Rise and Run
Rise and Run
221: Rise and Run Mailbag: Marathon Weekend Edition
The early alarms, the corrals, the castle, the finish line glow—Marathon Weekend is closer than it feels, and we’re tackling the questions you’re actually asking. We dig into the big simulation week and why it’s more about patience than pace, then talk taper calm and how to internalize race pace without burning yourself out. From there, we zoom into the choices that matter: smart carb loading at Disney (yes, fries can be part of a plan), when a hydration vest helps, and how to keep your hands, feet, and head warm with simple gear that won’t slow you down.
We map spectator routes that work for early birds and back-of-packers—TTC for easy mid-race cheers and a monorail return to EPCOT for the finish—plus a cheer squad meetup near Coronado Springs around Mile 20–21 for that late-race lift. Sleep still tricky? We share practical routines, layered alarms, and low-stress morning timelines that get you to security, a character photo, and your corral without rushing. We also break down shoe rotation for challenges and the one rule we never break: nothing new on race day.
Course talk stays honest: which Magic Kingdom approach feels better, why Cone Alley relief matters, and how to segment the marathon into bite-size goals that carry you through the hard miles. If the wall shows up, tuck into a Galloway pace group or lean on the runners beside you; conversation, music, and simple countdowns can turn a tough patch into forward motion.
We wrap with a race report full of cold PRs, muddy finishes, and a spotlight on Rocket City’s hat trick challenge, proving again how community turns big goals into finish-line moments. If this is your first 5K or your seventh start at 26.2, there’s a plan here to make race day feel doable.
Subscribe, share with a friend gearing up for Marathon Weekend, and tell us your best cold-weather or spectating tip in a review—we’ll feature our favorites on a future episode.
Rise and Run Podcast is supported by our audience. When you make a purchase through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Sponsor Links
Magic Bound Travel
Stoked Metabolic Coaching
Rise and Run Podcast Cruise Interest Form with Magic Bound Travel
Affiliate Links
The Start Line Co.
Fluffy Fizzies
Mona Moon Naturals
Rise and Run Amazon Affiliate Web Page
Kawaiian Pizza Apparel
GoGuarded
It is the season to be training. Run, run, run, run, run, lift phone, roll, stretch. Hit corral P and toe the start line. Run, run, run, run, run, lift on, roll, stretch. Join us for Joey because we're crazy. Look for Bob because he is really tall. Be a little green alien run, run, run, run, run, lift on, roll, stretch. Happy running from Brandy Houston.
SPEAKER_05:Brandy. I am not often speechless. But I'm pretty darn close. That was amazing. Thank you so much for that, Brandy. You are now the unofficial queen of Rise and Run Podcast Intros. It is so ordained. Hello, my friends. Welcome. Hope you enjoyed that. Welcome to episode 221 of the Rise and Run Podcast. I'm Bob. I'm here this week with John. Hey, how are you doing? With Greg. Hey, hey, hey. With Alicia.
SPEAKER_09:Hello.
SPEAKER_05:And with Lexi.
SPEAKER_09:Hello.
SPEAKER_05:Good to see you, my friends. This week, well, let's kind of pick up on where we left off last week. Last week we talked with some of our friends, experienced and novice dopey runners. This week we will pick up on Marathon Weekend questions that listeners sent us and see if we can continue to help out just a little bit. We'll do however we can. In the race report spotlight, Kim ran the Hat Trick Challenge in Huntsville, Alabama. She joins us to tell us all about it.
SPEAKER_04:If you enjoy the Rise and Run podcasts, please share us with your friends and introduce them to the Rise and Run family. We want to share in their Run Disney journey. Please remember to follow us on Facebook at Rise and Run Podcast, on Instagram at Rise and Run Pod. Be sure to check out our YouTube channel and visit our webpage, Rise and RunPodcast.com. If you have a question, a comment, a race report, or want to sing another Christmas Carol theme to running at Disney or introduce an upcoming episode, be sure to give us a call at 727-266-2344 and leave us a recorded message.
SPEAKER_10:We also want to thank our Patreons whose support helps keep the Rise and Run podcast rising and running. We have a new Patreon. We want to welcome Elizabeth to the Hey, how you doing level.
SPEAKER_05:How's that go, John? Hey, how you doing? There you go.
SPEAKER_10:If you would like to join the Patreon team, check out Patreon.com slash rise and run podcast.
SPEAKER_05:I thought we'd make it official, Lexi. You know, I mean, I can't, I can't do it. You know, it's all good. Friends, the Rise and Run Podcast is sponsored by the good folks at Magic Bound Travel. Magic Bound Travel, your place to go for your Disney needs, especially your Run Disney needs. MagicBoundTravel.com is their website. You can go there and get a free, no obligation quote for any of your travel needs. And I'll remind you that if you're a Run Disney type, as most of you are, uh, your uh Magic Bound Travel agent will also be an experienced Run Disney runner. MagicBound Travel.com is the website. Check them out. Let us see here, guys. I want to I want to do a couple of uh catch-ups. I'll call them apologies and alibis, but golly, there were a bunch, especially on uh Turkey Trot weekend. There were a bunch and we we missed one somehow. But we we did and we didn't. We talked about the Kiwanis Turkey Trot five mileer in Champion, Ohio. We rang the PR bell, but somehow we didn't mention the name of the person who ran it, and that was Megan. So Megan, congratulations. There you go. And this one, and by golly, I don't get it. Sometimes it's just the volume of races, because this one I absolutely remember. I remember reading about it, I remember putting it in my notes, but it was last week, and we didn't talk about this race. And this was the one that Kylie and her husband Drew did in Collegedale, Tennessee. The little Debbie Christmas trees. Oh, the Christmas tree one, yes. I I have no idea. I I absolutely remember it. I I even remember I was going to ask you guys, hey, you like those things? You like those little Debbie Christmas trees? And I am kind of curious, do you?
SPEAKER_04:I mean, I I don't have an infinity for them, but at the same time, I laugh my hiny off whenever I see an Instagram reel where it's um the the theme is like I need something to take the edge off, but it looks like they're like like shaking the pack of cigarettes, but then it's just a big box of the little Debbie Christmas trees, and they pull one out. I I I lose it every time.
SPEAKER_05:Or I've seen one, my car got hit by a tree. I hope the tree's okay. You know, yeah, I saw that one. Yeah. And I I remember we were going to talk about that, but I looked at my notes, the race wasn't in there. I don't, I'm sure I accidentally wrote over it or something. Anyway, Kylie and Drew, half number 10 for Kylie. Uh, her first since she had meniscus surgery back in April. Half number five for Drew, foggy and cold, warmed, warmed up to 36 degrees. Who doggies? It's 62 degrees, and I'm sitting out here with a fire going and a uh down vest on. Hey, if you finish this one, you got a box of Christmas tree cakes. Now, Kylie loves them, okay? And the icing on the cake, pun intended, I'm sure, is they they both won third place in their age group. So that I remember that was such a good report, and yet it disappeared. She had to bring it to my attention. Hey, Bob, what the heck? What you got against me, huh? Nothing, Kylie. It was an honest mistake. You didn't share the cakes, that's why. That must be it. Okay, kids, let's take a look at the training schedule. Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Oh my goodness. It's three weeks away. Three weeks away. Uh 20 days from today, we will be doing the 5K. We'll have done the 5K by now. So we're in training week number 25. If this is the big one if you're doing Dopey. This is the big simulation weekend. And maybe we'll get to this later in the episode, but I think this is also kind of an emotional weekend once you finish it. You've got your 45-minute Thursday, and you've got a five. Let me let me see here. No, what you've got, you've got four days to go. You got your 45 minutes, a five-mile walk, a 12-mile walk, a 26-mile run-walk-run. Once you're done that one, kids, it's it is virtually all downhill until you get to the race weekend, and that's your victory lap. So, you know, do what you can. We'll uh we'll try to be there with the holler hypes to help people along. It's a big weekend, but get her done. Hey, Disneyland Half. It's six weeks away. Disneyland Half Marathon weekend. Last race at Disneyland until well golly, we don't know until when. Last one for a while. It is six weeks till expo day. You're in training week 12. If you're doing the challenge, you've got a three-mile walk and an 11-mile run-walk-run. We're training for Princess. We're all the way out to week eight. We are 10 weeks away from that race. Training week eight. And now we're doubling up here too. If you're doing the challenge, it's a one-mile walk and an eight-mile run-walk-run. And we have started into springtime surprise training. It is 17 weeks away. We're in training week one. That's right. Training officially actually started the day we're recording this. Yeah. So we're in training week one, three miles on Saturday.
SPEAKER_07:Oh, I'll take that over the uh 26th this weekend, Bob. I know, John.
SPEAKER_05:I know. I hear you. I hear you. You know, we all we all work our way up to it. We all look at those when the training schedule comes out. And I don't care how many times you've done it. You look at those numbers, you go, oh my goodness. But then you get there and you find out that you have worked your way up to it and you are able to do it. And then you look at numbers like three, four, five, six miles, and you go, that's nothing.
SPEAKER_04:Hey, Bob, I just wanted to backtrack real quick to the Springtime Surprise training. So, in theory, if this is your first go-around in terms of Springtime Surprise, and you go to the Run Disney website, you will actually not find the training program for the Springtime Surprise Challenge because that is a very unique one where that challenge, instead of it being two days totaling 19.3 miles, it's three days accumulating 19.3 miles. So when we give you those numbers, what we are going off of is our buddy Mark, who is a Galloway pacer and he's the gentleman who makes all the wonderful training graphics for us that you can you know get cop digital copies of yourself uh for a donation to his various charity bibs for Give Kids the World. Mark worked with Coach Twiggs himself to come up with a training plan for that particular challenge. So whenever you so over the course of the next 17 weeks, when you're hearing those numbers, please know that those are quasi-Galloway sanctioned distances uh for you uh for you to run. Uh again, if you are in fact following the Galloway program.
SPEAKER_07:And if you really need to have a chart and print it out, there's nothing wrong with just printing out the challenge chart for the half marathon. You're gonna go an extra three miles for that race, but it'll be well worth it.
SPEAKER_05:You're right. Well, of course, you're both correct. And thanks to Mark for working those. And actually, you'd go an extra four because the half marathon goes out to 14, but it wouldn't hurt anything. You could stop at 13, you could stop at 12, you'd you'd be fine. But yeah, but Greg's right. We're giving you the numbers that Mark and uh Coach Twiggs worked up, and that's available. I want to I want to talk about our friends out there in the rise and run community. I I love talking about our rise and run friends. Uh, a different mark last week asked for help for a runner from Achilles International, and we got several people who volunteered. We got more than we needed. Uh, so that position is filled. However, I wanted those of you who we didn't ask, I wanted you to know that Mark was going to go back to Achilles and see if they needed more guides. So there may still be opportunities, and I've got your names, those of you who volunteered to do that. Thank you all very much. Well, I'm into thanking everybody. I want to thank uh I want to thank Card Exchange Jenny for doing another bang up job this year. And I want to thank personally, I want to thank uh my friends who have sent cards this way. They're a lot of fun. I enjoy getting them. It's a great idea, and I appreciate it. Hey kids, what do we got in the way of training updates?
SPEAKER_09:I did 23 miles today.
SPEAKER_05:Hey, Alicia!
SPEAKER_09:I did part on Shreadmill, part outside. Um I'm proud of myself for getting it done because when I started, I did not want to do it. Um life has just been lifing. Oh, yeah. And trying to to learn everything from the new job. I've just been really exhausted. Um, but I hungered down and I got it done.
SPEAKER_05:So the tough part's getting started, isn't it?
SPEAKER_09:Right. Yes.
SPEAKER_05:Alicia, are you still working with Brittany?
SPEAKER_09:I still have her training plans through um Marathon weekend, yes. Okay, awesome.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. And you you got the happy meal plan, was it? Was it was that the right one? That's great.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Speaking of happy meals, uh, sorry, real quick side tangent. Is anyone trying to collect all of the Disneyland toys from the happy meals that McDonald's has right now? Uh-uh.
SPEAKER_10:No, but they're so cute.
SPEAKER_04:They are incredibly cute. And and I have had way too many happy meals in the last couple of weeks. Oh, golly. The fact that I have now friends like who text me photos uh because you know, my daughter's trying to collect as many of them as possible. And they're like, does Riley have this one and this one? I'm like, nope. And she's like, oh, they're like, okay, cool. I'll pack them up and send them down marathon weekends.
SPEAKER_05:Well, that's nice. Yeah, that's nice. I thought you were gonna ask if people were trying to collect all the Grinch socks.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, I didn't I didn't realize the that was a thing. I I know about the Grinch, oh, yeah, the Grinch meal or like the Grinch fries or something like that.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, yeah, the Grinch socks come in the Grinch meal, and the Grinch fries are McDonald's fries with a special salt, a dill pickle flavored salt, which actually it's kind of tasty. Have you had it, Alicia?
SPEAKER_09:Um, I can't eat the fries there um because of how they're made. Um, but I found it funny because a lot of people are like, why have we never had like these shaker fries before? That's what all the McDonald's have in other countries, is those shaker fries. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, I was like, I don't know why it's like a new thing in America. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah. You get there's a shaker bag in there, and then there's a bag of the Grinch salt. Becky wanted it, so I got it for her. And I ended up typically with my dear sweet wife. She orders a meal, she takes a couple bites and says, You want the rest of this? So that's why I weigh so daggum much.
SPEAKER_07:So there's two happy meals at McDonald's going at the same time?
SPEAKER_03:Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_04:Well, I think that I think the Grinch thing is geared more towards adults and the the Disneyland toys are what are in the Happy Meals, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:It is, because there's not a kid in the world that wants socks and they're happy meals. But they're they're full size. I don't know if they would fit me, and I'm not joking, but uh Becky has worn them around. They're fine. Yeah. I think there are like four different I don't know. Are we sidetracked a little bit? Uh any other training updates?
SPEAKER_04:Training for me uh has continually uh gone well. Uh this particular weekend, my long run was one of the uh Galloway customized training workouts where you work on internalizing pace for an hour. And historically I have never done well with these workouts, but at least it's a good benchmark again to see how well I have internalized pace. But the one thing that I realized going into this run is that this was going to be a difficult run because, you know, looking at race pace, because again, this is one of the very few Galloway workouts where you do your race pace the entire time. You know, there's no long-run conversational pace associated with it. But, you know, I was up for the challenge, and I think I learned about maybe a mile and a half to two miles in that I was probably going out way too fast. But at the same time, though, I felt like I needed to go that fast because the Northeast, I feel like, has been like Minnesota and Wisconsin. It has been uncharacteristically freezing up here. You know, like we're averaging 10 to 15 degrees below average for the entire month of December. I think we're finally gonna start thawing out as we get closer to uh to Christmas here, but I felt like I just needed to go that fast to warm up my body and and just you know get a you know a seasonable temperature underneath me. And but I could tell as I was getting close to my turnaround point that I was struggling. I had you know, a second half on the way back to my car, I had to take more walk breaks, and and I, you know, there was times that I could just I feel my heart rate was going way, way, way too fast. But got back to the car, I hit the watch, I got back to my car 90 seconds after I should have. Because in theory, if you internalize your pace correctly, you should be getting back to your starting point right exactly at one hour. And obviously that didn't happen, so obviously I I know how to adjust from there. So, in theory, I was a little a little bummed about that. But then at the same time, though, in trying to work with my new paces, I realized I need to find the good, and I found two pieces of good in that run. And the first is this was the first time in my life that I have been running that I had in total average pace in the single digits, yeah. That's great, yeah, that blew my mind, yeah. And then conversely, Strava told me, and then going back through old races and stuff. I mean, I know this was a training run, but I got a 10K PR in a training run, and that really excited me. And of course, I was like, dang, I wish I could go out and find a 10K right now so I can get a proof of time and stuff like that. But clearly, that's gonna be 2026's problem. But you know, so I was I was very glad that I was able to find the good and the fact that I got such a uh a PR with taking extended walk breaks. Obviously, I you know, I think with the racing environment, I feel like that would you know change a little bit. I you know, I wouldn't you know take as many walk breaks and you know have others encouraging me and such. So but overall, I'm very happy. Um, you know, similar to every even though I'm only doing just the half at Marathon weekend, I have my you know 14 miler this weekend, so I'll take that nice, slow, and steady. Um you know, right there along with all of you folks. And then after this weekend, yep, taper time.
SPEAKER_05:Well, that's hey, Greg, that's great, man. I'm I'm proud of you. I think that's terrific. Uh I'm again back at it. I I want to again, I want to thank all my friends for all the support because I continue to get wonderful support. Uh a little uh it's kind of a training update, but a little bit of an aside. I've been I I've walked my little dog Lily almost every day for the last 15 years. Almost every day. And as it's gotten now that we're down in Florida, sometimes it gets hot. She's you know, 15 years old. She doesn't want to walk when it's hot. And she'll let me know. We'll go a little ways. But it's been relatively cool the last couple days, and uh and she's out running, and I have to run to keep up with her. And I smile for a bunch of reasons. Number one, y'all know she wasn't doing so well a couple of weeks ago, and I'm so tickled to see her running. But it also reminds me of how I got started back into running. And that's because I would take her for a walk, she would run, I would run with her. You've heard the story before. Uh now, the irony here is I've kind of sworn off running. She's the only thing that can make me run right now. I was having trouble. I told you all about it. And again, you were very supportive. I since the last two weeks have just been walking. A pace that I can keep up easily for half a marathon. Um I've been able to keep it up for a marathon. I'm not sure I can keep that pace up for a marathon right now, but there's a couple things that I've been encouraged by. You know, I didn't go to Honolulu because the last time I tried to do even half, I was just done and I knew I couldn't do anything. But this Saturday, I had planned to go further, but I had to stop at 11 miles. But the thing was, I felt great. I felt there was no question in my mind that I could at least do another 10 and probably more. Um I went out the next day and did another eight, still felt great. So hey, that rhymes. So uh so look, uh this is the age-old question. Did I start training too late? John's gonna say no, I could start today if I needed to, but uh but things are definitely looking up, and I'm very excited about that. I don't intend to start running again until at least after Marathon weekend, and maybe maybe a little bit after that. Because I just I think uh I just need to be smart and do what we always how many times have we said listen to your body? I used to think that was silly, listen to your body. But you but you have to. And I was noticing that I was getting numbness in my legs when I would run, and I don't want that, and I don't want to push it, but I'm not pushing it. I think it's all good. So training is looking up, and I'm optimistic, and one more time, no, not not one more time. I'm saying it again, but I know I'll say it after this. Thank you so much, friends. All of your support means more than I can tell you.
SPEAKER_06:It's just fantastic. Caution runners, change of topic ahead.
SPEAKER_05:Hey, we got news from Disney. We got a merchandise preview for Marathon Weekend. What did we think? They were all right. No, but that comes later. That comes later. What did we see? We saw what uh jackets?
SPEAKER_04:Uh jackets, cups, uh baseball jerseys.
SPEAKER_05:I saw it, yeah, there was a baseball jersey. Yeah, it looked pretty. I thought that looked pretty nice. I probably won't get one, but I thought it was okay.
SPEAKER_04:I I'm I'm confused as to why there's a baseball jersey when why not?
SPEAKER_07:I think that's their new thing now.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah. Yeah. If you go into the stores there, yeah, Cinderella. Becky's got one for one of the princesses.
SPEAKER_04:Oh, you're right. Okay.
SPEAKER_10:Yeah, that's what collection you're talking about. Theme or whatever. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_07:I guess it's maybe it's like the a male version for the spirit jersey. That's where I was going.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah. It's yeah, I think it's a unisex version for the but it's it's kind of in the same line, I think, John, as the spirit jersey. Yeah. Yeah. I think you're right. And and I thought that I thought that looked okay. Like I said, I probably won't get one. I I the pass holder shirt, uh, jury's kind of out on that one for me. Um the pin set looks nice.
SPEAKER_07:The little keychain things are little storybook keychains they got. That's a I guess an interesting little tidbit they got this year.
SPEAKER_09:I thought those were new and interesting. Um I I also found it interesting that in the reel that they made for Instagram, they were saying, like, we've we've listened to your input, and so like some of them purposefully don't have like a lot of colors. Apparently, some people don't want that. Um, I don't know if they got the input from the surveys.
SPEAKER_05:I don't know.
SPEAKER_10:Um or maybe the influencers. Maybe. Because I know they have there's a bunch of friends that that go to the expo before. I'm sure they're they have some kind of relationship with him.
SPEAKER_04:When I looked at everything, I thought that the individual racers, now granted. Obviously, they only showed the backs, they didn't show the front. Uh I I I thought that the the designs looked nice. I maybe I thought they were a little better. That's my line. Sorry, Bob. They look nice. But going to the point that you were saying, Alicia, about the feedback, like to me, because I'm only doing the half and I am not the out of all the logos of everything, I'm not the biggest fan of the half artwork. My initial thought was, okay, I'm just gonna get maybe the generic weekend short sleeve or long sleeve if they have it. And then when I saw the generic short sleeve shirt, even though it's more simplistic, I was kind of underwhelmed by it. So it's I felt like it was there was two very large extremes. It was simple and minimalistic, and then like real big in your face kind of situation. And I was really hoping for a you know a happy medium within there, but it is what it is.
SPEAKER_09:I hope that the people who do goofy feel better than goofy on the back of that. It's super cute, but I'm like, well, that makes it seem like it's gonna be a very rough, rough go at it.
SPEAKER_07:Now, also, which is interesting, they only showed the stitch shoes. Oh, I wanna I want to bring that up, but fit finish your point, John. So I mean, I'm guessing maybe they're having new designs for this weekend.
SPEAKER_04:But well, it's funny you mentioned that, John.
SPEAKER_07:Okay, great.
SPEAKER_04:Did anybody do some internet sleuthing while watching that reel about the shoes? No, not I okay. So, as they're doing the close-up shot of the pan of the stitch shoes in that little cabinet, there is a stuffed animal in the back behind the shoe. It's chip and dale. I can't remember if it was Chip and Dale or Chip or Dale. And remember a couple of weeks ago when we were talking about the stitch shoes, and we were like, wouldn't that be hysterical if they did chip and dale shoes? One shoe shoe chip, one shoe dale. I think that was a hint. And I think that that would be pretty cool if that was the new one of the new shoes that they released for this upcoming season.
SPEAKER_07:I'm looking at it right now. I see a chipmunk behind it. I don't know which one it is.
SPEAKER_04:I can't see the what what what color is the nose, John?
SPEAKER_07:You don't see the nose, so I can't. Oh, you don't see the nose. Okay, all right. That's why I can't tell. The nose nose.
SPEAKER_10:Oh, I'm freaking out. I can't wear Brooks. Well, you might have to.
SPEAKER_07:You might have to, like I said.
SPEAKER_04:They invented orthotics for this very purpose. Now, the the other thing I wanted to bring up in terms of the merch that I found very interesting is we got previews of a lot of things, but no dopey merch. Why no dopey? I'm I'm incredibly intrigued by that. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
SPEAKER_07:Have they ever given merch out before?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_09:Yeah, but not a lot.
SPEAKER_07:Um well, I say that. I don't know. See, I think it I think personally a nice dopey baseball jersey would look really cool. But you know, I don't maybe there is nothing.
SPEAKER_05:Well, wait a minute. Okay, yeah, dopey's not on there. I'm looking at the front of a shirt that says Conquered it. That's the marathon. That's not that's not Dopey, no. Um, yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_04:The only thing I could think of is that they because the Dopey merch is so sought-aftered on these weekends that maybe they didn't want to create a frenzy around it that you know, yeah. I I I know there was Figment Fight Club that one year a wine and dine. Maybe they're trying to tamper that down a little bit. But I I thought that was an interesting uh uh showcase choice.
SPEAKER_09:So I'm re-watching the reel, and in the background, you do kind of get a glimpse of Adobe shirt. Um, but you're right, it doesn't show it in the blog. Um, but it also doesn't show a tank top, and I'm pretty sure that the the shirt that's under the jacket that they show in the reel is a tank top. So um I don't think it's a I mean it's never a full preview.
SPEAKER_07:And yeah, that's and they and they are selling it looks like last year's mugs still. From that reel, from that reel, the coffee mugs. I'm looking at it. I'm gonna go there with it.
SPEAKER_04:Well, I I thought I thought that was only new starting with wine and diamonds.
SPEAKER_09:With wine and diamonds.
SPEAKER_04:It was yeah, because they uh they had already talked about that, that they were for this upcoming season, they were all gonna be able to stack on top of one another.
SPEAKER_07:Oh, I'm seeing it right now. Actually, they have the 2026 Springtime Surprise mug. I thought it was the 2025 figure. Okay. So they actually have the 2026 Springtime Surprise mug in that reel right now.
SPEAKER_04:Interesting.
SPEAKER_07:That's that's kind of weird how they got pre-merged that yeah. Yeah, interesting.
SPEAKER_10:This is what happens when you analyze every single detail of a red.
SPEAKER_07:It's like the Pewter films. We're just gonna you know to the front and to the back. You go ahead. All right.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, you go, you go uh way beyond where you need to go. But hey, the merch is out there. I'm sure, I'm sure we'll enjoy it when we see it. And uh I don't know how much I'll get, but I do know this. I'm wondering what Alicia would do.
SPEAKER_09:I honestly have been struggling mentally um the last couple weeks because it's been so cold here um and little to no sun. So today on my run when I had sunshine, I was really appreciating it. Um and so what would Alicia do is I want to challenge you guys, especially in your if you're in the north and you're having these really cold, um snowy time right now, to get outside if there's sun, if there's sunlight outside um for at least 10 minutes a day, just trying to get that vitamin D and bring your mood up a little bit because I know I needed it today, and I feel much, much better for getting out in the sunlight.
SPEAKER_05:So Alicia, I I used to do it in Alaska.
SPEAKER_09:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:I used to make sure to get outside. It could be 30 below. I wouldn't have to be outside for long. But yeah, and then of course the sun wouldn't be up for long. Right. You wanted to see that sun. It it does, it does absolutely. It's it's somewhat mental, but it's physical also. Yes, it actually makes a difference in your brain chemistry.
SPEAKER_09:Right.
SPEAKER_05:And it will affect the your outlook and the way you feel. So I think that's good advice. Don't have that problem anymore. But I think that's good advice, and for what it's worth, and we are three weeks away, but by gosh, right these last couple weeks, the weather has been superb down here. Let's just I'm hoping it stays this way. Uh it's been Florida cool. Uh 50s, low 50s in the morning, low 70s in the afternoon, which is pretty close to average. But um it we're um it's way too early to speculate. Although I'm pretty sure one of our upcoming questions is what's the weather going to be like for Marathon Weekend? And since I've started down that road, let's start, let's take a look at some of the questions that our friends sent us for Marathon Weekend.
SPEAKER_06:Caution runners, the topic is about to change right now.
SPEAKER_04:Bob, what a wonderful segue uh into our main topic for this week's episode. And this was an idea that we all came up with because we got such a wonderful positive response from last week's episode with our little Dopey roundtable that we did in terms of vets and first timers. But you know, the one thing that we realized though is yes, Dopey and the Marathon are the main highlight of this particular weekend, but there are so many other races, and we have so many friends who are tackling just the 5K, and it's their first 5K, and then there's other people that are doing various distances, you know, but maybe not necessarily a challenge. And we wanted to be able to afford the opportunity to everybody to get their marathon weekend questions answered. So we figured we'd take some time on this week's episode to answer as many of those questions as possible. And we're gonna start here with uh with Jill's question. And Jill wants to know she'd love to hear everyone's favorite carby meals and snacks at Disney. If we're looking at the carbo load in the most magical place on earth, where are we doing that?
SPEAKER_07:My my thing is pizza. Pizza's good. Where do you get it, John? Well, sometimes uh at my resort, I I stay at Saratoga. They have the pizzas at the at the resort. I've got them there. What if we eat at Terolina's sometimes, which was one of my pre-marathon race locations, is I'll get a pizza there. Or Viennapoly. Yeah, Vienna, Napca. Yeah, I mean, that's that's been one of my pre-race uh marathon meals or long-run meals down there.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, John. Sticking with the theme of Italian food, this isn't necessarily specific to one particular location, but the thing that you will find, Jill, is a lot of the Disney resorts for these race weekends will offer some type of like runner special meal. So whether that's uh the usually like for the breakfast time, they offer like runner packs to have like bagels with peanut butter and bananas and a bottle of water and such. Uh, sometimes you know, they'll have dinner specials of some type of pasta with you know your choice of sauce and protein or whatever. Now, if you're gonna go the pasta route, my recommendation would be to stick more to a red sauce as opposed to a cream sauce. Uh I feel like that will um you know work with your stomach a little bit better and you know, not have as you know as much dairy um you know in your system. So, you know, regardless of whatever resort you're staying at, be sure to go down to the quick service location that's offered there and see what they're offering that particular weekend.
SPEAKER_09:I always do pasta before um like the half marathon or the full marathon. Um, my favorite is Enzo's hideaway, but I've had it at many different places throughout Walt Disney World, and there's not really a bad place to hit up for pasta.
SPEAKER_10:Yeah, I agree with uh Greg and Alicia with the pasta side. I've also just had a burger. Um that's just it's never made me sick. So that's what I've that's what I've done.
SPEAKER_05:I think the pasta thing is a little overrated. And if it works for you, do it. Okay, 100%.
SPEAKER_07:But that was the New York City thing, Bob, right? That was that used to be the big New York City one, a tavern on the green, have the big pasta dinner before the race.
SPEAKER_05:Well, I've told this story before. The first marathon I ever did was Honolulu in 1988, and they had a pasta meal the night before. It was optional. I did not go. The people who went, the Italian dressing was bad. So people who went and had the salad the night before got food poisoning and did not run the Honolulu marathon. But that's just a story, that's got nothing to do with whether you should eat pasta or not. But my point is that you don't have to have pasta, and I've been very successful. I've had I've had very good races where I've had a nice fish meal the night before with a nice white fist, uh low fat, high protein, and potatoes and get some carbohydrates that way. Now, I noticed that Jill also asked about snacks. Uh I don't have a good answer for carb loading snacks at Disney, but maybe some of you do.
SPEAKER_04:Pretzels. I'll be honest, I'll I'll go a Walt Disney World French fry uh any day, all day. Those are pretty good carbs. Get some salt too.
SPEAKER_10:Yeah, I think the important thing is, I mean, I know it's a destination, so sometimes it's hard to find the exact same thing at home. But especially for a big race like a half marathon or a marathon, I think it's really important to at least try the same kind of food before you do a long run, just so you kind of know like what your tummy's gonna do. And also, you know, there's a lot of studies out nutritionally, eating a lot of carbs the night right before. It it also is kind of good to space it out a little bit. Eat, you know, a little bit of carbs a couple of nights before. So that way you don't if you if you have like bloating problems or you know, after you eat a big meal, you feel kind of meh. Um, um I had a nutritionist that said that to me one time of kind of spacing it out a little bit and maybe doing like a mini carb load the two nights before and not just focus on the last night.
SPEAKER_04:Correct. Yeah. It definitely should be spaced out over several days, yeah.
SPEAKER_07:Here's one from uh Lucy. For those that have run both directions, do you prefer the right turn, contemporary first direction, or the left turn, Grand Floridian first direction into Magic Kingdom?
SPEAKER_04:So, in reference, if uh if this is your first marathon, Lucy, obviously we will be coming in from the left-hand side from so from the Grand Floridian side. But to answer your question, though, I actually prefer coming in on the contemporary side, and it's for one reason and one reason only, and that is to be able to run under the Magic Kingdom parking sign. I think that's a very iconic moment in terms of uh the marathon course and the half marathon course during Marathon Weekend and Princess. I mean, it it's not a huge deal either way, but again, if you're asking the question, that would be my answer.
SPEAKER_09:So I agree with I like having the contemporary side. First. Just because I feel like where the mileage is when we went that way for coming down the hill under the water bridge and back up, I like better on my legs than having to do it a little bit later. And I also like hitting the ticket and transportation center earlier rather than later. But yeah.
SPEAKER_07:I agree with you too, Alicia. I mean, I think I like the way they added the miles before that too. Because when you come off the ramp from the Magic Kingdom sign, you go through the parking lot and then you come out that side, you get that mileage. It doesn't seem as daunting as the current race when you come out, you go through the parking lot, do a loop in the parking lot, then head back out, which I think was a little more, you know, and you're doing it more for us. We're doing it more in the dark in the beginning of the race, then at the end it's light out because we're not the fast runners.
SPEAKER_05:I think I haven't looked. I think I've made 16 trips down Main Street in my Run Disney career. I think there are two iconic turns in all of racing in the United States. There's a left on Boylston to finish the Boston Marathon, and there's a right on Main Street to get to the magic, to get to the uh castle. I love making the right turn. Is it that big of a difference? No, I just like it.
SPEAKER_04:Well, I think in theory, if you do come in on the Grand Floridian side, you still, in theory, make a right onto Main Street because we're still going underneath the train station. So it in theory, I you're still making the right, but I but I under but I understand where you're coming from, Bob.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, it's more of a true right turn as opposed to like a 90-degree right turn. Yep. There's the case there's the castle. There's the castle. That's what I'm saying. There are two consolations, though, to going the way that we did last year, and we will be going this year. And that is I think I think it was really smart on Ren Disney's part to put out the uh electrical water pageant on the Seven Seas Lagoon as we were on that new walkway that connects Magic Kingdom to the Grand Uh Grand Floridian. I thought that was a really nice touch and something appealing uh to look at. And then the other thing is by not going that traditional way, you do cut out a sizable portion of Cone Alley, which I know has always been a pain point for a lot of people in that particular course. So the fact that that gets minimized a little bit uh is nice. Now, granted, they're still doing construction over there. I I don't know when that roadway construction is going to be done by the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian. I'm hoping by next marathon weekend that is completely done and it will be a much uh smoother process for everyone. Yeah, it should be.
SPEAKER_07:Only problem I had with uh the Grand Floridian route was the it was kind of narrow, and with the uh electric water pageant parade out there, people were stopping on the on the side of the road, not the side of the track, trying to take pictures and kind of jamming up the course a little bit. But it was nice to see.
SPEAKER_05:Hey guys, Rob wants to know uh how you stay warm and or dry in the corrals. He says, not just the obvious stuff, goodwill clothes and mylar. And actually that's pretty much it. But I'll tell you one I learned about actually at a Jeff Galloway run, those uh hot hands. The those little you can get them at Amazon, you buy them in bulk, and they're a chemical reaction. You break them open, you can keep it in your gloves, keep them in your pocket. If you can keep your hands and feet warm, and uh you you're going a long way to staying warm. So those hot can hot hands, uh wearing gloves if you need them. Um I always and we got some rainy day questions in here. I almost always, not always, but I almost always have one of those uh disposable ponchos in my pocket because was it two years ago when the forecast was like a 15% chance of rain for Sunday and it poured? I had a poncho. But you can also use that thing to give you a little bit of warmth too out on the course.
SPEAKER_04:Rob, I've seen this shared uh in various groups and on Instagram stories and such. That actually Bob just talked about hot hands and a poncho. Is there ponchos that you can buy that are almost kind of lined with mylar. So that way, as opposed to having a sheet that you're trying to keep yourself wrapped in, you're at least covered the entire time and you don't really have to finagle with it as much. I think that is the best of both worlds. Now, personally, I have not tried them myself, but I have seen that product advertised several times, and I think it's a genius move if you're looking for something.
SPEAKER_09:So I actually used that for Marathon weekend last year, um, and I have some that I'll bring um for marathon this year. Um, but it was really nice, especially for somebody who's short like me. Um it's you would think that it would be easy to get um like your arms and your legs covered with a normal mylar, but if there's any sort of wind, it doesn't necessarily fit nicely.
SPEAKER_04:All right, so on Alicia, it covers most of her body, and one of these on Bob goes down to his belly button.
SPEAKER_09:Exactly. So for me, it's nice because yes, it literally covered pretty much to my shins. Um, so I was nice and toasty in the corral. But in general, uh it does definitely keep you warmer and it has a hood because it is a poncho. Um, and that was kind of nice so that it my head was covered as well in the corral.
SPEAKER_01:But don't wear it across a start line.
SPEAKER_09:Correct.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, because Pelkie will remind you of that. John will yell at you. That's right.
SPEAKER_07:Something you can wear across the start line and do the same thing is a garbage bag. Yeah, just plastic. Yeah, you could. Yeah, you could. Yeah, yeah. And you know, not that we're gonna be in the sun. If you get the black one, it's gonna keep you warm with the heat, but we're not out there in the sun.
SPEAKER_10:So I think also it's really important, especially because it's Florida, it may rain. Um, I always put an extra pair of socks in my pouch.
SPEAKER_04:So you're pulling an alley.
SPEAKER_10:Yeah. But I just do that, like if I'm in the parks and it's gonna rain. Like, I always have an extra pair of socks because I hate soggy socks.
SPEAKER_05:It's not a bad idea. I mean, it's a good idea.
SPEAKER_04:Now, I I just pulled it up because I know someone joked in the comments about the famous question of what's the weather gonna be like during Marathon weekend. So as of this point, three weeks out, I have the Acuweather app up right now. And for all of Marathon of the Expo and the races, you're looking at mostly sunny with highs in the mid-70s. So, but again, that's in the afternoon, so not at race time. Yeah, right. Your lows are going to be in the low to mid-50s. Yeah, you know, so it will definitely be warmer than it is the last last year for sure. Yeah, that's a historical average. Yes, you go absolutely. So if you look at the historical average for those days, that's that's what it is. Now, I will say though, uh, this is not intended to scare anyone, but as of right now, on marathon day, it is calling for rain, only a 55% chance. So so let's so let's go, so let's go reverse psychology. On the on the year that it was only a 15% chance of rain and it rained, let's say it's a higher amount and it's not going to rain. But and I and I know we joke about all the time, but I mean really the the person that we all love to follow, at least leading up to Marathon Weekend, is our buddy Ryan Teets. He does a Run Disney weather channel graphic on his Instagram stories all the time. So be sure to go check that out as you get closer to Marathon Weekend and get in those last second Amazon orders before you travel down to Orlando.
SPEAKER_09:So Hira wants to know do you wear a uh running vest for the marathon, or do you just trust the water stops and food stops on um the course?
SPEAKER_05:I think you can get a variety of answers here, Hira. You can pick what you want. I I do not, I never have. I I can't think of any race where I've worn a vest. I wear it in long training runs, but I've never worn one at a supported race. And Disney is well supported, so in my opinion, you don't need it.
SPEAKER_10:I'm in the other camp. I have never run a race where I haven't worn a vest. Just in case. Just like I know Disney is well and well supported, and I know they always have water and power raid. But if something happened, I just want to be prepared.
SPEAKER_04:So I've done Walt Disney World Marathon three times. Two of those times I went vestless, and one time I did wear a vest, but I didn't have the bladder in it. So the year that I wore it was the only year that I did dopey, and I think I was concerned about it because I felt like I needed to bring so much fuel with me that I it wasn't gonna be able to fit into my pockets, or nor did I want to pull a bob and toasting a pop-tart uh that breaks, you know, in my buddy pouch and stuff like that. What's wrong with that? So I so I think I I wore it just for that purpose, but again, took out the bladder because I knew there was going to be enough hydration on the course. Last year I did not wear one, and if I were to do the marathon again, I think I'm in the camp of no vest, because again, as we've all mentioned, how well supported it is. But again, I think it really comes down to personal preference. That's you know, if you feel comfortable in it, if you've trained in it, if you feel like the the volume of the fuel that you feel comfortable with, uh you're just gonna need places to put it, or a cell phone or something along those lines. I don't think there's any harm whatsoever in in wearing one.
SPEAKER_07:I have a vest. I've trained in the vest. I bring it with me just in case I think I might need like if it's gonna be like the rainy and cold, if I need to put a lot of junk in it, I might wear it, but I get away with usually uh my pockets or uh uh a running pouch. Running pouch. Like like the uh fanny pack type one that goes so just goes around your waist.
SPEAKER_09:So do I feel like you need it? No. Do I bring mine? Yes. For two reasons. One, I'm traumatized from I don't know what marathon that was, but there was a marathon years ago that they decided to change the Power Aid flavor to cherry, which they're not gonna do. Um, they already have the the stuff out of what they're gonna have on the course, but that was traumatizing. So I make sure to have my own electrolytes now. And two, um, I like to carry um my fuel in the pouches um rather than um in my pockets. And I like to be able to have water. I've had it not so much marathon weekend, but I've had wine and dine races um for the half marathon where it was really, really sunny and I wanted water, and I had it when there wasn't a water stop right there. So um again, like everybody said, I think it's personal preference of what you decide you need.
SPEAKER_10:So we had this question a couple of times. We had a question from Caitlin, AJ, Alan. A lot of people are asking about spectating. Um Caitlin said, can you talk about logistics for spectators, especially those cheering on back of the Packers? Getting to Epcot on the runner's buses seems too early, but they want to see me at the finish and maybe somewhere on the course. So are there transportation options available? Um the answer is yes. So specifically, um, let's talk about the half marathon first. Um for the half, and we kind of talked about this on off camera, but we can also talk about it now. I feel like your best place to spectate and to have time to get from Epcot into spectating and then back for the finish, maybe, um, would be cheering on Main Street. Um and then probably is probably when your runners passed, you need to head on back to Epcot to make it to the finish. Uh just with commute times and crowds and that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_04:Lexi, I'll expand upon what you just said about being able to hit multiple places for especially back of the Packer. I'm actually gonna make it potentially a little bit easier on them, and that is instead of doing Main Street, I would actually cheer at the TTC. Because in theory, what you could do is you could take the race transportation at whatever time your spectator felt comfortable. So whether when you go or a little bit later in the morning, then that and then you're at Epcot, you can get on the monorail to go over to the TTC. The course is very, very close to where you would get off of the monorail. You could cheer there for a while and then head right back up the ramp and head back over the Epcot. And trust me, that monorail goes a lot faster than any runner, and you'd be able to get back to the finish line, I think, in plenty of time. And that's also applicable for the marathon as well, too.
SPEAKER_10:Yeah, I think the important thing when you're going back and forth from the race area, um, if you are taking the bus um to go anywhere, you need to make sure that you check the bus times. Because since the race leaves from Epcot, a lot of times that area right where the buses are is closed for a little while because the runners are running past that. So, like for the half marathon, the bus transportation going from the resorts to the start line is from 2 30 a.m. to 4 30 a.m. And then from the finish line back to resorts, it does not start again until 6 30. So that plays a part with when when you want to go places to spectate. Or if you're trying to sleep in a little bit and trying to get from your resort back to the Epcot resort area. I mean the Epcot Park area.
SPEAKER_07:I'm gonna add something about the buses. So sometimes it's it's a little it's a little weird thing. I know this happens. The resort uh the race buses will stop running to Epcot. But the resort buses will still run. So you if you want to go to Epcot, you can take a resort bus to Epcot. They'll drop you off at the resort area. You actually can actually, if you're lucky, stay over there and watch your runner go through there. And then once they pass you, head back to this to the finish line to finish them up, too. Because that area is a different, it's a different bus schedule. So you don't because like the route resort buses do stop because they because they they come in at a they come in differently from the uh resorts. My wife has done that. My wife has done that, and ironically, I saw her getting off the resort bus with Becky, and then we saw them at the finish line.
SPEAKER_10:Yeah, and I that also comes into play whenever you're doing the marathon, which I will also mention this multiple times over the next couple weeks. But um, we are having a rise and run cheer squad that's meeting at Coronado Springs around 9 a.m. Um, because Coronado Springs is around the 20 to 21 mile mark. Um so theoretically, you could go cheer on Main Street and then come meet us. Um and we're gonna have a little cheer squad, hopefully right after that water stop at mile 20 and a half. Um that that's where the goal is. That's where we were able to get close for hugs and cheers last year. So I'm hoping that we'll be able to be in that same spot again.
SPEAKER_05:Good. Sounds like a plan.
SPEAKER_07:Has everyone decided on their marathon race shoes yet?
SPEAKER_04:Yes.
SPEAKER_07:If if so, what's everyone wearing?
SPEAKER_04:A nice pump with at least a three-inch heel.
SPEAKER_07:Uh I would say what you've trained in.
SPEAKER_09:Right. Well, and yes.
SPEAKER_07:And I would not go out and if you if they're doing like the 5k, it's probably okay. But if you're doing the marathon, don't buy the brooks at the uh at the expo and try to run the 26.2 miles in a couple of things.
SPEAKER_05:Oh no, that would not be wise. No, even though they're good shoes, that would not be wise.
SPEAKER_10:Nothing new on your birthday.
SPEAKER_05:That's true. Yeah, although John's right, you could probably buy the Brooks and do the 5K. I think that'd be all right. But uh, yeah, I I actually broke out a new pair of new balance uh two weeks ago. And I'll probably wear those for the marathon. Either I'll either wear those or something I've worn in the past. Either, either a pair of new balance, uh, I think they're 1080s. I'm not even sure. I don't know the number on them. They may be an 800 series. I'm not positive. Uh they're they're gold or tan, does that count? Yeah. I recommend you yeah, I recommend wearing uh red shoes for the marathon. Um New Balance or Brooks, that's what I wear. And yes, by by now you should have decided what you're wearing. And bring bring more than one pair. Yeah, if you're doing a challenge, yeah. If you're doing more than one race, bring more than one pair. I'd say minimum for dopey is two pair. That's what I typically do. But some people bring four pairs for dopey. I would have to get an extra suitcase with the size of my shoes to do that, but you know, good thing you don't fly. Yeah, yeah, you're right about that. Um hey, there's a follow-up question right here about insoles. Heather wants to know if you got special insoles, you have to have one for each pair of shoes, or can you switch them around? And and and I was in this boat, uh, my very, very first uh Run Disney race, I was wearing special insoles. And yeah, you can switch them around. But be sure be sure to remember to bring them to the race with you. I got to that race, I had a pair of insoles that I had been switching around in my training shoes, and I took my race shoes with me, but I left my insoles at home. So I ran in shoes with no no insole, no sock liner. It just ah, big deal.
SPEAKER_07:And again, that's something you did in training. You're just not going to start that matter-of-that weekend.
SPEAKER_05:But yeah, you can switch them around. You definitely can. You don't need one for each pair of shoes.
SPEAKER_04:All right, we're going to go across the pond uh for our next question. And this one comes from our buddy Danny in the Netherlands. And he says that this will not be his first Run Disney race weekend. And he tries to go to bed early, but hardly falls asleep. Any tips to make falling asleep a little bit easier?
SPEAKER_05:First of all, my response to Danny would be, I want to get tips from you, buddy. I know how fast you run. So I'll take tips from you. Um I'll I'll kick it off, gang. Do I tips for falling asleep earlier? Um I wouldn't take anything. I this personally wouldn't take anything. I think the big thing is to just be in bed. Just be in bed and relax and let yourself calm down. And if you fall asleep, great. And if you don't, you're still letting your body calm down, letting your muscles relax. I try to get to bed by seven. And do I fall asleep at seven? It's very unlikely.
SPEAKER_10:See, I'm one of those that I take melatonin pretty frequently. So um I it it doesn't like make me groggy the next morning or anything. Don't take anything if you've never taken anything before.
SPEAKER_05:Oh, there you go. There you go. Exactly.
SPEAKER_10:Do not do that. Hear me say this. Do not take something if you have never taken anything before. Um, but my body is kind of used to, and I am used to the effects of melatonin. Like Kevin, he can't take melatonin because it makes him too groggy. Um, so uh, you know, if you're used to taking something like that, take one or take a half. Um, and then, you know, make sure you I also set like five alarms and I have the hotel call me to make sure that I wake up. So, you know, I take those precautions too.
SPEAKER_05:I just had an idea, Greg. He could put his headphones on and listen to the Thanksgiving episode of the Rise and Run podcast.
SPEAKER_07:Wow. Oh, that's some shade.
SPEAKER_05:I I don't know why, Greg. I do not know why Greg gets grief about that, but it's become pretty funny.
SPEAKER_04:Okay. Uh anyway, my advice I was gonna give um the first thing is Grit, I'm sure you could probably find this anywhere on the internet, but I know in times that I have had trouble, um, since I have a Peloton account, I will do one of the Peloton meditations. Uh, I'll, you know, and I will only do this if I'm rooming by myself, that is per se. That, you know, I'll load up, you know, a 20 to 30 minute, and they actually do have specific sleep meditations. And I'll just put the phone right next to my pillow because I'm I just can't wear headphones when I'm sleeping. I know a lot of people do that. Although I have I did see something on like a holiday gift list that apparently there are now eye masks that you can or sleep masks that you can wear that have like Bluetooth built into it, so then you you know you can do that without you know having to have earbuds in or anything like that. But that has worked for me in the past. The other thing that I have heard great success with. Now I have not tried it myself though, and I know um our buddies uh Kristen and Devin over at the Run Fit Fab uh group, they like to use um, I think it's tart cherry juice. Yeah. If if you drink that in the evening, sometimes that can help you relax, and it's a more um you know natural way. But again, I've never tried it though, but I have heard that be successful for people.
SPEAKER_09:Yeah, I've tried it before and it didn't work for me. Um, but I have also heard that.
SPEAKER_07:Hopefully your roommate is a quiet person. So that like you can get in bed at say seven, eight o'clock and rest and not worry about them, you know, partying up in your room. You know, have the TV blast and have everything going on. Hopefully that helps you. But if not, earplugs might work too.
SPEAKER_05:I I know who your roommate is, Sean. I can't imagine why I'm partying.
SPEAKER_07:Well, well, I I have a one bed, I I do have the one bedroom suite, so at at that at uh Saratoga. So my wife sits in the other room until I fall asleep, which is usually about 20 minutes after I start lying down anyway.
SPEAKER_04:We're gonna think of reports this marathon weekend that Diane made John sleep on the couch this whole entire marathon weekend for that comment.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah. That's actually that's actually that that little pullout bed on the side, which is kind of pretty cool.
SPEAKER_09:So we've talked about how to unwind and get ready for bed, but um Kat wants to know what time do you leave the parks to get back to your room um before you settle down?
SPEAKER_05:Oh, pretty early. I mean, if if I go to the park, but uh probably five o'clock. Or whenever my dinner reservation is, and I try to make my dinner dinner reservations between 4 30 and 5 30.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I think if I was doing dinner in a park, I would probably want to be heading back to my resort by around six. Yeah. But if I was eating dinner at my resort, then I would probably be leaving the parks between 4 30 and 5. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:I'd like to say just trying to get like try to try to figure out we could get get in bed by 7, 7.30.
SPEAKER_09:Right. She also wants to know what time do you guys get up and get um what time do you get up and leave the resort to get to the buses?
SPEAKER_05:We probably all will have different answers. My alarm goes off at 2.30, but I'm usually out the door by 2.45. I've got everything laid out, and boom, I'm out of there.
SPEAKER_10:For me, it kind of depends on what costume I have or if I'm doing a costume. Um, but I do try to get on the first bus. Um, my wake-up time just filtered like if I'm doing some like sparkle makeup or something like that. Um but I try to get on the first bus just to try and alleviate any stress of bus drivers losing their way or you know, making sure I get to the start line at a reasonable time.
SPEAKER_07:I set my alarm for two o'clock, but I for some strange reason I always wake up before my alarm. Like, like sometimes it's bad because it's like one o'clock and you're like, I don't want to go back to bed because I know what's gonna happen. I'm gonna fall asleep at 1.55 and oversleep my alarm. But I'm usually up about you know one what about 145 and get dressed and leave right after I get dressed just to hit the first bus.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I'm team first bus as well, too, is that I I feel like it provides a nice steady progression to the morning where okay, I'm up, I have that built-in buffer, again, like you said, Lexi, in case of any transportation trouble, and then getting there either just before Epcot security opens, or you know, or waiting around for just a little bit, and then I feel like that gives me enough time then to get to the family reunion area, scope out the characters, maybe get one to two character photos, and then enough time to get over to the left side of the bleachers where we will all be meeting uh before each and every single race. So that way we can chat with Rise and Run friends, and gives us plenty of time for a corral uh pee stop before going to the corrals, and then not having to wait around too too long in the corrals before uh before you get sent off. So yeah, I'm usually waking up you know 2 to 2.15 and and getting pretty close to that first bus.
SPEAKER_05:We've all talked about getting on the first or at least one of the early buses. If you're brand new to this, you may not know about some of these things. When you get to the staging area for the race, there will be four places next to the stage, two on each side, that will have characters there for photo opportunities. And if you get there early enough, the lines are relatively short. Greg just said you can get one and possibly two. But if you wait and you come on a later bus, hmm, you may be able to get in line, but the lines may be 45 minutes. And that's not an exaggeration. The lines can get very the very, very first time, Greg, you and I didn't know anything about it. We show up at uh Y World of Sports for the start, and there were some character uh opportunities there. And I got into a line, and I'm thinking to myself, good grief. This race is gonna start before this line empties out, and I never did get the photo. So yeah, so that's that is an advantage. Yeah, and and then the other things Greg talked about uh getting together with the group beforehand. I like to do that.
SPEAKER_04:I want to go back to something Lexi said, which will lead us into our next question here. Uh, she was talking about, you know, like glitter makeup and stuff. And uh Julie wants to know uh, Bob, are you going to be wearing glitter lips at any point this weekend?
SPEAKER_05:Hmm. Uh Julie, that's between me and Becky. And I think she'd be upset if I said anything more than that. I do not plan to wear them on the course, however. I can say that. Not this time. I don't I wouldn't say I never do it again. I might, but uh not this weekend.
SPEAKER_07:So so Jessica asks us for a first-time marathoner, how do you mentally and physically fight through those 26.2 miles when you feel like you can't go any further?
SPEAKER_09:So one thing that I do is I kind of just will move over to the side as much as I can. Um, and by the point where I feel this way is usually when we're coming out of Animal Kingdom. Um, and so there's a little bit more space around that I can do this, but I I put my head down and really tune into my music. And I actually sometimes will sing out loud, and I don't really care if people think that I'm crazy. Um, I've also heard other people singing um their music along the course. Um, but it helps me to like focus on that piece rather than um if I'm hurting or the miles that I need to get through. And the mind is really a the mind is really a smart thing. Um, but it once you get past a that certain point of that toughness, if you can retrain your brain to um get through that point, your body will start to feel better again and you can get through. Um and just keep a positive mindset too that you can you can do this, you've done the training.
SPEAKER_10:For me, I I really depend on something we talk a lot about here on the podcast, um, is just the people around me. Um I have been extremely blessed to not have to run any of my most recent races by myself. Um by choice. I could I could have run it by myself, but I choose to, you know, find people in my corral or bump back a corral or whatever. Um, and when I'm struggling, I just I talk to them, I distract myself, I tell them I'm struggling. I mean, I think back to the uh half marathon that Greg got me through. And just, you know, with him pushing me and saying, okay, we're gonna run now. Okay, I don't want to, but I'm gonna do it anyway because everybody else around me is doing it, so I'm gonna do it too.
SPEAKER_04:Lexi, those are some really good points. And uh I'm not just saying that because you you mentioned my name and helping you get it uh across the finish line of that half marathon a couple of years ago. But um for me, a couple thoughts that popped into my head in terms of mentally pushing through, especially the marathon, is try to mentally break up the course. All right, the first 5k that's running around Epcot, then your next segment is okay, I need to get from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom, then let Magic Kingdom be a segment. And then if you so incline, okay, the TTC is a segment, and then you know, that stretch, you know, from let's just call it icon to icon, just you know, maybe break it up that way into smaller chunks, that mentally might be able to help you push through. But at the same time, I also do understand that you know maybe that can only last for so long, and that's totally fine and understandable. But the second point that I was going to bring up with is that if you are mentally stuck, Lexi, going back to something you said about being around with others, is depending on where you are in the course, if you are fortunate enough to come by a Galloway pace group, I would say hit your wagon to one of those amazing groups. And again, you'll be surrounded by people, you'll have many motivators in terms of those pacers, and there's always usually two pacers with each group for you know each time point, and I think that can maybe potentially really help turn your race around.
SPEAKER_10:Greg, speaking on the segmenting up the course um as well, uh I I like doing a countdown and you know, not think about, oh, I've already done, you know, 15 miles. It's so I have 11 miles to go. I can do an 11 mile run. I've done that before. I've done it a hundred a ton of times. And then, you know, you get a little further down, you're like, I can do a six-mile run. I I can, you know, I can do just one more 5k. I can do that in my sleep. And, you know, kind of having that ticking it off of not thinking about what you've done. Yeah, your body hurts. Yeah, your legs hurt. But think about, okay, I can I can do that. I've done that before. No big deal. I did that, I've been doing that for six months now.
SPEAKER_07:To go off of that, I say, okay, let me just let me get to the next mile marker. Let me just get to the next mile marker. Let's make it to the next mile marker. And then, okay, I I hit this one, let me try to hit the next one. And and like you said, the the common denominator is find the guy next to you. Start talking to him. Distract yourself. It it helps a lot. Hey, how you doing? Hey, how you doing? Hey. What what do think it's gonna rain? What's hey? Is it too late to train? While I'm what's the high temperature gonna be? Yeah.
SPEAKER_10:Hey, get to if you're running the marathon, get to mile 20 and come give me a big sweaty hug. I'll be ready. I'll give you some energy there.
SPEAKER_05:This will be when I tow the line on Sunday, it will be the seventh time I've started out on a marathon at Disney. Five dopeies, one marathon by itself. This will be a marathon by itself this year. Honest to goodness, and I think any runner would tell you this when they take on a challenge such as the marathon, there are no guarantees. When you start out, you you don't know that you're going to finish. You train hard, you can be pretty sure, you can be pretty confident, but a lot of things can happen. So just trust in your training, trust in your ability. And as many of our friends here have said, you don't you do not have to be alone. You've got this big wonderful family that wants to help you along. So trust in them also. Actually, you end up helping one another when you do that. Friends, look going with that, we're going to wrap this part up, but going along with that, if any of us can help you at any time, or if anyone else in the community can help you at any time, reach out. We've got our Discord servers. You can ask questions there. You can reach out to us individually. You know how to find us on uh email. You can reach out to the gang at rise and runpodcast.com, and especially the weekend that we're there. We really look forward to seeing you. I'm sure I'll I I've been fortunate as uh several of our friends here have already said. I haven't those seven marathons, I don't know what'll happen this year, but the other six, I think the first one I think I did pretty much by myself, but after that, I've always had friends with me, and I've been so blessed, and it just makes things that much better. I really do enjoy it. So thanks for your questions. We'll see you in January.
SPEAKER_06:Caution Runners, change of topic ahead.
SPEAKER_05:Friends, a few announcements before we get to the race report. First of all, let me remind you that the meetup at Walt Disney World on Marathon Weekend is Saturday at 3 p.m. in the food truck area of Disney Springs. I haven't put that on the Facebook group yet, but I will do it very soon. Uh, hopefully before you hear this episode. The other thing I'll put up there before you hear this episode is the fact that this is a Zoom Thursday. It will be our Christmas Zoom. It will be exactly one week before Christmas Day. So bring your own eggnog and join your rise and run friends for the last Zoom before the holiday season. Hey, we talked about this last week, but yesterday, the 25th episode of the One More Run, the podcast released, and we were privileged to be featured on that episode. So we hope you'll give that one a listen. AJ and Erica do a great job with that podcast. We had a good time. We think you'll enjoy it, and we think you'd enjoy that podcast on the whole. And now please stand clear of the door. It's time for a race report. The race report is sponsored by Tom Stokes of Stoked Metabolic Training. Stokes.fit slash rise and run coaching is the URL. You can also find information on what Tom's got going on pinned to the top of the Rise and Run Facebook group page. Let's take a look. The races started on Friday last week, wherein Divya went dashing through the lights for a 5K in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Greg, is it Lancaster or Lancaster? I've heard both. I've heard both. And it seems to be that if you add Pennsylvania, it's Lancaster. But if you just say it, it's Lancaster.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:No, you're absolutely right, yeah. That's like Skookel or Scook Hill. Oh gosh. Yeah. The Scook Hill Expressway, but the Skookel River. Anyway. All right. Dibby was there. On Saturday, Brenna and Megan were in New York City for the New York Roadrunners Frosty 5K. I imagine it was pretty frosty. In fact, I'm I'm even wondering if maybe that one. Got canceled. I don't have a report from either one of them. Here's one where I think the weather was probably much better. That's in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, the Metal Madness Half Marathon. Holly did her first race of the weekend. She'll be back on Sunday. This is one of those races where you finish. I've heard them called leftover runs. You get to pick your medal from older races that were left over. So she got a cute pirate medal at the end. So there were great volunteers on this one. It was a nice park run. SeaWorld Orlando holds an annual run this time of year, the reindeer run 5K. Amber was there. She says she waddled through her slowest 5K today, but definitely a PR and fun. First time wearing an inflatable costume. No regrets. Loved it. Love running this one every year. Appreciated. They changed the course, adding more time in the park and less in the parking lot. Krista and her husband Phil were there. They walked the course through the park. DJ CJ was the announcer this year. Fewer freebies at the end, but they had a delicious cookie, and the reindeer were out for picks in the finish area. This one's always a good time. And Liz was also there. Heather was rolling in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jacksonville Marathon course was flat as advertised. And for a smaller low-key race, had great support, lots of people out cheering. Beautiful met beautiful medals, nice cool weather for this time of year, until well after the sun came up. Heather highly recommends this event as a catered training run as it fits perfectly into the marathon weekend training schedule. Hot chocolate races throughout the country. This week there was one in Louisville, Kentucky. Ashley did it for her 40th birthday. She did the 10K, and Sarah did the 15K. Joe did the Greenwood Yule Run 5K in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The last race of the year for the three amigos. Johnny took first in his age group. Gary second, and Joe took first in his age group. I think it's great that races have, and you know, Joe turned 80. I think it's great that races have 80 plus year old age groups. I think that's terrific. Joe, not only did he finish first in his age group, he won the costume contest for the men, uh, won a$50 prize. Not sure what he's going to spend it on. More race registrations. Yeah, probably. I I saw the pictures. I think the hat is what cinched it for him. I think he I think he told me he didn't know there was a contest. He didn't. No, he dresses like that all the time. Um let's go to Baltimore, Maryland, where Tara and Jenny ran the Celtic Solstice Five Miler. The thing I like about this is it's a reminder to me that we are approaching the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, which comes up this weekend, I think. John, you were saying the 21st or 21st. 21st. 21st. Okay. Well, like I said, Tara and Jenny was there. Jenny said it was a fun little race. Uh run around Druid Park was nice scenery, lots of Christmas cheer, bagpipes, and Irish Wolfhounds. They had a great time. Our friend Michelle was in Erie for the Santa Snowflake 5K. She had an unexpected, unplanned, deadlash start. Now, how does that happen? Well, she thought the race started at 9.30 and it started at 9. So she got there at 9. Yeah, that'll do it. She got there at 9.05. Uh, didn't didn't even have time to put on the wig for her costume. Took it nice and easy and slow because there was ice and snow up in northwestern Pennsylvania. She had her spiked shoes on. No land speed records on that race, but she did do it and she did finish. Out in Phoenix, Arizona, Stacy did her first ever standalone marathon, the Phoenix Marathon. Lauren was in Louisiana for the Zachary Charity League Chasing Santa 5K. That's in the city of Zachary, Louisiana. Pretty small race, maybe 90 runners, all with the same intent. Catching Santa to win a prize. That's a neat idea. But Lauren was more focused on getting a PR on a flat course than catching old St. Nick. And you know what? She did. PR bell for Lauren, please. In Bethlehem, and I remember saying this last week, Pennsylvania, not Israel. The Christmas City Classic 5K. Michael, Terry was scheduled to do it. Michael ran it. Uh Terry was ill. Michael said, with a Disney cruise and Disney World vacation between his last run and this one, and very little training. He was surprised he was able to do it in under 30 minutes. Well, I think it's a great time for a 5K, so good job on that one, Michael.
SPEAKER_04:I am so glad that Michael and Terry have gotten so involved with the race report because they are bringing attention to so many races that I can do when I go to visit family up in the Lehigh Valley. That now I can join them on these runs in the future. And that's very exciting. That's why I love the race report.
SPEAKER_07:Or is that to get away from family, Greg?
SPEAKER_05:Or that too. That's funny. Let's go to the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, where Melody was running the Special Olympics Lights and Sirens for Hope, an amazing event, fun course. Great people. Found a little extra to run just under a 13-minute pace for this inaugural 5K in Charlotte. Avery was in Cambridge, Massachusetts for the race cancer holiday half. Joseph had a Jingle Trails 10K trail race in San Antonio. Improved his time from last year in this race by 30 seconds. Still warm and muggy in South Texas. Finished it off with a shiner beer. An excellent run in Texas for Joseph. Carrie Ann, the Santa suits on the loose 5K at St. Augustine Beach. It looks like jogging Jack Sparrow was there. I saw a picture. She said there was a Jack Sparrow character. It looked exactly like him. Carrie Ann didn't place this time, but she did get a new PR. Over 1,200 runners there, mostly dressed as Santa's. Her Christmas tree onesie was fun, but also hot. So she ditched it mid-run. I see you looking, Alicia. Yes, she had something on underneath. Okay. So it was okay. She had a running outfit on, so it was very respectable.
SPEAKER_04:I I want to know if Captain Jack, you know, for the future, since this was the Osantis suits on the loose, if for the future, if he'd be willing to add embellishments to his his typical wardrobe to make a more like festive holiday pirate, possibly.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, like maybe a white beard. Yeah. That'd be cool. Alright, let's go to Woodstock, Connecticut, where Rachel ran the Roseland Park five-mile run, one of her favorite local races. Only one more before she flies to Florida to take on Dopey. Steve was in, and I shouldn't know, it's Kiowa, I believe. Kiowa Island, South Carolina. For the half marathon. I know I'll get corrected if I'm wrong. And that's okay. That's perfectly fine with me. Anyway, Steve says it's a flat a flat, fast course through some terrific scenery. He considers it a small event, but is told today there were 4,500 people between the two races that they had. I think that's pretty good. Nice food and beverage party afterward. Divya was in Harrisburg for the Santa Shuffle 5K. Heather was in Peoria, Illinois for the Run Run Rudolph 5K. I think this is crazy. It was 11 degrees in Peoria. 11 degrees in Windy. Felt like minus one. B R R R R. That's what they say in the comics, you know, B R R what it's called. Anyway. Yeah, snowing pretty hard. Wait a minute. It's 11 degrees. Feels like minus one is snowing. And you still went out for the 5k. That's dedication. Yeah, race was awesome. Path was snow covered, not too slick, and with several layers of gear, hand warmers, and a good hat. She actually didn't feel too cold. Snow was beautiful. Hot chocolate at the end was magical, I imagine it was. Not a PR day. I I can believe that. But hey, catch this. Heather finished second in her age group. That's impressive. And in Nashville, Tennessee, Jimmy and Amanda ran the A Charlie Brown Christmas 5K. Cold morning in Nashville, but a fun run. Had an amazing turnout. Jimmy says he definitely looked this one up for next year.
SPEAKER_04:Such a great theme for a race.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, you know it is. I agree. Friends, we had a couple of weekend long events, and we'll get to all of them, but let us start in Huntsville, Alabama, for the Rocket City Marathon. Kim was there. She's with us tonight to tell us about it in the race report spotlight. Hiya, Kim.
SPEAKER_08:Hey, Bob. Hey, thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_04:All right, Kim. Bob has as graciously allowed John and I to ask a majority of the questions. So in uh in typical race report spotlight fashion, uh, the first question to you is uh, you know, you haven't been on the podcast since uh the burden hand uh recap. So uh how many camels did you see on this course? No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding.
SPEAKER_08:Well, sadly, I did not see many camels, but I did see a lot of rockets.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, well, there we go. There we go. But but in all seriousness, tell us how you got started running.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, so my story starts out like every good uh Run Disney runner's story. I started running because I wanted to run through the castle and have that experience. And I said, Princess half marathon was gonna be a one and done. I'd do a half marathon, and that it'd be out of my system. I'd move on with my life, find a new hobby. And uh that was 2022. So three years later, I still running, um, did my first marathon at Dopey and I'm still loving it, still enjoying the community and all the mental health benefits that it brings to me. So that's how we got started. Um, like I said, thought it would be a one and done experience and still here and uh committed to being half crazy, and now I'm I'm full crazy.
SPEAKER_04:So well, well, we don't think you're crazy.
SPEAKER_08:So I appreciate it. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_04:Tell us what drew you to the Rocket City uh marathon in Huntsville, Alabama.
SPEAKER_08:So I actually ran the race last year as a catered training run for Dopey. So that's that last long sim weekend is the weekend that that that particular race hits. So that's why I decided to run it last year, but ended up having a great time. It's incredibly well organized. Um, the Huntsville Track Club does a fantastic job of organization of the race. The volunteers are wonderful, aid stations are great, the course is awesome. And um, so after having a great experience last year and making some friends, decided to go back this year uh and relive the experience again.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, this race has been around for a while. I'm not sure how long, but it's one of I don't know if it's the oldest marathon in Alabama or not, but if it's not, it's close.
SPEAKER_08:I would venture to say, so this was year 49. So next year will be year 50 for them. So next year will be be a big anniversary year for them. Um, so they actually have uh five distances. So they have a one mile, a five K, a 10K, a half marathon, and a full marathon distance as a part of that race weekend. So the one mile, 5K, and 10K is on Saturday, and then the half marathon and full marathon are on Sunday. So lots of different race uh distances for people of um, you know, different points of their journey in running or um, you know, desires to do different distances. So it's a good weekend for a lot of different people and can meet a lot of different runners for that.
SPEAKER_07:You got the hat trick challenge. Like, did you get like did they throw hats on the uh course for you?
SPEAKER_08:No, now you do get a special hat for completing the hat trick challenge. Okay. Um it's a really cool uh baseball hat and the design changes every year. Uh so that's kind of instead of getting your challenge medal like you would at Disney, you get a really cool special baseball cap that they designed for part of the hat trick, uh, which is really cool. Um, I enjoyed it. It's a I'm trying to see if I have it close. It doesn't look like it, but um, so as a part of the hat trick, you do three of the distances of the weekend. One of those distances has to be either the half or the full on Sunday, and then two distances on Saturday. So I participated in the 5K and 10K. The 10K went first on Saturday morning and then had about a 30-minute break before I turned around and did the 5K and then uh did the half marathon on Sunday.
SPEAKER_07:So going back to the 10K, 5K, uh date spread it out far enough where you're not rushing back to the correct one. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08:Correct. Yeah. So the 10K started at 7 a.m. and then the 5K started at nine. So I was able to go out on the 10K and just kind of leisurely pace myself through it and still had about 20 minutes to, you know, take a restroom break, get some fuel, get some water, and and take a nice break indoors in the warmth before I had to go back out for the 5K at nine.
SPEAKER_04:Well, speaking of warmth, tell us about the weather conditions you had to deal with uh, because that that seems to be the theme of this weekend's race report is weather. So what what were what were you dealing with in Huntsville?
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, so it was incredibly chilly. Um, Saturday wasn't actually too bad. It did warm up. Uh it probably started in the 30s during the 10K and then warmed up into probably the mid-50s by the time we were done with the 5K, which was really great. Saturday was a beautiful day, but then Sunday dawned uh very, very chilly. So the high during the half marathon was 23, um, with winds kind of maintaining somewhere between 11 to 20 miles per hour and gust up to 30 miles an hour during the half. So that was for me really uh really cold living in South Georgia. I don't experience weather like that too often. And then the wind was just another kind of added layer of a challenge. It almost felt like you were fighting against the uh the wind just to stay upright and keep moving forward. But um the nice thing about the the the course there is it does run through the US Space and Rocket Center as well as the Huntsville Botanical Gardens. So there are lots of uh character stops, or what would um be similar to Disney character stops to kind of keep you distracted, keep you moving forward and looking forward to that next kind of milestone on the course and what you're gonna see next.
SPEAKER_04:You know, I think you've listened to enough of these that you know what questions we're gonna ask because that was gonna be my next question is uh what what what highlights uh, you know, did you see on the course? But out of the three races, were there any ones that you found to be particularly harder than the others? I mean, obviously, distance-wise, I'm sure the half was, you know, could have led to some difficulty, but were there variations in terms of the courses from race to race that, you know, were things different, more challenging, you know, was um, you know, more elevation and anything like that?
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, so the half was definitely in the more challenging course. There was a uh a bit more elevation change throughout the course of the half. I wouldn't say it was anything extreme. It was very gentle rolling heels through parts of Huntsville, but I will say the track club did a great job. Um, all three courses were were different. So the 5K course followed a different path than the 10K course, followed a different path than the half. So at every point and every race distance throughout the weekend, that you kind of got a different view of the city, uh, which was also really cool. Um, it was a really nice way to explore the city. Um, last year I just ran the half, and then this year I did the hat trick. So it was a good opportunity to see different areas that maybe haven't explored before and kind of just gets some more exposure. The 5K and 10K really focused on the historic home part of Huntsville. So we got to see several of those homes that were decorated for Christmas. Um, one of my favorites during the 5K is one of the houses. Uh, their kids were handing out hot cocoa on the course. So that was a nice, nice little treat, especially with this chili as it was. So uh the community support going through those um historic homes and historic communities was really great.
SPEAKER_04:So, Kim, this sounds absolutely wonderful. Uh, if you had to give your elevator pitch to someone in terms of why they should come down to Huntsville to you know participate in this particular race for weekend, whether it's just one of the races or this hat trick challenge, what would be your pitch to them?
SPEAKER_08:Huntsville is a really incredible city, and then you're not gonna get very many opportunities to run through uh the rocket graveyard. So, pretty much all of the rockets that have been used in the US space um program uh rest and reside in Huntsville. You actually get to run through it and see all of the previously used rockets. You get to go through and see space camp. So you're getting to see some really cool things that not everybody always has access to view. Uh the Huntsville Track Club does an incredible job. Um, the start and finish are at the Von Braun Center, which is a great area for parking. Um, lots of space to spread out. We got to be indoors pre-race and post-race. The race finishes indoors. And really the selling point for me, if I'm being completely honest, for this race last year and this year, uh, there is a catered meal after you finish the half or the full. And uh they do a fantastic job with that. This year, there was chicken noodle soup, which uh was fantastic after being out in the wind and the cold for that long. Uh, grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken tenders, uh, the whole nine yards. It's a huge meal and um it's just really, real well run. And for the price, you really can't beat it. You can probably do, I think I did all three for the price that I could do a 5k at Disney. Wow.
SPEAKER_04:All right, but now the real question is though, what's better? The chicken noodle soup or the chicken at bird in hand?
SPEAKER_08:Oh, hell, that's so hard. I really think that I really think that chicken noodle soup to be good that good because I was that cold um after the race. I think I think the chicken at bird in hand edges out the chicken noodle soup, but I will give the soup credit after being in those temperatures and that wind for that long. It was really divine. Did its job. It did.
SPEAKER_07:Where are we gonna see you next at Bird in Hand or at Disney?
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, so you're gonna see me at Disney. I'll be there for Marathon weekend doing the five, ten and a half, and then I am uh cheering for the full for my friends doing their first dopeies and uh their first marathons and for our our repeat friends that are going out there for those distances again. So I'm actually really looking forward to cheering for the marathon. So hopefully you'll see me out there on course uh with my sign and uh come by, say hi, and hit my hit my poster for a power up.
SPEAKER_05:Hey Kim, thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_05:And we look forward to seeing you soon.
SPEAKER_08:Yep, we'll see you guys soon. Thanks so much.
SPEAKER_05:Hey, thanks, Kim. I wanted to note that Stephanie was also. There and she ran that hat trick challenge as well. Uh, the big running event this weekend was in Honolulu, and we had a bunch of folks out there. They on Saturday did the Kalakawa Murray Mile. Brandy did it dressed as Ariel. Ariel got her legs. Brandy says, beats the heck out of finishing in the Epcot parking lot because they finished at Waikiki Beach. Yeah, that's that's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_04:Now, if she got her legs, did she not have a voice, though? That's that's the important thing.
SPEAKER_05:No, no, no. We heard her. Remember, we heard her at the top of the episode. Oh, that's true. That's a valid point. Yeah. Denise and uh Dina also ran this one. Then on Sunday, both the 10K and the Marathon started at the same time. It was the weekend. Well, Sunday. Saturday looked like it was pretty nice. But Sunday can be described best with one word, and that is wipe out. Sorry. Capital W, capital E, capital T. So let's see. Leslie, who did the 10K, said the deluge began when she was in line for the porta potties. Now it tapered off by the time they started. The 10K didn't split until the 10K didn't split from the marathon crew until the 10K was nearly over. And when they split, Leslie was mighty happy to see the finish line. It was a little chaotic, but she got her malasada. You guys, you guys know Malasadas? Oh, I love Malasadas. Gotta get them from Leonard's. So good.
SPEAKER_12:Yes.
SPEAKER_05:You know what's interesting? You know, I lived in Hawaii four and a half years, is the influences of different cultures. Malasadas are Portuguese. Correct. Yep. And uh the Portuguese have a big influence in Hawaii, of course, along with the Japanese and with the uh many islander islanders that have made Hawaii their home. And it just makes for a neat place. Uh Margaret was there also. Margaret, I'm trying to remember what Margaret was dressed as, but I know she was.
SPEAKER_04:Uh it looked like she was dressed as uh He-He from Moana.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah. A very, a very wet, soggy Heihe. Yeah. Uh for the marathon, of course, we know Jeff wasn't able to make it. I did uh I got a note. Well, I sent Jeff an email telling him I was sorry he he hurt himself and he wrote back and said he was doing okay and that he will be with us on our episode at the end of this year. So we're looking forward to that. But I know he's very disappointed he wasn't able to make this race. Uh but we did have again a bunch of friends who did. Now, Brandy doubled up. Brandy was there. Uh, I just want to let's see. Look, a lot of you said the same thing. It rained hard before the start, it let up, and then it became a steam bath when the sun came out. Now that's not unique to Hawaii. I can think of a lot of places where if it pours rain and then it's warm and sunny, you can see the steam rising from the streets sometimes. So that's tough. So then once you suffered through that, it started to rain again and it poured to the finish. So almost all of you said that, so I think I'm not going to repeat it much. Uh Brandy said she loved it. She loved this was her second time out in Honolulu. She loved it. They had a blast racing with her pals. She talked about the 10-minute fireworks show to start the race. The course runs by the only palace in the United States, the Ialani Palace. Now, as she finished, she's off to drink enough rum to impress even Captain Jack Sparrow. I think you earned it, Brandy. Carrie, Carrie ran St. Jude last week. And her comment is Honolulu was a great time, but it just sucked. Elevation was brutal. I'm there are some hills on this course, no doubt. She caught something illness uh right really right before the race. So she felt kind of sluggy and congested. That made it more difficult. Resulted in a lot of walking, nothing wrong with that. And it was the end, it was her hardest marathon, not a great time, but you gotta embrace the suck and persevere to the finish line, and we think that's what matters most. Uh Caroline, Caroline says she was able to squeeze about a half a cup of water out of her socks, but that didn't save her poor feet from blisters. A lot of friends were talking about getting wet and blistered feet. Uh, she had a lot of fun taking it easy running, talking with Russell, who was there. Her slowest marathon because of the conditions, but it was supposed to be that way. In the finishers area, the rain came back so hard, really made the mile and a half walk back to hotel a great time. Dawn and Brian were there. Denise was there. Denise had also run the 5K, as had Dina. She was there for the marathon. Uh Ellie was there. I know Ellie walked the the uh marathon, which is great. Uh Heather, we had two Heathers. Uh Heather S. It was her first marathon. Well, that's a PR. Now on Monday, thanks to Run Walk Run, she wasn't sewer at all. I think that's great. Except for the blister feet, because they got so wet. Community was great. There is great community support for this run. Felt like this was way more packed than any Run Disney event she'd ever done. A lot of friends said that too, that the course was congested most of the way.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I I saw a lot of Instagram reels from various runners and just talking about logistically, this was not a good start, but no one was going into any specifics as to what was causing the holdup at the start. I mean, obviously, I know the weather probably played into it a little bit, but yeah, a lot of people had a trouble getting going those first couple of miles.
SPEAKER_05:I think one of the things is there's no corral discipline at all. Oh, okay. Sign corrals, but they there's no one to enforce the corrals.
SPEAKER_03:Right.
SPEAKER_05:There are signs up, but nobody cares. I think that's part of it. And uh again, it's been nearly 40 years now since I've done this, and the crowds have gotten much bigger. But it's a big deal, it's a good race. Uh Heather from the UK was over there. She talked about finding the start difficult. The day was challenging, but it was really nice to be surrounded by fellow Run Disney friends. Her lesson of the day is spare socks are great. Uh Jen was there. Jen, I saw you put a report in, but it was like six o'clock this evening, and I didn't get a chance to take note of it. Uh, I'm going to guess, Jen, that you said it was wet and miserable. And yeah, I'm sure you had a good time, though. I know that you and I know that you make the best of things. Jolene said it was brutal. Her blisters are horrendous. The finish area was pure mud. Uh yeah, it used to finish in Capilani Park. I guess it still does. And I guess it was muddy. Uh not great. Russell used this as his dopey sim. What Russell did, he organized events for everybody. He organized the uh the last dopey sim with the different distances for everyone. Now, Russell planned on running a 545 marathon, was on target for the first nine miles running with Caroline. She held her bait pace. Russell held her back intentionally. They agreed to separate it mile 23. Russell let Caroline practice her late marathon push. Russell still managed to finish with a smile, especially after seeing his family at the end. Russell's one of those guys who likes to smile a lot, and I think that's fantastic. So I'm glad you had a good weekend, Russell. Tara and Carlos was there. Tracy's on a quest to get a medal in every state. She says I've run in the rain, but never like this. Good company made the race fun, but she's done with this one. I I heard a lot of folks say that, and that's really a shame because the Honolulu Marathon and Honolulu and Hawaii itself is just beautiful and normally wonderful. You just caught a bad weekend, folks, or more specifically, a bad race day.
SPEAKER_04:I gotta say though, Margaret and Tracy, they took FOMO to the ultimate level. They were there for almost two weeks, and in that that span of two weeks, they went to Alani for a couple of days, then they went on a Hawaiian Island cruise. Oh, yeah, I remember and then came back for the race weekend. I mean, talk about an epic trip. I'm sorry it ended the way that it did, but I'm glad that the two of you uh were able to make so many memories.
SPEAKER_05:I am too. That's cool. And I'd forgotten about that, Greg. Thanks. Now, Valerie signed up for Honolulu back in 23, 2023, but she got injured, and now two years later in 25, she finally gets to the starting line. Everybody in the course was so nice, and they had this we're all in this together feel. With no roller coasters or character stops, Valerie knocked out a 20-minute marathon PR. Uh Valerie's son and his friend did the 10K. It was their first. So, of course, they both PR'd as well. Vanessa says the views were lovely, even on the out and backs. Race very well supported. Honey Stingers, Water, Gatorade, the people, lots of them, made it feel like a Run Disney 5K in all the good and bad ways. It was pretty challenging to really run without lots of weaving around. Again, I think Vanessa's alluding to the crowds in the race. So, friends, I'm sorry it I'm sorry it rained like that. And nothing any of you could do about it. I hope you made the best of it and had a good time because it's a it's a great event, and I'm glad you got a chance to get out there. All right, we already talked about the race in Huntsville, Alabama, and I did a double take when I'm looking at my notes because we had a race in Huntsville, Alabama, and Huntersville, North Carolina, and I've got them lined up back to back here. The Huntersville half marathon. Kristen did the 9.3 mile challenge, which was the holiday 5K on Saturday, and the 10K on Sunday. In Seabring, Florida at the Spartan races. Julie did the beast on Saturday, which is 13 miles and 30 plus obstacles, and the super and sprint races on Sunday, a 10K and a 5K. And one more weekend event: the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon Weekend. Mandy did the 5K on Saturday and the half on Sunday. This is the first part of the Gulf to Bayou Challenge. The 5K was great. She did run walk, the weather was nice, enjoyed the beach views and the beautiful houses, even got a random surprise while she was stopped at her red light driving home, and little girl got out of the car in front of her, ran over to her Jeep, and handed her three little duck little duckies. That's cool. Jeep people and their duckies. I don't get it, but they do, and that's all that counts. Now the half was another story. It was cold, it was windy, it started to drizzle. Fortunately, that didn't last too long. During the race, the temperature actually dropped 10 degrees, and the winds were gusting up to 35 miles an hour. But after pushing through, she finally saw the Beau Rivage and the stadium at the finish. You got to walk up a ramp by the Beau Revage into the 35 mile an hour winds up the incline for about a mile. What a fun way to finish. Her knee was hurting. She entered the stadium there and trotted across the finish line, got her medal, headed up the stairs, found the spot to get her double down medal for the 5k and a half, hobbled back down the stairs, out to their Jeep, got the heck out of there. It was rough, but she finished. On Sunday, there was a big event in Pensawkin, but it was canceled due to the weather. Jessica, Divya, and Robert were going to do the Frosty Looper. Jessica made a seven and a half hour drive from Massachusetts for her last long training run. She did end up with a 25-mile training run, much of it at the hotel gym. She wants to thank her husband, Paul, for hanging tough and not complaining about the situation. Ah, the life of a runner's spouse. Nice job, Jessica. Look at Divya. This would have been the third, third race in a row this weekend.
SPEAKER_07:Friday, Saturday.
SPEAKER_04:I think Robert uh he was chatting a lot on the the Discord server uh in our frosty chat. I think he got pretty close to a marathon on the treadmill as well. So the people made up for it. I mean, in seeing the emails that that were going around, it looks like anyone that was signed up for this, uh, they are allowing them to defer uh to next year's uh Frosty Looper, which is really nice. Uh I mean I can't remember how much Penn Sawkin got in terms of snow. I mean, I know by my house, I got eight inches of snow Saturday night into Sunday. Uh now I know when I was watching the Eagles game, they said it was a lot less than what we got, and I'm only like 45 minutes from the stadium. So, but again, it was enough for you know to be able to keep a loop clear and everything that they they definitely made uh the right call. But you know, before we move on to the next race, and and speaking of the loopy race series, I guess in honor of Frosty getting canceled, um, the Endless Endurance folks have opened up registration for Loopy Looper uh this summer. And I know after our episode where we had a bunch of teams this past year, um maybe once we get after Marathon weekend, I'll maybe put out some like Google interest forms of anyone who might be potentially interested in doing a bunch of relay teams again for next year's race. So if you're interested, that is occurring on Saturday, uh August 1st of 2026. So uh keep your eyes peeled to our Facebook group and such. Uh, and like I said, we'll we'll get some type of Google form going for that.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, sounds good, Greg. Sounds good.
unknown:All right.
SPEAKER_05:Well, again, let's go to a place where there probably wasn't any snow, Tucson, Arizona, for the Tucson Marathon and 50k Ultra, where Kelly did her first Ultra and ran 31 miles for her 31st year.
SPEAKER_07:I ain't doing that, Bob. You ain't doing it, John. I'm not doing 57 next year, no.
SPEAKER_05:You know, or I would I crewed Adam this year when he did 45 or 47 or whatever it was, and it was hot. But let's move on. Let's uh let's go back to West Palm Beach, Florida for the Palm Beaches Marathon. We heard from Holly earlier she's back. Gorgeous weather for her first full marathon. Well, we know what that means. This capped off a dopey simulation weekend. She had no time goals because it was her first marathon, but in the back of her mind, she figured if she came in at 6.30 or so, she'd be happy. And she came in at 6.16. Way to go, Holly. Lots of support on the course, fully flat course, a lot of people using it as a Boston qualifier. I'm picking Holly this time. A lot of folks say it. Holly wants to say thank you for all the holler hypes. I see that in a lot of race reports. I usually only add it once or twice. Lori was there. Lori did the half. Great, smooth course, temperatures were good, and as a bonus, she PR'd her half by 25 minutes. That's awesome. Out in Portland, Oregon, Sarah and Christina ran the holiday half. Steve was in Binghamton, New York for the Binghamton Santa Run 5K. Ran it last year while doing a long run on his dopey sim. So he definitely wanted to sign up for it officially this year. Uh cold morning in Binghamton. Tempts with a wind chill about one degree. Everybody runs in Santa Hats, and everybody had a chance to get a photo with Santa. In Annandale, Virginia, the holiday half and four mile were scheduled. Taylor was scheduled for the half. This event got canceled. Taylor did the half on a treadmill anyway. There was a hot chocolate run in Tampa. Mary and her mom did it. Mary did the 10K, mom the 5K. Great race, great swag as always. The hot chocolate run series does have nice swag. Chocolate bowl with hot chocolate never disappoints. Decent race for Mary and her mom. Best time for mom in months. Tiffany was there. Tiffany did the 15K with Stephanie and Emily. Looks to me like all three of them set 15K PRs. Out in Seattle, Washington, Laura and Brian did a 5K at the Jingle Bell run. Jennifer ran Coach Andy Stewart's 30K in Texas. I think this one was in the Houston area. This is Jennifer's first 30K. Set out and tried to finish in around four hours, managed a sub-three hour half, but slowed significantly after that. They closed the course as she was less than a mile and a half from the finish. So up on the sidewalk she went. Once back to where she started, the arch was gone. She stopped her watch and just walked back to the square where all the finish party was. Well, that was packed up too. She eventually found and crossed the timing mat so her hubby could get a picture of her, a finish line photo. Jennifer, congratulations on finishing your first 30K. Jimmy's back on the report. This time in Knoxville for the Run Santa Run 10K. 26 degrees in Knoxville at the start of this one with a wind chill of 13. Got third in his age group and almost a 1 minute and 30 second PR. This race, the Run Santa race, also had one of the best Santa's Jimmy's met. And we'll wrap it up in College Station, Texas for the Baylor, Scott, and White College Station half marathon. Kim, it was Kim's third year running it, and this year she beat her three-hour target, came in at 248, beating her own goal. That's 25 minutes, 13 seconds off of last year, and a PR. Good for you, Kim. Congratulations and congratulations to everyone who finished this weekend in the episode 221 race report. Friends, and if you run, you know you are our friend. That wraps up episode 221. Reminder again Zoom. Zoom tonight. Zoom on Thursday. Hope to see you there. If you're on the Jeff Galloway schedule, this is it. This is your last big training event before whatever run you're doing January at Walt Disney World. If you're doing the Dopey Sim, just remember keep it slow. It's an endurance training event. So you've got speed limits, not times you're trying to set. It's a great feeling. When you finish that last long one, it's a great feeling because you know, you know, you've got this and you can do it, and you're just three weeks away now from a wonderful and exciting event. So we look forward to seeing you there. But until then, happy running.
SPEAKER_04:The Rise and Run Podcast discusses general information about Run Disney and is in no way affiliated with Run Disney or the Walt Disney Company. Any information or advice discussed on this podcast should not be considered medical advice and should always consult with your healthcare provider or event organizer.
SPEAKER_11:Rise and run, let the anthem be spun for every heart that runs for fun.
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
The Extra Mile Podcast GALLOWAY EDITION
thegallowayextramile@gmail.com
The Disney with the Ducks Podcast
Disney with the Ducks
Will Run For...
WRF Podcast
321 GO!
Carissa Galloway and John Pelkey, Bleav
Living the KG Life
Kristen Granara
Beyond The Mouse: A Weekly Disney Podcast
The Front Row Network