Rise and Run
Rise and Run
204: Race Day Volunteers: The Heartbeat of Race Day
Every finish line moment you've celebrated was made possible by someone who showed up before dawn, prepared water stations, or cheered when you needed it most. In this heartfelt episode, we pull back the curtain on race volunteering with insights from experienced volunteers who've supported events from local 5Ks to the Boston Marathon.
Our volunteer panel—Ilyana, Steve, Kay, and Mike—share what motivates them to give their time, the behind-the-scenes work few runners see, and the special connections formed with participants during races. From setting up thousands of water cups hours before runners arrive to finding creative ways to encourage struggling participants, these stories will transform how you see the smiling faces along your race route.
"I want any runner that interacts with me to know that I'm there to help them in any way I can," explains Steve, capturing the generous spirit that defines the volunteer experience. Kay reminds us that volunteers are often the first to arrive and last to leave, asking nothing in return but the joy of supporting others' achievements.
We're also joined by Mark Lane-Holbert, who shares his profound experience guiding a blind runner at the Boston Marathon and discusses his upcoming handbook on running therapy. His work with Achilles International highlights another dimension of the running community's supportive nature.
The episode features a delightful conversation with five women who formed the "Joyful Runners" relay team for the Centennial 100K in Washington after meeting through our podcast community. Their story of strangers becoming teammates exemplifies how running creates meaningful connections.
Whether you're a seasoned racer or preparing for your first event, this episode will deepen your appreciation for the volunteers who make our running journeys possible. Next time you pass a water station or cross a finish line, remember to share a smile or word of thanks—it means more than you know.
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Expo lights and cheering lines, costumes, bright and hopeful signs. We're not alone. This path is wide, with every listener by our side, From training tips to tales that shine inspiration in every line. We may fall, but we rise again, fueled by community and friends. The road is long, but we belong in this rhythm, in this song.
Speaker 2:Rise and run from start to the run. Together we shine like the morning sun. Rise and run, we rise and run, we rise and run.
Speaker 3:Good morning friends. It's Michelle and Jessica and we're from Erie, pa. We just finished a nine-mile training run and we hope that you guys have a happy run and happy running and happy listening.
Speaker 4:Our friend Michelle and Jessica, coming to us from Erie, pennsylvania, as they're finishing up a nine-mile training run and introducing and welcoming you to episode 204 of the Rise and Run podcast. Hello, my friends, I'm Bob, so happy that you're here. I'm here this week with Jack, hi, with Greg, hey, hey, hey.
Speaker 5:With John hey how you doing, and with Jack Hiya.
Speaker 4:With Greg hey, hey, hey. With John hey, how you doing. And with Alicia Hello, Hiya friends, good to see you. This week we talked to some of our other Rise and Run friends who have done the very, very important job of volunteering at races throughout the country. We'll talk with them for a while In the Race Report Spotlight. More members of the Rise and Run family this is a group who ran an ultra relay up in the state of Washington and had a great time. And one more guest this week our buddy, mark Lane-Hulbert, is with us. Mark is here to talk about in the vein of volunteering, about guiding a blind runner at the Boston Marathon and about a book he's working on.
Speaker 7: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 their Run Disney journey. Please remember to follow us on Facebook at Rise and Run Podcast and on Instagram at Rise and Run Pod. Check out our YouTube channel and visit our webpage, riserunpodcastcom. If you have a question, comment, race report or want to introduce an upcoming episode, please call us at 727-266-2344 and leave us a recorded message.
Speaker 8:We also want to thank our Patreons, whose support helps us keep the Rise and Run podcast rising and running. If you'd like to join the Patreon team, please check out patreoncom slash rise and run podcast and we have two new members this week. We have Allie without an E, who's in the plastic cheese level, and Lauren, who is in the Mandalorian level, and I was going to do the theme song of the Mandalorian, but yeah, but nobody can remember what it sounds like.
Speaker 8:No, I did Okay. So I looked it up and all I got is do-do-do-do-do-do do-do-do-do-do-do.
Speaker 4:Yeah, Theme songs ain't what they used to be kiddo.
Speaker 8:Oh, I thought it was a good theme song.
Speaker 4:I remember back in the summer of 77. I think there were like six TV theme songs that hit the top 40. Oh really, yeah, no kidding, welcome Back, cotter, right, that was one of them. Yeah, yeah, there were a bunch. I'm not going to go through, like on the radio, I'm not going to look them up.
Speaker 5:yeah, they were in the american top 40, yeah oh nothing will ever beat the goat, though, of thank you for being a friend from golden girls yeah, which wasn't that wasn't composed for that that song.
Speaker 4:They used a already written song yes uh, cotter was one. Uh kojak, the eye of the sparrow was one of the sammy davis jr sang it all right.
Speaker 4:Enough of this. It's a rise and run podcast, it's not the bob gets nostalgic about 70s tv podcast. Uh hey, as long as I'm apologizing for goofy things, you know, friends, we try so hard to get everybody into the race report, sometimes, candidly, sometimes you put it in too late for us to get there. But once in a while I got to think the algorithm messes me up because I go through it and through it and through it and all of a sudden I'll see one and I don't want to let it go by that tracy also did the cool summer morning summer series race three a couple weeks ago. So, tracy, thanks for putting the report in.
Speaker 5:There you go the rise around podcast is sponsored by our friends over at magic bound travel, and I'm telling you, magic bounds, I think it's gonna be pretty busy, uh, coming up here in the next couple of weeks. Uh, you know, number one you know we just had brad and maggie on last week talking about the rise run cruise. You know, we're still looking for that. One more person. Get up to that, even 100 or or, or, as we were talking with the haunted mansion, yeah, there's room for one more. So, but there's always there's room for more than just one. There's room for more than just one. There's room for everybody. So make sure you contact MagicBound about that.
Speaker 5:But we got some news this week that Disneyland packages. So if you're running the Disneyland half marathon in January of next year, those packages went on sale yesterday of next year. Those packages went on sale yesterday. Uh, so be sure to reach out to your magic bound travel agent to get all set up for that. And then the last item that we have here to pass along is that, starting next week, disney cruise line sailings for I believe it's late 2026 through like early to mid 2027, go on sale. So, depending on what your level of castaway club is. You know, if you're one of those people that has like the pearl, I think you start next monday and then it goes all the way through. I believe the day after labor day is when it goes on sale to the general public. So if there's a cruise that you're thinking about going on Disney Cruise Line, be sure to get in contact with your Magic Bound Travel agent, because you know, as Brad and Maggie told us last week, that's when you get the cheapest prices is by booking as early as possible.
Speaker 4:So be sure to visit magicboundtravelcom for all of your disney travel planning needs nice goes from pearl to peon, I believe, is the yeah, oh, shucks, that's great. And let's look at the training schedule, friends. Uh, disneyland, halloween two weeks away I mean you can almost uh, you can almost taste it. Halloween two weeks away I mean you can almost taste it from here, two weeks away. We're in training week 16 for the challenge.
Speaker 4:This, of course, is the last big training weekend Five-mile walk, followed by a 14-mile run walk, wine and Dine now nine weeks away In training week seven. This weekend, three miles with a magic mile and marathon weekend is now 20 weeks away. We're in training week eight. From the experienced marathoners training schedule, you got 13 miles this weekend. For the dopey and goofy challenge training schedules, you have nine miles. I also want to point out, friends, that we are getting next week for if you're going to wine and dine and you're staying on property, if you're going to wine and dine and you're staying on property, or even if you're not staying on property, next week begins the advanced dining reservation window. If you are arriving on Expo Day on Thursday, then your advanced dining reservation window day opens up on the 24th of August, so you can back yourself up or move yourself forward from there and figure out when your ADRs open up. Let's see, my friends, what do we have in the way of training updates? Jack, why don't you kick us off?
Speaker 8:Yeah. So unfortunately, last week last Monday I had a bit of a rough run. The few days prior I did a long run and I started feeling something happening in my hips, just brushed it off because I was like it's probably I'm just sore, did a long workout, whatever. Monday I went and did a very simple 30 minute run and I couldn't even complete it because my hips were hurting so bad that I had to stop and even walking home hurt and I was like, well, this just throws a wrench into my plans.
Speaker 8:Um, and it has been an issue for now almost a week and a half and I'm really worried because I was going to go for a time over at Great Smoky Mountains half marathon in a few weeks and it sucks because, like literally at loopy looper, I went for a timed run and I was very proud that I was running exactly at the pace that I need to run for the half marathon and and I felt good, I felt like I could continue in that moment and I don't know if I'm going to be able to do that now.
Speaker 4:How are you feeling now, Jack?
Speaker 8:Well, adam told me to get like you know, like the small little rubber balls, tonight. I had just got it in yesterday and so tonight I went and used it around my hip area. Oh, my goodness, that hurt, but afterwards it felt good. So like. I think I just need to do that on my left side, because there's some stuff going on with my left side now. So I'm going to try and do that Pray that by next next week I could start running, hopefully again all right, but we'll see.
Speaker 4:I hope so too. Yeah, if from that kind of reaction it sounds muscular, doesn't? It sounds like?
Speaker 7:yeah, you know, tight, tightness probably oh, it's tightness.
Speaker 8:It's like tight in the calves too, so I'm not really sure what to do.
Speaker 4:I think I just need to stretch more maybe, but I I hope this works for you. Jack, you're smart enough to know what to do. I'm not going to give you advice, but just go easy. Just be smart.
Speaker 6:So my training has been going pretty well. I know that I've talked about before that I was out for a little bit due to my back and everything has been good. I've continued to do my stretching, but one thing that I always challenge myself with during the month is to do something new, and so this month what I did that was new was Yogi, my dog, and I. We went medallion hunting for our city. We did not find the medallion, nor did we get the $500 prize, although we walked over the spot at least five times, which is so frustrating. But we got many, many steps. He was really pooped out and one of the days before I went to work when I work, I always get at least 10,000 steps. I had 18,000 steps that day, so I definitely got my steps in last week, which was fun, but yeah.
Speaker 7:I went out for my long run on Sunday because I had to work Saturday. So I went out Sunday a little hotter than I expected what it was going to be, but I did find out on that run. When I came back on my Strava I had a bronze achievement which I'm like wow.
Speaker 7:I'm like, wow, I go. What did I do? Because I thought it was slow. So my hill training is paying off because I got the third fastest time on one of the hills I ran up and it's the third fastest time since 2023.
Speaker 4:All right.
Speaker 7:Awesome. I was like wow and I and sometimes you know when you're out there and go, man, I'm dogging this hill, I'm not doing it and then all of a sudden you realize wow, it's, it was quicker than I thought.
Speaker 4:Good for you, man, good for you.
Speaker 5:Boy, that that hill at mile seven for Burden Hand is really not going to see what's coming when you get to it. Yeah, speaking of Burden Hand, I'll make this joke the hay is in the barn. You see what I did there. I had 14 miles this past weekend as my last long training run before bird in hand in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 5:And I will say, initially I got a little discouraged with myself because with my weight loss over the last couple of months, you know, my paces have been trending in the direction that I really want them to go. And then over the course of the long run I I was, you know, not all the time, but you know, occasionally I did take like an extended walk break here or there and I was kind of getting a little bit down on myself with that. But then, you know, once you, you know, hit, stop on the watch and then you see the average pace. It was actually okay because when you account for the pacing of slowing down because of the heat because, john, like you said, it was pretty warm and humid this past weekend up here in the northeast In theory my average pace was right at the speed limit spot where coach would want me to be for for that particular, you know, long run pace and then also accounting for the weather.
Speaker 5:So in the grand scheme of things, I was happy about that. But I will say it was the first time in a very long time where, post run, I did not feel good physically and I was trying to figure out why. Why and there was two things I did differently. The first was one of my new favorite fuels, especially for a pre pre-run, because I'm trying not to run fasted anymore. Is I like those go-go squeeze apple sauces that have the electrolytes in them?
Speaker 5:the go-go active yeah, and they're delicious and and they get the job done. Like I said, it's really really nice to take right before I start my run. So I was like you know, this is going to be my, my mile 10 treat, and so what it is? I I took some advice from, uh, theresa um, she goes on instagram by running in shin splints. She had talked about in our friend Kristen running makeup as a video. What she did is she put one of those in the freezer the night before and then let it thaw out over the course of the run. I was like perfect, I'm going to do that exact same thing.
Speaker 5:The problem is I probably should have had that gogo squeeze at like mile five or six and not 10, because not only did it thaw out but it also got warm. And when I went to go put that, you know, into my system at mile 10, it just did not taste good. But you know, I got it down because I I knew I would need the electrolytes and the sugar and such like that, but it just it really didn't wreck havoc on my stomach, I just didn't feel pleasant. And then the other part is, when I got home, I just I felt very parched and lightheaded and such, and I think the reason for that is, again, it was a long run. So I, you know, had my hydration vest with me and I filled that sucker up with ice and put ice cold gatorade into it and by the time, you know, I was probably in that last 5k or so.
Speaker 5:I had zero interest in drinking anything, just because everything that in that in that bladder was just so warm. So I, I think, when it comes to long runs in the future, I need to make a decision as to do. I need to come up with a plan where I can stop at like a convenience store during the course of my run to be able to refill things. Or, instead of doing one long out and back, do I find a more centralized spot that allows me to either come back to my car or come back to my house, so that I can, you know, fill up on ice or water or extra fuel and such, and then also but then practice the mental exercise of, even though I'm going back to my house or I'm going back to my car, that I'm not wanting to get into that car and go home and call it, you know, quits on the run.
Speaker 4:But, as coach told me, the encouragement today on the customized training call that you know quits on the run.
Speaker 5:But, as coach told me exactly, but you know, coach gave me the encouragement today on the customized training call that you know I've dealt with enough mental things and running that I should have the will power to be able to not do that, and he's absolutely right. So you know, you just one of those things you live and you learn during the training cycle.
Speaker 7:Yeah, I always plan my routes, my long routes, with convenience stores on it, so that I know, okay, I cause. I. I wore a vest a couple of times to run and I realized why I don't like wearing a vest. I bought a new one. I haven't tried it yet, but you know, I could always not not cause. Like, when we run these races we have water aid stations everywhere.
Speaker 13:Yep.
Speaker 7:So I figure I could try to okay mile five. I got a convenience store mile 10. So it makes life a little easier instead of carrying a water bottle the whole time.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I don't like carrying water bottles. I've got a vest, though, and about 10 miles is where I put it on 10 miles and longer and it's got two soft water bottles that fit into the pockets up front. It's a North Face product, Brittany. I just wanted you to know that.
Speaker 5:Are you sponsored by them now as well?
Speaker 4:No, but you know I subscribe to whatever the heck that thing is she calls Own your Weird, own your Weird.
Speaker 5:Own your Weird yeah.
Speaker 4:Are you getting your own?
Speaker 4:shirt from North Face too Well, I don't know, maybe, if they listen, I don't know All right training updates. So here's the thing I had 14 miles on my training schedule this weekend also and I got zero. Let's see if I can do this quickly. During springtime surprise I started noticing pain shooting down my right leg. I'd had this before and it went away, but started getting progressively worse as training went along and I started noticing my shins would get numb as I progressed. Becky would get on me because I'd be walking to the car and suddenly something would hurt and she'd ask what happened. I said give me a second, it'll be all right, and I kept putting that off. Then, two weeks ago, I had 12 miles. I was still doing my training, although there were times that I would stop to walk because it was hurting. Two weeks ago well, it's three weeks ago now I had 12 miles on the training schedule. I went to do it Saturday and I had a hard time walking to the start point. So I said I'm going to put this off. I put it off until Sunday and I did my 12 miles on Sunday, finished up on the treadmill, and when I finished up on the treadmill, becky had to help me get off of it. It just hurt that badly.
Speaker 4:So in the last two weeks I've been to see a couple of doctors. I've had MRI, I've had x-ray and my surgery for my spine is scheduled for next Thursday Well, actually a week from today, from the release of the podcast. It is uh, it's I'm getting old kids, it's a spinal stenosis. It's a severe case of spinal stenosis and I'm pretty, I'm pretty optimistic. Uh, I met with the surgeon, really liked the guy almost as tall as I am. That's impressive. He really seemed my primary care physician knows how important it is for me to keep being part of this family and keep running. So she sent me to a guy who she trusted would get me back as soon as possible and he seemed to think that was his. He seemed to think we'd be okay, seemed to think that we'd be able to go walking not long after the surgery, I mean in a number of days, and as far as running, eh, probably six weeks or so after the surgery. I mean in a number of days and as far as running, probably six weeks or so after the surgery. So that means number one I will go to a bird in hand. I will go. I asked the surgeon if I'd be able to fly a couple of days after the surgery, he said yeah, it's actually. It's actually a week, so I should be in good shape there. I will not be running. I will not even try to walk the course. I think that would be dumb and Alicia would get mad at me if I tried. But I'll see you there. I hope to be doing pretty well by the time we get there.
Speaker 4:Big thing for me is I just got to be patient. I've been through a lot of this before. It's uh. Some of it is consistent with being an older runner, but the best thing I've got going for me is you. You are the best support crew in the world. Whether you know it or not, whether you actively engage with me or not, I know you're out or not, whether you're actively engaged with me or not, I know you're out there. I know you're out there, I know you're supporting and that means so so much to me that it's going to be. It's going to be okay. So, as I was talking with Coach Twiggs this morning, I'm going to be done one of these days, but I don't think it's today, so we'll take it from there.
Speaker 5:Well, bob, I'm really glad that you have a real positive outlook on this and we're glad that you're getting the help that you need so that you can get back out there as quickly but, more importantly, safely as possible. But you know, you know me safely as possible. But you know me, I'm always a glass half full kind of guy and, to be honest, I think there's actually a real big advantage for you not running bird in hand, and that is because I know you're going to be out there cheering and because you won't be running. That actually gives you quicker access to the picnic.
Speaker 4:Greg, as you started talking, I just thought of that. You're going to be first in line for chicken and ribs. I was just thinking that. Not bad, I'm looking forward to it. I hope we have a great weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing everybody. It'll be fun. I'll keep you posted, but by next episode the surgery will be done and I'll be back on the road to recovery Caution runners. Change of topic ahead.
Speaker 4:You know we talk about sometimes the importance of race volunteers. We certainly know how important they are as runners, that we couldn't have races without them. So we thought on episode 204, here we'd not only talk a little bit about race volunteering, but we'd have some of our Rise and Run friends who have volunteered at other races join us and share their experiences with us. We're happy to have you with us tonight. Gang, will you introduce yourselves please?
Speaker 13:Hi, I'm Ileana Owens and I'm from West Virginia, and the most recent place that I have volunteered at was the Hurricane 100K Ultramarathon.
Speaker 4:Ah, where was that Ileana?
Speaker 13:In Hurricane it's basically our backyard. Ah, where was that Ileana In?
Speaker 4:Hurricane, it's basically our backyard.
Speaker 14:Oh, okay, okay, Hi, I'm Steve. I'm from upstate New York. Most recently, I volunteered this past weekend at the RRTA Women's Distance 5K here locally in Binghamton.
Speaker 15:Yeah, you just finished up, Steve. Hi guys, it's Kay. I am here in Florida and I actually just volunteered this weekend too at the kickoff of the Track Shack Running Series. So it was the celebration of running 5K.
Speaker 12:Very nice, I'm Mike. I'm from southern New Hampshire and the most recent race I volunteered at was actually the Boston Marathon.
Speaker 4:Never heard of it. No.
Speaker 12:I've actually, mike, I've actually it's in some small.
Speaker 4:Marathon. Never heard of it. No, I've actually, Mike. I've actually I've heard of it. Well, thanks guys. Thanks, Thanks for joining us and thanks for volunteering. And while you told us the last race, I know that you have probably done more than that. Let's kick off here and in the race report spotlight, I always ask how you got started in running. I'm going to ask, Mike, how did you first get involved in volunteering for races?
Speaker 12:Volunteering for any races, really from my kids' elementary school. My wife is really involved in the PTO and they do a 5K fundraiser and at some point I was signed up to do bib you know handout the day before. Um, that was, yeah, the first time I would have volunteered and I've done that a couple of years now. And then through a local running group they agree to staff a table at the marathon every year and then just sort of put out the call to everyone in the group to actually show up. So that's how I did Boston.
Speaker 4:Nice. So you guys started at school working, helping the family out more or less it's for the kids. How about you, Ileana?
Speaker 13:So a while back there was a local 5k that a lady in town wanted to do. It was for a 4th of July and it was a 5k and I worked at a diner and so I said, well, we could provide the water and do like a water station, because it's 4th of July and it's uber hot here in West Virginia. But then so that was long time ago and then I hadn't volunteered for a while. But then two years ago, the 100k here. They started growing and a neighbor of mine is one of the managers for the aid stations and so he knows that I run or started running, and asked if I wanted to volunteer and so I helped out in the aid station and it was the coolest experience because it was also my first time seeing people do an ultra marathon and it was just the amount of people there and the camaraderie was amazing.
Speaker 4:So neat. Let's see, Steve, how about you?
Speaker 14:I kind of have two starts, actually my introduction to running. I actually volunteered long before I ran, about 30 years ago or more, when I was in high school. Um, there was a local 5k and at the time I was involved in high school.
Speaker 14:Uh, local, um sad group the time, I think, is students against drinking driving it was a fundraiser for the uh for the cause, and they asked us to work at a table. I knew absolutely nothing about water tables, racing 5Ks, nothing. They put four 17-year-olds out in the middle of nowhere with a jug of water and some cups and said here you go. I couldn't even contemplate that people would be running this far, but they did. And sure enough we had cups lined up the the first couple runners came through and just like plowed them over. We didn't know we were to hand them out. I'm thinking like a lemonade stand. They're gonna come up, stop by, grab a cup of water. And that's not how it worked.
Speaker 14:Um, so that was my actual intro. Fast forward quite a few years here, probably. So just just about three years ago, after I had actually started running, getting involved in my local run club through some group runs, I met a friend who was directing a local race which is notoriously hilly. So I thought one way to get out of that would be to volunteer for it. So I did the water table. It did work for two years. I did end up running that race this year.
Speaker 4:Okay, all right, kay, bring us home. How'd you get started?
Speaker 15:So I think my story probably mirrors a little bit of Steve's. It wasn't quite high school, though, but I can't even remember the first volunteer opportunity I had, but I do know it was probably. It was decades ago and it was probably connected to work. And I laugh that Steve said that because I think it was at the time distance wasn't my thing. My running journey started with like track and field sprint, so it was I'm not going to run the 5k, so I'll I'll volunteer for the 5K, you know whatever a 5K is, and I think that's how it started for me. It's become more memorable for me since running distancing distance racing and now saying I want to give back, but I couldn't tell you guys anything about what the first one was.
Speaker 4:I'll do the 5K. What's a k?
Speaker 15:I know 200, 400 and an 800. Outside of that, I got nothing for you at that time.
Speaker 7:Okay, everybody. So you guys are volunteers. What does a typical race day look like for you guys as a volunteer?
Speaker 15:I think it varies and I don't know if some of my friends here will share that too based on what your job has been. So a typical volunteer day, it could be the day before the race If you signed up for, like bid pickup, packet pickup, or some races will do prep the day before, so you're more well organized races. When you sign up to volunteer, you actually are agreeing to the time and the job duty, right, it's not just a oh, there's a race, oh, I'm just going to put my name in and when I get there I'll figure out, or they'll figure out, where they put me. I've been part of those too, and those are fun. Anyone who knows me knows that when I say fun, it probably wasn't, but that's not true.
Speaker 15:But, but yeah, so if it's the day before you know, that can look a little different the day of. So for all of our wonderful runners out there, when you see the volunteers, please just love on them. The same way we talk about loving on for run Disney, right, we talk about loving on cast members. They're just doing their job, doing their job. Love on your volunteers, because some of us are showing up two hours before you guys get there, or two hours before your alarm even goes off and we didn't pay to come, so we didn't. We're not there because our money was already spent and we're not there because we signed up Like, yeah, just know it's free for us. We're not getting paid to be there and we might be there hours before you guys get there. Um, just to make sure that everything is set up for you and it's a well executed race.
Speaker 7:Okay, mike, I know so you did a, you volunteered at a major. Is there anything uh crazy or interesting about that?
Speaker 12:I mean I think Kay captured it right it's you were there a lot earlier than I maybe expected when I was signing up and it's like a very specific process. There are rules and there are meetings and there is a training you have to watch. So, yeah, I did Boston this past year. We were at the top of, at a water stop at the top of heartbreak hill, and we had to be there before eight and the first runners didn't pass us until about 11, 30 um, and so you know even before that you, for boston, you have to actually apply to be a volunteer. Now I sort of had like a you know a cheat code, like a code to enter to join with the group that I was already with. They had kind of already been pre-vetted.
Speaker 12:But you have to apply to be a volunteer there you have to select what you'd like to do, but then you know you have to click a waiver that says, actually they're just going to tell you whatever it is they need you to do, and so we had to get there super early that morning. The course is already set up, the course is already locked down, so you can't cross it. Really. You have to park in really specific areas for Boston. And then when we're there, it was just great. Here are tables and fill up thousands of cups of water right Stacking all the water. We were lucky this year it wasn't terribly hot, but still just making sure everything is set up, because once runners start coming by, there is no chance to stop and take a break in a race that big.
Speaker 4:Mike, with Boston you talked about the first runners coming by, but the first runners would be the elites. Now they have their own system for volunteers and for fuel and hydration right.
Speaker 12:Yeah, so they have separate tables for the elites, but they could still grab a water if they want. And really I think the idea is they want everything set up so that the course is clear for the elites and all the cars and things when they come through.
Speaker 4:That all makes sense, but even so, even behind the elite field, you got guys run sub five minute miles and they're out there cooking.
Speaker 12:It is amazing how different holding a water cup out is for someone running a 230 marathon versus a five-hour marathon. And that's, I am running a five-hour marathon. Um, but like the, the momentum that they take that cup off your hand, yeah, uh, at that speed is is crazy ah, interesting iliana.
Speaker 5:So mike and k have told us about various roles that can happen in over the course of volunteering for a race for you. In all the volunteering opportunities that you have participated in, is there a favorite role that you have?
Speaker 13:I guess my biggest experience is the 100k, and the director of this race is matt young and he's a super local guy and the history of meek trail is that it's all man-made trail, so it has many anywhere from a 5K to 10 mile loops in the town of Hurricane, and so everyone's very, all the volunteers are very invested in it, and so when the 100K started and I volunteered, the first thing that Matt said when the volunteers had our little meeting the day before was our number one rule is that there is no rule, and the funny part about that is because he said that he has been to many ultra marathons and what he, the ones that were super memorable for him, was the ones where the family and the runners were having fun.
Speaker 13:So not just the pacers, not just the runners. And so the way the 100k is, you do six I think it's six laps or 10 laps, but it's a looped course, and so you always end up in this area called the bull, and so he says our goal is to basically have a 24 hour party and just to make sure that the families are all taken care of and the volunteers. And so I guess, to answer your question, greg, is that there is no rule of. We just have fun and we make sure that everyone's taken care of.
Speaker 5:Excellent, that's awesome.
Speaker 8:I love that so much because anytime you go for a race you just want to have fun, man, sometimes Awesome. I love that so much because anytime you go for a race you just want to have fun, man.
Speaker 13:Sometimes you can get real serious about it, but the only way you're actually going to enjoy it is by just letting loose. Yeah, for sure, and it's like, and it's fun for the family as well, because you know they're out there for 24 hours as well. They might not be physically running the trails, but they're waiting on on the runners and their families doing it, and so, like, there's live music, there's free ice cream, um, and a part of what yeah, you didn't tell me about that the first year.
Speaker 13:You tried to get me to listen. They have, yeah, they have this guy that comes for like three hours and he has a soft serve machine and you just get as many cones as you want. Um and um. Two years ago I started this. Um, they have a sunrise yoga and a sunrise, a sunset yoga and um, since I have yoga background they've had last year they asked me to lead it and so that was super, so fun too it was like so, yeah, the.
Speaker 13:So it was a beautiful situation and so I did that and then helped with the a station when I was done.
Speaker 8:So I love that.
Speaker 5:Can you imagine like a runner just double fisting like soft service ice cream down the trail like so, steve, I don't think your race opportunities had yoga or soft serve, even though I know you and I will be sharing in some soft serve in a couple of weeks at Birdhand. But any particular favorite roles that you've had over, uh, your volunteering time all my race um volunteers have been race day.
Speaker 14:I haven't had any, um, uh, like day before, any big pickups, things like that. Um, I primarily have done water tables. Course marshal, yeah, I both have their pluses and their minuses. Um, water table, I mean you are busy non-stop filling handing whatever your I mean. Water table, I mean you are busy nonstop filling, handing whatever I mean your role is at the table. You're busy, busy, busy, busy. Horse marshal I mean I think it was mentioned, I think last week anybody's gotten lost on a course before, so you really don't want anybody getting past. You Make sure that you know which way they're going. Fortunately, everything I've done is closed or not too open of a course, so it hasn't been a big concern. But I mean, some of these races are on open roads.
Speaker 6:So you guys talk about being busy, busy, busy during these races, especially if you're doing something like Mike, where you're doing Boston. How do you keep up the enthusiasm and and keeping that momentum to help the runners as they're going on, kay, how do you help them?
Speaker 15:Wait, I'll have to defer to Mike and Steve. I was just about to say hats off to anybody doing the water stations. My stations have usually been off course, not on course, so I'm more of the enthusiasm to get them pumped to the start line I'm more into, though no-transcript.
Speaker 14:Well, kay just kind of I think Kay kind of nailed it For me it's what would I expect, what would I want, what would I need? I try to be that volunteer, understanding you know me as a runner coming through what exactly it is I'm looking for whether it's to get through that water station fast, know where I'm going and it varies. I mean Mike's talking a much larger race. I've done 5Ks where it's more of a sprint type thing, where the fastest runners aren't even going to really bother with the water unless it's super hot. Some in the middle and the back, I mean they're going to stop at every water station they can, and I've been with the longer ones where it's a distance one. But either way, what are they going to need?
Speaker 14:So if you're that fast runner, probably just get out of my way or have that water ready. If you're a slower runner, I'm going to need more water, I'm going to need more patience. So when you encourage them, I mean the fastest runner probably doesn't need as much as that slowest runner, which sounds strange, but when you're, you're mile two and you know you've got a mile to go and you're just thinking that's the end of the world. You really need that encouraging and you can. I for me, I can see it on faces, I can see it, uh, when they're coming in. Who really needs it? Like, like you got this, you know you're mile two, you've already halfway past this and you're going to finish this.
Speaker 15:You've got this and just keep it going. Yes, I almost forgot I'm on a different level than Boston or adult 5Ks. I completely forgot all the times that I've done Girls on the Run, volunteering, and I have had the pleasure of leading like the chair squad volunteers. So for me it has been fun to like first just make sure I'm covering all the zones right for the chair squad, but I've enjoyed finding the dead zone and going to that dead zone because these are kids, right? Guys. Like when we sign up for the 5Ks, their parents for the most part, sign them up for this program.
Speaker 15:There are some girls out there that have no interest whatsoever in running, walking even, but their parents have them see it to completion. So to be out there on that course, find the zone where there's no one cheering and it's on the loop back. So at this point they're like why did y'all sign me up for this? And I hate my parents, right? So it's like making sure you cheer and to watch some of those girls go from like disgruntled faces to hearing someone that could be almost obnoxious if you will, you know screaming and to catch them, start running, even if it's just for the short part of passing you, it's fun to like, understand your role there and take your breaks, have as much fuel as you need, have your water to be hydrated right, because the energy that you're exerting is going to take something out of you.
Speaker 15:And you've got. You don't have the time of your 5k right. Your 5k probably could be like a 30 minute 5k, maybe if you're faster or if you take a longer time to finish. No, it is the 8 to 10 or whenever. If it's a marathon right your station. You have to have your energy level for the five hours for the six hours.
Speaker 12:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 15:And so just bringing what you need to and knowing that you're there for them. So it's keeping centered with why you were there to begin with.
Speaker 12:I think what Kay was just saying is so true. Right, I really just tried to hold on to. No matter how long I'm at this water stop, it is still way easier than actually running the Boston Marathon. Right, I've done marathons. They're generally miserable in my experience.
Speaker 12:And maybe you all have had the same experience, but you know it's easier to be at the water stop than that, but also really trying to pace yourself, like Kay was saying, find that dead zone. I happen to be right at the top of Heartbreak Hill, which is, like this, huge milestone in the Boston Marathon. It's something worth celebrating, but it also means that we're right across the street from Boston College and so for the middle part of the race there's just this huge group of maybe intoxicated students out there screaming their heads. So as a Waterstop volunteer you don't actually have to have that much energy, but at the beginning and the end there's a much bigger gap for volunteers to fill in some of that cheering.
Speaker 8:I'm sure you guys have seen a lot during races with volunteering. So what is the most unexpected or random or unusual thing you've ever seen during a race? I'm just curious.
Speaker 14:So in a volunteer role I've seen some pretty cool things, but in this particular instance it was not me, it was the roles reversed when I ran the Steamtown Marathon last year.
Speaker 14:A lot of their water tables are through local communities, so it's usually the local track teams, sports teams, different organizations, and I remember there was one particular right around mile 19, which I think anybody that's done a marathon knows this about where you struggle, there was groups of kids that would grab a water and they would run with you and they would just say how are you doing? How are you going to? You got this, you got great, you can make it, you're doing great. Give them your names talking back and forth just to kind of bring you back down. And then you know they'd go maybe a quarter mile with you and they'd say you've got this, I'm going to let you go, you're good. They would cycle back to the water table and they'd find somebody else in the crowd and they would do it again. So to me that was probably one of the coolest things I needed right then and there At the same time it's probably the coolest things I've seen from a volunteer.
Speaker 8:So I guess on the flip side of that, because it kind of goes into what Steve is saying, what is the one memory you've ever seen during volunteering that you will keep forever?
Speaker 13:Two years ago, when I was volunteering, I was there during the middle of the day and the ultramarathon started at 6 am, right, so they gave him until about a little past midnight or whatever, but I wasn't sure of any of the racers at that time. I just volunteered. I was there having a good time, a good time, and then at a certain point people the buzz was happening around there and come to find out that the first place male finisher was coming through very soon and he's a local guy, goes to Marshall University, and we're like, oh yeah, he's coming through, he might be breaking the course record, and so the coolest thing was just knowing that. We saw him coming off of the hill because, being in the trail the way it is, there's really no chip time. You cross the chip when you cross the bowl line right, which is the start line, and you do that six times. So we were just kind of guessing what his time was. So, um, we were just kind of guessing what his time was and so we knew he was coming through.
Speaker 13:And we saw him coming down and everyone was going nuts like so many cowbells, so many people cheering, and that year was really hot. So there was actually somebody who rigged the hose and doing like a waterfall spray towards the end just to like cool the runners down. And then the coolest part was that his friend was right on his tail. He was second place and so we knew second place was coming through too. So we treat cheered on the first place, you know for cheering him.
Speaker 13:And then second place comes in and then when that died down about like third, I don't remember how long it took, but the third place finisher was coming, but before him we went nuts because actually the first place female came through and it was just so amazing to see her finish. So I got to see like first place male, first place female, and then the third place male came through and he was so excited for the first place female because I guess they ran together for a little bit and the craziest part was that he was so excited after running all that. I think it was like 10 hours at that point after running he started doing pushups on the floor and we're like what is he doing? But he was, he was having a good time and then he his sister had his dog, so his dog was playing with him. It was really cool. That was just the most fun I've ever seen. That's what gets you excited. Not that I don't know if I'll ever run an ultra, but watching other people accomplish crazy things like running 60 miles is amazing.
Speaker 5:All right, kay, I'm going to come to you for this one, but I want to get answers, hopefully from everybody on this one, but Kay, what do you hope a runner takes away from any interaction that you have as a volunteer?
Speaker 15:Positive energy, honestly, from start to finish. I think I hope that they get from us a shared joy in them with a volunteer, because we have no idea if it's their first race. We have no idea if it's their first time going to achieve that goal. So I hope every interaction with a volunteer is positive and it's enough for them to say running is fun. I don't know if I want to say enjoyable, because sometimes it can suck right, Embrace the suck, but it's something I want to come back and do again and we're representing the organization. And so I don't know if we realize that sometimes as volunteers right, we're representing that organization that put this race together and I hope that we have upheld the brand that they would want to come back and do the race again or a race again.
Speaker 5:All right, steve, that story that you just told us a couple of minutes ago about that runner at Steamtown I'm sure that probably had a really profound impact on you. How do you feel about the situation? What type of impact do you want to impress upon a runner while you're volunteering?
Speaker 14:You know what that's actually a good lead-in. I want any runner that interacts with me to know that I'm there to help them in any way I can. If it's simply giving you a glass of water, fine. This past weekend I had a runner on the out and back. Both times came by and I know from experience. She said throw the water at me. And I knew what she meant and I was grabbing a second cup to give her. As I threw one, she said no, really. I said, oh, believe me, I know what you're saying, I've asked for it myself.
Speaker 14:And on the loop around she said hit me again. And sure enough, I got that. But whatever you need, if you need a cup handed to you, I'm going to hand it to you. If you need a cup thrown at you, I will throw a cup at you. If you want to make sure that you know somebody is there with you, I did run with somebody short distance who was just trying to get that water down and put some over their head because it was so warm. It was maybe 20 steps, but just so that they could continue on. I just want them to know that for me I'm here for you. You know we've all been in the shoes and I hope they they kind of recognize that I'm not just here. We've all said, as volunteer, we're not getting paid, we're here because we want to help.
Speaker 5:That's awesome. Now, Steve, I do have a little bit of advice for you. In a couple of weeks. Do not ask any race volunteers to throw a road apple at you.
Speaker 14:I will not do that, nor will I step in it, there we go.
Speaker 4:That's even more challenging.
Speaker 5:Ileana, do you have any thoughts on the subject?
Speaker 13:Oh yeah, and just like what Kay and Steve said, it's about letting the runners know that you are there for them, because when you put yourself in the runner's shoes, you know that all the things are going through your head. Oh, my goodness, am I going to finish? My stomach doesn't feel good. And then, especially in the ultra races, it's a long time that you can sit in that field. It's a long time that you can sit in that field, and so whenever they come through the bowl and they want anything, they go straight to their seats, right to either change shoes or rest for like a few seconds, and I've always tried to, whether or not they have people around them or not, I try to go to them, be like Can I let you sit for like 10 seconds so I can fill your bottle up, so you don't have to wait on me, things like that, and just to give them that piece of?
Speaker 13:Okay, I can actually sit for a second and know that we do it out of genuine want and not because we're forced to. Like everybody said, we are representing, but at the same time, we do it because we like it. Like you know, we. We do it, um, to see the joy and we are literally the cheerleaders for these people, because we want to see them cross the finish line Mm-hmm and, and you do understand, I mean you.
Speaker 4:You may not have run an ultra, you may not have run the Boston marathon, but you understand what it takes and you understand the mindset of the runners. We we spent a lot of time talking about water tables, which I think is probably where many of the volunteers go. Have you done any other volunteer type work at races?
Speaker 15:So yeah, so I've done what I shared, like I've done the chairing along. Like, like girls on the run, they have like a legit chair squad right. So they plant people because where they, how they they do their races. They might do it at a park, so, um, they might not have, like you know, when you do the races on streets, you have people that come out of their houses and like the local community so they might not have the local community on that course. So they plant people to chair.
Speaker 15:Um, my favorite role has been bid pickup for what I've shared already, and it's because I I take pride in knowing that I might be the first point of contact for them. That's true.
Speaker 15:And I have no idea. Like I said already, I don't know if this is their first race. I don't know if it's their first time doing the distance. I also don't know what the heck they went through to get to me at that point. I've seen some people running in frantic, you don't know, traffic or flights delayed, and so to just kickstart it for them, I really do take pride in the bid pickup and I think sometimes I look at them like they're looking, like they're shocked that I'm so happy, but I'm genuinely happy.
Speaker 15:They don't know you role, so that I've done that and then I've been part of setup and so, um, that, yeah, there's some things, yeah, there's like more to that too, right, but but there's there's just. There's so many other roles. I know the water station is popular because it's so important, right, we hear so much feedback after a race around if there was enough hydration, but, but there are a lot of other roles that go into setting up and make sure that maybe some people don't even think about. Right, it's something as small as your arch was the arch for your start and your finish.
Speaker 4:Here's one thing I don't think many people think about. We go by and we get a cup of water as a runner how many cups of water, especially in a big race? And, mike, I'm looking at you, how many cups of water are you filling up? And how big a part of the process is that keeping all those cups filled.
Speaker 12:Yeah, so we. I mean Boston. The water stop is a couple hundred yards long, and it's Gatorade, powerade, whoever their sponsor is at the front, and then all water at the back, and so that's really why we're there. Three hours before the first runners, every table was stacked probably three or four cups high, so it's like cups and then cardboard and then cups, and then, cardboard.
Speaker 12:This year wasn't particularly hot, so we did actually end up dumping a handful at the end. So throughout the race, it wasn't a matter of continually refilling. They just honestly don't think there'd be enough time. It's about the setup. And then, probably unfortunately, the group I was with was at the very, very end of the water stop, and so the cleanup of raking up thousands of water cups is also on us Right. So so you didn't think about that.
Speaker 12:I think they will have a street sweeper come through, but the idea is that there are as few cups on the floor as possible afterwards and, um, it's just big garden rakes and trash bags.
Speaker 7:Okay. So here's the question what's harder setting up the water table or picking up the empty cups?
Speaker 12:Probably setting up, cleaning up. It's a rake. Imagine you're just scooping leaves into a trash barrel. It's kind of gross, it's a little bit uh annoying. But the setting up like you want them in a straight line so that they don't fall over and so that the the layer on top of them will be sturdy, and so I definitely think setting up was harder it's like building a house with cards yeah, exactly, it also was pretty windy and so like you put an empty cup down before you pour water in it and it's just sliding off the the table.
Speaker 12:So there's a whole process to getting it done right.
Speaker 5:Here at Rise and Run we like to stay as positive as possible, but I know especially when it comes to the chucking of cups and such like that, there can be a negative stigma around it. Like you know, the trash can's there, just go, just please plop it in as a volunteer. Is there anything that a runner does that just irks the heck out of them.
Speaker 14:Good question Is a volunteer no. As a runner yes.
Speaker 15:I don't know if I would say irk, but it is fun to watch people try to break the rules. This race was sponsored by Corona, and so they had beer out, they had per bib, and so in the past they allowed them to like take them home, like they would just put them in their bag, like on unopened, and that was like, and I don't know if they allowed them to or they got away with it, right. So let me just say that too. This year, though I was, I was the authority figure, I guess. If you'd say right, so they gave them the air and I was at the end, you could not pass me with an unopened can. The cops were there to stop you from passing the point that they're licensed, I guess right, but I was by the tent and they wanted to make sure. No one, because once you get out, it's easy to sneak it into a bag or something. You couldn't leave me without the cans, so it was like fun to watch people stack them in the hopes that I didn't see it or I'm watching. You already got your gift bag, so you're trying to, you know, and I'm like well, hold on, I'm a volunteer, you know.
Speaker 15:So it's like I can, I'll do this much, but it's just fun to watch rules try to be broken, even with, like, the bid pickup. You know if I'm asking for the required. So I think it like cherry blossom, yeah, because these are things I don't think it's taboo to say the thing. Well, you asked the question, so it can't be taboo, right? You know, if you're told that you have to show the email you have to provide, like cherry blossom allows a different person to pick up bibs, right, I know I run Disney community.
Speaker 15:It's like so unheard of. Yes, there are races that allow this, so people would give you a hard time if you're like no, I need to see, I need to see the full email, I need to see your ID, right. So it's like those little things that recognize that people are just doing the job they've been asked to do, but don't give an attitude if I don't even know what the attitudes are for, right, I don't know if it's because you don't have it or what. So it's like those little things. Sometimes you're like well, this is about to be fun, right, okay, there goes the word again. Right, so, like, we'll see how this goes.
Speaker 8:I think that those are like those things. When I was a boat captain at Universal, especially during the nighttime, there would be a lot of people that try and bring their drinks onto the boat or hide it in some way, and it was always fun to catch them because, oh, this, this, you know what? This is just water, sir, that smells like vodka. Oh no, that's just what's water smells like. But like you'd have so many people trying to convince you that that what they have is non-alcoholic in some way, and I'm like, sir, the only the only those cups you have right there, they only put alcohol in it. They don't do any non-alcoholic beverages. And it's just like I can feel.
Speaker 15:I can feel the stress for you for that event yeah, because it was like, oh, oh, you have to open it, or oh, this is such great service. And I didn't know if they were being smart or they were really saying thank you for cracking it Because, like, oh, my fingers couldn't open it. That's what I'm here for. Here you go, I've got you.
Speaker 7:The last, one of the last races I did was a 5k and they gave out beer afterwards. When they were giving the beer out, they were actually opening them for you and handing them to you.
Speaker 15:So you, they were not giving you unopened containers so they weren't doing that, john, but it was like I guess once it got busy, like I, you know, we're all human, there's human error, which is probably why they had like the last person. So there were some that somehow, or it looked opened like it looked like one of my counterparts tried to pop it, but they didn't, and I'm pretty sure the runner was happy because you could see, but it didn't. It didn't puncture the can, and so I was like up one second and I'm like I know they hate me, but I'm gonna do it with a smile you know that's so funny.
Speaker 8:They could just tell you it's apple juice. I had people telling me their beers were apple juices before with foam. I don't, I don't want that apple juice so it's been so much fun chatting with you guys. Now I'm curious you guys have talked about a few races here and there, but is there any race that you specifically look forward to volunteering at every year, and what's your reasoning for why?
Speaker 13:Well, so since the 100K. For me it's actually coming up here in a couple of weeks. I do look forward to that. I don't have any other experience much experience on volunteering at other races, but I mean, man, if I could volunteer at a major it would be amazing. Like just hearing about Boston sounds so cool. But one of my goals is to either run New York or Chicago, and if I could volunteer at one of them, just the cheering, you know, holding signs, cowbells, all those things, I'm for it, like let me, I want to figure that out, but it's yeah, it's honestly just whatever gives me the hype, like let's do it, just signing me up, I'll be there.
Speaker 12:I think it's so funny Ileana just said that she would want to do Boston because my answer would actually not be Boston. It was wonderful. Likely we'll do it again. But something about like the hometown 5K you know the fundraiser for my kids' elementary school just being there seeing the kids actually sign up and you know my kids, their friends, helping, hand out bibs or cheer them on race day, something about like that, that environment of helping these really little kids get into running and trying to make it a super positive experience. Boston was amazing, but there's so much history there. But I think actually for me, getting to see it in the next generation is really cool and where I'd rather spend my volunteer time for me I would.
Speaker 14:I would say, um, not necessarily a major, but a big race would be desirable. But locally. I found out after I volunteered my first time here, locally, um, that not even realizing I had, I had run so many local races. That part of our run club's grand prix which is scoring of the best seven local races, that part of our run clubs grand prix which is scoring of the best seven local races. That's, it can be benefit races, it can be club races and also requires one volunteering per season qualifies you to be admitted to this.
Speaker 14:I did not realize that at first. I just, toward the end of the year they're saying, hey, you know, make sure you get your scoring in if you qualified. And I'm going through and I'm counting races and I'm like, oh yeah, I volunteered, so I set my information off. I actually ended up winning my age category and a half for two years. So now I know it exists. So now it's kind of fun when it comes to volunteering to go through and pick which event I want to volunteer at. Sometimes it's easier because I don't ever want to run a certain race again. It's like I can volunteer that one. But yeah, looking forward to trying different races, because there's different distances there's 5Ks, 10ks, there's 20Ks, there's 15Ks, there's half marathons, there's you know, there's full days where you're doing a 5K and a half marathon. So just looking forward to trying different events and seeing different people, different types of runners, that's what I look forward to just the unknown but kind of the known.
Speaker 15:I think there are two for me, one that's just close to the heart. I've already talked about Give Kids the World.
Speaker 17:So that's one on the bucket list for a different reason.
Speaker 15:But Girls on the Run just because of what it stands for and I think our community would love this that they don't actually like the 5K. They call it a celebration Because it's really just them celebrating all the work that they put in through the season in their little like training and then the self-esteem classes that they in skill building that they have. So I love that, but it's not major. It's not like the majors. But Cherry Blossom is a popular one and I look forward to that one every year for a few reasons. They take really good care of their volunteers.
Speaker 15:I've volunteered for different organizations, so I don't go into it expecting a whole heck of a lot, right, that's not really why I signed up. I just signed up to be part of the event. But the way that they were checking on you like do you have enough snacks and fuel and do you need any more water? The shirts are amazing, right, I'm like what? Like even the shirt. It's like as if I had paid to run. And then, of course, for anyone who really knows Cherry Blossom, they also know.
Speaker 15:So I'll just like put this out there for those that are in the DC area when you volunteer for Cherry Blossom, you actually get a guaranteed registration entry, like not an entry to the race, right, you still have to pay for the race, but your volunteering a year before allows you to bypass the lottery, to just go ahead to register. So that's fun too. I didn't know that when I signed up. I just I found out in talking to a volunteer. I was like what are y'all talking about? And I'm like oh, I just signed up because I had to come for the expo so I figured there's nothing else to do for the rest of the day. So I think Cherry Blossom Girls on the Run for me All right.
Speaker 6:So this has been really fun. I would like to know what is the funniest thing you've heard or seen on the course while you were volunteering?
Speaker 15:I mean, what's our range here? What am I allowed to say? What gets edited? Because, jack, you haven't cussed once. I don't know if you're like filter already happened, but I heard that they bleep your, your, your languages, you know so. So let me know what I can say here. Guys, okay, because it wasn't on the course, but, um, someone did and create their own corral p by our volunteer station. So that's a funny thing, right to smell, wait, like out in the open, like hey y'all, we were here we were so busy we never saw it.
Speaker 15:But that smell was not there when we started and it was there at the end.
Speaker 8:So, man, they didn't even give him a little shovel, they just gave him a cover.
Speaker 4:So what else funny?
Speaker 8:happened.
Speaker 15:Oh, so there's that. I don't know if that gets edited, so sorry y'all, but at least y'all will have that little joke.
Speaker 7:Runners often get medals. If volunteers got a medal, what would yours say on it? I have one for Kay, if she doesn't medal.
Speaker 6:What would your say on it? I have one for Kay, if she doesn't want to answer it for herself. Oh, I've got two.
Speaker 15:I've got a cheesy one and then, like a I don't know, I've got a.
Speaker 6:well, wait, I want to hear what Alicia says.
Speaker 15:Okay, let me say my first, just in case yours is better than my cheesy one. I've got like a. I got up earlier than you for free, like something like that that's not bad.
Speaker 15:And then a serious one I found. I found this I have no idea who she is, so I don't know if she is the Canadian curler. Has anyone heard of Sherry Anderson? Well, I don't know, but I don't know if this would even fit on a medal. But volunteers don't get paid. Would even fit on a medal, but volunteers don't get paid, not because they're worthless, but because they're priceless. And I just you're terrible. I've got a cheesy and then like a sentimental serious.
Speaker 6:But I got to hear what Alicia was going to say I was just thinking, number one hype woman.
Speaker 4:That's not bad.
Speaker 6:And I have a repertoire and she is like the best hype person for me and so, yeah, I'll personally give you that medal.
Speaker 15:I wasn't ready for that. I love that. Thanks, Alicia.
Speaker 13:Well, I have a saying that I love to, especially now in the summertime but hydrate before you dihydrate.
Speaker 4:Put that on the middle especially
Speaker 13:for all the water fillers out there. You know we're the official water fillers.
Speaker 7:And that's something else that I guess people don't realize. You're standing out there also in that heat, for possibly four to five hours, or cold or rain or whatever.
Speaker 4:Or rain yes.
Speaker 15:Yeah.
Speaker 4:I think we ignore that sometimes as runners. When runners come by and say thank you, volunteers, does that mean anything to you?
Speaker 15:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Good, then I'll keep doing it.
Speaker 15:Again, it might not be why we did it right, but it just to be seen right or to just have an opportunity to say back to them we're here for you, Right, Because you're always follow up with that if they take that opportunity.
Speaker 14:I'll vote for that too, because even even even in the course, marshall, just I mean, you're literally standing there pointing. So what more do you do? You're going to be hyping people up so a lot of times. Your antics I can only imagine Kay doing this, because this would be a riot but your antics are going to be trying to get people cheered up and after a while of no response it kind of does get discouraging. You're almost like wondering if you should just stand there and just keep pointing rather than trying to. You know, give people spirits up. So when somebody is like thank you or acknowledges you, it doesn't necessarily. It's not that I need it as much as I do know that it's helping somebody. So I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that makes sense. That's good to know.
Speaker 13:So I wasn't a volunteer situation, but last year my husband was running a 10k and so me and my two kids were out on the course, uh, cheering people on.
Speaker 13:And I love making posters, I like, I love doing the cheesy sayings you know forrest gump, all that thing but what I've always seen like giving getting inspiration from google, a big one is like the mar star, right, like tap for a boost, and so I made one with a big Mario star on it, tap for a boost, and I had my son hold it up and, of course, so you have a five-year-old holding this sign and let me tell you the number of people that came and touched that star.
Speaker 13:And then we got it like towards the cause. It was an out and back, and so we did the first set and then we moved across the street and got the people coming back and just seeing my son's face light up every time somebody touched it, I mean like a lot of people. That is like the recognition right, like just feeling like people do see you and we're doing that. It's a silly poster, but like we are, we're trying to help you and so thank you so much for like recognizing us too, but like, man, you got this. You're the one doing the hard work, so yeah.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and especially with kids. I get that.
Speaker 15:I think if I, if I just had something to share for anyone who's out there listening, if you can volunteer, if you can give of your time, like the races that we participate in, majority of them are operated by volunteers. They are not run by the volunteers, right, there's staff that oversees things, there's directors that put these on, but there are a lot of local races I know Mike had shared, like if he had to do it again, he'd want to do a local one. It's the local ones that need the volunteers more than anything and sometimes those races could be in jeopardy if they don't have enough staff, like they're required to have certain things done, or certain staff at stations, certain things wrapped up by a certain time. So I don't know, I just love it. I'm not pressuring anybody who's listening, but if you have the time, just give of it and remember what it's like when you're running and someone is there interacting with you.
Speaker 4:Good deal. I think we'll let it go right there, kay. I think that's a good mic drop moment. Ileana, kay, mike, steve, thanks first of all for volunteering to help races go on throughout the country and thanks for giving up your time and joining us here on the Rise and Run podcast. We look forward to seeing you at a race real soon.
Speaker 15:Thanks for having us Thank you Thank you Thank you Caution runners. The topic is about to change right now.
Speaker 5:Well, dave, recording here, we had, you know, I know we talked a little bit a few weeks ago about, you know, the last registration of the run disney season, but technically we had one more today and that was the registration for the 12ks of christmas featuring the muppets manana. Did any of my friends here decide to pull the trigger and follow their way to some Christmas ornaments? Nope, no, no well, no well. Oh, I see what you did there, Bob You're funny, Nice, nice.
Speaker 5:Yeah. I contemplated this one for a really, really long time and I did not pull the trigger on it, and I think I finally figured out the end-all be-all to make that decision. And for me, as the person on the podcast who has been clamoring for a full Muppets race weekend in person, I think if this would have been like the summer virtual series where we were actually getting medals yeah I think that could have helped me justify the price tag a little bit more.
Speaker 5:Where the fact that it's, in theory, glamorized christmas ornaments, which don't get me wrong, I love christmas ornaments and I love running ones, and if I could have more Muppets on my tree I would Multiply that times four, plus a beanie and a box of tea. That didn't come anywhere close to $200 for me.
Speaker 5:And the fact that it was pushing to, you know, or it was right around $270. I think that's right. Yeah, it, it, it pain. It pained me not to do it, but but again, like I've ranted on here and on the stride sisters podcast, I think the other X factor would have been if it was actually Muppets Christmas Carol, then I think we would have a different story on our hands here. So unfortunately I didn't do it. But for those of you that did register, really looking forward to seeing you putting those ornaments on your tree later this year, and if you are still interested in registering as of time of recording, you can still register for it. So yeah.
Speaker 5:If you want to start the music and you want to light the lights, head over to rundisneycom.
Speaker 4:Light the lamp, not the rat Exactly.
Speaker 5:No cheeses for us, meeses.
Speaker 4:Hey, something else you can do friends Add your names to the race report. Our friend, rob sent me some data today. God bless him. Rob must lump numbers almost as much as I used to, but he broke down the number of names on the race report for the upcoming events and compared them to years past. And we're way behind. I'm sure we still have the same number of people running, but if you want to be part of the rise and run roll call, get your name on that race report. And we've only got two weeks till we're at Disneyland and we got.
Speaker 4:I said early in the show in the episode I forget where are we towards? Uh, marathon weekend now, about 20 weeks away. Yeah, 20 weeks, 20, yep. So for the 5k, the alien shirts are still on sale. I haven't talked to alec for a while to see how sales are going on that. But I have seen talked to Alec for a while to see how sales are going on that. I have seen some of our friends making Facebook posts about getting their shirts or getting their alien headbands. It's going to be a good time, guys. It's going to be enjoyable. That's out there. That information is at the top of the Facebook group, pinned to the featured section. Let's see what other announcements do we have?
Speaker 5:yeah, actually I have a delicious announcement that I would like to uh the chat about here uh, I know we've referenced it a couple of times here on the episode already, but you know, just like how disneyland, halloween is right around the corner, so is bird in hand, and I know I talked last week about how we are moving forward with a post-race celebration at the Shady Maple, smorgasburg the evening after the race for a post-race dinner.
Speaker 5:I have been in contact with Shady Maple and we are going to be able to get a group reservation because, believe it or not, we're up to 60 people for this post-race gathering, which is absolutely mind-boggling. So, for those of you that did fill out that interest form that I posted a couple of weeks ago, stay tuned to your inboxes. We are working on a way to help solidify payment for this meal, since they are going to put us in as a large group. So John and I are working out those details right now. So, again, just stay tuned to your email inboxes in terms of how to pay for that coming up, and we cannot wait to see everyone in Lancaster County in just a few weeks.
Speaker 7:We need to do like you said, greg one, one personal payment, not 60 individual.
Speaker 5:Correct. Yep, so we're we're trying to figure out a way to make that as easy as possible for everyone, so we hopefully we'll have that information to you all very shortly.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and if I'm going to be totally candid, you know I am excited to see my friends, but I can't participate in the half marathon, so the real reason I'm going up there is to go to the smorgasbord. All right. You'll be competing in that half marathon, that's not true, but I am looking forward to that.
Speaker 9:That's going to be a lot of fun. Caution runners. Change of topic ahead.
Speaker 4:We've got a returning friend this week our pal Mark Lane-Hulbert, jeff Galloway, pacer, coordinator for the Tampa Area Galloway Runners, host of the Running Anthropologist podcast, an all-around good guy, is back with us, mark, welcome back. It's always great to see you, my friend.
Speaker 17:Well, thanks, Bob, and I love the Rise and Run crew and I'm so happy to get a chance to talk to you all again.
Speaker 4:That's terrific. Now we've got a couple of things we'd like to talk about tonight, Mark, but let's start with this one. You hit me up with a note. Well, it's been a little while, and we held off till now, but during this year's Boston Marathon, you were a guide for an athlete. Tell us about it, please.
Speaker 17:Yeah, I was, and you know that was kind of the culmination. You know Boston's always a big one but leading into Boston, I've also had the chance to guide a few runners international runners in New York and at Disney. We guided this past year with Achilles.
Speaker 4:Kids.
Speaker 17:And in Boston. Boston was kind of a last minute thing. I was lucky, I was kind of in a good marathon shape because of Disney and Gasparilla and all of our local events. And, unfortunately, a gentleman from up north, right on the border of Canada and Massachusetts, his guide was injured, massachusetts, his guide was injured and he, they reached out and they, they said, you know, could you, could you guide in about a week from now at Boston, and I, I was available, I made myself available and we, we had a wonderful experience. Just a just such a thoughtful and grateful individual that inspired me from the moment I met him until, uh, until we finished. Uh, he had such so many neat stories in terms of how he uh came upon running and was able to to run, um as a blind, uh blind runner, who's also um, he's also profoundly deaf.
Speaker 17:You know challenges, but challenges but you wouldn't tell, because he was such a stalwart runner and so positive and he stuck right on course and I gave him a few pointers and was kind of there to get him water and stuff like that. But for the most part we just stayed right in the middle of the course and let everyone else run around us. So that was our strategy.
Speaker 7:Okay. So when you said you made yourself available, were you already in Boston? Or did they call you and say, okay, we got a spot for you to run in Boston.
Speaker 17:That's right. So yeah, I was in Florida, here in Tampa Bay, and a little bit over a week they gave me and you know there were still flights, the problem, as probably you guys know, and other listeners may know it is incredibly hard to get a place to stay if you want to sleep the night before Boston, which I did, good plan.
Speaker 17:So I told him you know you're going to have to figure that out for me and fortunately Dennis, the fellow who I was guiding he had a room that he wanted to share and it was not there with his family. So we woke up and we were together and we walked to the departure point together and we were together the whole day. So that really worked out well.
Speaker 6:Very cool. Had you run Boston before this, or was this your first time?
Speaker 17:This was my first time, so I didn't know, that, yes, I've qualified in the past in my 20s and in my 30s but just for various reasons, mostly financial and work, you know just never being at the right time and having the resources to do so. Now I'm old and I have more of the resources, but I haven't qualified in a few years. So this was a great opportunity for me to actually to be in Boston too.
Speaker 6:Yeah, what a rewarding experience to get to not only do that now but also help somebody else.
Speaker 17:Yeah, it truly was. You know, the one thing that people don't talk a lot about but is really present when you're there is that feeling of connection to others who are, you know, have worked so hard to get to Boston, including Dennis and to see them able to run and being there is such a joy. My childhood running mentor's name is also Mark Mark Bauman and he has the world streak world marathon run streak for Boston, so we got to see him run his 56th Boston in a row and he's just the most humble, thoughtful guy.
Speaker 17:So he had dinner with Dennis and I and then he was the starter for the elite races, so we got to hang out with him by the starter tent and then we got to see him at the finish when he was done as well. So that was a really cool experience.
Speaker 4:Alicia, he started way before you were born. That's very true, I think started before John was born too, I think, john what year again, I'm sorry, 56, 56 years.
Speaker 7:Yeah, 56 years ago. Yeah, it's close, I'm getting close, bob October, october. Well I'll ago. Yeah, it's close, I'm getting close, bob October.
Speaker 4:Well I'll tell you this You're going to catch him.
Speaker 17:John. Well, if it's any consolation. Back then you said all you needed was a note from your coach. You know he was finishing high school and needed a note from his coach to say he could run that far and he could run fast.
Speaker 4:Yeah yeah. The cutoff times are, I don't want to say, relatively new, but they've occurred. In my lifetime, a lot of things have occurred in my lifetime.
Speaker 17:Yeah, I don't know what year they instituted that, but I do remember they seemed to be a lot. They were a lot easier when I was starting running 25 years ago than they are today, that's for sure.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I used to joke that if I lived to be 120, I'd eventually, and then I found out that the times stopped going up at like 70 or 75 or something and that's it. No more slack after that. Just anyway. Hey, I'm kind of curious, just nuts and bolts, as to how you were able to assist a runner who's not only blind but also really can't hear your directions either.
Speaker 17:Yeah, that's a good question. Yeah, that's a good question. In general, blind runners will run with a tether. So you kind of can feel and you practice a little bit together and you get to know the subtle feel of giving directions. And that was the case for the other I guess, four marathons where I guided folks over the past few years, including the ones I mentioned, and one in DC, the Marine Corps Marathon. In all those cases we had two of us so we could kind of trade off and you could relax a little bit and be the secondhand man or woman and that was kind of nice woman and that was kind of nice. Now, in this one we didn't have that. But Dennis is unique in that he he prefers not to run with a tether, so you just kind of have to stay really close, and he can.
Speaker 17:He has a little bit of peripheral vision or a little bit of vision to see you, so I forget if it's central or peripheral, but one of them he can see, and he can also feel me with my arm moving right next to his, and that's OK. In Boston they also have a bright yellow line that runs the entire course and he can make that out a little bit. So he's not completely blind and I think it would have been more challenging. The hardest thing for us, to be honest, is a factor of our speed. We start right behind all of the para competitive para athletes, start right behind the elite field.
Speaker 17:So, as you can imagine, you know we're doing four hour. You know four and a half hour pace and people are just flying for the first. You know four and a half hour pace and people are just flying for the first. You know 10 miles. People are just flying past us uh, because they're all doing uh. You know six and sub six minute miles. So you just really have to be careful uh not to go off course and to try to make yourself seen uh by those, uh, you know those speedsters that are trying to get ahead of one another.
Speaker 4:Yeah, my first marathon was 88 in Honolulu and I was at that tender age of 35. I was in the four hour group and I recall a blind runner and his guide had a bell. His guide wore a little bell and they were tethered and the runner could hear his bell and it worked that way. Oh, that's great, pretty neat.
Speaker 7:So you really didn't train at all with this person, right? So you just so. Basically, what was it? Uh, the night before the start line, just get a couple of uh seconds together to try to get your groove together how this is going to work.
Speaker 17:Yeah, kind of, we did have the whole day together the day before, so we did get some time to practice and it's interesting that kind of every runner every Achilles runner, at least that I've known is different in what they prefer and kind of their, how they move and are successful and being able to to run, walk, uh, when they want to take breaks, and how they want you to get, uh, water and fuel for them. So it really is a there's a steep learning curve and, um, I've just been very lucky that the folks I've I've ran with have been uh with, have been so good at teaching me over the course of a few days and quite often they will come with their primary guide and then I'll be the secondary guide, so I'll just watch and learn for the first part of the race or the first few miles. That was the case in New York. The gentleman I ran with came in from New Zealand with his guide, and that was the case in DC as well.
Speaker 17:So I kind of had the benefit of learning from others in my first few chances to guide and I wouldn't say that it gets any easier. I would say that, despite not, you know, running at full pace, you know it is still the hardest I think the hardest jobs that I've done. It's definitely harder than pacing, in that you're kind of pacing and you're also having to be aware of a lot more that you don't usually notice or look for Things from dips in the road to you know, people running too fast or, you know, trying to cut in between you, to even to things like like you know that you wouldn't normally think of, like how to access a portalette and cut across everyone and things like that.
Speaker 4:Hey, mark, let's change gears a little bit, because you've got another project that I think may be interesting to our friends. You're working on a handbook or a book on running therapy. How about sharing a little bit of that with us, please?
Speaker 17:running therapy. How about sharing a little bit of that with us, please? Yeah, yeah, it's kind of a fun one. It's a mini handbook we're calling it and we're going to come out with a longer one that's a little bit more practitioner and academic oriented next year, but this year we're just putting one out that is helpful for folks to get to know. You know, we're just putting one out that is helpful for folks to get to know.
Speaker 17:You know what is running therapy, why is running therapeutic and what's the work that has been done in that area. And you know, not a lot of people know it started in New York with Tad Kustambala, who is both a psychologist and a runner both a psychologist and a runner and it's kind of spread internationally. There's whole institutes and schools of running therapy around the world, including in California. We have one here in the US. But it's basically just a way to use running and therapy and to combine them. You know, for mental health, for getting you know recovery from grief or loss, anxiety, depression, sort of our modern you know our modern existential ailments, and how good running and even running with a therapist or with a group, how running can complement and kind of exponentially help in those cases.
Speaker 4:So you've got the handbook. It's either available or about ready to be available. Is that correct?
Speaker 17:Yes, yeah, we're going to drop it as an ebook. It's going to be free, it's going to have a lot of tools and resources. I put it together with five other running therapists who are pretty renowned in their fields and different countries as well, and just kind of share the research over the past couple of decades and also give people links if they want to find a running therapist or they want to find a group or if they just want to kind of use it on their own and find some of the tools that running therapy has developed.
Speaker 4:When can our friends look for that Mark?
Speaker 17:It should drop at the beginning of September, so maybe by the time this is out it'll be available and I can share a link with you all. That'll be on a few different websites.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we'll look forward to that and we'll make sure to talk about it again when it is available. And then your longer academic publication yeah, I can speak, that's next year sometime.
Speaker 17:Yeah, that's the hope. It's kind of like herding cattle to get academics to all contribute a chapter.
Speaker 7:But talking about volunteering on this episode and everything that's going on. You volunteer for Achilles. What does that do I mean? Do you guys train with the Achilles athletes before these races, or is it just like you said? You get the phone call, you're like Superman, you put the cape on and you're ready to go. I'm sorry, that's Adam's job.
Speaker 17:Yeah, no, that's right.
Speaker 17:Normally Achilles chapters are throughout the United States, usually in bigger city areas, and they meet every Saturday and sometimes midweek and, just like a Galloway group, they usually train with a partner or several partners that enjoy running together and maybe kind of match the same pace.
Speaker 17:Some run walk, which is quite popular and one of the reasons that I got involved, and some even only walk, which is, you know, depending on ability level. And a lot of Achilles athletes are wheelchair athletes and they, you know, are able to enter many races more and more. And a big contingent for Achilles are veteran athletes who have disabilities and who get involved in racing through Achilles and get to travel and connect and find other people that are going through similar things that they are. It's meant to empower people to participate. That's actually. Their mission is to kind of promote personal achievement, to lower barriers and live a more complete and fulfilled life being able to compete in athletics. So they kind of break down those barriers and that a little bit of that is, you know, what I do in terms of helping to guide.
Speaker 4:You do good work, mark. You really do, not only with your volunteering stuff here but with the Galloway clan, and we're just we're happy to have you, we're happy that you're part of the team.
Speaker 17:Thank you, Bob. I would mention for most of us being run Disney folks that Achilles has a growing presence over Disney Marathon weekend and they're bringing in lots that. Achilles has a growing presence over Disney Marathon weekend and they're bringing in lots of Achilles kids to complete their first you know, 10K or 5K or half marathon. So you'll see them out on the course. They're wearing the bright yellow shirts and they usually have the AWD. Give them a high five or give them some encouragement. They love it and, yeah, it's going to be fun having more Achilles athletes out at Disney this year.
Speaker 4:Sounds great.
Speaker 6:So, mark, if somebody wanted to get involved with Achilles International, how would they do that?
Speaker 17:Sure, if there's not one in your city, which would be awesome, but there are not. You know there are many people who are not. They have an online chapter where you can do some training online and learn from folks that are both athletes and guides, and then connect with someone at the next event that they might need someone for, or you might be able to volunteer and support locally with an event that happens in your area. You can go to AchillesInternationalorg and find all the information there, which I'm sure you all can link to later on.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, Mark, thanks for joining us. It's always a pleasure to have you here and we look forward to seeing you at Wine and Dine.
Speaker 17:Yes, I'll be there. I can't wait, I'm excited.
Speaker 4:All right, my friend Take care.
Speaker 9:Thank you, bob. Caution runners the topic is about to change right now.
Speaker 4:Good to have Mark join us. Mark's a fixture at Disney races as a pacer. Maybe you've seen him. He's pretty quick so you got to look fast, but he's a good guy. For those of you going to be at Disneyland in two weeks, please let me remind you that there is a meetup at 2 pm on Saturday in the picnic area which is right outside of the entrance to Disneyland.
Speaker 4:Rise and Run shirt. I got word today that Judy has the shirts and she is working on getting them shipped by the end of this week. I've mentioned before our friend Pamela, formerly of Fluffy Fizzies, is working on something new. I've got a little more information now. She's working on towels that are scented to various places throughout Disney World. I got a couple here. I'm going to take them with me in a couple of days and see if I can identify what towel belongs where. And we've got a new affiliate who's going to be joining us next week. Mona, who has products at her website, mona Moon Naturals, is going to be here to tell us about them. I think something that may interest our Rise and Run family. She's going to have a deal for you, a special discount code. We'll talk about that when we visit with her next week.
Speaker 4:We got wonderful I think great news on the response to the fantasy football leagues. We have four leagues Now. I'm not going to spend a lot of time talking about them because the 48 people who wanted to play know about it. I just want to say this you I'm sure have received an email from your commissioner. If you said you wanted to play in one of the leagues, you need to respond to that email, or we may. If we don't hear from you, we may need to replace some people to keep the league properly stocked. Upcoming next week episode 205. I've been waiting for this one for a long time A while anyway. Since the beginning of the summer, meb Kovleski visits with us. Meb Kovleski, american distance runner, winner of the Boston Marathon, the New York Marathon and a silver medal in the Olympic Games, only man to do those three things. So we're excited to be talking with Meb next week. And now, please stand clear of the door. It's time for A Race Report.
Speaker 10:Por favor, manténganse alejados de las puertas.
Speaker 4:The Race Report sponsored by our friend Thomas Stokes. Stokes Metabolic Training stokesfit slash riseandruncoaching is his website. The eight-month summer challenge is wrapping up. We'll have Tom join us here in another week or two. Meanwhile, if you check on Facebook, he's got a free metabolic assessment available to the Rise and Run family. You may want to take a look at that. All right, let's go back to a week ago. Well over a week ago now, on tuesday, the angry chicken was out running again for the final time. Week eight of the angry chicken runs in Lowell, massachusetts. Sophie was there a little warm, but she decided that since it was the last week of the chicken series, she was going to really go for it, hoping to get under 30 minutes and didn't. But still a new PR by five seconds. Congratulations, sophie. Did anybody ever catch that chicken?
Speaker 7:Rocky did. Yeah, he's like greased lightning rock Honorable mention.
Speaker 4:Not really a race, but worth mentioning. Our friends Rachel, kristen and Tara ran back and forth across the Golden Gate Bridge in the middle of an intense fog. Photos will show you that's. One of San Francisco's claim to fame is the heavy fog around the bridge, apparently the fog has a name.
Speaker 5:It's name is Carl, they call it Carl and it has an Instagram account that I don't know yeah, who would have ever thought fog could have an instagram?
Speaker 4:well, I assume the reference was to the poet carl sandberg and I, I don't know, I'd have to look that up. The fought the let's see is it, isn't it, sandberg? The fog creeps in on little cat feet and something's stealing the land. All right, somebody can look that one up for me. I'm going way back since I finished high school 55 years ago.
Speaker 7:He died before I was born, Bob.
Speaker 4:Sandberg yeah, I don't know when he died 67. Oh, I was around Anyway, foghorns echoing as they were running. Wonderful scenery. You go from Sausalito over to the Presidio region and then back. Iced coffee at the end instead of a metal or plastic cheese, but once in a lifetime type thing, and I'm happy and proud of the three of them.
Speaker 7:The fog comes on little cat feet you got it.
Speaker 4:The poem the fog or something like that. That's what he said. The fog creeps in on little cat's feet, comes on little cat feet and gently stealing the land, or something like that. Uh, from what?
Speaker 7:I'm seeing here it's. It says it sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on OK is.
Speaker 4:it is Carl Sandburg, though.
Speaker 5:Yes, all right, I have a different article here that says the name Carl is in reference to the 2003 film Big Fish. The creator told the San Francisco Weekly that Carl was the giant everyone was afraid of because they thought that they would kill or eat them, when in fact he was just hungry and lonely.
Speaker 4:Okay, well, listen, I'm proud of myself for remembering the name Carl Sandburg in the opening line to the poem, so I'm sticking with that. Alright, If somebody wants to correct me they can, no problem there. Let's move to Saturday and go to Snohomish, Washington, for the inaugural Centennial 100K Relay and Ultra Run. Several of our friends ran this race and by golly they're here to chat with us in the Race Report. Spotlight Ladies, how about introducing yourselves, please?
Speaker 16:My name's Vanessa and I'm from Seattle Washington, and I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 18:Hi, I'm Sarah from Kalispell Montana.
Speaker 10:Hi, I'm Lace from Seattle Washington, originally from Honolulu, hawaii.
Speaker 11:And I'm Shannon, live here from Los Angeles, California, a very toasty Los Angeles. Live here from Los Angeles, California, a very toasty Los Angeles.
Speaker 4:Golly, I hope it's not as hot as it was last year's Halloween races there. Your lips to God's ears, Bob. Well, thank you for joining us. Especially, we got some old friends and new friends here. Lace is a relatively new friend. Shannon, you're brand new to all this, aren't you?
Speaker 11:Brand new to the pod, but not brand new to running.
Speaker 4:All right.
Speaker 11:Brand new to the pod, but not brand new to running.
Speaker 4:All right. Well, listen, I've got a standard first question and I love to ask it. We find things fall into forecast.
Speaker 16:We love hearing about these things and I'm going to start with Vanessa and ask how did you get started in running? Well, I had a 16-year-old son and husband and busy litigation practice and I had gotten really unhealthy in my life, and so I decided to just start walking. And one day I decided to start running, start moving a little faster. And one day I decided to start running, start moving a little faster. And then, of course, I discovered Run Disney a couple of years ago and never looked back. So, lace, how about?
Speaker 10:you. I started running. I was never really a runner, I was an Orange Theory, I was a yoga, hot yoga enthusiast. But I signed up for a 5k and then started training and then I was like cool, this is great. Then I signed up for the 10 miler last year the springtime surprise 10 mile. That was my first friend Disney event, started training for that and never looked back. It's so funny. I was like you could not pay me to run a 5k. And then look at me now and you got a son running 5ks too. And now my son we definitely have yeah, we've, I've gotten him into running. We're mostly walking, but he is so proud to say that he's completed a 5k without complaining about being tired once.
Speaker 7:Nice nice, I love to see it so Lace. Since you're all in on this Run Disney thing, I got to ask the question when are you doing Dopey?
Speaker 10:Oh, we'll see. I haven't trained for a marathon yet. My furthest I've actually ran is the half, but I do want my first marathon to be the Honolulu Marathon, just it's a very special place.
Speaker 4:Okay, yeah, we'll talk about that more later. Sarah, how about you? How'd you get started?
Speaker 18:You know, running was always something that I thought looked interesting, but I never actually started doing it. I'm not sure why, but then I had been a Disney cast member and would see, you know, the run Disney weekends. And then, after I left Disney, a friend of mine who was still a cast member convinced me that the Tinkerbell Half Marathon would be a great way to finally get to Disneyland, because I had only been to Worlds. So I signed up for that. And then it was way back in 2014 when the Challenge medal had the Walt and Mickey statue on it. And if you ran that year the Coast to Coast Challenge, and that year, if you ran Tinkerbell and princess, instead of the standard black and red metal, you got a pink and purple coast to coast metal. Um, and that was very motivating to me.
Speaker 18:So I also signed up for the princess half that year, um, and ran those two half marathons and really enjoyed it, um, but also got injured so I kind of fell out of running for a little while. But after COVID the run, disney bug bit me again and now I'm back.
Speaker 4:We're glad you got bit by that bug, Shannon. How about you, my friend?
Speaker 11:Well, I'm the veteran of the group, so this is my 20th year of running.
Speaker 11:I used to dream about running before I started running, so I don't fit into your categories, bob, but I literally had a dream and woke up in my West Side apartment 21 years ago and strapped on horrible Nike shoes and ran out the door and immediately got shin splints. But in all, kidding aside, I heard about this team called the LA Lakers, and the LA Lakers actually started with Jeff Galloway and practiced the Galloway method, and so that's when I began. I'm also a Disneyph file. My husband and I were engaged at Disney and are now celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this year. We just came back from Alani. We're D23. We're DVC, we're all the Disney things. And hi, my name is Shannon and I've never been to Disney World.
Speaker 4:I think we'll fix that, and congratulations on the anniversary.
Speaker 11:I just want to say I did a duathlon at Disney. I did not do the triathlon. They did have a triathlon. I don't know if you knew that there was a women's triathlon at California Adventure. I did not do that, sadly, because they've never done it again. Obviously there's World of Color there now, but I did a bunch of the races.
Speaker 11:Sarah and I were at Tinkerbell. I did a lot of the Disney races and then I did um, uh uh. Star Wars is my favorite and that was kind of the last one before they shut it down. And I'm so sad they're shutting it down again. Um, because I was hoping they were going to bring back the marathon. But I am now an official run Disney pacer, so I may find myself at Disney World for the wine and dine. We'll see. But I've done a lot of. Yeah, so I'm the veteran here, but I'm also an Ironman triathlete, I'm an ultra runner, I've done more marathons and halves than I can count, but I it was just such an extraordinary moment for it to come together with these women over the weekend.
Speaker 4:Well, that's fantastic. I want to hear about it. And, sarah, you put the initial report in, so why don't you kick off telling us about this race?
Speaker 18:Okay, Um, so the race is a. It was the first year they held it and it's held on a trail in Snohomish that's about 30 miles long, so it's perfect for 100k out and back and you were able to do it. Some people did it as an ultra run, as a single runner runner, and then others were teams of either two, three well, really as many as you wanted. It was supposed to be two, three or six, but we ended up with five and that worked just fine. So we it was a lot of fun. It had never been done before and so it was a little bit disorganized, but that kind of worked perfectly for us. Because we were also a little bit disorganized, but that kind of worked perfectly for us because we were also a little bit disorganized in a very good way, and we all actually had not met in person until the night before the race. Vanessa, I believe, had met all of us individually. Well, I guess you and Lace actually hadn't even met in person at that point.
Speaker 10:Yeah, we met over Facebook through actually us, through this podcast Facebook group, because we had run the Great Ferry Race off of Bainbridge Island in Seattle. We were just chatting there and she messaged me on the side and was like hey, do you want to do this relay with a bunch of us? I was like never done a relay but about to hop in a van and go for a run with a bunch of women I just met online. Great Sounds like a plan.
Speaker 16:The Facebook group is so wonderful for that, and it was just so, so great to meet Lace that way. I think I had posted about my experience with the Great Fairy Race and Lace almost immediately responded, and then we had a dialogue about our experiences on that race, and so I thought she'd be a perfect addition to the team.
Speaker 11:Yeah, vanessa and I met through Run Disney at the Disneyland half in February when her co-pacer dropped out at mile three.
Speaker 4:Oh, that's not true.
Speaker 11:And I'd been a pacer with the LA Lakers for over 10 years, so I just knew what I had to do, and the only reason I was in that pace group is because I couldn't find my Garmin in the morning. So to all of those of you listening who were like me 20 years ago and would not run without a Garmin. I'm here to tell you that I was able to pace without a Garmin and I knew that Vanessa was running too fast, and that's when I fell in love with her we are pacing.
Speaker 11:We are pacing the 240 group.
Speaker 4:Wow.
Speaker 11:Half if you're listening and want to join the fun with two joyful runners in just a few weeks here.
Speaker 4:It is just two weeks away. That would be a good pace group.
Speaker 18:I have to say, when Vanessa asked me to join the team, she told me that the team was called the Joyful Runners and I said OK, I'm in, that's perfect, that's perfect.
Speaker 6:So we had a lot of fun with that. So, sarah, you talked about that. It is a 30 mile out and back for this race. Tell us about the logistics, vanessa. Why don't you start and tell us how it worked?
Speaker 16:So what we did and actually Sarah was our logistical queen how it worked was there were essentially spots. They were about, I would say, five to seven miles in between, where you would sign in and there would be an aid station there as well, and that was where you would switch for the next runner. And so we all did at least two legs. I believe Shannon and I did three. Is that right? Yes, okay, and we got cowbells at each stage on the back. Oh, I saw that, yeah, which was really fun, yeah.
Speaker 16:And then Shannon's friend, sharon, actually kindly agreed to drive, so we had a van that became very messy by the end of the day, but she drove everyone who was not running to the next spot.
Speaker 11:Yeah, it was something that I learned in Ragnar, so I've done several Ragnars and Ultra Ragnars and I actually sent the team my list. From how many years ago was that guys 12?
Speaker 10:10 years I had an ipod on it, so yeah, that was so it had ipod charger.
Speaker 11:But, um, like I, I knew we needed a van, so I rented the van um at c-tech, which was super easy, and we got the. For those of you listening, if you have a, if you have six people, the odyssey um, I think everyone here on this call can agree that the odyssey was In Ragnar. You need, like, the bigger van because you need a place to sleep, but because this was just a day race and there was no need for sleep. Well, I needed sleep but I did not sleep. But you know, the Odyssey worked well. I wasn't sure but it actually worked really well and I think that's one of the things I want to make sure the listeners know is that if you're doing an out and back, the Odyssey is a good van.
Speaker 10:That if you're doing an out and back, the Odyssey is a good van. I will say, our van was full of snacks. We had all different kinds of fruits, watermelon, cherries, and then among all of that was different kinds of jerkies and chips. It was literally every pit stop that we did, or where we're waiting for the next runner to come back. I was just slowly just munching on things. I was like I don't think I'm eating enough or running enough to account for all the snacks that we have.
Speaker 11:It was a farmer's market too like it was a farmer's market at one of the stops, which was really helpful oh nice, that's nice, was it? You, sarah, that got the um lemonade. There was one of our teammates that got the lemonade.
Speaker 18:Yeah, we actually ran through the farmer's market. Yes, we did. Our fifth teammate, renee, who wasn't able to join us today, finished her first leg there, and so she had just run seven miles, and she was able to get a fresh squeezed lemonade at the farmer's market, which was really nice.
Speaker 4:I'm suddenly seeing Sylvester Stallone as Rocky running through the farmer's market.
Speaker 18:And also real bathrooms at two of the stops which was very, very nice.
Speaker 6:So not, I mean, you guys knew each other but hadn't really met each other in person a lot of you. Did you find it easy to figure out what each other needed along the way, or was there a little bit of a learning curve of each person?
Speaker 11:Well, we'd spent some time over Zoom, so we got to know each other. Lace was our fearless jumper in her at the last minute, but I'm sorry, vanessa, I didn't mean to cut you off. See, we're all joyful, we just like to chat.
Speaker 16:Yeah, I think it was. It was. I was really impressed and then also just enjoy time talking to each other, which we all really did, and I just think it's a really wonderful way to develop what I hope will be lifelong friendships. Oh.
Speaker 4:I bet they will. As you drove across in the van, could you see the runners?
Speaker 10:Yes, we a couple at a couple spots we could. So every time we drove past them we would like roll down the window and cheer and things, yeah. So we saw there was a couple spots, definitely, and then also too, it was such a great community of other runners in there, like at every stop, you know, we're cheering each other on or as we were passing each other on the on the trail and whatnot. It was such a great community. And then, like sometimes we'd just chat like, oh, what leg have is? How many legs have you done so far?
Speaker 4:my guy's like my only leg, I'm doing it by myself yeah, one of the things I recall I I did one of these years ago and in the van. It was a road race so we could see one another and after we'd make our handover point the the runner who just finished, would you know towel off a little bit and then we'd head out in the van and it was always a challenge to see how far we would go before we found our runner. And if you were the runner, you ended up running too fast because you wanted to get out there. Oh, wow, Look how far away. Anyway, Uh, that's my only experience there.
Speaker 7:Okay, so I'm looking at your race photo that you guys threw up there. I see Joy's there. Oh, sorry, shannon, but you guys are all wearing cowbells on your neck and there's different color cowbells. What do they mean?
Speaker 18:So the medals for this race were cowbells and at each point along the way as we came back there were six cowbell medals. So for each of the six legs on the way back to the finish, whoever ran that leg got the cowbell for that spot. So there were six different ones that represented the six different trail heads where we started, and we each got um one representing the last leg that we ran, and then everyone got a finisher medal as well from the final stop.
Speaker 11:And then Vanessa, I think there was one. I got one at the turnaround alsoah that, so I had right at the barn and vanessa had two, and then the, so three, two, so there were actually seven because there was one at the turnaround I was, so I ran the final leg of the um of the 30. It was like an uphill four mile run and I was very like then I got a medal.
Speaker 4:Did you have to fight off your teammates to have the honor of running the four mile uphill?
Speaker 11:I didn't know. It was uphill at the time that I signed up, Bob. So I did the.
Speaker 11:I did the first leg, I did the turnaround and then I did the second to the last. So it was actually a very good endurance day and I have some comments on that, if you'd like. I didn't know if I was. I haven't run a marathon in a while. It's been some years since I ran a full and I was feeling like, oh, am I ready? Because I was sick for the last several years and it's now two years of getting healthy again.
Speaker 11:So for those of you that are coming out of illness and wondering, you know this kind of experience is a good way to gauge your fitness. So I did a lot of biking. I took the Ironman approach to this race and did a ton of biking and it worked. So I feel like I can run a marathon. So, leaving that many hours in between legs, I realized that I'm ready to run a marathon. This was more difficult than running a marathon in many respects, because if you do beginning middle end of any race like this and have all those hours in between, you risk getting injured. But I think all of that biking really paid off.
Speaker 4:Good deal.
Speaker 6:So being called Joyful Runners, and Joy being kind of the mascot of this race, I always think of wins when I think of Joy, so let's go around and tell me a win from the race. Shannon, let's start with you.
Speaker 11:Well, I got to say I'm ready for a full marathon and I'm coming at you, Dopey. Perfect. I've always wanted to do the Dopey Challenge. So we'll see if I'm there at 26 or if I have to wait till 27,. But I'm ready to sign up for a full again and, like I said, I think I've run over 30 of them. So I know what I'm doing, but I just wasn't sure if my body was ready. So for those of you coming back from injury, recovery, illness, do it.
Speaker 16:Vanessa, as Shannon correctly put, I feel like this was an exercise in endurance and stamina throughout the day and I, for my 50th birthday, I'm doing a 50 miler, and so I'm excited about that, and this makes me feel more confident going into that.
Speaker 11:Vanessa, you got this.
Speaker 10:Yeah, lace, how about you? I think the biggest win is probably just, you know, meeting a bunch of new friends, learning friends. I don't. I mean, I started running about a year, like a little more than a year ago, so I don't have a lot of running friends and a lot of running definitely not a lot of run Disney friends. So finding this podcast, finding Vanessa and the rest of this team, is a huge win in my book.
Speaker 6:Yeah, you're about to have a lot more I may have given Lace a lot of unsolicited running advice You've got more than you can count now. All right, and Sarah, how about you? What are some wins from the weekend?
Speaker 18:I think it was just such a great weekend all around, and I think one big win was just discovering the camaraderie between not only our team it was so much fun being a part of our team but also just everyone at the run the volunteers, the other runners. Everyone was so encouraging, um, and I think my biggest win um is just that, with all that encouragement and all that support, as Alicia knows, I've been struggling to get to a 10 mile distance, um, and it's been um something that I've tried a few times and not made it all the way there, and so this race was actually the first day that I covered 10 miles, um, and it was in two legs, but, um, you didn't know such a huge win, oh yeah um, and you know, thanks to Alicia's support as my coach, and Vanessa has been amazing support, and then all of the ladies in the band like we're just so encouraging and the volunteers were, you know, were pulling me along, um, so I think that feels like the biggest win that I finally made it to double digits.
Speaker 15:I'm very proud of you.
Speaker 11:It's very exciting. I will say that there were a lot of Disney files in Snohomish.
Speaker 11:Um there were people talking about Oogie Boogie. I will be there at the. There were people talking about Oogie Boogie. I will be there at the end of September. The Oogie Boogie nights have already started here at Disneyland. So yeah, it's. It was interesting to see all the Disney sweatshirts and all the comments about my joy costume and the blue hair. It was. It was really fun and I want to shout out Sarah to picking joy quotes for all of us and a special shout out to our teammate, renee, who's not here.
Speaker 11:Who hosted our dinner the night before and really was the one who found this race and got Vanessa to bring us all together.
Speaker 4:Thank you, shannon. I was going to ask to make sure that we didn't. We had one more teammate. I wanted to make sure we didn't forget her. That's great. Ladies sounds wonderful. These are great events. It's great the way you all came together. I feel excited about that. That sounds like fun. Thank you so much for taking the time, especially out on the West Coast it's not really a convenient time for you. But thank you so much for joining us on the podcast. All right, let's continue. On Saturday in Colorado Springs, colorado, for the Cheyenne Mountain Run 10K. Janie put the report in. She did it for her boyfriend, gopal. Gopal finished in one hour and three minutes on this 10K trail race A really good time, so nicely done. Thanks for putting the report in. Janie. Kayla did a sprint distance. Young Life Triathlon in Detroit Lakes, minnesota. Amy was running in Nashville. The Titans 5K left us this race report.
Speaker 3:Hey, rise and Run friends. It's Amy from Nashville calling you from the 50-yard line of the Titans 5K. I'm a bird fan but this was a great run Tough run up a bridge down the other side, through the streets of Nashville, but a ton of fun with some of my coworkers. Hope you have a great weekend, enjoy this episode and happy running.
Speaker 4:Thanks, amy. Out in Roswell, georgia, the Area 13.1 Half Marathon and Terrestrial 5K and 10K. We've heard of this race before. This is the one that last year a storm ended it before it even began. This year Sherry was there for the 10K and Amanda was there for the half. Amanda said they had a thunderstorm for this one also Lightning, thunder, falling tree limbs. The whole ball of wax Storm started around mile five, persisted until around mile eight. One of the nice things is that the rain cools things down. Despite the bad weather conditions, the race was well organized, a lot of crowd support, a lot of water stops and the thing about doing something like that it's not cool when you're doing it, but you get great stories afterward. Speaking of great stories, the Shawshank Hustle 8K in Mansfield, ohio, ran this weekend. I've been wanting to do that one for a while.
Speaker 8:Yeah, we've heard about this one before.
Speaker 4:It looks pretty neat. Lori and Peter were there. About this one before it looks pretty neat. Laurie and Peter were there. You get randomly assigned to be a guard or an inmate. Laurie was an inmate, Peter was a guard, Laurie dressed up as a prisoner from the Shawshank Redemption, which of course, if you haven't figured it out, the film was made there at this prison in Mansfield. Race was a little hilly, a lot of great entertainment on the course. There was a carousel in the town square that you could ride. A lot of water stops on a warm morning. That was good. Before or after you could actually also tour the prison. Now Peter beat Lori, but Lori's blaming it on the fact that she stopped to ride the carousel during the race and still almost caught him. Good event, Good report, Thanks guys.
Speaker 7:That's one of the best movies that I think was ever made.
Speaker 4:Oh, it's an excellent movie. I think it is the highest rated movie on the Internet Movie database, which has you know, has movie fans rating the movies. I think Shawshank redemption always ends up number one.
Speaker 7:I always got to continue watching it when it comes on.
Speaker 4:I haven't looked for a while. That's a darn good one, I agree, john.
Speaker 7:Yeah, got some good quotes in it too.
Speaker 4:Yeah, let's go to Hickory, north Carolina, for the Lightning Bug Boogie 5K Night Trail Race that Denise ran, starting at 9 in the evening. Challenging run on a bike trail, lots of ups and downs, tree roots, it was muddy because it had been raining for a week. It was challenging but it was still fun. Denise knocked out a second place age group finish and her friend was also second in her age group. Nicely done. Derek ran the summer sizzler in Austin, texas. Let's see, he was up since 3 in the afternoon the day before because he had to work overnight. They took the family to this race which was at Lakeline Park. His wife and son did the one-mile race. Son finished second in his age group. That's outstanding. And Derek did the 15K and, despite being tired, also finished second in his age group. That's outstanding. And Derek did the 15K, despite being tired. Also finished second in his age group. Good job. The Mount Sneffles Half Marathon in Ouray, colorado, victoria and her mom did it. It was Victoria's mom's second half marathon ever. It was Victoria's mom's second half marathon ever and this one was a PR. So that's going to be back to back PRs for Victoria's mom. Nicely done. Beautiful views out there in Colorado. Weather was almost perfect, celebrated with pizza and a trip to the hot springs afterward.
Speaker 4:Moving to Sunday in Falmouth, massachusetts, the Falmouth Road Race 7-Miler Part of a big race weekend up there in Massachusetts Activities all weekend. Jake did it. Jake stayed in a camp which was basically a bunch of Airstream trailers, let's see. The weekend started out with family races on Saturday morning. Teddy Teddy's been with us before on the podcast on the Race Report Spotlight. He ran with the seven and eight-year-old batch for the 400-meter run. For the seven-miler they had 11,000-plus runners. Run itself was great. Jake stuck to his plan. He kept it at marathon pace so he slowed down just a little bit for the heat Courses along the ocean very beautiful. Entire Falmouth community comes out to support this one. High fives, hose showers and cheers for seven straight miles. Also a lot of friendly runners on the bus and waiting in Woods Hole, one of the cities. Also Go to North Garden, virginia.
Speaker 4:The Walnut Creek Triathlon. I thought we had another triathlon out there. David did this one. This one was Olympic distance. David did this one. This one was Olympic distance. Olympic distance is a 1.5k swim, a 40k bike ride and a 10k run. Had a blast. Not a PR got to race with his neighbor. Got to run the race with his neighbor, which was kind of a treat. Water was a good temperature for the swim part of the try. Cicadas and goldfinches, nice background soundtrack for the bike ride, and even had a chance to help a box turtle cross the street. I'm assuming that was during the running part. Only downside to the whole weekend was the heat and going out too fast which folks do, which folks do and two well, actually going out too fast and too far on his long run training run the day before. Good job though, david. Over in England. Anna did the Regents Park 10K in London. She went to see Blackpink at Wembley the night before. Blackpink anybody Blackpink?
Speaker 7:at Wembley the night before Blackpink. Anybody, it's a K-pop band. I just looked it up.
Speaker 4:It is, john, it is. I had to look it up too. I didn't know. That's okay, that's cool. If you like them, that's cool. I'm sure it was fun. They had a couple of beverages at the concert. Still went out there, took it easy, got around. It was four laps in Regents Park. Highlight was saying hi to the camels at London Zoo on every lap. Oh no, we know a race that has camels Plus our entry included a tree being planted somewhere. Great little race, really friendly bunch who ran it.
Speaker 5:I think we all have homework for next week. Everyone needs to come prepared with their favorite K-pop band, including Bob and John.
Speaker 4:The favorite K-pop what Greg?
Speaker 5:K-pop band.
Speaker 4:I only know one and I guess now two. And are the boys from BTS out of the army? Yet? I only know one and I guess now two. Are the boys from BTS out of the army?
Speaker 5:yet I'm not sure, that's a good question.
Speaker 4:I know they have 100% enlistment in Korea. I think it's great. I think it's great that the guys did it All. Right, let's wrap up the race report in Edmonton, alberta, canada, with the Edmonton Marathon. Tanya and Dan. Dan did the full, tanya did the half. Tanya says she's really happy with how she did. She's still not back to pre-break pace, but she's getting closer and closer. Tanya, hang in there. You just got to be patient. It will happen, I promise. And that's it, friends. That's the race report for episode 204 of the Rise and Run podcast.
Speaker 4:Well, friends and if you run, you know you are our friend. I said every week we're closer and closer to getting back together. I'm excited about it. I know many of you will see one another at Disneyland, while those of us on the East Coast a lot of us are going to be in Burden Hand, pennsylvania, in a couple of weeks. So that'll be fun and exciting. We look forward to all of that. It is not a Zoom week. Next Zoom call will be next week Training. Good news and bad news For a lot of the country. It's going to cool off a little bit in the coming weeks. That'll help. Bad news numbers are climbing. If you're doing one of the long runs in January. Numbers are starting to climb. Hang with it, kids. Remember, it's about the endurance, it's about spending the time on your feet. You can do it and if I didn't lie to you, summer training equals fall PRs. You ought to start seeing some of those come around in another month or so. All right, that'll do it, my friends. Happy running.
Speaker 5: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 provider or event organizer.
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