The Goofy Challenge - What a great name for an event and appropriately named! The idea of running a 13.1 mile half marathon on Saturday then running a 26.2-mile marathon the very next day sounds kind of “goofy” in a warped sort of way, which exactly what Disney calls this event on Jan 6-7 in Orlando, Florida.

The first question that might come to mind is, “Why do it?”

My answer: “Because it’s something new.” I’ve run 25 marathons - 4 standalone and 21 at the tail end of an Ironman distance race. I wanted to do something a little more challenging than “just a marathon.”

“How do you train for it?”

Well, thankfully, all that I have to do is follow the directions of my coach, German pro-triathlete Olaf Sabatschus, who is helping prepare for a successful event. Essentially, I’m running at a relatively high volume (50-60 miles per week) and high frequency (6-8 workouts per week - some are doubles in a day). To prepare for the specific demands of running a half marathon on one day then a full marathon on the next, I am doing multiple tempo sessions - high intensity intervals any where from 6 to 30 minutes. The workouts are strenous and I am approaching my limits, but so far I’ve been able to complete most of the workouts.

“What is your goal?”

I would like to set a marathon PR, which would be to run under the 2:53 I ran at the Myrtle Beach Marathon a few years ago. My goal is to run a relatively slow half marathon (<1:30) then run a hard marathon to finish under 2:50.

The race is a little over two weeks away - and I’m looking forward to the challenge.

Happy Holidays!
David

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David B. Glover
Experiential Writer, Elite Athlete, Coach and Race Director
Author of Full Time and Sub-Nine
Personal Web: www.davidglover.net
Business Web: www.enduranceworks.net

©2006 David B. Glover