Rise and Run
Rise and Run
218: Half a Million Downloads of Gratitude
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A rainy run outside Tokyo Disneyland. A Thanksgiving table full of training plans, inside jokes, and hard-won wisdom. And a milestone we never imagined hitting: 500,000 downloads. This one brings the energy, the honesty, and the practical tools you need heading into Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and the Dopey simulation.
We walk through the training calendar and get tactical about the big Dopey sim: why long-run pace matters, how to use Galloway-style intervals without overreaching, and a smart twist called “Gwinning” to speed up walk days without burning out. You’ll hear recovery must-dos, fueling tests to try now, and flexible options for tough conditions—like splitting long runs with short breaks or moving indoors with race videos for motivation. We also talk watches, data, and mindset: hiding lap alerts, switching to time-of-day screens, and how one host found a surprise 5K PR by ignoring the numbers.
The heart of the episode is gratitude and resilience. We share setbacks—from surgery and caregiving to a beloved dog’s vestibular scare—and the choice to keep showing up. That spirit echoes through our Race Report Spotlight: a cramp-riddled marathon that still lands an age-group win, and a slow, courageous finish with a police escort blasting Eye of the Tiger. It’s funny, it’s real, and it’s exactly the reminder you need that progress isn’t linear—but it’s worth it.
We round it out with Space Coast meetup info, cruise running routes, island 5K notes, and a stack of listener race highlights from Norfolk to Silverstone. Whether you’re chasing a PR, a proof of time, or just a joyful finish, you’ll find clear steps and a community that has your back.
If this helped your training or lifted your spirits, tap follow, share it with a running friend, and leave a quick review. Tell us your Marathon Weekend “why” and join the conversation.
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Tokyo Rain Run Voicemail
SPEAKER_00Good morning, rise and run friends. This is Brandy from Houston, Texas. I'm calling you from the entrance to Tokyo Disneyland. And yes, I did bring my running clothes halfway around the world and go for a run while I was here because we have Dopey to Dumbo. Happy running, everyone. Bye.
SPEAKER_03Brandy running in the rain in Tokyo, Japan. That's dedication, Brandy. Way to go. I don't know if she mentioned the rain in her little intro there or not, but I know on the Facebook page she showed some pictures. She was over in Japan and she was doing her training runs by golly, no matter what, and she was doing them in the rain.
SPEAKER_08Sigor Disney, uh Brandy Son.
SPEAKER_03Easy for you to say, my friend. Easy
Thanksgiving Kickoff & Milestone
SPEAKER_03for you to say. Hello, my friends. Welcome to welcome to episode 218, the Thanksgiving slash half a million downloads episodes of the Rise and Run podcast. I'm Bob. I'm here this week with John. Hey Bob, how you doing? And can you piss the cranberries? I'll I'll uh message them over to you, John. Uh with Greg. Gobble, gobble, gobble. Oh, golly, we're all in the spirit. That's wonderful. With Alicia.
SPEAKER_05Hello.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I know. It's kind of hard to follow all that up. I get it. With Jack.
SPEAKER_05I'm trying to think of a sound now.
SPEAKER_03I don't think that's you could just say hi. That's all I'm gonna do.
SPEAKER_05Gobble ghoul.
SPEAKER_03Gobble ghoul. I got that. And with Lexi. Hello. Oh, this week, my friends, Thanksgiving with the gang. We'll figure out what we're gonna do here. We'll make it up as we go along. This the episode typically is uh low in numbers of listeners because we know you're all busy doing other things, as you should be spending time with your family on this holiday here in the USA. Uh the race report spotlight this week is back. Our friends Jessica and Kevin have their wonderful stories from the Log Jammer Marathon.
SPEAKER_05If you enjoy the Rise and Run Podcast, go ahead and please share us with your friends and introduce them to the Rise and Run family. Uh, we want to share in their Run Disney journey. So please remember to follow us on Facebook at Rise and Run Podcast and Instagram at Rise and Run Pod. Check out our YouTube channel and visit our webpage, Rise and Run Podcast.com. And if you guys have any questions, comments, race reports, or want to introduce an upcoming episode, just go ahead and call us at 727-266-2344 and leave us a recorded message.
SPEAKER_03And I will tell you, my friends, and you always respond well for these. That intro from Brandy, I think we have one more in the queue right now. So it's time. And I I feel a little bad because I asked for intros and you all respond so well. We line them up and I say, okay, great, we'll use yours in six weeks or something. But uh yeah, we'd appreciate it if you can send us some intros. 727-266-2344.
SPEAKER_11We will also want to thank our Patreons who support help us keep the Rise and Run Podcast rising and running. If you'd like to join the Patreon team, please check us out at patreon.com slash rise and run podcast.
Community Updates & Sponsors
SPEAKER_08The Rise and Run Podcast is sponsored by our wonderful friends over at Magic Bound Travel. And I gotta say, folks, if you are going on the inaugural Rise and Run Cruise following springtime surprise in 2026, I know Maggie posted in our Facebook group that right now is the time to get some epic deals on various things associated with Royal Caribbean cruising and you know drink packages and excursions and dining packages and all that kind of stuff. There's some great deals. I I feel like my Royal Caribbean app is just like digging me like every three hours with like some new deal. So if you have questions about those or you still want to get in on the cruise, there's still plenty of time for that. Be sure to visit magicbound travel.com, chat with an agent over there, they can get you set up for that cruise or any other racing cation, you know, whether that's down Disney, they're even helping people out now with Dollywood, which is awesome. But again, if you have specific questions about the Rise and Run cruise, again, MagicboundTravel.com for your free no obligation quote.
SPEAKER_03Hey, one of the things on the packages, if you get a good Black Friday deal, let's say you already bought a package, it's and I've done this, it's easy to cancel it and buy it at the new price. Get your money back on your original one, and if it if the discount's good. Uh now I haven't done that yet, but I'll I'll certainly look myself. Hey guys, last episode, Kenny Rogers' name came up twice that I remember. We talked about Kenny Rogers' roasters, and we talked about something else with Kenny Rogers. I I know y'all remember that, right? So the next day, Wednesday, I'm watching Jeopardy, and I forget the category, but the thousand dollar question, the toughest question in the category, they show a picture of Kenny Rogers and ask somebody identify this gambler or whatever from the from his hit song The Gambler. And do you know none of the contestants got it? Zero. I was shocked. I I think our rise and run friends would have done better on that contest.
SPEAKER_11Is that is that young kid still winning? I haven't watched it this week. Uh he was as of yesterday.
SPEAKER_07He well, yes.
SPEAKER_11I didn't see the games that became a good thing. You can say it now. You could say it now because it would know by case.
SPEAKER_07But guess what a category was today? It was pew pew pew.
SPEAKER_03Which is which is actually an inside joke. Our listeners wouldn't know about that.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_08I I I didn't realize Allie was a contestant on uh on uh Jeopardy. Who would like who would like to explain why that's funny? So the so the story behind Pew Pew Pew, and I believe, guys, was it was it episode 100 or episode 200? I think we audibly did it for the race report, but obviously 200 things when it comes when it comes to the the the post-production of this episode, obviously we do not play the sound effects live um while we're recording, with the exception of Family Feud. But so you know, I'm adding in all these sound effects while I'm editing on Wednesday evenings. So I think the you know the the original you know race report sound effect essentially was like an air horn repeating, but to Allie it sounded like it was either a cat for her or a or a or a Star Wars spaceship. So to her, it's a pew- pew-pew. So to fill in, to I guess to remind me where the sound effect goes, every week before we do the race report, Allie would graciously give us that wonderful vocal, and it's just stuck with us forever. And and we're we're so glad that we have it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, if you were if you were listening to the unedited production, it would sound something like and now it's time for then Allie would go. There you go, there you go.
SPEAKER_11There's it, that's it. Thank you. And that's it. It came to a point when Allie wasn't there. Bob didn't know when to start the race report because it never happened.
SPEAKER_03Didn't get the verbal cues.
SPEAKER_06And even though Allie isn't here, we still do it in her honor.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely. Sometimes, yeah, we changed a little bit. We on episode uh 200, we changed a little bit. Let's take a look, though. Let's let's get back to some of our regular
Jeopardy, Inside Jokes, And Editing
SPEAKER_03stuff. Take a look at the training schedule. You know, marathon weekend, Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, my friends, is six weeks away. We are in training week number 22. And we have, and we'll talk about this a bit more, the first of the big what we call them race simulations. Now, if you're training for the marathon and using the beginners program, you have a 23-mile long run this weekend. Training for a challenge, goofy or dopey. Four-mile walk, ten-mile walk, twenty-three-mile run walk. So we'll we'll discuss that a little bit in a bit. Disneyland half marathon out in California, the last one out there for a while, nine weeks away, in training week nine, and it's a three-mile long run, including a magic mile. So there's a chance to kind of get out that magic mile yardstick and see how your training times are going. Hey, a reminder, friends, if you're going out there and you're getting there on Expo Day, which is a Thursday, November 30th. November 30th
Training Calendar Deep Dive
SPEAKER_03is your advanced dining reservation day. So that's coming up on uh Sunday. I know. Yeah, you can kind of back it up. Uh, if you're gonna be there earlier, you you've got a couple days earlier. But ADRs are coming up for Disneyland. We're into princess training now. Week five, princess is 13 weeks away. And the long run Saturday is three miles. Springtime surprise training is going to start in a couple weeks. Starts the middle of December. And I want to talk real quickly about an event that many of us will go to. Uh, by the time you listen to this, it will virtually be Space Coast weekend. It's uh Thanksgiving Thursday. The race is on Sunday, so a lot of you, if you're listening on Thanksgiving Day or the day after, those of you who are heading to Space Coast out in Cocoa Beach will be there. Uh I'll see you there. I'm going to that one. We'd like to do a little get-together. I was talking with Coach Twiggs from Customized Training. A lot of customized training folks will be there. And I think it's really nice. Have you guys have any of you guys been to Cocoa for this event? Because that's too bad. They named a pub. Yeah, they named a pub for me over there. We're going to meet up. Yeah. Yeah, we're going to meet up at the Village Idiot pub.
SPEAKER_02Oh gosh.
SPEAKER_03Cocoa Floor.
SPEAKER_08Wait, I thought you were going to uh Cabri Brewing, where they have the pineapple sandwich. We will, Careeb, we will.
SPEAKER_03Okay. I usually go there on Sunday. But the uh the Village Idiot pub is it's a nice, that's the name of it for real. It's a nice place. It is it is directly across the street. The if you want to call it an expo, there are some vendors, some displays at this park in Cocoa, Florida. It's not actually in Cocoa Beach, it's in the little village of Coco, Florida. And uh it's very nice. You go there if you don't get there early and go to the uh race store to pick up your bib, you can pick it up at the park. Uh they have booths, they have merchandise for the race weekend. It is also where the race begins and ends. But it's a nice little village, it's really quaint, it's fun to walk around. It's crowded on race weekend, there are a lot of people there, but it's fun. And right across the street from this park is a place called the Village Idiot Pub. So we'll be there about two o'clock. And if you're there, I hope you get a chance to drop by.
SPEAKER_11Okay, this is scary, Bob. This just popped up on my Facebook feed while you said this. Okay, I see a big sign in. It says It says Village Idiot Brewing Company. Yeah, this is not a brewery. This is a pub. Okay. This is uh Okay, but that was kind of interesting all of a sudden. Oh while I said that?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's in it's in Jersey. Uh no, it's it's not the that would be a long commute, John. It's not the same one. It's closer for Greg could hit that one. It's down by him. That'd be tough to get back in time to start the race on Sunday morning. Yeah, but we'll we'll do that Saturday afternoon. We usually get we usually get a couple people dropping by. It'll be fun. Now, what you were talking about, Greg, the Carib Brewery. Becky and I go there on Sunday afternoon, and I'm sure we'll do that again. We get there I don't know, we'll get there three or four o'clock, maybe
Space Coast Weekend Meetups
SPEAKER_03a little earlier. Uh it's a nice place. It's actually it's a it's a micro brew, but it's a big place. The only problem they do not have any food, they have popcorn, that's the extent of their food there. But there are places nearby that you can go and get something to eat, and they're happy to have you uh bring it in there with you. It's it's fun.
SPEAKER_08Now, do they also charge $14 for a a draft of uh cider?
SPEAKER_03No, I don't know what they charge. It ain't 14 bucks though. Yeah, that's where they I I've said this before, that's where they brew the pineapple cider that you get at Disney World.
SPEAKER_11I think it's more than $14, Greg. This in the bottle. I didn't factor in inflation. No, I had Disney upcharges. Because I think at Wine and Dine, would they give us a $15 gift card?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_11The $15 gift card didn't cover it.
SPEAKER_03No kidding.
SPEAKER_11Wow. With the with the expo glass, with the uh what do you call it? The uh race speaking glass.
SPEAKER_09Okay.
SPEAKER_06So do you think maybe because of inflation, Disney should think about upping the gift card amount?
SPEAKER_09Yeah, right. Oh, that would be nice.
SPEAKER_11Go ahead and that'll be easy. They'll just up the price of the registration. Right.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, exactly. That's true. I was gonna invite you to hold your breath, Lexi. And no, that's not that would be mean.
SPEAKER_06I might be holding my breath for a real one.
SPEAKER_03That'd be mean. I don't want to do that. Um But it's brewery if you if you're interested, friends, and I know most of you head home on Sunday. I get that. It's if you're staying in one of the host hotels, now those are in Cocoa Beach, it's like a five-minute drive up the road, just head north on that highway. I don't remember the number of the highway, but it's just up the road a little bit, so it's easy to get to. Uh Kareeb Brewery in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Uh hey friends. We got any training updates we'd like to talk about this week.
SPEAKER_07I did 20 miles this well, last weekend, I guess. I did on the city. Congratulations. Thanks. Yeah, I so I was gone for one and done, and then last week I was at Disney for a couple days, and then I went on a cruise, and then I took Saturday off, but then I did my long run on Sunday, and I I honestly didn't know how it was gonna go. Um, there was a lot of food and drinking on vacation.
SPEAKER_03Um As it should be, Alicia.
SPEAKER_07As it should be.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Um and I just kind of took it easy. Um, I did a different route than I had done previously. Um honestly, that whole thing with the creepy guy has um got in my head.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah. I remember that from last week. So yeah. I guess it was two weeks ago you're telling us.
SPEAKER_07Yes. Um, and so I just I don't want to be a statistic. And so I'm like, I would rather, because I've seen him on my drives now, um, because I have to drive that way when I go to work. And so I'm like, I would rather go a different way. Um, but it was actually a really enjoyable run. I still went to a lot of the um the trails that I've gone to before. Um, and I just took my time and uh it it went really well. I was really proud of myself um and actually surprised that my body allowed me to do 20 miles after all of all of the eating and drinking. But yeah.
SPEAKER_11It was it was very relaxed, that's why.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_07Well, actually it was pretty tense, but uh but I I recovered really well. Um, and yeah, I think good.
SPEAKER_03I am glad to hear it. Good for you.
SPEAKER_06Well, speaking of vacation, I went on the maiden voyage of the Disney Destiny this time.
SPEAKER_09Sure, just rub it in, why don't you?
SPEAKER_06I had a blast, obviously, and also ate and drank too much. Um, I loved the ship. Uh the villain things were absolutely wonderful. I um I got to have a meet and greet with um Maleficent, and I I'm sure you remained calm the entire time. It was so funny. I was watching the because I had the character attendant make the video and take pictures while it was videoing, and the whole time I was just like like my shoulders were up, I was blushing, I was like, it was so funny. Um I was wearing a maleficent shirt and maleficent earrings, and so obviously, you know, it was great. Um and then the Cruella Deville bar absolutely phenomenal. The vibes were perfect, and then they had this experience where Cruella comes in and she gets mad at the pianist for playing Cruella de Ville because it talks bad about her, and so then she has the people in the bar create a song kind of like Mad Lib style about her, except good things, and then you perform it for her as a group. So fun. Cruella was absolutely amazing. The the other highlight, and then I'll stop talking about the cruise, but um the other highlight was on the maiden voyage, we got to have a one-night-only concert with Jordan Fisher, Susan Egan, and James Monroe Englehart, which, if you don't know who those people are, Jordan Fisher, I'm sure everybody knows who he is. Rand to begin.
SPEAKER_03Not not every not everybody likes him.
SPEAKER_06Um he sings, most notably, he sings Happily Ever After the song, um in Magic Kingdom. And he was also he's also a Broadway star. He's done multiple performances, multiple shows. Um, Susan Egan was the original Bill in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. And she also voiced Megara for Hercules. Um, and then James Monroe Inglehart was the original genie in Aladdin on Broadway. Okay we got to and there were more stars, and I apologize, I can't remember their names. We went to Castaway Key and Loud Lighthouse, uh Lighthouse Point.
SPEAKER_03Okay. How'd they how'd they compare?
SPEAKER_06I like Castaway better.
SPEAKER_03Oh, did you?
SPEAKER_06Really? Yes. Um I would say I'm most I was most disappointed in the food. Um where it was it was the it was the same food at both of them.
SPEAKER_03Okay. And it was just you talk about the lunch they serve, right?
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I agree. It's okay. It's it's yeah.
SPEAKER_06Um I did not run the 5k
Long Run Recaps And Safety
SPEAKER_06at Castaway because I've already done it before. Um, but they did have some 5K merch out, and it was also hot. So I was like, I'm not doing this right now. Um but I did see a bunch of people doing it. I did I did see a bunch of people doing it. And from having done the 5K before, like it's a it's a great course, it's really cool, really beautiful, um cool, like neat, not cool like temperature.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, all right.
SPEAKER_06Um and then on Lighthouse, which I had never been to before, they were right, it is a bit of a trek from the the boat onto the island. But if you're doing the 5k, just count that as your distance. And you know, lest you have to run around. Um, it is not a designated course. There's not signs like there are cash for the key. Um, but alongside of the tram that takes you to the guest areas, there's like a portioned off little path. Um that it it is the running, it is a jogging path. Okay.
SPEAKER_08So they had they had to put that in there because Tony did the illegal 5k.
SPEAKER_09So they they had the good job, Tony, way to go.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, but I saw a lot of people out there that were running and doing their thing, make getting all the miles, and so it was it was really cool. It was about half a mile, almost half a mile, from the boat to the lookout cape signing.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_05Do you ever if the medals that you would get at lookout point would be the same as you would have gotten at Castaway Key if you get to go to both of Disney's Islands?
SPEAKER_06No, they are different medals.
SPEAKER_03Oh, they do have a medal at Lighthouse, okay.
SPEAKER_06Well, I've seen it on the internet, they didn't have them available. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And they didn't have any merch that was out at Lighthouse. I didn't ask for it, but I did not see any merch. Everybody that I talked to just kind of said it's coming. It there's not like a definite date of when it's gonna be official, when you can get all the official merch merch, all that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_08Which is crazy because I I I feel like the island should it's been open for it. It's been open for a while, about a year now, right?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, well, the metal there was a medal circulating back in like August and September. And I don't know if maybe because it was the maiden voyage, they just were like, We're already giving them too much free stuff, we're not doing anything. Um, so maybe that's why they didn't have any medals available for the person that I asked. Um but overall, I mean I think, and this is my unbiased opinion, I would give the Disney Destiny a solid B.
SPEAKER_07A B. Okay. Didn't they say, since it's not like an official course like um castaway keys, did they say, do you just like show that you did the distance? They don't get the metal.
SPEAKER_03Uh yeah, they don't check at castaway either.
SPEAKER_07I guess they don't, yeah, but okay.
SPEAKER_03Well, I mean, I I know a number of people. Uh last time I did castaway was a couple years ago. But it was that I'll call it the volunteer thing or the uh virtual or whatever.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, when I was there too.
SPEAKER_03I don't know how many people came back and looked at their watch and said, Oh, I only did 2.4. Well, they missed the turn.
SPEAKER_07They missed the last turn, yeah.
SPEAKER_03They don't do that little loop twice, yeah. And so, but they still get their medal, right?
SPEAKER_02So yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03So I I imagine it's the same thing at lookout. You just say, Hey, I'm done. Here's your medal.
SPEAKER_05I wish they still did the castaway key 5k channel.
SPEAKER_02And you could also get off the boat earlier, yeah.
SPEAKER_06Um and you can't you can't do that anymore.
SPEAKER_03Well, the good one, I mean the best one was the one after marathon weekend. Yeah, it was the only one you had to you had to pay for it.
SPEAKER_06But I'd do it, I'd pay for it. Oh, yeah, it was special.
SPEAKER_03They had uh Alicia, you and I did it together. They had great characters out. Yeah, uh, I think that didn't they have champagne at the end? I'm trying to remember.
SPEAKER_07I think you had to buy it because we thought it was free and we're like, oh, that's so nice. And then we walked over and they were like $15. We're like, what? What?
SPEAKER_03I forgot that part.
SPEAKER_11Yeah, but try to remember was that was that two extra medals if you did Dopey and the thing?
SPEAKER_07Yeah, because you got the like the special one for paying, and then that you also got the castaway key one that they always have.
SPEAKER_03Yes, so you got the rubber one and you got a metal one, right?
SPEAKER_05And the castaway key one always looks so cool, like the one that you would get for after for the challenge. What was that even called?
SPEAKER_07The challenge called the castaway key challenge. Oh, it was, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but if if you re when you went to register for it, you had to have a uh sailing reservation number just to get in and register.
SPEAKER_06Disney,
Disney Destiny Cruise Review
SPEAKER_06bring it back, people will pay.
SPEAKER_03You could register on board the ship, you could do that because I registered Becky for it on the ship, and you didn't have to do the marathon, you just had to do anything marathon weekend. So she did the 5K and then did the castaway K5K.
SPEAKER_05So I'm just curious because I've only been on one ever cruise. What do you think is better? The because you've been on the Disney Dream and now the Disney Destiny. Is there any other ones I'm missing?
SPEAKER_06I think it was just no, those are the only two I've been on as of now. Which one do you like better?
SPEAKER_03I've been on different ones.
SPEAKER_06Old or new. I mean, I like the theming of the destiny because I I'm part I I really thought the adults-only areas, not just the villain stuff, but like the adults only, the bars, the lounges, the pool area. I just thought it was beautifully themed. Um and so immersive when you went into it. The Cask and Canon, which was the pirate-themed one, was so cool. And I even took a tour of the main areas of the ship and learned all kinds of like tips and tricks and just history about why the Imagineers did things that they did, and there's so much detail. Like, for instance, above the bar in Cask and Canon, they have diff they have seven different lanterns, and it's one style of lantern from each Pirates of Caribbean at each Disney park around the world. Oh so little tips like like little things like that, which is it's just really cool. I think size-wise, I like the dream better because there was just a lot of people on the destiny, and part of that was because as the maiden voyage you know, sold-out cruise. So like obviously you're gonna have lines, it's gonna be crowded.
SPEAKER_03I like the layout of the older Disney ships better. I just the the theming and all that you're talking about. I'm I'm convinced that that's wonderful. But I just like the way that the older ships were laid out better. I found them easier to navigate on board.
SPEAKER_06That was what I was hearing from uh like and I don't know if it's because I've been on a couple of Disney cruises before, or if it's because I like studied, I just looked, I you know, I I'm very well versed in the layout of the ship because I'm so interested in like where the villain stuff is and all that kind of stuff. I did research beforehand. I didn't get lost, but multiple people that I talked to couldn't get their bearings, couldn't figure out where to go.
SPEAKER_07I agree with you though, Bob. I like the um magic and the wonder the best of the Disney ships. Obviously, I can't speak to the destiny, but um, of the wish and then I got on the wish. Um I I like the magic and the wonder the best.
SPEAKER_03And I like the adults area on the older ships better too.
SPEAKER_05I agree.
SPEAKER_03They're just a little bit bigger, and yeah.
SPEAKER_05Yes. I actually had a running question for you based off of old ships and new ships, because I've only done the one, I've only been on Disney Dream. If you were to go on a newer ship, I know Disney Dream you can have easy loop circle, and it's like what a quarter to whatever mile. But on the newer ships, I knew on The Wish you can't do that. Is that the same for this one?
SPEAKER_06Yes, so it's designed the same where the fourth deck is it's like not a full circle, and there's stairs. But I went up at sunrise to the very top deck um at one point, and I saw multiple people running around the top deck where the pools are and you kind of have to zigzag through, they have like barriers, um, like glass barriers, so you kind of have zigzag a little bit. Oh, right, right, right. Um but that makes you be able to go almost through the entire perimeter of the ship without having to go upstairs. Gotcha. So it makes it easier to to run that.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna I'm gonna bring this one back uh and and finish it up with if you're going on the rise and run inaugural cruise on utopia, number one, the adult section of The utopia is excellent. It's terrific. It's, I think, in my opinion, it's better than the uh adult-only section on the Disney ships. And number two, if you want to run on the utopia, that daggum boat is so big that the lap on the fourth uh deck is almost half a mile.
SPEAKER_07Oh, wow. Utopia was next to us in Nassau, and it is a very large ship.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, I'm really curious to compare. Now that I'll have like one of the the wish ships, the wish class, um compared to the utopia so close together, you know, I'll be able to have an apples to apples comparison size-wise, from the biggest ships in Disney to the biggest ships in Royal Caribbean.
SPEAKER_03Well, Utopia's Utopia is bigger, but that's you know, I said half a mile. I think I'm wrong. Because I'm just thinking about that. Like you think you're like well, I mean, that ship would be almost a quarter mile long. I don't think it's that big, but it's pretty it's pretty big.
SPEAKER_06Well, we'll just have to get on the ship and measure it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, well, it's it's laid out. It it I mean, they have all the signs that tell you how far it is. It's it's very well designed.
SPEAKER_08Well, you know, to
Old Vs New Ships For Runners
SPEAKER_08to bring this back to the training since you know, not all of us were on the inaugural sailing of the Disney Destiny of Lexi. But no, I'm I'm so glad you had such a great time. And as soon as I saw Instagram reels about Jordan Fisher be on that boat, I I considered uh swimming in the ocean to kind of see you. But um anyway, uh my uh my quick training update is I wanted to share, and and I know we're we're gonna talk about advice in terms of running here in in a little bit, but I had an awesome training run today and a surprising training run today, and I don't know how I did it. Well, I mean, clearly I did it by running, but um I got a 5k PR in a training run today, and like that absolutely floored me because I I wasn't really looking at my watch much, and based on like you know the mileage markers that that are on the trail and such, I I wasn't really paying all that much attention, and I was like, oh, I'm probably like just shy of a 5k by the time I got back to my car. And I stopped my watch and I was I was over 5k by a tiny little bit, and then I saw the time, and I was like, huh. That that that time looks awfully similar to my my 5k PR time. So you know, thankfully, we have these wonderful running watch apps that you can go back and and look at your history and such. So I pulled up that race, and yeah, my average average pace was faster by three seconds. And I was like, okay, well, that that's uh you know, an unofficial uh PR. And it really got me to thinking, and and and this now is gonna tail back to my you know, woe is me, you know, from the Rocky run. Is I know sometimes we sign up for races where like, okay, I'm solely doing this race because I'm going for a Run Disney POT or I'm going for a PR. And I know it's kind of hard not to do that, but at the same time though, like I I feel like today taught me that if I find something, just sign up for it and then not try to build up that pressure in your head, you know, try not to look at your watch while you're doing the run. And and you very well might surprise yourself, and that's uh and that's a really awesome feeling. And I, you know, it's it's hard now with you know the holidays and and the fact that it's getting colder. So obviously, you know, this venture is going to be something that will occur for me in in 2026, but you know, I I think that's like kind of like a a goal that I have now is just like you know, sign up for something, get that idea out of my head of this is the PR race, this is the POT race, and just run and enjoy myself and let's see, and let's see what happens. Because as I continue to like diagnose, you know, post that run, I feel like maybe part of the reason why I had such a difficult time is I knew all of those goals were slipping away from me. And then I would, and even though I had my wonderful buddy Rob there to push me through, I knew I was becoming my own worst enemy by thinking to myself, well, I I'm just gonna start walking more now because all my goals are out the window. And I'm I'm looking forward to trying to change that mindset.
SPEAKER_05See, and that's the mindset that I kind of struggle with sometimes too, is that when I choose something as a goal race, I become so pressurized into believing that that's my only shot to make as my goal race. When in reality, if you give yourself more shots and you take away the pressure, you're more likely to get the goal you're looking for. And funnily enough, Greg, I think that's why I think some people think it's weird that I genuinely don't like wearing my watch. I do not like wearing my watch because if I look at it and I see, oh, well, that's a slower mile than I thought it was. Okay, it starts to get in your head. But if you just use like those Galloway um gumbo, like those walk set times that he has.
SPEAKER_09The gym boss timer, yeah.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, the gym boss timer. And then it's not a watch, it's just literally telling you when to walk and run. You'd be surprised how fast you can be if you stop focusing on the time and you're just focusing on being in the moment. And that's why I'm a big per like a big um advocate for not wearing my watch. I do not like wearing my watch, which is probably why you guys don't see a whole lot on astrona, because I half the time I forget to put on the Bluetooth anyways to get it to go at the same time. And then the other half of it being is just like, I don't want to see it. I don't care to see it. I'll see it when it's race day. But that's after the fact, you know what I mean? And so although I do love wearing my Garmin watch, I usually just wear it for I like wearing them for like my ultras because at least David knows where I'm at GPS tracking wise. But yeah, I agree with you, Greg. Don't wear the watch. One more person added to the group.
SPEAKER_08Oh, I wore my watch.
SPEAKER_05I didn't I I you weren't focusing on it.
SPEAKER_08But I wasn't focusing on it, correct. Yeah. So, like and like another strategy that I might employ is you know, it those are always said where you can have like multiple watch faces in terms of while you're running, like, you know, look at the average overall pace or your pace for just your lap. I know on my Koros watch one of the screens is just the time of day. So I very well might, you know, go into a run and just switch it to that. So even if I do look down on my watch, it's not gonna give me the information, you know, that I'm you know trying to obsess over, I guess.
SPEAKER_07I think there is a way to do that on not all of the garments, but some of the garments where you can just get it back to that screen.
SPEAKER_05Um I know uh with some like sometimes if I really am trying to work on a specific time, but I'm trying not to pressurize myself with it, I'll have my watch on me, but not on my wrist. And I'll actually hide it in my hydration vest so I can hear my uh beeps going off and I'll still get all of my data, but I can't see it. And that's like because I feel like if it's
Utopia Running Loops And Compare
SPEAKER_05on my wrist, I'm like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna cheat looking at it every single time. Like I'm gonna tell myself I'm not gonna look, but no, you gotta I'm gonna have to hide it.
SPEAKER_11You could you could turn off the mile uh what do you call it alerts when every mile like I don't Yeah, you can you could turn those things off. I mean, the good thing is you know, if if it's not in the big bold letters of my garment, I can't see them anyway. So, you know, that's a good thing. So it's almost like naked running anyway, but uh you know. Oh no, it's that's different. Whoa, whoa, no, it's a lot different. It's it's not what you think. Naked running is not makes it running. What? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's it's no it's it's no watch, you know, no headphones, kind of, you know, just no pants. No, we're just letting things flow. It just slows you down.
SPEAKER_03Oh, golly. Are we quite through with this?
SPEAKER_11I think we I think we we should get on to another topic before this gets uh to the rise and run after dark podcast again.
SPEAKER_03All right. I I I want to take a few minutes and talk to my rise and run family. Uh let me start with this. If you're heading out to Honolulu, I've mentioned this before, it's still on our Facebook group page. They're putting together a surprise for Jeff, and it you can find out about it. It's pinned to our Facebook group page at the top, or it's on the Discord server. People are chatting about it there. So if you want to participate in that, our friend Mary
Surprise 5K PRs And Mindset
SPEAKER_03is still organizing that, and I assume you can do it right up to the last minute. But I want to I want to talk with my friends because uh I won't be there. I will not be in Honolulu. I had a plan to go. And I was planning to go up until recently, but a number of things have happened. Uh let's in no particular order. I've had you know, uh, I guess it was eight or ten weeks ago I had that surgery on my spine. And prior to that, it's easy for me to forget, prior to that, it was a challenge just to walk. I mean, I didn't want to go to the mailbox to get the mail. It was that bad. So when I got out of that surgery, and almost immediately felt relief, not almost, immediately I felt relief. I was so excited, and things went well. But I had missed a lot of training, and when I say things went well, I mean the first week I I walked a mile. I mean, that's where I was on my training eight weeks ago, or I guess nine or ten weeks ago now. And uh things were going good, I was excited, I was able to do wine and dine, I walked it, but I was a little discouraged, but at the end of the half I was really shot. Um 13 was the longest I had gone, and I had I had 20 on the schedule on Saturday. Now, again, my friends who are listening know that Becky had shh surgery on her shoulder. It's easy to say. Say everything. Right. I'm I'm a professional podcaster, I can say shoulder surgery. Um she's doing well. She is, but it it her right arm is virtually immobilized for most of the day. She can hold on to things, but that's all. So she can't do much of anything. So I don't like to leave her too long. Uh so I went out and I had scheduled myself to do 13 miles on the road and then come back and check on her and do the last seven on the treadmill. It was all I could do to make it back to the house. And at that point I realized there was just no way that two weeks from now I was gonna be able to do a marathon. And I think what I did is I think I just I I remember two things looking back. Now, again, I was so optimistic, and all the wonderful support I get from all my friends. Uh I I think I was I think I was too optimistic, did too much too fast. Uh looking back, I remember two things. I remember the doctor who was also excited about how well I was doing. I remember my stories, he's a great guy, and I remember him saying to me, You're good, you can run, just pay attention to your body and back off if things start to hurt. Well, when I finish that 13 miles, and this worries me a little bit. My shins were a little bit numb, and my back was sore. Now here we are, it's Tuesday, it's four days later, both of those problems are gone. So, but I think I need to step back, slow down. I'm still going to try, I will still line up at the start line for the Walt Disney World Marathon. Whether I make it or not, we'll see. The other thing we had going on, besides Becky, you know, our friends again, you know, we're a family, we talk about these things. We lost a little puppy, well, 13-year-old little puppy, uh, about 10 days ago. I think it was the 12th of November. And then on Saturday, Sunday, my my my bestest four-legged buddy in the world uh fell out of the bed and hit the floor with a thud and could not control her legs, couldn't walk, couldn't keep her head upright, and uh I thought she had had a stroke. Uh, and I was I even up to I'll I'll I'll explain in a second, but even up to this morning, I was really torn up. Friends, if not for that little dog, we wouldn't know one another. We wouldn't. She is the reason I returned to recreational
Watches, Data, And Naked Running
SPEAKER_03running. And so there, you know, like Walt said, it all started with a mouse, rise and run. It all started with a little white dog. I know she's not gonna live forever, but uh uh coming on the heels of Emma, I was not. I was a wreck. I was a complete emotional wreck. Now, it turns out it turns out that canines typically don't have strokes. I didn't know that. People have strokes. Canines can have strokes, but it's very rare. What they have is a syndrome of their vestibular system. The vestibular system is a system that gives it gives their balance. I I learned that the dog's vestibular system is very similar to a Euban's vestibular system. We we call it the inner ear. It's it's the one that you've got you got three systems that give you your balance: your visual, your proprioceptive, and your vestibular. And uh the dog system is very much like ours. So her the difference is her world's spinning and she doesn't know why. You know, when we have a problem with a vestibular, the doc says to us, okay, here's your problem, here's what you do about it. It still sucks, but you can rationalize and you can get over it. Dogs don't know what to do. Um and what really troubled me is she wasn't eating at all. And I'm going, uh oh. So uh this morning I'm holding her and she's licking my fingers, and I said, Becky, get me some peanut butter. So I stuck my fingers in the peanut butter, and she started eating that. She's back to eating, she's uh she's doing better. I I found out that this is not uncommon. And I was talking on Customize this morning about it, and I saw some friends who were nodding along, said, Yes, my dog's had that problem, and they do get over it. It takes a little while.
SPEAKER_07My old dog Mas had it a couple times, and it's very scary.
SPEAKER_03But oh, it's very scary. Oh, golly. I thought uh Becky and I were driving it Sunday, of course. You know, she can't do this on a Tuesday when our vet's open. It's it's Sunday, but fortunately in a big area and there's a there's a a vet, a 24-hour vet, uh not 10 miles away. So they saw her and she's gonna be okay, but it rattled me, kids. It it did. Um I mean, I'm just a I'm a old softie, I guess, but it it really rattled me. So all those things combined, I told Becky on Sunday, I said I can't go to Hollywood, I can't leave Becky alone, I can't leave Lily alone. Uh I did say those in the right order, that's good, in case she listens. But uh I'm gonna miss it. I I wanted to be out there. I wrote to Jeff today, told him I wasn't gonna be there. Oh, by the way, Jeff will be with us on the podcast toward the end of December, just before uh he'll talk, he'll talk about Honolulu, and he'll talk about Dopey with us, probably right around Christmas time. But uh I I needed uh I I'd been in a deep enough funk that I thought about passing on this week's episode, but it's the Thanksgiving episode, and I've got a lot to be thankful for. The biggest thing amongst them is the rise and run, a biggest thing amongst them is the rise and run family. So I wanted to share that with you, let you know what was up. And I also hope that I don't like to just talk about myself without saying I hope you can gain a little something out of it, which is that you know, not how many times have I said this? Progress is not linear, there are going to be setbacks. I've I've run into a big setback, but I'm not done. I'm still with you, and so I'll be back. All right, thanks for listening. I appreciate it. It was cathartic and makes me feel better. I love y'all.
SPEAKER_01Caution runners, change of topic ahead.
SPEAKER_03So, speaking of tough, guys, you got your first full-blown dopey simulation this weekend. Uh you've worked your way up to it, but it's a challenge, and I think we've all done this at least once. So you want to talk
Health, Family, And Setbacks
SPEAKER_03about you have advice for people going on their first dopey simulation?
SPEAKER_05Biggest thing is please do not stress out about it. This is like like uh Bob said earlier, the first three um distances, the first three days, they're walks, and then it's a run walk on that last day. This is not the time to try and get a PR. You're not trying to do your race pace. You are trying to do your conversational two minutes slower than your regular pace. That way you're just building endurance, you're just trying to get miles on the legs. That's it. Don't stress your about yourself out. Also, don't hurt yourself. This is this is not the time to stress about it. So just relax, have fun, maybe listen to a podcast, you know, rise and run, you know, do whatever it is just saying. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Um, so I have two things. Um, one being that make sure that in between the days you are taking the time to recover because doing all those miles, you're still um doing a lot, and our bodies um need that time to recover. Um, your immune system is gonna be down a little bit after doing all the miles. So make sure you're getting in recovery. Um, and then my other thing is to um just remember that this is a time to learn from yourself. It is a simulation on purpose. Um, so if you need to try out some things like fuel and that type of thing, um, now is the time to do it. And if if things aren't perfect, that's okay. That's why we're learning and growing um through the simulation process.
SPEAKER_08So that's really, really good advice. And you know, for those of you doing your first uh dopey sims here or in in theory goofy too, but even though since goofy's only two days, you've had a couple of back-to-backs already. But I mean, obviously, the mileage on you know this particular weekend it is quite heavy, even if you're doing just the marathon or or goofy itself. But this isn't meant to discourage anyone, this is just real talk, and but I think it also needs to be said to help you be successful in the future, and that is to say that this weekend and the weekend that will occur in I think three weeks from now, these are going to be the toughest weekends of your training. There's there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, and that's because you are going to be out there for several hours, regardless of your pace, most of the time, unless you have a run buddy or a run club or something like that who's also doing dopey, you're most likely going to be out there by yourself. And sometimes getting in your thoughts for this type of distance and this type of time can weigh on you a little bit. Now, there's one advantage though in this training cycle compared to other dopey training cycles, and then and that is we have our holler hype app now, thanks to our wonderful friends over there. I think that can be a potential game changer for a lot of people when it comes to this training cycle. But you know, the reason why, though, I want to bring this up is because even though it might be tough, once you're done with it, it is a massive confidence boost. Because if you can complete both of these simulation weekends and you're upright and you're healthy, then the hard part is over because as we like to say all the time, it's when you get down to Orlando. Yes, you're doing it all again with a bib on, but that's the victory lap. And that's the time that you get to have fun and you get to you know snap the character photos and look at all the fun costumes. I mean, maybe you might get lucky, maybe someone might be in a costume on the training course you know this particular weekend. So I I just wanted to get that out there again. This is not intended to scare anyone or make anyone apprehensive, it's just it's part of the training, but it's a wonderful, wonderful mental exercise. Now, the I guess practical advice that that I wanted to impart onto everybody is for the days that call for specifically the walks, I know one of the the like the negative thoughts that goes through people's minds is oh, I'm gonna be out there for so long because I'm a slow walker and I don't want to be out there for this long. Even though it does call for just walking, one thing that I have done in the past as well, and I feel like I do bring this up every single year, but I apologize, but I think it's an amazing tool is the concept of Gwinning. Our buddy uh Kevin Gwyn over at the Extra Mile podcast, you know, he came up with this interval to help him get his training walks done faster, and that is walk for two minutes and then 30 seconds of a light run, not even you know, even maybe a little bit slower than conversational pace. Just that alone. I know when I first started doing Gwinning, even with that very light 30-second jog, I was still getting sub-balloon lady paces. And I think for you know, the the two big walks that you have uh this weekend, I think that could help speed those up a little bit so you're you're not you know out and about as long. And hopefully that will um pay dividends for you. But best of luck, everyone. I we all know here everyone on this recording today knows that you're gonna crush this.
SPEAKER_05And also, I don't know about you guys. Um, I know when I'm out on those long runs, some some things that truly get me through my long run is I actually visual my visualize myself at the race. I I I visualize myself going through the castle, going through the parks, and especially the finish line. And it takes away any kind of mental notes that I have going on during that run in that moment because I'm thinking of completely something else, but it it's a motivator for me to keep going. And then um, and I and I I do this for every race. I love watching videos of people at the races that I I look forward to running. Um, there's some people that really have some amazing race videos. I mean, you got Rez Runs the godfather of Run Disney videos on YouTube. You got Running and Makeup, Jar Ox and Spoon. We've got some videos up of the races um on Ryzen Run and of course Passport to Run. So if you're looking to kind of one, see what the course is and two, get yourself excited for the race weekend. I always like watching a video because I'm like, okay, I am so ready to run now. I feel excited. They they look like they're having fun. I want to have fun. Let's do this. I only got one or two more big runs left, and then it's the big day, the day that I've been looking forward to and training for for so long. So remember, you're almost there.
SPEAKER_08Jack, that's really good advice in terms of watching that various types of media. I mean, obviously, if you want to complete all of these training runs outside, obviously you can. But if you need to do them all indoors and be able to watch this type of entertainment, that's a completely acceptable option as well. But the the based on what you said though, the other piece of advice that I wanted to impart to
Dopey Simulation Weekend Advice
SPEAKER_08everybody is I I think it's also okay to split these up if you have to. I mean, the the rule of thumb that Jeff has told us and even Coach Twiggs is that if you even need to take a break, as long as from the time that you finish part one until the time you start part two, as long as that time frame is under two hours, you still get the same physical endurance benefit as if you went the whole way through. Now, obviously, I'm not encouraging you to, you know, go, you know, three miles, take a 90-minute break, and then get back out there. But you know, maybe try to, if you're going to do that, only maybe allow yourself one break. So that way, if like, you know what, I'm over the this outdoors, it's too hot, it's too cold, and you want to go do what Jack said, you know, get on the treadmill and be able to watch these YouTube videos. I think that's an option that will afford you that ability.
SPEAKER_11One thing I would say, I would go back to what Jack said. Don't stress out about this. It's Thanksgiving. You're with family on Thursday. Relax. Have a good time. Don't stress out. I gotta do four on Friday, ten on Saturday, 23 on I'm not gonna eat much turkey. I'm not gonna be, I'm just gonna sit back and relax. Have fun with your family, relax. That's the most important thing to get yourself your mindset that you can have fun. And you know what? If it doesn't go well, there's another one coming up in three weeks, like Greg said, you know, you know, and you'll learn from your mistakes. But just get out there, do what you can, have a good time, you know. And like you said, the victory lap's coming, and I think that will help you out a lot.
SPEAKER_03Wonderful advice. Let me add one thing, and you hear me say this often also. And Jack, early on, you alluded to this. Take it easy on this one. It's a training run, but remember something. It's not it's not an end point. You're in the middle of your training. So take it easy on this one because you got another, you finished that 23 miles on Sunday, you got a training run on Tuesday. So don't kill yourself. You need to get back out there on Tuesday. Do that, you know, add the the two minutes, two minutes slower than your long run pace. Well, your long run pace is two minutes slower than your race pace. That's your speed limit. That means you don't go any faster than that. So look, it's tough, but you can do it. It is a huge confidence builder. The one the one coming up in a couple of weeks, the the real dress rehearsal, if you will. That we'll talk about that later. That almost becomes emotional when you finish that one. But look, my friends, you can do it. You can do it. You've done the training up to now, you've built up to this, you can do it. Go out there and slay it.
SPEAKER_01Caution runners, the topic is about to change right now.
SPEAKER_03You know, it's been a while since I've been able to ask, what would Alicia do?
SPEAKER_07Yeah, Bob, what would Alicia do? I don't know. Our last conversation um was a great one. Um, and this week when I was doing my 20-mile run, I was I had my music on and I was getting holler hypes throughout. And a lot of the people were saying, remember, you get to do this run. And so with the spirit of Thanksgiving, um, I know a lot of people will say, Oh, I'm thankful for this person or this thing. Um, but I just want to remind our friends to be grateful and thankful for our bodies and remind ourselves that we do, we get to do this every day. Every step we take, every moment we're out there, take it all in. One, you don't get that day back. And two, this is an experience that not everybody gets to have. So be really grateful that your body is allowing you to do it and that you get to be out there no matter what the miles are. If you are going for the marathon or dopey or one of those, or even if it's just your first mile that you've ever done. But I was wondering if you guys have anything for Thanksgiving that you are all grateful or thankful for.
SPEAKER_03It's all true. Everything you said is true. I mean, I just did a soliloquy on oh, woe is me. But uh I know that the problems I laid out are nothing compared to what some people and I I do I do from time to time stop and think about how thankful I am that into my eighth decade now I'm able to go out and move. And I haven't I've been lucky. I mean I've I've done some things right, but I've also been lucky. And so I'm grateful for that. And I can't let it go. I talk about it all the time. I'm and it's almost cliche, and everybody here is gonna say the same thing. I'm so grateful for this family. I'm I just I that's part of the reason I think I've been a little bit depressed, is I feel and and we've had this discussion before, I feel like I'm letting some folks down. I know that's not true. I know it's almost arrogant to think that way, but I do. I think that much of all of you that I want to be there, and uh I just want to keep going. So I'm grateful for all of that.
SPEAKER_07So in the spirit of what you said, Bob, I think that for all of us hosts, we are all so grateful and thankful for the family that we and you all have created. Um we're just along for the ride. Um truly it is all of our listeners that um I thought it was for the run, not not not the ride. That bring the rise and run family um together. And so um yeah, just just remember to be um thankful and grateful. Um and if you are one of our Canadian friends or in another country and you don't have Thanksgiving, you can still be grateful and thankful and sure.
SPEAKER_03No, I think I'd have to look this up.
SPEAKER_07There's already happened.
SPEAKER_03I well I know I realize Canada is over, yeah. But uh I think almost every country has a Thanksgiving day.
SPEAKER_07I think they do.
SPEAKER_03I think it's nearly universal. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07But I think most of them have happened, right?
SPEAKER_03Oh, I don't know.
SPEAKER_07I think so.
SPEAKER_03I'd have to ask uh Mr. Google. Yeah. But it's it's not it's very it's a it's a common holiday throughout the world, and it occurs at different times. Our our friends from other countries can tell us when there's this.
SPEAKER_11These are great what we're thankful for, but we want to hear your stories. So we're we got we got out there a little thing on our Facebook and our Instagram. We're looking for some interesting stories of why you're running the marathon weekend, because marathon weekend is writing your story. So if you want, go
Mental Game And Gwinning Tips
SPEAKER_11to our Facebook page, go to our Instagram, and tell us why you're running Marathon Weekend. Inspirational, what if it's inspirational for you? It's your first marathon, first 5k. Let us know why you're running marathon weekend, and maybe you'll be a guest on the Rise and Run podcast and be able to tell us all about it.
SPEAKER_03We shouldn't punish them like that, John. That's not right.
SPEAKER_11I'll punish them. Okay. I'm sorry. They get to hang with Greg.
SPEAKER_03That is that's that's true. That's quite a prize.
SPEAKER_11My my favorite podcast host.
SPEAKER_03Oh, thanks, John.
SPEAKER_11That's what I'm thankful for.
SPEAKER_03I'm thankful for you too. Well, while we're talking about things that we are grateful for, we have hit, we will, with the release of this episode, hit 500,000 downloads in the four plus years that we've been broadcasting the Rise and Run podcast. Thank you, friends. Thank you. That is all you never I was gonna say never in a million years, but never in 500,000 years that I think that would happen. But here we are. Five hundred half a million. Wow, guys.
SPEAKER_08Can you remember like after we dropped the first episode? Do you remember how excited we got when we hit like our first like 100 download episode day or something like that?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we hit a hundred pretty quickly.
SPEAKER_06I was I remember specifically hitting our first thousand.
SPEAKER_03I remember when an episode would hit a thousand, it wouldn't do it on the first day, but after a couple days, yeah. Uh Jeff and Chris and I for run, maybe I forget Rundope. I forget. A couple of them early on would hit a thousand, and oh my goodness, a thousand downloads an episode, even though it would take a week. Holy cow.
SPEAKER_07We were so excited.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, now we get a thousand downloads every Thursday, or almost every Thursday. So, and about I don't know, we I haven't looked at the averages lately, but it's on the order of eleven thousand, twelve thousand downloads a month. So uh doing the math, let's see. So we're about four we're about four years away from hitting a million.
SPEAKER_05You never know.
SPEAKER_11Here's a little here's a little stat. The first well, it's it's our first month, October 1st to October 31st.
SPEAKER_03Well, well, now wait a minute though. We didn't release an episode till October 22nd. So it was only a week.
SPEAKER_1193 downloads in November? No, in those first 10 days. First 10 days.
SPEAKER_05Wow. That's still pretty good though.
SPEAKER_11Two episodes. Well, yeah. Two episodes. November 428.
SPEAKER_03Okay. So about a hundred, about a hundred a week.
SPEAKER_11We have yeah. We averaged about we averaged about sixty-five uh downloads per episode that that that month.
SPEAKER_08And and and here's the crazy part is to to watch the the growth has been incredible. But like even four years into this now, like I still have a thought process of walking around an expo, being in the in the corrals and such. And I continue to have the thought of there's so much more untapped potential in terms of audience growth. I mean, I I I do realize that that there is there is a threshold to this because you know, when in the podcasting world, sure, running is a niche, and Disney is a niche, and running at Disney is a super, super niche. So obviously, you know, the the audience can can only grow so big from that, but you know, there there is part of me that I realizes like I wonder how many people running this race have no idea who we are, can we reach them? Can we help them? No, I also understand too that there are probably plenty of people out of the run Disney race or an expo or or not that know who we are and have no interest in listening to us. And that is totally fine. And I and I and that that's utterly acceptable. Uh, but I mean, you know, even though we have grown and you know, we have hit this milestone, it still makes me excited. Like, you know, I think the reason why I get in front of this microphone every week and I spend hours upon hours editing you know each episode is the fact that it might not be half a million people or even a thousand people, but but I feel like there's always still that person out in the middle of the country, or heck, even the middle of the world, who can happen to fall upon the idea of looking at running a 5k in Disney, and that gets them excited, and I want to be
Treadmills, Breaks, And Flexibility
SPEAKER_08there for that person to be able to offer advice and hopefully inspire them and introduce them to again this wonderful community that we've talked all episode about uh about being thankful for. You know, I that's the drive that keeps me going, and I I can't wait for the next half a million downloads until we you know we we finally hit a million because and it's never about numbers, you know, it's about if if there's a number that that I am more focused on, it's the strength of the community in terms of the number of people who are willing to go out of their way to assist one another. That's the that's the biggest number I care about. But the fact that you know we've hit this milestone is just a testament to just an amazing community that we are grateful for each and every single day. So thank you, folks.
SPEAKER_05Sometimes I kind of forget how many people actually listen to the episode. And like, I don't know, it's just kind of crazy to think because to me, when we're recording, I'm just talking to you guys, but in reality, we're talking to everybody as well. Um, but it still doesn't usually hit me that that someone's listening to it until it's like the race weekends. Oh, hey, how are you? Oh, I listened to this last episode. I was like, oh yeah, I forgot we talked about that. But it's it's it's very astonishing. And because it's Thanksgiving, I just want to reiterate it one more time, or as many times as it um for every Thanksgiving. But I I remember before this podcast that I was trying to look for something to listen to during my runs, and it was extremely hard to find something that even remotely talked about Ren Disney. So I'm forever thankful for for this podcast and you guys because thank you guys for thinking of me to. I I I know when Bob and Alicia were making it or getting the group together, figure out who. I'm very, very thankful for all you guys for considering me to be a part of it because you guys are family. And I love you guys, and I love this community. You guys are all family, and I'm just very, very thankful for it. Love you guys.
SPEAKER_08Love you too, Jack.
SPEAKER_05Oh, you got me crying. Crap. I was about to say a different word, caught myself.
SPEAKER_03Stuff Jack says. All right, friends. Just uh one more giant thank you, and have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_01Caution runners, change of topic ahead.
SPEAKER_03Let us take a look at what we've got going on. Hey, this Thursday's a Zoom no, this is Thursday's Thanksgiving. The Zoom schedule is gonna get messed up a little bit. So let's meet on Zoom in two weeks. That will be, let me grab my calendar here real quick. December 4th. 4th of December. And then again on the 18th. Those dates should be good. Uh two weeks after that is New Year's. We'll figure out what we're gonna do when we get to that. I think I think we did one New Year's Eve last year.
SPEAKER_11We get w I don't know if it was last year, but one year I know we did do it New Year's Eve.
SPEAKER_03I think we did just this last year, John. I think we did.
SPEAKER_08We recorded an episode on New Year's Eve because all of us were lame last year and had nothing to do. So we had enough time. Oh, yeah, a recorded episode.
SPEAKER_11New Year's Eve was Tuesday last year. Yeah, we have no lives.
SPEAKER_03Well, for what it's worth, uh, I got no plans this year either.
SPEAKER_11But set the alarm clock for a quarter to 12.
SPEAKER_07It's not a Tuesday this time, it's a Wednesday.
SPEAKER_03Right, it is. New Year's Eve's a Wednesday. But Zoom day is Thursday. Anyway, get back to what I was talking about. Zoom uh the fourth and the eighteenth for the next two Zooms. And
Gratitude For Bodies And Community
SPEAKER_03now please stand clear of the door. It's time for a race report. Abord mantengancy, Alejado de la Suez. Race report sponsored by our friend Thomas Stokes. It's Stoked Metabolic Training, Stokes. And information on what Tom's got to offer is pinned at the top of our Facebook group page. I've that's another one I've let slide. I'm coming back, Tom. I promise. I know I've said that before, but this time I mean it. All right, let's start the race report on Saturday in Moultrie, Georgia with the Art Fest half marathon. Kayla ran it. It's state number four in her challenge to do 50 halves in 50 states. Just getting started, but heck, you gotta start somewhere. Good luck with that, Kayla. In Holly Springs, North Carolina, they had a half marathon. Brian was there, as was Glenda. Glenda says that there were more hills than she's used to, but she had a great race. Love the community support. Got a kick out of the signs along the course. Met some other Disney interval runners on the course, which was fun, and then surprised herself with a PR of four minutes and seven seconds. Alright, let's go to Tampa, Florida. The Moffitt Cancer Center had their annual Miles for Moffat. And the Middleton family. Samson, Sarah, Donald, and Morningstar all participated. Morningstar gave us a report. Now let's see. Morningstar did the 15K. Donald and Sarah the 10K, and Samson the 5K. Morningstar says it was a well-organized out and back course along the water with a beautiful sunrise. Weather was pretty nice. Still a little warm this weekend, but uh still nice around Tampa. Everybody agreed that the glittery metals in swag were really terrific. The best part for them was staying in a hotel. It was only a three-minute walk to the start line. That's fun. Love seeing all the survivors and thrivers, and they include Morningstar and Evelyn. In Indian Head, Maryland, the Indian Head Turkey Trot 10K. Catherine and Carrie were there. Carrie submitting the report. Saying ran with Katherine, ran the turkey trot in conjunction with the Will Run for Virtually Live race. The race was along the Indian Head Rail Trail, which is a nice 13-mile paved path through nature, which Carrie's run many times during marathon training. This was already a small race. It rained, that didn't help. So there were only 12 people running the 10K. The 5K, which started 15 minutes later, had about 50. Both Catherine and Carrie placed in their age group, and they got new PRs. Let's go to Erie, Pennsylvania for I think it's ununexpected race, not the unexpected race. I don't think that's the name of it. I think the deal is Michelle and Jessica ended up running a race they weren't expecting to do. So it's a great story. They're doing a six-mile training run. At mile three, they discover that there's a polar plunge going on, benefiting Special Olympics. But there's also a 5K, 10K, and a one-mile walk that was starting in a half an hour. Now, they had an option to register on site, so what the heck? They did. This ends up being Jessica's first non-Disney race. She smokes her 5K with a PR. So what started out for the two of them as just a six-mile training run, ended up as a nine-miler because they had done three, they did the 5K, and when they finished, they needed three to get back to their car. So there you go. That's the taking uh taking advantage of the situation. Brighton, Colorado had a turkey trot 5K. Carrie, Sonny, Amy, and Jamie were there dressed as the Spice Girls. Uh did you see their aprons? Their aprons had images of Morton spices on them, cinnamon and nutmeg. So they were dressed as the Spice Girls. Pretty clever. They braved the early morning fog. Once it lifted clear, bright, beautiful Colorado day, stunning view of the snow-capped Rockies. Now, Sonny and Jamie enjoyed a brisk walking pace. Amy flew to the finish in 37 minutes, secured the group those coveted breakfast burritos from Santiago's. Yeah, a bunch of Easterners or Central U.S. folks here. Uh, I don't think any of us know what Santiago's is, but it must be good. Now Carrie was hoping for a sub-45. She smashed it, sub-44 and APR. In Celebration, Florida, the Rotary Club had a pancake run 10K. Kat was there. It's the end of her 14-mile long run for marathon training. So she was prepared to run at long run pace. But after feeling amazing in the first seven miles of her 14-run trainer, she decided to push this one a little bit. Great weather in Central Florida on Saturday for this small, small local race, lots of familiar faces, a couple of Run Disney friends. Even though she's on tired legs, she PR'd this 10K and finished fifth in her age group. Good job, Kat. Hannah and Taylor were in Norfolk Harbor for their half marathon weekend doing the Get Naughty Light Challenge. Now there was a 5k on Saturday, a 10K and a half on Sunday. Naughty, not nasty, naughty as in short for nautical N-A-U-T-I. This is Norfolk. Big big Navy base in Norfolk. And it you gotta say Norfolk, not Norfolk. That would be wrong. Anyway, let's see what we got here. Uh Hannah says the 5K and 10K she did, they were a blast. She took the 5K easy on Saturday, then ended up dropping roughly a minute per mile off of her pace for the 10K compared to the one she did just a month ago. Not a PR, but still the strongest she's felt in a 10K ever. Now Taylor did the half and the 5K. That got her her third get naughty challenge medal. She was going to take the Saturday 5K easy, but at mile two, she looked down at her watch. This is what you were talking about, Greg and Jack. Thought it was easy. She was going easy. Breathing was relaxed. She was actually at her tempo pace, so she turned it up a notch, ended up with a 30-second 5K PR. Now for the half, her goal was to go out with a PR. She was on track for it through mile nine, starting to struggle a little bit. No, she had to drive home, had to go to work later
Half A Million Downloads Reflections
SPEAKER_03in the day. That's nice. 5K, and then half marathon, then go to work. That's all good. Good for you, Taylor. Anyway, uh so she pulled back a little bit, still got within a couple minutes of her PR, and had a good time. Alright, out in Michigan. Is that I need someone to tell me. And I don't know if anybody here can tell me. You got Blitzing the DOT 5K if it's in Wyandotte, Michigan. Or blissing the dot 5K if it's in Wyandotte, Michigan. I'm going with the first one. Nicole and Clara will tell me. I know they will. It's a local 5K, about 350 people there. Starts an hour before the city's Christmas parade. Uh this was Clara's first 5K. Now Clara's almost eight years old. She'd been begging to run with Nicole all year. Nicole originally said no, but they had these new matching frozen crowned athletic sets. They were just begging to be worn. The weather was perfect. So he said, What the heck, Clara can come with? She was a Clara was amazing. Uh when they came over the last hill and Clara could see the finish line, boom! She was off. Left Nicole in the dust. The kids love to do that. Kids love to run away from mom and dad. Not only a PR for Clara, but and this is cool, first in her age group. Clara, way to go, kiddo. We're proud of you. Alright, friends, let's move along to Sunday and let's start in Shreveport, Louisiana, where they ran the Sports Spectrum Log Jammer Marathon. Our good friends Jessica and Kevin ran that one, and they are joining us now in the Race Report Spotlight. They're going to tell us all about it. Jessica and Kevin, welcome to the Rise and Run Podcast.
SPEAKER_02Hello.
SPEAKER_03Hello, friends. Thanks for having us. Oh, thanks for thanks for taking the time. I I do genuinely appreciate it. I know it's time out of your day that you come to visit with us, but we're glad you're here. Hey, I actually the spotlight's kind of been on hiatus for a week or two. So I haven't asked this leading question for a while because you know we've had the majors and there's too many people. But I love asking our friends how they got started running. And uh, Kevin, I'm gonna ask you to tell us how you got started in running and then maybe how you got started into Run Disney.
SPEAKER_10Well, it all started about 15 years ago-ish. We went to Disney World for my birthday, which is in the first week of January, and we go to Epcot one day, and there's a whole bunch of people running by.
SPEAKER_03Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_10And I'm like, what's going on? I'd asked a cast member, what's going on? And they said, Oh, it's a marathon. I was like, really? And they said, Yeah, you get to run through the parks. And I thought, wow, that would be cool. Yeah, how cool is that? And at the time, the only only time I ever ran was if I was being chased by a bear or something like that. Yeah, right, right. So we sat on Wait, wait, wait.
SPEAKER_11How many times have you been chased by a bear? Okay.
SPEAKER_10So I didn't run very often. Um I get it. And so we fast forward to COVID. And after COVID hit in the fall of 2020, I was what older than I was. Let's see. Older. And I finally started thinking to myself, if I don't ever start doing this, I'm never going to do it. So in the fall of 2020, spring of 2021, I started running, and Jessica was like, hey, that looks cool. I'll do it too. And so that kind of started us going.
SPEAKER_03So that's it, Jessica. You you two started together, huh?
SPEAKER_04Yes. Um, we started with the Couch to 5K app, and our goal was to run so we could sign up for a Disney, uh Disney race. So we signed up for 10K in 2022. Yeah, 2022. So um anyway, we started running and had planned to do a race together before Disney, just as like a you know, to get ready for our race, which he ended up doing. I didn't because I injured myself. But um anyway, we did couch to 5K, and uh that's all she wrote because we were addicted after we did our first Disney race. It was kind of overwhelming. Uh, in fact, when we first got there for our first Disney race, I remember thinking, I don't think I can ever do this again. There are so many people, this is so overwhelming. But by the time we were done, I'm like, let's do it again. Sign it up.
SPEAKER_03So yeah. We know that feeling, we surely do. Uh, and then I think you found Rise and Run not long after that.
SPEAKER_04Yep, I think Kevin did.
SPEAKER_03I can't remember.
SPEAKER_04I don't remember. I think you've been with us a little while.
SPEAKER_10Yeah, it's been a while, but I can't. It's one of those things where it all kind of fades into time. I I'm I'm pretty sure we started listening in the 80s or the night episode 80s or 90s. Okay. Not the 80s. Wow.
SPEAKER_11Well, Bob, that's is it really exciting that we've been around for almost. I was that's my that's right.
SPEAKER_03I was I was setting PRs back in the year.
SPEAKER_10So but yeah, we we we found y'all. I can't remember how we found y'all, but yeah. And so we've been we've been kind of here and there ever since.
SPEAKER_03I know you've been I know you've been regulars at the Zoom meetings and all that. Hey, listen, let's let's talk about the uh the race at Shreveport. Was that a trip for you or is that near home?
SPEAKER_04So Shreveport's about just over an hour and a half from where we live. So not far. We didn't have to spend the night. We just got up super early that morning and drove.
SPEAKER_10And she she she had actually run the race last year.
SPEAKER_04Yes, and I said I never would again.
SPEAKER_03How many times do we do that?
SPEAKER_04I know, all the time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Well, I'd love to give you time to tell us about your race. And Jessica, I'm gonna let you start, please.
SPEAKER_04Okay, so I did the Shreeport race last year, like I said, and uh said I would never do it again because I just I did not have a good experience. I hit a wall and didn't get the time I wanted, so I signed up again simply because I thought, you know what, I'm not gonna let that race defeat me, and I'm gonna go back and do it again and try to get the time that I was aiming for and hopefully not hit a wall. So anyway, um, we got started and I was feeling pretty good. I got halfway through, probably faster than I should have gone, but um I was I was feeling good. So got about halfway through and thought, okay, this is going well. I'm, you know, going a little a little faster. And then I uh I got halfway and there was actually a guy there with like a little, what was that thing? It was like a it looked like a um it had a printout on it. A calculator.
SPEAKER_10Yeah, he was he was kind of he was he looked like he was a race official and he was kind of keeping track of everybody to make sure I think he was kind of keeping track of who who he was he was looking at bib numbers to see who would come by and things like that. Anyways, sorry, because there wasn't there wasn't very many people running this marathon. It was it there was a half marathon to go with it, but there was maybe maybe a hundred people running this whole marathon. Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_04So they start at the same time, the half and the full start at the same time. So when you start, you have a lot of people around you because I think there were like 300 people running the half marathon, but there were only about a hundred people running the marathon, just over that maybe. And so you start together, but then at mile 10, you split. And so all of a sudden, when you split away from the half marathon, it gets real, real lonely.
SPEAKER_03It gets lonely, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah yes, like um the pretty much the rest of the time I barely saw anybody. So I get halfway done, I'm like, I'm feeling good. There's a little guy there telling people, hey, you're, you know, he told me I was six female, which I was like, no way. I was like, oh, maybe I can keep this going. That only lasted about a mile or two. The roads um on the race were very uneven, lots of potholes. Um, so you had to be really careful to watch your footing. Um, but right about mile 15, there was an uneven spot, and I kind of tripped, but I didn't fall, you know, kind of caught myself in my toe, you know. And that set off this terrible cramp in my toe. Um where I literally couldn't move my foot. I couldn't, I couldn't walk. I just had to like bend down and try to push my toe into the ground to get it to straighten out. And I'm like, oh my gosh, I don't know if I can finish because it wouldn't stop. A lady pulled over and asked me if I was okay, asked if I wanted a ride, and I'm like, no, I still have 12 minutes to go. So I gave it a few minutes, started going again, and then from there, that just set off
Upcoming Zoom Schedule
SPEAKER_04leg cramps like I've never experienced before. Um, so both legs were cramping. So the last probably eight miles or so, I did a lot of walking, as much running as I possibly could. And then I thought, well, I'm probably not gonna get that time goal. So um I just at that point, I just wanted to finish. So there were every once in a while I would see a runner, but for the most part, I was pretty much by myself. There was a water stop about every two and a half miles, maybe. Okay. Um, so anyway, I I ended up finishing. It was not fun, but I finished and I ended up being at six seconds from my PR. If I would have known that, if I would have known that, I would have pushed it a few seconds, you know, pushed it a little bit harder the last part, but I didn't realize I was that close. But I finished, and what's funny was I finished and I hear them announcing something as I'm finishing, and they say, first master's first. Finisher. And I thought they were talking about me. And so I'm I'm going across and I'm like, wow. And then like a minute later, I realized, oh, wait, never mind. They were doing the award ceremony.
SPEAKER_03They're doing the award ceremony.
SPEAKER_04I was not the first master's finisher. However, I did quickly find out that I was first in my age group, which I was so I was like, okay, I didn't get the PR. I was a little bit off my time, but especially considering the last eight miles were absolutely awful. I'll still take it. So I got a blanket as my relief.
SPEAKER_03Oh, great. Good for you.
SPEAKER_04Anyway, so I'm I'm overall I'm pretty happy with how it went, even though it wasn't the greatest, but you did good.
SPEAKER_03I have to chuckle because at my age the award
Race Report: Highlights & Spotlight
SPEAKER_03ceremony is usually going on when I finish. And I sometimes finish first in my age group.
SPEAKER_11It's fine. So Kevin, uh, you raced this race too. Um this year. Okay. So was any like was it really forced on you, or is this something you wanted to do?
SPEAKER_10Um it's something that I wanted to do. I like, I mean, I also wanted to go with her to make sure that she was okay because I don't like her driving off into the sun into all over the place away from each other. So, but but yeah, it the the my my marathon PR is six hours and 32 minutes. So I am much slower than her. Um, or as I like to say, I like to get my value for my registration dollar.
SPEAKER_03Um brother.
SPEAKER_10And the cutoff for this was six and a half hours. So I thought, okay, um, it's gonna be either a PR or a DNF. Okay. So I thought, okay, I can do that because I mean, my I I set my PR during dopey last year, and that's with stopping for a few characters here and there. So I thought I was thinking, okay, cool. So similar to Jessica, I um the first nine or ten miles, I felt really good. And then about mile 12 or so, it kind of started to go downhill. And I actually passed her about when she was coming back, and and so um she was telling me about her foot cramp in the middle of the road. But about that time, um when we had that split, there was only about three people in front of me, and I passed them all. And about mile 12 or 13, I started to I started to wear down quite a bit. And finally, um about mile 14 or so, um, I hadn't seen anybody in a mile or two. And all of a sudden, in my sunglasses, I see reflecting red and light flashes, and so I turn around and I'm like, hey, there's a cop car there. And he's driving slow. And I haven't done anything wrong. And so I go up to the cop and I said, Um, am I the last guy? He's like, Well, I just passed another girl who sat down, so yeah, you are.
SPEAKER_03You're it.
SPEAKER_10I said, Okay, and nothing motivates you to go faster like the cops behind you. So um, for the next 12 miles to the finish line, um, the cops took turns following me. Um, and they were close enough where I could hear them crunching the acorns on the sidewalk or on the on the road as as they were driving. And I kept seeing their flashers in my sunglass, in the reflection of my sunglasses. But it was conflicting because I mean, I obviously I was trying to run as fast as I can, but I didn't know what to think. I didn't know if the cops had instructions from the race directors that if I get too slow, that they were just gonna say, Hey, get my car, we're taking you to the end. Um, I didn't I didn't know what was going on. So of course I ran, you know, my my 30-30 pace became a you know, run five seconds, walk for 25 second pace. I was going as fast as I can. And and you know, I get I get towards the end, and and Jessica's calling me to say, um, where are you? How far are you? And I hear her talking. He's he's I hear her tell I hear her telling the race director, he's only got a mile and a half left. And they're like, So she's calling me back and forth. And so finally I get to the end, I'm like the last quarter miles in sight, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I hear this dun, dun, dun, beautiful, and so the police, the policeman um takes his iPhone and holds it up to the speaker system in his car, and and you can hear Eye of the Tiger playing through the cop car sound system out in front of everybody, and it was hilarious.
SPEAKER_03That is awesome.
SPEAKER_10Yeah, it was.
SPEAKER_03It was pretty cool, absolutely awesome.
SPEAKER_10So um I did not get my P, I did not get my PR. I finished in 642, which listen, the way my day was going, I'm gonna call it a win. And I I got a police escort for 12 miles, so it's all oh that's great.
SPEAKER_11You said the cutoff was 630. So did you still receive everything?
SPEAKER_10I got a I got my medal. Jessica was sitting there uh and and telling him, and so and so that by the time I got there, they had torn everything down, but she convinced him and and said, Go ahead.
SPEAKER_04They kept the arch up for him, so he still had to finish. And um, because I was sitting there talking to him. I was sitting there updating them, like this is where he is, like let him finish, you know. Do you have a medal for him? And they could they even kept up the food table for him, so they still keep the food left. Um, but they told me, like, here, take his medal so you can be the one that puts the medal on him. So they had taken the timing track, the little or the little mat away, but they still had the arch up and they still had a guy there with something to click to like put his time in at the end.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um, so I got to put his medal on, and it was so funny because one of the workers and I, we were like, What we could see him in the distance. We're like, what is that noise? And and we couldn't figure it out. And finally we were like, they're playing music from the cop car. It was so funny. So we got a big kick out of that. Yeah, it was funny.
SPEAKER_10That's great.
SPEAKER_04It was an exciting finish.
SPEAKER_10It was, it was a slow and exciting finish, but it was like, uh, it's you know, it's definitely gonna be the only race where I have the police follow me for 12 miles. 12 miles. Wow.
SPEAKER_04They did they did sweep a couple people too that were ended up behind him because they had they had asked me um at the end, they were like, when he was, I was still waiting for him to come. They're like, Are you sure that he's still on the course? I said, Yeah. They said, because we did they did have to pick a couple people up and they were asking me what his bid number was, and uh they said they said, Do you know his bib number? They were like, Because we we swept 83 and whatever it was. I was like, Well, I'm 83 and I've been finished. But his is 84, so are you sure they didn't sweep in? But they hadn't, but he they did, they did uh take a couple people off course.
SPEAKER_10So I was uh you know, the those last miles, I I couldn't, I I wanted I wanted to to to, you know, uh sometimes when I get tired, I'll just stop for a second and and squat down to kind of rest to kind of let those muscles flex a little bit, something different. And I was so nervous. I'm like, okay, if I do this, is he gonna think I'm stopping? I'm like, I didn't want it, I didn't want to to fuel very much. So I was like, if I slow down, I I I had no idea what to think. So I just had to keep on going. So I was like, okay, that's an interesting thing.
SPEAKER_03So great story. Absolutely, that's terrific. I love this story. Both of them, congratulations to both of you. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, that's neat. So what's next? And when do we see you at Disney again?
SPEAKER_04So we are running the marathon at marathon. Just the marathon. Just the marathon. Just fortunately. So we'll be there for that, and yeah, hopefully our muscles are recovered by then.
SPEAKER_10We're ready for we're ready for the Saturday meetup. So oh heck yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. And you'll be ready for the marathon too. This was a good trend. Oh, yeah. So, yeah. Jessica, Kevin, great stories from both of you. Thank you so much for taking the time to join us. Thank you for having us. We enjoyed it. We appreciate you, and we'll see you soon. Yes, thank you. Have a good day. Moving on to Philadelphia was Philadelphia Marathon Weekend. Our buddy Jake did this one. It was going to be a training run. Turned out to be a great race for him. Uh, originally signed up just to do the training, was a little bit disappointed with how things went in Chicago, so decided to give this one his best shot. Got pretty close, had a goal to get in the 430 to 445 range, finished in just a little over 440. That is a new PR by almost 20 minutes. That's awesome. Says the course was a ton of fun, great crowds, uh, including and especially at a 20-mile turnaround in Manyunk. I stuck that in there just because I like to say Many Yunk. I used to live in Manyunk. Did you, Greg?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, right after college. Uh I mean, at least at that time it was like a nice young professionals area of the city. But yeah, I mean, now when I ran Philly last year, uh being in the back of the pack, uh, thankfully there was like a a big crowd hanging out at like the Philadelphia Runner store that was there, but outside of that, it was a ghost town.
SPEAKER_03Uh well, they had good weather for this one. They also they have nice medals for these things. They have the uh Yes, they do, the Liberty Bill uh facsimile in the medal.
SPEAKER_08I I appreciate I appreciated Jake's comments about uh the medal on customize this morning. He said, you know, it's so odd. There's a crack in the spell, and I I tried to return it, but that but they wouldn't uh they wouldn't take it back.
SPEAKER_03I like it. That was funny. Uh Jonathan did it. Now Jake did the uh full Jonathan did the half, worst half ever. Due to a large blister to start at around mile six. That's tough, buddy. They're hard to overcome. Now, other than that, it was okay. Now, other than the pain in my foot, everything was great. I get it, man. That's not easy. Uh, congratulations on sucking it up and finishing it. He's gonna do this one again. Shamika, Shemika did the half and has submitted her first race report. Thank you for this, Shamika. I think she did it because she wanted us to know she PR'd by 31 minutes.
SPEAKER_05Wow, that's amazing.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it is. First time ever under three hours and a half. She's trying to get a better time, hoping to get a better corral when she finally registers for dopey, which she hopes will be in 2027. Sabrina on the half trained for months only to deal with hip pain during the last two weeks. That's tough. I hate when that happens. No kidding. Uh took a week off before the race, body held up, finished, still nailed a PR, 225. Finally breaking two hours and 30 minutes after two years of trying to beat this goal. Good for you. Now compared comparatively, her first half was at Disney in 2022, three hours 28 minutes. A full hour difference in the last three years. Outstanding.
SPEAKER_09That's phenomenal. Way to go. Sure is.
SPEAKER_11Yeah, I did see that. Stallone has one in his house wherever he lives. He doesn't know now. I think, yeah. Yeah. There's there's one at the bottom of the museum. The one at the top was probably the third one, which is now sitting in the uh Philadelphia airport. I guess welcome. Yeah, it is.
SPEAKER_03That's right, John. Yeah.
SPEAKER_11Yeah. Welcome everybody coming in for what the 250th signing of the uh Yeah.
SPEAKER_03America's 250th birthday. Yeah.
SPEAKER_11Yeah, 250th birthday.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, well, you're right. The anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, yeah.
SPEAKER_08Well, if you're flying into Philadelphia International Airport, that's probably going to be the highlight of your airport experience.
SPEAKER_09In my personal opinion, I hate Philly Internationals. So anything that spruce that that uh that that turd of an airport I'm glad Rocky can help.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I agree with you. It is it is not a shining symbol of the city. No, certainly not. Let's go to Vienna. Virginia. Austria? Oh, I think we're Austria. Yeah, Jack thought I was gonna say Austria, but nope. Virginia. Jennifer did a 5K. One of the hilliest courses she's been on, and that includes Peachtree and Boston. So this is pretty hilly. For Jennifer, 22 minutes, 23 seconds, fourth overall female, first in her 10-year bracket age group. Jennifer keeps a good pace on her runs. Proud of her. She does a great job. Very dedicated runner. She had done a lot of uh lifting and bodybuilding too. So keeps herself in terrific shape. Good job, Jennifer. Brennan did the New York Roadrunners race to deliver for Miler in New York. There was a Dream Finder's Holmes Great Turkey Trot 5K in Claremont. Adam ran this one with his son Connor. Kay ran it, and I think Kay ran it with Sam and Sam's mom, who we used to call Laura, but now we just call Sam's mom. This was the same course with the fluffy sand that Sam still talks about from February. Laura and Kay and Sam ran the solid ran the solid ground, walked the sandy stuff. Laura's foot's still recovering from the New York City Marathon, so no sprint to the finish theatrics for her. That means that the season totals so far in races, Sam 2, Sam's mom zero. Sam, watch out for 2026. Mom's coming to get you. We had the Route 66 Half Marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Anna and Trisha ran this one with friends. Definitely had a PR and fun. Uh Anna says she stopped at all the drink stops and still managed to finish faster than the half at Wine and Dine. If you're near Oklahoma or trying to do the 50s, this one is highly recommended. Great support, great swag, and terrific medals. Jesse was in Nashville doing the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon. Up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Sean did the Turkey Trails 5K. Bit of a chilly day, but the sun was out, and that made it nice. Lovely park along the side of the Grand River. They even had mini pies at the finish line. Sean finished strong, got second in his age group, running with a turkey hat on. Those turkey hats. Speaking of turkey hats, at the great Houston Pie Run, Brandy was there in her one-of-a-kind turkey running outfit. Brandy, who gave us the intro at the beginning of this episode. Now, with the rain and the humidity, the turkey hat got kind of gross. Says Brandy, it was like gravy was dripping onto her face. Oh yeah. But she still had a blast, had fun with her pals. Jennifer was there, good to see her. The medal's a belt buckle. The shirt has a pie wearing boots because it's Texas. I don't know. I guess if you live in Texas, a pie wearing boots makes sense. Jennifer ran the 10K, did pretty well despite the weather. Uh always great running into friends. Enjoyed the post-race brunch with other running friends taking in all things Disney running and run walk. Megan was out in Jacksonville for the freed to run 12-hour challenge that she ran with the sombrero running team to get her mile repeats in. Running the miles, petting the dogs, exactly what Megan needed that weekend. Katrina, Lucas, and Olivia were at the Summerwood Elementary 5K Turkey Trot somewhere. I'm not sure where. 26 minutes per mile. It was rainy, but they had a lot of fun, and the turkey outfits looked great. They were inflatables. Katrina and Lucas looked great. In there's the Girls on the Run Pocono 5K in Moosick, Pennsylvania. I am not here. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, yeah, Music outside the Poconos, yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_08I I once competed in a marching band competition called Music on the Mountain.
SPEAKER_03Ah, Music, Music. I see.
SPEAKER_11It's like that's a suburb of Scranton, isn't it, or something like that?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_11Is Scranton big enough to have a suburb?
SPEAKER_08I don't know. I mean, it's more so the Scranton slash Wilkesbury area. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Uh so yeah. It's an area. So let's see. Paul puts in the report says Victoria absolutely took off with her friends, left him in the dust for the last hundred feet, and honestly, never been prouder to chase her to the finish line. Caitlin held a steady 15-minute mile the whole way, across the finish line with her plus one, smiling and strong. And somehow, in the middle of all that excitement, Paul managed to snag a 5K PR. Alright. Days like today are why girls on the run matters. Confidence, community, and proof that they're all capable of more than they think. That's a great potto for everybody. I like that. Let's see. In Des Moines, Iowa. Alex did the 5K. Angela did the 10K at the Turkey Trails race. Great new course. Run around Gray's Lake and the local baseball field. Got some great medals and pie. Pie seems to be the theme of some of the Thanksgiving runs. Let's see. Alex, 5K, was uh was walking around toward the end when this lady runs up to her, grabs her by the arm, pulls her along, and says, Come on, it's the end, no walking. So she ended up running across the finish alongside some super fast lady. Angela 10K ran as a sweeper of the race, had such a great time chatting with the other volunteers along the course. Let's go to the UK for these last couple. Well, I got one more at the very end, but first of all, in Silverstone, home of the British Rant Grand Prix, the Silverstone Race Course. They had a 10K Run Fest on the course. Jessica did it. Jessica's giving us her first race report. It was absolutely freezing cold in the corrals. I hate that. And then, yeah, when you're just standing, and then the wind was brutal, just made it worse. But really loved running along the track once they got going. And that's pretty cool. Uh didn't get a PR, but it was the most comfortable Jessica's felt running a 10K in a long time. And she saved 12 minutes off of her 10K time from Disneyland in September. So good job, Jessica. Thanks for your report. And our buddy Andy was in Sunderland for the Sunderland 10K. They have to understand this. Andy's from Newcastle. And Newcastle and Sunderland are bitter football rivals. So, you know, it would be like if I was in Alabama and I went from the Auburn community to run a race in Tuscaloosa. It would be tough. But Andy did it. Felt like he was behind enemy lines. It was advertised as a flat coastal course, which when he turned the four first corner, a little bit surprised with the sight of an instant steep hill up to the majority of the route. This may be the strangest course he's run in years. Lots of switchbacks making me making him question how the distance was going to be met. But sanity aside, he kept a decent pace, finished in uh 58-48. That's nice, under an hour, that's always good. As a die cat diehard Newcastle fan, Andy felt a bit conflicted, but when I saw the picture, it was funny. By receiving a second Sunderland medal. Now, how do you get a second remember the great North run we talked about? And they put a map on the medal, and the map was of Sunderland. So there you go. So there's our two in in uh in the UK. I'm gonna finish up somewhere in Framingham, Mass. I don't know where it is. Rob's doing a fun run. I thought there was a cute story here. About a half mile into the run, Rob slows down. He's waiting for a few friends when a woman walks up to him and asks, Are you Rob from Rise and Run? It was Avery. So Rob and Avery ended up running the rest of the race together chatting about various Run Disney adventures. I love hearing stories like that about how the family gets together. Avery just recognized Rob from from uh his Facebook post and possibly from the uh Who's Running This Weekend post where we say that maybe she saw the name there. Because Rob wasn't wearing a Rise and Run shirt, but I think that's great. I love hearing stories like that. So we'll wrap that up. And while we're at it, we'll wrap up episode 218 of the Rise and Run podcast. Didn't know where we were going with this one, friends. I'm really still not quite sure where we've been, but it's been fun being with you. Thanks for being with us, friends, and if you run well, you know. You know you are, friends. You mean the world to us. We're so grateful that on this Thanksgiving weekend you're spending some of your time with the rest of the Rise and Run family. Alright, I hope you're having a great time on your turkey trot, on your training for Marathon Weekend. You can do it. I hope to see a bunch of you at Space Coast. But until we meet again, happy running.
SPEAKER_08The Rise and Run Podcast discusses general information about Run Disney and is in no way affiliated with Run Disney or the Walt Disney company. It is not fighting us. It is always consult whether healthcare for Fighters or the United States.
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