Do You Want to Run a Race Challenge?



Over the past year or so our race calendar has revolved around race challenges.  We've done Disney's Glass Slipper Challenge twice, the Virginia Beach Remix Challenge, the Las Vegas Remix Challenge, Disney's Goofy Challenge, and Disney's Tinkerbell Challenge!  That's a lot of races.

To be honest, for me, running the challenge races wasn't so much of a personal challenge as it was a matter of convenience.  Yes, I wanted to run, and I was going to be there anyway, so why not kill two birds with one stone so to speak and earn the additional bling?  So really it wasn't suppose to be about "challenging" my body although for most of these races I ended up being injured, so yea, I guess it was kind of a challenge if you think of it that way...lol!

So now we plan our race calendar all over again and all those challenge races, well, I'm over it.  I kind of have the been there done that feeling about it.  And to be honest, with my current state of injury I really can't even see my running future past the races I've already signed up for. I am no longer setting lofty goals.

Currently I am signed up for the RNR Virginia Beach half ( no challenge). At this rate I think I may even drop down to run the 5K and if that happens, I won't be sad. That would give me a full collection of all the VA Beach medals. In the past I have done the mile, the half relay, and the half marathon. I have not done the 5K yet, so I might need this medal!

 *And don't forget, if you want to run any of the Rock n Roll races, use our code FAIRYTALESNFIT for a Discount!

The second race I am signed up for is the WDW Marathon 2016. I will be running the Marathon Only, not any of the challenges. Lacey will be doing the Goofy Challenge again because she will be running  the half with a friend for his first Disney race and then running with me again for the marathon.  I signed up for the marathon because I thought I would for sure be healthy again by next January! But at the rate I'm going, I may miss half my training which is not a good thing. If I am not 100% I will not run. I will come to cheer on everyone else, but I am not going to attempt the 26.2 miles if I am feeling the least bit of pain. My reasoning for signing up for the marathon again was to do better! I know, I know, it's not all about the time, it's the experience, but if I'm going to put the effort in to another marathon, I want to know that I ran it at the best of my ability! Overall, I am not disappointed in my 2015 marathon time, I just know that I would have been able to run it better un-injured.

So this brings us to the Disney Princess race! Last year after running the Goofy Challenge, and then the Glass Slipper Challenge (including the 5k), I was really left exhausted.  I told myself that I would not be doing BOTH races next year ( yes, I'm sure that had something to do with my injury too).  Since I already signed up for the marathon for 2016, I know its not smart to do Princess, but part of me thinks I should just do one of the races even if it's only the 10K! We've been doing the Princess races for 5 years now. I'd hate to miss that weekend. But then my voice of reason kicks in and tells me not to sign up for anything else until I'm back on track with my training and am injury free. Yes, that is the smart thing to do!


Why do you do the Challenges?  If you were me, would you sign up for Princess?  -M

Thank you to the lovely ladies at TOTR for picking this topic of Challenges this week.



*Some exclusions apply.

17 comments:

  1. Being injured just plain sucks. I'm sorry you're still having to deal with all of this! Thinking back when my ITBand was inflamed, I didn't register for any races (then again, I was smack in the middle of marathon season and had the rest of spring/summer to recover). I know what you mean about Princess...ugh what a tough place to be. Honestly, I would have only been able to choose Marathon weekend or Princess, so if I was already for registered for marathon weekend, that's the weekend I would have focused on and not worried about Princess. Best of luck to you! Hope recovery is going well!

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  2. Hope that injury heals quickly....I've never done a challenge race series, just because my legs don't do well running 2 days in a row, let alone those distances! I blame old age, LOL!

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  3. That's the hardest part about this whole ITBS comeback. I see all these fun races but I know I shouldn't (and don't) sign up for them. And Disney races sell out so quickly, especially the 10k's right now.

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  4. Its never any fun dealing with injuries, particularly when you have races to look forward to. I hope you're able to continue to work through the injury, but certainly don't push yourself too hard since the last thing that you want is to make your injury worse than it is.

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  5. The one downside to the challenges is that it leaves people saying things like "only the marathon" - 26.2 miles is never only! I think looking at the 5K as a way to complete your medal collection is a great perspective. I hope your injury settles down enough to train for the marathon the way you'd like to.

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  6. Oh gosh -I would feel torn like you. I'd want to do something to stay consistent in the race, but don't push yourself... I know once you get there, you'd want to do more. Oh, the struggles we go through :)

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  7. I think it is awesome you guys have entered so many challenges.
    I never thought about it until now, but that is one thing I haven't really done. Well unless you count the ones I give myself in my head for each race, LOL
    I mean I've gotten the extra bling in the main for entering so many RnR races in a year, but I don't think that really counts! Maybe one of these days I'll have to give it a try, and if I ever do. I think you guys have talked me into wanting to try a Disney race again sometime! You do make them look fun!

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  8. I've done Goofy, Glass Slipper, and Dumbo Double Dare. I am seriously over the challenges. I didn't really find them to be an actual challenge (well, Goofy was a challenge, lol), it was more just cramming in as much RunDisney as possible. During Star Wars Half weekend I just did the half and it was so much more enjoyable.

    For w&d, I'm doing the 5K with my mom first, so I'd still do a 5K as a last training run, but doing anything longer just wears me out for everything else.

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  9. I've done challenging races but never a race challenge. I am prone to overuse injuries & I'm over 50 sooooo . . . Only you know what your body can do. Doesn't matter what the rest of us think. Sometimes I think we get starry eye'd about all the bling & forget about all the miles.

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  10. I am obsessed with challenges and think they are so fun! I love the multiple outfits and of course the extra bling!

    If I were you, I would sit out Princess just to make sure you are good to go especially after the Marathon. I am so bummed because I will be sitting out Princess this year. I love it but I will be starting my dissertation that Spring and don't want to be overburdened (and I will running the LA Marathon the weekend before!). Instead I am signing up for local races I have always wanted to try

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  11. Who doesn't love a good collection of bling! But maybe hold off on the disney princess until you know you're good to go. Disney races are too expensive to not show up to!

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  12. Bummer on the injury! I love challenge races. I think it's because I will never be fast, but my body seems to thrive on lots of long back to back runs. I've never done Disney and it's not even on my bucket list, so no advice about Disney Princess.

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  13. I think all races are a challenge! But "challenge" races make me nervous. I'm a little afraid (ok, a lot) of injury!

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  14. That's tough, Meranda. I'm really hoping that your injury decides it's done soon. I'd probably signup for Princess but that's probably not the best advice, lol. ;)

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  15. I've not done a race challenge like that. The closest thing I guess would be doing a Ragnar. I really hope it cools down a little bit before RnR VA Beach. It's been brutal in DC lately!

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  16. Injuries suck! I hope it starts to get better soon so that you can take part in some fun challenge runs.

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  17. big decisions! The word challenge is kind of scary- I am kind of a one race at a time runner :) I did run my challenge last year but the 2 long lengths were 5K's and that was fun! I hope this injury heals quick and you get back out there!

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