Marathon Not Enough? Try the Goofy Challenge!

I am a HUGE Disney fan! Keeping up with road races, I've always been intrigued by the "Goofy Challenge" which is when a marathoner completes the Donald Duck Half Marathon on Saturday and the Mickey Mouse Marathon on Sunday for a 39.3 mile experience. My friend Barry Tobias completed his first Goofy Challenge and was good enough to share his thoughts of training and the race itself:

There’s a reason they call it the Goofy Challenge. Every January Disney World hosts the Mickey Mouse Marathon weekend. For those who are willing to step up to the challenge, you can sign up to run both the Donald Duck ½ on Saturday and the Mickey Mouse full on Sunday. In all seriousness, it’s not that goofy of an idea. After running a number of marathons it was clear that breaking any speed records is beyond my ability, additionally pursuing goals of ironman races still needs a bit of time to transition into, and ultra-marathons…well that’s just crazy! The goofy run seemed to be the right ‘next move’.

Somehow I was able to convince my running buddies to sign up with me and months later training started. Like all marathon training, I have found that training with friends is the key to success, if not more so for the goofy challenge. I took my typical 16 week training plan and moved the medium mid-week run to the day before the weekly long run. The biggest challenge we faced was dragging ourselves out of bed early on both weekend days to run. Surprisingly, only the first couple back-to-back runs were bad. Amazingly enough our bodies got used to this schedule pretty quickly and after the third or fourth week we were physically comfortable with this schedule. The one noticeable difference in these runs was that the long one was not as fast as they were when they were the only weekend runs we did. Our medium runs we’d run at our normal pace and then on the long run back off about 20-30 seconds/mile, which seemed to help a lot. Honestly, the slower run was probably more of a natural response from our bodies than a mental decision to slow down. Of course, our best runs were those that were cut short and ended at IHOP instead.

The actual race itself was “memorable”. As most of those in the southern states dealt with the Arctic freeze by staying in bed, we (along with 17000 other people each day) spent it waiting to run. As we stayed at a Disney resort, we had to be on the bus and over to the start area by ~4am for a 5:50am start. Saturday we spent the 2 hours sitting under ponchos getting nailed by sleet. The run itself was not bad, although only ~2 miles were through Disney parks, the majority was spent in parking lots and streets. I believe what made the runs so much easier than expected was keeping the mentality that “Saturday’s run was nothing but a training run and we did that every week, so no biggie.”

Sunday was slightly better in that there was no sleet or rain. Unfortunately the temperature was quite colder. Sitting around huddling under mylar blankets that we got after the ½ marathon run, we shivered our way through 30 deg F weather, only to have the temps drop to ~27 (plus wind-chill that came near the end of the race) during the run. It was so cold that by the time we got to the water stops, the PowerAde drinks were icing over and all the spilled water at the water stops turned the streets into an ice rink. The full marathon took us through ~4-5 miles through all four Disney Parks, entertainment by a number of Disney characters and music kept us going. Mad props have to go out to the spectators and volunteers who all battled the cold to support our runs. The last mile through EPCOT was run to the theme song of the Olympics, which is the greatest song that exists to put some kick into very tired muscles. Overall I think Disney did a very good job organizing the race (sans the cold and lack of heat lamps). I’m still trying to decide if shaking hands with former President Bush at Houston’s 23rd mile or high-fiving Goofy at the end of 39.3 miles is more memorable.

It may have been goofy, but running the Goofy Challenge was a great experience. If anyone is looking for a step up in challenges after a marathon, I highly recommend it. 39.3 miles in two days seems daunting, but with some slight modifications to one’s training schedule and of course, good friends to keep you company, it is worth taking on that challenge. And if that still isn’t enough, may I suggest dressing up in a full blown costume of your favorite Disney character, you’ll be the most popular runner out there…and it may keep you warmer!

-Barry Tobias (4:21:12)

How High Heels Can Affect Your Running Performance

In today's society, the norm for many women is to wear high heels when they work, go out with friends, and even around the house. Although high heels undoubtedly can help enhance an outfit or help make your legs appear toned, they will affect your body in such a way that can lead to negative effects on your running performance.

High heels put the leg in a position where the calf muscle is contracting. This is the desirable to many women because it makes the legs look more toned. The sustained muscle contraction can actually lead to a shortening and stiffening of the muscles that connect your knee and lower leg to your ankle, called the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. This shortening of these muscles will decrease your flexibility during running and will also cause them to fatigue faster. Besides shortening your calve muscles, wearing high heels also puts more pressure on the balls of your feet which puts you at higher risk of developing stress fractures of the metatarsal bones since you are no long distributing your weight equally over your foot.

Although the best way to combat this problem is to stop wearing high heels, I understand that for many people, and for some occupations, this simply isn't an option. There are a few things that can be done to help combat problems from developing from wearing high heels. First, you can spend time stretching your calves each day that you wear high heels. The best stretch is to find a wall and put the ball of one foot against the wall while keeping the heel of that foot on the floor. Slowly move toward the wall until you feel a stretching sensation in your calve. Hold this position for 10 seconds then repeat 4 more times, alternating legs. Besides stretching you can also be more selective when you choose to wear high heels. If you have to walk to work, wear flats during the walk and change into high heels when you get there. Little substitutions like this really add up and help prevent any side effects from wearing high heels.

Many women in our society wear high heels for one reason or another but don't want it to affect their running performance. The best way to prevent any problems from happening is to stop wearing high heels all together. If this isn't possible then stretching and being pickier with when you were high heels will help to prevent any injuries from occurring.

The Nike Free Running Shoe

Nike has developed a line of shoes called the Nike Free that has become very popular among long distance runners, track and field athletes, and football and basketball players. Nike Free is unique because it has a special design incorporating new technology that simulates barefoot running mechanics while still wearing shoes. The goals that barefoot running technique strives to reach, and that Nike Free has adapted, is attempting to strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the foot and leg thus preventing long term injuries.

Although Nike Free has become popular among runners there are some important things to take into consideration when deciding to buy these shoes or not.

1) Versions - If you do a little research on the Nike Free you will come to find out that there are actually many different versions of this shoe. The Nike Free can be ordered on a scale of 10.0 to 3.0 with 10.0 being the most supportive shoe and the 3.0 being the least supportive and most similar to barefoot running.

2) Ease into the Shoes - If you have never done any barefoot running, or ran in any minimalist shoes that strive to achieve the same goal as Nike Free shoes, then it is important to ease your way into these shoes. It is recommended to start off running a mile in these shoes and then gradually increasing your distance based on your body’s response to the shoes.

3) They aren't for everyone - Although Nike is continuously trying to find ways to make small changes and adding versions to the Nike Free to allow the largest population of runners to use them, these shoes still aren't for everyone. If you don't run consistently, need extra-cushioned running shoes, or are prone to ankle sprains, I would not recommend these shoes to you. The Nike Free is really built for routine runners with no other major foot problems. Furthermore, barefoot-style running requires significant changes in running mechanics to be successful. If you run in these shoes just as you would in a structured running shoe, you will put yourself at risk for becoming injured.

Nike Free technology has really changed the face of running shoes, opening a whole new vision into what running shoes could do for your feet and body. Although these shoes are becoming increasingly more popular in the running community, these shoes simply aren't for everybody. Be sure to visit with your sports podiatrist who can help recommend the right shoe for you.

The Most Common Foot Injuries from Running a Marathon

Many podiatrists take the opportunity to volunteer in the medical tent after a local marathon. After the race, participants were filtered into the post-race area where they get food, water and have the option of stopping in the medical or podiatry tents for any assistance they may need. Hundreds of people come in looking for medical assistance, but the surprising thing is that 99% of the complaints consisted of the same 3 problems. The following medical problems are what I would consider to be the most common foot injuries based on my experience in the marathon medical tents:

1) Blisters - By far the most common problem that people face when running is blisters. You can wear moisture wicking socks, by the perfect shoes, and try and keep you feet as dry as possible but sometimes it is just impossible to prevent blisters from developing. One thing that many people don’t realize is that blisters come in different forms depending on what is inside of the blister. Most commonly blisters are either filled with a clear fluid or with blood. Runners can be freaked out to look down at their shoes at the end of a race and see blood but it may just have been a blood blister that popped while running. Blisters come in all shapes, sizes and locations.

2) Subungual Hematoma - This is a medical term for blood under the nail. This commonly occurs to runners from repeated pounding of their nail against the front of their shoe. It also commonly occurs when patients have a little piece of bone that protrudes up into their nail bed that irritates the nail when pressure is applied.

3) Plantar Fasciitis - This is a very common problem that occurs not only in runners but also in non-runners. Plantar fasciitis is irritation and swelling of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot. This is usually a chronic condition, so runners will usually have this throughout their training but this can become extremely painful after a race. If you get a flare up of this after a race don’t hesitate to stop in a podiatry tent so that they can ice and tape up your foot.

Although there are many aliments that runners face from running the most common injuries that are seen are blisters, subungual hematomas and plantar fasciitis. The important thing to remember is that these are common injuries that can be fixed and alleviated by medical attention. Don't hesitate to stop in a podiatry tent after a race or to visit a local podiatrist if your aliments get worse or if you have questions.