Dopey Challenge Race Report – 5K

January 14, 2015 Faux Runner Comments 11 comments

We started off the Dopey Challenge 2015 with the 5K race on Day 1. The race was starting “only” at 6:15am, so not so bad wakeup time. The weather ended up being cold and windy! Luckily, the costumes I had designed was going to be ok even with layers and layers inside! So the Fab 3 layered up to start the 5K. We drove up early enough and huddled inside the JDRF tent with the other supporters.

Team JDRF ready to start the Dopey Challenge

The 5k starts at the Epcot parking lot (like all the other races) and does a loop around Epcot. It was a pretty easy and short walk to the corrals. There was quite a bit of wait in the cold and wind, with a surprising number of runners wearing just a short sleeve shirt (and surprisingly dressing up their kids in the same light way!). Brrr…. I had a short sleeve T, warm jacket and a fleece vest with armwarmers. I only ditched the trash bag while running. My feet were so frozen in spite of wool socks that taking the first few steps hurt!

We saw the faster runners already done and waiting for buses as we started! Oh well!

There were super long lines for the characters at the 5K and the boys didn’t want to stop. So instead there are some far off shots.

But we were sure hamming it up for photos!

Screen Shot 2015-01-12 at 5.44.43 PM — Water stop at China!

Screen Shot 2015-01-12 at 8.31.05 PM — The sun was just rising as we entered Epcot.

Met these three sweetest ladies dressed at Flora, Fauna and Merryweather (Fairies from Sleeping Beauty)

London's iconic telephone booth. How I wished it was a TARDIS instead! — London’s iconic telephone booth. How I wished it was a TARDIS instead!

Screen Shot 2015-01-12 at 8.34.48 PM — Photo credit: runDisney facebook page

Screen Shot 2015-01-12 at 8.23.52 PM — What’s a photo without a good photobomb? 🙂

Somehow I don’t think this is what Mike meant when he said “Rest your feet”!

We had quite theme going on to take photos with cops, firemen, etc. And Barry had a knack to pick out cute guys and get me to pose with them. Single friends, you need to run with Barry next time! I wish I had gotten a pic with the runDisney facebook photographer though since I walked along for a bit talking to him (and he got some nice shots of me in front of Canada).

We ran in step with plenty of adorable kids dressed up. Elsa was the most popular one amongst little girls. And we ran alongside the cutest little Elsa who giggled when I asked her to please bring back summer because it was freezing cold! Her mom said this was little Elsa’s first 5K that she’s run completely by herself!

The finish line came too quickly for our slowest 5K ever at 1hr 9min! Just at the turn to the finish line, a lady stumbled a bit and as I helped her regain her balance, I stopped to talk to her. She was doing her first 5k and her husband was doing Dopey. She was in emotional tears talking about her knee surgery and how she thought she could never do a 5K. What a feeling that must’ve been! It pulls at me every time someone does their first 5K, someone who never thought they could run or do a distance like 5K. That first time achiever of the 5K distance is very very special because they’ve just crossed a mental (and sometimes physical) threshold.

As was their tradition last year, we went to iHop for brunch to eat ALL the food and more needed for a 5K.

Screen Shot 2015-01-12 at 8.31.27 PM — #EatAllTheFood Top left (Strawberries & Cream crapes is mine)

Lessons from the 5K

Bedtime was around 10:30pm with a wakeup of 4:30am. Not to bad, I thought. But with an early wakeup, I should’ve gone to bed as soon as I could.

Dinner after expo the night before was around 7:30pm. But it was too late for a 4:30am wakeup and it sat in my stomach through the 5K.

Sometimes, a simple costume is more effective than elaborate ones. Our costumes of Minnie, Donald and Goofy were a hit and it was hardly any bother to make. Plus really comfortable too!