Strap in, fellow runners, for a magical journey through the twists, turns, and hidden Mickey's of our Disneyland race weekend adventure! Your Rise and Run favorites—Bob, Jack, Lexi, John, and Alysha—are all here, along with birthday boy Abel, to recount the sweat, smiles, and the occasional stumble from this whimsical racing escapade. And in this week's Race Report, we've braved the elements, from the frosty grip of St. Louis to the sun-kissed pavements of Anaheim, each mile packed with stories to warm even the chilliest of race mornings.
Join us as we navigate the highs and lows of runDisney's return to Disneyland, from the behind-the-scenes happenings at the expo to managing the mischief of gear check-in mishaps and corral chaos. We're not just running through the parks—we're also running through a gamut of emotions, as each of us shares personal victories and the lessons learned from organizational snafus that had us all scratching our heads. As we laugh about our wardrobe choices and the race characters who stole the show (or didn't show up at all), we celebrate the community spirit that keeps us lacing up our sneakers, even when the going gets tough.
We explore the future of runDisney events on the West Coast with suggestions for improvements, and we anticipate the next round of races with the infectious excitement only true runDisney fans can muster. So whether you're a seasoned marathoner or a casual park-walker, there's a place for you in our lively recap. Ready, set, podcast play!
@runthesmallworld Michael’s Instagram
Rise and Run Links
Rise and Run Podcast Facebook Page
Rise and Run Podcast Instagram
Rise and Run Podcast Website and Shop
Rise and Run Patreon
Passport to Run
Runningwithalysha Alysha’s Run Coaching
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
Affiliate Links
Rise and Run Amazon Affiliate Web Page
Fluffy Fizzies
ZenGrove
Kawaiian Pizza Apparel
GoGuarded
Strap in, fellow runners, for a magical journey through the twists, turns, and hidden Mickey's of our Disneyland race weekend adventure! Your Rise and Run favorites—Bob, Jack, Lexi, John, and Alysha—are all here, along with birthday boy Abel, to recount the sweat, smiles, and the occasional stumble from this whimsical racing escapade. And in this week's Race Report, we've braved the elements, from the frosty grip of St. Louis to the sun-kissed pavements of Anaheim, each mile packed with stories to warm even the chilliest of race mornings.
Join us as we navigate the highs and lows of runDisney's return to Disneyland, from the behind-the-scenes happenings at the expo to managing the mischief of gear check-in mishaps and corral chaos. We're not just running through the parks—we're also running through a gamut of emotions, as each of us shares personal victories and the lessons learned from organizational snafus that had us all scratching our heads. As we laugh about our wardrobe choices and the race characters who stole the show (or didn't show up at all), we celebrate the community spirit that keeps us lacing up our sneakers, even when the going gets tough.
We explore the future of runDisney events on the West Coast with suggestions for improvements, and we anticipate the next round of races with the infectious excitement only true runDisney fans can muster. So whether you're a seasoned marathoner or a casual park-walker, there's a place for you in our lively recap. Ready, set, podcast play!
@runthesmallworld Michael’s Instagram
Rise and Run Links
Rise and Run Podcast Facebook Page
Rise and Run Podcast Instagram
Rise and Run Podcast Website and Shop
Rise and Run Patreon
Passport to Run
Runningwithalysha Alysha’s Run Coaching
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
Affiliate Links
Rise and Run Amazon Affiliate Web Page
Fluffy Fizzies
ZenGrove
Kawaiian Pizza Apparel
GoGuarded
3am again. Why did I ever think this was a good idea? Welcome to the Rise and Run Podcast. Join our group of Run Disney friends. As we talk about running at Walt Disney World and beyond. We'll discuss recent runs, training, upcoming races and surprise topics suggested by you, our listeners. Well, the alarm's gone off, so let's go.
Speaker 3:Hey everybody. This is Sean from Michigan. Just finished up the half marathon today for my goofy challenge. Here We'll be doing the full marathon tomorrow. Just want to say good morning, get up, rise up, let's do this.
Speaker 4:Sean, thank you for that outstanding introduction, coming right out of the Walt Disney World half marathon and introducing this week's episode 122 of the Rise and Run Podcast. Welcome, my friends. I'm Bob. I am here this week with Jack, hi With Lexi.
Speaker 5:Hello.
Speaker 4:With John. Hey, how you doing With Alicia? Hello, and live from Petaluma, california. Not really, he's not at home right now. The winner of our contest to be a guest host on a Rise and Run episode, our friend Abel Abel, thanks for being here.
Speaker 6:Yay, happy birthday Welcome.
Speaker 7:Thank you.
Speaker 4:Hey, catch this my friends. Today is Abel's birthday and he has decided that it's more important to be here with you, the Rise and Run family, than it is with anybody else on the planet. Isn't that amazing? It is really an honor to be here, hey. Well, wow, we're happy to have you, but you can tell them that you're not really blowing your personal family off.
Speaker 2:Oh no, I'm on a work trip and this was a great time, timing wise, to do it, to be alone, to focus my time on this, but I'm really happy to be here with all of you and get to experience this wonderful podcast and live.
Speaker 4:As I like to say, you get to see how the sausage is made. Maybe, when we're all done, you can give a summary and oh no, wait a minute, no, don't tell everybody.
Speaker 7:Don't tell everybody how much time was we messed up.
Speaker 4:Please don't do that. All right, this week's episode, my friends, the Disneyland Weekend Recap. We're going to hear from Jack and Lexi were there, abel was there and our friend Michael. Michael from Runs the Small World will be back with us. It's been a little while since Michael's been with us, but he was at the Disneyland races and he's going to join us for that recap In our Race Report. Spotlight Katie from St Louis is going to tell us just how cold it can get at a run in St Louis.
Speaker 7:And if you enjoy listening to the podcast, please share us with your friends and introduce them to the podcast and ask them to join our family and so we can all support each other in our training journey. Remember to make sure you follow us on Facebook with our group, the Rise and Run Podcast, and we have a bunch of people posting their runs and people joining in on chats and doing meetups at the race outside of our official meetup. So it's a really great place to be and just a really encouraging place to be, and you can also check us out on Instagram at Ryzen Run Pod or our website, theryzenrunpodcastcom. So if you have any questions or comments or race reports or you want to introduce an upcoming episode, you can call us at 727-266-2344 and leave a recorded message.
Speaker 5:Are you guys for the YouTube stuff out this week, since we're talking about Disneyland, of course it's going to be a Disneyland episode. So what to kind of expect for this week is we're going to go ahead and discuss what potentially will be what to expect at a Disneyland expo. With there being a race in September. You are more than likely going to see very similar things, maybe a few changes which we will then update as time goes on when we find out those new changes. But for this one, we will be reviewing the expo at Disneyland. Thank you.
Speaker 4:Jack, apologies and alibi sections becoming a little bit of a catch-all, because this is neither an apology nor an alibi, but I want to mention it. I want to give kudos to the Disney cast members at Port Orleans, french Quarter. I left the charger to my MacBook in my room after the race, didn't realize it till the next day, put a Lost and Found report in, went to email to see if my Lost and Found report had indeed been recorded and found out that I already had three messages from the good folks at Port Orleans, french Quarter saying hey, dummy, not only did you leave your charger, you left your reading glasses here too. Where do you want us to send them? I had them, let's see. I left Disney on Monday. I had those by Wednesday. So thank you very much. That was very helpful, especially because I needed the charger so I can keep my computer plugged in and we can record the podcast.
Speaker 4:Friends, let's take a look at the training schedule. We've got two races on the training schedule Princess weekend, princess weekend now four, count them on one hand One, two, three, four, four weeks away. Looking forward to seeing you there If you are running the challenge. This is one of your multi-day training on the weekend You've got a four mile walk followed by a 12 and a half mile walk run for week 14 on the training schedule. Springtime surprise is 10 weeks away now. The long training run this weekend is six miles. Week six of the training schedule. Friends, how's the training going? What are you training for and how's it going for you?
Speaker 7:Well, I am going into maintenance mode for now, and I went on a lovely three mile hike at the state park near my house with my boyfriend and my puppy. I slipped on some mud and leaves and slightly sprained my ankle. It doesn't hurt as bad now that I'm three days out from it. Now I'm still limping a bit and it's still pretty swollen. You know how, with sprained ankles, you just kind of got to rest ice compression elevate and that's what I've been doing.
Speaker 4:Okay, all right, so what?
Speaker 6:you got. I did my first training run back after marathon weekend today. It was a short two mile run but it went fairly well. It is pretty cold here and it was kind of misting at me. It was like a mist fog. It was very weird. It wasn't rain, it wasn't snow, I don't know. But overall it went good. My legs felt good. I kind of tweaked my back yesterday when I was fixing a light fixture so that was kind of irritated, but other than that it felt good. So I'm glad to be back and start slowly training for springtime surprise.
Speaker 5:All right, yeah, so my next race is with Taryn. If you remember Taryn, that's Borks. Yeah, she's amazing. She was on with the episodes, for I think it was Princess and, oh goodness, I can't remember what the other episodes were.
Speaker 4:It was about a year ago, jack, yeah.
Speaker 5:About a year ago, but we're running the Las Vegas half marathon, which is, ironically enough, the same weekend as Princess weekend. I'm pretty stoked for that. I have not ran since the Disney and races. Obviously, due to my fall, my left knee was a little tender, so doing good. Now I'm going to go out for my run tomorrow, which is we're recording on Tuesday, so tomorrow will be Wednesday, so the day before it comes out the recording. But yeah, I'm excited for that first run.
Speaker 4:So you ran yesterday? Is that what you're telling us?
Speaker 5:Technically speaking in yeah.
Speaker 2:In podcast language yeah. Yeah. So, after successfully completing my coast to coast doing goofy and dumbo, I'm kind of in maintenance mode right now, but I'm planning to do a couple of half marathons this year outside of Disney. But to get going, to keep the distance up through the year, maybe do a full later in the fall so that I can be ready for dopey 2025.
Speaker 4:Outstanding, outstanding, all that stuff. And yeah, dopey, that's great, buddy, that's great. I'll just toss in real quick. It was for Florida. It was cold Saturday morning I only had five miles on the schedule. What is cold in Florida? 39 degrees with the 15 mile an hour wind, that's cold. I didn't want to go. Then I started looking on Facebook at all the folks and we're going to talk about some of them in a little bit Minus eight, minus 10. I said you, big baby, get your butt out there. So I did, I layered up a little bit and you know what it was nice. I haven't done it in a long time. It was nice. I enjoyed it. All right, thanks for the updates, guys. Hey, we've got some fresh news from Run Disney, particularly and it's appropriate, since we're talking Disneyland tonight about an upcoming Disneyland race. Abel, what do you got? What's this?
Speaker 2:What's this? Halloween? Happy Marathon weekend themes were released this week. That's it.
Speaker 5:I love that. That was clever, that was clever.
Speaker 4:Yeah, the artwork was released. What do we think, guys?
Speaker 7:I think the 5K is super adorable. Like I'm not planning on doing the Halloween, but the 5K with Chippendale and the little pirate. Like that kind of gives me a little foam out.
Speaker 8:See, I thought you would have liked the half marathon artwork.
Speaker 7:I liked the OG Hocus Pocus, not the mini. What is it? Who is it?
Speaker 8:Daisy, yeah, mini Daisy, and.
Speaker 7:Claire Bocca.
Speaker 6:I'm in Claire Bocca yeah.
Speaker 7:That's not. I'm not a fan.
Speaker 4:Okay, fair enough, that's a reasonable thing.
Speaker 6:I personally really like Haunted Mansion. Yeah, I was excited about that. Did I see that there's not mention of virtual races?
Speaker 4:for this one. Yeah, that's one of the notes I had and at this point there is no mention of virtual races. No.
Speaker 7:Yeah. So I heard through the very reliable grapevine of Facebook groups that they're doing away with the virtuals for this coming season. Wait, for all of the races. Yeah, they're trying to stray away from doing the virtuals Not the strictly virtual like the summertime ones, but doing both, I heard. I don't know if that's valid, but it'll be something to look out for as we start getting release themes.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we'll have to see. It's hard to imagine Disney giving up a money stream like that. Yeah, I don't know that it cost them that much to do it.
Speaker 2:But who knows, We'll see. And virtual races always included. I mean always involved.
Speaker 8:Was that more of a post? That was more of a COVID thing. After COVID hit for the 2021 marathon weekend, yeah they offered you a virtual option for that race weekend.
Speaker 2:So maybe this is them getting out of that kind of mode. We're kind of moving back into the before times.
Speaker 8:The only thing they did have a virtual for was the Star Wars races, which have no longer happened. So because they got rid of the Star Wars race in California, they gave you a virtual half option. You can run to get your Kessel.
Speaker 2:Run Challenge. Maybe they're also thinking that they could do more stand alone virtual races, like they do the summer one.
Speaker 7:They do the 12 K to the Christmas.
Speaker 2:Maybe they'll do some things with. Maybe they won't bring back an in-person Star Wars race, maybe they'll do a virtual Star Wars race to kind of fill some of the gaps in between.
Speaker 8:And I don't think they were selling out like they were right off the bat too. I think some of them were still even open like weeks before the races. But there was something else that I saw, which I don't know if anyone realized they lowered the proof of let's say, lower to raise the proof of time. However you want to call it for the half marathon, now it's a 230. Yeah, it's back to 230.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, you know, it used to be 245.
Speaker 8:Yeah.
Speaker 5:Oh yeah, that's right, then it was 230.
Speaker 4:No, then it was a 230. Then 215.
Speaker 8:And now it's back to 230.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so I did notice that and I think that's cool. Now it's going to have two effects. It's going to have more people who are going to make a proof of time, which is good, but if you don't make a proof of time, your chances of getting a decent corral are going to be less.
Speaker 4:So yes we'll see how that goes. The other thing, of course, the prices, and folks notice that the prices include photos for the race weekend. When I first read that I thought big deal, I'm an annual pass holder, I get the photos anyway. And then I realized, oh, wait a minute, not at Disneyland, I don't. So I guess that's actually a good thing.
Speaker 5:The only thing I have to say about that, though, bob, is that, if you think about it, genie Plus, that's a huge advantage over there. You get all your photo pass and you get the fast passes or lightning lanes or whatever.
Speaker 4:That's a good point, jack.
Speaker 5:I mean, I personally will still want to do the Genie Plus because I want to be able to use the fast passes and, honestly, this past weekend I thought it was great that I only spent $30 for all of my photo pass and for the lightning lanes or whatever. So I feel like the raising of the price. I get it, but now I have to pay extra to just get the Genie Plus when I would have just purchased it together. You know what I mean.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I hear you, I hear you.
Speaker 2:Genie Plus is definitely a great advantage at Disneyland because of the proximity of the two parks, you can really choose back and forth. There's not a lightning lane available near in Disneyland. Let me see what's over at DCA. So, getting. It is really, you know, is something good to do there. Maybe not as good at Disney World, but at Disneyland it is a very good option to do. So when you're doing a race weekend, you're definitely going to want to do that.
Speaker 4:That's a good tip. That's an excellent tip. We got to remember that again as we get closer to that race weekend, so thanks for sharing that. I hadn't thought about it, so that's good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm excited because you know big fan of you know the haunted mansion and seeing the. You know Phineas, ezra and Gus, the hitchhiking ghost there. That's really cool. I was at Disneyland this Halloween and since they're in the Nightmare Before Christmas theme, they have the hitchhiking ghosts put away. But on the tour I did, we got to actually go and take photos with them. So you know, having that and having them as a theme, it's a pretty cool thing and you know my kids love Nightmare Before Christmas.
Speaker 2:So that being the challenge, jack in zero, there I'm like ooh, it's making me a lot more interested in doing this event. Signing up for this event.
Speaker 4:Okay, all right. Well, that sounds good. I hope it all works out for everybody. I hope it all works out for me and I get a chance to get out there. I've been to Disneyland before. I don't know, it might have changed in the ensuing 47 years, so we'll see. So are you able to still have the tickets where you get an A ticket and a B.
Speaker 2:They still have the booths, not the tickets.
Speaker 4:All right, that's for another time, my friends. But since we are on the subject of Disneyland, let's dive into and talk about Disneyland Race Weekend.
Speaker 6:Last week we talked about Marathon Weekend and tonight we will be talking and looking back at the Disneyland races. We also have a special guest, michael, here, that we've talked to on the podcast before. Welcome, michael.
Speaker 9:Thanks, it's good to be back.
Speaker 6:All right. Why don't you guys tell us how Disneyland races went? Why don't we start with the X-Fo? How did that go, guys?
Speaker 7:Well, okay, so I feel like we all had high expectations going in as far as, like, the functionality of the race. You know, I feel like I know I didn't question that logistics were gonna be the way that they needed to be. I knew that they would need to be worked on. But, um, and I think in this conversation telling about our experience, we're going to keep it constructive criticism, but everybody knows that things went wrong and run Disney and the Disney special events has some things that need to be fixed, so I will preface it with that.
Speaker 8:I just ask one question before we start with you guys have any of you ever done another, done run Disney in California before?
Speaker 5:No, I think the only person that has. I mean, I can't speak for Michael or Abel. No, okay, they're both shaking their heads, but Alicia has so correct.
Speaker 8:I was just wondering, so that your expectations are basically Florida right now and we're going to talk what we saw in California. That is something.
Speaker 9:I did have a lot of input from friends who had done Disney in. California before, and so I was trying to come in with tempered expectations, and that is definitely a thing we'll talk about. About the things that people said that I didn't really understand what they meant until after having experienced one of them. Now it's like, oh, those, their comments make so much more sense now the only thing other than Disney World is I've done one Disneyland Paris race weekend as well.
Speaker 5:So jealous.
Speaker 7:Fingers crossed, they come back fingers.
Speaker 4:Yeah, exactly, exactly.
Speaker 6:So going with the Expo. I know when I did it it was in the Disneyland hotel. Was it still in the Disneyland hotel? Did you have to go into the parking ramp, like we did years ago, or was there a different entrance? How did that all work?
Speaker 7:So when did Abel and Michael, when did you get there?
Speaker 9:I was there a day before Expo, so I got in pretty early for the Expo.
Speaker 2:I actually I got in Wednesday, so the day before, but so so I'm actually. I signed up for Club Run Disney so I was able to get into the pre time. Oh, it was a little bit of a different experience, I'm sure, than than y'all.
Speaker 7:So talk about your experience with the before and then we'll lead into. You know, after the Club Run Disney people.
Speaker 2:Right. So because I was Club Run Disney, I was able to get earlier access. So not the early early access, but they basically lined us up adjacent to the building, that's kind of out the front. It was kind of a little bit of a mess because they started lining us up one way. Then they were like no, we got to do it a little different and so we kind of kept getting shuffled. Then they were having trouble getting everyone their wristbands, because that's how they'll signify that you can get in. They verify you off of a list, give you the wristband.
Speaker 2:And as they started letting people in to the inside queue, people were still trying to get their wristbands, who were in lines that were already starting to go in, so it was a little bit of a kind of a little hectic. Then we moved into the inside queue and we stood and waited until they let us in and fortunately they actually started letting us in about 20 minutes earlier than they said they were. So I think they said they were going to let us in at 8.30. We started. The first people in our group started going in at about 10 after I actually walked into the merchandise queue right at that time, so which is great.
Speaker 5:Do you think personally, abel, do you think Club Run Disney especially at this event, was worth it in a whole?
Speaker 2:I think that it probably may not have made too much of a difference. I think one of the things is I'm a larger size. I'm usually a 2XL. Those always seem to be things that are left behind. There's always enough of that sizes available. So I can't speak to people who are small, medium, large, because I know a lot of people will say, oh, they were out of this or out of that. For me. I was able to mostly get what I wanted, the things that I may not always want to get, the clothing. I'm always going for the pins. I love pins. So I'm always like that's the first thing I go for. I'll make a lap, I'll grab all the pins they have so that I can kind of decide if I'm going to buy, because they had a lot and since I was going all the raises, that was a lot. I think they had almost. I think they had three pins for every race.
Speaker 5:And then the challenge.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow. So because they had a say, for example, they would have the half marathon pin. That was just a standard one. Then they have the metal replica and then they had one that was like a book. So it opens up, and so there were the three of them.
Speaker 2:Oh interesting, so I grabbed them all and I ended up going I'm not going to buy I don't know, maybe guessing here but 15 pins. So I said I got to put some back. So those were the ones I kept. I kept my set of replica metals and the basic one, and that was fine in the challenge, but otherwise then I made my lap around to get through the merchandise that I wanted, and so that worked out.
Speaker 7:So two questions. First question Were you able to get into the big pickup area? Was it just the merch ahead of time?
Speaker 2:Just the merch. So I basically went there and so the way I made it work, since my wife was running and my kids were running as well they're not and I'm not allowed to bring them in with me so she stayed back at the, she actually went to California Adventure while I waited in line and went through the merchandise and then I, when I was done, we kind of coordinated a time and we met up to go pick up our bids. So I had I basically had to leave the merchandise area, go through the expo just to get to the one exit, to get out and then walk back all the way around the building to get to the entry for the bid pickup. So it's a little bit, you know, because we got an early. It works better, I think, if you go get your bib and then you get into merch, just because of the flow of how it was. So I kind of did things a little backwards, so I skipped the expo so I can go get my bib, and then I went back to the expo with my family.
Speaker 7:Gotcha. And then second question about how many Club Run Disney people were there.
Speaker 2:Well, in my group there were five lines of probably I'd have to guess maybe 50 to 75 people per line that went in and there were still. Once we got in there were still people coming in after me, so maybe 500, somewhere in that kind of range maybe.
Speaker 2:But I mean it's hard to judge and that was obviously. I didn't even see any of the platinum level people in line because they had already been let in. So there was a lot of people and I forgot. I can't remember how many. The cast member at the front said they let in, I think it was 175 people, and then as they leave, then they let you know three people leave, three people get let in. So there was always that many people in that very small space. Yeah, so it's.
Speaker 2:And it's interesting because the comparison was very easy. Since I had just done Disney World the week prior. It's very fresh in my mind to go, okay, I go to Wide World of Sports. There's a huge arena for both the big pickup and the expo and the merchandise. You're just like I mean, you could pretty much have fit everything that we did at Disneyland inside of the probably the advent arena. You know it was. It was just, it was kind of it was. If you think about that, when you go into the merge there, just think about if there was an expo in there and big pickup, you know, and that kind of square footage. Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 4:So, michael, what was your experience like?
Speaker 9:So I had a relatively early virtual queue but still didn't get called for maybe an hour and a half after initial open.
Speaker 5:What was?
Speaker 9:your number I do not remember now, but it was one of those where I had the thing. I think my initial time callback was one time and then I saw it slowly kind of change. So I got called back earlier than I thought I would, which was nice. But I went in and I completely forgot about the fact that that was only for the merge area. So I just didn't go to get my bibs until it was time. But I also I have so much from Disney Merch at this point and I had seen most of it and I was like you know, all I want is the jacket, so I'm not really sweating it for anything else. I'm a small. They're gonna have it or they're not. I'll figure it out from there. So I did go through the bib area. I had to. This is my first time since I started doing challenges. I guess that I haven't done every race in a weekend. So I and I also didn't originally get into the challenge.
Speaker 9:I got the half and then a friend got me in via one of those random pop up registrations, like less than a month prior. So I got the 10k and half individual bibs, which was a new experience for me having to grab, grab those I did have. I had a conversation with runner relations because I got into, I was in B for the 10k and wanted to go and ask if they could nudge me up and they said we're not even looking at proofs of time for anybody for 10k. Since there's no proof of time to begin with, it's at capacity, we're not moving anybody up regardless for the 10k For halves. I believe they were at least looking at proofs of time and if somebody was like way under a threshold they would move them. So it's like all right, that's, that's fine. I have all kinds of critiques of how run Disney does the corrals, but that's not really relevant to the cast members who are there handling the situation.
Speaker 9:Right, so it's not their fault. That's that's fine, and that was that, so it's like all right, I'll just be at the front of 10 in front of B and have fun with it from there, but then you got way up front in the 10k because I was like no more than 50 yards away from you.
Speaker 5:I was going to yo Michael, but I'm just like no, he speeded. I went out fast when we did that.
Speaker 9:But, but then the yeah, I went from that area to the merch area had the virtual queue had been called up, of course, already it was a little bit cramped. Figuring out the right area to line up took asking a few people where to go. Signage wasn't great, but I've been to more cramped expos that are just not run Disney, so it wasn't that big a deal. It felt different, but like there was a lot going on in a relatively tight space. I suppose I don't know the Disneyland area well enough to know if they have larger areas at their disposal, but if they don't, they did a great job, in my view, with what they had to work with. So I kind of they have a had a zigzag line that you would go through once you showed them your virtual queue thing and you would slowly get in and then and then I got into the big merch area and I was with a friend and of course ran into like 100 other friends inside that area.
Speaker 4:Of course.
Speaker 9:And like went over the jacket area and was like, well, they're out of Smalls. I think at that point they had a large and larger, and that was it. So I was like, all right, well, that's fine, I'll just hold stuff for people while they shop. And then ran into a couple of my friends, one of whom was like oh, someone bought me because I thought I wanted it the Disney the men's small jacket and I don't want it because I don't like how it fits. Do you want to buy it?
Speaker 9:I was like great. So I venn mode them then and there, and within like 30 minutes, we had met up afterwards and I had my good for you, good for you Story.
Speaker 7:Yeah.
Speaker 9:But otherwise. I mean it was very tight compared to what we're used to. It seemed like they had a lot of stuff and a bunch of different sizes. I don't know if they would do the thing where they would restock afterwards, where every once in a while you notice them doing that at the Disney World Expos, the, like I said before, the entrances and exits were kind of hard to find, so like you would exit one area and was like wait, was I supposed to walk through that door or was I not supposed to? I'm really not clear. But then I also think about how many other expos I've been to where, like, no one cares what door you go in and out. Right.
Speaker 9:So it's right and it just kind of felt like that, like maybe a slightly busier version of, say, the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Expo, if anybody's done that, if anybody listening has done that. So like there are other good races that have expos that feel similar to it, it just didn't feel like a run Disney Expo necessarily to me.
Speaker 7:Yeah, I totally agree with everything you said about the signage. That was one of the first things I said to Jack. I was like this is where I am, Like we met up there and I was like the signs aren't great, but I'm at the escalator.
Speaker 5:Dude, one of the guys that we met while we were waiting for the merch stuff to for the virtual queue. He even was like because we were waiting in line for a picture, and he said, yeah, we told him we were part of you know, the rise around podcast because he asked us what we were wearing because we had our stuff on it was a cast member.
Speaker 5:It was a cast member. He said all right, please be kind, because it is our first year back at seven years. I mean we're going to be upfront and honest with you guys completely. But also me and Lexi both we talked about. We both went in, like she said, with expectations that there were going to be things that need to be worked on. But I mean we're just happy it's back. But I had some issues a little bit with the expo and it wasn't necessarily anything. Crazy is just when we went in line for the big. We were one of the first ones in the line to get into the big pickup.
Speaker 7:Maybe one of the first 50 people who went in for big pickup.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and the thing was is, if you're doing coast to coast, your your thing said that you were eligible. Well, the person granted they don't. They didn't know any better, probably because I, I guess I was supposed to get this wristband that said coast to coast challenge eligible and I didn't get one. When I went over to the challenge area and I look over at Lexi was like what's on your wrist? And she's like, oh, that's my, that's my coast to coast challenge. You didn't get one.
Speaker 7:I said nah, yeah, and my, my lady just gave it to. She just like and my thing? And then she started to put in the wristband on me. I'm like, oh, I guess I need this. So, so, like she knew what she was doing.
Speaker 9:Mine did it and told me what she was doing. So there's that. So I had the optimal experience with the wristband.
Speaker 5:I was just a trial and error, I guess. I mean, I think there was like only like two people in front of me as the door is open, so I was only like her, like third person or whatever. But I went back to her I was like, hey, you know, I didn't get my wristband. She's like oh, my God, I'm so sorry. I said you know what? No, you're so nice, I guess I just wanted to see you again. Oh, and I did see. So people that got their corrals changed. They had the little sticker on their bibs to have it notarized that it wished switched. Because I saw actually jogging Jack Sparrow had a sticker on his and I was like, oh, so you can't get it.
Speaker 7:Yeah, they did change proof, proof of times. I had asked, and they if you had a proof of time, they would bump you up, at least for the half marathon.
Speaker 9:They did that quite a bit at a marathon weekend as well, for half marathon and full marathons. You just if you showed them a solid proof of time and they could look at it and be like, yeah, this is an official one, they would change people, no problems. Probably the smoothest I've seen it happen since starting run Disney.
Speaker 5:Is it for a race that you like that was past the deadline, or did it have to be a race that you just forgot?
Speaker 9:I think it still had to be within the eligible period. But, like I know that a bunch of people, like some of my friends, were like it would not let me change it Right or something, and people were running into all kinds of problems. So I think they just know enough. People have those sorts of problems. So they would look at the date and it's like, yeah, okay, there you go. This should have been in your registration. It wasn't. It doesn't really matter if it was your fault or our fault, it's valid. We swap, so we'll swap.
Speaker 5:Honestly, that's good to know, because I didn't know you could do that at the Disney World ones, because never really, I guess.
Speaker 9:I've seen I've seen cast members say no to that before, so this seems to be a new thing.
Speaker 6:I haven't seen it all, yeah.
Speaker 2:I wish I would have known I could change it then, because I could have said I just ran an hour and 45 minute half marathon left. Sure, it was seven miles.
Speaker 8:That's right.
Speaker 4:There you go.
Speaker 8:Interesting POT for next year.
Speaker 7:Will the seven miles count? That's the question.
Speaker 5:And totally random, I have to mention this. But like during the merchandise area they Lexi, can confer they were actually refilling, restocking pretty well throughout it. So I mean I heard there's only four of these things that I really wanted. And then there's only two of these things that I really wanted and then by the time I got there I literally saw them putting them back on the shelf. I was like cool. So if you ever go to Disney Land event, they do restock.
Speaker 4:Good to know.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 7:I went in, I went into the run Disney merch area three separate times from the start of the day to the end of the day and I was very pleased with how much merch there was, good restocking and sizes and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 5:It was funny, though, because the guy at checkout was like hey, how's your day going? I said man, you know I'm doing great. How's your day going? He's like wow, you're the first one that actually said they're having a good day. I said what? And he said, yeah, apparently people were mad because they weren't getting any of the stuff there. But then I'm like how, because I literally am watching them restock stuff, like of course, of course but that happens at every Disney race.
Speaker 7:That's the norm. You go in there now expecting them not to have the sizes that you want.
Speaker 4:Okay, gang Expo, cool, let's move forward a little bit. I don't think anybody here did yoga, did they?
Speaker 5:No, but it did rain, it heard, it was cold.
Speaker 4:Yeah, all right. Well, good, everybody here is happy that they didn't do cold yoga in the rain.
Speaker 7:Yes, All right. Great Vigorous nods from everyone.
Speaker 8:Okay, so the next event. I don't know who did it. Did anybody do the 5k here?
Speaker 5:Yes.
Speaker 8:I did.
Speaker 9:I did not, but I have a shout out relevant to it, so we'll wait.
Speaker 8:Okay, tell us about how the 5k went. Abel, when do you start.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it started out kind of interesting because we got over there lined up at the gates and I didn't really think about it, but I had my gear bag with me just because I wanted to put a couple things in it to have with me, and I'm standing there not thinking about it and they let us in through the gates and I walked to the crowd. I see this sign Okay, there's my corral. I think I would see corral and it's great because it was right at the end of Main Street, right in front of the center of the spoke, in front of the partnership statue there, and so it's a great location. I couldn't see the stage, but that's fine. I could still see the fireworks and I could turn around and see the projections on the buildings of Main Street and I'm thinking to myself oh, this is great. I got to the front. I got to the front. I'm happy and I think about it. I looked down. I still have my gear bag. I saw nowhere to put a gear bag.
Speaker 2:Of course I didn't have very much in it and I was going to walk the 5K anyway, so it didn't really bother me. But a couple other people around me were talking about the same thing. I think I did hear someone say they did find a gear check somewhere, but at that point I was just fine with carrying it.
Speaker 6:I heard it was really kind of hidden and you had to see like one little sign, otherwise you missed it.
Speaker 5:I was literally running behind somebody who had this giant gear bag that she ran at a pretty fast pace with the whole entire time and I was wondering why she even had it. That makes sense now. No one could find it.
Speaker 2:And I looked. It was funny. So I went back to the digital expo and I looked and I noticed that it just didn't say anything about a gear check for the 5K. When you look at the 10K and the half, it does specifically say the gear check and having your gear bag and what have you, but for the 5K it didn't show. So I just assumed that I just missed it was omitted and I didn't really think about it, because this is something that I take for granted.
Speaker 2:Right, because when you do it at Disney World the start is at the same place. The gear check is not just going to not be there the first day and be there the next day. They're going to have the gear check every day. But since the start here was at Disneyland, in the park, and the other races started outside the park, it made sense that they wouldn't. And so I just you know just something for me to think about 5K. I don't really need to take anything, so I probably won't, even if they end up having a gear check in the future. But the race itself I thought was great. You know you're in the park like all the time outside of the time when you're running around it, but you're still backstage and so it's kind of fun to see. So, overall, I thought that was, you know, fantastic.
Speaker 7:So Jack and I, we walked over together because obviously we were staying in the same hotel room and my first shock was how long the security was, because we were waiting in the security line and then, like we got on the other side, they stopped us. And it turns out that there's a huge like windy caterpillar all through that middle area between Disneyland and California Adventure, but there were no cast members telling us where to go. We were just like I guess we're awaiting in line. Okay, we'll move when they tell us to move. So I think, overall, a note for the Disneyland races is there needs to be better signage for all aspects of it. And then I was in. What carousel was I in? I was in sea. Yes, I was in sea. And I got to hang out with the, the slackers for a while oh cool With Jar and Lindsay and Ryan, and they were dressed as dead Disney parents, like the best costume ever. So shout out to you guys. It was amazing.
Speaker 4:Oh, they're great yeah.
Speaker 7:And then I got. We got through the start, the course I was super excited about. But releasing all the waves at once I mean releasing all the corrals at once in one big wave proved to be quite a problem. Wait what they released? A big wave, yeah.
Speaker 6:They just would let the whole corral go.
Speaker 5:Yes, that was not just for the 5K. We'll be just put that out there. Yes, we'll probably talk about it again for the other.
Speaker 4:How many corrals were there?
Speaker 7:There were four, oh there were ABC and D and I know sea stretched from the start of Main Street to like the, like the whole part, like it was huge. So we got through the start and the first character stop was right there in toon town. So it was literally like what? Not even a quarter of a mile into the race and the line wrapped all the way to the bridge, which, if you know anything about Disneyland, that's probably like a 25 minute wait.
Speaker 2:That's accurate.
Speaker 7:I waited for the first care for it was good.
Speaker 4:Oh well, you know, you know, I mean, come on, I've got to wait for somebody.
Speaker 7:Yeah, but I'm like we're already in sea and then there's a there, you know. So there's only five minutes behind us and D is released, because they were releasing each corral every five minutes. And so I was like I heard coelas on this course, I heard beauty and the beast characters on this course. Those are more important to me than you.
Speaker 7:So here we go. And I got to the beauty and the beast line. It was the same case. It was a 20 minute wait and I was like you know what? I'm just going to stand here and I'm going to, and there were the people in line behind me. There were maybe like 40 people in line behind me and that was the end of the race.
Speaker 4:It's the 5k though, right, mm? Hmm, yeah, so I mean there weren't sweepers, but they still have to open the park. Yeah, and no clothes off those lines, but you're good.
Speaker 7:Yeah, so I just I kept going and I got my Cruella picture and they cut off the line right after me. So that's all I wanted, okay, well good Glad you got it.
Speaker 5:First off, I do want to put this out there. If you guys are curious about either Alexi's or I's viewpoints of the 5k race, you can find it on Passport to Run on YouTube. That was probably my favorite. Actually, no, it is my favorite race of the weekend, which was the 5k. I personally had an absolute blast. I've never been in a Disney race where you start and finish inside a park. That was astounding.
Speaker 5:Now, for reference, I will say I was in Corrales, so when it started there had been there's a good bit of people in front of me. But like, once I got through the first half mile it honestly wasn't bad. I mean, like if you watch the video for the 5k, it's like after I get past the halfway mile part, there's not many people around me. I've never, I haven't experienced that in a while. So that was really really nice.
Speaker 5:But I had to pass a good number of the character stops just to be able to get through the crowd that was there. But I had an absolute blast, the only thing that I have to. Really, there's kind of two things I'd have to say. I did think it was weird that some of the characters felt hidden. I didn't know there was characters at the Haunted Mansion, because it was dark and not very well lit, and there's like maybe one or two people that I thought were just taking a picture in front of the Haunted Mansion. Did I realize there was Jack and Sally in there, not for a hot second. And then I go I'm like oh. And then I was like hi, you guys, but there's no photo pass there.
Speaker 5:I was here that there was characters out that didn't have photo pass at all, especially in the park, like yeah, so that I thought was weird. And then I didn't recognize Bolt was out over in California Adventure, like I'm run by the stage. I was like you know, there's some cast members there, I feel like there'll be a character there, but I didn't see anybody over there like runner, wise for hot second. I was like oh, and he's just waving, waiting for people and I was like go over. But that race specifically was an absolute dream. I have been dreaming about this, doing these races, for the past seven years, ever since I started doing Run Disney, and I'm finally so happy that I got to do it. And I'm glad that whoever besides Lexi because it was Lexi and somebody else and message me if it's you you encouraged me to randomly sign up for the 5k because it was still open after I bought the challenge and you're like Jack, you should do the 5k. And I said, hmm, what's another $100? And I was like sure.
Speaker 7:I think that was me and Rachel. No, no, no it was somebody else.
Speaker 5:I don't know if it was Rachel, but it was. I was the happiest decision ever, and I don't know if it was the VP of Run Disney. He was like maybe a 10th of a mile away from the finish and I pointed at him because I remember his picture on the Run Disney event guy. I said yo, and he's like he's waving high at me. I was like dude, it was cool. And then the other thing I do have to say, though, about these races is I found it so weird they did not take advantage of Avengers campus. With a single Avengers person in any of the races, I literally would speed up just so I can get to over there to find that there's no one over there, the only place that you can meet most of the Avengers characters, and you don't even take advantage of it.
Speaker 9:My only qualm no Star Wars characters either right.
Speaker 5:Not until a half marathon.
Speaker 9:Was there a Star Wars character? We'll talk about that then.
Speaker 7:I heard that for yoga Mickey was supposed to be there and he did not show up. He overslept.
Speaker 8:Michael did. You didn't do the 5K correct, but you have something to say about it.
Speaker 9:Yeah, so my entire experience of the 5K was so I was sleeping, which is great on a Run. Disney morning. Sleeping in the Grand California, oh nice. Yeah, I woke up to two women screaming and I'm like what is happening. So four of us friends had a room together and apparently the other so one of us, my friend, justin went to run the race and the other two woke up before he got back and had discovered that Justin had won the 5K.
Speaker 9:So for context my friend Justin Adele is like he's significantly faster than me. We joke about the fact that back when we became friends through Run Disney like just recognizing each other in a corral we were close to the same speed. That's not really true. Don't tell him.
Speaker 9:I looked up our times he was still faster than me then, but we joke about the fact that he's continued to get faster, while I've gotten slower, because just different priorities and so on, and so that he's really just been leaching out my speed. But one of the ongoing jokes because I'm not competitive and he is, but we both know he's faster than me, quite a bit faster, right. So one of the jokes has been like well, justin, only one of us has won a 5K, so it's just a. Really I don't think I know a single other person who is as excited to be back at Disneyland running races as Justin really truly no one. And he just went out, and he was, he went out. I'm the one who got him to start doing costumes, so this was only his fourth costume ever and he went as a full Jiminy Cricket, carrying a umbrella and everything.
Speaker 9:And he went out and he was quickly in second place and he's like I'm not going to catch that guy, he's too far ahead. Stopped for a character, then kept going and then, like right around mile two, he just passed the first place. Guys like wait, am I in first? What is happening? And so he's like I guess I have to go for it now. And so he went for it and he like opened the umbrella for the finishing photos and if you look closely he's crying in them. So I'm sitting there like the girls just screamed when he came in the door because they already knew he won and I was asleep and I'm like what is happening? Oh, justin, you won, great Congrats. And then I'm like, ok, I'm up now, right, but it was great. And then, of course, I told him it's like it's a good thing you were in costume, because if you just won I'd be like oh, congrats. And gone back to sleep. So it counts. Yeah, man, you're now equals. No.
Speaker 4:Justin, if you're out there, congratulations.
Speaker 9:Yeah, he stopped for a character he did.
Speaker 4:He stopped for a character, he's a numberlla? There was no chance, yeah, and he won the five times.
Speaker 9:And he won the five times. That's amazing. Yeah, he had a top hat and everything. Great Jiminy Cricket. I'm super proud of him.
Speaker 4:That is amazing. Can he sing when you wish upon a star?
Speaker 9:I would not ask him to, honestly, he'd probably be fine. He'd probably do a better job than me.
Speaker 5:Wait, I'm curious what do you get? Do you get something different if you win the race?
Speaker 9:You get nothing for the 5K except for the best photos that anybody will ever have. I'm like Justin. You are now the only other person because we love Britney Charbonneau, we love some of the other, but Justin and I did it decked out in costume and it's like those are just really good photos especially because we're not people who win races all the time. We're not professionals, yeah, so it's like. All right, justin, now there's someone else who has finishing photos as good as mine. That's all we got for it.
Speaker 4:Serious bragging rights buddy.
Speaker 9:But the truth is honestly, and he knows the suit, he's again very fast. He wins the military division on a previous year.
Speaker 10:Oh gotcha yeah.
Speaker 9:He won the run Disney events. So he got second at the half in military in Disney World weekend and he got, I think, won the second at the 10K for Marathon weekend and then he won the military division at the half this year in Disneyland. So very fast guy, but he's not going to even come close to approaching the winners of races where there are real awards. Oh, still you know Right, so like, and that's the thing is like. Well, yeah, the 5K is like the one that regular people might win at.
Speaker 4:Right, that's still mighty impressive. Yeah, oh, it's still great.
Speaker 9:Yeah, super proud of him, and he ran a really great time too.
Speaker 5:So how fast was he? Now? You got me curious.
Speaker 9:Definitely in the 18s. I want to say low 18s. I'm going to guess here, I think 1820 something Okay. So he saw. What character did he see? I don't remember now.
Speaker 4:That's what has me going. Yeah, I know, when the 5K stopped for a character. That's great.
Speaker 9:That's what we joke is like if any of our friends win the 5K, they have to, because Justin did it like multiple minutes faster than I did mine, so they have to shave off just as much time and they have to do two characters. We just got a progression right Like there's the rules now.
Speaker 4:The bar is way up here now.
Speaker 8:That's awesome.
Speaker 4:Gang, let's move on. Let's move on to Saturday in the 10K.
Speaker 9:So we've talked already about the fact that we came in with different expectations. So there's a bunch of different observations I made over the course of the weekend. There's positives, there's sort of neutral things that are just different, and then for me there's some critiques. But there's like three different types of critiques. There's ones that are just taste, where, like this is different, but not worse, but not to my taste. Then there's things that are the room for improvement or like the way that everybody would say first time back. There are things that are going to be little hiccups and then there are some things where it's like no, this should have just been better. Like I could have told you ahead of time, if you would run it by me, that this was going to be a mess, right. And so, like there's, it's a range of things, right.
Speaker 9:So my first exposure to the races was showing up to security. Well, to wear secure like the path to security for the 10K. Because I saw the stage time. The staging area time was 30 minutes before the Corral Open time, which is one of those things where I think anybody who's ever done a run Disney races was like that's not even an hour would not be enough time 30 minutes is. You are not setting yourselves up for success here, right, and I think a lot of the problems that come come from that. Just at a score, because there's other stuff like signage and cast members not knowing where to direct us. That are just not problems if people have more time, right.
Speaker 9:So I show up and I'm. I have to go from the Grand Calf, california, and I have to go through security to get into kind of downtown Disney area, then leave property, then go through security again. But before I get to that security area I have to. I go completely off property and there's just people lined up on a sidewalk because there's some gate closed and we're just waiting around. I'm like, okay, well, I suppose that the staging area doesn't open for 30 minutes, so I'll just stand here in this line and like there's no feedback and I don't really know if I'm assuming I'm in the right place because a bunch of other people are there, right, and so you just wait around and there's like, all right, well, the 30 minute, that, whatever time, it was 3.30, like that's coming, gone and I'm still not moving.
Speaker 9:Maybe people ahead of me are moving. Just stood around for a bit longer and then like 10 minutes go by and then it's like, oh, I'm finally starting to move to walk. So then I get to the security area and it's just going so slow and it's like four lines and it's the typical, like metal detectors and all that stuff, and people don't really know what they're doing. And I mean, and I'm kind of a mess too, because it's like, okay, I have to pull off my running belt because they need to go through that and we also have mylar and we have all this other stuff, and because it's freaking cold, because it's really cold unexpectedly in California, right, Isn't it like 43 degrees that morning too?
Speaker 9:Yeah, yeah, yeah, 40s. So the security is going really slowly and we started it later than we were supposed to get into the staging area, right. So it was, that was sort of a mess Got through that, finally get into the staging area and it's just like all right, I am gonna just kind of make a beeline to where the to where the corrals are, and I'm not used to being in B and I was like, all right, well, I'll go to the front of it and that was fine once I was in there. But like that whole messy situation because it's like we all know, like we give ourselves time, we show up early because we don't want to be stressed on time, and so like I'm not a fan generally of situations where you don't let people reduce their own stress by showing up early to give themselves time.
Speaker 9:Right, that's not really a thing I've seen at any race anywhere.
Speaker 9:I mean, generally every race I've ever been to has things open way longer than people really need to be there, right, it's just, it is a recipe for a high stress situation and people are going to make all kinds of other mistakes, like we'll talk about on half marathon morning, a mistake I made because I felt rushed because of the situation, and so there's lots of stuff like that where even the cast members, who don't know what they're doing, they themselves know there isn't a lot of time and so they're kind of also in a rush while trying to figure things out with runners who are less patient than they would be if they had more time.
Speaker 9:Right, so it's just a high pressure situation for everybody. By the time I get into the corral, I'm fine, I'm there beforehand, I hear the typical entertainment, but I have no idea where it's coming from, because I can see the stage at the start line and there's nobody there and there's this beautiful screen they have on the like, really beautiful right above the start line, like I would love for us to get something like that in Disney World, really cool, but there's nothing on it except the logo and I'm just like, where's the video feed? I hear Chris's voice and the and the other people, the you know hosts, who I don't know.
Speaker 9:But I'm wondering where they are. And it turns out they were at the stage in the staging area. Where are? There are no characters, there are like for pictures and stuff like that. So they were over there, but like people are supposed to be coming into the corral. And then I know people who are like texting me because they're like I don't know if there are spots for me and be like I like the corral is filling up, I don't know if I can get to where I want to go and stuff. So it's very, very confusing kind of situation.
Speaker 6:I just wanted to make a quick note that when everybody keeps talking about the cast members, if you're familiar with Disney World, it's volunteers, but at Disneyland, only cast members for Disneyland could help with it. They didn't have volunteers. Is that correct?
Speaker 9:That is my understanding too, because of something around labor laws and volunteers, and so I just want to make that clarification for anybody listening of why they're saying cast members versus volunteers.
Speaker 9:Yes, yeah, um, yeah, as far as I'm aware, everyone I interacted with was a cast member. So, um, but again, like, I get them not knowing where to direct us and the signage thing that's we've talked about that multiple times. That's a room for improvement situation, right, like, yeah, okay, you, you, there's a certain degree of assuming runners will figure it out, but like, and then you realize, I mean maybe, but we're also really tired and it's really early, you know so that's a thing I completely like.
Speaker 9:I would expect that to be better for the Halloween races. I would expect it to be better next year. That's fine. It's the. No one should have thought 30 minutes before Corral open is a good time for the, for that, for the. What's it called the staging area to be open situation. Um, um cause. It just caused lots of other issues.
Speaker 7:Also, as we've been talking um, um, keep hearing like it's really crowded and there were 5,000 runners for the 5k. There were 8,000 runners for the 10k. Okay. So you can have a comparison of like what the numbers look like compared to Disney world or just like having the funnel that many people through for the 5k park. Yeah, for 4 corals or 5 corals, like that's a lot.
Speaker 2:So the 10k, you know, you know as, because I did Walt Disney world, I didn't go into. I've never done a Disneyland race, so I didn't know what to expect. But so I've only done a couple of race weekends at Disney world, and because I, again, I did it the week before, I kind of had some expectations but I knew that it was going to be different. So I, you know, so I went into it thinking it's going to be similar but there's going to be changes. I don't, you know, I'm not going to knock them for, for the differences, but I will say it was a little bit of a disappointment.
Speaker 2:Going into that staging area Again, yeah, as you all mentioned the, the cast members were not knowing where to direct people. It was kind of a little bit of a clumsy way to get in, like, hey, we needed to go into the bag check. They were sending us into a spot where people were coming out of the staging area to go to the carousel. It was a, it was a bottleneck, it was a little bit hectic. And then we finally get to the bag check. No problem, they had waters. They had a small little stage where, as Michael said, they did have some of the talent that DJ was there and I think Carissa and not pelki were there.
Speaker 6:I love that, not pelki.
Speaker 2:Doing anything beforehand. And then then and then we had to leave, basically go back where we came in to go around some fencing, to get around, to go to our corral, which we were in the F corral for, for the 10 K and so it was, and just not having anything there. They had a pretty big area because they did have some space where they did like a kids area for the kids races. I'm like they could have put up a couple, you know, character stops and things like that. But then you make the walk, you get around to the crowds and then all of a sudden it's quiet. All you hear is people because they have no audio beyond the street where A, b, c I think we're on one side of the street and then D, e and F were on the other and pretty much if you were beyond D, they had no audio amplification for anyone to hear.
Speaker 7:And the signage actually said A through D Wait. And then there was nothing for E and F.
Speaker 6:I kind of remember it being similar to that way back when I did it and I was like are we going? Is there? Is there things? I can't hear anything.
Speaker 2:Right, and so what I did was I started relying on the rise and run Facebook chats, and so I would get on there and I'm, like, you know, talking to people and, and you know, on some of the races they were like we're starting, you know, I was like where are you? Well, I'm in B. Okay, that's good to know. And then then we start physically moving up and once we get, you know, get past a certain crowd, then we can start hearing the music and you're like, okay, there's that screen that Michael mentioned above the start line, that I think really did have this, the Disneyland logo. And then it had a three, two, one go, and that was it. You know, it would have been great, they could have put some fun stuff on there, but but so it was a weird start to it. And what we finally got going, uh, carissa hyped us up, we got, we got across the line and you know, it was, uh, again full corrals going at once.
Speaker 5:So what Carrell were you on?
Speaker 2:F F.
Speaker 5:Wait, I thought you had club. Oh, because you might have a lower tier club, run Disney, right.
Speaker 2:I'm club run Disney, but I'm gold, so they don't get they don't get the carol placement.
Speaker 5:Okay, yeah, I. I can't imagine what that must have been like. That would have been very frustrating.
Speaker 2:I know we're going to talk about. Yeah, we can talk about the race after, cause there was some interesting parts to that.
Speaker 7:Yeah, it was definitely giving like wine and dine and carol e-vibes.
Speaker 5:Um cause I pre-wraith star is what she's talking about.
Speaker 7:Yeah.
Speaker 4:No, I got you.
Speaker 7:Yeah, so we were, uh, during our recap we talked about how the corral e was kind of um, not not organized very well.
Speaker 9:Sort of shunted off to the side.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's how it felt yeah To those folks.
Speaker 7:So I think you guys entered the Disneyland side right, or did y'all entered the uh?
Speaker 9:or the staging area. Staging area I came in from the Disneyland side.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, so we came in that back entry which is there's like a gate and it's a walkway between two different hotels.
Speaker 7:Okay, so Jack and I entered on the opposite side from where you did. That's the crime of pying so where where corral e and f were. That's where we entered from, so keep in mind this parking lot is probably close to the parking lot of the staging area at Epcot. Yeah, a little smaller than that, um not including, like the bus, areas you think size wise.
Speaker 5:Oh wait.
Speaker 7:No, it's just the starting parking lot area. Do you think it was that big?
Speaker 5:I would say it's about two thirds of what that parking lot is.
Speaker 7:I wouldn't say it's like exact, yeah, well, anyway, we had to walk all the way around the perimeter to go in, only to be told this is not where you're supposed to go, so E and F have to go all the way back around. So I literally added like three quarters of a mile to my 10K because there were no signs that told me to stay where I was and no cast members to tell me where to stay where I was.
Speaker 2:You still have to go to the staging area for the gear check. So even if you came in where you came in on Clementine at that security, you still have to walk all the way into the staging area to go top your bag off and then come back out anyway.
Speaker 7:So that entrance was a Cast members, because we've got there right as they open, or very close to whenever they opened, the cast member was telling us to go some way, and then the cast member over there was telling us, no, you have to go back. And so I did not. But there were people who went back and forth like three times before. They were like no, you can stay here, which I would not have been okay with. I was already not okay with just once.
Speaker 5:If you, guys are planning on doing the Disneyland races and if it's anything close to what the location for the start and finish is for this weekend, I'm going to say a huge shout out to Cast Candlewood Suites of close proximity of the start and finish.
Speaker 7:We were like we only had .4.
Speaker 5:It was not bad at all. So if you're trying to think, I feel bad for you, michael, because you came all the way from what the Disney Hotel, the Grand California I could only imagine that it was still a way easier bit a time of getting there than any Disney World Race, right?
Speaker 9:So like we're starting, like that is one of the huge positives of the weekend. I mentioned the different types of One of the huge positives is it's just really easy to get to race start.
Speaker 7:Yeah, and we did not have to wake up as early as, Because I'll talk about that when we get to half-mayor Sunday. And then also again I'm echoing what Abel said when we got to the corrals. It was just I can't hear, I don't know what's happening. I'm just going to sit here until I see people moving. Another note, that entrance on Clementine by the time we got towards race start they weren't even doing security, they were having people raise their arms and walk through with everything on Red lights everywhere. So like that made me nervous, yeah.
Speaker 6:I did hear that, so let's move on to how the actual 10K went. Jack, how did it go for you?
Speaker 5:So, out of all three races, I mean to be completely honest, the weekend prior at Disney's Marathon Weekend, I had a rough time. If you guys listen to the If any of you guys listened to the episode prior to this one where we talked about Marathon Weekend you know I had some issues going on. So I just I came into this one after doctor's appointment feeling pretty good because I was feeling a lot better and so I was really banking on this weekend to be really good because I needed it. The 10K was the one distance that I was looking forward to the most. I know I already said that the 5K was my favorite. The 10K was a close second. The only thing that I have to say about it and again, my experience is totally different between me and Lexi because we had a long, long discussion about it and I can't wait for her to tell you guys what happened the only thing I guess I was okay, so I was in Corral A. The only thing I have to say about this is I was looking forward to this because you were in the parks for so long the fact that you're in the parks for so long you would think there'll be way more character stops than there were, and there just really weren't that many character stops.
Speaker 5:I remember running to Avengers Campus thinking, okay, they weren't out for the 5K, but we're gonna be out there for a while for the 10K. So I got really amped up. My first mile I think my Strava had at 8.15, because I was booking it. I was ready to go see characters and then to not see characters at the Avengers Campus I was disappointed. But then again, other than that, it still was a really good race.
Speaker 5:The spectators for this were awesome. There was a lot of good spectating locations, I will say, one of which my favorite personally was going from California Adventure to Disneyland and having that little alleyway of sorts I don't know how else to call it pathway there you go To get in between there was just so much crowd support there and even on the roads outside of the parks to get to and from the start and finish line. I still thought it was great. Like I said, it was a close second, or sorry, close first, between that and the 5K and yeah, that's really all I have to say about that one. I guess. Hey, but what was your experience?
Speaker 2:I really enjoyed it. I mean it's six miles. I feel like we were in the parks for 90% of it. You basically start out running around about a mile to get into the park and then you're in the park all the way almost until about five and a half. Then you run out. So that was really great to see everything. It's dark, so everything is lit up. It's colorful, it's fun and vibrant. There's just a lot of stuff going on. There were places that were dim, but just overall, just the atmosphere being in California Adventure and then in Disneyland, it's magical to me and no matter what problems there were, that's still to me the bottom line it's a magical place to be anyway. So to be there, to be able to run, have fun, it was great. So I had a really good time doing that race overall.
Speaker 6:I do have a quick question before we move on to Michael and Lexi. I know that one of the big things that I noticed when I did Disneyland years ago was the different textures of the ground and I know we'll get to a story with Jack and things on the ground when we get to the half. But did you guys notice the different textures of the different lands you went through or did that not bother you at all it?
Speaker 5:didn't bother me until you were outside the parks. To be honest, yeah, I agree with that.
Speaker 7:I didn't notice much of it while we were in the parks. It was just the roads outside the parks that was.
Speaker 9:I don't think any of it registered for me at all. I was just running on roads that feel like roads I've run on before.
Speaker 6:Maybe it was just a textile thing for me that was weird because I remember that very vividly, so I was just curious.
Speaker 9:I mean, it's not to say your observation's wrong, it just didn't register with me, right.
Speaker 6:No, no, no, I didn't take it that way.
Speaker 2:I definitely. When I was running, I would always look on towards the floor because I recognize that there are a lot of different obstacles that are on the ground. But outside of the tracks, of course, you have the curbs, you have a number of the I don't know what they call them, but it's for the gate tracks. So there are these kind of triangle little shape things that when you're going places.
Speaker 2:You can run over those. But what I found the most challenging was where they put cones. Like when we came into the backside of DCA there was a lot of people on the left and all of a sudden you see people jump out of the way In front of you. You're like what's going on? They're running around a cone, that's just kind of right there. It seemed them to be in the middle of the road, but so that was a little awkward in many cases. But the road services I could see the changing of them and so that kind of like I always kind of keep an eye because I know when you're going through Disneyland you do have transitions of the ground. So I'd always keep an eye on that to see so that I didn't trip up.
Speaker 5:I also do want to put this out there. You know, when you're so used to running at Disney World and you have these consistent warnings.
Speaker 7:Good caution runners, speed bump ahead.
Speaker 5:We're caution runners. Sharp, turn ahead this time, you guys. It was just cast members saying hey, you guys, there's a speed pump, Do not trip up. Yeah, no joke.
Speaker 9:There was a point where it's like I probably heard from six different cast members before I got to the speed bump. And then afterwards the runners around me were like, wait, there was a speed bump there. I should have gotten a warning right, like it was kind of a you know. Yeah.
Speaker 5:So I also forgot to say this when I was originally talking about my experience. But I will say I told Michael this and he can agree this I hate 10Ks.
Speaker 9:Yes, they're the worst distance. Yes, they are my least favorite distance to run.
Speaker 5:I would rather run a 100K ultra marathon than run a 10K. Weird, yes, I know, but I just can't figure out 10Ks. They just-.
Speaker 9:10k is my least favorite distance Short distance, middle distance, long distance, 10k is the worst, absolutely 100%. I was so glad that we could bond over this during the half marathon journey.
Speaker 5:I know I feel like I'm the only one out here that thinks it, but that made that difference. But with that being said, though and I know you can agree with me on this as well this was the most beautiful 10K I think I've ever ran.
Speaker 9:Yeah. So I guess I'll jump in then and say that from the most positive, this is the prettiest Disney course. I've run that 10K. Yes, it is not my favorite Disney, 10K I've run, but it is the prettiest course that I've run because still much of what. Abel said is in the parks and you just. Dca is extraordinarily pretty when no one is there.
Speaker 8:Yes.
Speaker 7:Yes, that's lit up. Yeah, it's just really pretty Especially it picks our peers. Yes, it's our peers especially.
Speaker 9:Like that whole loop when you're coming up to it and you just see that whole thing. So, so, so, pretty so. Running through the parks, really cool. Running from one park entrance to the other park entrance, really cool. I was like, oh wait, I'm about to cross parks, like that was a really cool moment. And the 10K is the only race distance that basically consumes both parks. That way, right, cause the five, like you know, no you get through a good bit in the 5K.
Speaker 9:Right, a good bit. But like you see all of it in the 10K and added benefit for the 10K is you start, like Abel said, you start on kind of the road stretch outside and so we know what the congestion is like at the beginning of a run.
Speaker 9:Disney race and many other races and this is my first time in a long time starting in B behind all of A, I was really grateful for that road stretch because it was a really wide road so I could just pass, like I did my first mile in like 730 to get around large groups and I just went around everybody and then, okay, it had thinned out by the time I got to the park and then the rest was just pretty like part going with people who were going, like I slowed back down and then it was okay, roughly people going nearish my pace right For the rest of the race and I really like, like you know we're used to in Disney World, we have a long highway stretch but it's actually much narrower than the these non highway roads were Like, so there's a lot more room to pass people, and then it's just wasn't that long before suddenly you're in a park and you already had the time to kind of pass people if you were going to take advantage of it. So so that was great. So that was kind of the top of that is the positive for me from the 10K, because after that my, my roads, my notes get more critical as we go. All right, fair enough. So I did pretty quickly, like this is.
Speaker 9:I'm not complaining about wait times at character stops. I know most people experience much longer wait times than I do normally. The wait times were totally reasonable by the time I got to characters, but since I started further back, I was like you know what, I'll skip the first few characters. Eventually, like you know, there will be a point where there'll be shorter times and then I can stop at them from that point on, and so I get to a basically halfway through the race when I'm like there we go Chip and Dale, and that's a short enough line that I feel like cool, especially because it was like 43 degrees and I was in shorts and short sleeves.
Speaker 9:So I was like I'm not gonna stand still for minutes at a time, so I stopped. Chip and Dale got a picture and I was like, great, I'm gonna stop for every other character. The rest of the race. There were no other characters.
Speaker 4:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 9:But they were the last one and it was basically halfway through the race.
Speaker 4:I'll be darned.
Speaker 9:So that was a big disappointment and just in terms of frequency and I'm sure there's all kinds of reasons why Like I, but as a like what I personally want from a run Disney race different from other races, that's one of the things that I want and I didn't get right. So another thing that I think a lot of us talked about was that there were so many points where you expect a photo pass photographer and you're like, oh, I'm gonna go around this corner and I'm gonna like point or jump or something and there's nobody there. What happened? Where are they? Like just really obvious photo points where there just wasn't a photographer and you're like, but I even see a place for a photographer right there, it could be. Right there, there's a place for a tent. And then there's just some of its cultural thing, like weird things where photographers would not be actually at the tent, they'd be somewhere like off from it or something.
Speaker 9:And I don't think that's worse. It just really throws those of us who were expecting, expecting it, because we're like, okay, I'm looking at where, where are they? Oh, somebody just took a picture of me when I was looking the opposite direction, right, so that was just like a really odd kind of situation and yeah, I mean I think that's really it for the 10K. I don't have a lot of other notes. It was like a really fun 10K to soak in the experience of, but I don't have a lot of photos to revisit the experience with, right, and that is one of the things that run Disney really does a lot is like one of the things that I'll tell people. We've all heard people come. Well, I don't know, actually, maybe we don't, but I used to hear people complain about, like waiting for their photo pass photos to come in for Disney World run Disney races. I'm like, have you not run other races?
Speaker 9:They are so fast and you get so many photos compared to other races and this was more like other races in terms of the photo experience and not the run Disney like extraordinary thing that is run Disney and how those photos come in and really let you revisit the experience you had.
Speaker 5:I technically have a little bit of a video of you running through Cars Land because you're running me, but I don't know if that helps.
Speaker 9:I mean I would love to have that, but but it was just a note where, like I remember because I was the only one in my group in the room who finished the 10K and they were all awake when I got back and they're like how was it? And I was like I don't want to disappoint you guys, but like I'm disappointed. And it's not. It wasn't a bad race. It's just not what I wanted out of it because of that right, and that's even getting over the mess. That was the start, right. It was just like the. It was a really good 10K but it wasn't what I personally have grown to love from a run Disney race and that was race run Disney race 74 and Disneyland was 75, the half was 75.
Speaker 9:So, like quite a few.
Speaker 2:All I would say is just, you know, talking about the photo pass, that was one of the. To me it was a little disappointing because I do. You know I don't necessarily stop for character stops very much, and there wasn't very much for me to do. I got the, I got the. I basically got two character stops and those are both in the 5K right, which was with Goofy. And then I did get Bolt, but Bolt was actually you gave the cast member your phone and they took your picture and actually I got a couple of photo pass shots in the 5K. I got one between in the half and none in the full, but get to that limit.
Speaker 2:So Wait what so I have? There's a half a shot of me at the finish line, but yeah, so one so that's, I didn't get any finish line photos. So it just every time there was one, I just it wasn't. There was people. I was always in a crowd pretty much the entire race. But you know, again, it's still, it was still fun and I took my own pictures, so that was good.
Speaker 7:So my 10K experience was less than ideal. I ended the race very mad very mad.
Speaker 5:Yes, she did. I've never seen her this mad after a Disney race, so I can concur.
Speaker 7:But I have tempered that anger and I'm just going to tell you the facts so that I don't get mad again. So I was an F. I had originally anticipated the 10K being kind of like my easier pace which, granted, I have not trained for this race weekend as much as I should have hardly at all but I knew that I could at least maintain the 16 minute, like I was pretty confident that I would do, like 1630, and then, with the buffer that you build into yourself, like I was going to be okay. So then you know, I see that they're letting the crowds out, all of them all at once every five minutes, and I have never been that anxious before. It is new race ever in my life.
Speaker 7:So it started off on a bad note and then I was keeping to my pace, like I was listening to what my Strava was saying and what my pace was and like, okay, I'm good. But then, like I noticed, as we would come up to the character lines, they were all closed off, like no one from F could get in line for the characters because they already shut the lines down because they were too long. And then I hit mile three and the balloon ladies passed me and I'm like, but wait, my Strava is saying that I'm at this pace and I'm only at the third mile, like they shouldn't be passing me and they shouldn't even be close to me until I get to at least mile five. And so they go past me and I was like, okay, well, I guess they'll sweep me. And then when they sweep me, and it's fine, it's whatever.
Speaker 7:And then the cast members around were being like very aggressive, like it's a hard sweep, it's a hard sweep, you have to go past this point. And so I pushed myself further probably than I should have, trying to like okay, well, if they haven't swept me yet, then I can keep going. So I'm going to go further. But like the cast members that were yelling it were bordering on rude about it, like you're too slow, and like saying kind of offensive phrases like that, that I'm like that's not what you want to hear at a Disney race.
Speaker 7:And then I get to the sixth mile mark and they had held the balloon ladies at the six mile mark and they were letting everybody go and finish the race, which I was like, okay, that's weird, first of all. Then I get to the finish and I stopped my Strava and my average pace was 1525. And I'm like you had one job and so it just really frustrated me and confused me and like not to mention all of the character lines were closed as there weren't any photo. Past people were tripping over everything. I saw four people, like with medical, who had tripped on that back area that we had to go in, like right at mile four and five, and it was just not a pleasant experience. I came off of it Like I don't know if I want to run tomorrow, like I was not happy at all.
Speaker 5:Didn't you even say there is a cast member that was saying that there is going to be, like a hard cut off, because, like that, that wasn't saying that, they said that.
Speaker 7:And also that I remember there was one hard cut off that was supposed to be at mile five and I'm like dude, I'm like right, I'm like almost at the finish, like just let me finish if I'm already here.
Speaker 5:When they like really rude about it to like in terms of how they worded hey, there's going to be a hard cut off and you are two minutes behind.
Speaker 7:Oh yeah, they told me I was five minutes behind the blue lady pace, so less than ideal. I will echo the course was beautiful. I didn't really enjoy it while I was doing it but like looking back and thinking back on, like no, that was. That was a good experience to run through the course that I did, the logistics of it and the cast members that I encountered. Run Disney do better.
Speaker 2:I will say too, I did find it funny that the balloon ladies somehow I never saw them pass me until I caught up to them. The first time I saw them was when I caught up to them.
Speaker 7:Oh, that was another thing, like they did no warning in Disney World. They're like the bikes come in there two minutes behind you, like, and they're super nice about it. There was no warning, I just turn and I was like oh hello, balloon ladies.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was coming around and I see that I see the balloon in the distance and someone next to me said, oh, that must be that someone must be speaking, that can't be the balloon ladies. And then comes up. I'm like, well, I'm not going to take any chance. I kind of sped up and I pass them. And then, as I'm about 100 yards behind them, a bike does come up and say no, that's them, you got to pick it up. So. So I just kind of scurried along and and this was that, I don't know, this was out of toon town. So this was pretty close to the. This was, I think, coming. It was. This is going behind the Runaway Worldwide building. So it's getting close to the end. But surprised to see them there.
Speaker 8:I hope we have some better news on the half marathon. So how did the half marathon go for you? I know we have two groups here. Two were starting in the front and two starting in the back, so where do we want to start first?
Speaker 9:at the front. So I went in with readjusted expectations from the previous day.
Speaker 9:So I was like you know. I also knew from the course that we were basically going to have more or less the 10 K course, followed by road, which is fine I like road races, that's. That's no big deal, you know. So I was like, all right, well, let me soak that in and also recognize that there are not going to be other characters like after I get out of the parks. So so I think starting with a was was beneficial to that. I started at, I stopped at, I think every character, maybe close to it, something like that stopped at a bunch of characters at least, and maybe not everyone, but a bunch of them, and and that that was good. Still, all the same critiques as far as um photo pass, placement and timing and not being at the at the things and so on. But, um, oh, you know, I totally skipped the morning of security stuff, didn't I? So I first, I left earlier, I got my whole group in the room cause we were all doing this race to leave 30 minutes earlier than I left the previous time. He was like you know what, if there's going to be a line that doesn't go anywhere early, we're going to be at the front of that line instead of the back of that line. And so we did that and they had let people up to security and started going through security before the 30 30 call time, which was very interesting, but we still couldn't go into the actual uh, what's called the the staging area. So there was this weird pause, like you would get through security and then you would just pause and not be able to go past, like cross the street, into the entrances, and they just held us there for a while. Instead, we're like well, this is weird. And then we had quite literally two different cast members. So one cast member told us you're all going to go that direction, cause that's where the entrance is going to be, but not yet. We're like okay, so we wait there and we start lining up on that side, and then it's time to go and another cast member comes up as like no, you have to go that direction, which is literally the opposite direction of the direction that we were starting to go to, which we had been told before. And we're like well, which is it? Because now we have two cast members, have told us exact opposite instructions and we can see signs off in the distance that say entrance here and entrance there, so we don't think it really matters. But, uh, so eventually somebody just started going and the crowd followed and we made it in. But, um, but that whole process of getting of them letting us in even though we had gotten through security early, that process of them saying we could go was late.
Speaker 9:So we're now rushing in again, feeling like anxious and everything, like I said for the 10k and I did not put any bags in the gear check the previous day, but this time I did just because it was going to be so cold afterwards and uh and so on. And so, um, and I knew I was going to wait around for longer because the half marathon I wanted to see people after the race. And so the minute we cross into the staging area, like the fence and staging area, we have cast members like really forcefully yelling at us no, go that way, go that way straight to the corral. And I'm like, but the gear check is behind you. Like I, what, what do you know? We have to go do a gear check. And then you see them like very confused for a second, like, oh, okay, I understand. So we're going over to the gear check and again like I'm maybe the first person to truck three Just been a couple other people at other trucks, so I went to them, I dumped my thing and, because I'm so rushed and I know there are people coming behind me, did not occur to me that, oh, I'm wearing my jacket.
Speaker 9:So I go back to the truck and I'm like trying to get the guys attention. It's like my, my bag is the first one there. Can you just toss this in there? And he's just completely ignoring me and he's like a very single focus, single minded, focused on getting other people in which, like, I can't really blame him, but also is very frustrating from my side. And thankfully, one of my friends ended up like very quickly. He soon after jumped into that same line. So, like Mike, do you mind just tossing my jacket in your bag please? And he's like, yeah, got it, and that was that. But it's just another sign of the whole when you don't give us enough time in that pre race area, we're likely to make mistakes right, and that's when everybody is a little bit more relaxed and everybody has more time. People can like pause and communicate and you know that sort of thing. So so that was a little bit messy.
Speaker 9:I also had part of somebody else's costume with me and so I was like went into a but then was like constantly texting with friends to see when they were going to get there so I could like toss the costume piece to them over the over the side this was this whole thing. And they were in B and messaged me at one point about their cause. One of them was getting in late because of security there's. I think they were coming in the other security line and that was like really really backed up. And so a friend who was going to start with her was like I'm going to come up to the side of A so you can toss it to me and then I will meet her and take it to her. It's like all right, great. And then, as she's coming in, she's like I can't find space in B, like I just can't, and I heard that from people after. The fact about later corrals is like there's just literally not enough space in the corrals for the runners who are registered to be in that corral.
Speaker 5:Right, and so that they were telling us to move up Like literally squished in, like a sardine, so that they could try and fill people because I was in B. So yeah, I definitely heard that.
Speaker 9:Yeah, so that was a. So I was because I was on group threads with people. I was just getting stressed by their situation, even though, like I was fine. But I was just kind of sitting there as like, well, that's not fun, and kind of knowing that we have a whole half marathon to run and this how things were starting and it wasn't really an improvement over the previous day, like they knew to let us in through security sooner because of how that turned out, but nothing else really changed for the better from that from that point on. So sorry I skipped back into the thing, but that was that. Was that my kind of corral situation? So I can pause there and continue my race stuff later? But actually, yeah, because I basically said everything about the park area and then from that point on, is when Jack and I meet up, so we can wait until Jack gets there.
Speaker 4:Okay, cool, yeah, well, let's let Jack catch up. I like that. That's very clever All right, so okay.
Speaker 5:So the morning didn't start off great because we so I had my mylar blanket that I had gotten from the 10k and Lexi had hers too. Problem was the, the, the, the maid thought that it was trash and threw it out, and so we didn't have it for the half marathon morning. And so it was very cold and I remember like just squatting down in the corrals, absolutely miserable, because I was so cold and I was shaking convulsively.
Speaker 7:Oh my pro tip If you run into the situation and you can't find your mylar, ask the front desk if they have a large trash bag.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, it helps.
Speaker 7:It does help. I asked them for a trash bag and I cut a hole in it and I just stuck my head in it.
Speaker 9:I've got a large trash bags for every race weekend.
Speaker 4:I do too, michael. Yeah, I do too. Head in both arms and you're good to go, and then you get to rip it off like the Hulk Exactly.
Speaker 5:Um, really kind of like Michael. Uh, now, I started in B so because the crowd was released all at once, there is a lot more people. Just it was congested, um, so I I mean it was fine. The only issue that I think I had during this half marathon was so I was debating whether or not I wanted to get in line for Dumbo. When I did get in line, only a few people after me, they cut off the line. The race just started. I didn't understand that at all and the cast member was saying you guys need to move on. This line is officially cut right now. We are up to capacity in this line. Please continue running. And I'm just like what Did they? Did that really just happen? Um, like this race just happened, like I've seen. And then during later on in the race, there was these lines that were way longer than the Dumbo line was. I wonder if this was just the cast member was going off of what he thought he had to do. I don't know.
Speaker 9:I wonder if some of it was placement, because the area is tighter in Disneyland. So I wonder if it's just like we don't have anywhere for the lines to go. I mean, that's me trying to give them the best reasoning, yeah.
Speaker 7:Yeah, but then at the same time the 5k lines were completely crazy. Like you know, a quarter of them I mean I'm exaggerating a little bit, but like a quarter of a mile away from where the actual character is.
Speaker 5:So yeah, I mean, that was that was probably my. One big thing is is my first time seeing that a cast member had cut off the line after Corral B just got in through there. So it's just kind of like that. I thought was really weird. And then I heard somebody tell this to me and I don't know how. I was not there for it, so I'm just going to repeat what they said. But they said that they had cut off one of the lines I don't know if it was during this race or one of the other races and said it's going to be 30 minutes before it comes back out. And I'm like what?
Speaker 7:Yeah, it was yeah they told me that too.
Speaker 5:I was like what, what do you mean? I thought that was really weird, because at Disney World, I mean, if you have, let's say, Pocahontas out, she, she goes back to go find Miko, and then you have maybe Merida come out and they kind of swapped like that. So I just thought it was really weird that Disneyland I mean from what I could tell it didn't really do that. I don't know.
Speaker 7:Yeah, and if characters like Dumbo, specifically, he should have like gone to grab some peanuts and then come back out, yeah, but they had.
Speaker 5:the one thing I really liked about this half marathon was the fact that they brought out the really rare characters. I mean you even had Pete from a goofy movie out and I freaked out because I've never seen him out before, and the point that I had gotten to him. It had been a relatively short line, but it was still a good race. Yeah, not much to say about inside the parks. I was looking forward to inside the parks more than the road. By the time we got outside the roads I was saying it got a little bit. Oh man, okay, now I just want to see that finish line. I know I'm going to speak for Lexi on this one too. Thank you everybody so much who came up to both Lexi and I throughout the entire weekend. There is at the expo in the parks during the races. I have met so many of you guys and you guys lifted my spirit so much.
Speaker 5:One example was I was running on the road before I met Michael and the 215 group kind of came by and one of the Ryzen runners saw me walking. He's like oh, jack Ryzen one is it? He's like oh, come on, you can do this. In my head I'm like oh, I'm trying to fix my gimbal. I love the motivation. I fixed it. I went past the group after I fixed it and I said go, go, go away, pacers, or something like that. The guy that was from one of our listeners. He's like so what's motivating you to finish? I said the finish right now. Oh, my God, it's open road man. Thank you to that kind listener, you were too funny. Thank you again for everybody who reached out. There is so many people that I wish I could say all your names, but just know that we really appreciated it. And then, really it wasn't long after I met up with you, michael, I'm just shocked I caught up to you. But yeah, we met, I think six and a half miles in.
Speaker 9:So one thing I didn't mention is I as much as like I still thought the course was really pretty in park, I personally was having a very, very, very bad race like suddenly, so like my left leg actually, with all of you. Almost a year ago, when I was talking about the World Marathon Challenge, I mentioned that like day six in Brazil, I had this, just like my left leg just would not bear my weight and I had to take painkillers for it and so on. This wasn't that bad, but it's the first time. It's the only other time I've felt something like this in my left leg. I was just like I don't know what the deal is. The rest of my body is fine, but I just cannot run on this leg right now, and it started like mile two.
Speaker 9:So I was very much like long walking breaks and I would try to run a little bit and it wouldn't work and so and so friends would ask me like Michael, how are you doing? I was like are there? Like are you, are you okay? I was like honestly no, but I'm just going to keep going and if I need to walk, I need to walk. It's fine, because it was fine when I was walking. It just hurt when I was running. And then, like, gradually, I was able to jog slightly longer and longer, like segments, and then eventually, by the time Jack had caught me, I was like consistently running again, like whatever. It was loosened up to the point where it didn't hurt, but I also couldn't get my normal stride back. So I was just kind of like, all right, well, I guess this is what it looks like the rest of the race.
Speaker 9:So the for running wise, the second half of the race was much, much, much better for me than the first half. But that was just my body being a body right, like it's just how it is and we all have those. And this part of why I'm here right now too, is like we were near the end. I was like Jack, by the way, it's total, I'm sure you all are going to talk about the race, it's totally fine to mention that like I was having a terrible day because I'm human and we all do Right, so, so, and then, and then Jack was like, actually, maybe you could come talk with us. I was like, oh, okay, yeah, I'd be down, but but otherwise, yeah, I mean we had a blast. Like Jack helped my friend Jay, who we lost at some point. I don't remember Like we just kind of.
Speaker 5:I think that's around mile 10, to be honest. Yeah.
Speaker 9:I kept disappearing to take his own character photos with like unofficial characters. And then I was like okay, jay's gone, he's going to surely come back. And then one time he didn't. I was like what happened? Where'd he go? And but otherwise unofficial characters.
Speaker 7:There were like figurines of the characters from a Bugs life. They had, like I don't know, like ceramic plastic, some kind of like, just oh, I know what you're talking about.
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 9:I mean like post that, like outside, when we had like the duck stadium or something.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so we had.
Speaker 9:You know, the mighty ducks mascot was there and then you had, like the stormtroopers cheering for us and being like, you know, bring back Star Wars races, so you know stuff like that. But but otherwise I mean honestly, outside it was, it was a road race. It was a fine road race in Anaheim, like many road races that I've run, you know. I thought it was cool. No photo pass photographers outside of Disney property, so that's a thing. You're not going to get photos until the finish line once you leave property. Just not really a thing I had thought about before that.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I mean I'm glad that I ran into you because, honestly, I was at the point I'm like I don't need a PR, any of this kind of race, Because I had spent too long waiting in line for Dumbo and I'm just like it's whatever. And then I saw you as like oh, a friend, so I was really happy I got to bump into you.
Speaker 9:But yeah, because it was like oh, I can get out of my head about how bad the first start of my life was.
Speaker 6:Same and.
Speaker 9:I went on a whole emotional journey during this segment, like in the segment when I was running alone and struggling because I also ran into problems during the marathon and I was supposed to do I'm signed up for a 50 miler in a couple of months.
Speaker 9:And I went through this like feeling bad about myself and my running and how am I going to do this 50 miler? To be like, well, I don't really want to do that 50 miler, I don't have to do that to meet the people that I'm doing that for, so I'm not going to. And I like rescheduled my entire spring race season and then started to get excited about my race season because now I can do the training I want to do. And then by then Jack met up with me and I was like, man, I'm excited about my season now and this was all I just needed to feel bad about myself during two races on two back to back weekends. Really I needed it so. So Jack came in like I was starting to feel better about this whole thing and then we got to enjoy the race together.
Speaker 5:The only part of the race I didn't like was after the mile 13 marker.
Speaker 6:I didn't like most of the race, then didn't you, Jack?
Speaker 4:I loved it. That last tenth of a mile was a bear though, wasn't it?
Speaker 5:I didn't say anything to Michael about this at all during the entire second half that I ran this, but I, because we were on the road, there was a lot of tripping hazards and I am very much accident prone. I was worrying in my head the entire time don't trip on it. Don't trip on it. All these like little reflectors that are on the road or like those little divots sometimes you have. And by the time I had gotten to the mile 13 marker, I get this footage on my camera for you know, passport trim. Oh my God, I made it without tripping. I did this. So I round up my camera to get the footage of all of the people cheering and as I'm doing it, you get. You hear people going whoa and then I put in if you would like to see this footage. The video is out. It's great.
Speaker 5:I put it into slow motion because it was just too funny not to the fall of almost basically like face planting the ground because I had tripped over one of the reflectors on the ground.
Speaker 5:I feel like I was a good sport about it because I think I kind of laughed a little bit after landing. I was a little confused of what happened at first, but I just want to say a huge shout out to you, michael, as well as Blake and Josh, who were there running with us for the last mile. We guys all helped meet up from the ground and made sure I was okay and then we got to do the finish together. I mean, I will say my knees basically got destroyed, especially my left knee. The skin was just, and then, because I was holding the gimbal of my camera, I had really gotten my knuckles into the ground so well that I it literally had some skin hanging off. So I was just like this is great, it's the last race anyways. But literally I was so excited about not tripping at the mile 13 marker. It was like euphoria, it was great. And then literally, bam. I just will not forget that feeling.
Speaker 9:From my perspective, I've run over half this race with Jack and after mile 12, we pick up my friends Josh and Blake and like mile 12 and a half, we pick up my friend Mindy, who's the wife of my friend Mike, who's a gear check. My jacket was in and so we're sitting there and there's like five of us rounding that final turn, like it's a turn, like a pretty substantial one, and I'm like we're all doing this and then I just like where'd Jack go? What just happened? Like Jack is gone.
Speaker 9:And I turn around because I hear like a bunch of people gasping like sound effects, you know, and I turn and like Jack is on the ground. So I like run backwards and you know, my other friends were already helping her up and I get there too and we're all doing it and there's like all right, cool, we're good, we're going to finish, jack, you okay. And then, like, as soon as we cross the finish line, it's like all right, jack is going to medical. Yeah, but it was a moment it was like all right, the race was basically done and then Jack disappeared.
Speaker 5:But I will say I wasn't the only person that fell, and I oh and Lexi, I think, told me this. Apparently in some Facebook group someone had mentioned in a comment that said oh yeah, some podcaster fell during the race too. Dude, I'm not some podcast, that made me laugh, but like literally, though. Later on I saw somebody she legitimately face planted her ground, that she had skid marks from her forehead, nose and her top.
Speaker 8:Yeah, I saw that too, that's not good.
Speaker 5:The amount of people that fell during this race was insane. But on a positive note, congrats for finishing.
Speaker 9:We finished, but yet Jack, meeting up with Jack vastly improved my race.
Speaker 5:Same for you. For you, yeah, fun running with you.
Speaker 7:So I'll, I'll go next, because mine's kind of quick. I came into this half marathon with very low expectations and I was like you know what, I'm just going to go at my own pace whenever I feel like it and I'll go until they tell me to stop. Is kind of what my mindset was, and I enjoyed the course more. I was like you know what, I can actually look around and like have mental images of this course and it's going to be much better than the previous day. So I was I mean, I was maintaining my pace. I think I was closer to like right at 16, 16 and a half minute pace and I hit mile four. The balloon ladies passed me. I was like, okay, that's fine. And then it was right before mile four. And then I get two mile four and they were like we're holding the balloon ladies for 90 seconds, so okay.
Speaker 7:So I went as hard as I could for the next mile because they said there was going to be a hard sweep at five. I'm like, well, I mean I know yesterday hard sweep didn't mean anything, but if they do sweep me, I want to get past the five point. So I did, and then the balloon ladies passed me again at five point one, and then I kept going. You know, I met people around me, talked to one lady about the podcast. She hadn't heard of it so maybe she's listening now. And then I saw someone that I did not get your name but she watches the passport to run videos and she recognized me. And then I got swept at mile nine and my Strava said that I had gone 10 miles. So not quite sure how that works, but yeah, I had a good time and I got the medal and it's beautiful and the end.
Speaker 4:Hey, we'll bring it home, buddy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it was another fun start to the day. But we you know again, because we couldn't hear, we didn't know when ways were going off. So you know, I want to give a little shout out to the Facebook chat again. Kimberly, who is in crowd see, was giving us updates when the the world is, disney went and when a went and B went. So then it was great to be able to know and it was funny because people around me I was telling my wife, all right, b's going and people, and you just saw all these heads turn and all excited. Oh, thanks for the updates, thanks for the updates.
Speaker 2:It was kind of fun to be that kind of a conveyor of good news, because we're going to go. Because we also did start the race, I think, 15 minutes late that day, right, yeah, we forgot to talk about that.
Speaker 7:Oh yeah, and we don't know why.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So we're just wondering, like what's going on? When did no one start? So we're all. That's where we're all kind of getting antsy. You know everyone's.
Speaker 7:Chris wasn't even on the stage.
Speaker 5:He didn't even say anything at all that they was getting delayed. Like no, like the anthem hadn't even played by the time it was 5am.
Speaker 9:Chris has said on their podcast that they were told not to say anything.
Speaker 8:So she's all right.
Speaker 4:Well, you're on charge. I know what happened. Pelki wasn't there and he sent Pelki out and he goes to the mic and he goes. So here's the thing. He wasn't there yeah.
Speaker 2:So, and as you guys were talking about, the crowds were very crowded and I, when I got into the corral and I was in G, so I was basically I got in there and I was maybe 10 feet from the fence that was cutting everyone off and I was there probably about 45 minutes before five, so about 415, 420 or so, so there were still tons of people come out of this picture where it was back to. We started getting pushed forward a little bit, so gaps were getting filled. We're filling the dead space. But you started seeing right next to us how far backed up it was. It was basically looped around and G, so we were, you know.
Speaker 7:F was that way too.
Speaker 2:It really was wild to see how many people were stuck, not even in the corral, yet you know officially, and so it was a little bit of a hectic start. And so again, with that many people was, you know, yes, the road was big when she turned up, you know, from Disney way, you know, onto onto Harbor and then onto Catala, it was wide until we're getting through, and my wife and I we decided we're going to stick with the 315 pace group and so we did that until, until, you know, no one's brought it up yet the mile three, water stop.
Speaker 4:There you go. It's time Go ahead.
Speaker 9:We got there. I was waiting for it.
Speaker 2:We got there and all of a sudden I hit a wall. I'm like, man, it's dark, I'm coming, you know, coming around the grand cal the, the grand California's entrance. It looked at houses, very beautiful, and all of a sudden we're like what's going on? There's like people are slowing up. Oh, it must be a water stop. Literally was a water stop. And we I think I stood there.
Speaker 7:And as I got hit a wall like I was not moving forward, yeah, we've seen photos, yeah.
Speaker 2:And you know. So you're coming around and this, this turn comes around where the um soren is is and they had the water stop and we were just stuck there, I think. I think I think it was about three minutes before I started moving. And by the time we started moving I could see the pace group sign kind of moving up and down and they were almost to the exit and I was still at the water stop, so they were a good 150 yards ahead of me and I never saw them again. So I just kind of tried to keep my own pace and of course I decided not to bring my gym boss that day because I was like I'm going to stay with the three Right.
Speaker 7:They're going to do it.
Speaker 2:So we just, I just kept going and doing my own thing and, um, my wife, she turned it on her phone and so she kind of was, she was always a little bit behind me, but we just kind of always kept coming together. Um, so that was a nice thing. So I didn't have the pace group, we didn't have the pace group, but we had each other to kind of get through it. And you know, getting through the parks again was great. Um, you know, I did almost get hit by a, a, a portapotty door.
Speaker 2:Um, oh my, oh, my it was a water stop right at a corner and once you made the left turn past the water stop, there was a row of portapotties along the road and there was no real separation, so you get. So the door swung open and almost you know, almost got me. So I was like they might want to move those, offset those a little bit, but we, you know, I was like I know I need to use the bathroom, but I didn't need that reminder yet and so we got it. We've got a new recorded message.
Speaker 4:now Caution portapotties ahead.
Speaker 2:So we made it through and you know I, because we ran through to town, uh, twice already, I knew where there was a great bathroom on the course. I was like I'm going to hit that and, and I was the only time I had to do that and hit this, hit the see, hit the streets of Anaheim, and I thought those were fine. Obviously those road pucks were. I did see a couple of people get taken out by them along the road. Um, I stayed, oh, I tried to stay off to the side as much as I could, so that didn't happen to me. Um, there was a lot of fun activities. I was able to, um, get a, uh, a red vine from from somebody out along the road. She was handing him out. It was, you know, unofficial. Um uh fuel stop for people. Um, a lot of great signs. Uh, you know, had the, you know harken back to the week before when we had the Blizzard Beach parking lot, we had the Angel Stadium parking lot, so it was a lot of reminders of the previous weekend. So, and you know we, we got to the finish. I got to, you know, uh, reconnected with my wife, at the mile 13 marker. We ran in the rest of the way, um, you know, it got it, got across the line and was super excited to be finished. It was just really, you know, again doing coast to coast, I was like super ecstatic hey, just a goofy. The week before I did Dumbo I was like this is, this is amazing. It was a great feeling. Again, there were their problems and again, but just the excitement that the passion that you know we all have for for Disney and run Disney, it, just it came through and it was really, uh, an amazing experience to cross that finish line.
Speaker 2:I almost did get a little worried because when we got, we got our uh metal, the, the half metal, then the Dumbo metal, and then I went to the coast to coast and they cut off my my wristband. It's like the coast to coast, you cut it off. And then I went to grab the metal. She's like where's your wristband? She almost didn't give me my metal because they had cut it off before they handed me the metal. But then I she's like, no, it's all right. And then she gave it to me and I kept so a little bit of a heck that I was a little worried, but I got it and you know, we ran out and, uh, it's the only time I stayed at the staging area to take some pictures, it was at that point, um, but yeah, so overall great. You know, again, again, there were challenges.
Speaker 9:My three was really tough, um, you know, losing the pace group is tough, but you know, we made it, um, we made it through and uh, I do want to circle back and say that the angel stadium parking lot because Jack made the comment to me and it was like Michael and I had not thought about this it's like this Blizzard beach. I was like, oh yeah, so like I had not thought about that until Jack mentioned. But I liked it a lot more than Blizzard beach because there's like random other people there, right Like you've got the car people.
Speaker 2:The Rose parade. The Rose parade, people were there.
Speaker 4:And for what it's worth. The the Halloween race probably will go through the stadium. They had a monster truck rally at the stadium when you guys were there. It was a scheduling thing.
Speaker 7:And next year the Disneyland race is three weeks after, or two weeks after, marathon weekend, so it's probably doesn't have the same scheduling thing.
Speaker 4:Mm, hmm, but yeah, and the other thing is and I'm not going to attribute this to anyone but run. Disney does know about the problem with the water stop, and for the Halloween race that's going to be somewhere else.
Speaker 5:Before we wrap up, I am just curious with all you guys. I think personally for me, if, if I had the option to do Disneyland again, I would hands down, sign up for the five K and 10 K, potentially the half marathon, but that five K and 10 K, I thought it was great. And you guys, what would you do?
Speaker 9:I mean 10k is my least favorite distance, so I'm not doing a 10k on the aft for the weekend. I'll go back eventually. I'll do another one after I see some kinks worked out and I'm sure I will have fun at it. And if I go back it'll probably be for the aft and I will just soak in that first 10k, you know.
Speaker 7:I feel the same way. I'll go again, just not anytime soon. They got to work out some of the kinks before I go back.
Speaker 2:I agree, I would definitely go back and for me it's a little bit close.
Speaker 2:I am in Northern California so it's a little bit easier for me to say, hey, I'll take some of those challenges and roll with it as we still learn a little bit more. I definitely would, because, yeah, those 10k, the 10k and 5k definitely were a lot of fun because of how much park time you had. Hopefully they do make some changes More character stops, a little better guidance around the parks and what have you but definitely would be interested in doing those again.
Speaker 5:Alright. Last question for you guys personally for me, if you could choose one very specific thing, has to be something different between each of you guys. What would be the one thing that you would like to tell Run Disney to change for the next race? I think for me especially, just kind of noticing it and hearing it in general, I really think they need to do waves in the corrals. I don't think that was a good idea at all that they just sent one huge wave out and then, of course, you're going to have all these jams happening on the course because they can get nearer and I mean situations do happen and it's unfortunate and people can't even see characters because literally the lines are cut off before that corral even gets there at times. So it's just kind of like I really think they need to do waves.
Speaker 7:I would say communication. Yeah. Between Run Disney and the cast members, between you know the signage like just overall better communication Between the people that know the things and the people that need to know the things.
Speaker 9:Yeah, I mean, mine is a is the. It's the thing that I was harping on before. We like at the very start, is give people at least an hour in the staging area before, not 30 minutes. Like the staging area should open an hour, if not more, before the corral open point.
Speaker 2:I mean just, jeb, and I want Michael saying if you have more time. I felt like whenever I got there, I like I would. I was really hoping to maybe meet up with some other people before going into the corral. Yeah, same Getting it. Getting into the staging area and seeing, seeing friends and just saying hello and, you know, getting some of the nerves out. Because you know, once you get into the crowds it can be a little nerve wracking even though you're prepared for the race or what have you. It just it could be a little nerve wracking to just stand there waiting and not knowing what's going to happen next.
Speaker 4:So that's one of the fun parts, isn't it? Yeah, it really is.
Speaker 9:Yeah, and I think the way that they had it set up, there were plenty of people who showed up early and yet were running late because of how compressed that kind of time frame that they gave us to operate in is like. No one who shows up early should be worried they're going to be late.
Speaker 4:That's right, that's right.
Speaker 9:You know sounds like they could.
Speaker 4:Yeah, sounds like they could streamline some security stuff too.
Speaker 2:The only thing I would say then, to add on top just for the separate thing, would be the photo pass situation. I think they definitely should have, like I think things would move faster where they have the characters and they say, hey, we're just going to use your phone and take the picture. I think the pass off of the mobile device to take that picture that all takes a lot of extra time where if you just had a photo pass off taking those pictures, boom, you're in and out. I mean, you know, at Dizzy World they're just like boom, boom, boom, boom. They're just moving. You're pretty much run to a stop and then keep running and you're and you're done. You don't have to worry about anything, just being able to do that. I think that would speed up those character stops quite a bit.
Speaker 4:Nice if I might, may. Sounds like there was some great stuff. Sounds like there were some things that needed to be fixed, but it sounds like Abel, lexi, jack and Michael had a really great weekend. So thanks, thanks for sharing it with us. I'm hoping to be there in September. I hope to tell you all about it.
Speaker 9:I hope to be there to cheer and not run, because honestly they've raced it up. Seems so much easier to cheer at four at the end. The Dizzy World one does so I liked that afterwards.
Speaker 4:Alright, michael, I'll be the old guy, okay, so I'll just raise my hand when I go back.
Speaker 9:I'll hear you coming.
Speaker 6:So that was a fantastic recap of Disneyland. I really enjoyed listening to all of your input and I think our listeners will as well. I just want to give a quick shout out to two of my clients, amy and Allie. They both did races at the Disneyland weekend. Great job, ladies. I'm really proud of you and everybody that got to do Disneyland. We're also very proud of all of our listeners that were there.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and I hope you had a great time. Speaking of great times, jeff's run in Atlanta is always a great time. I get questions what's going on with Jeff's run? Well, I actually was at a quick meeting that Jeff was at just a little while ago. He expects to release definite plans about the Jeff Galloway race weekend next week, so look for that. Hopefully, registration will open back up. I can tell you in a nutshell he's looking to have multiple seminars, a lot of opportunity to get together with him, a lot of opportunity for us to get together amongst ourselves. I'm looking forward to it. I think it will be a fun weekend and once we get some more details, I hope we get a chance to see you there.
Speaker 8:And for you guys out there that like to do costumes but really don't want to, let's say, put the effort in. But our friends at Hawaiian Pizza Parallel they have an awesome bunch of ready to go race shirts and outfits for your costume needs. You catch them at Hawaiian Pizza Parallel and if you use the code RISE AND RUN, you'll get 10% off on your order. Good stuff there.
Speaker 4:Getting a good stuff. News from Pam Alicia.
Speaker 6:Yeah, our good friend at Fluffy Physies, pam, just got approval for her Princess bounce back bath cubes with princess themes. So if you want to go check those out at fluffyphysiescom and use our code HAPPY RUNNING for 10% off. She has great stuff and we think you will enjoy the products too.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'm going to see Pam next week at Disney World and I think, let's see, this is 122, I think 124. We'll have Pam on to talk about what's going on at Fluffy Physies Princess weekend. Four weeks away, my friends, there is a meetup Saturday 3pm in the food truck area. I must always remind myself that not everybody's been to one of these before. These are informal meetups where we get a chance to see one another face to face instead of just looking at photos on Facebook or seeing each other on a zoom call. The food truck area gives us plenty of space, always a lot of fun. People seem to really enjoy them. No cost for this. Maybe, if I can talk sweet talk, my sweet wife will have some cookies. Also, if I don't forget them this time, I've got some rise and run wristbands. But the big thing is it's a chance to meet and say hello to your friends.
Speaker 2:I hope to see you there. Unfortunately I won't be at springtime for those great cookies. But, as you all know, this podcast has become a great group of friends to us all, and what better way to support them than by joining the Patreon? A lot of great bonus content and Shwaig are available. So join at whatever level you can and let's welcome some new Patreon members Shelby Allison from Sherwood, arkansas, shadow Panther 65 from Copple, texas and Jessica from Mound Minnesota.
Speaker 4:Well, thanks, buddy, and we're really, really pleased that you could join us tonight. I hope you've had a good time.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, it's been a blast.
Speaker 4:Okay, great Friends, I got some serious note here. I want to pass on the rise and run family, the run Disney family in general. You've probably seen this on social media One of our balloon ladies, heather. Heather's son, trevor, passed away on the 16th of this month Complications from diabetic ketoacidosis. I believe that's correct. Dka Just 27 years old. Please keep Heather and her family in your thoughts and prayers. We are all one big family and to lose a young man like that, that's going to hurt for a long, long, long time. On a more upbeat note, our friend Heather, who participates in many events in the push rim division, had some serious but scheduled surgery recently. She is recovering. It's going to be a bit of a recovery for her. It's a pretty serious process that she had done. She was in the intensive care unit for a few days. That was expected. She's out of ICU now, so that's good news. Heather's goal is to roll through Dopey in 2025. I'm going to bet that she'll do it Just a heads up.
Speaker 5:You guys, I'm going to be taking a short step back for just a little bit. I have a few things going on, but I do not have an exact date when I'll be back. I don't imagine it being too long. You will still see me briefly from time to time doing the YouTube stuff on Rise and Run podcast on YouTube. Definitely go and check out those videos as well. I will be back. I'm going to be gone for a short bit.
Speaker 4:Jack. Thank you, friends. Looking at upcoming episodes, episode 123. We have the winner, for the third year in a row, the winner of the Walt Disney World Marathon, joining us. All. Right, my friends, it is time for the race report.
Speaker 4:It was, throughout most of the USA, a chilly, chilly weekend. We alluded to that several times. I went through and took a look to see what some of the attempts were. Let's start in Winter Park, Florida, the Park Avenue 5K. I must admit, my friends, when you put this in, you just put it was the Park Avenue 5K. I thought it was in New York at first, but it was in Florida Nonetheless. It was 45 degrees in Winter Park with a 38-degree windshell. I know, Alicia, I know the folks up north are going oh boo-hoo, that's cool for here, but it was sunny and clear. It's cool dream.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Hey look, this is the time of year where we sit and go. I don't know how they do it up north. Come July and August you can sit there and go. I don't know how they do it down south. It's all fair. But at the race Jared was there with Lily and Logan. The family Jody ran it. Tabatha was there. Tabatha had been kind of ill since she took this one easy. Still finished two minutes faster than last year. That's a course PR. A course PR is count. Tabatha Husband Mike was there. Mike did well too.
Speaker 4:Next week there's a half marathon in celebration Florida. They'll be there. Safety Harbor, just up the road. For me it was kind of a nice day. Bestam Race, 5k in Safety Harbor, bridget Beautiful day. It really was Again. I've described that it was cool for this part of the country, but sunny and pretty, perfect temp. Nice view. Safety Harbor is a very pretty area. Next up the Princess 10K for Bridget In Charleston, south Carolina, the Charleston Half Marathon.
Speaker 4:It was 37 degrees in Charleston with a 30-degree wind shield. Yeah, we're cooling off a little bit. Christie was there. Wasn't sure how her legs would feel after Dopey and the cold temperatures, but they held up. Just great and she loved the new course. Sylvia was there. Sylvia says she's still trying to thaw out. I hope she's done so by now. All right, let's move to St Louis, missouri, for the very appropriately named St Louis Track Club Frostbite Series. Series number four in this series, this is the Half Marathon. I've been giving you the temps of the ones that I looked up. This is the coldest Absolute temperature of three, wind chill of negative 14, and our guest tonight on the Race Report, spotlight, is going to tell us just how cold it was. Katie, how you doing.
Speaker 10:Hello, good, better, now Warmed up.
Speaker 4:Better now. Good, that's a good thing. Golly, did those numbers sound about right? Three and minus 14? Yeah.
Speaker 10:Yeah, I'd say they sound about right.
Speaker 4:Gosh, we'll get to some other questions in a second. Is this the coldest race you've been involved in?
Speaker 10:Absolutely. This is my first winter season running, so definitely definitely the coldest.
Speaker 4:Did you think they were going to cancel this thing? I looked at the forecast the night before and I thought some of these might not go.
Speaker 10:Yeah. So they sent out an email Wednesday and it was like we see the forecast, we'll give a final decision Friday. Got the email Friday saying yep, everything's a go, with some modifications, so there weren't going to be water stops. Obviously they'd be handing us things.
Speaker 4:Oh, they'd be. Ice stops, yeah.
Speaker 10:They'd be water and anything that was maybe outside, like the big pickup, would be indoors. They said they were going to run it and I still thought, yeah, they're going to cancel it Saturday morning for sure. And then Saturday morning they put out a post on social media that says, no, it's really happening.
Speaker 4:Let's go. Let's go. I want to get back to it in a minute, Katie, but let's ask some of the questions we ask on the spotlight and like, for instance, when did you get started running?
Speaker 10:Yeah, so running is fairly new to me. I've been active, I'd say, most of my life. You know, I was younger, I was gymnastics, tumbling dance, I did Irish dance for a little bit there, I was tennis, I was in marching band through high school and college and then in my adult years, I think, like a lot of people, kind of ebb and flows of working out, you know, sometimes sticking to it, sometimes not Nothing, ever, though, like running specific. But something that has been consistent in my life is Disney. I'm definitely a Disney kid. I was really fortunate enough to go to both Florida and California parks growing up, and so a couple of years ago this thing called run Disney was brought to my attention.
Speaker 10:And that looks like the coolest thing ever. So it's been on my radar for a little bit. And then this past September I turned 30. So I thought for my big 30th to do I wanted to run a half marathon, and if I was going to do that it was going to be in Disney, and so initially I thought, well, maybe I'll shoot for like coast to coast and being the total registration noob that it was, I listened to the Disney rules and I had one, one browser and one tab on one device.
Speaker 3:Oh, clearly did not make it in, which was totally fine.
Speaker 10:So I thought I'd just try for each consecutive race after that. So the next one was princess, and I think I had a first timers miracle because I got in and registered and checked out within the first five minutes, which was great, you and John. Yeah.
Speaker 4:You and our buddy. John here.
Speaker 8:Yeah, I filed the rules, Bob. I had one browser open on each computer.
Speaker 10:Well, I listened to everyone else and I had, like you know, the three devices in the six hours and that time up. So yeah, I got registered for princess and I really kind of only been dedicated or running since then. So coming up kind of on a year here for for running, so pretty new.
Speaker 4:Pretty neat, pretty neat, katie, and that's pretty gutsy of you to go. I got to tell you I'm not sure I would have shown up for that, but we'll see. No, we won't see. No, we won't see. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't show up for that. I'm glad I don't have to think about it.
Speaker 10:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So, Katie, with those temperatures, I mean, how did you stay warm? I mean I would really have a hard time myself staying warm on a race like that.
Speaker 10:Yeah, so I just wore about every single layer of running clothing that I had. I had a couple of base layers on something a little bit more fleecy, two pairs of pants which my legs were so cold and, shockingly, my, like my upper body and my core felt pretty okay, which makes me feel like I layered right. But I had like gloves, mittens, a neck gaiter that I could pull over my face, hat and a fleece earband over the hat and when all that was on I and I was moving, I actually felt somewhat okay. But if I had to take my gloves off or pull my face covering down for any reason, you had about like I don't know a minute before before you were dumb. So just staying as covered and as layered as possible and keep moving.
Speaker 2:And here I thought the Anaheim the Disneyland race was cold at around the 45 degrees, where I was freezing and everyone in the crowd with me was freezing. Here we are at the three and minus 14. I can't imagine how that would be.
Speaker 10:Yeah, I'm here for my Tuesday short run before I got on here and it's about 45 degrees right now. I'm like it's a heat wave I could get it.
Speaker 4:It's like a sauna.
Speaker 10:It works.
Speaker 4:I'm running in a sauna here. Yeah, katie, I'm proud of you. That's really impressive.
Speaker 10:Thank you?
Speaker 8:And another question, since there was no water stops on this race. Now I saw you had a hydration vest and a water bottle. Did they freeze up on you or was that like getting there?
Speaker 10:Yeah yeah, that was a hard lesson. So initially I had my my water vest kind of on the outermost outside of my layers and my water lasted for about I don't know three miles and then my tube froze up. So my actual hydration bladder was fine, but the tube froze and then I carry a soft flask with my electrolytes in. That was an electrolyte slushie the entire time. So I was still able to get some electrolytes in and then it finally occurred to me, like I'm not going to make it 13.1 without any type of water, so I moved my my vest, I put at least one or two layers over it and then I finally got my tube to thaw out. So eventually I got a little bit of water, but it was a yeah, electrolyte slushie the entire time.
Speaker 4:Okay, very smart brother, that's very clever. Thanks, and I hadn't thought about it. But yeah, the tube being the thinnest section would freeze first. Yeah, golly.
Speaker 8:It's kind of like drinking a Wendy's Frosty right.
Speaker 10:Yeah yeah, that's kind of what it was. Not as delicious as a Wendy's Frosty.
Speaker 8:Yeah.
Speaker 10:And my, my goo jowls, I. They were almost I would say almost frozen, so I would like hold those in my hands for like a minute or two to try and get get them a little mobile before I try to eat them.
Speaker 4:So yeah, yeah, katie, when do we see you at Disney again?
Speaker 10:Yeah, princess is going to be my first on. Disney event, so I'll be down there just a few weeks. It's nuts.
Speaker 4:Four more weeks.
Speaker 10:I felt like when we registered for it it's like oh, this is so far away. And now it's like oh, it's here, it's happening.
Speaker 4:It's almost here. Yeah, it's great, great story. Admire your guts for getting out there and doing it. Thanks for joining us on the spotlight, katie.
Speaker 10:Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 4:Back to warmer temperatures, the classics by the sea. 5k in Jupiter, florida, a balmy 62 degrees. Amber was there, her first race for 2024, a flat out and back along the coast, nice course. Next race for Amber, the princess 5k. Another seriously cold race in Binghamton, new York, the January freeze 10k series, race number three. These were appropriately named. In Binghamton it was eight degrees with a wind chill of minus 12. Steve decided I'm going to stay home and make some soup. Steve smart move in Newcastle, which is in the northeast of England, the new Newcastle 10k. Andrew was there, flat course. He was not too bad. His first tune up race for princess weekend and he knocked out this 10k in under 60 minutes. That's a great pace, andrew, nicely done. Let's move to Sunday and since we are in the UK, let's stay there.
Speaker 4:Cornwall, the storm force 10 mile run. Anna was there. Now, normally I wouldn't talk much about a DNF. Anna made her race report on Facebook, said oh gosh, a DNF. But this, anna, you did a smart thing. Anna felt an injury at about two miles. She felt a twinge and by four miles she was limping. And instead of trying to gut it out, which would not have been smart, she did the smart thing and she got off the course. Now, poor Anna, she's going to have to recover in Spain on vacation for a week. I think she'll be okay, at least I hope she will. But, anna, smart move. Sorry you got hurt. Glad you didn't aggravate things and make them any worse. And, wrapping up the week, in Sherwood, arkansas, shelby did the fab 5k. My friends, that's our race report. Congratulations to all our runners.
Speaker 2:Great job, everybody on the races you did, and I just want to take this time to say how much I appreciate this community. When I first heard my first race report I think it was episode 88, I said that's awesome. I just was thinking that is really awesome and I really fell in love with the podcast and the family, the friendships that this community and specifically the Rise and Run podcast, create and help spread across the world, because you guys have listeners everywhere and it's amazing to be a part of it tonight. It's amazing to be a part of it every day and training. The support I get when I'm training for things and on hard runs, seeing people in the Facebook chats really supporting me and any posts that I make and when I get to support others.
Speaker 2:It's a wonderful community. And not to mention that the love of Disney is involved too, so that just adds to it. But just the community in and of itself is amazing and I really appreciate all that you do, the seven of you do. It's amazing and I really appreciate it and I hope that we could keep growing this community because people need to see it and when they do hear it, I know they will keep listening, and you brought up 250,000 downloads last week. I think you're going to get to 500 in no time at all.
Speaker 5:You're so sweet.
Speaker 4:Yeah, thank you, buddy, happy to have you here. Did a great job tonight. I didn't know what to expect.
Speaker 5:Wonderful.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, you nailed it, thank you.
Speaker 4:And we appreciate you.
Speaker 2:Well, I appreciate you all and thank you for the compliment.
Speaker 4:You are welcome, my friends. It is a Zoom Thursday. Instructions are on the Facebook group page. I will probably not be able to make it, at least for not long. Not for long, but John promises to be there and take care of things, and maybe someone else will show up too, so that'd be cool. Okay, my friends, another long episode of the Rise and Run podcast. Thank you for hanging with us. Thank you for listening. We love you. We wish you all the best. We look forward to seeing you in four short weeks at Princess Weekend and until then, happy running.
Speaker 1:The Rise and Run podcast discusses general information about Run Disney and is in no way affiliated with Run Disney or the Walt Disney Company. Any information or advice discussed on this podcast should not be considered medical advice and should always consult with your healthcare provider or event organizer.