125: Disney Adventures with Michael Does Diz

Step into the vibrant world of Run Disney events with us and discover the exhilaration of race day with a twist of Disney magic! Episode 125 is packed with rich stories from our own personal runDisney experiences, as well as invaluable insights from popular Disney influencer Michael Does Diz, who brings his own sprinkle of pixie dust to our conversation. We don't just stop there; prep for your next race with practical tips and tricks, as Pam from Fluffy Fizzies unveils her Princess Weekend offerings, sure to add a touch of sparkle to your stride.

Get ready to navigate the new merchandise virtual queue system with ease and learn why digital waivers could be your new best friend. As we recount our adventures, you'll feel like you're right alongside us, sharing in the camaraderie and excitement that fills the air. Whether you're lacing up your running shoes or just a Disney fan looking for a bit of behind-the-scenes action, this episode is your personal fastpass to all things runDisney. Join us as we bring the community together and celebrate the joy of running, Disney style.

Michael Does Diz Michael's Instagram
Fluffy Fizzies
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 (Mention Rise And Run and get $10 off) 

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:04

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 4: 0:36

Hi, this is Jennifer. I'm here at the Rise and Run Meetup at Disney Springs. You have chosen the right podcast Happy running.

Speaker 3: 0:45

Aloha Rise and Run. Ohana. This is Madison H, coming to you live from my morning training run at Eloni, a Disney Resort East Spa, and you're listening to the Rise and Run Podcast Mahalo.

Speaker 1: 0:57

That's right, my friends. Not one, but two introductions to episode 125. Thank you, jennifer. That's way back from the Wine and Dine Meetup. And Aloha to Madison, who was at Eloni when she recorded that and sent it in on our hotline. Hello, my friends, it's good to be back with you. Welcome to episode 125 of the Rise and Run Podcast. I'm Bob. I'm here with John. Hey, bob, how you doing? I'm doing much better, john, thank you. With Lexi, hello. With Alicia, hello. And with Greg, hey, hey. Hey. Guys, great to be here. Thank you for joining us. Good to see everyone. This week we've got a special interview with you, our friend Michael Does-Diz. Michael from of Instagram and Disney Influencer fame. Wonderful chat with Michael, really nice fellow, we know you'll enjoy that. And our friend Pam from Fluffy Physies drops by to talk a little bit about what she'll have available at Princess Weekend.

Speaker 5: 2:09

If you enjoy the podcast, please share us with your friends and have a listen party and all listen together. Remember to follow us on Facebook at the Rise and Run podcast and join the group. There's some really great conversations going on on there, so keep at it. Or you can check over on Instagram with Rise and Run pod, or you can go to our YouTube channel, which I believe we have a new video that just came out last week talking about hotels and Disneyland. So anyone who just did Halloween registration check that out. And you can also visit our website, riseandrunpodcastcom. If you have a question or comment, race report or you want to introduce any upcoming episodes, please call us at 727-266-2344 and leave us a message.

Speaker 1: 3:02

Lexi, when you're talking about a listen party, I pictured people with headsets trying to share headsets. Sounds like fun. Yeah, you can leave us a recorded message, like our friend Madison did.

Speaker 2: 3:15

The Rise and Run podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Magic Bound Travel. As Lexi mentioned before, this week was the Halloween registration. So, folks, it is imperative that you get your room reservations now for the new official kickoff to the Run Disney race season over in Anaheim. Our friends over at Magic Bound can definitely take care of that for you. Not to mention next month is Wine and Dine registration. Make sure you have those reservations at Walt Disney World and I would have to imagine that by sometime in late spring or early summer that's when packages for 2025 are going to open up and you're going to be able to take care of all of your reservations for the rest of this upcoming race season. So make sure you go visit our friends magicboundtravelcom.

Speaker 1: 4:08

Greg, next month is Wine and Dine registration. Can you believe it?

Speaker 5: 4:12

It's already coming around again.

Speaker 1: 4:15

Holy cow. Well, that's all right. The circle of life, life goes on. That's great. Hey, friends, missed you last week and thank you to my friends and the gang for the wonderful job they did at a curveball thrown at them at the last minute and handled that like the pros that they are. I wanted to make a couple of comments and I'll make these quick. One of the topics discussed was coaching and customized training. I wanted to remind our friends listening that we have a discount for customized training that is unique to rise and run listeners and you can find that pinned to the featured section on the Facebook group page. It's up there. It's the mighty networks link, but that should take you to the discount for customized training. You have problems with that? Let me know. We'll get with Coach Twiggs and get it straight. Now we talk about the US Olympic marathon trials. Did you all notice who the race announcer was there at the finish? Familiar voice.

Speaker 2: 5:19

Yes, it was hard to hear over the NBC announcers but yes, the wonderful, the talented Krista Galloway on the mic.

Speaker 1: 5:28

She is everywhere and I think that's really cool, really impressive. What I thought was neat, I watched the entire. I watched it from beginning to end, from the beginning of the men's to the end of the women's, and it was actually Becky who picked up on it. She heard the voice in the background. She goes. That's the Disney announcer. She knows Karissa. She goes. That's Karissa, isn't it? I said my Galloway, you're right. And then one more thing I wanted to talk about real quick. We ran the Morton interview, which we had obviously taped a couple of weeks before because I was there.

Speaker 1: 6:05

I do use Morton products. They are expensive and, as John mentioned last week, sometimes you can find discounts on them. Here's my experience and I wanted to add this, while the Morton rep wasn't right with us. So I can tell you that these are genuine. We are. This is not an affiliate. We have no sponsorships, so there's no financial stake in this. I am probably going to continue to use these products because they've been effective for me.

Speaker 1: 6:35

There's any miracle thing that you can use that will automatically make you feel great. At least nothing legal that I know of will automatically make you feel great and improve your performance. But I know training in Florida in the summertime, especially training for Dopey. I was having a lot of trouble when the runs got up to 12, 14, 16 miles and longer that no matter what I did nutrition wise on the trail, I was wiped out and done by the time I got home and was pretty much shot for the rest of the day.

Speaker 1: 7:08

When I started using what I do is I use one of the Morton liquids the day before, I take one of the Morton liquids with me in my hydration vest, I use one of the solids, I eat one of the solids about 30 minutes before I get going and then I use the gels. I like to use their caffeinated gel. I know Greg said he thought they had a bitter taste. I don't have that problem Now. Maybe I drink coffee black, so maybe I'm just used to that the caffeine taste, but I find that the caffeine, the caffeinated gels are very helpful. I will say this the Morton gel is like nothing else I've tasted and I don't really know how to describe it. There are no flavors attached to it, but it tastes sweet. It has a consistency, unlike goose. It's not quite gelatinous. To me it's more like a jelly.

Speaker 2: 8:13

Yeah, in a weird way.

Speaker 1: 8:16

I guess it's not quite gummy bear consistency. It's not that thick by any stretch, but I find that I tolerate them much better than I tolerate other gels. Having said that, on the 25 mile tourney run where I tried to get the fourth gel down, it was tough. By the time I'd already had three. That fourth one. It was tough to get it to go down. But that's just me personally in gel.

Speaker 1: 8:43

So my overall impression of the Morton products as a slow tobacco packer and not LU Kipchoge, their number one spokesman, that was just good luck on their part, by the way, I was talking with Zach about that, off the record that they just happened to. The timing ended up being perfect for Morton to bring Kipchoge on. But I find that the product does work for me to the point where, even though it's expensive, I'm going to continue to use it and I'm going to use it, but I'll only use it on longer events. I use it this weekend I'll talk later on. I used a couple gels on a half marathon in St Petersburg. So that's my impressions on Morton. A generalized thumbs up. But I'm glad Zach joined us. Very interesting guy. Heck of a good athlete too.

Speaker 1: 9:37

Alright, my friends, let's move on. Let's take a look, as we have been doing since way back in June of 23. The training schedule Princess weekend oh my goodness. By the time you listen to this, Princess weekend is now one week away. So all the long training is one week 16. The long run is four miles on the weekend. Springtime surprise is now nine weeks away and this weekend's long training one is three miles, One of which is a magic mile. So for my recommendation would be one easy mile, Very easy Emphasis on the ease Then do your magic mile and then recover and do another easy mile to finish up the three Week eight of the training schedule. We'll see you at springtime in. It'll be here before we know it. So activity today on our recording day, which will be a couple days ago now when we release it, we had registration for the Halloween race at Disneyland.

Speaker 5: 10:59

Okay.

Speaker 1: 11:01

I wasn't sure if Greg was cheering or whether that was a ghost or what that was. Hey, I thought that went pretty well. Now I know I'm the only person that registered and I spent a. I spent my morning on our community chat on Disneyland Halloween weekend. Want to, as always, give credit and thanks to our friends who get on there and help one another get registered. I also have to. You know how I am about mentioning names. Okay, I know if I start to mention names I'm going to leave somebody out.

Speaker 1: 11:43

I had two or three people message me individually and say hey, bob, I got a link if you need one, and for the second time in as many races and this I'm an old guy, I can look and go. This modern technology is pretty dad gum amazing Because for the second time in as many race weekends, I got an assist from a friend in the Netherlands. Danny in the Netherlands sends me a message, says Bob, I got one that's six minutes if you want it. I said, danny, I got one at 26, but I'll take it. So thanks, danny, and thanks to everyone, not only those who messaged me, but everyone on the chat who tried to help one another get registered. It worked out. As far as I can tell Many, many folks, things went by pretty quickly. Greg, you have some numbers on how fast things went by, I think.

Speaker 2: 12:46

Yes, yeah, I do have the numbers here, thanks to who I am now calling the, adam Schefter of of run Disney.

Speaker 2: 12:57

Our good buddy Ryan Teetz. He has the breakdown for us here. So the first race to sell out was the 5k. That took 48 minutes. One minute later the 10k sold out. The challenge then went at one hour and one minute. The kids races believe it or not were next. That took 78 minutes. The yoga was next at 84 minutes and then the just the half was the last one to go just shy of two hours at 114 minutes.

Speaker 2: 13:35

So again, ryan, thank you so much for posting information. Now. The other slide that Ryan posted which I found to be very, very interesting is he drew comparison of times for Halloween versus how quickly things sold out for the return Disneyland half marathon. That happened just a couple of weeks ago and I don't have the numbers off the top of my head right now, but essentially the theme was that the Halloween races took two times as long to sell out as compared to Disneyland. So whether that is a byproduct of maybe they're opening up capacity a little bit more or people are maybe a little apprehensive of registering, based on both the positive and negative feedback that came out of Anaheim just a couple of weeks ago, but really really interesting stats to see there.

Speaker 1: 14:32

Yeah, thank you, ryan. We always appreciate your help on that. I would just my general comment was things seem to be orderly today and, if you did not get in, if you're still looking, our friend Mark is keeping the charity spreadsheet up to date. That is pinned to the featured section of our Facebook page up there at the top. He's got links for how you can get, how you may be able to get, a bib by racing for a charity at Disneyland this September. All right, let's move on. That's September, september. We've got something much more pressing. We've got one coming up real quick the Princess Weekend Race Guide came out. Let's take a little time and go through that. Let's start by talking about the race expo.

Speaker 2: 15:30

Okay, so the expo first day will be occurring on Thursday, february 22. The second hours are 10am to 8pm. Then on Friday, the 23rd expo is open 11am to 7pm and then the final day on February 24, from 11am until 3pm. Bus transportation is provided from all of the resorts. Just make sure that you look for the A-frame sign near the resort buses for your pickup location, or if you ask any front desk cast member, I'm sure they will be able to point you in the right direction. Once again, run Disney will be utilizing a virtual queue for just and let me re-emphasize this just the Run Disney merch, and only on Thursday, february 22. You can join the virtual queue via the my Disney Experience app, very similar as if you were to get one for Tron or Cosmic Rewind or something like that. But you can get into that virtual queue on the morning of the 22nd starting at 8.30am, and hopefully you have fast fingers like John and get a low boarding group.

Speaker 2: 16:47

Next note is be sure to sign your digital event waiver on your online Run Disney account, but if you forget, do not worry, they do have paper copies once you get into the lower level of the State Farm Fieldhouse there Again, if you forgot to do it before you traveled to Orlando Now, oddly enough, they do not have vendors listed that are part of the expo, but we encourage you to go say hi to Jeff and Barb Galloway, our friend Brooke over at BBbrook, and also go say hi to our next guest. So hiya, pam, good to see you.

Speaker 7: 17:26

Hi Bob, Always good to see you.

Speaker 1: 17:28

It's fun. Hey, what do we got going on for Princess Weekend at the Fluffy Fizzies booth?

Speaker 7: 17:36

Well, I can tell you we're busy right now getting ready, because we're, you know, as you know, we load up and come down a few days prior. We set up before you know everybody usually gets there. So we're kind of in the final prep. But let's see what new things. Well, first of all, I know one.

Speaker 7: 17:54

I'm going to skip that one. Now I'm going to go. You know what we're going to do. It's Princess, right? What is Princess all about? Glitter everywhere, right? I mean, this is the one where you should be glittered from head to toe. So we're going to help out with the glitter from head to toe. So we, of course, have all 16 of our glitter lipsticks coming back, and you know, that's the stuff that's so popular. But what we're adding in for Princess is hair and body glitter. So this is a fun, like a chunky glitter, so you can see it a little bit more. It's very shimmery, you can rub it on your face, you can rub it on your body and you can even put it in your hair.

Speaker 2: 18:37

Exactly what Bob needs for all this is perfect.

Speaker 1: 18:41

If I had any hair, that would make a difference.

Speaker 7: 18:43

You know what, bob? We could literally just rub it on your head and you'd be okay. So we have. So there's so much that you can glitter up now and be shimmery, be the best Princess you can be. So that's one of the things that we're bringing. That's a little different, but the other I think I find most exciting, which is our new destinations sense. And so destinations are all about places you have visited and maybe some of the sense, the fragrances that will bring back those feelings, and so we've chosen to start the line by being inspired by different places in the parks and resorts.

Speaker 7: 19:30

So we have a full line of products for, let's say, like our resort magic, you might smell that scent in a lot of the lobbies of the hotels. Oh, passage, you know, you might jump on the back of a Banshee and fly around. You smell some things. So, passage smell. Oh, we have a safari. I love safari. So we didn't just go with a grassy smell, we actually lightened it with a water scent added to it. So it is a clean smell but yet earthy. It actually might be my favorite, I don't know. I have a lot of favorites out of this. So we have a lot of products where we have body butters. We plan on bringing a bunch of the body butters that you can even try it right there at the booth.

Speaker 7: 20:22

Bath bombs, shower bombs we have all sorts of things in these new scents, and then we expanded it even more with the compressed towels, and so I knew that's what Bob was saying. He knows what they are because he has a sneak peek about a sneak sniff.

Speaker 7: 20:40

Right, exactly A sneak I can't even say that A sneak sniff about two weeks ago, but we expanded with the compressed towels and if you haven't used them yet, they come in handy when it's hot outside, if you want to clean up during a race, if you need to refresh, if you want to clean up after a race. Or we found they really came in handy when we did the Epcot Festival of the Arts and you know you're going around eating and drinking and some of this stuff is messy or you might get messy before you want to eat, so it was very convenient to be able to just kind of wash your hands right there at the table, either before or after eating. So we expanded the line and what we did to celebrate this expansion we did the 11 new scents that were all inspired by different pavilions in Epcot, so the different countries of Epcot. So some of them are sweet, some of them are floral, moroccan mint. You know that's kind of a nice little change out of the group. So lots of fun scents and lots of fun products.

Speaker 1: 21:51

I know that for Canada you have the maple popcorn. I do, I'm not kidding. We were at the entrance to World Showcase and we opened the popcorn one and I thought we were standing outside the can. I mean, you nailed it on that one. I'll tell you.

Speaker 7: 22:12

Bob's face. We literally just opened the tube and I said, well, this is maple popcorn. And I'm saying I'm not sure if, and he's like, stop, you got it, that is it. Smell it from over here. Yeah, so for some of the things we did, a food that might be popular with that country, or you know that that pavilion really yeah, and I checked out some others are very nice.

Speaker 1: 22:38

That sounds good, all right, what can our friends do to get ready for the weekend?

Speaker 7: 22:44

We actually are closing the pre orders, at least for a period of time until we kind of get everything in order. So what we are doing right now at the shop we are finishing up production and packaging up all those pre orders. So for everybody that's ordered up until now, you know you're getting what you wanted because you pre ordered it. We could possibly reopen pre orders, but it will be limited to the inventory. That has been that we know we're bringing with us, because we will start loading our vehicles on Friday to make sure we get everything down there.

Speaker 7: 23:19

At that point I can't make anything more. We can't, you know, suddenly grab things. So if pre orders are reopened, you can go on the website and you'll see available for local pickup and you can choose those items. But we're going to have a lot of good stuff at the booth. If you didn't do a pre order, if you forgot, it's okay. We're still going to have all of our traditional muscle recovery items. We just made more fission because that ended up being a hugely popular item that we premiered last time. We have all of the cubes. We even will have some cubes with the princess distances still on them. So lots of good stuff like that is on its way.

Speaker 8: 24:03

Are you going to usually be in your same location in the expo or?

Speaker 7: 24:06

good question. Yes, yeah, so luckily, you know, we found a spot that we like and we're usually back to back with the same neighbors from one more mile, and so we work well together. It's been a great location for us. So the easiest way to say where we are we're close to the exit. We're usually and I don't know this yet because they haven't updated the map of the vendors but we're usually very close to Jeff Galloway, I think this time Pandora Charms. They usually set up a castle and we're oh, yes, that's right, they do, yeah, so we're usually right next to that.

Speaker 1: 24:45

That's an attention getter. It is an attention getter.

Speaker 7: 24:48

Yeah, I usually get some booth envy at that point when I'm watching them build it, because a lot of those big booths they take two days to build and so we'll come in and it's partially built when we get in there and then they might still be staying behind afterwards. It takes a lot to get these booths together and those big ones man they bring in. Sometimes they need heavy equipment just to assemble these. Oh wow.

Speaker 7: 25:17

Yeah, it's pretty fun to watch. I actually would love to do a time lapse of the whole room, but that is not allowed. There's a lot of. We can't take pictures or videos or anything in that space until it is show ready. So it's just a fun process that really Nobody gets to see what goes into building that up from just an empty room.

Speaker 1: 25:42

That sure would be interesting. It's unfortunate you can't do that. That sounds like it'd be fun.

Speaker 7: 25:46

Yeah yeah. It's a lot of chaos. There's a lot of people trying to get their work done, a lot of booths to set up and just the simple logistics of getting everything from trucks through single doors onto the floor and working all the vendors. But it's kind of funny because when you have a lot of the same vendors over and over, you get into a rhythm and so usually Mike and I are among the very first to check in the moment they let us check in and get started. We're there and we try to get our stuff in before a lot of these bigger booths start trying to get their stuff in and we get set up, we get everything in the doors and then we can breathe easy and take our time setting up Right.

Speaker 1: 26:31

That makes sense. Yeah, that makes sense. All right, pam. Hey look, we are excited to see you next week. It's just one week, my friend.

Speaker 8: 26:41

I know you know that better than we do because you leave it early. Trust me.

Speaker 7: 26:45

I know it's just one week. We have every minute timed from now until we leave of what has to be done to get everything ready. But you know we look forward to every expo seeing all our friends. You know, as usual you are able to just come up and say hello. I do not make you purchase something. If you come up and say hello, you're welcome to come up, as everybody knows, day one, if you come up there's a good chance we're going to have a line of people. I might be able to just say a quick hi. But I still love when everybody comes up and says I heard you on the podcast and it's amazing. And more and every expo, more and more people come up and say I heard you on the podcast.

Speaker 1: 27:26

Well, it's fun, and we highly encourage folks just to come by and visit, and we'll do that again this week and next. So, my friend, we will see you real soon. Thanks for spending some time with us.

Speaker 7: 27:40

Thanks so much, guys. See you all next week.

Speaker 2: 27:43

Awesome stuff, pam. I cannot wait to see you for a springtime surprise. Try out that destinations collection. That sounds super, super exciting. Plus, I also want to see body glitter on Bob, so I'm also excited for that as well.

Speaker 1: 27:57

You're not going to be there.

Speaker 2: 27:58

Number one I'll personally buy you some for springtime. Don't you worry, my friend, I'm going to put in that pre-order at the pickup at the expo.

Speaker 8: 28:07

We have a lot of friends down there who send us pictures, Bob.

Speaker 2: 28:10

Exactly.

Speaker 1: 28:11

Oh yeah, that's exactly.

Speaker 2: 28:12

The power of social media.

Speaker 1: 28:14

That's true.

Speaker 2: 28:15

Hey, but just to wrap up this expo section really quick. One of my favorite things that Run Disney does and I wish they would do this for all the weekends, but for some reason I don't think they've been doing it for Marathon Weekend lately If you show your bib or your medal at various locations down at Disney Springs, you can receive all sorts of discounts. Now, obviously, check out the digital event guide. They get the full list, but here's just a couple of examples. One that Alicia would be very interested in 10% off at Everglades Donuts. One that I would be super interested in 10% off at Chef Art Smith Homecoming. Another one which is unique is if you go over to Salt and Straw, the new ice cream place, if you show your bib, you can get a free topping on your ice cream, which is really neat. Be sure to go check out that list.

Speaker 2: 29:07

The last thing I'll mention in terms of the expo, and this is something that you can purchase at the expo the race and relax is back. You can purchase a discounted ticket to Blizzard Beach for $32 plus tax, and that can include yourself and up to three guests, and that ticket is valid anytime between February 22nd and February 28th, if you're interested in going to Blizzard Beach, I highly recommend you go. Check out those events. You get a really great deal there. That's pretty much the expo in a nutshell.

Speaker 1: 29:45

Yeah, that is. I probably won't do that this weekend, but that is a good deal. We had fun. Salt and Straw, by the way, is a short walk from where our meetup is on Saturday afternoon. Absolutely, stroll over there, bring your ice cream back.

Speaker 5: 29:59

I went there in Disneyland for the first time and that ice cream was so good I haven't had it yet. Oh, Bob, you have to.

Speaker 2: 30:08

My co-workers and I. We had a lot of West Coast travel last year and literally any time we were out, whether it was California or Seattle or something like that, we made sure to find where the closest Salt and Straw was, and it is life changing.

Speaker 1: 30:27

I will try it. I will make a point to try it this next weekend Sounds good. Of course I always I have to, when we talk about the expo encourage folks to visit our friend Pam, which we did when we talked with Pam. Go see our buddy Jeff. Jeff's going to be with us next week. I'll let him tell you in person just how much he likes to see you when you're there. Tell him we sent you. Tell him the Rise and Run gang sent you to go see him. All right, well, that's the expo. Now they have these race things going on too. So let's go through. Let's start with the 5K.

Speaker 5: 31:05

So with the 5K it looks pretty similar to the past 5Ks that we've done. As usual, the buses start running at 3 AM, the starting groups for the different corrals open at 3.45 AM and then the race starts at 5 AM and it looks like we start in the parking lot, go a little through the parking lot and some backstage into the world, showcase around the world and then finish in our lovely spot right there in the parking lot. Overall it's a good course.

Speaker 1: 31:43

Yeah, they become pretty standard. Let's me tell our friends where we well, in this case it's just me, but where we usually are prior to all of the races.

Speaker 5: 31:53

Yes, and usually the Rise and Run gang meets to the left of the bleachers in front of the stage, so you can just look for Bob. He'll be the tall one.

Speaker 1: 32:03

I'll be the tall one On the 5K. I'll be wearing a wig. I'm going as a prince for the 5K and princes aren't gray haired and bald.

Speaker 5: 32:16

They are eventually.

Speaker 1: 32:18

Yeah, they're kings by then, though.

Speaker 5: 32:21

Yes, that's true, that is true, yeah.

Speaker 1: 32:24

So I'm going to give that a shot. We'll see how it goes. Yeah, I'll look for you there. Friends, If you've not done this before, it's not hard. You get on the bus, you're going to follow everybody. You walk in just as Lexi described. There's a stage up front. There's bleachers set back from it. We're on the left side of those bleachers.

Speaker 5: 32:40

I'm not going to lie. I have FOMO that I'm not going to be there.

Speaker 1: 32:46

Oh, I get it.

Speaker 5: 32:47

I love seeing everybody and it's such a good time.

Speaker 1: 32:51

No, I get it. I absolutely do. I'm happy I'm running them all this year. This is the only time I'll do that. For one thing, it costs too much, but I wanted to do it at least once. Having said that, however, I am fortunate in that I am not far away. So, running or not, I'll be at most race weekend, but I'll be running this weekend, so I'll be looking for you at the 5K. Thank you, lexi. 5k on Friday. Saturday is the 10K 10K.

Speaker 8: 33:22

So something also to remember the corrals have start times and there where they close the corrals down. So just make sure you check your event guide for the proper corral closing time. So if you're in A corral B, corral, c corral, once those times come up you're not going to be allowed in that corral anymore. So make sure you get there for your corral time. But the 10K course it's a, not the one we had at Marathon Weekend which I think was one of the more popular ones, but this one we start in the parking lot like we do head out toward the Epcot Center Drive, down to down of an on-ramp to World Drive. Then take that, for we're on the road for almost like three and a half miles till we turn into Hollywood Studios. You know Hollywood Studios is not named after Tony, it's Hollywood Studios. Going through Hollywood Studios, just a short little bit through Hollywood Studios, we're just going to come in by Rock and Rollercoaster. Go down Sunset Boulevard.

Speaker 1: 34:29

Sunset Boulevard. Yeah, you're right.

Speaker 8: 34:31

Then we're going to go out the back behind like we do during Marathon Weekend. If you do Marathon Weekend and come out in the front of the main gates, head down to the pathway between Hollywood Studios and the Epcot Resorts and we're going to run past the Boardwalk. So if you're staying at the Boardwalk or friends and family they could come out and cheer for you. It is a quiet area, so no cowbells no big loud stuff.

Speaker 2: 35:03

Well, john Mellon can't be there.

Speaker 8: 35:05

No, Jack and Diane will not be there this year.

Speaker 2: 35:07

Okay.

Speaker 8: 35:08

Neither one, neither one. Then we head toward the Skyliner, go behind the Skyliner, come out between the World Showcase Pavilion and the United Kingdom Pavilion, head toward Canada. We don't go through World Showcase really this much. We're just going to head straight down the center toward the 100th anniversary sign, toward connections, head toward mission space, then out the back and back to the finish line for your 10K.

Speaker 1: 35:43

Then on Sunday we run the half. The Princess Half to me is one of the featured races of all the Disney weekends and simply because it runs through the castle and Magic Kingdom, I say simply but that's a big deal. As with all the others, we start in Epcot. Many has a cookie cutter approach now in recent years we started in different places, but I think they've refined this. It works for them. They don't need to rebuild start and finish areas. So I think we're pretty much settled into this for at least the immediate future.

Speaker 1: 36:21

John talked about start times et cetera. You go corrals A through E here. Please take a look and see when your corral closes. You won't know what corral you're in until you pick up your bib, but please take a look and see what time your corral closes. Typically we don't have trouble making that, but I think you'll be okay.

Speaker 1: 36:41

If you're driving, you need to be in the Epcot parking lot by 4 am. Of course it's pretty simple Epcot to Magic Kingdom and then right around mile five you do what you came for and that is you get to run down Main Street, then back around and through the castle and for my money there's no better stretch of running anywhere, any place or any time. They're running down Main Street. If you've done it before, you know exactly what I mean. If you haven't done it before, you're in for a real treat, because the crowds are fantastic. By the way, if you are spectating Main Street, the way to get there is to park in the Epcot parking lot.

Speaker 1: 37:24

Take the monorail over to Magic Kingdom, and the monorail starts at 5.15, I believe. I think you can get entry. I think what it is. You can get entry into Magic Kingdom starting at 5.15. If you're in there before 7.30, which is the last election, you do not need to pay for a ticket. Now they're going to make you leave after the runners are gone. You can't get in and stay the day at Magic Kingdom. But golly, if you haven't done it before, it is just well. It's not even worth describing because it's just that big of a deal. You're really going to enjoy it Now. The bad news, then, is, once we wind our way through Magic Kingdom and come back out, we'll go through the poly contemporary over there by shades of green. It's pretty much highway running the rest of the way until we get back to Epcot, and again, it's just a little bit in Epcot before we visit the choir. God bless the choir. I love them. So say hi to Jeff bumpfist with the race announcers and head across the finish line.

Speaker 2: 38:30

You know, bob, hearing you describe the course there. The one piece of advice that I would give to all runners participating in the half is take sunglasses with you. Oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 38:40

It's based on how the way that that course is set up. Once you're coming through the grand and the poly and everything like that, by the time you're hitting that race. The sun is really starting to come up by that point and you're running directly into it. So obviously it might seem silly to be bringing sunglasses with you at five o'clock in the morning, but, trust me, once you hit mile seven or so, you're definitely going to need them.

Speaker 1: 39:02

Absolutely, I do it every year. Great Good point. I forgot to mention it. Thank you for doing that.

Speaker 8: 39:07

One other quick tip when you come through the castle, you know which is one of the highlights of the whole race. When you come down the ramp, the course is going to head toward your right, but if you go to your left, that's where you get your castle shot. If you want to get a picture in front of the castle, the lines look long but they move pretty quick. So if you really want that castle photo in front of the castle, make a quick detour to the left and get your castle shot.

Speaker 2: 39:35

That's a really good point, john. And the one thing I will mention in terms of a little like tip or trick in terms of getting your castle shot is usually if you go to the line that is all the way to the right so say you're facing Cinderella's castle go to the farthest line on the right. That gives you the best opportunity to have the most or the least obstructed shot. Because sometimes, unfortunately and I've done this myself and I feel terrible is that when I'm done I just head straight across ahead, you know, to Liberty Square, and I might be in the background of someone's photo. So if you go to that line all the way in the right, odds are pretty good that no one's going to be in the back of your shot.

Speaker 1: 40:17

And if you have a photo with Greg behind you, you might want to put that on eBay. That's a rare collector's name.

Speaker 8: 40:21

Of course you will be assigning him at springtime.

Speaker 4: 40:26

And something that's a little bit different for this race weekend is they're doing the yoga at the end of the race weekend. So on Monday, february 26th, they will be doing the yoga at Magic Kingdom. If you are staying at a Disney resort, the buses will be leaving one time only, at 3.30 in the morning, and if you're driving the parking lot at Magic Kingdom, parking will begin at 3.45. Security and check-in starts at 4am. They say to bring your ID and your waiver that you need for yoga and you must arrive before 5am to check in. As the last ferry will be at 5am to get over to Magic Kingdom. You cannot walk or use the monorail to get over to Magic Kingdom. I wouldn't recommend swimming either.

Speaker 2: 41:16

Yeah.

Speaker 4: 41:18

Not, unless you want to get eaten by the alligators.

Speaker 8: 41:22

So yeah, so security checkpoint is at the TTC. You just can't walk from the contemporary or the path from the poly or the Grand Floridian there. You must go to the TTC.

Speaker 4: 41:36

Yes, john, and then yoga will last an hour. They will be giving out yoga mats and water to the participants, and the spaces at Magic Kingdom are a first come, first serve basis, so there's not any assigned spots, so just keep that in mind when you're going there.

Speaker 1: 41:54

Interesting. They're having them on Monday. I think they've done that in the past, haven't they had them on Monday, or is this the first time, I think?

Speaker 8: 42:00

it's the second I haven't Maybe.

Speaker 4: 42:04

I've never seen that on Monday.

Speaker 5: 42:05

I don't remember seeing it on Monday.

Speaker 1: 42:07

Yeah, the thing is I don't really pay attention to it.

Speaker 2: 42:10

I know they've been mixing things up a little bit, like I. You know, before it was strictly Magic Kingdom and then they started doing it over at Hollywood Studios. But, like I said, all the time I had, I cannot remember if this is the first time it's been post all the races, as opposed to you know beforehand, because people used to love you know, having yoga and then go get breakfast and then your bright-eyed and bushy tail ready to go for the expo. So I'll be interested to see how this all plays out.

Speaker 5: 42:36

Yeah, definitely, let us know and see what your thoughts are as to the listeners. If you do yoga, let us know what you think about doing at the end instead of the beginning.

Speaker 1: 42:47

All right. So yoga on Monday, cool. A couple things quickly before we wrap up. Talking about the guide. Racedic is very important. It's in the guide in several places, but let's highlight that just a little bit.

Speaker 5: 43:01

You know, guys, I've seen more post over the recent weekends just about, you know, experiencing some negativity on the course and I feel like you know it's just a reminder If you're walking, stay on the right side. If you're running, stay on the left side. If you do run, walk I usually try to stay right in the middle so that I can lean one way or lean the other as to not disrupt people. I think it's always nice to just be courteous. If you're about to start a walk segment, raise that hand and just let people know behind you if they're following too close. Also, some things that they highlight in the race etiquette section Make sure that you're wearing your race bib. Follow the instructions that are on the course that the cast members are telling you. Make sure you don't walk more than two people beside each other. It makes it really difficult if you're starting in a huge group for people who aren't in your group to get past you. Just, you know, be courteous and say excuse me or coming through, and you know just no, this is all.

Speaker 1: 44:23

you're absolutely correct.

Speaker 5: 44:24

You're absolutely correct In my mind, this is like the thing, like duh.

Speaker 1: 44:30

But I was laughing because I was thinking if you run into me and you fall over, I will say sorry about that, but that's about it.

Speaker 8: 44:36

You like Captain America on your left.

Speaker 5: 44:39

Exactly On your left. That's all you got to say and really remember like you are running in a place that not very many people can say that they have gotten to run through the castle, like in our circle. We're like oh yeah, this is something we do all the time. But if you talk to like your coworker at work, they'll be like oh my gosh, that is so freaking cool. So just take a moment and be like wow, I get to run in the most magical place on earth with some of my best friends in the world. Or if you're new to running.

Speaker 5: 45:11

You get to make some really awesome friends, absolutely. And it's just going to be a really good time, so just enjoy yourself.

Speaker 1: 45:17

I had one. I had one more because this happened to me at the marathon. When you finish, don't stop. Oh yes.

Speaker 1: 45:28

There's a. I've got a reel on my Instagram page. Becky took a great video of finishing up and I'm running with Woody and we're running across the finish line and if you watch the very end of that little reel, it looks like I jump in the air. But what happened was I'm pushing this dagum race chair and the racer, the runner in front of me I'm not exaggerating Literally takes two steps and comes to a dead stop and I'm trying to pull this race chair back and avoid hitting him, and the run Disney folks who see him stopping there are reaching up to grab him and pull him out of the way. So when you cross the finish line, keep moving. You don't have to keep running, but keep moving. Don't stop right there. And let me piggyback everything Race etiquette, absolutely Like.

Speaker 1: 46:20

Everything you said is 100% correct and do these things and most of the friends we have listening do pay attention to them. I'm going to add that not everybody is going to pay attention to race as etiquette on the court, no matter how much we talk about it, no matter how much run Disney writes about it. So my mantra for you is just be patient. Okay, you are probably not going to win the overall, male or female. They don't give age group awards anymore, which is sad. Just enjoy it and just realize they're going to come times on the course when you're just gonna be boxed in and folks aren't going to get out of your way and you're just gonna have to be patient until things open up for you. But enjoy it, don't let it bother you. Relax, enjoy it and have fun.

Speaker 1: 47:19

And last thing, greg already talked about signing your waiver. If you registered for the Disneyland Halloween races, go sign your waiver right now so you can forget about it when the race comes around. You'll have it done. You will get an expo pass in your email sometime early next week. It should be coming out very soon. You'll want to have that available on your phone, probably when you get to the expo, so you can show them and pick up your bib, because it'll have your bib number on there and give you an idea of where you'll be going once you get to the races. Alright, my friends, let's move on and let's go to our interview for this episode.

Speaker 5: 48:08

So far our guest this week. You might know him from Instagram or any Run Disney weekend. We have Michael from Michael Does Dis, or I think you've had a couple of names over the past few years.

Speaker 6: 48:26

Interrations through the years, but currently Michael Does Dis yes.

Speaker 5: 48:30

Yes, and we are super excited to have you on. Let's jump in with one of the questions I usually like asking guests at first how did your running journey begin and how did you find Rand Disney?

Speaker 6: 48:45

Okay, so my running journey began somewhere around 2018. For me, that was a time in my life where I made the decision to get sober and, with my sobriety from there, I really kind of needed that outlet. I fell in love with running and I have always loved Disney my whole life. I'm born and raised in Florida and I went to Disney World with my family multiple times a year, and from there I kind of learned that there was this thing out there that combined these two one old passion and one very new passion and that was run Disney. So I signed up.

Speaker 6: 49:32

I had never run a race in my life, I had never done a 5k, anything like that, and I set the goal for myself of a half marathon. So I kind of skipped the 5k and 10k and went straight to the half. Thank God I didn't go straight for a dopey because that would just been silly, but I ended up somehow ended up actually registering also for the 10k, though, of that same weekend, and it was marathon weekend of 2019. It was my first race weekend, so I did the 10k and a half that weekend and I fell in love with run Disney.

Speaker 8: 50:15

Okay, you mentioned you stopped drinking, you got sober. Yes, how did that affect your running and your overall physical mental health?

Speaker 6: 50:24

Yeah, I mean it helped me in so many ways. My mental health was so much better and so much clearer and my physical health just I mean it changed pretty drastically. I lost weight, I felt better, I wasn't waking up groggy and hungover and with headaches and I could actually function all the time, which was super nice. So it just kind of all fell hand in hand and it was like this big wellness epiphany, I guess, back in in 2018. Congratulations on that, thank you.

Speaker 8: 51:02

I appreciate it.

Speaker 5: 51:04

Starting at run Disney and doing the races. When did the Instagram account come about and, like, how did it kind of evolve to what it is now?

Speaker 6: 51:16

I really did not mean to start this Instagram account. That was like 100% done by mistake. So I started it somewhere in 2018, I guess, because I at the time was just posting pictures of me and Matthew at Disney. Matthew is my husband. I would just post pictures of the two of us on my personal Instagram account, which was like first name, last initial birthday, basically, and with hashtags and things like that that I would put on pictures at the time. Like all of a sudden, I had all of these people following me and liking my pictures of me and Matthew at Disney and I mean, I was at that point in time I would tag my apartment building and I would. I don't know. It was my personal Instagram account and one day Matthew looked at me and was like who are all of these random people following you on Instagram? I don't know, they're all these Disney people.

Speaker 6: 52:28

So I decided in November of 2018 to kind of run with it and it was a different time then. It was like back then, being a Disney influencer was like taking pictures in front of the purple wall and the bubble gum wall and blueberry wall and like I don't know, you took pictures in front of a lot of walls and you wore just for some people. It was like twirling in dresses, but I was like you know what? I'm gonna just try this. I already have this following. It was about 6,000 people that I kind of started with and I changed my name on Instagram to Michael does Disney and I archived all of my old posts. I made sure that I got rid of anything that was like tagging my apartment and I kind of ran with it from there.

Speaker 2: 53:21

Michael, it's incredible to hear that story and the evolution of the account. But you know, the other side of it too is that you get the partner with so many brands that are very Disney centric, like I know. You know last week you were just out in Disneyland with undercover tourists and you've done stuff with, you know, dvc rental store and World of DVC and everything like that. How do those relationships come about? And then, on the other side of that, how do they enhance your love and your passion for the Disney product?

Speaker 6: 53:54

Yeah, so I mean I've I have been very fortunate over the years as my account has grown. I can, I mean I can absolutely say that I've become one of the bigger Disney accounts that's out there. I really, I mean it's grown, went from that 6,000 people up to right now it's at 144,000 people, which like I never, ever, ever, ever expected that and just kind of, over time I've interacted with so many different people and brands have started to follow me and I've followed brands and I think half of it is me reaching out to them and half of it is them reaching out to me. It's kind of been a 50-50 split of that over time.

Speaker 6: 54:46

At one point I had a manager for like four months that didn't work out because I just like I don't know, I'm way too go with the flow and like I didn't enjoy the negotiation side of that and that was not fun. But yeah, I think sorry I'm blabbing right now but to answer that question specifically, I think a lot of the ones that are very Disney specific have the majority of those have come to me over time and I think for them it's an opportunity to really be able to showcase their brand or their product out to so many Disney loving people, and for me, I think the biggest thing is that I will not promote something that I don't genuinely enjoy.

Speaker 2: 55:37

So that's that's kind of my rule of thumb, for my yeah, excellent rule of thumb well, thank you for doing that, because you've definitely influenced me, because right now, my family and I were in the process of going on a trip this summer to Disneyland to surprise my daughter for her birthday, and I was originally booked at one hotel, and then I remember coming across some of your content talking about the Weston, the, the New Weston, anaheim, and I was. I immediately contacted Maggie over at Magic Bound Travel and I was like, hey, so about that reservation, can you switch me over to the Weston, please?

Speaker 5: 56:14

so, so thank you for that yeah, of course I think it's safe to say of most of the people that I follow on about Disney and and run Disney like your accounts the one that I go to for for advice and like I wonder if he's done this and I'll kind of scroll through your highlights and which I need to update.

Speaker 6: 56:37

They are outdated right now. I haven't updated a single one of them since like June of last year and I just like forget. I'm like, oh, I put the stories up, but then they go like 24 hours later. I should actually like store them somewhere.

Speaker 5: 56:53

You're reminding me to go do that yeah, do that, michael okay but I mean, I know, you know I speak for a bunch of people who say, like this, this is part of the planning of Disney is like checking out things, and I know there's just been, you know, some really unique opportunities that you've gotten to participate in that have inspired me to like, oh, maybe I want to do this. How, like Jollywood night or this you know what Typhoon, like some of the after-party type stuff. I would love to do the you went to this sweetheart night yeah, I just went to Disneyland yes, oh, I want to go to that it was fun.

Speaker 6: 57:39

I had a really good time. It was interesting because I went with a good friend of mine, so like we were not a couple, and the majority of those like after dark events, the longest waits at them are always to meet the unique and cool characters. That's like what a lot of people go to them for. This was the only one that I've ever been to that had like very short character waits because everybody was in line to take pictures with like the big cardboard cutout thing of like Rapunzel's boat, with like the lanterns and like the kissing picture of like Ariel and Eric like in that boat and like the table at Tony's with like sharing the spaghetti and like all of these like lovey-dovey pictures had one to two hour waits and I'm like rolling up to meet these characters because everyone's waiting in them because it was all of these couples and I was like this is amazing, like that's fantastic, yeah

Speaker 8: 58:43

okay, speaking of unique, yes, what is one of the most unique Disney opportunities you've gotten to encounter as an influencer?

Speaker 6: 58:51

so I would say, hmm, that's a tough one. I've gotten to do some really really cool things. I would say that they are not all, though, necessarily because of being an influencer or a content creator, though some of them have been because of the connections and the friends that I have made through the years of doing this. I think that one of the coolest for me was getting to go up to 21 Royal and check out the dream suite at Disneyland. That's cool, sit in the bathtub, which like silly, but having the opportunity to be like wow, I'm sitting in the dream suite bathtub right now, like was very cool for me, and that wasn't something that was provided by Disney or anything like that. That was a friend of mine was offered a tour of that and he called me and was like, do you want to come? And I was like I will literally be on a flight tomorrow. It's been some cool things like that.

Speaker 6: 59:56

I think another one was definitely the opportunity to tour Walt's apartment above the fire station at Disneyland and then probably my biggest one that I've been invited to and like the coolest opportunity really, that came from this influencer, content creator space whatever you want to call it was probably being one of the few people picked to go to the Disney 100 press event, where it was like the global press event for Disney 100 in Anaheim, and that was a moment for me that was very, very special. I am not invited to that that many like Disney events. They throw a million different events. They invite different people to every single different one of them. They really try to kind of focus on the right audience or the right group of people for that specific event and just the fact that, like for that one event, they chose me, I was flabbergasted but also just so appreciative and really enjoyed it.

Speaker 1: 1:01:01

Michael, you have a lot of presents at the run Disney events at the race weekends. Do you? Do you have a favorite race weekend?

Speaker 6: 1:01:09

I do. I will always love marathon weekend. Okay, always be my favorite. It's just so fun because to me it's like the number one weekend where you get this mix of Disney, loving people, but you also get, like some serious runners out there, like because of the full marathon, and I love that it doesn't have a specific theme tied to it and that it's just Disney like it's just Mickey and friends and classic Disney, like that's my favorite part of it.

Speaker 1: 1:01:45

Yeah, we get the big crowds. Yeah, see all your friends.

Speaker 5: 1:01:48

Yeah, it's, it's a great weekend, it is do you feel like because I know I've kind of experienced this of whenever I started doing run Disney back in 2016. It was like this was an event that I went to either by myself or with friends, and like now I go and it feels like everybody talks to everybody and like, since the pandemic have has your interactions grown with people that you come in contact with every Disney weekends?

Speaker 6: 1:02:17

oh yeah, I mean run Disney weekends are like they're madness in the best way possible because I get to see everyone those weekends. So I get to see like my runner friends and my Disney friends and I get to meet so many incredible people and like I just love talking to everyone and it's like the people that I've met in the corrals have become some of my best friends and that's just the coolest part of run Disney like. And I agree that post pandemic, it's like everyone has a different kind of sense of it and everyone is a little bit chatty here and a little bit more into it. And I do think that, for better or worse, social media has changed run Disney over the past couple of years in a different way. I mean making it obviously more difficult to register and more of an exclusive thing, and I do miss the days of like if I really wanted to run I could just go to the expo and register for their right yeah, and it wasn't this virtual cue madness get a jacket, that's.

Speaker 6: 1:03:31

I mean, some of this stuff has gotten a little out of hand, but I think that everyone is kind of like everyone's caught on to run Disney, so it's like everyone is there and I see so many people. But I do love it.

Speaker 1: 1:03:45

I really, really enjoyed talking folks who are relatively new wouldn't believe that such a day existed.

Speaker 6: 1:03:51

Michael, or you could register days later or weeks later, yeah, I mean, I didn't like for my first one it wasn't like I chose to like wake up at some hour to have 75 different browsers open, like new different devices, with every friend and family member across the country trying like it was just like. Oh, matthew, there's this thing called run Disney and I think I should run it and like I don't know when I signed up, but I did, yeah my first race was the same way I never like October, for April race was Rick was crazy yeah, now it's like you could have a baby in the amount of time that it.

Speaker 6: 1:04:35

Yes, I'm a mind have to, like I've literally had friends where they're like oh you know, I registered for this, but then I was pregnant and now I have a baby and I'm like that's how long ago we registered so, michael, having done as many Disney races as you have, can you tell us a couple of your favorite run Disney experiences that you've had over the years?

Speaker 6: 1:05:01

definitely. There have been so many, so many different fun experiences I've had. Some of them are like unlikely fun experiences, like running a wine and dine 5k in the pouring rain dressed as a baguette, like weird standout moment. For me that's like that was one of the most fun warnings of my life, like running through the world showcase dressed as a very soggy baguette. But I mean some of the other ones have definitely been. I mean I'll never forget the first for each thing.

Speaker 6: 1:05:43

So, like the first half marathon I did, crying through the finish line. Then it was my first marathon which I did not do, my first marathon tied to a dopey. I was very, very adamant. Actually, matthew was very adamant that I don't. He was like you are not gonna run 48.6 miles four days in a row, like you will run a marathon on its own and make sure that you can do that before you do a dopey.

Speaker 6: 1:06:12

And I will tell anyone who will listen to me that that was the best decision I ever made because it allowed me to have my first ever marathon as its own standalone event and accomplishment. It wasn't like I finished it and I was like, oh my gosh, I just finished a dopey. I got to really experience like, oh my gosh, I just ran a marathon and I'm a marathoner now, and like I was so proud to wear my marathon jacket and marathon medal, and like dopey wasn't even like really in my mind at that point, it was just like I ran a marathon. So that, for me, is probably one of the highlights. And then I think that another one was also, though, follow up to that, when I did run my first dopey, because that was the first marathon weekend post COVID was when I did my first dopey.

Speaker 6: 1:07:03

And it was just this feeling of like, oh my God, we're back and like the energy and everything I just got goosebumps talking about it like thinking back to those mornings in the corral where, like there was a period during the pandemic where we didn't know if we'd ever be back together in the way that we once were close quarters, tight in those corrals, and like to be able to pull through and come through it all and then be back there. It was just like such a magical feeling.

Speaker 5: 1:07:34

Yep, I have goosebumps too, yeah. I agree. So you mentioned running as a soggy baguette. Yes. What are some of your favorite costumes that you've done over the years?

Speaker 6: 1:07:46

Yeah, there have been many. I would say, oh my God. I think one of my favorites was when Matthew and I were the Pixar balls and we ran as just like this set of balls, which was funny. I think one of my favorites was probably when I dressed as Goofy, because he's my favorite character ever.

Speaker 1: 1:08:13

There, you go.

Speaker 6: 1:08:15

I loved when we did the park icons. It was four of us and we did-. Oh, with Lisa, yes, with Lisa, yes, that was great yes, so the four of us did them and I learned that it was really hard to run in cardboard and that that was one of those moments that was very humbling and it was like for all of the people out there who do these really elaborate costumes that involve crazy props and cardboard and whatever, and they do them for longer than a 5K. Yeah.

Speaker 6: 1:08:47

Good for you. Yeah, I agree. I during that race I was running through Hollywood Studios and I very stupidly slipped on a curb and completely fell and my knee was bleeding like rushing blood. It didn't hurt that bad in the moment, but I was like this big Hollywood Studios like Tower of Terror in cardboard all lit up with like blood rushing down my knee, oh no, and then had two more days to still run after that because it was dopey. So it was like that was an interesting one, but I think most of the costumes that I've had the best time doing have been costumes that have been like duo costumes with Matthew.

Speaker 5: 1:09:40

I love that.

Speaker 6: 1:09:41

Yeah, woody, and Buzz me and Hook.

Speaker 2: 1:09:44

No, michael, I love how you get Matthew involved in this as well too. To just you know, seeing you as one of the power couples of run Disney is just amazing to see and it always brings a smile to my face. But speaking of things that bring smiles to my face, you have had the opportunity to run several races at Run Disney on behalf of charity, including with our friends over at Give Kids the World. What does it mean to you to run Disney on behalf of a charity?

Speaker 6: 1:10:14

So I try to make sure that there's at least one race weekend every race season that I do for charity Because to me it's an opportunity to give back and to be able to fundraise and like I have the platform for it, which for me it's like why have this platform if I can't use it to do some good at the same time? So, like I have done, the majority of my charity runs with Give Kids the World. I'm very passionate about them. I've worked very closely with them for a while. I love them. They are just such a phenomenal organization and they do such amazing things for so many people, Absolutely, yep. They're also so nice and friendly and like the best team to work with. I love the entire team over at Give Kids the World, so like it's just a win-win.

Speaker 6: 1:11:11

So I really really do try to do at least one race weekend each year for charity. And the other thing, too, is I always remind people whenever they don't get into a race. I remind them how many charities there are that have bibs available for these races and that it is such a good way to get into a sold out race and that you can really feel good while you're running. Like it's nice. We love them to death, like all of us. But it's nice when your money isn't going into Disney's pockets and, like you know, it's going into the pockets of someone who can actually use it. There's my soapbox about I love it. Running for charity, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 5: 1:12:00

So let's switch gears just a little bit, because the last time you and I talked about this was on the ferry to Magic Kingdom at Marathon Weekend.

Speaker 6: 1:12:10

Which anything I said during that time period really means to be taken with a grain of salt, because it was the day of the marathon-.

Speaker 5: 1:12:23

It was.

Speaker 6: 1:12:23

After running Dopey and I was like just this far past delirious at that point. I remember very vividly sitting in my hotel room for hours debating if I should leave my hotel room at all and finally, at some point, for some reason, I was like I'm going to go to the Magic Kingdom right now.

Speaker 5: 1:12:48

So I it was fate so that we'd meet. It was fate.

Speaker 6: 1:12:53

I put my jacket on and hopped on the ferry and saw you.

Speaker 5: 1:12:59

I know, I know. So we were talking about expectations for Disneyland, but we had not experienced Disneyland yet, so I want to know your hot take on how the race went. And at the day we're recording, this was Disneyland race registration, which you're not doing. Halloween, right.

Speaker 6: 1:13:24

I am not, I chose not to, and I'll probably dive into that as I talk about the why's and kind of how Disneyland weekend went for me.

Speaker 5: 1:13:34

I'm just curious what your take was.

Speaker 6: 1:13:37

So I will always give grace for learning curves and for things taking a while to come back. And for the first of anything. So I will say that Disneyland race weekend was not as exciting as I had expected it to be. I think a big piece of that comes from the fact that I have run so many races at this point at Disney World, where they have it down to a well-oiled machine. They do it four times a year. It's the same team that does it time after time after time and they know what they're doing and they own the property. They own the property. They own so much land that they can do quite literally whatever they want, like the night before the half half of Dopey weekend, the fact in my mind that they were able to change a 13.1 mile course into the 7.1, 6.1. Something like that course. That they did, and they didn't just cut a course in half, they completely made an entire new course overnight and somehow finagled that and got character stops in there and all of that. They can do that because they're a well-oiled machine and they have the land. So that's how I'm going to preface all of this. With that being said, the Disneyland races were interesting.

Speaker 6: 1:15:16

The 5K for me was not fun. The 5K was very rough for me because I was not a fan, because I did not enjoy starting on Main Street in this and I thought I would. I thought it was going to be the coolest thing in the world when the map came out and I was like, oh my God, I get to start in front of the castle. That proved to be way less exciting than it was on paper, just because it was so congested and it was so confusing and nobody knew what was going on. We were standing at the gates for over an hour waiting for them to open it and nobody had communicated about what time things were opening and it just was very confusing and there were just felt like no one knew what was going on. And then I started running and it was just like how was there already a 45-minute character wait, and I was in corral A At the time. I got to the second character. It was just very confusing. And then it just kind of abruptly ended in California Adventure with this quiet walkout where you just left a gate and I remember this feeling of normally it's like there's a DJ playing and it's all pumped up and you're excited. I wanted to crawl back into bed. I was like so weird it just ended and I left through a quiet gate. 5k kind of set the tone for me for the weekend of like I'm very curious to see how the rest of this is.

Speaker 6: 1:16:51

The 10K for me was a blast. I thought that that was one of the most fun Disney races I had actually done in a long time and I think that for me it was great because it was something new and it was something different than our normal courses down in Orlando. There were some logistical hiccups with it, for sure, but overall I was happy and I was happy that there were some characters out and I was happy that it ran through both parks and I was happy. I had never been so happy to start in a parking lot Like that morning. I was like some normalcy, like Theresa and a parking lot. But I have heard from other people that there were some real nightmares of like if you started in some of the further back corrals there was no audio, so like they had absolutely no idea what was going on back there and like they didn't even hear the national anthem happening. So there were things like that that were like how did that happen, and it was just a little bit confusing.

Speaker 5: 1:17:57

I was an F, so you didn't hear anything. Nope.

Speaker 6: 1:18:01

That's crazy to me. Like I was up front and I will say in that moment like I could hear them and I was enjoying that. Also, not sure I understood or vibed with the like dog theme of the five and the duck theme of the NK. And then I got like really in my head and I was so convinced because Mickey and Minnie were on the metal for the half marathon that like I told everyone and their mother that would listen to me I was like tomorrow's race is mouse themed, like I'm sure of it, and I was like it's mouse themed, like I know it is, and I was like, yeah, like Gus, gus and Jack are going to be out, and like Bernard and Bianca are going to be out, and like all these really cool like mouse characters. And then I ran it and it was like Daisy and Donald and their classic outfits and I was like really disappointed when there were no fun mice on the course.

Speaker 6: 1:19:00

This is all a long way of saying that Disneyland races were different than I expected, I think only because people hyped them up so much. But what I learned was that the people who had hyped them up so much were people who hadn't participated in races in Orlando. So they were so many people who were local to California and who haven't traveled across the country for run Disney races and for them this is amazing. If you think about it, this is your race experience. Getting to run through Disneyland is absolutely amazing. Getting to go in backstage areas and getting to see a character in the park Absolutely incredible, and I'll give them that.

Speaker 6: 1:19:43

But when you compare it to the behemoth that are the races in Orlando, I don't think that there is a comparison. The other thing too for me, obviously, the same as most people running through the city of Anaheim, I've done now my fair share of non-Disney races and when you run a non-Disney race, you know it's just a normal race. You're just going out to run, which is fine and it's great and it is what it is. But when you're paying Disney prices and you're having that Disney mentality and expectation, the 8 and 1 half miles in Anaheim weren't the most fun or magical miles that I've ever had. People had also told me about how like, oh, the city of Anaheim really comes out and like it's like really, the energy is everything. Maybe I ran the wrong way, but I surely didn't feel that I was like where is everyone I'm like running through a drainage ditch right now and like this is. This parking lot at Angel Stadium is making Blizzard Beach look amazing, so it just had its things.

Speaker 6: 1:20:50

I also missed. As you can probably tell by now, I'm a big character guy. I love characters. That for me, is the highlight of run Disney weekends other than getting to see my friends is all the characters I get to meet. And not having characters at the expo out there and not having characters in the parking lot out there and then having so few characters in the parks during the races just was a little bit underwhelming to me. I missed all of that a lot.

Speaker 2: 1:21:23

I mean, I will say, you know, in hearing all of that, I never got to share this thought on the podcast. But what I'm hoping is that Disney Land was run Disney's version of Night One of Jollywood Nights. A lot of logistical things, yep Worked, others didn't, and they pivoted extremely quickly and hopefully by the Halloween race everything will be fantastic.

Speaker 6: 1:21:49

I will say too, and I got. I had people. So after the 5k I very publicly on my stories, kind of talked through my issues with that race that morning and I had a lot of people that wrote back to me and they were like you're being too critical and like these are, you're not giving them a fair shot and it's their first time back and all of these different things and like, yes, absolutely I did it, though on purpose in a way where it was like I know that there's a lot of people from run Disney that are watching, Absolutely, Yep.

Speaker 6: 1:22:23

I did it very, very candidly, in an open way that I think people just aren't used to. That I'm very positive. Most of the time I will share when I've had a negative or not so great experience with things and I try to do it in the nicest way possible. But, like for me, I was like you know what I want? To tell everyone that they were taking two to four pictures of everyone on PhotoPass and then looking at each picture and being like, oh wait, come back. It wasn't great.

Speaker 1: 1:22:51

Oh God, do you imagine?

Speaker 6: 1:22:54

I publicly say that so that they had the opportunity over the next two days to make changes, and you know what they did and there were a lot of things that went better over the next two days than they did on that first day and I give them a heck of a lot of credit for making those changes as they went. And I also have to imagine I know that they got that feedback from that weekend and I know that they watch everything and see everything and hear everything and they had their own people out there running the races and I have to imagine that the Halloween races are going to be different and I hope so, I really hope so. I hope that I am at home watching them on a million other people's stories, saying this looks amazing and I can't wait to go back and do another race at Disney man.

Speaker 1: 1:23:45

Michael. I know somebody who hopes so too. I registered today, by the way. Congratulations. How did registration go? I thought it was relatively quick, but I didn't feel panicked or hurried. I thought everything was fine Good.

Speaker 6: 1:24:01

I like that. We just kind of know what to expect. I feel like at this point, and as long as there's none of those weird like we're actually going to be starting three hours from now ladies that we had at one point we got a little bit nervous because the links opened earlier than normal and anything.

Speaker 1: 1:24:20

Anytime something's not normal. Yeah, it didn't come hot until exactly 10 o'clock but they opened about 20 minutes of site. Yeah, I did worry a little bit, but no, I think registration was smooth this morning.

Speaker 6: 1:24:33

And I will say that I am not running the Halloween races, not because I didn't have a good time at the Disneyland race weekend, because overall I did and I hope to do the Disneyland races again and I am sure that they are going to make improvements and with these themes they better have those characters like yeah on point.

Speaker 6: 1:24:54

Like they just have to. I more so, just could not, with my schedule, add it in another race weekend. Sure, I understand that country. I just like I made the decision to take princess off this year, so I will not be down there next week.

Speaker 6: 1:25:13

And I took that one off for is kind of my max for the year. It really like from a travel perspective. I also very surprising to some people but I do also like to go other places that Disney related. So I have to reserve a couple of this travel weekends and some of that travel money for there are other places.

Speaker 1: 1:25:36

We'll have to have an episode dedicated to other places. I need to learn about this Weird.

Speaker 6: 1:25:41

And the one thing I will say anyone who follows my run Disney content knows that I have this like massive run Disney, only hatred for joy. The character she is like my nightmare character. When I see her face on a course, I just want to You're not joyful, I'm beyond not joyful and it is because like there was a point where she was out for every race weekend.

Speaker 6: 1:26:12

It did not matter if it was princess or the theme could have been like anything opposite of inside out or Pixar, and there was joy in the Epcot spot and I was like I can go meet her after the races then, because she's meeting there every day. And I just remember this feeling of turning the corner at Disneyland and there was joy and I was like this has to be a sick joke right now. But I just hope that she is not out for the Halloween races If joy is out.

Speaker 5: 1:26:44

That would be weird.

Speaker 6: 1:26:45

That'd be weird.

Speaker 2: 1:26:47

Wouldn't surprise me If there's one thing we've learned is that next time Michaels in Disneyland, you will not catch him at the inside out emotional whirlwind.

Speaker 6: 1:26:56

So I will say I like the movie, I like the other characters very much. I just met Bing Bong, but like so jealous Joy, just Sorry, joy, you don't.

Speaker 5: 1:27:15

So bringing it back to, I guess, run non run Disney questions and just talking about Disney in general. You have gotten to experience so many amazing things that Disney has to offer. What is one thing that you haven't gotten to do that you really want to?

Speaker 6: 1:27:40

Okay, so the number one on my bucket list is to go to the Disney bucket list. The bucket list is to go inside of the dream suite, inside of Cinderella castle. Yeah, I have not had that opportunity. And then I think my other like Disney bucket list item Is to hit all of the parks around the world and we just booked a trip to Hong Kong and Shanghai and then we just went to the Disney bucket list and then we got to Tokyo. So this is kind of a Late.

Speaker 5: 1:28:18

April, early May, and I am so excited to like, oh yeah, final two castles.

Speaker 6: 1:28:24

Yeah, when did you go to Tokyo? We did Tokyo in October of 2019. Okay, well, kinda just before the world shut down, and it was Spectacular. That was so exciting.

Speaker 5: 1:28:39

I'm so excited To be able to spend weeks in those two theme parks and never get sick of it. The plan is next year for me, so good.

Speaker 6: 1:28:51

After fantasy springs, opens Like there's no reason to go. I want to go there so bad. There's no reason to go right now, before June at all. Our trip is April, may and had. And very fortunately for both of us, it is not open yet, so it will be a very similar experience to when we were there a couple of years ago. So we're not doing Japan on the strip.

Speaker 5: 1:29:19

Okay, well, that'll be really fun. Have you done a Disney cruise?

Speaker 6: 1:29:23

Yes, I've done a couple of Disney cruises. I've only been on two of the ships. I've been on the Wonder three times and then I've been on the Wish. I would love to experience the other ones. We would definitely. I think we'll probably plan to do at least one Disney cruise this year at some point.

Speaker 1: 1:29:41

Michael, here's a question Now. I'm actually interested in the answer to this myself because while I'm, I do still consume alcohol. I'm a pretty moderate drinker and I am prone to the NA beers and the mocktails myself from time to time. So do you have a favorite Disney mocktail from one of the parks or resorts?

Speaker 6: 1:30:06

So my favorite mocktail is actually I have two. One of them you can find at almost any Disney resort and it's their sparkling no-hito. So it's basically just like a mojito, that's all in it. But there's another one that I love and I don't remember the name of it right now, but it's in La Cava Deltaquila, in the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot, which I always think is funny. That, like my favorite mocktail, is at the tequila bar A great place, by the way. They make this one mocktail that is just so good. And what I love about it and I think why I like the sparkling no-hito as well is that they don't taste like kids' drinks. I find that a lot of places around Disney, when they say that they have a non-alcoholic drink offering, it's like a glorified Shirley Temple yeah, it's sugary, yeah. Or it's like they love to use, like Minute Maid Lemonade in every single non-alcoholic drink. So it's like some different variation of Minute Maid Lemonade, some kind of ice cream or dole whip or something and remedy, and that's not for me.

Speaker 4: 1:31:24

That's a bit much.

Speaker 6: 1:31:26

And then I also found recently that you can get a non-alcoholic beer in Germany in Epcot and that was a really, really big game changer for me, because it's fun to like be able to. I enjoy a non-alcoholic beer, but it's fun to be able to sip one around the world like yeah, while other people are drinking around the world, but know that I'm gonna not feel awful.

Speaker 1: 1:31:52

No, I got turned on to the athletic brewing company at one of the expo. I love athletic brewing. Yeah, it's so good, I have.

Speaker 6: 1:31:58

I just bought another case of them. They're in my fridge right now. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:32:01

They're in my fridge Tastes like beer, you know, I mean, it's pretty good. Yeah, good tips, thank you.

Speaker 5: 1:32:09

Have you done the snacks around the world? Because that's another like challenge.

Speaker 6: 1:32:13

I'm not formally, but I can wholeheartedly say that I have done my fair share of snacking around the world Many, many times.

Speaker 2: 1:32:27

All right, Michael, To wrap up this interview. We do this with some of our guests. We like to do some rapid fire questions, although I have a deep in thought question for you here at the end. But if you want to take this on, are you ready for some rapid fires here? Yeah, I'm ready, All right. All right, here we go. First one Dole Whip or Churro.

Speaker 6: 1:32:48

Dole Whip in Orlando, churro in Disneyland, oh, okay.

Speaker 2: 1:32:53

All right, we know you're from Chicago, so. I have a very important question for you Giordano's or Luminale's? 100%?

Speaker 6: 1:33:03

Luminale's.

Speaker 2: 1:33:04

That is the correct answer, sir. Thank you very much.

Speaker 6: 1:33:07

That is the only answer. With Buttercrest dipped in ranch dressing, there you go.

Speaker 2: 1:33:13

This is why we're friends. This is why we're friends. I love it. All right. Next question you have seen a lot of Disney parks. Which is your favorite?

Speaker 6: 1:33:22

My favorite around the world is Tokyo Disney Sea. It's just like nothing else out there. And then my follow up favorite is absolutely classic Disneyland, like Magic Kingdom Disneyland, just because it's like the original park and where Walt was, and I love it. I could be there every day and never get sick of it.

Speaker 2: 1:33:46

And again, another correct answer there on Tokyo Disney Sea Way to go, favorite festival at Disney.

Speaker 6: 1:33:53

I would say my favorite. These are tough. My favorite festival in Orlando is absolutely Festival of the Arts, and I will scream from a rooftop that it needs to be longer.

Speaker 1: 1:34:05

Amen.

Speaker 6: 1:34:06

Because it always needs overlap with Princess Weekend and now it doesn't, and it's like Flower and Garden and Food and Wine are great, but they both last too long.

Speaker 2: 1:34:16

Yes, we need hashtag farts much longer than we do.

Speaker 6: 1:34:19

Yes, I just don't want to eat cheese soup in Canada in July. It's not fun.

Speaker 5: 1:34:26

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:34:28

All right, and here is the last but most important question why is Row 15 on Big Thunder Mountain the only row you should sit in?

Speaker 6: 1:34:37

Well, there is just, there's no, it's just is there's no way to describe it. I mean, if you don't sit there, it should be illegal. It's the best, it's the bumpiest, it's the most fun, it's the most exhilarating, and if you have a kidney stone, you'll pass it if you Row 15. So I think that's proof enough right there that you should sit in the back of the car.

Speaker 2: 1:35:06

Way to go. Awesome, excellent job, sir, thank you.

Speaker 5: 1:35:10

I love it. I think we're about to wrap things up, michael. Do you have anything that you want to add? Or if you want to plug your socials, or anything.

Speaker 6: 1:35:20

I just want to say thank you, guys for having me today. I am so happy that we ran into each other, lexi, on the ferry, and that you nudged me and you were like so I reach out? A long time ago and you never answered, and I am so glad to be here. So thank you, thank you, thank you and yes, for anybody who doesn't follow me, please follow along only on Instagram. Michael does Diz. I'm not on any of the other platforms because I don't know.

Speaker 6: 1:35:51

You probably don't have time. I don't have time, and that's it. I can't wait to see everyone at another race weekend. Soon I'll be down at springtime surprise and I'm very excited for it.

Speaker 1: 1:36:04

Michael, thanks. We enjoyed the visit and we certainly look forward to seeing you at a future Run Disney event. I was looking forward to next week. We got Jeff's race weekend coming up on St Patrick's Day in Atlanta. That's always a fun event. Lot of our Rise and Run friends are there. Lot of Run Disney friends, customized training friends, friends from other podcasts Really looking forward to it. We have some news Apparently there's going to be a live podcast. I don't know. You heard about this. What, what.

Speaker 5: 1:36:43

Who does podcasts?

Speaker 1: 1:36:45

And live Live Podcast. We'll do it live. We talking podcast All right, we'll do it live.

Speaker 1: 1:36:56

Now we're joking around. We know that there's going to be a live recording of the Rise and Run podcast at Jeff's weekend. We don't know a heck of a lot more about it than that. I know that I'll be there, lexi will be there and Jack plans to be there, so we're looking forward to seeing you there. But maybe next week our guest, mr Jeff Galloway, will have a few more details and we can tell you a little more about it, but I am looking forward to his run. By the way, if you sign up, don't forget use the code RISEANDRUN 15% discount on the Jeff Galloway Race Weekend.

Speaker 1: 1:37:36

This weekend, meet up the food truck area in Disney Springs so you come out of Orange Garage and you look for the big balloon. You head towards that. The Starbucks is on your left and to your left over there is the food truck area. We'll be there at three o'clock. It's just me. So if you want to change your mind about whether you're coming or not, I'll be the only Rise and Run gang member there. If you're looking for Alexia and Alicia, they're going to be home thinking about being. Greg won't be there. John won't be there.

Speaker 5: 1:38:11

Someday we need to create like a teleportation device.

Speaker 2: 1:38:16

I thought you were going to say hologram, and then we could just all be there.

Speaker 5: 1:38:20

I mean hologram also.

Speaker 1: 1:38:21

I may not be that far off.

Speaker 8: 1:38:23

What would be like Tupac.

Speaker 1: 1:38:27

Friends, I am looking forward to seeing you at that meet up, and one of the wonderful things about the Rise and Run family is that it really doesn't matter if.

Speaker 1: 1:38:36

I'm there or not either. You seem to have a wonderful time visiting with one another and we are excited about that, so it will be fun. I'm hoping to see you there at 3 pm. Normally we will take a group photo around 3.30. But that certainly doesn't mean that we're finishing up. The last couple times that we've been there, I only announced that because sometimes people get there a little bit later and they are shucks. I missed the photo. So around 3.30 we'll take a group photo. The last couple times we've had someone there till, I think, I'm near five o'clock in most cases, because we just enjoy sitting and talking with one another. So it's fun. That's a highlight of Princess Weekend for me and I hope to see you there. And yes, there will be cookies, john. Do we have any new reviews?

Speaker 8: 1:39:30

Yes, we do. It's from Supernatural 12. Motivational, approachable and fun. I have decided to run a Disney marathon next year and found a YouTube channel that showed a really sweet and enthusiastic runner recording her race through the parks. I found that she had a podcast she contributes to and got super excited to listen. This is a great background podcast while you're running or doing other activities. It's both light and informative. Also, the hosts are super nice and make you feel like you could do anything. I was so worried about training because I'm not a hardcore runner and they make it feel so doable. I've been binging this podcast and plan to continue.

Speaker 1: 1:40:12

Well, thank you so much for spending the time and thanks for the kind words. And you can do it. I don't think we hardcore runners yeah, it's not us. We are the casual mid to the back of the packers, who love running, especially running at Disney and especially running with great friends like you. Friends mentioned it once already episode 126. Jeff Galloway will be with us. He's going to talk about the Galloway weekend, but since it will be released the Thursday of Princess, I think we can sneak a couple of last minute ideas. Pep talk suggestions from Mr Galloway for Princess Weekend Reminder.

Speaker 1: 1:40:58

It's the Princess Roll Call next week. I saw some more folks were adding their names to the list. If you're not sure how to do that, go to the featured section in the Facebook group. That's up there. You have to scroll all the way to the right Race report. Is there? Enter your name directly into the report it's a Google Doc or you can just make a comment and I'll enter it for you, but the roll call is next week. Okay, my friends, it's time for a race report. I want to start by going back one week. Our friend Rob did what we ask him, ask you to do, which is call our hotline and leave us a race report. Now, I wasn't here last week and I didn't point out to my friends that this was there, so here's Rob's report from one week ago.

Speaker 3: 1:41:55

Hey, good morning. How are you? This is Rob from Glen Rock, new Jersey, with a race report for the New York Roadrunners Manhattan 10K. Back in Central Park after last week's washout, but the weather was much nicer that. It was chilly, but the sun was out, the course was in great shape and it really was an enjoyable time. The volunteers were fantastic, the crowd was super. Just really really fun time for everybody. And as long as you don't tell my orthopedist I ran a lot faster than he wanted me to, then we'll all be in good shape. Have a great weekend and we'll talk to you later. Take care, happy running.

Speaker 1: 1:42:37

Let's move now to Saturday and start in Charlotte, north Carolina. At the hot chocolate run 10K, nona, her husband Doug, her son Liam and daughter Elizabeth Not Elizabeth Elizabeth ran that race in North Carolina. There's a series of runs called the Cupid's Chase 5K. Community options is a sponsor of this. It's a national thing. They work to help folks with disabilities. Our friend Heather says that the Cupid's Chases occur in 11 states and our friend Jimmy actually broke that down a little further and said they occur in 46 cities in those 11 states. But let's start with the first one. We just heard from Rob.

Speaker 1: 1:43:31

Rob did his Cupid's Chase 5K in Glen Rock, new Jersey. This is his 14th Cupid's Chase and represents a reverse challenge for him. In consecutive weeks he's run a half marathon, a 10K and now a 5K. Great weather, which seems to be the theme through most of the country. This last weekend Rob finished second at his age group. His prize was awarded by a high school friend he hadn't seen in about 30 years and this fell as now a New Jersey state senator. So Rob finished that one in Lake Como, new Jersey. Heather finished a Cupid's Chase. It's her eighth Cupid's Chase, again really great weather, not a PR, but very happy to have dropped six minutes off of last year's time.

Speaker 8: 1:44:21

I hope she spent the time at Bar A afterwards. Okay, all right.

Speaker 4: 1:44:26

And in Knoxville, tennessee, our friend Jimmy did the Cupid's Chase as well. He said he's sick of running in the rain but he enjoyed his time and he did three extra miles after this. Megan also did the Cupid's Chase in Knoxville. It was her first ever race running in the rain. She said it was a torrential rain but she had a fun time, she felt like a kid and she even got a PR. And our friend Allie, without an E, also did the Cupid's Chase 5K in York, pennsylvania. This was a smaller Cupid's Chase and she ended up getting second place in her age group, had her fastest 5K since October and she said she's much more fond of small races now. So great job, allie.

Speaker 1: 1:45:13

Yeah, that's actually the fastest since October of 2015. Yes, so that's a big deal. Way to go. Allie Coming out, our Cupid's Chaser in Charleston, south Carolina. Ashton ran a sub 27 minute 5K on a beautiful day in Charleston. This was a PR for Ashton. A lot of runs in Florida this weekend. Let's go to Wintergarden, the Track Shack run for love four-mile. Our Peyton was there Beautiful morning and the weather was gorgeous all weekend down here in Florida. Very happy with her pace, she is now ready for the Gasparilla Half which occurs the same weekend as Princess. That's a great event in Tampa, florida. Tabitha and Mike were also there. Both of them PR'd, mike by 30 seconds, tabitha by 10 minutes. I think it was the shirt that Tabitha was wearing that helped propel her to the PR. Great looking Ryzenrun shirt she had on that day. In Savannah, georgia, the urgent care of Burwick loved chocolate.

Speaker 1: 1:46:28

Half and 10K. Melissa ran the 10K and she did it on her 40th birthday. We had a couple of birthday runners this week. Melissa ran featuring her Ryzenrun shirt, her Ryzenrun wristband and the wristband she got from Allen at Marathon Weekend, ran this beautiful course. After the race she discovered that the woman that she'd been leapfrogging with using her Run Walk Run method was the area Galloway coordinator for Savannah Georgia. Now she's looking forward to joining that group and perhaps running some with her. Still in Florida, the Alpha Win Abbey Maria Marathon. David ran that one.

Speaker 5: 1:47:11

Also in Florida we had the Gingerbread Run 5K with Give Kids the World in Kissimmee. Our friend Margaret ran that. She posted a race report on the Facebook page with the cutest dress she dressed as a gingerbread woman. Her outfit was adorable, yes it was. Amazing.

Speaker 1: 1:47:33

She never disappoints.

Speaker 5: 1:47:34

Oh, definitely not.

Speaker 2: 1:47:36

Also the only person I know that can go from a basketball one a week to a gingerbread run is. Funix.

Speaker 5: 1:47:41

Exactly, yeah. So there were character stops. I mean Santa Claus even showed up, so that's super cool. They had themed fire hydrants, there were doggies, like it was wonderful. And then our friends Jennifer and Steven also ran that and in their race report they said where else can you see Santa take selfie with Star Wars characters and Trick or Treat during one 5K? And they said their favorite part was the Make-A-Wish families that were cheering along the route. I think that's wonderful. I want to make it down there for that race because it seems like a lot of fun.

Speaker 2: 1:48:18

Lexi, one thing I wanted to bring up there is in following Give Kids the World Instagram stories of this run this past weekend. Apparently they did announce that the next event that they do be is. Typically this event always used to happen I think it was the weekend after Wynondine, so I'm not exactly sure why they had shifted it to around Valentine's Day. But anyway, they announced that the next race is actually going to be back in November and apparently they're going to align it with their Christmas lights event.

Speaker 2: 1:48:51

that they've been doing the last couple of years. So if you want a little run Disney and a little nostalgia to the Osborne family of Spectacle Dancing Lights, this might be the perfect race for you.

Speaker 1: 1:49:04

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:49:05

Sounds like a lot to look into that.

Speaker 5: 1:49:08

Also in Florida we have the Manatee Mosey 3K at the Brevard Zoo. So it's a race series and the zoo event features a different animal each year. So this one was the Manatee. We have Lisa with her husband and two grandchildren, Birdie and Lincoln. This was Birdie's first race, so you know what that means. It's a PR. And then Lincoln and Lisa PR'd by two and a half minutes. And then we also had Monica who ran that race. She said that there were a lot of kids in the race. Her nine year old out sprinted her to the finish and Monica took second, with her daughter in the top 10. And Big Sister took the age group award. So they all left the race with stuffed Manatees, which sounds like an awesome prize.

Speaker 2: 1:50:05

When is hashtag Dopey Baby going to start running in races?

Speaker 5: 1:50:08

I mean, this is what I mean Exactly.

Speaker 2: 1:50:10

Yes, we need Dopey.

Speaker 1: 1:50:11

Baby, yeah, she'd been in races. Hashtag Dopey Baby's. Probably not. Yeah, probably is walking yeah.

Speaker 8: 1:50:19

Yeah.

Speaker 5: 1:50:20

About a year, about a year, about a year old.

Speaker 1: 1:50:22

Yeah, a little over.

Speaker 5: 1:50:26

Yeah, a little over a year old, yeah. So then also on Saturday, we had the Katie Texas half-American friends. Amy and Sarah met up. Amy got a PR last year, so the goal for this year was a PR for Sarah and a Disney proof of time, which they did. They crushed it and got a 13 minute PR with a time of 207. And we also had Katrina at that weekend doing the 5K with her son and daughter, and they all wore dark side costumes and her son and daughter PR'd.

Speaker 1: 1:51:10

Still in Florida, in Kissimmee, florida, the Kiss-M-Me 5K. Now they just spell it out that way. I don't know why they put the hyphens in between, so you have to say Kiss-M-Me, florida. Kayla did it. Great day for a race Again. The weather was great throughout most of the eastern part of the country, excellent turnouts per race support, great snacks. Finished the 5K and then Kayla went off to Disney World, which is kind of a tradition after this race. Next race for her the Key West Women's Half Marathon. In two weeks In Palm Harbor, florida, not far from me, the Glam Run 5K. Our good friend Judy was there for that. One Women's Move to Sunday. And since we've been in Florida for a while, let's stay there.

Speaker 1: 1:51:59

Tallahassee Marathon, half marathon and relay this weekend. Melanie was there running the half marathon, actually ran two events this weekend a 5K and a half. She kind of missed having Pacers, but she used her run-walk-run intervals and ended up PR'ing both races. She PR'd the half by 11 and a half minutes. That's a significant nearly a minute a mile gain on the PR. Lizzie was at this also around the half marathon, knocked out this local race before she finishes school in Tallahassee and then has to move.

Speaker 1: 1:52:41

Fairfax, virginia, sharon and her son Nate, did the Run your Heart Out 5K. They're not so great in Virginia, little rainy, little chilly. Nate, who is 10 years old, had a 30-minute goal for this race. I cannot imagine when I was 10 years old. I can't even imagine running three miles, nate. That's a heck of a goal. Nate and Sharon ran 60-30, stayed really close to goal pace. Getting towards the end, sharon, thinking we might not make it, so Nate took off, left Sharon in the dust. Nate finished at 30 minutes 33 seconds, third in his age group. Again, that is really impressive. Not only Nate's time as a 10-year-old, but to log a 30 minute and 30 second 5k and be third in your age group as a 10 year old, that's amazing, nate. Great job, buddy. That 30 minute goal is in your future, to be sure, and once you bust it I don't know where you're going. But it's only going to be better from there.

Speaker 1: 1:53:44

On Relatively big event around here the St Petersburg Distance Classic Half Marathon over in St Petersburg, florida. This is part of a series of runs that the St Pete runners do. This is the fourth out of five events. Let's see. Let me just go down the list of who was there. I was there. Duncan was there on her birthday weekend. Jason was there. I think Jason recently had a birthday. Also. Trina was there. The four of us ran the half. This husband, jeff, was there, ran the 10k and our friend Mark Lane-Hulbert, who's been on before the running anthropologist, he was there. Mark normally paces but he ran this one by himself. Now, really fun event Again, great weather, mark. Let's go back to Mark. Mark ran about a 90 minute half. Mark can run boys and girls. Mark normally paces 145. This is a decades PR for Mark. Those count, buddy, those count. And he ended up third in the Masters Division and 15th overall at a pretty big event.

Speaker 1: 1:55:03

Duncan, jason and Trina all took advantage of the option to start early in this race. They had kind of a funny rule you could start 30 minutes early for the half marathon or marathon. I think you could actually do it for the 10k too, but I'm not sure about that. But you had to be 1330 or slower. If you took advantage of the early start and you came in with less than a 1330 pace, they would not record a time for you. Interesting. Yeah, it is kind of interesting. I'm not sure why they did that, kind of like bracket racing, I guess. So. So our friends Duncan, jason and Trina, and I think maybe Jeff I'm not positive, probably not though Anyway, they took off on this. They had to start out on the sidewalk, which was a little awkward because you were just at the pace of the person in front of you. You had no room to move around.

Speaker 1: 1:56:04

This was a nice course. Let's start with Duncan. Her goal was to finish what she did, she said when things got challenging she counted steps, something she's learned on the podcast. I saw her coming the other way at mile nine. It was an out and back on that part of the course. That was kind of cool. I saw the rise and run shirt head. In my way we did a little high five action. That was nice. Good to see Duncan. I appreciate Duncan.

Speaker 1: 1:56:29

Jason and Trina all waited for me after the race. I appreciate that. Jason, nursing a little hamstring problem, he made it through a nice pace. He did not get de-queued but he made it. He says it feels funny I've done this before too it feels funny if you get these early starts and then the front racers start to head past you and you wonder what am I doing here. But it all works out. He made a sub three hour goal. That worked out for him. Now, trina and Jeff they mentioned there were cobblestone streets on part of this course, which was okay, you just had to pay attention. They weren't tripping hazards or anything, you just had to pay attention to them. We're going to see both of them, or I'm going to see both of them this weekend at Princess. Oh yeah, by the way, jeff PR'd his 10K.

Speaker 1: 1:57:20

Then, finally, I took off at the regular time. I did the half marathon. It was okay. I was hoping to do a little bit better, but it is what it is. I finished. I came home I said to my wife I was a little disappointed. I wasn't quite at the pace I wanted to be. She says, of course not. You idiot. You just stopped taking COVID medicine four days ago, so okay, so it worked out all right.

Speaker 1: 1:57:49

My highlight of this race it was a nice course was meeting all the friends that we've talked about. One downside they ran out of water mighty early. I mean I was kind of in the middle of the pack. 10k, half and full all take off at the same time and they run the same course for a while. By the time I got to the second water stop, the second water stop, they were out of water Now. They had Gatorade at some of them, but they only had Gatorade at every other stop, so they ran out of water. They replenished it later, but I don't think I got my first sip of water until the 10 mile mark and I really wondered how the marathoners were going to do. But it all worked out. Hey, great event State Peter Bird distance classic in St Pete, florida, claremont Florida, the love of chocolate 5K.

Speaker 2: 1:58:36

Our friend Jody ran that one in Dunedin, florida, we had the super Mardi Gras 5K and our friend Jessica ran that one, she says small event started at the HOB brewery and went out and back on the Pinellas Trail. No PR, but had fun and kept her usual pace. So way to go, jessica.

Speaker 1: 1:58:57

If I can't great. Dunedin's a small community, very strong Scottish influence, but they have five or six outstanding local breweries.

Speaker 2: 1:59:06

Ooh, very nice, nothing better than the brewery on Mardi Gras. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:59:12

Again, throw some king cake in there. I know this is two weeks in a row I mentioned king cake, but God I love it. Anyway, moving on to Seattle Washington, the better half marathon. Another Jessica ran this one. It was a rainy day in Seattle looking for a PR and a POT, Jessica accidentally paused her garb and during the race, but she still ran a 230 O2, which is a three minute PR. And, Jessica, even though you know you were two seconds over that mark, I agree with you. You definitely should submit that for a POT.

Speaker 2: 1:59:52

Next we have the super half marathon and game day 5K in Colorado Springs. Colorado Summer ran this one, first official half, so you know what that means Ran through the ice and the snow until the sun came out, warmed things up. A good race, fun people and a nice pint glass at the finish. And then the last one that I'm going to take here in the race report the public's Florida marathon weekend in Marathon Florida.

Speaker 2: 2:00:23

Your favorite Galloway pacer with a cape, Adam, ran this one. He paced the four and a half hour group one week after pacing Donna, so he calls that good ultra training. This was two laps on the course with two bridges. Adam reports that there was either poor or missing mileage markers and really made pacing a challenge. The last bridge of the event and I couldn't imagine this started up at mile 25. To have to do a bridge that late in the race, who? But way to go, Adam. And despite all of those challenges, because Adam is such a fantastic Galloway pacer, he finished this race four hours 29 minutes and 51 seconds. Adam, way to go, sir.

Speaker 1: 2:01:13

Yeah, that's impressive. He described these bridges. They are significant and so two laps he had to cross them four times. Let's wrap up the race report.

Speaker 1: 2:01:23

In Newcastle upon Tine in the United Kingdom, our buddy Andrew ran the Run Nation Valentine's 10K. I said most of the races not all, but most of the races stateside were lovely. Weather In Newcastle upon time it was quoting Andrew awful, and he put some pictures in there. There were literally rivers of water across the running path. He's got a photo of what the original course looked like. You would have had to wade through the water there, so they had to move things a little bit. Organization of the race wasn't great but despite all this, andrew knocked out this 10K in less than 58 minutes and thinks find himself on course for more improvements throughout this year. That, my friends, is it for the race report, for episode 125.

Speaker 1: 2:02:20

My friends and if you run, you know you are our friends Wonderful having you with us on this episode of the rise and run podcast. I am looking forward to you. Remind you one more time Meetups. We are looking for each of the races in the area, the staging area, as you're looking at the stage where the DJ is. We are by the bleachers and, to the left side, the meet and greet at Disney Springs 3pm Saturday afternoon. Really hope to see you there. And at our last Zoom call, which was last week there is not one this week we decided that, even though it was going to fall on a Thursday of a Disney race, we would schedule a Zoom meeting for next Thursday. That's it, my friends. Look forward to seeing you very, very soon and until then, happy running.

Speaker 2: 2:03:34

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.