Rise and Run
Rise and Run
185: Listener Questions: Rise and Run Host Edition
Ever wonder what goes on in the minds of your favorite Rise and Run Podcast hosts? Episode 185 pulls back the curtain as we answer your specific questions about our individual journeys, preferences, and experiences.
The conversation takes us deep into what makes each host unique in their approach to Disney running. Jack explains why ultramarathons and runDisney challenges scratch different itches despite both being "fun runs". Bob shares his transformative experience at the 2016 Wine and Dine Half Marathon when, at 62, he completed his first runDisney race in nearly three decades with a smile that never faded.
We get personal as hosts reveal their favorite Disney characters and attractions, with Alysha struggling to choose between Dopey and Kevin from Up, and John confessing his lifelong admiration for Darth Vader. Greg takes us to Aulani, describing how the resort's authentic cultural elements create a uniquely meaningful Hawaiian experience.
The conversation turns practical as we discuss our biggest race mistakes and the lessons they taught us. From hydration failures to loose shoes causing blisters, these hard-earned insights might save you from similar pitfalls. We also look ahead, contemplating where we'll be with runDisney in five to ten years.
Perhaps most touching are the stories of magical race moments – Bob pushing his friend Woody through an entire half marathon while wearing a walking boot, and Jack's emotional experience as a Galloway pacer watching runners achieve personal records. These moments remind us why we keep coming back to the Disney parks time after time.
Join us for this uniquely personal episode that strengthens the bonds of our Rise and Run family. Whether you're a longtime listener or joining us for the first time, you'll walk away feeling like you've just had coffee with friends who share your passion for running through the most magical places on earth.
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3 am again. Why did I ever think this was a good idea? Welcome to the Rise and Run podcast. Join our group of Run Disney friends. As we talk about running at Walt Disney World and beyond. We'll discuss recent runs, training, upcoming races and surprise topics suggested by you, our listeners. Well, the alarm's gone off, so let's go.
Speaker 2:Hey, this is Rob from Fort Myers and I am stoked to bring you the Rise and Run podcast. Once you start listening, believe me, your ears will be magic bound. Happy running everybody. Ah, rob and his magic bound ears. Thanks for the intro, rob. Welcome my friends, welcome to episode 185 of the Rise and Run podcast. I'm Bob. I'm here this week with Alicia.
Speaker 3:Hello.
Speaker 2:With Jack.
Speaker 3:Hiya.
Speaker 2:With John hey how you doing and with Greg.
Speaker 1:Hey, hey, hey.
Speaker 2:Hey, my friends, Good to see you. On episode 185 tonight we tackle the questions that we asked you to send us earlier. Host-specific listener questions for tonight.
Speaker 1:If you enjoy the Rise and Run podcast, please share us with your friends and introduce them to the Rise and Run family. We want to share in their Run Disney journey. Please remember to follow us on Facebook at Rise and Run Podcast, on Instagram at Rise and Run Pod. Be sure to check out our YouTube channel and visit our webpage, riseandrunpodcastcom. If you have a question, a comment, a race report or would like to introduce an upcoming episode, give us a call at 727-266-2344 and leave us a recorded message.
Speaker 4:We also want to thank our patrons, whose support keeps the Rise and Run podcast rising and running. If you'd like to join the patron team, please check out patreoncom slash Rise and Run podcast.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Alicia. Friends, the Rise and Run podcast is sponsored by the good folks at Magic Bound Travel. Magic Bound Travel, the place for all of your run Disney, Disney Park, Universal Disney Cruise, Royal Caribbean Cruise, and I don't know what else they can help you with, but it's a great group. Check them out at their website, magicboundtravelcom. Guys, looking at the training schedules upcoming training we don't have any. There's nothing on the upcoming training schedule. But what'd you think of springtime surprise weekend? It was great, it was perfect, wasn't it? The weather was perfect, the race went, who PR'd and fun yeah, that's all that counts. But, my friends, we really haven't been to Springtime Surprise yet. Here's a little secret Every now and then we have to record out of order. So episode 185, though you're listening to it one week after Springtime Surprise, we're still recording it in March. So we were just guessing.
Speaker 1:In the words of our friend Brandy you can blame it on Greg. It's my fault. I have another business trip that literally I get home from springtime and then I'm like less than 24 hours later back on a plane. So unfortunately it just doesn't work out.
Speaker 2:Where are you going, Greg? Where are you going?
Speaker 1:You guys are going to make fun of me for this. That's why I asked puerto rico I'm going to. Hey, that's not bad, that's, that's pretty good.
Speaker 2:I've never been, so I'm very excited, nor have I, so I'll be. I'll be anxious to hear when you get back, which will be. You'll get back in, I will you get back before you. The puck never mind. I get so confused when we record podcasts out of order oh, oh, I, I, I.
Speaker 1:I'm picking up what you're putting down. Uh, let's see, I will be flying home the day this episode drops so okay, so well.
Speaker 2:So how was?
Speaker 1:it uh, just like springtime, it was great very good.
Speaker 2:Uh, it's going to make for an interesting episode this evening, because that means we really we won't have a race report spotlight and while we will go to the race report to list races that are going to occur, we won't have the results of any of those. We'll try to catch up on them once we go back to being live.
Speaker 1:Sure, yeah, sure, yeah. So in the past we have done listener question episodes before and you know we get a ton of great ones. But the thing is that you know a lot of those listener questions are either run, disney related or just, you know, very run. So I came up with this idea of I mean sure the listeners know you know about us host individually. So I thought what if we did kind of like a little getting to know you type session, but through questions as well? So what we did is we asked our listeners to give us specific questions for Bob or Alicia or Jack or John or myself, so that way you get to know about us a little bit more.
Speaker 1:Now, great, other people did just give us some general questions and, depending on timing tonight, we may tackle some of those, but we're going to put our main focus on those that were specific for the host. So, yeah, we just figured this is a fun idea to kick around and if it takes off maybe we can do more of this in the future. We'll get going with this and we'll go ladies first and maybe we can kind of do this in like a little like round robin style. But the first question here is specifically for Jack. All right, jack. Our buddy Jonathan over in Israel asks since you are an ultra runner, do you enjoy run Disney challenges more or less than running ultras?
Speaker 3:They're just so different you can't really it's very hard to compare a disney race versus ultra. I feel like disney races are my fun runs. Ultra are my fun runs as well, but they're more you don't know like what the end's gonna be like sometimes. Um, the one thing I think if I had to say I had negative towards the dis races but also a positive about it is that you have to get up so early. That is rough if you're doing a challenge. In some ways I think Dopey is easier to do than a 50 miler, I would say, because of how many days you have to get up for it and your body is tired after each and every one of those days, whereas with an ultra you just run it all at once after each and every one of those days, whereas with an ultra you just run it all at once and I mean, yeah, it's a long day, but like your body doesn't know what's happening until after you finish the race. So the answer is I like them equally it's fair.
Speaker 1:All right, I have a follow-up question to this okay and great and maybe it's the exact same response, but do you feel more accomplished after a straight through ultra or do you feel more accomplished after a run Disney challenge of you know a couple of consecutive days in a row of running?
Speaker 3:Okay, so that's a good question, Greg. I do think I feel accomplished with the Disney races, but if I had to choose which one I feel more is going to be the ultras, because those I don't do them as like. Those are like a once a year kind of thing, and or maybe once every two years, depending on how things are going schedule wise and the sheer amount of mental toughness I have to prepare for something like that and to know that it's going to suck at some point. It's not going to not happen, it is going to happen. You're going to have to get through it and you're going to have to push through, or else you're not going to get to that finish line, or in a lot of ways it's kind of like well, if I don't get to this next section, I guess I want to see David, though, because he's always at the aid stations and that's always pure excitement for me and he's always there to be so supportive. And yeah, yeah, I don't know if that answered it as well, no, absolutely that's good, all right.
Speaker 3:You know what, greg? You asked the question. I'm going to ask you a question, okay.
Speaker 1:Get ready for it. All right. Hollywood specifically asked oh, here we go. Do you miss our pillow talk, tony? I absolutely miss our pillow talk, but but I, I must say I, I, I miss it. But I'm also incredibly sad that I don't think him and I will have any more pillow talk for quite some time. What Well, I mean? Think about Hoppy and the Mandalorian here. We just completed Springtime Surprise and unless things drastically change, I'm not running at Disney until 2026.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 1:And then obviously my next race weekend will be marathon weekend and I know he will either most likely be with his family, so that that won't offer the opportunity. But I mean, you know, if if the opportunity arises, then then yeah, absolutely I will. I will jump at that, and you know, and the more and more I think about it now you know, we've always talked internally about wanting to expand the, the offerings for our awesome patreons. How would you guys feel if we did like a sub side podcast that was pillow talk with hollywood?
Speaker 3:my god, I will listen to it daily.
Speaker 1:Do you think our numbers would go up if we did something like that?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah. Oh man, you could just do like a 15 minute tangent episode. Exactly there we go.
Speaker 1:To answer the question. Yes, tony, I miss it terribly and I think about it daily.
Speaker 3:That's too cute.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness, All right. Well, since Jack picked on me, I guess I get to ask another question. So, Alicia, you're up. Denise asks have you always been a runner and if not, when did you start and how did you find Run Disney?
Speaker 4:So this is kind of a long-winded answer, I guess. Technically, I've always been a runner. When I was little, I started with gymnastics and soccer, so I played soccer for many, many years. I've done all sorts of different sports, um, would I say that I was a full-fledged runner? No, not until I decided to do the Castaway Key 5k in 2012. I trained from a couch to 5k program, um, and that's how I got started. And then I had a dream one day in 2015. And I went I'm gonna do the wine and dine half marathon. And that's what I did. I signed up for it. I actually ended up signing up for the challenge and did, did that one, and now have gotten to meet all of you.
Speaker 1:Now all I have in the background in my head now is Tangled and all the people in the tavern sing. I had a dream.
Speaker 3:I had a dream.
Speaker 1:And that's exactly how things evolve for you, Alicia.
Speaker 4:Yeah, sounds about right. All righty, I'm going to go and ask John. Ileana wants to know what is your favorite Star Wars character and why.
Speaker 1:Okay so drop in everybody. We're going to be here for a while.
Speaker 3:Is it the actor that was in both Back to the Future and in Star Wars?
Speaker 4:Now you've stumped him.
Speaker 5:Okay, you got me there now, so not even close. I got to. You got me there, now Not even close. I got to go with the OG Darth Vader. I mean, ever since I was a kid I liked Darth Vader. Really crazy story. I never went to a Star Wars weekend when they had it, or whatever they called them.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there was Star.
Speaker 1:Wars weekend Are you talking about the conventions or the stuff that happened at Hollywood Studios?
Speaker 5:The Hollywood Studio ones.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 5:So 2007,? I just checked it out. Vader is sitting or standing with some stormtroopers underneath the queue line for Star Tours. Star Tours wasn't open and I just grabbed my son, who was probably about 12 at the time under my arm, jumped over two turnstiles or guardrails to grab a picture with Darth Vader. My wife goes, was it for you or for your son? I go it was for him, of course.
Speaker 3:Wink, wink.
Speaker 5:So he was my guy.
Speaker 1:I remember the joy and jubilation during the marathon this past year and when we hit the Star Wars mile and once I figured it out what it was I was, you know, I think at that point we were all ready for a little bit of a break and I remember I forget who I was running next to because I think, John, I think you needed like to take an extended walk break or something like that, and I was like, OK, we need to stop at one of these characters for John, and I think Vader might have been the first one.
Speaker 5:So, boy, did we pick the right one for you? Oh, you got the right one. That was awesome. I always stop for Vader, always would stop for Vader.
Speaker 1:And you didn't have to jump over any turnstiles this time.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I was in a lot better shape about 20 years ago.
Speaker 3:Are you the light side or the dark side?
Speaker 5:I'm the gray side.
Speaker 1:That's good, I like that wait, okay, wait.
Speaker 3:Last question for you, john. I have to ask this. I have to. If you could have any lightsaber color, what would it be and why? Vader red oh, okay, because I know um is. I know there is one actor, Samuel L Jackson. He specifically requested that his lightsaber be purple.
Speaker 5:Mace.
Speaker 1:Windu right.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 5:Mace Windu. He wanted to stand out in the crowd of all the lightsabers.
Speaker 3:I think that's awesome.
Speaker 5:Let me ask Bob a question, because Bob hasn't got anything yet. So Chrissy asked is there one race you have done and can go back and relive it in the exact same way? What would it be?
Speaker 2:Chrissy, this is such a good question. I saw it when you posted to Facebook so I started thinking about it. I've been thinking about it, knowing it's coming up tonight. I think I've changed my mind three times. There are. I can't I'm going to give you one answer, but I've got to lead in with some others. I have pushed my friend Woody through two full marathons and one half marathon, and all of those are incredibly special, the most special of those being not the 25, but the 24 marathon that finished dopey, because I had just turned 70 years old. I finished dopey and I pushed Woody. That was a big one, but I'm going to pick. You asked if there's one that I wouldn't change anything on. I'm going to go back to 2016,.
Speaker 2:The Wine and Dine Half Marathon my first run at Disney, and I was, let's see, 2016,. I was 62 years old. I had not run a half marathon in about 27 years. I think 35 years old was the last one I did. I trained for it, I worked for it and when I got there, everything went perfectly. I ran the entire 13 miles with a smile on my face. I was at first reluctant to stop for characters because I was afraid of the time, even though at the time I was, my pace was pretty good, I got to. My very first character that I did stop at was Darkwing Duck.
Speaker 2:I remember that character that I did stop at was Darkwing Duck. I remember that. Yeah, I still finished in just a bit over two hours. I don't remember the exact time, I don't remember but it was very solid and the reason I'm picking that one is because it just went perfectly, and I wonder if it hadn't gone so well, if I would have continued with the run Disney experience. So that's my pick 2016 Wine and Dine Half Marathon.
Speaker 3:I don't think you've ever talked about it, but why did you choose to want to run Disney? What made you or motivated you to do it?
Speaker 2:A number of things I had run recreationally when I was in my mid thirties, when I was stationed in Hawaii. Hawaii is such a beautiful place that you just want to be outside, so they had a lot of great runs, so I did those. Then I came back to Alabama and I didn't stop exercising, but I stopped recreational running. There just weren't that many runs in Southeast Alabama. I got onto Facebook and I became interested. My friend became my friend. Christopher Sapienza had a website there Run. I think at the time he called it, I don't know, it's Run Disney and Beyond. Yep, that's exactly it. Yep, there Run. I think at the time he called it. I don't know, it's Run Disney and Beyond.
Speaker 1:Yep, that's exactly it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but he didn't call it that at first, Greg.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:He changed it. I don't remember what the original name was, but I kept reading his posts and going, oh boy, this looks pretty. By that time I was Becky and I had gone to Disney several times. We loved the food and wine festival. So I found out actually, I found out in like 2015,. I found out about Run Disney and I followed their every move on that Wine and Dine Run. I don't know if Alicia, you no, I don't think you were there in 2015. I don't think any of you were there in 2015.
Speaker 2:That was the year they started. They started in ESPN in 16 also, but they started in ESPN in 2015. They started at Y World of Sports and there was thunder and lightning in the area. They had to bring everybody back from the start. Corrals put them inside one of the two large buildings there. The race eventually went off. I think they cut it in half. It was raining and I stayed up. I was living in Alabama at the time. I stayed up all night watching the reports file in from Florida from that race and I was just I couldn't wait. I couldn't wait to do it the following year and I did so.
Speaker 1:that's how I got started and run disney check you know what's crazy about that race is a majority of us in terms of the hosts we were all there that weekend and it's crazy.
Speaker 1:You know, I look back on that weekend because, alicia, I know I knew who you were but, we hadn't met yet in person and I don't think we ever met that weekend and obviously, bobby, you were the only person I had ever met right and you and I exchanged pleasantries, you know, before the race. I can still remember, you know we were. I think we were like both wearing lime green or something like that, so like we were easy to find and you were.
Speaker 2:You were really.
Speaker 1:You were in neon green well, yeah, because I, I was.
Speaker 2:I was mike wazowski yeah, I know, I had a black shirt on. I remember it. I had a black shirt with yoda that said uh, speed matters not, okay, yeah but the fact that you know.
Speaker 1:You know we chatted for a couple of minutes and then we went to our respective corrals and that was it. And it's interesting to hear your response to that question about if things wouldn't have gone perfectly, would your run Disney career be different? And the same thing, even though I only had these brief interactions, the race was great enough that it had a profound impact that I wanted to come back and and look at what it's blossomed into now.
Speaker 2:That was the first I met you in person, the first I met Sapienza in person and first I met Alicia in person. But Alicia by then had started the run Disney motivational team Facebook page. So we knew each other pretty well. But you want to, I'll let I've talked for a while. Alicia, you can tell the story about when we first met one another.
Speaker 4:I don't remember the exact words so you're going to have to help me, but I know we were texting back and forth when we were going to be at the expo and you, we were looking for each other and you said that I'm a tall old guy, like you tell everybody. But I said you told me how tall you were and I said, well, I'm about a foot shorter than you and I don't think you believed me until you saw me and we took a picture back to back and I still have that picture and, yes, I am very much.
Speaker 2:You're more than what you said was. I'm almost two feet shorter.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Now, that's not true. That's not.
Speaker 4:It's like 18 inches or so, but I'm not five feet, so no, it's about 18 inches.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was funny and but for the first couple of times down there, alicia could find me anywhere. Yes, anywhere, it was fun. All right, we got sidetracked, but I think that's part of the reason for doing this.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Let me look at our list of questions. Jack, you've talked about wanting to run UTMB, but Megan is asking would you ever consider running the barkley marathon or the big dog backyard ultra?
Speaker 3:I don't mean to sound like this, but um, absolutely not um I think that's a fair and honest answer.
Speaker 3:Um, only I like I would rather spectate those races than actually be a part of it. Uh, one, it's mostly filled with lots of elites which are just it's fun to watch anyways. Um and two, they are looped courses. I don't purposefully sign up for anything knowing that it's looped. I've done a race where I didn't know it was looped until I got there and it was a 50 K. It was my first ever 50 K and I only looked at the pictures. I'm like, oh my God, the scenery is going to be so beautiful. Didn't realize it was looped.
Speaker 1:That sounds like yeah, so I yeah.
Speaker 3:I would not purposefully do that, although the Barkley marath do sound fun because like you have to like do certain things and it's it's kind of wacky and fun and weird, and that's me but also it's looped, I think they sound like torture.
Speaker 4:They yeah, I think they're meant to be kind of torture.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, by the way, the expressions of the people getting to the finish line. One person, literally, um, he was one second off yeah cut off. Yes, you know how devastating that would be to run the barkley marathon, a race that only maybe like 20 people at that time had finished, and to not be able to get finished because you were off by one second. I would cry myself a river no, I didn't follow.
Speaker 2:I know no one finished this year. Did they change something on the course? Oh, he went crazy in In my mustache.
Speaker 1:He was probably very upset that five people finished in 2024.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he was what got changed.
Speaker 4:It was way more terrain and elevation.
Speaker 3:I heard, yeah, it changes every year, from my understanding right. Yes, I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah, I think so.
Speaker 5:I think somebody, one of the what do they call it? The favorites, got hurt in that race too, so he didn't finish either.
Speaker 2:Well, it was. You know, it was three weeks ago. It's hard for us to remember.
Speaker 1:Hey, Jack, I do have a question for you. Obviously, I know what the Barkley Marathon is, but what is unique about Big Dog Backyard?
Speaker 3:So I actually had to look this up, but it looks like it's a lot of elite runners, or at least someone that is of higher, faster person, let's just put it this way and I think it's like a team of 15 people and then you're racing across other um countries as well. I'm not. Yeah, let me pull it up to better help with this one because, like I was just looking at it, there wasn't much description either. It literally just says the biannual running of the world satellite backyard team championships. This is where competitors I'm just going to read verbatim consecutively run the distance of 6.706 kilometers in less than one hour.
Speaker 3:So it's one of those like last man standing races I think I see I would love to do a last man standing race, but it has to be a good one where, like, that's just a lot of loops. I'm like, if I'm gonna train for something, I want to see the beauty of the world, more than just a five mile or six mile or so loop. You know what I mean yeah like, if I'm gonna run 100 miles, I want to see a lot of stuff yeah so so, jack, you know the.
Speaker 5:Uh, I guess it's the real algorithm or whatever it was. I was searching the barclays because you know, the barclays was big a couple, three weeks ago, right, right, all a sudden this other race comes up. I go I wonder if Jack would do this one the Great Divide 200-mile area.
Speaker 3:What is that? I wouldn't be opposed to it. Is it a loop course?
Speaker 5:Basically it runs the Canadian Rocky Mountains, but the thing is 100 miles in you have to get a coin. But the thing is a hundred miles in, you have to get a coin and you need to, and then you have to take that coin back to the finish line. If you lose it on your way back, you're not considered a finisher.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, I might cry, but, honestly, this the senior, okay. So you guys, I'm looking through the pictures right now. Oh my God, I would actually run this race. I would actually run this race.
Speaker 1:I would actually run it. Wait, Wait. Jack has looked at a photo which means she's signing up as we speak.
Speaker 4:How long is this, not to mention it's?
Speaker 2:200 miles, 200 miles yeah.
Speaker 4:And she said she wasn't going to do another 100,.
Speaker 3:but Okay, so I would. I didn't say I wouldn't do another 100, I just said it would be a hot second that's not 100 it's a new distance 100, what's that? I don't know. I mean I would do the the coca donut 250, yeah, or the Moab 240.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:I'd be willing to do that Good for you.
Speaker 2:Jack, I'm sitting here going. No, it's good for you.
Speaker 5:I heard it here first on the Rise and Run podcast. Good for you.
Speaker 3:Let me do UTMB first. No, thank you for bringing this race to my attention. I am quite honestly intrigued.
Speaker 2:Right Future episode.
Speaker 3:Alicia. Yes, this next question is you. I don't know why I'm doing it in that voice, sorry. Ileana asks what is your favorite Disney character and why.
Speaker 4:So I'm going to grab this picture that our friend Tara made for me, because she asked me all my favorite characters and it's hard for me to just choose one Figment. The green alien, stitch, kevin, winnie the Pooh, beaker and Dopey are my favorites. Beaker yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, those are good.
Speaker 4:I love it If I had to narrow it down to one.
Speaker 2:I usually say either dopey or the green alien but see, that's true, you didn't narrow it down, I know then I guess it would say dopey, just because yeah I thought you were gonna say ke Kevin, because I feel like whenever we've talked about non-negotiable character stops on the course, you always bring up Kevin.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it is. If I had to choose between a character, of which one to choose between Dopey and Kevin, I would 100% choose Kevin. Okay, but I don't know. I was going to say I feel like I own more stuff that has Dobie on it, but I own a lot of things that have Kevin on it too. I don't know.
Speaker 2:Alright, that's fine, that's fine.
Speaker 3:All I can hear ever since you said Beaker now is like I just think of the Muppets which rest in peace my friends, yeah which rest in peace, my friends. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, and now everyone's eardrums are blown out. For those of you who are listening, we apologize.
Speaker 3:You can cut that out, tone it down or something.
Speaker 2:No, that's not happening.
Speaker 4:All right, greg, I'm going to ask you a question. I might be able to put input on this as well. Ilyana wants to know what is your favorite thing to do at alani.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's hard oh, wow.
Speaker 1:There's so many things. For me, probably the biggest highlight when my wife and I went so that was November of 23. Uh, we went for our 10 year anniversary. The big thing that sticks out in my mind is the luau. What I appreciate about it is that the luau is very true to the sense of what Alani is as a whole. So in like the first couple of minutes it is quasi Disney-fied. So, like you know, mickey and Minnie come out and you learn the Alani hula dance. So you know that's fun, like audience participation and such.
Speaker 1:But then the rest of the evening is all about learning about the story of the islands themselves and you know the gods that they worship and they talk about. Like Maui not the rock Maui you know the Maui associated with Hawaii and you just see this awesome sense of pride that the Hawaiian people have for their homeland. And again, that concept is just plastered all throughout the resort where I mean sure you'll see little wooden Mickey statues or stitch statues or stuff like that. But it's just like it's a lot of like authentic Polynesian artwork and architecture styles and everything along those lines, and I think that's what makes that place really, really special. So, and then, not to mention it's an open bar, which is great, and then the food is actually. I mean, you know, even though it's buffet food, it's really, really spectacular stuff.
Speaker 1:I mean I just remember walking away from that being super impressed, and the luau was gifted to my wife and I from my dad as a Christmas gift. He had gotten us the preferred seating so we got to go in a little bit earlier and if you ever go to Aulani and you want to experience the luau and you have children with you, I think it's a great opportunity for them as well. There's different activities prior to the show and the dinner beginning. You can similar to like the guy that you see on Spaceship Earth who's like pounding reeds flat. You know. You get to do various activities like that. You can make a flowered lei, they'll give you like a mini ukulele lesson and such like that. It's a really, really fun evening. So, yeah, so I'm going to go to Luau for best thing at a lot, but I'll flip it over to you because you've been more times than I have.
Speaker 4:What's your answer to the?
Speaker 1:question.
Speaker 4:So my absolute favorite thing to do is to go in their little cove area watch the sunsets. But, alani specifically, I love looking around. There's things they call the menahune, which are little statues of mischievous men that are all over the resort, and I love trying to find where they are, because they're all hidden around.
Speaker 2:It's the Hawaiian equivalent of a leprechaun.
Speaker 4:Yes, yeah, it's just a fun little activity, but I do really appreciate all of the culture that they teach at Aulani, all of the culture that they teach at Alani. Like you said, greg, it is Disney-fied a little bit, but they do keep that cultural aspect. They're constantly trying to teach you about the pollination history and the plants and different things that Hawaii has, which is really cool.
Speaker 1:Boy. All of this talk of Alani now, and I want to book another trip.
Speaker 5:Me too. Yeah, you'll be going in a year anyway.
Speaker 1:Well, no, if I go for work, I go to Maui, I don't. Alani is on Oahu, okay, so, yeah, so completely different island, all right. Next question I'm going to pick on Bob. Another question from our buddy Jonathan, over in Israel, and he asks Bob as a somewhat local with Run Disney prices always increasing but not having to spend as much on travel, do you find yourself looking at other races outside of Run Disney?
Speaker 2:Well, jonathan, thanks for the question. And talking about spending money on travel, you probably have the record. Yes, he does. I would think Our friend Valeria comes from Argentina, but I think that's a little bit closer. The answer to your question is no, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I'm not looking for substitute races. I have others in this area that I enjoy running. One thing I am going to look at in the future is I'm probably not going to. I've been running every race on every race weekend for a long time. I missed my first one at Princess uh, first one in two years but I did it by doing another race here in Tampa, uh, that same weekend. I've got all three in springtime, then I don't know. Then I think I may just look at.
Speaker 2:I've been doing 5Ks and challenges. I may back off a little bit. I will tell you the prices are getting my attention and I think that's at the root of your question. But as long as I'm able, I'm going to get over there, because I just love this family so much that I cannot imagine sitting here an hour and a half to. Well, never an hour and a half, it's never an hour and a half. It could be a little less than two hours, but let's say two or three hours away and not being over there at least to be amongst my friends and to say hi to everyone. But yeah, the price increase has definitely been noted.
Speaker 1:Well, actually, if you think about it, you have two quasi racecations on the books for this year, right?
Speaker 2:I do. I do Cincinnati for Flying Pig and Bird in Hand for Bird in Hand, but yeah, and I may continue. That that's all good, that's fine. But the root of Jonathan's questions, I think, was are you looking to substitute something, since Disney prices are increasing and no, the answer to that is really no, but I still get the reason for the question. Let me see here. I went to Jack last time, I will go to John this time and I will ask John Hollywood wants to know what's the coolest place you've ever been and why.
Speaker 5:That's a really interesting question.
Speaker 2:Well, hollywood's really interesting question.
Speaker 5:Well, holly was an interesting guy, yes, so I think, one of the coolest things I've done. So it is a place I've been. I went to Camp Nobibosco in 1981, I think it was, or 82.
Speaker 2:Oh, come on, You're making that up. No, camp Nobibosco, come on.
Speaker 5:Camp Nobibosco when I was in Boy Scouts. It's a Boy Scout camp up by Blairstown, new Jersey. That's where they filmed, friday the 13th, the movie. We stayed in the cabin in the area when they filmed the movie and you can imagine a bunch of 12, 13 year old boys going all night long any little sound you're jumping up out of your sleeping bag going crazy.
Speaker 5:So I think that was pretty cool and interesting. Uh, somebody like you know. There's a lot of other interesting places, but I think that's probably the coolest thing I think I've did in a while.
Speaker 2:That's a great story. That's terrific, john, I haven't heard that story before.
Speaker 5:Up until recently, unless you were a Boy Scout, you were not allowed in that camp. But now in the fall, to kind of, I guess, keep the camp running and getting some extra money for the camp, they do have tours there now where you can tour the original crystal lake and, uh, have a good time. It's a really interesting place up there around. On any Friday the 13th that's an interesting area to be around Nice.
Speaker 2:All right, good stuff, john.
Speaker 5:So, jack, from Ile eliana.
Speaker 3:She wants to know which is better disney adulting or experiencing disney as a kid, and why so I love, uh, being an adult doing disney because I've had so many great memories with lots of friends and family. But, um, I loved, like, going to Disney as a kid, like I went almost every year since I was four years old and we're very fortunate to have been able to do so and I just remember always being in so much awe, like and like. I will say, being a kid then and being a kid now is so different. I mean, if you look at the two, if you look at now, there's so many like back then there was no cell phones really.
Speaker 3:My dad had his camcorder, my, he would always record the vacations and we would call it the little big tapes, because it was a little tape that you had to put in a big tape to be able to watch it on the vhs. Yeah, and um, one year we weren't even planning on going. My brother, I think, has some kind of baseball tournaments going on and me and my sister were like I really wish we could go to Disney this summer. And then we started watching these little big tapes and we're like, hey, mom, you want to watch it with us of our Disney trips? And we were just watching on end and then, after watching it and be like hey, hey, she, we, my mom was like, are you okay with this? And then she was asked my dad and he's like Okay, and we booked a trip and we went two weeks later and that never happens and it's just like. Trips like that are just so special. My family means so much to me, special. My family means so much to me and it's always like such a great memory.
Speaker 3:And I will say Disney adulting. Now, as much as I love it as an adult, there's things I wish Disney did now that they used to do back then. There's just so much imagination and creativity and love. And there's still love now but, like I don't know, it doesn't have the same feel as when you're a kid and I feel like everybody's just. Everything has to be done on your phone, everything has to be done pre-scheduled weeks, weeks in advance and everything costs extra. Now and I remember the times where you could, uh, I remember my mom and dad. They had they went to, I think guest relations and they're like oh yeah, let's do extra magic hours, um, because they were doing a thing where you could pay 20 per person and you get the extra time to be in the park and there was no one there and it was completely dead and empty and you would never find that now.
Speaker 4:I don't know. I know this is not my question, but I agree. I mean I love Disney as an adult but, like my best memories are being at Disney as a kid and I feel like I learned so much from the Disney experience and it was so immersive as a kid where, like you said, jack, now it's everything's on your phone and I mean you can be on your phone at home and I just feel like I got so much out of Disney and the experiences that they had and I will say like I love the sense of discovery too, as a kid like there's, you're not being quote-unquote, influenced by anything.
Speaker 3:You didn't see it on YouTube, being like, oh my gosh, the the top five hidden secrets of Magic Kingdom or Riot or anything Like you would be there and you're just like, oh wow, did you see that? That's cool, you might take a picture of it. You know what I mean, but it's not like I don't know, I just it was more of a merced I miss the olden days.
Speaker 2:Me too, you're too young for that to miss the olden days. I I mean I?
Speaker 3:I remember when the castle was a cake okay yeah, well vaguely remember. Let me put it I'm glad that you were. You shared yours because we're the same age. Yeah, we are, and um, yeah, anyways, who else missed ener? Was it Eisner? Who was it Eisner?
Speaker 1:No, you're right, Jack Eisner was really really instrumental in bringing the parks into.
Speaker 3:A new era.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the new era, that golden age that you know from the perspective of you, alicia and I, that's what we remember. So we have Eisner to thank for that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Well, one of the last individual questions is for Bob, and this also comes from Ileana. She asks what is your favorite ride at Walt Disney world and why?
Speaker 2:Okay, I can answer this one relatively quickly. My favorite ride at Disney world is over in Animal Kingdom, and it is Dinosaur.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:Dinosaur is a good ride. It's not. So is the Kilimanjaro. Yeah, oh yeah, that's a good ride. No, but my favorite ride over there is Pandora or Avatar. Avatar Flights of Passage, I don't know, that yeah, and why? Because it's basically a big flight simulator.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:The projection screen and the motion simulators that you sit in. You can't fly them, but you can fly in them and I think it's very well done and I enjoy that. That's my favorite. I know it's my wife Becky's favorite. We haven't been on it for a little while because the queues are usually in the two to three hour range and we're too daggum cheap to buy the lightning light passes.
Speaker 1:But yeah, that's it well, thank you everyone for those very host specific questions, uh, but but since you know we still have some time to record here on the episode, uh, we might dip into some of the other questions that we had that weren't geared specifically at the host. But you know, just, all of us collectively um as one, and the first question that we're going to tackle comes from our friend, brandy and alicia. I think you might have a good answer to this one. Brandy asks what's the worst mistake you have made on a course and how did you learn from it?
Speaker 4:so I have two um, both go in the lines of fueling and hydration, actually more hydration. The first one was one of the races I don't remember when, because it's been a while Disney decided they were going to do a cherry Powerade or Gatorade, whatever they use which was very different than anything that they had ever used before. And I didn't have my own and I went, oh, it will be fine, and it was a sweet gut punch to the stomach. So what I learned from that is to have my own hydration. Along the same lines, I was on a course here at home and it was a half marathon and it was really, really hot and I pulled a jack and I didn't look at the water stops, and so I had a little bit of water, but not enough for how hot it was, and I just figured, oh they'll, they'll have plenty of water, it's a half marathon. They didn't, they ran out, and so, again, I make sure to bring my own now, because I I don't want to ever be without what I need.
Speaker 5:One of the worst mistakes I made on the course was my shoe was loose. I didn't really want to stop because I, you know, I was walking. It was a half marathon during my first OP. I didn't really want to stop because I was walking and I was afraid of, you know, not making up time, losing time by walking, uh. But I had to stop anyway because I got a lot of big blisters on the back of my foot, on the bottom of my foot, from my foot rubbing. So if you have something that's bothering you in your foot, stop, take care of it. You know, because, especially if you're running a challenge race, the next race, your feet aren't going to be that happy.
Speaker 2:This isn't really a mistake. It's an accident. I tripped and fell at a race at Disney, and what I learned from that is henceforth I always make sure there's two or three nurses running with me.
Speaker 3:I mean I guess I have a similar one, bob. I mean ever since falling basically flat on my face at Disneyland. I look at the reflectors on the ground because I try and make sure I avoid them. I never noticed them as much before until now.
Speaker 2:I'm well aware of them. It actually wasn't a reflector, it was just one of the small. It's not a manhole cover, it's one of the small utility covers in the street I tripped on yeah. But yeah, it doesn't matter If it's just enough to knock you off balance. But that's not really. That's an accident, that's not an active omission or commission, it's just it happens and it's just that happens.
Speaker 3:You know I have one is if you are running in a place that it has like more dry heat. I went and I did the las vegas half marathon and I've done a few other races in dry heat, like in arizona and utah, whatever, but that race specifically I didn't drink enough water before the race and I was dehydrating, having like dehydration issues during it, and I know it was because I didn't take the water as seriously before the race and during it, in the beginning of it. And I feel like if you're going to a like a dry heat area, like you can get dehydrated fast and I didn't realize that and I was like, oh well, my mistake. But like now I'm like anytime I go there, I'm like okay, keep with the electrolyte tablets, be consistent, even if you don't feel like you need it. If it's every 15 minutes for you or 30 minutes, whatever, you take it then and keep going.
Speaker 2:Yep, Smart. Let's go to a question from our friend Alan. Actually there are a couple here. I'm going to pick this one and, Alan, I'm tickled that you asked this when do you see yourself in the next five to 10 years with Run Disney?
Speaker 5:I hope to be running and doing some races in the next five to ten years. It gets harder as you get older. Of course, I might have to just probably swing down to maybe one or two individual races a year and cut back on the challenges.
Speaker 2:Remember, john? I'm reading the question that Alan asked, and we're both 15 years older than you, I think.
Speaker 5:Yes.
Speaker 2:So you got plenty of good years left in you.
Speaker 5:I hope I do. You do years left in you.
Speaker 2:I hope I do.
Speaker 5:You do, jack's got a lot of good years left Five to ten.
Speaker 2:Jack, what do you say?
Speaker 3:The one reason why I really want to specifically answer this one, because in five to ten years I would really love to have a chance to bring, for David and I to bring our little one, hopefully someday that'd be cool and you know a little jack jack going on their 5k course for the first time all right we'll dress up as the incredibles all right, here's the deal.
Speaker 2:I'll run with you. That'll be my I love that that's where I see myself five to ten years yeah hopefully now.
Speaker 1:Will your future child also not research races before they sign up for them, or?
Speaker 3:so if there anything like david and I know we, we don't do as much research- it's gonna be little jack jack.
Speaker 5:you're hundred miles this weekend, don't worry about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sounds good.
Speaker 4:As I'm sitting here thinking about it, I really I mean, obviously I hope that I'm still doing the run Disney events, but I I'm thinking 10 years is a long time. Who knows if I'll be running in 10 years, but I go. It's almost been 10 years since I started, which is amazing and fantastic and life-altering. More of this question. I'm reflecting on all the experiences I've had so far. I hope that they get to continue and grow and be as they may. Yeah, really fun question, alan, to think about. Wow, 10 years. I haven't hit my 10 year mark. Well, I mean 2016 technically.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, this is our 10th. This is our 10th year running.
Speaker 4:Yeah, 2026 will be yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, 26 will be the beginning of the 11th.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I've been running for over 10 years. Yep, okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let me pass this along, and I mean it sincerely, and Jeff Galloway would say the same thing if he was here. If you keep moving, if you want to keep moving, you have to keep moving, and there's no reason any of you shouldn't be running in the next five to ten years. Is there an element of luck involved? Sure, sure. No one knows for sure what's going to happen, but you all should be just fine, and I'm going to be mad at you if you're not.
Speaker 1:That's where I'll be in the next five or 10 years.
Speaker 5:I'll be scolding you guys for not running, the old man screaming at the clouds, that's right, I'll be chasing you with my cane.
Speaker 1:I don't know I have your, your, your, carl cane, yeah yeah, I have a cane yeah no, for me, I I definitely see myself continuing in that time span. I to me, I think the biggest x factor is going to see what life brings me in terms of my daughter's interests. You know, I I feel like if she just ran the the springtime surprise three weeks ago, and that's right and I I hope she had a wonderful time doing it.
Speaker 2:I know she did, I know she did um, but you know.
Speaker 1:So if it's something where you know she continues to love it and she wants to, you know, as she gets older't necessarily be doing more challenges, but maybe you know more one-offs here or there, which which I'm totally fine with because you know I think it works out.
Speaker 1:You know I've made the investment into Disney vacation club, so that does offer me opportunities to, to get down there and you know, having my, my vacations quote, unquote, prepaid and and, you know, and all that jazz.
Speaker 1:If I had a goal for myself, though, I know, probably within the next five to 10 years, I think I would like to see myself at least do one more goofy, I think this past year at Marathon Weekend, in terms of just doing the marathon. I really enjoyed that experience because you get the full 26.2, you get all four parks, you get to run with friends, you get the Mickey years at the end Main Street, the castle friends, you get the mickey years at the end main street, the castle, it's, it's perfect. So I I can definitely see myself doing that, um, you know, several more times. But in terms of like a challenge because, again, I've said on the podcast before I much prefer goofy than I do dopey. So in the next five to ten years I think I can see myself at least doing one, one more goofy you know, greg, in 10 years I could see you running the half marathon with Riley.
Speaker 1:I mean again, that's if she's interested.
Speaker 3:I mean the. Thing is.
Speaker 1:Her interests are all over the place, and I love it because it's very similar to me. I always like to consider myself like a quote-unquote renaissance man, in the sense that like for as much as like, even though it was three weeks ago, as much as I love March Madness, like I also really enjoy going to New York City to see Broadway shows and stuff like that. You know. So like two very different things, and she's the exact same way. She loves her theater camp, she loves performing, but she's in going to be starting softball here very soon. She just told us next fall she wants to sign up for flag football, which I'm, like, very excited about. So, so, if, if running is part of those interests, I'm going to be here to be her biggest cheerleader. So we'll have to.
Speaker 2:We'll have to wait and see so, alan, in five to ten years, I don't know where you'll be, buddy, but I hope you'll still be running the marathon, because I hope I'll be there with you as long as, as long as alan's running the marathon, I'm running the marathon, that's. That's it, man? Yeah, that's yep. He's older than me, by the way, like eight months, eight months, yeah all right here.
Speaker 1:Here's a really, really interesting question from our friend valerie, and I can't wait to hear these responses. Listeners probably quote unquote fangirl over the rise and run hosts, but do the hosts fangirl over any listeners or runners? Have there been any runners that you have been nervous or anxious to meet? Oh yeah, all right. Who do you got jack?
Speaker 3:when we interviewed taryn, I was fangirling hard because I was like she's the coolest person I think I've ever met. She's a stuntwoman, she does Disney, she's done all this cool stuff, like she just seems like the coolest person and I was just like, man, I want to run with you someday. I think it would be fun.
Speaker 2:And you have, haven't, you, didn't you?
Speaker 3:We've hung out together. No, never run. No, not together. You have haven't you Didn't you. We've hung out together.
Speaker 2:No, never run no, not together. No, you had plans to do Vegas, didn't you?
Speaker 3:Yes, we had plans to do Vegas together, but unfortunately something came up and she had to cancel last minute.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's too bad.
Speaker 4:Yeah, mine was Brittany Charbonneau. I mean we had had her on the podcast and I was nervous to have her on just because I was like whoa, this is a big deal. But then when I did the marathon in 23, it must have been I did Dopey and she was there for the half marathon at the start and she wanted to take a picture with me and I was like with me, you want to take a picture with me?
Speaker 4:I want to take a picture with me and I was like with me you want to take a picture with me, I want to take a picture with you, and so that was a really, really cool experience. That was probably my biggest fangirl moment.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Both of those ladies are terrific yeah.
Speaker 1:For me. I have two people the first in terms of the podcast, specific and granted, I'm sure he's going to laugh at me, and the next time I get to see him, I'm sure he'll probably comment on this.
Speaker 1:But Cesar Samoa, even though I did so much prep for that interview because you know I like this, like this guy stars on broadway I need to like I made sure that I had a detailed list of questions and I made sure that that list of questions was in a proper order so that it all made sense. And then all of that like nervous, like pent-up, anxious energy went away. And john I'm sure you probably remember the moment too, because you were the only other host there that day is when he said you're like I'm fangirling now over you guys, and like that just like literally blew my mind, and so I remember being nervous for the interview. And then, when he said that he was going to come to the meetup during marathon weekend, I I wasn't nearly as nervous, but I was like, but I think I was just like anxious though to like meet him in person and give him a hug and you know, and just like continue to talk to him.
Speaker 1:And I will say, you know, I think it's fostered into like a little bit of a nice friendship. You know, I was texting with him when I was in new york city a couple of weeks ago. My daughter's big christmas gift was to go see harry potter and the cursed child, so like I was sending him photos of her with her wand and robe, out in front of the theater and he just was eating that up and and I'm trying to do everything in my power to be able, uh, to go see him in his new show that just opened yeah, three weeks ago.
Speaker 1:Yeah, his show that just opened a couple of weeks ago. You know, I really want to be able to go and support him there. So yeah, so in terms of the podcast, it would be Caesar.
Speaker 2:Your prep for that episode showed that was excellent, that interview.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you. Yeah, absolutely interview well, thank you, yeah, absolutely in terms of just meeting someone, though in general um, that person for me was gerald resnick oh, I've never met him in person because now, grant you know, he has not run a run disney race in a while and I I haven't bumped into him in, oh god, maybe like two plus years now it's been a while but, um, I remember I finally got a chance to meet him for the for the first time.
Speaker 1:That was, um, it was marathon weekend of 2019 and by that point I had literally watched every single video and he was the first person that I had ever like on my YouTube app, like, so I would get like an alert when a new video dropped and I made sure to to watch that, you know, like the minute it came out, because I was just, I was so impressed with his story, what he was, what he's able to do, what he's been able to accomplish, and then on. So I'm always impressed with that. From the physical journey you know that he's on it in his running journey, but then the, the, the editing and like TV production nerd in me also comes out, because he does a great job filming and and I know he does get some help, but you know what he does editing and the fact that he is blind, like it, just like that blew my mind. And then, on top of that, to find out that he's born and bred in, uh, the greater philadelphia area.
Speaker 1:Him and I both went to temple university. We have, you know, we have some mutual, some mutual friends in the industry and everything like that. So there was just like so much that I felt like I had in common with him. And then I finally had the opportunity to go up. He just happened to walk by me and I remember getting nervous because obviously he only has that little bit of peripheral vision, so I wanted to make sure that I was being the most respectful in terms of going up to him and not startling him and everything like that. And I remember we had this whole long conversation and then we got to chat even more. I think it was during the 22 marathon weekend.
Speaker 2:I was with you, Greg.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right yeah, I found him in the finisher shoot and then, uh, we chatted and we just kept walking and I brought him over to, you know, the rest of our group and everything, and you know, just being able to interact with him is such a pleasure and and, and, gerald, I I hope you make it back to run disney. Um, you know I'd love to get a life update, but yeah, I, I just remember that first time, god, I was so nervous and I felt like I was fumbling over my words and everything. And I remember I made I made his half marathon video and I was like, oh god, I probably look like a moron in this and all that jazz.
Speaker 5:But yeah, he's, he's such an awesome guy yeah, greg, I kind of say like the fangirl or was probably caesar again. I mean it was so funny, like you were saying he's like you guys are like the celebrities. I'm like what? Like we probably get what about 2 000 listeners. You know an episode. You're probably getting close to that a night performing on broadway. Yeah, you know, it's like and like you're thinking where the celery is, like that that was pretty wild. I mean he said like a broadway star, meeting him was probably one of my like little nervous because you're thinking you know broadway is broadway, you know, and like john the last time I checked your, your and I's picture is not in a playbill, you know.
Speaker 5:No, not mine. No, not mine. I'm working on that, okay, yeah, and I think I think it's kind of funny. And you know any other runners? You know it's, it's. I like to meet everybody. I mean I'm not, I'm not fangirling, but I like to see all the other runners out. There are listeners. I mean I think it's, I think it's cool. I mean I, I try to respect a lot of their, their privacy, you know too. I mean I don't care about my. I do care about my privacy. Like, if I'm in the men's room, let's don't try to come shake my hand, you know.
Speaker 1:Hey, listen. It was in the restroom where I met Bob for the first time.
Speaker 2:So I mean sometimes it works out.
Speaker 1:I don't think it was Okay it wasn't in. It was in the line waiting to go in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that's right yeah.
Speaker 5:I mean, yeah, but like you know, like sometimes if they're in I won't go and bother people that, like you know, stuff like that.
Speaker 1:But yeah, it's interesting which is all important to say that outside of the restroom. If you see any of us during a race weekend, please do not be shy, do not be nervous, do not be anxious. We want to chat with you, we want to know about your story because you know for as much as people will say that we inspire them or we get them through a run. If it wasn't for that support, we wouldn't be doing this. So that feeling is reciprocated upon each and every single one of you. So again, please, if you're ever in that instance, just come say hi. We want to continue to learn, love and grow this family.
Speaker 2:That's a fact. All right, we've got time for at least one more. I'm going to go back to Alan, who asks what magical moments have you witnessed or been part of during a Run Disney event?
Speaker 5:I did see, after one of the races, somebody get engaged right in front of us for an event and I think she said yes, because there was no. She's hugging him, kissing him afterwards, so I'm hoping it was yes. You know, so it was pretty interesting.
Speaker 2:That's a magical moment, yeah.
Speaker 5:I guess it's magical in some senses. But the one girl next to me had a really funny comment. I don't know why he did that. Her hands are probably so swollen she can't get the damn ring out. Us guys are thinking this is cool, this is romantic. She just did something and somebody's commenting on swollen fingers.
Speaker 2:All right, I've got one of each and I've told these stories before one of them tonight. Really, I think it's magic when I get to push Woody across the finish line Of the three times I've done it. I think the one that was the most magical was the time I was wearing a boot.
Speaker 1:I was just going to say that, yes.
Speaker 2:It was a half marathon. I had no intention of completing the half marathon. I'm in a stinking boot. I was going to go to the first aid station, turn myself in. Kim caught me before we got there, Said do you want to push Woody? I pushed Woody for 13 miles. That was pretty magical.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bob, I can specifically remember that because, let's see, that was wine and dine of 22. Because, let's see, that was Wine and Dine of 22. I had only done the 5K and the 10K that week Because, as much as I wanted to run the half, I never signed up for it Because the flights back home that day were like ridiculously expensive.
Speaker 2:Oh wow, that day were like ridiculously expensive, oh wow.
Speaker 1:and I I've just I felt bad that I wasn't gonna be able to be there for the whole weekend or the after party or anything like that. And so I had an early-ish flight and I remember, you know, I remember what you know you had said to us over the course of that weekend was I'm just gonna get to the first aid station and turn myself in. And I remember landing in philly and turning my phone back on and I loaded up instagram and the first photo that pops up is you with your half marathon and challenge medal and I'm thinking what the hell?
Speaker 2:happened. Yeah, I I'm still wondering if it wasn't. If you, you may listen to this and go oh boy, that must have been really hard. No, I, the boot protected me. I felt fine. I had a little problem where the boot rubbed on my shin, but it was, it was. I had the boot for an achilles tendon injury.
Speaker 1:The achilles was okay I'll say really, the only time you ever really struggled is when you admitted to me at breakfast after the 5K that you were in some pain and that was because you didn't wear the boot.
Speaker 2:That's right. That's right. I was too tough. You know, I don't need that.
Speaker 5:And that week in the 10K, you bailed out in the 10K, I bailed in the 10K, you bailed out in the 10K, I bailed in the 10K, I did. That's right and we're finished the race. We're sitting there going. Okay, let's find Bob, because Bob should be somewhere in the finish area because he was bailing out. We put on the tracker. There's Bob still moving, bob's still moving and he's like 10 miles in. It's like well, I guess Bob didn't stop the taste is fine.
Speaker 2:I was wearing the wrong clothes, I had stopped for a pizza roll before the race, everything, but it was. You know it was the question was magical moment. That was magic. My other one and I've told this story before too. I mentioned him earlier in this episode my good friend Christopher Christopher Sapienza. Chris tried so hard to finish a half marathon. He failed twice and in 2000,. I think it's 17, I think.
Speaker 1:Yes, it was 2017, yes, yep.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's back, he's doing the half. And I finished, I said to Becky Chris is still out there. This is when we can track each other much better. I said Chris is still out there, I'm going to wait for him to finish. It could be another hour, but I'm going to wait for him until he finishes and we're tracking and watching and waiting, and I'm listening to wait for him until he finishes and we're tracking and watching and waiting and I'm listening to. It must've been Pelkey. I didn't know him at the time. I don't know, maybe not, doesn't matter. It was the race announcer. And he goes. And I know Chris, no, chris, he goes here. Come the balloon ladies. And I turned to Becky and I went oh no, that means he's going to get swept. And within about 90 seconds I hear him going again, the race announcer announcing names across Christopher, sapienza, I darn near, cried, I darn near. And when I did see Chris as he came across, he was crying. So that was a pretty magical moment.
Speaker 3:He was crying, so that was a pretty magical moment, I think. For me, the magical moment especially happened during the most recent Run Disney race. Being a part of being a Galloway Pacer oh yeah, and just like getting to the last mile and then just watching everybody leave yeah, to kill their accomplishments, accomplishments and goals, like they're just killing it. And one person said, oh yeah, um, this is going to be a pr for me and I and I caught it on video too, so if you want to watch it, go ahead and check out rise run podcast um on youtube. But she said it was an eight minute pr and it's just like hearing the stories before they go and run off and go to the finish line, cause you want them to run ahead of you, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Yes, Especially that last mile, and it's just kind of like you just want to cry because you're so happy that you got to help someone you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a great magical. That's wonderful and a good promo for the youtube channel too that was really well done that is.
Speaker 2:That is a good. I like that. That's great. I think we'll end on that. Jack. That was a good one, friends. Thanks. If we didn't get to your question, we're sorry. We'll hold on to these questions. Maybe we'll get back to them, but thank you so much for participating and we had fun with this. We hope you had fun listening next week for real. We'll do the springtime surprise recap Now, once we are all back and live and back from springtime surprise, not going three weeks into the future.
Speaker 2:All right, my friends, it's time for the race report. The modified race report that is Still brought to you by our friend Thomas Stokes of Stoked Metabolic Training, stokesfit slash, rise and run coaching is the website. Coach was with us two weeks ago, talked about what he's got coming up for future plans. I have no idea what they are because we really haven't talked to him yet, but he was on the episode two weeks ago. Let's see Now. Look clearly, we can't do the typical race report, so what I'm going to do here is Greg has gone into the race report file and listed those who are racing this weekend, so let's list those and we'll DC a beautiful event. It's weekend long. You've got the Double Blossom, which is a 5. Have all told us they're going to be running that On Saturday.
Speaker 2:We've got the Runapalooza in Asbury Park, new Jersey. Heather's going to be there. Derry, new Hampshire, has the Cheap Marathon. Chadwick's doing it for his 31st birthday. Joel, who's Chadwick's friend, is going to be running with him for Joel's first marathon. Hope that went well. In Bentonville, arkansas, the run Bentonville 5k. Megan's got that one. Kelly's got the Soul of the City 10K in Baltimore, doing it as a virtual as she was running the Springtime Surprise 10 miler. The Dunedin Highland Games Highland Trail Run 5K in Dunedin, florida. Krista and her husband Phil are going to be there and maybe I will too. That's not far away. I may have to look into that one, even though it's three weeks, never mind.
Speaker 5:Bob, how can you do this one if you're going to be with us Saturday at Magic Kingdom? Oh, or Disney, that race weekend? Is that this? I'm confused? April 5th, that's yeah.
Speaker 1:You're a springtime surprise, so you can't do this oh, I'm sorry, I'm not there.
Speaker 5:Well, unless you get done early enough, Bob, you can drive back. Yeah, and I'm not doing that again.
Speaker 2:That's a neat area, real strong Scottish influence in Dunedin, hence the Highland Games. But looks like fun, but I won't be there, sorry, krista Phil, have fun. In Springfield, illinois, the Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon. Agarwal, matthew Craig and John are there. Agarwal, matthew Craig and John are there. Marty and Susan are in Charleston, south Carolina, for the Cooper River Bridge Run 10K, wrapping up Saturday. Brianna's in Lansdale, pennsylvania, the Mana on Main Street race to end hunger. Just a couple. On Sunday, megan's got the April Showers 10K in Ponte Vedra, florida. And Dan's in Spain for the Madrid half marathon. That's who we've got. I know we'll have more people than that, but that's who's on the race report at the time we're making this recording. All right, my friends, and if you run, you know you are our friend.
Speaker 2:Thank you for joining us for episode 185 of the Rise and Run podcast. Hope you enjoyed it. I've got a little insight into some of the hosts and some of their favorite run, disney events, activities, stories, etc. Again, thank you for taking the time to put in the questions. It is a Zoom week, so when we get together on Zoom we'll be able to relive springtime training, springtime surprise. We can tell springtime surprise stories. Spring training will be over by then. All right, friends, have fun. Happy training, happy running.
Speaker 1:The Rise and Run podcast discusses general information about Run Disney and is in no way affiliated with Run Disney or the Walt Disney Company. Any information or advice discussed on this podcast should not be considered medical advice and should always consult with your health care provider or event organizer.
