.
4.   There are some weeks with only 3 days and others with 4-5 days. Flexibility is good.
5.   Magic Mile! Any Mile with "Magic" attached to it has to be fun, right?!? (Explanation of Magic Mile at the bottom of blogpost.)
6.   29th Week is Recovery Week...Love this!
7.   Perhaps the BEST feature of this plan is that I was able to download all of the mileage right to my smart phone! So easy...go here to download it to your phone.

**This plan was formulated for experienced runners who have been running for at least 6 months.

Week 1
7/2  Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
7/4  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
7/6   Saturday--3 Miles

Week 2
7/9   Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
7/11 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
7/13  Saturday-- 4 Miles

Week 3
7/16 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
7/18 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
7/20 Saturday 3 Miles

Week 4
7/23 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
7/25 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
7/27 Saturday--5.5 Miles

Week 5
7/30 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
8/1 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
8/3 Saturday--3 Miles

Week 6
8/6 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
8/8 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
8/10 Saturday--7 Miles

Week 7
8/13 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
8/15 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
8/17 Saturday--3 Miles

Week 8 
8/20 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
8/22 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
8/24 Saturday--9 Miles

Week 9 
8/27 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
8/29 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
8/31 Saturday--3 Miles

Week 10
9/3  Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
9/5  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
9/7  Saturday--11 Miles

Week 11
9/10 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
9/12 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
9/14 Saturday--3 Miles

Week 12
9/17 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
9/19 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
9/21 Saturday--4 Miles (Walk)
9/22 Sunday--13.1 Miles--Talladega Half Marathon

Week 13
9/24 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
9/26 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
9/28 Saturday--3 Miles

Week 14
10/1 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
10/3 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
10/5 Saturday--Walk 5.5-- Happy Haunted Trails 5K/Tower of Terror 10 Miler
10/6 Sunday--15 Miles

Week 15
10/8   Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
10/10 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
10/12  Saturday--3 Miles-- Montgomery Half Marathon

Week 16
10/15  Tuesday--20-30 Minutes
10/17  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
10/18  Saturday--Walk 2 Miles

Week 17
10/22  Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
10/24  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
10/26  Saturday--5 Miles

Week 18
10/29  Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
10/31  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
11/2    Saturday--6 Miles **Magic Mile--Vulcan Run 10K

Week 19
11/5   Tuesday-- 20-30 Minutes
11/7   Thursday-- 30-45 Minutes
11/8   Friday-- 3 Miles (Walk)
11/9   Saturday--8.5 Miles (Walk)
11/10 Sunday--20 Miles (Run/Walk)

Week 20
11/12  Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
11/14  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
11/16  Saturday--6 Miles

Week 21
11/19 Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
11/21  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
11/23  Saturday--7 Miles **Magic Mile
11/24  Sunday--13.1 Miles--Magic City Half Marathon

Week 22
11/26 Tuesday--20-30 Minutes
11/28 Thursday--30-45 Minutes
11/29 Friday--4 Miles (Walk)
11/30 Saturday--10 Miles (Walk)
12/1  Sunday--23 Miles (Run/Walk)

Week 23
12/3  Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
12/5  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
12/7  Saturday--6 Miles

Week 24
12/10  Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
12/12  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
12/14  Saturday--7 Miles ** Magic Mile

Week 25
12/17  Tuesday--20-30 Minutes
12/19  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
12/20  Friday--5 Miles (Walk)
12/21  Saturday--12 Miles (Walk)
12/22  Sunday--26 Miles (Run/Walk)

Week 26
12/24  Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
12/26  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
12/28  Saturday--6 Miles

Week 27
12/31  Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
1/2      Thursday--30-45 Minutes
1/4      Saturday--7 Miles

Week 28--Dopey Challenge Weekend!!!
1/7      Tuesday--20-30 Minutes
1/9      Thursday--Walt Disney World 5K
1/10    Friday-- Walt Disney World 10K
1/11    Saturday--Walt Disney World Half Marathon 13.1 Miles
1/12    Sunday--Walt Disney World Marathon 26.2 Miles

Week 29--Recovery Week (Carry Over to RunDisney Princess Half Marathon/Glass Slipper Challenge)
1/14  Tuesday--30-45 Minutes
1/16  Thursday--30-45 Minutes
1/18  Saturday--3 Miles

**Magic Mile (from RunDisney.com)

Magic Mile: I suggest doing this after the standard warmup on the weekends noted on the schedule. By the end of the training program you want to run a time of 11:15 or faster to predict a finish time below 7:00 on raceday..The “Magic Mile” time trial (MM) is a reality check on your goal pace on raceday, and has been the best predictor of finishing under the race time limit of 7:00.

• Use the standard warmup (# 11)

• Run around a track if at all possible (or a very

accurately measured one mile segment)

• Time yourself for 4 laps (1600 meters). Start the

watch at the beginning, and keep it running until

you cross the finish at 1.0 miles.

• On the first MM, don’t run all-out: run at a

pace that is slightly faster than your current

gentle pace.

• Only one MM is done on each day it is assigned.

• On each successive MM (usually 2-3 weeks later),

your mission is to beat the previous best time.

• Don’t ever run so hard that you hurt your feet,

knees, etc. Maintain a short stride, picking up the

cadence or turnover to run faster.

• After you have run 3 of these (not at one time—

on different weekends) you’ll see progress and

will run them hard enough so that you are huffing

and puffing during the second half. Try walking

for about 10-30 seconds after each lap during the

MM. Most beginning runners record a faster time

when taking short breaks.

Predicted All-Out Effort Pace: Take your best current MM time and multiply by 1.4. This is the fastest pace you could currently expect to run under ideal conditions per mile in the marathon.

*Long run pace: should be at least 2 minutes slower than the current predicted marathon pace.

*Adjust for temperature: At 70F, slow the pace by an additional minute per mile. At 80F, slow down another minute per mile.