216: Miles of Magic: Luciana's Hong Kong Disney Race Journey

The miles are getting long, the holidays are closing in, and motivation is wobbling—so we get honest about what actually works. We talk through the head game of marathon training: patience over pace on long runs, how to break the distance into chunks that calm your mind, and why comparing speeds on social media can derail your best week. You’ll leave with simple mental cues, smarter pacing targets, and a healthier way to handle missed miles without nuking your confidence.

Then we fly to Hong Kong Disneyland for a runner’s guide you can actually use. Registration quirks, pricing, and why it’s cheaper than you think. Corrals with no proof of time, last‑minute gate openings, and back‑to‑back race tactics when a 5K and 3K are minutes apart. Expect fewer characters, more selfies, and shirts that genuinely outshine many U.S. race tops. The routes weave outside the park and along the waterfront before Main Street and the Castle of Magical Dreams. 

Community stories bring the heart. The Rocky Run in Philly brought heat, crowds, and Mount Drago—a hill that humbled big goals and reminded us how to pivot mid‑race and still finish strong. Across the map, listeners logged PRs, first halves, charity 5Ks, and holiday light runs. We also spotlight a small business comeback from Fluffy Fizzies, with recovery goodies, expo preorders, and a reminder that resilience is built the same way as endurance: steady, honest, and supported.

Hit play if you need a reset on training mindset, you’re curious about international Disney races, or you just want a boost from runners who get it. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a training buddy, and drop a review so more runners can find us.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Warm Open: Virtual NYC Shoutouts
• 1:17 Hosts Banter And Show Setup
• 3:44 Community Updates And Patreon Welcome
• 5:20 Travel Partner And Dollywood Race Info
• 6:11 Training Calendar Check-In
• 8:09 Virtuals, December Plans, And Charity Run
• 10:20 What Would Alicia Do: Patience In Training
• 13:01 Mental Strategies For Long Runs
• 17:36 Pacing, Comparisons, And Race Nerves
• 21:47 Guest Intro: Luciana On Hong Kong Disneyland
• 23:08 Registration, Pricing, And Expo Differences
• 27:00 Logistics: Starts, Corrals, And Transport
• 30:08 On-Course Experience: Characters And Photos
• 33:54 Back-to-Back Races And Course Design
• 36:22 10K “Race” vs “Fun” Heats And Park Percentages
• 39:09 Checkpoints, Time Limits, And Results
• 42:12 Medals, Shirts, And 20th Anniversary Details
• 45:02 Park Highlights, Mystic Manor, And Castle
• 48:35 Practical Tips: Fuel, Food Access, And Planning
• 52:02 Fluffy Fizzies: Small Biz Resilience And Expo Plans
• 56:44 Products, Preorders, And Runner Goodies
• 1:00:18 Fundraising Ideas And Pickup Details
• 1:03:24 Community Housekeeping: Zoom, Shirts, Card Exchange
• 1:05:15 Race Report: Rocky Run Deep Dive
• 1:12:10 More Race Reports Across The Map
• 2:00:00 Closing Encouragement And Training Reminders

Transcript

SPEAKER_11: 0:11

Every line we may follow in this rhythm.

SPEAKER_01: 0:46

Good morning, Ride and Run family. This is Jason from Winter Garden, Florida. I am calling in live from mile 25 of my New York City virtual marathon, like many others have done this week. We are all looking forward to heading to New York next year for the live race. And I want to say congratulations to everyone in New York today finishing their in-person New York marathon. So exciting. Hope everyone's having a great day. Happy running.

SPEAKER_08: 1:17

That is our friend Jason finishing his New York City virtual marathon, which I think gets some entry into the New York City in real life marathon next year. Jason, thanks for the intro. Friends, welcome. Welcome to episode 216 of the Rise and Run podcast. Delighted as always that you are here with us. I'm Bob this week. I'm here with Jack.

SPEAKER_02: 1:44

Hiya.

SPEAKER_08: 1:45

With Alicia.

SPEAKER_02: 1:46

Hello.

SPEAKER_08: 1:46

With Greg. Hey, hey, hey. And with John.

SPEAKER_09: 1:49

Hey, Bob. How are you doing? Any fallen iguanas today?

SPEAKER_08: 1:52

No. It's cold enough, John. But not, I don't think we have iguanas up here. I've never seen them. You got to go a little bit further south in Florida to get to the uh the freezing iguanas. That's but that is a topic on the news around here.

SPEAKER_09: 2:11

It was on the news here. Yep, it's on the news up here, too. That's why I'm asking.

SPEAKER_08: 2:15

Oh, you they they talk about the iguanas in Florida. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. It's mostly in Miami. People do the strangest things. Like people have been known to put them in their cars to warm them up. Bad idea. Really bad idea. Oh, poor iguana here and driving along.

SPEAKER_09: 2:32

Not good. I'm picturing Tommy Boy when they put the dead deer in the car and wakes up and destroys the car.

SPEAKER_08: 2:43

Yeah. Let's see. This week, friends, we talked with our friend Luciana, who lives in Italy but ran the Disneyland Hong Kong races. And she tells us all about those. In the race report spotlight, I told you we'd hear from Greg. We're going to hear Greg tell us about the Rocky Run and Mount Drago in Philadelphia this weekend.

SPEAKER_04: 3:09

If you enjoyed the Rise and Run Podcast, please share us with your friends and introduce them to the Rise and Run family. We want to share in their Run Disney journey. Please remember to follow us on Facebook at Rise around Podcasts, Instagram at Rise and Run Pod, check out our YouTube channel, and visit our webpage at Rise and RunPodcast.com. If you have a question, comment, race report, want to introduce an upcoming episode, call us at 727-266-2344 and leave us a recorded message.

SPEAKER_03: 3:35

We also want to thank our Patreons whose support helps us keep the Rise and Run Podcast rising and running. If you like to join the Patreon team, please check our Patreon.com slash Rise and Run Podcast. And this week we got two new Patreons. And I know John says it, hey, how you doing? Well, yeah. I want to say it just like Joey from Friends, because I love that show. You ready? This button says it's better be good. Okay. Hey, how you doing? I think that was a great imitation imitation of us.

SPEAKER_08: 4:14

Uh B minus, what are you thinking?

SPEAKER_03: 4:17

What? B plus at least.

SPEAKER_08: 4:22

Hey, how you doing?

SPEAKER_03: 4:24

Okay, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_08: 4:26

All right. Well, who do we have, Jack? Who are our new people?

SPEAKER_03: 4:29

Well, Karen, I'm so sorry. Yes. How you doing, Karen and Joseph?

SPEAKER_08: 4:35

Karen and Joseph.

SPEAKER_03: 4:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08: 4:38

Thank you for joining us, guys. We appreciate all our Patreons and welcome Karen and Joseph. Thank you. Friends of Rise and Road Podcast, sponsored by Magic Bound Travel. You know, we're always talking about Magic Bound for your Disney trips, especially your Run Disney trips, but they have other opportunities. Right now, you know, the Dollywood race in the spring. We just had one at Dollywood, I believe. We'll check on the race report here in a little bit. But the Dollywood race in the spring, Magic Bound has rooms at the Heart Song Lodge and Resort next door to Dollywood. It's so it's close to Dollywood, it's close to nearby Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Severeville. Lots of good places there. A fun place to go. Magic Bound can get, if you're interested in doing the run in, it's in April of 26 at Dollywood. Because I know to get to it, if you are going on the cruise, you have to hop off the ship and drive to Tennessee real fast. But maybe fly. I guess fly. But if you're not, if you're in the area, it's a lovely area, it's a lovely time of year to be there. How about letting Magic Bound Travel get a room on rental or on hold for you right now before the rates rise? Of course, they do all of their services are complimentary to you. Magicboundtravel.com is their website. Check them out. Guys, let's look at the trading schedule. Marathon Weekend is now eight weeks away. And if that seems if it seems like that's getting a little scary, we'll talk about that in a bit, I believe. Uh we are in training week 20. It's a shorter, and this is how you know things are getting better, is when you say it's a short training cycle because if you're training for the marathon, you only have six miles this weekend. Remember when you thought six miles was a lot? Well, if you're doing the marathon training by now, six miles should seem to be oh, okay, good, only six. If you're doing goofy or dope dopey, it's four to six this weekend. Something in there. Uh Disneyland Half Marathon weekend, 11 weeks away. It's obviously it's right on the heels of Marathon Weekend at Disney World. Training week seven for the Disneyland half, three miles, including a magic mile this weekend. And springtime surprise is now 15 weeks away. We're in training week three. It's a three-mile week. One that I like to track Space Coast. Space Coast is now only 17 days away. Golly, these things are sneeping up, sneaking up on us.

SPEAKER_03: 7:34

Are you doing Space Coast this year? No, because you have Honolulu. No, you're doing both.

SPEAKER_08: 7:38

Yeah, I know. I'm doing them both. I'm nuts.

SPEAKER_03: 7:41

No, you're impressive.

SPEAKER_08: 7:42

Oh no, no, I'm nuts.

SPEAKER_09: 7:45

Also, for Marathon Weekend, if you did not start getting your ADRs, your ADRs are good for marathon weekend if you're staying on property.

SPEAKER_08: 7:54

Advanced dining reservations, ADRs, if that's due to you. Yep, you're in the window. So start booking them.

unknown: 8:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 8:02

Thanks for reminding me. My goodness.

SPEAKER_08: 8:05

It's a busy weekend. They book up fast. Oh, let's see. Okay, we've got any training updates, any training news, anything we want to share with our friends who are listening?

SPEAKER_03: 8:16

I ran a mind of the marathoner this past weekend. And it felt great because the weather felt great. Um, tight, but you know what? I've been using my my Aletha, whatever product hip hook thing. That's been great. I've been doing my stretches, I've been working out. I talked to Tom today. I'm starting to feel like in a good place. I just need to go and hopefully do a double-digit run soon. I know it's on the schedule soon. Um, so we'll see how that goes, and that will really tell me if I'm gonna be ready for marathon weekend.

SPEAKER_08: 8:52

Okay. All right, sounds good. I'm gonna talk more about it in just a little bit here, I think. I'm just guessing. I don't know. But I think I'm gonna talk about it here in just a little bit. Uh, quick notes I wanted to pass on. First of all, I am registered for the 12Ks of Christmas. So that registration is going on right now. It's still open. And those three 4Ks are to be run in the month of December. But any of you who have done a Disney virtual before realize whether you run them or not doesn't really matter. You can go ahead, you can submit your times. There's a place in your My Run Disney account to record your times for the virtuals that you do, but it won't affect whether you get your medals or not. You're going to get them. And the other thing I want to remind our friends of, and we talked about it a couple times. I think the registration for the will run for virtual live is closed, but you can still go in there and make the five dollar donation for that event. And you can still participate in that. I've done it a couple of times. They they do a wonderful job. It's a lot of fun. They'll come up with a Zoom account, and it's uh it's really worthwhile. I do hope that we can support that as much as possible. But just on a whim, I'm gonna stop now and ask, what would Alicia do?

SPEAKER_04: 10:31

So, Bob, um, what would Alicia do this week is to remember to be patient with yourself in this marathon training. I know we talk um each week, and as a group we were talking about before we got on the podcast, so I want your guys' input as well about marathon training and how a lot of people will come to us and say, Well, you guys know you've done this before. Um, and having done the miles before, yes, we know a little bit more. However, it's still a lot, especially if you are doing the marathon, goofy, dopey. Um, and so really being patient with yourself is kind of the message of what would really should do this week because it's not always going to be perfect. We are human. Um, we're getting into the holidays and life lives. Um, and so just take things with a grain of salt, do your best. Um, and I know that I tell my clients, and I know um Chris and Jeff say this as well, is that you can't go too slow on long run days. Um, so just really be patient with yourself and um do your best um to get in the training. But um how are you guys feeling um with your training and um what are some insights that you can give to our listeners that are um maybe feeling overwhelmed as we get closer to those those big mileages and those race and the race weekend?

SPEAKER_08: 12:05

Well, let's chalk this up to great minds think alike, because I was thinking on this same topic myself and had already made some notes on it. And I'm talking to you, AJ. So I listened to one more run podcast yesterday, and guess what they were talking about? So I I admitted when I was stealing an idea the last time, this time it's just coincidence. Uh I gotta be honest. I I I don't know, I can't put my finger on the reason, but I'm having a hard time. But piggybacking on what you just said, Alicia, I think that some of our friends may assume that because we've done this before, it's easy for us. No, it's not. I think the advantage of having done it before is number one, in the back of our minds we know we can do it, or at least we have. And I mean, I I've been one to make the point anytime you step to the starting line of almost any distance, even a 5K, there's no guarantee you're gonna finish. We finished most of them. But we also, I think, I'll speak for myself, we've come to recognize how important the training is. And even though it is really hard, and it's really hard right now, long miles, most of us are doing them by them by ourselves. Uh for much of the country, the weather's getting cold, so that's difficult. Actually, here in Florida, the weather's getting about right now, so that that helps us a little bit, but it's just you can't see the end yet either. I mean, when you get up to that last long training run, you go, okay, this is it. Once I get this one, I'm going for my victory lap. But it's tough right now. And my best words of encouragement is understand that it's difficult, be patient, as Alicia said, and know that this is all going to pay off.

SPEAKER_03: 14:14

And I kind of just want to add this in because I I love everything of what we're um we're all saying. Um, because I 100% agree. Um, what I kind of want to add in on this is you also kind of remember long distance, it's not just about I guess you could say the endurance or the miles, it's about how far mentally you can also take it. It's true. Because it's a 50% to me, it feels like a 50% physical game as well as a 50% mental game. And I think sometimes you kind of forget to train the mind sometimes. Because the mind, you could play a lot of good tricks on it to let yourself forget what you're actually feeling. Like, because your mind might be telling you, I'm tired, I'm tired. But if you actually really think about it and you're like, you're running, you're like, I'm not really tired. Why is my mind telling me I'm tired? Why is it giving me doubt? And so finding those tricks to help you keep going is what's gonna be very great in these long runs because when it does come to race day, it's gonna be so much easier. So don't forget to train the mind as well as the body. That's a great point, Jack. And I I know it's gonna help a lot when you are doing the races at Disney. Um, don't think about the numbers. And I know that sounds really weird because you see a mile marker every single time. What usually helps me is thinking about the landmarks, being like, I only have this many miles to get to the castle instead of thinking, oh, I only ran one mile, I'm gonna have 25 more to go or so on and so forth. Because how I break it down for like those races or when I do ultras, I actually break them down by eight stations. And so I never actually think about the big picture. Yeah, right. And it becomes a lot easier for my mental capacity to take it in and not stress over a bigger picture than what I really just need to focus in that moment. So instead of being like, okay, I let's say we started the race, we just got through Epcot. All right, we got a few more miles till Magic Kingdom. I can make a few more miles. That's great. And I know there's a character probably right at the beginning of that before I enter Magic Kingdom. That's gonna be even better. I'm gonna make that as my next mental check spot. Yeah. Once I hit that, I'm like, okay, I got through Magic Kingdom. Let me get to Animal Kingdom. Here's another five miles. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. You guys got this.

SPEAKER_08: 16:31

I play mental games like that on the long training runs. I kind of picture, especially on the last, no, I'm not doing dopey this year, but especially on the last dopey long training run, where I'll think, okay, this is about where I'd get through Magic Kingdom. And especially I get to the end, I go, okay, that's where the choir would be, that's where Jeff would be, that's where the race announcers would be. Yeah, it helps me.

SPEAKER_04: 16:56

And if you're somebody who's not familiar, maybe this is your first race weekend, um, and you're not familiar with where the course is, um, I do encourage you to watch some YouTube videos. I know that we have some as well.

SPEAKER_03: 17:08

Um, like Passport to Run or Rise and Run podcasts is most of them there.

SPEAKER_02: 17:14

Never heard of them.

SPEAKER_04: 17:16

At any rate, even when you're training, um, finding kind of that distance, like Jack said, that is a a good value for you. Like for myself, um, I'll pick 10 miles. Um, usually when I get, um, I know that that's kind of like the halfway point and I know where that is in my run. Um so trying to find what works for you. Some people break it down by 5K's, 10ks, whatever's gonna work best for you and work on that mental game, like Jack said, um, is super beneficial. Um, and again, with the whole point of being patient with yourself, it it does take time to learn um what mental strategies work and don't work. And um, so yeah, just working through that while you're out there on those training runs as well.

SPEAKER_09: 18:08

Something else to think about is okay, you guys have uh 20 miles this weekend. You completed 15. Don't beat yourself up if you cannot complete the 20 right off the bat. You know, things happen, you know. Things happen out there, you know. You got you got the bulk of your miles in. I mean, your your goal was 20, but the 15 is still there. I mean, it's something like something could have happened. It could have weather could have got bad, it could have been, you know, niggling pain in your leg or your knee. But I want to slow it down and stop it because you know what? You're in for the long run. Don't go out there and try to push through to get to get those miles in, and you're gonna damage yourself.

SPEAKER_08: 18:49

Yeah, don't hurt yourself. Right. You got two lines across, start and finish. If you don't cross the first one, you can't cross the second one. That's true. But but but having said that, the training distances are important. Don't just don't just blow them off.

SPEAKER_03: 19:02

Well, and also you shouldn't really be running at your race pace during these runs. And I just I know you're gonna see it, let's say, on Stravo or Instagram, all these people with all these different paces. Just focus on yourself because honestly, like that is the best thing for you to do is just focus on yourself and remember that this is not your race pace, this is your conversational long run pace, which means you should be going about two minutes slower than what your regular race pace is. Yeah, very good. This should feel quote unquote easier in a sense because when you get there on that race day, whew, you're gonna be kicking into high gear and be like, ah, I got this.

SPEAKER_08: 19:45

If I remember one thing about my first Run Disney event, above all others, was it was a half marathon. I had not run one in 27 years, and I was nervous about it, and I got like to mile nine, mile ten, and all I could think of was, oh boy, did that training really help me out because I feel great. And it was all the training.

SPEAKER_03: 20:09

Regardless of how many races we get, I don't know about you guys. I still get nervous when I get to the start line. I get nervous and I get quiet because I'm like, I don't know. My mental game sometimes is like I have to calm myself down before I get to the start line because if I don't, I'm now I'm gonna be too jittery and just go off too fast.

SPEAKER_08: 20:29

Okay. I don't have that problem. No, I don't either. I don't either. And and I don't get that nervous at the start of an event because I'm there for fun.

SPEAKER_03: 20:41

I I was one time. I was one time because I had just done the Black Canyon 100k, and I remember seeing Chris Twiggs in in my corral before the race start, and I said I'm really nervous because I just had a really bad race, even though I completed it, I had a really bad race, and here I am towing a lime for a half marathon a week later. I'm like, this this I was so nervous is that just calm down, relax, just have fun. This is this is the the um the reward.

SPEAKER_08: 21:09

Yeah, it's the victory lap. Yeah, this is another one I say all the time. People get may get tired of it, but I don't think I think nervous is okay. It's okay to be nervous. There's nothing but people say they're afraid or they're scared. Oh, yeah. There's nothing to be afraid of. Nothing.

SPEAKER_09: 21:27

Nothing. It's those first couple intervals we do, that's when I feel like, okay, it's ready. I'm ready. It's you know, it's like you cross that finish, like it's a start line, and you're like, okay, how am I gonna feel? Like, is anything gonna act up right off the bat? And it's like, once you get a couple intervals underneath you, you're you're running with friends, it's like everything just goes away sometimes, and it's just like then next thing you know, it you're at mile 26.

SPEAKER_02: 21:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 21:54

So, friends, trust your training, be patient with yourself.

SPEAKER_08: 21:59

You can do this because that's what Alicia would do. Caution runners, change of topic ahead. Friends, visiting us this week is uh a Ryzen Runner's been with us for quite a while now, and I love seeing her reports because many of them come from overseas, a lot come from Italy. I've always wanted to get her on and talk with her, but the time zone difference is the problem. Well, we worked it out, and we're so happy that Luciana Kimmel has joined us for the Rise and Run podcast. Luciana, welcome. We're glad that you're here.

SPEAKER_05: 22:41

Hi, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_08: 22:44

You're welcome. I you know, you've done a lot of interesting runs. We're gonna we're gonna concentrate on Hong Kong this week, but we may give you a chance to tell us about some of those others that you've done too. Because I really, I really do look forward to your posts in Facebook.

SPEAKER_03: 22:59

So I've been watching your story on Instagram while you were there. I was like, oh my gosh, she's in Hong Kong. And I freaked out. I was like, then I saw you were doing the races, and I was like, we have to interview her. This would be so much fun. Um, so if anybody knows, uh Hong Kong Disneyland does races. They do two 5Ks, or sorry, they do two 3Ks, a 5K, and a 10K. But they're not technically Run Disney races. They are hosted by Hong Kong Disneyland, but they're not necessarily the same as the Run Disney races. So I'm very, very intrigued to hear how the races go. So my very first question for you is what made you want to sign up for the Hong Kong Disneyland races?

SPEAKER_05: 23:44

I've done the Disney World races and I've done the Disneyland Paris races. So I saw those. And last year I was not able to join because I was doing line and this year I I said, yeah, let's do it. Because in any case, I do a lot of traveling to get to Florida. So like it's about the same time, the same travel time to get to Hong Kong.

SPEAKER_08: 24:13

Oh wow, that's interesting.

SPEAKER_05: 24:15

It's about 10, 11 hours. So I thought, yeah, and it's it was one of the castles. That was amazing.

SPEAKER_03: 24:26

Oh, yeah, it was such a beautiful castle. I hope to see it one day. Now, so this means this is your first time at Hong Kong Disneyland, correct? And first time running those events. Yes. Oh, that is so amazing. So we already talked about like the races technically not being Run Disney races. So I saw that you, I think it looked like you were staying at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, which also seemed like is where the expo was. So how does that really compare to the states?

SPEAKER_05: 24:56

It was really different because the expo wasn't in one place all the days. Two days it was in one hotel, two days was at the Disneyland Hotel, and the last day it was at the Hollywood Hotel, I think. Um probably because at the Disneyland Hotel there was a wedding, so they used the conference room and the bathroom for and the event, uh not for the big pickup, but yes, it was inside the hotel and just 30 minutes, 30 seconds walk from my room to the big pickup. That was fun.

SPEAKER_03: 25:37

Wait, so was there vendors and stuff like how you normally see over here? Like can you buy merchandise? It was just the big pickup, the merge backup, and then that was it? Yeah, so you're probably in and out in like maybe like 10 minutes, 30.

SPEAKER_05: 25:53

There was a bit of a line when I went there because I went at the end of the day, but it was quite fast. There was no merge they had, but that was all. So they had a little bit of merge official merge that like you you could pre-order when you registered. Oh, so they picked it up.

SPEAKER_03: 26:17

Yeah. Love that. So wait, so just for context, how long were you in Hong Kong for and how long of that was the Disneyland portion?

SPEAKER_05: 26:28

I was there for five days. And three were I went, I did two days to races and one day to the park. And then I visited Hong Kong two days. It was a quick trip.

SPEAKER_07: 26:42

All right, Lucien, we we talked a little bit about the expo side of things, but let's back up a little bit here and let's talk about registration itself. Because again, you know, as Jack alluded to before, yes, these are put on by the resort, but it's technically not Run Disney. And as Jack mentioned at the top of the interview as well, you know, four different races ranging from three to ten K. What races did you register for?

SPEAKER_05: 27:08

I did all of them.

SPEAKER_07: 27:10

You did all of them? Perfect. Okay. So in registering for all four, what was registration like? Was it just easy breezy, or is it a stressful venture just like it is to do Run Disney here in the States?

SPEAKER_05: 27:25

I think it was complicated to find the information before the registration. To find exactly when the registration was and what time it started and everything. But once I found that, it this year it was on the 29th of July at 10 a.m. 10 a.m. Hong Kong. So it was 3 a.m. my time. Of course I didn't register at that time. I went like three hours later, and there wasn't like a virtual queue or anything. I just went in and registered for the races. And for example, for the 3Ks, you have different groups. So when you register, you have to select the time you want to run. Oh.

SPEAKER_07: 28:11

Interesting.

SPEAKER_05: 28:12

You have three stars, and by mistake, I selected the first one, which was 45 minutes before after the start of the 5K.

SPEAKER_02: 28:23

Oh.

SPEAKER_05: 28:24

So I had to do those two like really back to back. Yes.

SPEAKER_07: 28:30

Interesting. Did any of these races eventually sell out or was registration always open for these?

SPEAKER_05: 28:37

I when I finished the registration for all four races for me, I went in just to screen record and understand how it was going, just to keep it for my records, I think. And the 5k was allowed. So it was a few hours. But it was the same day.

SPEAKER_07: 29:04

And then one of the last comparisons that I wanted to chat with you about is I mean, obviously, I know in theory for our listeners, for you, and for the host country, we're talking about three different currencies here. But what what was the pricing like on all of these races?

SPEAKER_05: 29:23

It was a lot cheaper than the the one the same world once. I don't remember if it was about fifty to what would be sixty dollars something like that.

SPEAKER_03: 29:38

I think I I looked into it because they still actually have the prices up online because it shows like their info for each race. I think it was I think you're right, it's like between fifty dollars to seventy five dollars for the longest race. So cheap.

unknown: 29:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_05: 29:55

But the registration wasn't so complicated, you had to all the information. And then make sure your garden was ready for that purchase overseas.

SPEAKER_03: 30:06

When Disneyland Paris had their Run Disney races, they actually had to have a doctor's approval stating that you were in good health to do these races. Does that apply to the Hong Kong Disneyland races at all? No?

SPEAKER_05: 30:19

No, that didn't apply. There was like a disclaimer, you have to be in good health and everything, but they didn't request for any documentation.

SPEAKER_09: 30:31

Day one, you have a 3K and a 5K. So how do we do this? So what's the logistics of the 3K and the 5K?

SPEAKER_05: 30:40

The races start at the parking lot. It's outside the park because is um probably the bus parking lot and it's very easy to get to and from the Decent Life Hotel. I walked there, it was a 10-minute walk. So just easy. It's so simple. Yes, definitely.

SPEAKER_09: 31:07

How does that go?

SPEAKER_05: 31:08

First, it was a 5k, it was at 6 30. And then you I remember my race for the 3K, it was at 7 15. And I think there was one on A15 and one on 9, because there are three groups for the 3K.

SPEAKER_09: 31:27

Only one running of the 5K, multiple multiple shots to run the 3K.

SPEAKER_05: 31:32

Yes. That was the first A. And then they had after that they had the kids races inside the park.

SPEAKER_09: 31:40

And you said you walked to the event, but is there bus transportation?

SPEAKER_05: 31:45

Is there from the Disney hotels there were shuttles, but also from the city center. You could buy a ticket and they have like designated points, like pickup points, and you could get there and go to the parks because the public transportation is not open so early. So they had that option.

SPEAKER_09: 32:11

And that's all free of charge, no extra cost?

SPEAKER_05: 32:14

They had a cost. Um I think it was 60 Hong Kong dollars. It would be about$6.

SPEAKER_03: 32:22

That's interesting. That they made you pay for the bus if you wanted to take it. I would take I would go for free and just walk.

SPEAKER_09: 32:29

Well, that's that's why the registration is just so cheap, Jack.

SPEAKER_05: 32:32

I know. But the buses from the hotels were free. Not in the city center. Oh to pay.

SPEAKER_08: 32:40

Luciano, when you got to the starting area, we know what it's like at Disney World, and you do too. Was it similar? Were there DJs playing? Was there an announcer? How did it go?

SPEAKER_05: 32:51

There was a main stage, like the start area was a main stage, the back deposit. Then they had um one foot track and uh some merchandising. They had a face painting, that was funny. Oh it was it was themed, so that was funny, and they they had a few vendors uh where you could play games and win, like for example, a cup or a bag, okay, reusable bag. So they have that. They don't have characters to take pictures, they have um backdrops where you can take pictures. Okay, characters come out on the main stage and just interact with the presenters. Then also you have they run style awards for the costumes. You can run they take your picture with a costume, and you have to complete the race in that costume, and you can participate of uh on those awards. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08: 34:01

Wow.

SPEAKER_05: 34:02

The end of the races I do.

SPEAKER_08: 34:06

That would be interesting. I'm not sure. That would be a challenge.

SPEAKER_03: 34:11

Oh, a challenge accepted.

SPEAKER_08: 34:12

With all the folks with all the folks running in costume, that would be difficult.

SPEAKER_05: 34:18

I haven't seen many people running in costumes.

SPEAKER_07: 34:22

Well, hopefully that that will catch on in the future for sure. I I do have a question about the the start area. I mean, obviously, races are taking place in Hong Kong. You being an international traveler, what was the language barrier like? Were you know you know what languages were the you know instructions given in, and how easy was it for you to navigate that particular uh situation?

SPEAKER_05: 34:46

Actually, that was very easy because one of their official languages is English.

SPEAKER_02: 34:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 34:52

Okay. So they would were doing everything both in English and in Mandarin. So one of the presenters were was speaking in English and the other one in Mandarin. So they were doing both languages at the same time for everything.

SPEAKER_07: 35:08

No, I'm I I I'm I'm curious though. I gotta find this out because obviously, you know, as before we started recording, you told us you're originally from Argentina.

SPEAKER_05: 35:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_07: 35:17

But you're living in Italy, yes, and here you're traveling to to Hong Kong. How many languages you yourself can you speak?

SPEAKER_05: 35:25

I speak three on a daily basis.

SPEAKER_07: 35:29

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_05: 35:29

Wow, I understand a few more.

SPEAKER_07: 35:33

Very impressive.

SPEAKER_05: 35:34

I work in English. I I live in Italian, but I'm with my family in Spanish. Yeah, in Italian, I'm with my family in Spanish.

SPEAKER_08: 35:46

That makes perfect sense.

SPEAKER_03: 35:49

I want to be like you someday.

SPEAKER_08: 35:52

All right, we talked about the start area. How do the corrals compare? First of all, is there a proof of time that you can submit for these, or how do the corrals line up?

SPEAKER_05: 36:02

There is no proof of time for the 5k well for all the races, there was just one big corral. And it the the thing that I found like outside strange to me is that all the start line was closed until 10 minutes before the race started. So you were waiting outside, and then they were open uh about 10 minutes before the race started.

SPEAKER_08: 36:35

Everybody just rushes in. Yeah, I can picture that.

SPEAKER_05: 36:40

So the announcers move from the main stage to the star line, and they open. And it's crazy.

SPEAKER_03: 36:50

They just let everybody go off all at once, they don't like do it intermittently?

SPEAKER_05: 36:55

No, but there's not so many people. Like the the star line was cleared in about seven minutes, I would say. Okay.

SPEAKER_03: 37:05

The entire that's not too bad. Okay, so now we're up to the first race, which is the Zootopia 5K. How did the race go? Were there a lot of characters along the route? Was uh and were there photopaths capturing those pictures with the characters?

SPEAKER_05: 37:22

The race, like the course itself, was a bit uh out the park, and then 3k are inside the park. So you run a bit around uh outside the park, and then you go into the park, and they yes, they have characters, they don't have photobus photographers for the characters, and they don't have lines, so there is the character, and you gather around the character, take a selfie, and keep running.

SPEAKER_03: 37:54

Interesting.

SPEAKER_05: 37:56

Okay, was there a lot of people trying to do that? Not many, and when I stopped, there was not any character attendant or anything taking your picture, so it was a selfie and goal. Oh wow. Okay.

SPEAKER_03: 38:13

Was there a lot of characters out at least?

SPEAKER_05: 38:16

Not many. I'd say probably four or five.

SPEAKER_03: 38:22

Okay. Yeah. Yes. So for the Hong Kong Disneyland Disneyland races, like we said, there's two races in one day. So how did you go from the 5k to the 3K? And how did they even organize that? How do you know where you were going afterwards?

SPEAKER_05: 38:38

To find the starting line, it was just next to the finish line. So you you walked a bit and took your water and went back to start line. It's two minutes. So yeah, easy. But then for the course, I think they what they do is they do first the longer one and then they close all the part that is extra and they leave the 3k. So then you it's the same course, but they add some parts to make it 5k. So then you have different starts and go on the same route.

SPEAKER_03: 39:20

Got you. And I think I saw in your Instagram story you were wearing two different bibs. Yes. So you just kind of flipped your like outfit around to be like, okay, here's my 5k bib, and now here's my 3K bib.

SPEAKER_05: 39:33

Yes, I had one under my skirt, the 3k, because I didn't have time to change or anything. It was I finished in 26 minutes the 5k. Oh wow, that's impressive. Very good. And had some water and changed maybe and went to the store for the other one. Non-stop. But it was fun.

SPEAKER_03: 39:56

Were there like water stations and everything along the routes?

SPEAKER_05: 40:00

They had water stations with cups and water and one at the end. At the end you had just uh, I think it was a sports drink, water and bananas.

SPEAKER_03: 40:13

Oh, okay. So you still got some of like okay, gotcha.

SPEAKER_07: 40:17

Alright, so day one is done. You finish the Zootopia 5K, and of course, since it's one of the Asian parks, obviously, Duffy is huge over there, so you also did the Duffy and Friends 3K. Let's move on to day two of the races. You still have 13k more to go, which uh that includes the Pixar 10K as well as the frozen 3k. Which race came first? The 10k or the 3K?

SPEAKER_05: 40:44

The 10K. In this case, they had two 10Ks. The race one was at 6.15, and the fun one was at 7 a.m.

SPEAKER_07: 40:56

Oh, interesting. Okay.

SPEAKER_05: 40:58

The one the first one was or was organized with their I think it's their track and field or association, and everything was so like very taken care of, all the details and everything very structured, and the other one was not uh was timed, but there were not awards or anything like that.

SPEAKER_07: 41:26

And then which one of those did you participate in?

SPEAKER_05: 41:29

I did the first one, the race one.

SPEAKER_07: 41:32

And then I I would obviously the the Pixar 10K longest race of the weekend. If you had to put a percentage on it, because obviously, you know, you you said you know they're part-time and outside the park and you know, stationary and like the bus area and such. What percentage of of the time would you say you actually spent in Hong Kong Disneyland proper?

SPEAKER_05: 41:54

I would say 30 to 40 percent. Oh wow was outside around the resort area and the hotels and that. But the the park is quite small. In all the races, you get to run through the castle down Main Street, uh, but you run around the entire park because it's small.

SPEAKER_07: 42:20

So you now did they also include like backstage areas as well, too, similar to like how we have in Florida and Disney. No, okay, interesting.

SPEAKER_05: 42:26

Yeah, they don't do backstage areas, they do uh along the waterfront because they are next to the water, so they they do that part, and they have uh the street that connects the hotels to the park. The uh that that one is quite nice, and you also run a bit uh outside on the streets.

SPEAKER_07: 42:53

And in terms of seeing characters out for these races, you know, since there were multiple races per day, when you saw the characters, were they the same characters for both races, or would they swap them out for each race? And how well did they theme the character selection to the race itself?

SPEAKER_05: 43:16

I don't think they were very connected to the theme. But they were swapping the characters I would say every 30 minutes. Because, for example, for the 5K that I did it just one after the other, they were changing some as I was coming by. So you would see a character going out and someone else uh walking to that character saw.

SPEAKER_09: 43:44

I pulled up the course maps and I see a lot of aid stations, a lot of water stops, but inside the park I see a clock with a checkpoint. What were those?

SPEAKER_05: 43:56

They had um got uh cutoff times. For example, for the 10k the time limit, the time limit is two hours for the 3k is one hour, but I would say they didn't enforce those that much only for the last 3k. Okay, they were clearing everyone, yeah, because it the last one starts at 9 a.m. and the park opens at 10 30. So I think they were clearing everything for the park to open.

SPEAKER_09: 44:36

So instead of a balloon lady, we have checkpoints.

SPEAKER_05: 44:39

Yes, but I also saw in the results some people disqualified and cut. I think you had a lot of times uh there was like a table with um many stops and saying at this time you have to pass this checkpoint, this time you have to pass this checkpoint, and I think they didn't tell you um you leave the course or take the bus to the finish line or anything, they'll let you finish and take your medal, but you don't appear in the official results.

SPEAKER_08: 45:20

I have one very important question. When you finish, do you get a box with snacks?

SPEAKER_05: 45:30

No, you don't get cheese.

SPEAKER_08: 45:33

I'm not going. I'm not cheating, I'm out. No, I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_05: 45:37

Just a banana.

SPEAKER_08: 45:39

They get a banana, okay.

SPEAKER_05: 45:40

That's sports rainwater and banana.

SPEAKER_08: 45:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_05: 45:45

There is one other race on the second day that is the inclusive 3K, and it was a wheelchair race, but not the race wheelchairs, it was just the normal wheelchairs, and that was interesting to see. I have never seen that before. Uh, they started when I was finishing the 10K, and I saw all the race uh the wheelchairs come by. So that was particular to see.

SPEAKER_08: 46:16

Yeah. They're they're difficult. I mean, I've fortunately never been in one, but they're difficult to to move over that kind of a distance. And they're also difficult to push because you're bent over. But yeah, but a 3K, I understand that less than two miles, that will help a little bit. Interesting.

SPEAKER_03: 46:37

I'm just curious, out of all the races that you did that weekend, which one was your favorite and why?

SPEAKER_05: 46:43

I think the first 3K, because I did the 5k so fast and didn't look at anything. I just wanted to finish to get to the start to the other one that I enjoyed the 3K afterwards. Stopped, walked, and also it was the first time in the park, so I was taking one time to enjoy the castle. The view that's interesting.

SPEAKER_03: 47:12

Was there like a photo pass person to take pictures of you in front of the castle? Okay, good. Not in front of the castle.

SPEAKER_05: 47:19

Oh, okay. Running down Main Street, there was.

SPEAKER_03: 47:23

Did it feel just as magical as when you run through the main street in the States? I think it's less impactful.

SPEAKER_05: 47:33

Oh.

SPEAKER_03: 47:34

Because it's smaller. Um there is my other question. Which would you first off, would you do the Hong Kong Disneyland races again? I would definitely do them. It looks fun. I just I I want to do it so bad, but I feel like there's just not as much information out there about them. So it makes it hard to kind of research on whether or not you want to do it, or because it's kind of like you're comparing the the ones that you've either seen in Disneyland Paris or the ones that you've seen the States, and you're kind of like, is it the same? But it's kind of like you have to remember that it's not run Disney specifically, so it's going to be run a lot differently. And it's just like it's it's hard to find because I even tried finding videos on YouTube and I found one.

SPEAKER_05: 48:24

You have to translate the name to Chinese, and in Chinese, you have so many. Oh, really? Yes, there's my issue. There you go, Jack.

SPEAKER_08: 48:34

Yeah, a little Google translate action, Jack.

SPEAKER_05: 48:37

Yeah, I did a lot of research because I had the same challenge. I could not find information, I could not find all the details I wanted to know. And also they they announced the day so close to the race itself. Yeah, and makes it hard to plan. Yes, because it's so far away. So it's quite hard to plan such a big trip on a shirt.

unknown: 49:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 49:04

If you had to decide wine and dine race weekend, because it's so close to the Hong Kong Disneyland race weekends, if you had to sign up for just one race weekend, which one would it be?

SPEAKER_05: 49:16

Maybe I would do Hong Kong again.

SPEAKER_07: 49:22

Listen, I I don't I don't blame you. I'm looking at the English version of the race offerings on the website right now, and the the one thing that I think would just draw me in to begin with are these race shirts that you got. These are some of the most intricately designed shirts that I have ever seen, and I would almost challenge Run Disney to you know take a look at these to up their game of the race shirts that we get here in the States. Because I mean, these shirts that that were given to you as part of your registration, I I mean, would you go so far as to agree that they almost kind of are on the level of the shirts that we have to buy at the at the Run Disney Expo?

SPEAKER_05: 50:08

Yes. Uh also they were similar to the kind of merchandising they have at the park with the big pictures uh in the back of the shirt. Um, because they have a lot of drawings and all the characters and everything in the back of the shirt, and that was great. See, I love that.

SPEAKER_03: 50:31

Oh my gosh. Okay, sweet. Have you been to all the Disney parks now? I'm missing Shanghai. Oh my god, you're so close! Yes. I'd have to see now. I'm curious. Minus Shanghai, because you haven't been to that one. Which park, one, do you think is your favorite? And which park has your favorite castle so far that you've seen?

SPEAKER_05: 50:59

So far, Tokyo.

SPEAKER_03: 51:02

That's the correct answer. That is the correct answer. Love that.

SPEAKER_07: 51:08

Well, speaking of the resort itself and and the park, you know, talk about you know your downtime between all these races. I mean, obviously, it's the one park I think I I think it yeah, I heard you mention earlier in the interview that this is the smallest park out of all of uh the castle parks, but obviously it's got a big draw. Um, you know, it was the first frozen land, I believe, that that they um that they built. Um I obviously I know the one in Paris is gonna be opening up soon. But just talk about your time in Hong Kong Disneyland. You know, what were some highlights and and what were some of your favorite things that you might not see in Florida or Anaheim?

SPEAKER_05: 51:50

One of the things is having the city so close by that you can just visit the city, like take the train and go to the city. But in terms of the park itself, it's I think it doesn't need a lot of time to visit all the lands, but there there are some rides that were so special, like uh the one missing manor.

SPEAKER_07: 52:18

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 52:19

Their version of the Hunted Mansion. That was great. I didn't visit the park on the first day of the races, I did it on the second day of the race after the races. I went to the park and it was full. Many people after the races stayed and went to the park, so I just took my time to walk around the park and enjoy and everything. But on Monday, wait times were five minutes. Oh my gosh. I did Mystic Manor three times in a row. Ah, nice, and I was alone in the entire ride. I had the entire ride for myself. I loved the fun.

SPEAKER_07: 53:07

So obviously, you have visited all the castle parks at with the exception of Shanghai. Talk about this castle at Hong Kong because I believe it went through a pretty extensive refurb a couple of years ago, where I I think they like they made it like a heck of a lot taller than it used to be. Just describe that for our listeners.

SPEAKER_05: 53:33

I think that the original one was very similar to the California one, and they thought it was a bit underwhelming, and they started adding. So you have all the different sections in the castle uh that make reference to the different princesses, so it's not one castle about one princess. They have this different references, and it looks great.

SPEAKER_09: 54:03

I see this event was tied into the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong Disney. Was there any special park, any special merch, or any special items that they gave you? Like I know like this year we had the 10th anniversary of the challenge at Wanindown, we got a nice little patch. Anything there?

SPEAKER_05: 54:21

Yes, they had uh scrunchies.

SPEAKER_09: 54:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_05: 54:26

That well, people were using them as bracelets or scrunchies or putting them as um to decore their outfit. But it was a like the character with the hat from the 20th anniversary. And also the medals had the 20.

SPEAKER_07: 54:48

I was gonna ask about that. Could could you describe the the the medals to us that that you got for all of these races?

SPEAKER_05: 54:53

They all have this a similar shape. They are the 20, the number 20.

SPEAKER_08: 54:59

20, okay.

SPEAKER_05: 55:00

It's the shape, but then inside you have the different characters uh depending on the race and the and the distance.

SPEAKER_07: 55:07

Interesting, yeah. Yeah, see seeing those metals in this guide, it almost kind of reminds me of the metals that just got released last week for for Disneyland in 2026, you know, since they're incorporating the 70 into all of them. So I I thought that was a really cool design choice by them.

SPEAKER_05: 55:25

Yeah, I think they look a bit less colorful than the Disney Long ones, but they look very cohesive. The entire set is very similar.

SPEAKER_07: 55:35

All right, Luciana, we have talked about many, many different aspects of the race weekend in Hong Kong. As now the resident rise and run expert in uh running these races, if you could impart any advice to listeners who may want to go on this venture themselves, outside of Jack, of course, what advice would you give them?

SPEAKER_05: 56:00

I would say to plan for your fuel and bring snacks from the city if you go to the city, because uh at the Disney hotels you have mostly sit-down restaurants and not quick service, so it's difficult to get, for example, a banana if you want to have it in your room for the breakfast for the next day. They have a service that they do room service and deliver some breakfast in the morning at 5 a.m. But they only deliver the Chinese kind of breakfast, so it was not what I was used to. So I went when I went to the city, I got a convenience store, I got some bread, bananas, and some drinks to have in my room for the breakfast, because otherwise it would have been complicated to get something. Also, you don't have Uber Eats or Food Panda or anything delivered to the room or to the hotels. It the service is available in the city, but not at the resource, so that's not a possibility for the races.

SPEAKER_08: 57:13

Luciana, it's been a lot of fun talking to you. It sounds like you had a wonderful weekend.

SPEAKER_05: 57:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_08: 57:18

Uh are you do you have plans for other Run Disney races coming up anywhere in the world?

SPEAKER_05: 57:24

Not for now. I hope so.

SPEAKER_08: 57:27

I hope so too.

SPEAKER_05: 57:28

I do, because we would look forward to seeing the visit to my last Disney.

SPEAKER_08: 57:34

You do. That's right. They don't run races there though, do they?

SPEAKER_05: 57:37

No, but they have the Shanghai Marathon.

SPEAKER_08: 57:40

Oh, there you go. There you go. That would be terrific. Yeah, Shanghai Marathon. Why not? Shanghai Disneyland, Shanghai Marathon. That would be awesome. And we would love to see you back in the States in Florida. Uh I know you're loving us, though. I know you'll let us know when you get here. Luciana, thank you for taking the time. We enjoy talking with you. And happy running.

SPEAKER_06: 58:04

Caution runners, the topic is about to change right now.

SPEAKER_08: 58:09

You know, friends, it's it's been a while since we've talked about fluffy fizsies. Remember Fluffy Fizsies and our friend Pam would have the booth at the expo all the time? And great stuff. Well, it's been a little while. Now, we when Pam transferred the business over to her sister, Michelle. We talked to Michelle for a little bit, but it's been about a year. I'm happy to say Michelle's back with us this week, and we're going to talk about what's going on Fluffy Fizzes. Michelle, welcome back. It's good to see you.

SPEAKER_00: 58:42

Thank you. It is so good to be here. It feels like uh really, really long ago, many years ago, and it's only been a year, but it it is great to be here.

SPEAKER_08: 58:53

It's funny how time flies like that. Well, speaking of time flying, what's been going on with the business? How's it going for you?

SPEAKER_00: 59:01

It is going great. Um, so when we spoke last, uh just to kind of recap where life was, my dad was on his way from Maryland with a a truckload of equipment from Fluffy Fizsies. And, you know, I had a real positive outlook. Um, we were waiting for him to come. It was almost like a Christmas Eve feeling, waiting for him to come. And he got here about midnight, drove about 20 hours. Um, and then the next day, uh I woke up, same excitement, and I said, hold on a second, Dad, I gotta go take a work call real quick. And that is when my life took a right hand turn that I was not expecting. So I ended up actually getting laid off. Um, and so that was my biggest challenge to say, how do I keep moving forward? You know, you you lose funds at that point, and but it has Been a it has definitely been a year um of resilience, a year of um perseverance, and I feel like my last year has been a complete marathon um and having to push through each mile of it.

SPEAKER_08: 1:00:16

Yeah, that's a real gut punch. It is you don't work here anymore. It's no fault of your own, usually, not with a layoff situation.

SPEAKER_00: 1:00:24

No, and you know it's at the end of the year, so you had budgets, you know, were at the end, people weren't hiring, the administration, new administration was taking over. There was a lot of changes going on towards the end of last year. Um, but it it gave me a full five months to just resurrect fluffy fizzies, get going. It's been exciting. Um, Pam and I, Pam has led me through this the whole time. Um, there was times I'd call her at you know, nine, ten o'clock at night, and I'm like, oh, what do I do about this? And she's like, I'm in the bathtub.

SPEAKER_08: 1:01:01

You know, she answers the phone in the bathtub. That's impressive. She does.

SPEAKER_00: 1:01:08

She's like, can you just give me a break? But she has been um, she's been so strong with me the whole time. I appreciate it. But uh, you know, really, it's been the backing of the runner community that has just propelled me forward this entire time. Um, this is why I got into it, uh, because I wanted to surround myself with that runners community. I saw the way that they were with Pam. I fell in love with them at the expo. I worked with Pam. Um I ran with them during one of the uh marathons, uh, marathon weekend 2023. Uh and I and I loved it. So I'm happy uh to keep going with Fluffy Fizsies, and we've done some really great things over the year. Um, we have some really exciting events coming up. We're gonna see everybody at Marathon Weekend. So that's been real great, and we're preparing for that.

SPEAKER_08: 1:02:10

Okay, that sounds it's uh that sounds exciting.

SPEAKER_04: 1:02:12

So, Michelle, I follow you on TikTok. I don't know if you posted this on Instagram or Facebook as well, but your daughter made um a TikTok video of some exciting things that you have going on. You just alluded to one of them that you're gonna be back at the expo. But do you want to tell us about the exciting um things that you have in store for Fluffy Fizsies coming up?

SPEAKER_00: 1:02:34

Yes, so that's actually really funny you bring it up because my family has been involved in this process. Uh, I call her my little marketing director. Um, she's in there making products with me. She is um doing marketing uh for me, and she decided to shoot her own little TikTok video. So I was like, we'll go with it. And she decided that she wanted to give some surprises. So definitely the surprise was we are heading to Marathon Um Weekend Expo for 2026. Um in order to get there, we have launched some pre-orders for that where you can get a 25% discount. Um, and then we also, and this is another big surprise, is that we are going to launch our holiday collection this um this Friday. So that is ready to go. And and um, you know, I really sit there and try to think of what the runners need at this point, um, since they have been my biggest backing, and and I try to design the products and the boxes around them. So that's where we are. We are marching to Marathon Weekend, and I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_08: 1:03:48

Well, I think our friends are gonna be excited to uh to see you there because I know the Rise and Run family Fluffy Fizzies has been a big deal for the Rise and Run family. If we don't if we're not hanging out at the Galloway booth, we're hanging out at the Fluffy Fizzies booth. So we're glad that you're gonna be back.

SPEAKER_09: 1:04:07

What are the some of the things you're gonna have at the expo for the runners and everybody else?

SPEAKER_00: 1:04:13

Yep. So we are gonna have our famous uh the bounce back bath bombs, the um metal themed race packs, which everybody's really been loving those and the pre-orders, uh the soaking salts, the glitter lips. Um, we're also gonna have so one of the new products that I actually love is the severe sinus shower steamers because a lot of runners are getting sick after the marathons. Like they'll say, Hey, does everybody feel congested? These things will open you up and your neighbor's room. Like they are so extreme. So I'm gonna have those there. Um, and I'm also actually partnered um with uh my race tats. So we're gonna have some tattoos in in the booth uh that spread positivity and pride. And we have a whole bunch of products coming with us.

SPEAKER_09: 1:05:04

What about your? I see you have an emergency kit.

SPEAKER_00: 1:05:07

We do, thank you. We do have an emergency kit. Uh again, there was a lot of feedback from runners saying, what are y'all trying to bring with you? And so these little pouches uh have in there a mylar blanket, they have um some hand sanitizer, some bliss bra. So I really tried to think about what did you need when you're out there? You need the hand sanitizer so you can go eat your snacks afterwards, the race, you know. And I really tried to think about what they needed.

SPEAKER_09: 1:05:40

All the stuff I forget to bring down with me, right enough.

SPEAKER_08: 1:05:42

Yes. Yeah, I was gonna ask you to buy one, John, then sit next to me.

SPEAKER_04: 1:05:48

I did notice in that emergency kit there was something with the bliss oil, correct? Will you still have like the um the roll-ons in that and the droppers of the bliss oil as well at the expo?

SPEAKER_00: 1:06:01

Absolutely. So um here's something you might like. And it in our Christmas uh runners gift box, I have the Bliss roll-on in there, which is nice because there's like little travel size. Um, so I'm gonna have those at the expo. I do I put the the Bliss oil in a spray so that when you're out there running and let's just spray you spray it on your legs, you're not having to touch it with your hands because I don't want you to rub your your face afterwards. So I've really tried to think about this, you know. But um, yeah, no, we'll have those. Um, and like I said, you can get them online in a pre-order uh up until Thanksgiving. You get a 25% discount on all of that. Um, also I just want to remind you that you have your happy runners. Anybody that's listening, you just use your happy running um code at checkout and you get a discount there.

SPEAKER_08: 1:07:02

Yep. Now let's be fair, I wouldn't um I wouldn't expect the happy running discount to go on top of the 25%. You're not doing that, are you?

SPEAKER_00: 1:07:11

Listen, I am so thankful for everybody that uh for sure you can get the discount. That's how I'm running. I I I will never forget that first order that came through. And um it's still to this day when when I hear an order come through, I I am feel so much gratitude towards the community. So if you're coming to me, I'm trying to help you out, you can have the discount, you can have the happy running, and you can have the uh 25% discount.

SPEAKER_08: 1:07:41

Well, that's awesome. Yeah, that really is. It it's look, I'm not joking I'm not joking. I've said it already, it's become a big part of the Rise and Run family. We look forward to the booth, and I know a bunch of people, a bunch of people listening to the podcast. Um love the products.

SPEAKER_00: 1:07:59

I love that. I hear it all the time. And I, you know, when you're going through something tough in life and you have people just cheering you on, I don't care what you're going through, you're gonna get through it. And it sometimes it it chokes me up. It's just so um heartwarming. The the love that I get. One thing I would love some feedback on from the race community is I would love to say, how can I help you more? Um, like with the fundraisers. I feel like what I've been doing hasn't been um you know super helpful. So I really would love to get some insight on how, you know, what do the runners need to make their fundraising successful?

SPEAKER_08: 1:08:44

Yeah. I I know that we used to do that, and yeah, I know it was with limited success, right?

SPEAKER_00: 1:08:52

Yeah, so I really would love to do that. Something I just launched um just within the last couple of weeks is it's called uh Bubbles, Balance, and Brighter Minds. And and I geared this towards uh school kids, and it's a fundraiser for the schools. Um I would love for the schools to take on this fundraiser, and it's a monthly subscription box. So every month these kids are gonna get a box to open in the mail, and it's got some activities in there to help them build relationships, to build self-confidence, to for hygiene. I I just feel like there's more out there than just providing a a good product, you know, and that's where I really want to focus this next stage is fundraising and how can I give back for those who have supported me so much?

SPEAKER_03: 1:09:46

Okay, so just in case anyone hasn't heard of Fluffy Fizsies yet, how can we order through you? How can we make sure that we get it to um whoever is looking to get it at Marathon weekend?

SPEAKER_00: 1:09:59

What how do we go about all this? Yes, that's a good question. Of course, you can always um go to fluffyfizzies.com. You can order through there. Um, you do you know, select at the checkout, you would select um expo pickup. So we have free pickup. You're getting a 25% discount right now. Use your happy running, follow us on social media. Um, you know, one thing I did want to bring up is that we are going to Marathon Expo, but we're our space is gonna be limited. Funds are limited, space is limited. So um the big eight-pack box, the six packs, um, some of the larger eight-ounce uh body butter, sugar scrubs, all that needs to be done pre-order. So I need you to pre-order because I can't bring all that with me. The space is gonna be limited. So it's real important to get those pre-orders in. And um the pre-orders are gonna get us there, you know. So I need your help and I and I appreciate all that everybody has done in the past, but you know, I really need this push and this help.

SPEAKER_08: 1:11:04

What's the cutoff date for pre-orders, Michelle?

SPEAKER_00: 1:11:07

Well, I'm gonna cut it off November on on Thanksgiving Day. I'm gonna cut off the pre-orders so I can make sure I have everything I need then. We are gonna have a Black Friday, so look out for Black Friday, you know, small business um weekend as well. That that's gonna happen. So I might push some things out, but you know, I really, really could um use the help with those pre-orders and and get everything organized before the expo.

SPEAKER_08: 1:11:34

Michelle, great stuff. We have uh we've missed you and your sister. We've missed Fluffy Fizsies. Uh, even I have missed Fluffy Fizsies. I'm glad you're going to be back. So we look forward to seeing you in January. Thanks for joining us this evening, and we'll see you soon.

SPEAKER_00: 1:11:52

Thank you, and thank you for all you do in our ears while we're running, and and so I appreciate y'all. I look forward to seeing y'all. I look forward to shaking everybody's hands and um meeting all my new friends. So thank you so much for your continued support.

SPEAKER_06: 1:12:09

Caution runners, change of topic ahead.

SPEAKER_08: 1:12:14

I'll say it again. It'll be good to have Fluffy Fizzies back at the expo. It's just part of the fun. So I'm glad Michelle is going to be there. All right, let's take a look, my friends. Um, this is a Zoom week. So if you're listening on day of release, we've got a Zoom call this evening. Information for that will be on the Facebook group page. I want to remind you that if you would like to run as an alien for the 5K on Marathon Weekend, those shirts are available at Kauaian Pizza Apparel. K-A-W-A-I-I-A-N. Pizza Apparel from our friend Alec. They're nice shirts. She gives us a great discount on them. It's pinned to the featured section. Our friend Jenny, Card Exchange Jenny, is working the holidayslash Christmas cards list. Still time to sign up for that if you want to participate. It's a lot of fun. She plans to close the list and send addresses out right around Thanksgiving, so we have time to get stuff in the mail. And now, please stand clear of the door. It's time for a race report. Race report sponsored by our friend Thomas Stokes, Stoked Metabolic Training, Stokes.fit slash rise and run coaching. Jack, you talk about training with Tom. How are things going with you?

SPEAKER_03: 1:13:58

I think things are going really well. Um, we had a great discussion today. Um, I have a few more goals in mind. Um, I've since um these past, what is it, since June, um, I have now officially lost two inches around my waist.

SPEAKER_08: 1:14:17

Yeah, that's a big deal.

SPEAKER_03: 1:14:18

Yeah, I'm very, very excited. Um, some of my things that didn't fit anymore um are starting to fit again. So that's a good feeling, isn't it? Oh my god, yeah, I don't I don't want to go shopping. Um, so I'm very, very happy about that. And um yeah, we we have a few more things we want to kind of conquer before the big day. And um he thinks it's very doable, and I'm very, very excited. And I'll probably go maybe more in depth once we get closer to that day, so I can be like, yes, in in a span of from June to now, this is everything I've accomplished. I'm feeling good, I'm feeling stronger. I know I need to get a little bit better with taking more protein in my day, but I mean, other than that, I feel pretty good about what's going on.

SPEAKER_08: 1:15:11

That's all great news, Jack. I'm glad to hear all that. I'm excited for you. And and Tom just runs a good program. He really does. There you go. There you go, friends. Uh, if you don't remember that URL, the information is pinned to the featured section of the Facebook group. All right, let's start out the race report. Now you you've heard me say this a number of times. Is it there are a lot of races out there and sometimes I miss one. I don't mean to, but this one surprised me because I remembered it so well. I'm going back to last Sunday, I'm going back a week to the Cocoa Beach 10K. And I remember reading about this race, and I was sure I had it in my notes, but I didn't. Our friend Valerie did this one. This is the one that is I dream of genie themed. It's the one in Cocoa that they run before Space Coast. And it's an event that's been going on for a while. It's kind of neat. So Val, I don't know how I missed it, but I did. But here you go. Val's report she loves the race. It's part road race, part on the beach. Uh she was gonna just take it easy, started off with short intervals, but her body said, Nah, let's just walk and enjoy the ocean views. Coming off wine and dine, tweaked her back earlier in the week, so had some problems there. So they walked. Says Valerie, no shame in the walking game for me. Says Bob, Val, no shame in the walking game for anybody. Good for you. Sorry I missed it, and glad I got a chance to bring it back up. Alright, now let's get to the regular report. Let's start on Saturday. And what better place to start than the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia? And golly, I wish I had a button that played this theme song. It was the Rocky Run. We had lots of folks there. We'll get to that, but first I want to talk to our co-host, Greg, and ask, how'd it go, Greg?

SPEAKER_07: 1:17:25

Uh what what's that uh that meme or that phrase? I I can't remember the the the movie. Not great, Bob. Uh well, look, all right, you know, it's all relative. Yeah, it is all relative. No, I mean, all in all, ever everything was totally fine. Uh, but as you know, I professed on this podcast, you know, the goal of this race was to get not only a new PR, but a new uh POT. So um, you know, and one of the reasons why I went out looking for this race is you know, our friend Rob, who who helps us out with the uh the race reports so much, you know, he had sent me a message and he goes, you know, I would I would love to be there, you know, to to help you you know achieve these goals. So I you know started researching the races and we you know we settled on Rocky Run. Originally we were looking at Bay Bridge, but as you'll probably get uh to a little bit later here in the race reports, a good thing we didn't sign up for Bay Bridge.

SPEAKER_08: 1:18:20

Oh, that's right, yeah. Yeah. But well, it's it's not there's no one listed in it, but it got canceled.

SPEAKER_07: 1:18:27

Yeah, yeah, it's yes. So to me, I I figured this would be a good one to go for because you know Philadelphia itself is particularly flat. Um, I I know a lot of runners come out to the Philly area, especially for the Philly Marathon, uh, to get uh BQs and such. So, and and I have run portions of this course several times for various races over the years, uh, because usually the Philadelphia uh Museum of Art area is just a easy place to get lots of miles in and not be too destructive in terms of traffic or whatever.

SPEAKER_08: 1:19:03

Pretty place, too.

SPEAKER_07: 1:19:04

Yes, I had a bunch of goals. Uh so my A goal for this race was to hit the pace of what my magic mile would call for, and then my B through D goals were going to be in five-minute increments post that, but even if I got my D goal, it would have been a PR and it would have been at least a POT for a half marathon weekend at Disney. Right. Um and I think a bunch of things came back to bite me in the butt, and the first one was uh the number of participants.

SPEAKER_08: 1:19:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_07: 1:19:47

Yeah. I did not realize this until the race announcer made um made the statement in the starting corrals. Uh, between all the races, there were 27,000 people registered for this race, and I was just not expecting that at all. Uh, they did have corrals listed on our bibs. I was in B. Rob was in D for some reason, so obviously I fell back to him. So we knew that we were gonna have to be weaving around people, but the way that the course was, and in talking with our friend Lizzie, who had ran this race last year with Kay, apparently there was a big course change this year. So it was we were on the Martin Luther King Drive, which is a uh which is a two-lane highway, but we were forced over to just one side of it because of the way that they designed the out and back. So even though in my training, I had I didn't have any issues hitting my paces because clearly there was nobody in front of me. Right. And you know, and having to you know get around people and such, um, that just really, really slowed me down. So I I think if I try to go for this again, maybe I need to look for a race that's not as populous, that can let me get into a groove um a lot faster. So that was number one. Number two is for November 8th, it was incredibly warm. Yeah, it was um I I looked at the the race stats on my Koros app afterwards. Uh race temps were almost 60 degrees with uh 97% humidity. So clearly for this particular time of year, that's quite warm. Uh, and really that it didn't play that much of an effect on me until um later in the race, but but still obviously, you know, was not expecting that at all. We gotta talk about Mount Mount Drago.

SPEAKER_08: 1:21:49

Yeah, I want to hear about this. I don't remember mountains in Philadelphia. Correct. Yeah. We'll break you.

SPEAKER_07: 1:21:56

Funny enough, John. Uh there were several signs on Mount Drago that's that said uh, you know, I I will break you and and such. They even had like a an A-frame of Drago himself, and they were playing music from Rocky IV as you were going up. They make such a big deal about Mount Drago that they actually specifically had timing mats at the bottom and the top, and apparently the fastest 100 men and women uh-huh who got up Drago will be mailed a medal uh in the next coming weeks or so.

SPEAKER_09: 1:22:34

That's nice. Interesting. I thought it's like a cheater thing if you could go around Mount Troy.

SPEAKER_08: 1:22:39

Oh no, yeah, I wish it's a King of the Hill thing. They that's not a that there are other races that have that. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07: 1:22:46

Yeah, but but this was the first time I had ever experienced anything like that. And the thing is, I did not pull a jack. I looked at the elevation, it was there, I knew it was there. Uh, you know, Kay had previously messaged me and say, you know, don't be fooled by this thing, this is a beast. You you know, Lizzie was giving me a very similar pep talk as we were in the corrals. So, but the thing is, even knowing all of that information, it was it completely undersold me. Like, you know, Lizzie kept saying, like, that first initial like ascent, like, you think you're gonna get to the top, but then it's gonna be like a gradual climb for like another quarter of a mile. And I'm like, okay, that's not bad. I've dealt with gradual climbs, I've done bird in hand six times. This is not a big deal. This was a pretty big deal. I mean, I I texted Twigs when I crossed the finish line, and I said Mount Drago told Burden Hand to go hold its beer. Oh, goodness. And and even when I I look at the the elevation map from my run itself, I mean, it's I don't want to say it's flat as a pancake, but you just see this mountain in the in the middle of the map, which um it it it it really humbles people. And I will say I never you know thanks to you know the coaching and pacing that I that I was getting from Rob during this race, I never took any extended walk breaks. And we even planned that like okay, once we get to Drago, I'm switching my my interval timer to 3030s. But by the time we got to the top of that thing, we were gassed. And yeah. So and and even on the descent, which is the rudest part of it, is you do the first major uh descent, and then to in order to get to the final descent, you still have to go uphill a little bit more. Pop back up, yeah. Yeah, you gotta pop back up a little bit. Um yeah, so when I look at the elevation on it, we pre we climbed about just shy of 200 feet uh in under a mile. Yeah, that's significant. That is yeah, so um, so that that really uh you know broke me. Uh you know, so that's why I put in my my my brief uh race report on Facebook that uh you know even though um Drago you know beat the the ever living crap. Well, I mean in theory he killed Apollo. Spoiler alert, everybody. Um I I I played I I played the role of uh Carl Weathers uh during that. And even Rob said to me after the race, he goes, Your your face changed. Wow going up Drago because he he was real, real happy with you know, even though I wasn't hitting A and Beagle paces for the first five miles, um, you know, he's you know, he just kept commenting me about how strong I looked, and then like I said, we got to the top of Drago and it changed. Coming down Drago uh and then finally getting back uh heading back towards the art museum. This was the first time in a very, very long time that I I think I had some issues with nutrition. I mean, I I brought stuff with me, and probably around mile eight, I felt my heart pounding out of my chest. I felt slightly nauseous, um, but like, you know, never got to a point where I was sick. And then all of a sudden, I just started feeling dizzy, and and you know, and even when I told my wife this, because she'll yell at me all the time before race, she's like, Did you take your blood pressure medicine? And I'm like, Yes, I promise. I I took my blood pressure medicine, and but I hit the 15k mark, and in the first time ever in a race, I had to sit down.

SPEAKER_08: 1:26:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_07: 1:26:40

And um, I sat there for two minutes and collected my thoughts mentally, you know, addressed, you know, the idea that okay, I'm probably not getting any of these goals today. I slowly stood up, we were gonna try to get going again, and I even felt a little lightheaded at that point. So I sat back down again, and then we you know, we just did very simple 30-30s to to close out the race. So like, you know, even though I had to do that, I I knew I still wanted to finish this race, and I'm glad that I did, and I just I owe so much to Rob for you know, as I put on Facebook, you know, he he was my mick um you know throughout this uh throughout the course of this race. And you know, I'm I'm just chalking it up to it, just it wasn't my day. And I I think all of those factors of the course crowding, drago, whatever was going on with my nutrition that that led to the lightheadedness, you know, just it it all compiled on the wrong day.

SPEAKER_08: 1:27:41

And that happens, yeah.

SPEAKER_07: 1:27:43

And and you know, being now a a couple of days later, um, you know, I I'm slowly getting over, you know, the little pity party that that I threw for myself. Uh I think that the biggest thing that I was having trouble getting over, and you know, and I shared this with a few friends, and every friend that I shared this with yelled at me. But I think because I talked about this race so much leading up to it, and in my training, and and this goes to show the beauty of this community. I have never received so many holler hypes and text messages and Facebook messages over the course of this race, and that was so encouraging. But hearing, you know, hearing the phrases, you're doing awesome, you're doing great, you're gonna get that POT, you're gonna get that PR, and the fact that I didn't get any of it, like I felt like I let the community down. And I know in theory I didn't. I didn't know.

SPEAKER_08: 1:28:39

You know, in you know in fact that you didn't.

SPEAKER_07: 1:28:42

Correct. But you know, it was like, you know, I I just didn't want to, you know, disappoint anyone, and but I know, and and again, I I was just getting such inspirational messages from Rob. Once he got home, he's like, Greg, I was thinking about this all the way driving back up to North Jersey, and you didn't get it, you didn't get those goals today, but you're going to get them soon enough. And he's like, and I want to be there for it again, and stuff. So yeah, I just so all all in all, Drago took this round, but um, I think what we're in for now is um I I think we're in the stage of my running journey where this these next couple of months are going to be my Rocky training montage. Yeah. And you know, we'll we'll find some inspirational music, whether it's Eye of the Tiger, you know, Final Countdown or something like that. You're drinking raw eggs, are you? Uh you know, maybe that's what did maybe that's why I was having the nutritional issues. No.

SPEAKER_09: 1:29:44

No, it's not cool.

SPEAKER_07: 1:29:46

No, it's definitely not cool. I mean, all in all, it just wasn't my day, and I I'm not gonna let it even though, again, I'm ha I'm having the pity party, I'm not gonna let it define me. I'm not gonna let it define my training cycle, and I'm gonna go ahead and find the next one. That's right.

SPEAKER_09: 1:30:00

Like Rocky said, it's not how hard you can hit, it's how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. You kept moving forward, Greg. That's all this is about. And it's kind of perfect for the Rocky run.

SPEAKER_08: 1:30:10

Yeah, absolutely. There you go. How many times did you hear Gonna Fly Now during the race?

SPEAKER_07: 1:30:14

You know, it uh they were very strategic in where they placed the music, and there was a very loud speaker right before Mount Drago. So um Yeah, but yeah, between between Gonna Fly Now and Eye of the Tiger, yeah, um, I probably don't want to hear those songs for at least a couple of weeks. But they do they really do a really nice job in terms of the theming. Um at the expo, which happened in one of the casinos in the city, um, you know, they had all these posters up from the movies, you know, they had big letters that spelled out, yo, and um there was a lot of cool merchandise um that they had at the expo and and such. Uh I didn't buy any of it because believe it or not, I felt like some of the the stuff that they had was like just as expensive, if not more, than what we pay at the Run Disney Expos um for some of this stuff. But um, yeah, yeah, it did they do a really nice job of theming. The the metal's very cool. I I think the word that Rob used was well, that's very gaudy. And I'm like, oh yeah, that's that's Rocky. So uh yeah, but overall it was a great weekend. I'm I'm so proud of the you know, I I know you're gonna go through them here in a little bit, but you know, all the other rising runners that were there that you know either did you know the just the 5k or or just the 10 miler. Um and I I don't think anybody did the Italian stallion challenge. I didn't see anybody. Um, but yeah, but you similar to um when we had you know Luciana on earlier, uh if you wanted to do that, you had to run the 5k first, get back in time for the start of the 10 miler, and then you got an extra special medal. So yeah, but overall great weekend. I don't know if I'll do this one again just based on Drago alone. Um, but there there's plenty of other races in the city too. So if I'm looking to itch uh uh you know to run in the City of Brotherly Love again, I I I definitely have some options. Yeah, a lot of good to me.

SPEAKER_09: 1:32:06

I I saw which was really interesting that they had a second statue of Rocky on top of the stairs.

SPEAKER_07: 1:32:12

Okay, you know what? So the way that they had everything set up, I didn't I wasn't able to make it across the street to the actual art museum side because I was like, oh, there's gonna be so many people, you know, wanting to get their photo taken with the Rocky statue. But then I did point up to Rob, I was like, wait, there's something at the at the top of the steps. And so I don't know if they moved it again or if it's an extra one or whatever, but I I I I love this in all of the racing materials, they didn't have to bold it by any means whatsoever, but what they did was uh they had to make a disclaimer that the finish line occurs at the base of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and you will not be running up the steps for the fitness job.

SPEAKER_08: 1:33:03

It's probably good that they said that.

SPEAKER_07: 1:33:04

Yeah, because if not, that's a huge liability on their part.

SPEAKER_08: 1:33:07

That is number one, yeah. But a lot of people would have tried.

SPEAKER_09: 1:33:10

There was a second statue.

SPEAKER_07: 1:33:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_09: 1:33:13

I what I was talking to one of our friends, I think it was Christy, as she was there. I didn't move the statue. No, there was one on top and one on the bottom. So there's probably another prop that they have. I know there's two statues, the one for the movie, and Stallone had one at his house. So I don't know if it's that third one somewhere.

SPEAKER_07: 1:33:32

Yeah, I'm not I'm not honestly not sure.

SPEAKER_08: 1:33:34

All right. Let's talk about our other friends who were there because there were quite a few. Everyone, everyone commented how excited they were to run with others from the Rise and Run family. So it sounds like it was a lot of fun. Start with Sarah, who says she's never seen an elevation like Drago, but what a wonderful day. She ran with Lizzie, or at least went through the race with Lizzie. It was so awesome. They talked almost the whole time, laughed a ton, helped each other when they needed it. Plus, Sarah had a surprise of her family waiting for her at the finish line. That got them through the last mile and a half. Rob was there, said the race was fun. Great weather. Great. This comes from maybe I'm chuckling. Great course with a hill in the middle. That must, I you know, I grew up in Philadelphia. I don't remember any mountains in Philadelphia, but it must be. I think what it is, it comes right up off the river and it just climbs the river bank.

SPEAKER_09: 1:34:38

I looked at the I looked at the map, Bob. So you're you're coming down, is it MLK over there on the side? I think it's I think I think it's MLK, what Greg said before. Uh, and you loop out off the root route. I don't know if you're going through is that by where the Philadelphia Zoo is, maybe up or up and around and come back around.

SPEAKER_08: 1:34:59

I'm not looking at the map. I it could oh it certainly could be. Yeah.

SPEAKER_09: 1:35:03

I wonder if they wonder if it's a zoo or something. Because I know it's a little it go, I think oh, it goes uphill over there a little bit from what I remember going down to the zoo one time.

SPEAKER_08: 1:35:13

But yeah, that that would be around Fairmont Park, I think. I don't know. Look, I I left Philadelphia in 1971. I don't remember. The hill's still there, though, Bob. But the hill's still there. I just don't remember the hill. But anyway, Rob does it, he would absolutely do this thing again. Now, Chrissy did the 5K with her daughter Alyssa. I think it's Alyssa and not Alisa, but Alyssa, I hope I got this right, darling, because it's your first 5K, and that means this PR bell is for you. They crossed the finish line together in less than 40 minutes, and then ran up the steps of the art museum. It's the Rocky run. We were talking about Lizzie earlier. Lizzie ran with uh Sarah. Lizzie volunteered first. She got her bib for free by doing a shift at Big Bib pickup, which kind of made her back sore at the end of her five-hour shift. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to do the race when she got up in the morning, but she got out the door, determined to crush it, and then do an additional 10 miles for dopey training. So she got six and a half miles in before, a mile and a half in after, and ten miles in for the run. Lizzie, thanks for volunteering. Glad you enjoyed the run. Sean, Sean PR shaving seven minutes off of last year's time and a minute off of his ten-mile personal best. Yvette did the 5k for her first race of this weekend. Now, Yvette made a comment that I heard from several others. The course was really crowded. Greg pointed that out too. So she kind of struggled around zigzagging around walkers and strollers and getting frustrated. But I'm hoping she still had a good time. Sounds like a really good event. From Philadelphia, let's go out to Houston for the Water Run 5K. Waterun as in sponsored by Whataburger. Gang, you ever been to a Whataburger?

SPEAKER_03: 1:37:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08: 1:37:25

Yeah? They're out west, aren't they, Jack?

SPEAKER_03: 1:37:29

They are, but we we just got one in Georgia, like gosh, like maybe six months ago or something like that.

SPEAKER_08: 1:37:38

I don't think I've been to one. I'm pretty sure I haven't. Is that what Wada? Or what's all one word? W-H-A-T-A burger, all one word. Whataburger.

SPEAKER_03: 1:37:49

Yeah, because we went out to David, wasn't it like the um the Arizona race? Yeah, it was our Arizona race. We went to a Whataburger. And David was so excited, didn't understand it, but I was like, that's a good burger.

SPEAKER_08: 1:38:02

I would do it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:38:02

It's a Whataburger, you know?

SPEAKER_08: 1:38:06

Well, anyway, Jennifer was there with Audra. Jennifer got finally got her 5k under 40 minutes. That's a decade PR. Now they didn't get Wata Burgers at the end, they got Wata Takitos. What a taquitos at the end. The race is so popular, they're running it again tomorrow. We'll talk about it. Both days sold out. In Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Marathon 10K was run on Saturday. Kristen, Danielle, and Teresa were there. Krista says she got a nine-minute PR on her 10K time. And a coveted Run Disney proof of time. She finished in one hour, four minutes. Good job, Kristen. Course ran alongside the Trinity River in historic downtown Fort Worth. Weather was really nice for this one. Tempts in the 50s during race time. And we'll hear from Kristen and Danielle again on Sunday. All right, let's continue in St. Petersburg, the run for all children 5K. Duncan and her daughter Emiline. And again, I hope I'm pronouncing that right, Emiline. They ran with Team Bryce and Sean for her friend's twin sons who were born prematurely. Still in the NICU at All Children's. They're doing well. They're strong. They're doing well. Beautiful course, much of it along the Bay in St. Petersburg, and that is a lovely area to run. Much warmer. It's funny, it was in the 80s on Saturday, and it was 39 this morning, so the temps have dropped quite a bit. But still a fun event with friends and supporting this great cause. Out in Indianapolis, the Indie Monumental Half. Julie and Emmy were there. Karen did this one as her fourth full marathon, which also served her as a tough training run for the upcoming Dopey Challenge. Karen still pulled off a 438 marathon, which I think is excellent. Had friends and her oldest son, who is a budding cross-country star, come out to support her. Fort Smith, Arkansas. Who do we know that races in Fort Smith, Arkansas? Some bass turning 80 soon, Bob. Yeah, very soon. Very soon. Like next week, I think.

SPEAKER_09: 1:40:38

Yes, I think so.

SPEAKER_08: 1:40:39

Our buddy Joe did the Whitney's 5K. He didn't want to go because he had a cough and sinus problems all week. But the Whitney's race race is organized by Dr. Marsh and his family to raise money for pancreatic cancer research. So he felt like he needed to do it. I think Joe knows Dr. Marsh. He's glad he did it. Joe's always talking about the amigos. His buddy Gary got first in his age group, and Joe got second in the age group. Johnny got first in his age group in the 10K, and another amigo snuck in there. Oh, Joe, you can't have four amigos. Well, it's like it's like the three musketeers, Bob. There's four of them. Four. That's right. But his buddy David took first in the 70 to 74 year old. As Joe calls him, David the Kid. Okay. Hey, and another neat event going on in the Orlando slash Disney World area this last week. The Give Kids the World Gingerbread Run. And as you might expect, a lot of Ryzen Run friends were there. Carol was going back to Disney for a wedding, and some friends and family decided to do this Saturday night run. Beautiful place. I've had a chance to tour the village one time. It is, in fact, a beautiful place. They all walked and took in the lights and the people. Jen was there, ran with Tracy. Jen thought she submitted her race report too late. That's how she started out in her race report. This is too late, but see, I found it, Jen, so you made it in time. Love spending time at the village and raising money for this great cause. And she gave us some great photos and video. Oh, we had another Jen there too. Jen R was there. Kate was there with her kids, Gregory, on his 11th birthday. Sam and Isabelle. Greg and Sam both PR'd. Isabel and Kate PR'd and fun. Pet all the therapy dogs, give a bunch of high fives and hugs along the course. Highly recommended race if you're in the Disney World area. I I was hoping to get to it this year, but was not able to. Maybe next year. Mary was there, as was Sam and Sam's mom, who I used to know was Laura, but now she's just Sam's mom. I'm surprised we didn't hear from them. I wanted to hear that story. Troy from Spring Hill, Florida was there. Definitely a PR and fun. Ran with the group, posted a bunch of great photos and videos. And Kayla and Mason were there. This was Mason's first 5K attempt. They got through about two miles of it, and Mason decided that was enough. But they PR'd in fun, hung out with some family, and got to pet some puppies. Mason was so happy he got to run to the finish line. Hey Mason, you'll get him next time, bud. Sounds like a fun event at the Gibb Kids the World Village. Let's go to Kansas for the I think it's Celina in Kansas, the Salina Crossroads half marathon. Beth was there as was Lena. Lena did the 5K and left us a photo of the finish. Debbie, Blake, and Kirby were in Clemens, North Carolina for the Miles for Meals 5K. Kirby left Debbie and Blake in the dust. There were over a thousand runners there. A lot of great local support in Clemens. Lots of families running together. Really enjoy getting to see the lights from the perspective of the race. Kind of gets you in the holiday spirit. I need to put lights up. It's got to warm up though. It's too cold to do it right now. Laurie was in Monroe Falls, Ohio, doing the Loop the Lakes 25K, a 1.5 mile loop around a lake. So to get to 25K, you had to run this thing 12 times. Lori kept plugging away 35-30 intervals, and even though the fast runners lapped her several times, which is perfectly fine. She's proud of how far she's come. We're proud of you too, Laurie. Good job. Glenda was in Rocky Mount, North Carolina for the Rise Up Runover Cancer 5K. Placed third in her age group. Met some amazing people and had a fantastic time, all for a great cause. We got the lights in after school 5K in Macon, Georgia. Catherine was there. Benefiting the after school programs for children. Didn't PR like she wanted to, but she did manage to snag third place in the age group. That's great. Jessica was in Lexington, South Carolina for the run hard half, ran it nine minutes faster than the half she did two weeks ago. And that is a PR. Sue, of course, was running in Connecticut, the Hot Cocoa 5K in Cheshire, Connecticut. Great day for a run. They've had from the race reports, the weather in New England up to now, anyway, has been pretty nice. Beautiful rolling hills on this course, the last miles on a rail trail path. Got rewarded with hot cocoa and lots of other goodies at the end. A Saturday morning well spent. Go to North Georgia, the Chickamauga Battlefield half marathon. Dorothy ran it. For races like this, Dorothy likes to dress in the race logos color theme. Got plenty of compliments on her outfit and sparkle skirt. 90% of the race was in the Chickamauga National Military Park, which is gorgeous. Stopped for two quick selfies with bell spectators and a big monument, but otherwise was locked into chasing a PR. Now, this is kind of neat on this one. They shoot off a cannon to start the race. They start the marathon and the half marathon at the same time. As Dorothy was finishing, the marathon leader was finishing. So they got another cannon shot. Now, it may have been, it's possible that that cannon shot was for the marathon winner. But it it might have been Dorothy's PR cannon, too. Because she did set a new PR. The old one was eight years old. Great job, Dorothy. See, we got a bell for you. I don't think we're going to go to PR cannons, but that's pretty cool. Jimmy, we said there were runs in Dollywood this weekend. Jimmy did the Dollywood Light the Way 5K. It was supposed to be done on Friday night, but Mother Nature decided no. It got moved to Saturday. They finished it on Saturday. Our friend from Puerto Rico, Dallas, did the Lola Challenge weekend. It's the only three-day challenge in Puerto Rico. It's in its 11th edition. The race weekend takes you around San Juan, old San Juan streets, full of history, and the Caribbean flavor. This is Dallas's sixth year in this event. They get to climb the Hill Street in all three races. Her legs are still feeling it. It may have been the Puerto Rican version of Mount Drago. It takes a lot out of you, especially on mile 12 of the last day. Oh, yeah, that's a bad place for a hill. But once you get to the top, you get rewarded with beautiful ocean views. Hey, she ran this one with our friend Fred from the Council of Costumes. Fred was out there. The Dallas says she and Fred were the only two in colorful costumes. They look great.

SPEAKER_09: 1:48:59

And I think we had her on the race report early on in the in the podcast for this whole race before.

SPEAKER_08: 1:49:07

Oh, did we, John? You mean a couple years ago? A couple years ago, yeah. Yeah, it could be. I'd have to look. I you know, I can't remember who we had on last week, but not last week. I know that. But I can't I don't remember who we had. That's okay. So I certainly don't remember. I certainly know who Adolis is. And yeah, if she was on before, it sounds right. Thanks. Well, let's go to Sunday. The St. Luke's DNL Race Fest half marathon. This one starts in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, ends in Eastern Pennsylvania. Michael and Terry lucked out on the weather. It was cool and clear. Now there was still some slippery mud from earlier rain, tricky roots on the course. Michael had a real solid performance. Terry PR'd by five and a half minutes.

SPEAKER_09: 1:49:54

Did you see some of those pictures, Bob? They're standing in front of a famous boxer from Pennsylvania. Yeah, I did see the photo. I I don't know who it was.

SPEAKER_08: 1:50:04

Easton PA, Larry Holmes. Oh, yeah. Okay. Okay, that's right. But yeah, I know that when I first saw the photo, John, I started putting Michael and Terry in the Rocky run. Yeah. I just looked and I thought, oh, okay, they're there in front of the Rocky statue. Then I looked at it again. Nope. I go Easton. I go Easton. It's got to be Larry Holmes. Yeah. Very good. Very good, John. How about Williamston, New Jersey? That's down south? Yeah, out there they did the Run the Vineyards Cork Kai and Bottle Deep Half Marathon. Pete did it. Not a PR, but he was in a friend's wedding last night, so he really didn't plan to PR. I get it. I can see that. Yeah. Yeah, I can too. The first and the last uh four-tenths of a mile were in the vineyards. The rest was in a street and a bike path. It was an out and back. Vineyards always put on a great race. Gotta love getting a glass of wine at the end. Now, this race got Pete his challenge hat for running over 26.2 miles with them over the 2025 season.

SPEAKER_04: 1:51:13

But did he stomp the grapes?

SPEAKER_08: 1:51:16

That's what Alicia would do.

SPEAKER_04: 1:51:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08: 1:51:20

We'll have to ask him. We'll have to give him a hard time if he did.

SPEAKER_02: 1:51:23

Right.

SPEAKER_08: 1:51:24

Let's go out to Cyprus, Texas, the run Houston series in Cyprus. Katrina, Lucas, and Olivia. So Katrina's there with the Demon Slayer core. I know that means something to you guys. I have no idea what it means. So go ahead.

SPEAKER_04: 1:51:41

I I don't really know what Demon Slayer is, but it's I think it's an anime, but her and her two kids, her son and her daughter, um, dress up as the Demon Slayer.

SPEAKER_08: 1:51:52

I think Jack's whispering in your ear.

SPEAKER_04: 1:51:54

Anime.

SPEAKER_03: 1:51:54

Actually, David is whispering in my ear. Yes. Anime.

SPEAKER_08: 1:52:01

So anyway, this is this is the family's eighth out of ten 5Ks this year. They walked and they started dead last. Even the race announcer and the DJ called them out twice. Tempts in the low 60s, that's pleasant. Had a blast. A lot of folks mentioned this. I'll I'll mention that Katrina talked about it. All the holler hypes. The family, the kids all loved them. And Katrina's son Lucas is now officially taller than mom. That's a big deal. That is a big deal. I I think I was six when I was officially taller. That's not true.

SPEAKER_04: 1:52:44

Speaking of the holler hypes, though, I had a meeting with her yesterday, and again, she spoke so highly of the holler hypes and how excited her kids were. Um, and yeah, they mean so much to all of us, but yeah, she was really excited about it. They do.

SPEAKER_08: 1:52:58

They do. A lot of our friends include that in the race report. I I don't I don't mention it every time, but it's a big deal. All right, let's go to Newburyport, Massachusetts for the harborside half marathon. Rob running this one for the second time. Weather was perfect. Rolling Hills on the course, keep you engaged. Uh the final quarter mile, truly inspiring. Plenty of supporters cheering you on to the finish line. Happy with his half marathon time of 208. Great time on that, Rob. Great for a Disney proof of time, too. That'll put you in corral ARB. Sam is sending us her first race report. Thank you, Sam. She felt super strong in the first half, and then pushed through the hilly zone. And according to the official chip time, this is a half marathon PR. Down in Fort Lauderdale, Chelsea did her first half ever. Well, of course, that's a PR. This was the Liquid Youth 13.1 running festival. It was hot. It was 83 degrees and sunny. Went out a little bit fast early on. The final miles in the hot sun were rough. But she kept finish, kept pushing, and finished at 2.22. Really solid time for your first half marathon, Chelsea. Good job. Proved to her that she can do hard things. Her son got to run through the finish line with her. That was all great. Congratulations. Andrew was in Pittsburgh for the EQT 10 Miler. Temps were perfect. He was feeling good. Then the rain decided he couldn't hold off. He's continuing to adjust to life as a dad. But for this race, he was able to pull out a 10-mile course PR, beating his 2023 time by five and a half minutes. Let's go to Fort Worth, Texas. Let's go back to Fort Worth, Texas, for the Fort Worth Marathon, in this case, a 20-miler. Our friend Kristen. Finding a 20-miler is unusual. Finding one on a weekend when 20 is on your training schedule. That's just crazy. Of course, took them through not only the Trinity River, but also on a historic home tour in the neighborhoods near TCU. Danielle was there also. Kristen and Danielle were running together. They finished the 20 miles together in their shiny matching leopard print leggings in a little over four hours. And you know Kristen is part of our Kristen of Running and Makeup Fame is part of our Council of Costumes, you can imagine. Kristen and Danielle's leopard print leggings were they were nice. They did very well. So look, they did this one in just a little over four hours. That's another PR. Jen was supposed to do the Bay Bridge 10K in Annapolis. I know that got canceled. Beth had the Good Life Half-C in Lincoln, Nebraska. First time doing halves on back-to-back days over two states. Good job, Beth. Here's another one continuing through the weekend. The Whataburger Chain. The Water Run 10K was Saturday and Sunday. They had 10K Saturday and Sunday. Lance and Amy did the 10K on Sunday. Rachel did the Husky Run and Ruck 10K slash 5K in Stours, Connecticut as a Yukon alumni employee, and mom of a current Husky. This race is special to Rachel. She had hoped to save it for her 169th town, but due to a knee injury and surgery earlier in the year, a few towns had to be shuffled around. So Rachel's now at 167 out of 169. Kayla was running in Kissimmee, Florida, the Formosa Gardens 5K wine run. Mike did the marathon in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Lena did the Toyota Music Factory half marathon in Irving, Texas. A local, I copied this, it's DWF, but I'm wondering if that's supposed to be DFW Dallas Fort Worth. I'm not sure. Anyway, a local running company had their last race of the 2025 season. Lena earned the challenge medal by participating in all five races in the season. Placed in her age group four of the five races. So she took those medals with her and filmed a great race medal video. Great half marathon, nice weather, awesome volunteers. Hey, Jimmy's back doing the Cades Cove Loop Lope 10 Miler. I think this one's in Tennessee somewhere. Weather was amazing. Yeah, here we go. Still some many fall colors in the great Smoky Mountains. And he got super close to a bear. Jimmy, that's not that's not good.

SPEAKER_04: 1:58:17

He was very close to a bear. He sent me the pictures of it.

SPEAKER_08: 1:58:20

You're not supposed to be close to bears. All right. It worked out okay for you. You got photos. It worked out. That's good. Character stop. Jimmy says if you haven't looked this one up, it's definitely a treat, especially if you love hills. Who doesn't love hills? Come on. We all love runners love hills. Holly was in Lake Worth, Florida for the Path to Peace 5K. Not a very big race, but one of her favorite parks to run in in that area. Was the organization's first time putting on the event. They were very nice, had plenty of shirts, metals, water, bananas. Race itself was a little bit disorganized. Tenth was in the 80s at race time, so no PR. But she did play 16th overall. That's solid. Noel's in Milwaukee for the Turkey Trails 10K. Let's see, it was uh in the 80s in Lake Worth. It was in the 30s, with feels like in the 20s in Milwaukee. Noelle says it was cold. Mark out in Santa Barbara for the Santa Barbara half. Beautiful scenery. Oceans, mountains, and city, plenty of volunteers, spirited and helpful, had a tremendous time at this event. I don't know where this one was, but Audrey did a parent mile at her daughter's healthy kids running series race. So after several decades, two kids, numerous medical changes. Audrey is so pumped to report that she crushed this race. Absolutely unbothered that they finished last because her Sister and mom paced her to a new one mile PR of 1127, totally smashing that PR of 12 minutes that she set when she was in the fifth grade. Good job, Audrey. In Gainesville, Florida, Jessica, Danielle, and Debbie at the Tom Walker Half Marathon. It was warm, hot and muggy, but the course is beautiful. A hilly out and back on the Hawthorne Trail. They saw deer almost got attacked by a flock of turkeys. Man, the wildlife are taking over. We got bears and turkeys. No camels, though. Yeah, no camels, though.

SPEAKER_04: 2:00:37

I was wondering if she was wearing red because I heard somewhere that if you wear red, they're more likely to attack you.

SPEAKER_08: 2:00:43

Golly, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04: 2:00:45

Yeah, I've had them almost attack me before.

SPEAKER_03: 2:00:47

And I was not wearing red, but there was a turkey one time almost attacked David.

SPEAKER_08: 2:00:55

Anyway, they use this one as a catered training run to test out their half-marathon costumes. That's smart. And their 20-mile training run for Dopey. Uh did three miles before, four miles after the race to get the full distance. I admire that. I I think it's difficult to do those extra training miles after the race. And a one I got just today because the race occurred today being the day that we're recording. It is Tuesday, November 11th, it's Veterans Day. Mary did the Veterans Day 5K in Clifton Park, New York. Now, last month she posted about a post-cancer 5K PR. I do recall that. Well, this time, her official time was a lifetime PR. Way to go, Mary. Congratulations. Well, there you go, friends. That's the race report for episode 216 of the Rise and Run Podcast. Congratulations to all of our runners. Keep training strong. Like Drago. Anyway. Uh, a reminder it is a Zoom week. So this evening, if you're listening on Thursday, we'll be on Zoom. Hopefully it will be warm enough that I can be back outside. It should be. We'll see. I may have to turn on the space heater, but we'll see how it goes. All right, guys, no joke. We all understand, we all know that the training is hard, but this is the time. This is the time where you make your money. So hang in there, keep going, and until we meet again, happy running.

SPEAKER_07: 2:02:43

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 healthcare provider or event organizer.

SPEAKER_10: 2:03:04

Right seven let the anthem be spawned for every heart that runs for fun.