Rise and Run
Rise and Run
196: Training Wisdom With Coach Chris Twiggs
Summer is here, and it's time to adapt your running strategy to the heat. Coach Chris Twiggs, Chief Training Officer for Jeff Galloway and Perfect Disney Marathoner (gearing up for his 33rd consecutive event!), joins us to share invaluable wisdom that will transform your warm-weather training.
The conversation goes beyond just beating the heat. Coach Twiggs addresses returning from injuries, fueling strategies for long runs, and the mental challenges of staying motivated when progress feels slow. His most powerful insight? "If you can't find joy in the moment when you're running, then no race result is going to make you happy."
For those tackling Disney challenge races like Dopey or Goofy, Coach shares critical mistakes to avoid, including setting time goals for these multi-day events and walking too much in the parks between races. We also explore the benefits of his customized training approach, which helps runners navigate life's inevitable interruptions without derailing their goals.
In our Race Report Spotlight, we travel to Alaska with Courtney and Lance for the scenic Anchorage Half Marathon, complete with moose sightings and breathtaking landscapes along the airport trail system.
Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or just beginning your running journey, this episode offers practical wisdom to help you embrace summer training while setting yourself up for success in your fall and winter races. Remember, as Michelle from Erie reminds us in our intro: "Your slow summers make for fast falls."
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3 am 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:Hello friends, it's Michelle from Erie. It's the first day of summer and it is beautiful out. Just wanted to wish everybody a happy running. Get on out there, get it done. As Bob always says, your slow summers make for fast falls, so take it slow if you need to. Happy running, friends.
Speaker 2:Michelle, how appropriate, leaving thus that intro on the first day of summer, which was just a little earlier this week. Thank you for that. Friends, welcome to. Is this the first episode of summer for the rise and run podcast, episode 196? I think it is. Yeah, we're glad you're here, I'm bob and I'm here with g. Hey, hey, hey With Jack, hiya With Alicia, hello With John. Hey, how you doing? I'm not going to answer John, because you're not last this week. Oh man, because we have a special returnee host. We have Allie here with us. Pew, pew, pew.
Speaker 6:So glad to be back for this episode.
Speaker 2:I said we have Allie here with us, and all I heard was pew, pew, pew. I went. What happened to Allie?
Speaker 3:I mean she is the originator of the pew pew pew Bob.
Speaker 2:She is indeed, which actually no one except us knows about.
Speaker 3:Well, except for episode what was it? I think we did it for episode 100, I think is, instead of playing the sound effect, we all just did our worst Star Wars sound effect impressions.
Speaker 6:Yeah, so every night that we would do the race report, we don't get to hear the sound effects that you guys hear when you're into the podcast.
Speaker 2:Here's how it goes. You ready? Yeah, all right, friends, it's time for here's our coast.
Speaker 6:You ready? Yeah, all right, friends, it's time for there you go. That's it, and in my head it's like we're at a club and like dj's doing like the um air horn type of thing yeah, and that's what I hear in my head, but everyone else hears me either like doing star wars sound or it kind of sounds like a cat going like meow, meow meow. But it's like the racing sound, you know, like the car going meow.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 6:So after you know 100 episodes plus of doing that, that's sort of become what everybody here wants to hear every single time, and when I'm not, when I don't do it, I get called out for it.
Speaker 2:I can't continue. If I don't do it, I get called out for it. I can't continue If I don't hear it from someone. There's no race report, so somebody's got to do it.
Speaker 1:So we're starting the race report now. Oh.
Speaker 2:Let's see friends. First of all, michelle, that's the last recorded intro we have, so we're going to give you the phone number here in just a minute. If you can give us a call and give us a recorded intro, we'd appreciate it. This week, as we approach our landmark episode 200, we visit with an old friend again. Coach Chris Twiggs spends a good bit of time with us talking about his life in running and answering as many of your questions as we could fit in in the time we had available to us In the Race Report Spotlight. We're back out to some vacationers again, way out west and way up north. Courtney and Lance Tell us about the Anchorage Half Marathon.
Speaker 6:Now friends. If you enjoy the Rise and Run podcast, please share us with your friends and introduce them to the Rise and Run family we want to share in their Run Disney journey. Please remember to follow us on Facebook Rise and Run Podcast and on Instagram Rise and Run Pod. Check out our YouTube channel and visit our website, riseandrunpodcastcom. If you have a question, comment or race report or want to introduce an upcoming episode, call us at 727-266-2344 and leave us a recorded message.
Speaker 7:We also want to thank our patrons, whose support helps keep the Rise and Run podcast rising and running. If you'd like to join the Patreon team, please check out patreoncom. Slash riseandrunpodcast.
Speaker 2:We've talked about episode 200 upcoming. A lot of our friends have already sent messages, but if you got a short message you'd like to send, we would like to feature as many of our friends as we can on episode 200. So if you want to just leave a message, maybe a funny story, maybe a time you met uh, that time you met Allie and you had a uh dole whip together or anything, give us that. Call the same place, 727-266-2344. And we'll be taking them. I'd be getting questions Are we still taking them? Yeah, we'll. We'll take them right up to close to episode 200, which is we'll be recording it. I think it's the 21st of July, but I'm not sure.
Speaker 3:The Rise Around podcast is sponsored by our friends over at Magic Bound Travel. Today was a big day in the Run Disney calendar as we registered for the Princess Half Marathon and obviously, if you're going to run Princess, you're probably going to run Princess you're probably going to need a hotel room, and our friends at Magic Bound can get you all set up with that. Whether it be hotel rooms or vacation packages or whatnot, they have everything available to book just for you. And here's the good news about booking with Magic Bound Travel when you go to their website, you don't get this weird teal screen that says registration will open soon, so they'll be able to get back to you with a no-obligation quote as quickly as possible. So again, visit magicboundtravelcom.
Speaker 2:Check them out. All right Training schedules. I mentioned last week that it would be the last time there'd only be one race on the training schedule. Now we got two. Disneyland Halloween is now 10 weeks away. It will be here, before you know it, 70 days until the expo. You are in training week number eight and if you are running the challenge, you've got your first double up weekend. You got a one mile walk followed by an eight mile run walk the next day. And new to the training schedule wine and dine race weekend weekend.
Speaker 4:Pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, meow, meow, meow 17 weeks away.
Speaker 2:It is training week number one. And in training week number one, if you're doing the challenge or the half, your long run is three miles. Let's see we talked about. We registered for princess today. Gosh, time just goes by. We got one more registration. Is all this left in the in the race season? It hasn't started yet. So wild and springtime surprise registration is at the end of july. It's 33 days away. At the end of July, it's 33 days away. Let's see, friends, what do we have for?
Speaker 6:training updates. Well, I've got a pretty big one. After a year plus of not running at all, I ran my first training long run of a mile and a half.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 6:Yay, pew, pew, pew. So it was pretty good and I did my magic half mile. It was really hot. And I didn't. I wasn't. You know, I was pretty proud of my pace. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, which I thought I was just going to burst into flames and like crash and burn within half a mile, and I actually felt pretty comfy. It was nice being outside again and I remembered why I liked running.
Speaker 2:Well, that's good, allie. I'm happy to hear that. I was going to ask if you were stuck in that heat bubble that's up over the Northeast, if you were trying to run in that. That's pretty tough.
Speaker 6:It was a couple of days before. Today was the worst day of it, but it was a couple of days before. But I chose to run in the woods because it's all shaded and it wasn't bad.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's good, that's good. Right now, up in the Northeast and other parts of the country, people are saying what's the big deal? It's as hot here as it is in Florida. And you're right. It is as hot where you are as it is in Florida Two days from now. That's not going to be true.
Speaker 3:No, you're absolutely right, bob. I made a joke because this upcoming weekend I am in my buddy's wedding and I saw the forecast. I think the high in the Philadelphia area on Friday is only supposed to be in the mid-70s and I was like well, I'm going to bring my winter coat with me because I'm going to need my parka after this week, that's for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I remember you talking about that, greg. When you first looked, it looked like it was going to be very hot for that weekend, but at least you got that break. That's good.
Speaker 3:Yeah, thank God.
Speaker 2:Greg, you had a training update, I think.
Speaker 3:Yeah, very similar to Allie in terms of her not taking a year off from running thing, but the game plan of getting my long run in this weekend I had nine on my schedule and I put this on holler hype and I I really, really wish I could be better about this, but I cannot get up early for a long run. I I like staying up late. I'm always going to bed, like well, after 11 pm you're always at the club late.
Speaker 6:Yeah, I'm always at the club.
Speaker 3:You know, you know get getting my, getting my freak on stuff like that but I just I love sleeping in, so I probably did not start my training run until probably like 9, 9, 15 on saturday morning. So I was like, okay, I need to be smart about this. And I picked a trail that, even though it was a shorter out and back, I'm like, okay, I'll just double up on this. And it had a lot better shade coverage than my super long trail that I go on and I was really proud of myself. Even with the heat and the humidity and all those other elements combined, not once during my nine miles did I have to take an extended walk break, and that hasn't happened in a really, really long time and I was super pleased with that. So I'm hoping that we keep trending in the right direction.
Speaker 2:That's good. I'm proud of you. I'm glad you did that, but at the same time, I want to pass on that it's always hot here in the summer time. I want to pass on that it's it's always hot here in the summer. I had 10 miles saturday. I get out around 6 30 because it doesn't get light here until around 6, 15, 6, 20 and, uh, by mile five when the sun was up over the trees. I took an extended walk break. I walked the last five miles and my the reason for telling you that, friends, is that's okay.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:It's okay to do that on the long runs and in the heat and if you're, if you're getting up there in years as some of us are all right as I am in years, as some of us are all right as I am you just got to be careful and it's okay to go slowly on the long runs, to include walking them, as you will hear again when we talk with coach twigs here in a couple of minutes. Big disney news today we registered for princess I. Actually I'm at a point where I am enjoying registrations because of the way we yeah, cause of the way we come together as a rise and run family. You should visit with us sometime, jack.
Speaker 5:I have. It was very helpful and very fun.
Speaker 2:We get on the zoom call, uh, we get together on the uh, on the chats, on the group chats, and yeah, it's tough, but I think a lot of people have the same reaction. I think when it's all done and they can calm down, they go. You know what. That was kind of fun. But it was not without its struggles, especially at the beginning today, that we first started out. We weren't quite what was going on.
Speaker 3:first of all, did anyone else try to register. I logged in to try to help people but I mean I had no intention of registering, but when, when run disneycom would not load for me at like 9, 59 eastern this morning I got a little bit, little bit of PTSD, of shades, of marathon weekend registration. For what was that 2023?
Speaker 2:2023. Yep, yes, yes, and we all did. We all did. Nothing was working. It was unsettling. And then we saw something we've never seen before. What did we see, john?
Speaker 1:What's it called the teal scream of torment or something like that.
Speaker 2:I forget what you had said earlier, but yeah, yeah, we got a new teal screen Now. If you registered, you know exactly what we're talking about, and if you didn't, it was different and a lot of us were unsure as to what was going on. And what we are used to is when we get into registration, around 15 to 10 minutes before 10 o'clock, eastern time, the registration links open. We know that the registration hasn't started, but we can click on a link and get into the queue. Not so fast this time, in fact. Even at 10 o'clock, not much happened. It took a good four or five minutes for anything to start happening. And then we got these teal screens with graphics for the events on them, and for a while we weren't getting register now buttons either, but then folks started to report that they did. Once we got in, things seemed to me to go slower than normal, but as it turns out, that's probably not correct, at least not ultimately it's not correct.
Speaker 2:One thing I noticed I've done a couple of these registrations before and what I've learned to expect is the time. First of all, you're going to see your anticipated wait is more than an hour. Roger Got that eventually. Then the times are going to go down and for many of us I'd say most of us at some point in the middle, after you've been going about 20 or 30 minutes, the times will go up. This time the times are going up almost at random. I think my time went up at least four different times. Once I got to like 43 minutes and I thought, okay, I'm locked in now it's going to keep going. I went back to over an hour that part. I said registration was fun. That wasn't fun, but it did all work out. Uh, let's see, greg, you got the times before things sold out. I think, don't you?
Speaker 3:yes, yeah, so the the sellout order went in in typical fashion uh 10k was the first to go in 65 minutes, then it was the 5k took 84, the challenge was two minutes later and then the half marathon sold out at uh 104 minutes. So you know just over, you know just over an hour and a half. But the thing I want to go back to, bob, is going to this, this teal screen that everyone experienced because it looked like it and it seemed like it was auto refreshing, like you know it was.
Speaker 3:Yeah I think it was great. It was great on run disney's part that said, like you, if you're looking to register, you're at the right place. But I like I almost wonder what other people's experiences were like, where, once it auto refresh, like it puts you automatically in the queue. Because I remember, you know, because I just logged into again try to help people and I'm starting to see the chat below okay, oh, I'm, I'm in now and I have, you know, 25 minutes or something like that, and I'm just seeing all these messages and I still have the the teal screen that's auto refreshing. And it wasn't until I opened an incognito window that I got the second teal screen that had the hyperlink on it where you could click register now, and I remember going through a couple of the facebook pages. You know, you know all of this and people talking about you know their experiences with having issues with different web browsers or they were only able to get in if they like Googled run Disney.
Speaker 3:And then it like it was a different link or they were able to get in on their phone and I thought that was all really really interesting. They were able to get in on their phone and I thought that was all really really interesting. So I'm interested to see what was the hang up that. You know, for some people were just cycling on that original teal screen over and over and over.
Speaker 1:I was seeing a lot of them were using the Chrome browser actually, which was interesting. Some of the people that said they had problems they were on Chrome. Maybe that was it.
Speaker 2:I don't think it mattered.
Speaker 5:Maybe it's kind of like. I mean, I didn't get to register but if I could I'd even try really today. But I feel like it's like the Barclays of registrations, where it's so hard to get in and finish.
Speaker 3:I mean the only working theory that I had and and this could be related or it very well could not, but I saw, uh, probably maybe like a half an hour after all the races had sold out, sans yoga, the registration went live, for I think it was certain annual pass holders at Disneyland it was a pre-sale for the Oogie Boogie.
Speaker 8:Halloween parties.
Speaker 3:And I'm interested to know if they use the same registration system because, like I saw, like a tweet today that said, like waiting room is now open and I'm wondering if, because they were doing registration for two different things, may I don't know if maybe that crossed hairs with the system or something like that, but again, no one's really going to know, but I found that to be, you know, curious that why are you going to do two major things like that all within the span of an hour of one another?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, the. As far as the teal screen refreshing, I don't know someone in our group and at one point we had a lot of people. We had the chat open and I had a zoom link open and I went to look and I don't have the exact numbers here, but there were about 90 people in the chat and 60 in the Zoom. Now, some of them were in both places, so we didn't have 150 people, some of them were in both places. But yeah, we had a lot of folks out there, out there.
Speaker 2:And then someone discovered that if you went ahead with your teal screen, if you went ahead and closed it and then Googled run Disney or used another search engine to go to run Disney and then clicked on the Princess Weekend link, when you came back you'd get the teal screen but now you'd have the register link in there. So that's what we did. Would I have eventually? I don't know, I got to assume eventually would have refreshed and got the link on my original teal screens, but I do not know. And after that it was pretty much business as normal. I'm looking at the sellout times, greg. The first one I think you said was like 65 minutes. That's not Our buddy Ryan who posts, and he posted it earlier tonight. That's typical for Princess Weekend, but that's not typical for the last couple of races. The last couple of races, the first events sold out in about 45 minutes or so, so that took a little longer. I attribute that to the fact that it took folks a little longer to get in.
Speaker 3:Correct yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but once, once everybody got in, it was pretty much business as usual. Uh, we do have. I mentioned it a little bit ago. We do have one more registration coming up in a little over a month join us, join the party. It's a whole lot more fun to be sitting there with a bunch of other people. At least you have someone else saying yes, I don't have a registration link yet, yes, I'm still at all. And it's a lot better than sitting at home or in your office and doing it yourself and not really knowing what's going on.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the one thing I'm interested to know is I mean, obviously, you know, I know run Disney puts out that video every single year about please only have one browser open, you know, so that way as many people can get through as possible. We know nobody is doing that, but the thing is obviously I don't think we were the originators in terms of oh okay, I have multiple windows open, here's a qid and passing that along. I think that's a universal practice now across john was the originator of that actually I truly believe it, across the entire run disney community.
Speaker 3:so like I wonder if that you, that is now a new wrinkle in terms of there were several of us who were in the chat actively trying to have a window open and a QID to be able to help friends and I wonder if just that overabundance of people, even if they're not going to register themselves is putting a strain on the system.
Speaker 6:It's possible.
Speaker 3:Well, yeah, on the flip side of it, though, we've had several registrations in a row that have gone very, very smoothly, so it's such a crapshoot, unfortunately.
Speaker 1:You know what it is Anytime they implement something new, which? Is this new landing screen. You know you work in the bugs out, as it happens, I think.
Speaker 2:I think that's what it is. I really do that. This was a new, as John described it, a landing screen, and because I actually saw the seven dwarfs at one point. Remember the seven dwarfs from the 2023? We're working on it. We're working on it, oh boy.
Speaker 1:I know.
Speaker 2:I'm glad to see that Some folks said they saw Stitch. Oh boy, hi-ho, hi-ho. I'm glad to see that Some folks said they saw Stitch as in something's. I forget what Stitch says something's broken or something.
Speaker 5:It's not like he has his tongue out licking the screen.
Speaker 1:That would have been perfect for Thursday, but okay.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, 626, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, aww, and yeah, we're accustomed to getting in those couple minutes early and things rolling at 10 exactly Eastern time. That didn't happen. Things didn't roll until 10.05 or so and then they seemed to roll in phases. Some people got in, others didn't. Anyway, bottom line it worked, we're in. I hope you got in, others didn't. Anyway, bottom line it worked, we're in. I hope you got in. And if you're going to register for springtime, join us, we'll have a good time.
Speaker 3:And for anyone that didn't get in, obviously you can always look at the charity route. I know Matt Marcello over at Team Run Diz when we had him on a few weeks ago, is always updating his charity link thread through his website. So if you're looking that route, and then obviously through Team Run Diz as well, check those Telegram alerts or Twitter alerts or Slack. He's got so many different avenues now that you know if spots do open up. So you know, if you did not get in, hope is not totally lost on you.
Speaker 1:You definitely have options right and also another race that our friend jonathan popped up. I don't know if you guys saw this run disney seoul 2025.
Speaker 2:I did look into that, yeah right yeah, it's. Uh, apparently run disney stages, events in different cities in the world. This one's in Seoul, it's. I mean there's no Disneyland in Korea or anything like that, but the Disney characters are there. You get Disney medals, disney t-shirts. I'm not traveling. I'd love to travel over to Seoul. I really would. I'd love to get back there and see what it looks like. Probably not going to do it. That of, well, not probably I'm not going to do it, I think it. I think it's in September.
Speaker 3:I wonder if it's the same group that puts on. I can't remember. If it happens.
Speaker 5:Is that the one in Brazil?
Speaker 3:what? Maybe the brazil? My mind was going to then.
Speaker 5:This was a couple of years ago, but remember when we had astreia on.
Speaker 3:Uh, she goes by. Um, yeah, okay, that was hong kong. Yeah, she went over there to run, though it was like a 2k, uh, 3k and a 5k or something like that been going on for the past.
Speaker 5:it'll be now three years, because the sign up for that is, I think, starting next month, sometime in July, and it's for November.
Speaker 3:Oh okay, cool. Yeah, I'm just interested if that's part of the same group that puts those on, Don't know they have recording June 24th.
Speaker 1:It's the birthday of Roy Disney, the person that took over and oversaw the construction of the park after Walt died and changed the name from Disney world to Walt Disney world.
Speaker 6:Right.
Speaker 5:In Florida you would have been 132 today. Wow.
Speaker 2:That would have been old. But uh, yeah, basically he's, he was a driving force behind Walt Disney world because uh, walt died in, uh, in 64, 65?, 66.
Speaker 1:66, yeah, okay, and also Roy actually passed away like two months after Disney World opened.
Speaker 2:All right, happy birthday, roy Disney. Let's move on and visit with our guest for the week. Let's move on and visit with our guests for the week. As we close in on episode 200, we've been going back and visiting with friends who have been with us on the podcast several times. We got jeff joining us on 200. Britney was with us last week and this week we're excited to have our good friend and the chief training officer for Jeff Galloway's training Coach, chris Twiggs. Chris, thanks for joining us, it's good to see you.
Speaker 8:Oh well, thank you for having me. It's good to see all of you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, even though we saw each other earlier this morning in Chris's customized training. Now, I always have to recall that there may be folks tuning in here for the first. That's an old term, isn't it? Tuning in. There may be folks joining us here for the first time who may not know who Chris is. I did introduce him as the chief training officer for Jeff Galloway's training plans, for Jeff Galloway's training plans. Chris is also a perfect Disney marathoner. This January he'll run number 32, right.
Speaker 8:I think it's 33.
Speaker 2:You're probably right, you would know better than I. Anyway, he's one of a handful of perfect Walt Disney World marathoners. He left as he's visiting with us. He is out in Colorado because he is very active and a frequent participant in the Hard Rock, which is an amazingly challenging race out there. Now, chris, you're not running this year, right, at least not yet.
Speaker 8:That's right. I'm on the wait list and I'm pretty far down the wait list, so I don't anticipate getting in, but I've got a lot of things to keep me busy.
Speaker 2:I think it's wonderful. I think it's great that you do it. I think it's amazing that you do it and I think it's nice that you get out there.
Speaker 8:Because are you on the board out there now or I am? Yeah, I'm on the board now, which is, which is kind of neat. And uh, we only have two times a year when the board gets together in its entire tier or tries to. One is when we do our lottery, which is in December, and then the other time is, uh, is here in Colorado in July.
Speaker 2:Yeah, outstanding Cause, the event runs early.
Speaker 8:July, isn't it? July 11th is the start this year. That Friday.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and Chris has done numerous other ultras. You, you may recall, if you're a faithful listener to the podcast, you may recall the tales of the keys 100, which Chris has done a total of one time.
Speaker 8:Yeah, well it, I did it twice, I actually did you, chris? I didn't know that I did it several years ago and long enough ago that I had forgotten what a bad idea it was and, um, the second time I was reminded. I will never forget what a bad idea it was, because a lot of people will remind me what a bad idea it was for me to run that event.
Speaker 2:That's one of those events. Well, both of the dadgum, hard rock and keys, you're crazy man. For, for entirely different reasons, the uh the challenge of the terrain, the elevation, the distance in hard rock, and the challenge of this heat In keys just tough. The elevation, the distance in hard rock and the challenge of the heat in keys Just tough. Chris is host of talking about hard rock. He's host of the Hard Talk podcast, a podcast dedicated to the Hard Rock 100. And he is the coach for several of us sitting right here and many of you listening out there from Jeff Galloway's customized training program. Let's talk about that a little bit, chris. We just haven't talked with that for our listeners for a while and it's getting to be I think it's getting to be an ideal time. If you're looking for a coaching plan and there are other coaches out there, there are other plans, but this is one I've been with now for six or seven years, I think. How long have you been doing this?
Speaker 8:18. Um, so, for for quite a few years, yeah, I love it. It's it's become uh well, I love every aspect of my job, but this is definitely one that I'm able to enjoy on a regular basis because I have weekly interactions with, with the folks that show up on the calls, the zooms, and I get to participate in that that community, get to see the runners talk to each other and give advice to each other, and that's not just about what I do. So I I really love that. That aspect of of my job We've tried to design, customized, to be the thing that I wish had existed when I was first coming along in my, in my running.
Speaker 8:And you're right, there are a lot of other coaches out there, and if you find one that you click with, that's great. Please stick with that person. Most important thing I think that anyone could get from any conversation about coaching is you should have a coach. Anybody who is serious about the running should have somebody that's kind of guiding them and, if nothing else, keeping them from making mistakes, keeping them from hurting themselves by doing too much or doing the wrong things the wrong way.
Speaker 2:A Facebook group friend posted a question earlier today about what do I do to get ready until the training plan kicks in, and I said listen to this week's episode. You, mr Twiggs, as part of the Galloway program, offer a good deal for the Rise and Run family, don't you?
Speaker 8:I do, don't tell anybody.
Speaker 2:Go ahead and whisper.
Speaker 8:Well, so the price has not gone up since we established the rate for this group, for the Rise and Runners, and the price that the rise and runners pay has not gone up.
Speaker 8:The price everybody else has paid has doubled and I think maybe quadrupled since we started. Um, yeah, if you were to go, just just sign on, uh, as if you, you were just anybody, and um and pay, you know, as if you were going to pay for this, and you'd realize what an amazing deal people in rise and run um are getting. And it's, it's um, you know, don't, don't mention it to Jeff when you talk to him, uh, because we don't want to see that go away. But no, it's um, one of the things I, I, I, I do love everybody that when I, when somebody comes in, we always ask where you heard about customized training, and when they say they heard about it through Rise and Run, I know I'm going to get along with them. I know that we've got a lot of goals in common and I know that when I talk to them about PRing and fun, they know what that's all about and not everybody gets that, but Disney runners definitely get that. Oh, positively.
Speaker 6:You said something on the call this morning that was like run a little, dole, whip a little. I think it's our new mantra.
Speaker 8:Absolutely, absolutely. What's life without a little dole whip now and then?
Speaker 3:Coach, how many yellow tablets are you up to? Because I remember when the podcast first started taking off and we started talking about you, I remember you had sent me a message at one time but like oh, I have to go out and buy a new legal pad to take my notes because there's so many people coming in. So how many, how many tablets are you up to?
Speaker 8:now I'm going to tell you the truth, I had to stop using the tablets Um because, for example, I would come out here, um, I'd come out here to Colorado in the summer and I would bring the ones for the current clients, right, I'd bring the ones for the folks that were currently in, customized and then, like in the last this is true in the last two weeks, I've had four people that had been gone for a period of time that came back, and so I need the data on that person and I just couldn't bring all the tablets that I had with me. So I'm all electronic now. So when so and um, so I yeah. So when somebody new comes on or somebody old comes back, I have to go back and just dig through it. It's all, really, it's all stored in final surge. So, um, yeah, that's uh. So, yeah, no more tablets.
Speaker 8:But I I was reminded, I drove, actually drove past yesterday. I drove past the store, the um, the stationary store where I went. I bought those first few yellow tablets when jeff hired me in 2010 how cool is that yeah?
Speaker 8:I was out here in colorado, I got the job offer, and so I was like I need to take notes, I need something.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow.
Speaker 8:That story yesterday kind of a nostalgic thing for me. That's neat yeah.
Speaker 2:All right, I'm going to give a quick summary because I've been with you for, like I said, at least six years. Friends, if you're looking, now's a great time. We're getting ready for the run Disney season. We're going to kick off in October. We, of course, we know the marathon weekend's in January. Now is a great time to enroll in customized training, and I need to. I need to be completely open If we get, when we make money as an affiliate or something I feel compelled to tell you. That's not the case here. The folks give everyone a great discount, but this is not a moneymaker for us. This is not an affiliate program. So this comes from me personally.
Speaker 3:I mean coach, if you want to start paying us, then that's totally fine.
Speaker 8:This is true. There are no kickbacks happening here, you haven't asked, so I haven't offered.
Speaker 2:Yeah, full candor, but it's just, it's a great program. It's based on the Jeff Galloway program based on the Jeff Galloway program you can see in the Run Disney site, but it's customized. Chris will customize it for you and he alluded to. You know how we friends do a Zoom call every other week. Well, one of the things that started that was the Zoom calls that we have on customized training with chris. Every tuesday, he does one in the morning, he does one in the evening and I go to them and greg's there, jack and ally, and uh, it's just, it's terrific, it's highly worthwhile.
Speaker 3:Can't recommend it enough you know, coach, we're going to ask you a bunch of questions on this episode, but you know, speaking to that great summary, that bob just gave one question. That that maybe you can answer to kick this whole thing off is and I know we get asked this from time to time in our facebook page as well is what is the difference between going to run disneycom and looking at the training plans that are there and customized training in?
Speaker 3:in a concise answer, because I know that's a very loaded question yeah what, to you, is the biggest difference and and benefit in terms of working with you, as opposed to just using those training programs, which are fantastic and I know we're going to talk about them a little bit later as well but what is the extra benefit with working with you?
Speaker 8:Well, I mean, let's uh aside from the community, cause we've talked about the community, we've talked about that and that that's huge.
Speaker 8:But aside from that, uh, and again, not everybody that does customize can make those calls and not everybody is on those. So there are plenty of people in customize that are not part of that. But the real thing it's because it's customized. If you live a life, it would have to be a really charmed life. But if you live a life that would be uninterrupted by illness, by travel, by family commitments, by work commitments. If you look at that Disney schedule and you know with absolute certainty that you can fit in every one of those runs exactly as it shows up on the schedule, you don't need me. You might still benefit from customized because of the community, but you're not going to need me to make any changes. The people that need me are the people that life happens to.
Speaker 8:And yeah, I know that I had a 20 miler scheduled this weekend to train for the Disney marathon, but my kids' baseball team made it into the tournament and I can't not go to the baseball game. So how do I? How do I fit this in? Or, I know that I was supposed to do my speed workout last weekend but I was sick and I couldn't get it in and I honestly, I couldn't even run for this last week, or you know, I know that I'm supposed to do these things, but the Disney cruise and I've got to do the cruise and I'm not going to spend the entire cruise running around on circles on the deck or on a treadmill.
Speaker 8:So what I'm there for is to adjust things. Is I do write the schedule, uh, you know, from the beginning, based on all the races and all the other things that you know about about your life that might impact your schedule. But then, once that set, even then maybe, if nothing is going to change for you, you don't need me beyond that point. But I think where I earn people's loyalty is by making those changes and adjusting as things go. And again, no matter what coach you're working with, that should be something that happens. If your coach says this is the way it's going to be, and if you mess something up, they make you feel terrible about missing something, or they they refuse to make changes, or they charge you to make changes, then, um, then you're probably working with the wrong person. So, but that's that's what customized is about. It's about adjusting things, uh, as life happens to people, so that they can still reach their goals or at least have an opportunity.
Speaker 6:At the time it happens. Sometimes I'll text you and be like, hey, this, it's really hot out today, how can we change my my long runs? And more than likely you text me right back and tell me solution which is really awesome.
Speaker 2:That's. The other thing I would point out is Chris makes himself available to us. I don't want to say 24, seven, that's not true, but and it nor should it be true but Chris definitely makes himself available to us. Chris, earlier, early in the conversation you alluded to, I wish I'd known when I first started running. So I'm going to ask our famous spotlight question Chris Twiggs, how did you get started running?
Speaker 8:Well, the story of my running begins like all good stories. You see, there was this girl.
Speaker 2:There you go.
Speaker 8:Yeah, yeah, that's, that's really what it is, right, it's always the best stories start with there was this girl or there was this boy, um. So there was this girl and, uh, she was a runner, mostly to uh, to stay in shape for other sports. She was mostly a swimmer and she, uh, but her father you could relate to this, bob her father was a soccer referee, okay, and so she, she ran with her father as a, as a bonding thing, a father daughter thing. She ran with her father as a bonding thing, father-daughter thing. And so I met her in college and she signed up for a 5K. So I signed up for a 5K. I had no idea how far a 5K was. What's a K? Yeah, exactly what's a K? I had run now and then I did some sports, but I was a country club kid. I played golf and tennis, and so my running was just to kind of stay in shape, more or less. And but I started, I really did. I started running because this girl and she signed us up for a 5k, and then she signed up for a half marathon and I did a relay. I didn't do the half marathon, but I did a relay and I had not run farther than I think. In that relay I ran like 3.8 miles. It was less than four miles and I had never run farther than that.
Speaker 8:And then fast forward a couple of years. We got married and she started medical school and she came home about the second week of medical school and said, hey, guess what? Walt Disney World is going to have a marathon. And I said, well, that's very interesting. And she said, no, I think we should do it. And so we signed for the inaugural Walt Disney World Marathon and so you know, now we've been married for 33 years and I've done that marathon every year. But that's how I got started and it just became obviously one of the most important things in my life and something I really enjoyed, became obviously one of the most important things in my life and something I really enjoyed. And then I had a teaching background, and so that's how I got into coaching was. You know I was, I was a teacher, and then Jeff Galloway offered me the opportunity to work for him as a coach, and it's been. It's been a fantastic career that I've had now since 2010.
Speaker 2:That's great, great story. Yeah, I can almost categorize the answers that we get. There was this girl, slash. There was this guy that's probably number one. I was a high school athlete and I just continued. I was gaining weight and I needed to do something about it, and then, with our group, they all tend to come back to Disney and center around that. So, very good, all right, chris, we're going to take advantage of Coach Twiggs being here. We have asked our friends to submit questions. I sent you the list. We have a bunch of them, friends. We have too many to ask. Okay, we just we'll. We'll ask some, we'll do what we can, but we'll go around the horn here and I'm going to kick off and I'm going to generalize this one a bit. Krista asks for advice for returning the running after knee surgery for a back of the pack runner. Uh, but we can go a little more general there, I think for returning to running after a significant injury or a surgical procedure. What kind of advice do you have, chris?
Speaker 8:Right. Well, I mean the first thing that you you need to be sure that all of your medical team is on board, right, Make sure that they know what you're doing and at every step of the way. Not every doctor, not every nurse, not every physical therapist is going to be okay with your running goals. Find out why and make sure that if it's a philosophical reason somebody with a knee replacement shouldn't run, then that's probably not the right doctor for you. There are plenty of people that will work with you. But if there's some other concern about going too fast, too hard, any of those things, then we can all address those as a team.
Speaker 8:I love water running, Bob. You know that I'm a big fan of that, and I think water running is a great way to work your running muscles, also build your cardiovascular fitness without impact. I think that's fantastic. Walking is also really, really important. Those of us that use Jeff Galloway's method, I think often we don't focus on the walking side of things and that's kind of a little secret weapon. If you focus on your walking and you get faster as a walker, it will make you faster in a race, because it doesn't matter whether you're walking or whether you're running it's just getting from the start line to the finish line. So working on walking, that's another good, non-impact thing that you can do. And then obviously, we just want to build slowly with a good run-walk ratio. That's going to make somebody comfortable and listen to your body If something hurts, especially if there's a sharp pain. Stop If it's a dull throbbing pain.
Speaker 8:That's one of those things, to go back to your medical team and say you know, is this normal? Is this something that I should be feeling? People have come back to running from the most amazing transplants and surgeries to do races of every distance and just about every speed. So there's no reason why you can't get back into it. We just need to be gentle about it, and that's another reason why working with a coach is important.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to do this, I don't think the rest of the evening, but I'm going to toss in some stuff here. I have a lot of experience and I'm just going to leave it at one thing Measure your progress in weeks, not days. Months, not weeks. Keep the long outlook out there. If you try to the progress, rehabilitation it's not linear. You're going to get a little better, you're going to fall back a little bit, but just keep the long-range goal in mind and be happy with that progress.
Speaker 6:So let's say you're a healthy runner. Joe Allen had a question about when do aches and pains, especially for some of us runners who are a little over in age, when does it warrant a check-in with physical therapy and when do you just run through it?
Speaker 8:When does it warrant a check-in with physical therapy and when do you just run through it? When something remains for more than just a few days, that's when you want to get it checked out. You know, a little soreness, a little delayed muscle onset soreness from a workout or from a run, it's to be expected, especially as we get older. But if you're doing the three runs a week or four runs a week that most of us are doing, you should feel fine by the next week. If that workout comes around the next week and you're still sore from it or you're still having a nagging injury, it's worth making that phone call or checking in. Anytime there's a sharp pain, though that's a message your body is telling you to stop.
Speaker 1:And our friend Denise asks us. The question kind of goes along this whole topic here best way to bridge?
Speaker 8:the gap from walking from an injury back to run, walk, run. Yeah, I like to split a minute. If you're coming back and you're just starting back running, I like to split a minute. So I'll do 10 second run, 50 second walk and I'll try that for maybe for a week do 10 second run, 50 second walk, and then move up to 50, 15 second run, 45 second walk and then work, work my way up. If I get to the point, if I get to the point that I'm doing 30, 30, then that's fantastic and at that point I'm probably ready to go ahead and run a magic mile or run a magic half mile and then get some ratios that are recommended based on that pace, but just gradually. You know, adding five seconds to the running, taking five seconds away from the walking each week, is a great way to either to get yourself into running in the first place or to get yourself back to running when you've been walking only for an extended period of time.
Speaker 7:All right. So our friend Nicole would like to know what are some good drills or exercises to work on to increase your pace and help you get faster? Looking specifically for half marathon and marathon distance.
Speaker 8:Oh well, I mean, these are. These are the drills are fantastic. I absolutely love them, and the two that we try to get all of our runners to do are the cadence drill and the acceleration glider drill, and thankfully, the best way that I can explain those two drills is the video that you folks have on your YouTube channel, Because I can't explain it any better, I think, than the way we explained it in that video and demonstrated it. But the great thing is we've seen not only benefits in terms of getting faster using the cadence drill and the acceleration glider drill, but we've also there have been some studies that show that increased cadence is less likely to cause injury. So there's actually really good evidence that you will be a longer-lived runner, You'll be able to enjoy this sport, enjoy this activity, much longer if you have a faster cadence. So doing that cadence drill at least once a week really really helps.
Speaker 2:That video is our most viewed video.
Speaker 8:Well good, I certainly recommend it.
Speaker 6:Cadence meaning like you move your feet faster, versus longer strides right.
Speaker 8:Well, that's exactly what it is.
Speaker 6:Yes, so the cadence drill.
Speaker 8:The idea is that you are increasing your rate of turnover and shortening your stride. So basically, what you do is, if we were to do it, let's say, three or four times, we would start off by running for 30 seconds and just count how many times your right foot hits in 30 seconds, and then walk for 30 seconds or a minute and then repeat. And the second time you do that 30 second count, you want to make your foot hit the ground one more or two more times than it did the first time you did the count. And then each time during this session, you're trying to increase that rate of turnover, increase that cadence. Don't worry about that number after you're done with the workout.
Speaker 8:Next week, when you do the exercise again, when you do that drill again, don't even remember what the numbers were for last week. That doesn't matter. The point is, each time you're doing the drill, you're trying to increase that number by one or two during that session. And then the acceleration glider is about taking yourself through all of your paces, starting with the walking pace and then moving up through your long run pace, your marathon pace, all the way up until you get to your top speed. Just for a few seconds, just for a couple of seconds, you hit that top speed and then you glide down to a walk and the point is to make sure that it's a smooth transition from walk all the way up to your fast speed and then a smooth transition down to your walk. You're not jumping up to a fast pace and you're definitely not putting on the brakes to hit a slow pace.
Speaker 6:Did you regret um us telling people on the podcast that you would take them outside to do an acceleration? Glider at any of the run Disneyney expos I don't regret that at all.
Speaker 8:I I have had to, um, I have had to to say no to a few people because if, depending on where we are, if I go outside on the first day of a walt disney world expo, yeah, I can't I. I can get back in, but I can't get the other person back in and they might have to wait in a really, really long line to get back in. But no, I still. If people want to know the drills, I take them out back, as they say, and show them how to do the drill.
Speaker 6:But come back on the third day.
Speaker 8:Easier for me to do that Much better.
Speaker 3:Yeah, all, yeah all right, coach, we have a question here from lance and I remember I think I actually asked you this question a couple of weeks ago because I know you have given these workouts to a couple of your clients, especially those doing the really you know long, strenuous, uh, you know elevation runs. But lance is asking is a 30 to 45 minute workout on a stair climber a valid substitution for the typical 30 to 45 minute Tuesday slash Thursday run?
Speaker 8:It depends on why you're substituting it. Um, if you are, if you're injured or for some reason you have to avoid impact, then it's a great cardio exercise and I'm and I'm, you know I love doing that. It's not running, though, right. So if your goal is, if you're not, if you're not in a situation where you have to avoid impact, then we need to try to get in those couple of runs during the week and the long run on the weekend, because your body needs to experience running. You need to have those adaptations that your muscles need as a runner. But I'm a big fan of big climbs and stairs and all of that sort of thing. So doing that as a second workout on a day where you're working on leg strength, or doing that as a substitute when you are not able to experience impact, is fantastic. And one of the guys in customized and a Galloway Pacer and somebody you've had on this podcast, Adam Earl, just ask him about the stair workouts.
Speaker 5:He showed me his workouts. They're worse than what I thought I had to do.
Speaker 8:They're pretty, they're they're. Yeah, I'm not sure what, what uh adjective he would use for it, but diabolic maybe.
Speaker 5:Yeah Well, I mean even like for some of your clients, because I know I was one of them when I lived in Florida. It's all flat. Trying to find a hill to do anything was extremely difficult. I remember the option when you had the hills and drills workout was just to go on a Stairmaster.
Speaker 8:Yes, yeah, absolutely yeah. You can do a Stairmaster. You can do a treadmill that's up at an incline, you can do, obviously, if you can find a substitute for a hill, something like a parking garage or a bridge or something like that, then that's fantastic as well.
Speaker 6:They say that, like you know, if you're doing a sport, you can do different workouts that help those muscles that you need for your sport, but if you want to be a better golfer, you have to go out and practice your golf swing. That's just like the rule of thumb, you know.
Speaker 8:Yeah, exactly, and so that's why it's not a great substitute for a run, but it's a great compliment to a run.
Speaker 5:Well, our next question from Megan. She was wondering what is more important when you're on a run your pace or your ratio. Like, for example, if you can meet the paces, does it matter what ratio you're doing?
Speaker 8:Yeah, first of all, I really regret that people who are listening to this podcast can't see your facial expression and your mannerisms when you're asking these questions. Because you've got you know it's obviously you've got an acting background, because you're having a lot of fun the way you asked that question. So what matters most is pace. Pace is the most important thing. The run-walk ratio is what's going to help that pace feel comfortable. So when I assign someone or I recommend someone a particular ratio, it's always I always start with a ratio that is on Jeff Galloway's chart. He came up with the chart, it's on our website and so I always start with that, and sometimes I get resistance.
Speaker 8:Sometimes I get people that say, well, I can't run that much in between the walk breaks or I can't, I can't take those walk breaks that frequently. Whatever, all I ask is for you to try it, because we know, based on the feedback we've gotten from more than half a million runners at this point, we know that the ratios we have are the most comfortable for most people at that pace. But the other thing we know is you are not most people and so it might. It probably will feel right for you at that pace, but it might not. It might, it probably will feel right for you at that pace, but it might not.
Speaker 8:So once you have tried your assigned pace using the ratio I recommend, then by all means, the next time you do that same workout at that pace, try a different ratio, try running a little bit more between the walk breaks or try walking a little bit more frequently, and one of those might feel better than the other. And once you dial that in, then lock it in as okay, this is my ratio for this pace. Now, by the time you get that figured out, you probably have a new magic mile and you get all new paces and you have to start that over again. But that's what it's all about. So, but yeah, pace is the most important thing for sure.
Speaker 5:And if it's okay to put this out there, you are the one that got me into doing Galloway, because when I was originally started with you I didn't do any run, walk run. And if anybody is curious about Galloway and doing the run, walk run highly recommend trying it out. It does reduce injury and I mean without it I don't know how I would have gotten through that Daytona 100. I did the Galloway Pacey method for 95 miles on that race and that was the best gift you could have ever given me, chris oh, good, well, good well, you did the work.
Speaker 8:You did the work. I'm glad the method worked for you, but you did the work.
Speaker 2:And that method will surprise people.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it surprised me. It took a while for me to like.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 2:It will surprise you and you find out that you end up being faster by taking the walk breaks. You can anyway, chris, it's hot. It's hot all over the country. Northeast has the heat bubble right now, but even so, all over the country, northeast has the heat bubble right now, but even so, we have a rule of thumb that says, when the temperature gets above 60, reduce your pace by 30 seconds a mile for every five degrees. So this is for the long runs, all right. So let's give an example. Let's say it's 75 degrees out, five degrees. Give an example. Let's say it's 75 degrees out, five degrees, five seconds, 15 degrees. So I'm going to go 15. I'm going to go 90 seconds slower than my long run pace on that in that temperature, in those conditions. Now, we do that for the long runs. Do we also do that on our weekly shorter runs?
Speaker 8:Great, great question, and I get that question all the time and the answer is no, not exactly so. During the week there's the runs that I put on schedules for folks. During the week there'll be a warmup and a cool down for all the runs and those are typically at your long run pace or at least at a casual pace. So definitely you would slow those down during that casual section, but then, depending on what's happening during that workout, you may not be able to do the slowdown and still get a benefit from it. So let's say, for example, it's a race rehearsal run and so the goal of that race rehearsal run is to run race pace and practice the run-walk ratio you're going to use at that pace.
Speaker 8:Well, if you slow that down by 90 seconds, you're not getting any data you can use because you're not running at race pace. So instead what we would do is we would shorten the amount of time that you spend at that desired pace. So let's say, normally you would be doing half an hour at that race pace, but it's that hot, so we might reduce that to maybe only a mile. At that race pace You're still getting practice running at race pace and using the run walk ratio you're supposed to use or that you think you're going to use in the race, but you're not hurting yourself by being out there for the full amount of time that you would have been and pushing at a faster pace. Um, so we, we we make that adjustment for the full amount of time that you would have been and pushing at a faster pace.
Speaker 8:So we make that adjustment for the long runs, because we know we need to get the endurance in for the long runs. But for the other paces or the other runs, we don't make that adjustment in terms of slowing down. We make that adjustment in terms of how long we're out there.
Speaker 2:Because it is so hot right now. Let me pursue this just a little bit longer. Let's say I've got a long run pace of 13 minutes per mile. I go out and it's 80 degrees. Now I'm looking at 15 minutes per mile. I can walk at 15 minutes per mile and I know I walk fast. But somewhere in there and I do know this is important I've talked with Jeff about it, I've talked with you about it I know it's important to slow down, but somewhere in there we're going to hit numbers. Like you know, I don't think anybody's out running in the hundred degree temperatures up north right now, but we're going to get numbers that are just really slow and going to be really hard to do. What kind of latitudes do we have there?
Speaker 8:So well, first of all, you're right, you are a fast walker. Because I can't, I can. I can walk a mile at 15 minutes. I can't walk a half marathon at 15 minute pace.
Speaker 2:You could. If you, if you train for it, you could. I know you could Okay.
Speaker 8:Okay so, but you're right If you be, but'd have to train for that, right? So most people, when they're doing 15 minute pace, the run walk ratio that I give people at 15 minute pace is 15 second run, 30 second walk, so they would still do the run walk doing that. Think about what the spirit behind this slowdown is. Right, the spirit is we want to keep you from dying. We want to keep you from getting sick.
Speaker 8:So what would be the elements during the hot run that would risk death or risk illness? It would be overheating, it would be elevated heart rate, it would be you cease to sweat. It would be all the symptoms, all the signs that we know of from heat illness. So you just have to watch out for those things. We know that you can get the same endurance benefit from walking, and that's absolutely fine to do for any of those long runs. Other things that we can do we can break up the long run into shorter segments. We can dump water on our head. We can come in and take a short shower if we need to. We can do part of the run on a treadmill if we have access to it.
Speaker 8:One of the suggestions I gave to some people today is when it's really hot let's say there's 100 degree temperatures you could be outside for part of your run on the road and then hop in the pool and do water running for the rest of it. Is it exactly the same? Yeah, is it exactly the same? No, but it's close enough and it's less likely to risk death.
Speaker 8:So let's say you had planned a run that was going to take you four hours and you do two hours of it outside and then it's getting really hot and you can see your heart rate is up. You're not catching your breath in between your walk breaks, you're having a hard time. Hop in the pool and do water running for the other two hours and you're still getting that four hour workout. Your muscles are still getting that four hour running experience. It's just you're not. You know you're cooler because you're in the pool. So that's a really good adjustment to do and you'd be surprised. I have one client who is in Scottsdale, arizona, and he sends me messages all the time about these, these runs that he's done when it's 110 degrees out. I tell him I don't know how you do it.
Speaker 8:I don't know how you do it. I don't think.
Speaker 8:I could do it. But where it's the most risky is when it hasn't been this hot and then all of a sudden there's a heat wave. That's when it's risky. If this is day 30 of a heat wave and you've been running every other day or every third day, then it's not as risky. Your body has gotten used to it. But when it suddenly is 10 degrees warmer than it had been, that's when you're at the most risk, because your body is not used to it. You don't have the adaptations that your body needs. You're not sweating as quickly as you would. Your sweat is not as viscous as it would be when you're heat adapted. Those are the things that happen as you get adapted to heat.
Speaker 6:I'll even one up that you do your long run for two hours I mean two miles, not two hours, two miles and then you go get a dole whip, and then you go.
Speaker 5:It does cool you down, doesn't it? Yeah?
Speaker 8:Nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 5:I like it.
Speaker 8:I like it.
Speaker 6:So I have a question from Aaron. That is also a question that's on my mind as well, too. How do you stay motivated when progress feels slow or non-existent, and how do I avoid comparing myself to where I used to be?
Speaker 8:Oh gosh, that's hard. I have a hard time with that as well. I really do, because I'm not as fast as I used to be and it does take me longer to get going than it used to. But I think what's important is to remember why you're not doing this because you want a particular place in an age group. You're doing this because you enjoy the activity of running. If you're listening to me and you don't enjoy the activity of running, or at least hearing about running, then you're listening to the wrong podcast. So and Greg, cut that out.
Speaker 4:If you want people who don't like running to listen to the podcast. Don't turn people away from the podcast.
Speaker 8:But truly, truly, I mean, it's not, it's. It's, yes, we enjoy the race results, but, but hopefully you also just enjoy getting out there and the experience of moving. There's something transcendental about the, about moving through space, whether it's running or walking or, for some people, uh, swimming or cycling. There's something beautiful about that. There's something that we're meant to be doing when we're doing that, and so focusing on that, the focusing on the fact that you can still get out there and can still do it and finding the joy in the moment because, honestly, if you can't find the joy in the moment when you're running, then no race result is going to make you happy.
Speaker 6:That's beautiful, and I think you also nailed it too. It's like you need to figure out your why, why you love running and why you're out there, cause we keep going out there. So there's got to be something about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So our friend Mark asks and can you share some of the tips for the speed works that are now part of the new Galloway training plans that are on the run Disney site?
Speaker 8:So now I need to look at the run Disney site and make sure that I uh I have the speed. So speed speed workouts, uh are 30 seconds faster than race pace. Uh, the distance of the speed is going to uh, it's going to vary depending on what race you're training for. Five Ks and 10 Ks you're doing, 400 meters you're doing quarter mile repeats, half marathons or the 10 miler you're doing half mile repeats.
Speaker 8:Marathons you're doing mile repeats. All of them are gonna be 30 seconds faster than race pace per mile. So, even though you're only doing a quarter mile repeat for a 5K or a 10K, you're doing them now seven and a half seconds per quarter mile, so that it's 30 seconds faster per mile. We typically start with four of these and we build up to 14. And the amount of rest in between a recovery and in between varies anywhere from a couple of minutes for 400s up to five or six minutes for mile repeats, and you're typically going to be walking in between. This allows you to stretch yourself by going faster than your race pace but not risk injury by all out sprinting. There's nothing in Galloway training that calls for all out sprinting.
Speaker 3:Chris, in the same vein of these new updates to the plans on the Run Disney site of you know, these new updates to the plans on the run disney site. Uh mark actually has a second question, but heather uh also has a similar question. Can you go into and I think this falls in more of the experienced runner plan as a, as opposed to the beginner, towards the end of the plan?
Speaker 3:now there are ranges, so you know, one of the ranges is four to six miles. Another is, you know, 27 to 29. How should a runner who's participating in those particular plans gauge? You know, when they should stop. When, in terms of you know those, you know two to three mile ranges.
Speaker 8:Sure Well, first of all, you're never cheating by going with the shortest distance of the range. That's not cheating at all. The longer distances are there for people who have more serious to them time goals and they're trying to see bigger gains. We know that 26 miles is important for anybody that's doing a marathon. Because you've gone that distance in training. You get physical benefit from the endurance. You also get the psychological benefit of knowing I've done this so I can do it again. But the longer distances the 27 to 29, we have seen remarkable time improvement for people that have extended their long run out to 29 miles, training for a marathon, out to 17,. In some cases, 19 miles when training for a half marathon. So going that over distance, always remember.
Speaker 8:For those long runs, though, you have a speed limit. The speed limit is don't go faster than this. That speed limit is two minutes per mile slower than race pace. So don't go faster than that. And it's a speed limit, it's not a time goal. So if you end up going slower than the speed limit, there's no penalty for that. You can walk those distances and, yes, you really do get the endurance benefit.
Speaker 3:And I do want to reiterate something that you said earlier, because this wasn't a question specifically geared towards you for this episode. I know we had a listener on our Facebook page this week talk about the weekday runs, because I think they're participating in Dopey and they had talked about. You know, on the schedule it says 30 to 45 minutes, so I would imagine so that the same thing is applicable here. You're not cheating by if you're just doing 30 minutes. It's, you know, it's more so what you and your body and your time schedule for the day allows for you in that particular moment.
Speaker 8:Absolutely, and part of it. Remember, with the heat we were talking about the race rehearsal runs having to keep that race rehearsal part down maybe to a mile if it's really hot out. So that may only be a 30-minute run on a hot summer day, whereas in the fall that could be a 45-minute run, could be an hour run without too much trouble because you're not restricted by the heat so much.
Speaker 7:So, chris, let's talk about some of the things that we do to facilitate the running. David wants to know what advice would you give for warm-ups before runs, stretching, strength training to support your running and your goals?
Speaker 8:Yeah. So Jeff Galloway is not a fan of stretching, and there's a really good reason for that. Uh, studies have shown that you are more likely to incur an injury as a result of stretching than you are to prevent an injury by stretching. There are other sports out there where stretching and flexibility are really, really important. So I'm not going to say never stretch If you do one of those other types of activities you know, super important. But for distance running, there's no such thing as a stretch that all distance runners need to be doing. There just isn't. If you have had an injury or if you have some other issue and a physical therapist or a doctor or a nurse has had hands on you and has said, because of this thing that you do or have done, you need to do this stretch, then by all means do it. But if you're otherwise perfectly healthy, there are no stretches that you necessarily need to do.
Speaker 8:Strength training the best strength training for runners would be hill repeats, if you can do it. There are other things, though, that I really like. Jeff Galloway has a video out there on arm running which is basically taking dumbbells, or you can take like gallon jugs of water and go through an exaggerated running motion with your arms. That's a really good activity. I'm also a big fan of core strengthening things like planks. I'm also a big fan of core strengthening things like planks. Trx is a really good system that uses body weight that I found some really good benefits from for a lot of runners. And then resistance band training is nice and you know for your hips and your knees and things like that.
Speaker 8:I'm hesitant to add any other type of strength workout from my standpoint. Now, when you're working with someone like Tom, who absolutely you know that's his bread and butter and he's a runner, he can give you other strength exercises that will benefit your overall health, and so I absolutely would do whatever he says in terms of that, and that's the benefit of when you're working with a strength and conditioning coach. You wanna make sure you're working with one who buys in to running, and then it's nice if it's someone who also buys in to the philosophy behind running that you subscribe to. And so, again, not to send everybody toward one particular coach, but that's someone we have a lot of clients in common and I'm super impressed with the results they get and it's not hurting their running.
Speaker 5:So Sarah asks how do you deal with like, getting past, like the runner's burnout? It's different from like the dopey um, what is it? The dopey downers or whatever? Yeah, dopey downers, um, because she has some races coming up that she's excited about and training for, but kind of getting tired of being in training mode.
Speaker 8:The great thing about these races when we put them on our schedules is that it gives us something to shoot for. But if it's so far away it can be hard. Especially in the summer it can be hard working toward those things. Again, it's about just finding the joy in your everyday workouts and seeing progress. The magic mile. Don't skip that magic mile. Throw that in there once a month. It's going to help you see where you are progressing.
Speaker 8:Do a magic half mile right now during the summer. That's not a bad idea to do and you get good data from that as well. So I just think finding those little things that show you your progress as you are going along, that'll really help. And then, once in a while, I love to throw in a run that has no particular purpose. Um, uh, we had a guy that was in customized, it was from um, from europe, and he was really looking for for specific types of runs that would inspire him, and so I put on his schedule a lunch time run where he would pack a sandwich and he would run 5k or so to someplace nice, sit, eat a sandwich, enjoy being there and then run back. And by golly, I started doing that too.
Speaker 8:I started putting that on my own. I, it was just a fun, a fun thing to do. That's different. It's not a particular pace, it's going. And for me I would go run up to a little park near the beach and I'd watch people as they would surf or whatever they were doing at the beach. So, finding someplace again about 5K from where you start, have a little snack there. It doesn't have to be a full-on lunch, it could be a Dole Whip.
Speaker 3:I was just about ready to say for someone who's staying at the contemporary, they could make their way. You know, obviously they'd have to go through security once. But then you know, they can make their way through magic kingdom and then stop at uh, stop the poly, get a dole whip and then, make you know, make their way back to the content absolutely absolutely all right.
Speaker 6:My friend michelle says if you could hop in the van, into the vandalorian, back to your first starting out and give yourself sage advice, what would you tell yourself?
Speaker 8:Oh gosh, what would I tell myself? I think I would tell myself never to take anything for granted. Very good, when I was young, the runs were easier, the speeds were faster, um, and now it's not, not as easy and not as fast, and I have to work a little bit more at it, um, so, just never, never, take anything for granted. Um, there are lots of, there are lots of PRS that I would love, would have loved to improve by a little bit, and so there are some mistakes and some advice that I might have given there. But most of all, just don't take anything for granted. Take joy in every run that you take. In some way, I like that, Chris.
Speaker 6:It's funny because sometimes we look at our paces and we go I wish I could be X amount of minutes faster than that. And then, five years later, you look at that pace and you go that was really good, I wish.
Speaker 8:I was more happy about that pace when.
Speaker 2:I had it, that's right. That's right, chris. I've got an equipment question from our friend, jonathan. Jonathan says he knows about choosing running shoes, he knows they're individual. He knows that most professional runners are reluctant to share their favorite shoe unless they're sponsored, and then they overshare. Uh, I don't know if you're sponsored for shoes, but I think, jonathan would like to know what kind of shoes are your favorites?
Speaker 8:Wow, um, so I'm, we, we. I have never been sponsored individually as a runner. Um, Galloway, as a company, has had sponsors over the years, and so I've benefited from having apparel and shoes from different companies. And then, as a pacer, different races are sponsored by different companies, and so we get shoes from some races not the Disney races, unfortunately, but um, london marathon, sydney marathon, those types of things. So I've run in a lot of different shoes.
Speaker 8:I will tell you, the last pair of shoes that I paid my own money for and was not sad that I did were the ultra. Um, they're called the wild experience. These are a trail shoe and I've always loved the design of Altra because they have a wide toe box, but I don't run in zero drop shoes. I know plenty of people that do and they like them, but I just don't run in zero drop. I walk around in them sometimes, but the Wild Experience and they have a road version as well that has a four millimeter heel to toe drop, and so I have really enjoyed running in those and, uh, so that was the last pair that I I bought for myself, for out here was, um, was that?
Speaker 8:So lots of, lots of great shoes out there, though, I would highly recommend people don't buy based on a particular brand. Go into a specialty running store, try on a lot of different shoes and and see what fits you. And what fits you and what you like and what works best for you is not going to be the shoe that is the cutest. It's not going to be the shoe that is the most expensive or the shoe that is the least expensive. It's not going to be a shoe that your friend wears. It's going to be the one that's right for you.
Speaker 2:So there you go, Jonathan.
Speaker 7:All right, so let's move into fueling for runs. Sonia wants to know what advice do you have for fueling on long runs.
Speaker 8:It's so hard. It's so hard because it's so individual. Um, the first thing that I would start with is, if you're training for a race, then see what type of nutrition will be on course at your race. Get some of it, try it during a long run Not your last long run, but try it on a, you know. But try it on a long run and see how it works for your body. And I would try it as frequently as the manufacturer.
Speaker 8:If it's a gel or something like that, I would try it at the rate that the manufacturer suggests, because it's in their best interest to give you the best advice. They're not going to tell you to use it more often than you should, and then you get sick and you tell everybody that didn't work. They're not going to tell you use it less often than you should, and you don't get the benefit out of it and you tell it so, so they, so their instructions, will work best for most people. So that's what I would start with and then I would, if that doesn't work, reallyels whatever. Always have something that you may or may not use until you're done with the run, but have something that is your secret weapon that you know will work for you in a pinch. I'm a big fan of liquid nutrition. There are lots of good products out there. Tailwind is one of my favorite ones. I've gotten to like it just because it's on course at a lot of the ultras that I do, and so it benefits me that it works.
Speaker 8:But it doesn't work for everybody, so try different things. Scratch is another one, noon is another one. There are lots of good products out there for you to try. The Feed is a great website where you can go and you can get a lot of different things to sample and see what works best for you. But it's tough and I will tell you, my last ultra was an absolute disaster and it was nutrition. It was because I did not have my nutrition dialed in, and I'm not a beginner. I am not a beginner, but it still is something that I that I will struggle with sometimes.
Speaker 7:So, on that note of like the liquid hydration um fueling options, I know that there's like a whole range that people can get some that are high in sodium, some that are high in carbs. Is there some place that you would recommend, um, if somebody wanted to go down that route to start with? Or I know it is very individualized, but is there anything that you would recommend?
Speaker 8:Yeah, again, product and use it at the rate that they recommend on the packaging. That's really my best advice, because they're not going to tell you to do something that will either be too conservative, and therefore it doesn't really give you a benefit, or that's too aggressive, and therefore it makes you sick. Choose flavors that are either choose something that's unflavored, if you can, or something that is mildly flavored. Some sports drinks that are out there are so heavily concentrated and the flavors are so strong. They're great. They're great between sets in a tennis match. They're great after a run. They're great as an electrolyte beverage the night before a long run. But during a run you do not want something that's got a strong flavor to it because your stomach is likely to reject it, especially when it's hot out.
Speaker 3:So what you're saying is that time that I combined lemon-lime Gatorade with a s'mores-flavored goo, I shouldn't do that again.
Speaker 8:I mean, I guess you never know, until you try.
Speaker 3:It didn't, it didn't end well.
Speaker 8:It doesn't sound. It doesn't sound like a great idea. Yeah, um so, but yeah, I I think, uh, I think that the most important thing there is to is to use the manufacturer's recommended dosage and don't be afraid. If you like a product but you don't like a particular flavor, water it down and drink a little bit more, and at least then you're getting the hydration and the benefit of it.
Speaker 1:Going along those lines of fueling and, I know, going back to episode 87 when you guys ran the keys, how do you fuel in the heat when the thought of consuming anything makes you sick?
Speaker 8:Well, the key is to is not to allow your stomach to rest for a really long period of time.
Speaker 8:If you go, if you go for half an hour in between sips of a drink or something like that, your stomach has decided okay, we're shut down for this and it's very hard to get that stomach going again. It really requires you to sit and rest and not be moving, for your stomach to say, oh, okay, I guess we can put blood flow. Your body to say we can put blood flow into the stomach now, because we're not, we don't need it for the legs. So if you you from the beginning, if you're taking sips every, at least every mile, preferably more often, taking, you know, maybe every, every other, every third walk break, you're taking a little sip of something every mile, you're taking a little bite of something or getting in some calories for those long runs in the heat. That's going to keep your stomach going and that's hopefully going to allow you to be successful in fueling. It's a lot harder in the summer than it is the rest of the year, for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, here we go, Chris. How many years have you and I been together? And I just learned something. I did because I'm negligent in that I'll put things off. I did because I'm negligent in that I'll put things off, but good stuff.
Speaker 3:All right, coach. So we have one question here about challenges, and I think this is a very appropriate question because day of recording we started wine and dine training and that has the two-course challenge. Then next week we're going to start training for marathon weekend with Goofy and Dopey, and Melissa asks start training for marathon weekend with goofy and dopey and melissa asks what are some common mistakes that runners make when training for or participating in a challenge aka dopey, two-course challenge and how can you avoid them?
Speaker 8:okay, well, the best way to avoid it is not to sign up for a challenge. Um, guaranteed, guaranteed, no one has ever failed in a challenge who didn't sign up for a challenge Um guaranteed, guaranteed.
Speaker 8:No one has ever failed in a challenge who didn't sign up for one. Um, so the mistake that I see with people number one is time goals associated with dopey, uh, or goofy, for that matter, any, any challenge. When you have these other races and you have you also went to PR in the longest race that weekend you are, you're putting a, you're putting restrictions on joy, you're putting restrictions on your sense of accomplishment. Right, your sense of accomplishment, your joy should come in achieving the challenge. And when you add a time goal to that, now you're saying doing this isn't enough, I also have to do it and hit this time goal. Um, now, that being said, I've had people that signed up for Dopey and I put speed work on their schedule and they want to know well, why do I have speed work when I don't have a time goal? And that's where I point out that they also said they were going to ride Everest, so we got to be fast to get to Everest, to be able to do that.
Speaker 8:But that's the first thing is putting restrictions on joy, saying I'm not going to be happy unless I hit this time goal or whatever. That's the biggest mistake that I see from that. The other thing is trying to do too much during the Disney weekend or whatever weekend. The challenge is I know it's tempting, I want to do it too. I want to go out and walk around the parks, I want to see all the new things, I want to hang out with all the people.
Speaker 8:But you could very easily walk an extra half marathon on half marathon day and now you're running the marathon of Dopey with 26 miles on your legs from the day before instead of 13. Yeah, and, by the way, that is not limited to these races. I see that in a lot of the marathon majors as well, or any destination marathon. Somebody travels to London and the day before the London marathon they've walked 15, 16 miles around the city and, yeah, they got a lot of pictures and you know they got their picture in front of Abbey Road and they got to see Big Ben. But they're also exhausted going into the run. So take advantage of the monorail, take advantage of the tube, take advantage of all those transportation options that are out there. Walk as little as possible in between the um, in between the races, and you'll be a little bit better rested going into each day.
Speaker 6:You're like actually doing like an ultra that you didn't train for. You know what I?
Speaker 8:mean yeah, yeah.
Speaker 6:So if you're going to do that, maybe train for an ultra.
Speaker 2:As I said, I think last week. Uh, I don't want this to end, but at some point we've got to pull the plug. So I have one last question. It comes from our friend DW. And DW asks, and I quote why are you so lovable?
Speaker 8:Well, I firmly believe that the measure of my lovability is the lovable people that I am around, and that includes DW, of course. That includes all of the amazing Rise and Run family, it includes all the folks that I get to hang out with and customize, and it starts with Jeff Galloway, because he is the one that modeled this for me. He is such a lovable guy, he is such a kind person, he coaches and he teaches, not with authority, but with love and with compassion, and so that's that's how I do things as well. That's what I was attracted to and that's what I try to be for the people that I work with. Um, now, you know, get, get one of my kids on here and they might be able to tell you about it.
Speaker 8:But uh, but yeah, that's it's, it really is. It's about the community. It's about the community it is, isn't it? And?
Speaker 2:in a question that could have been a little on the silly side. That was a great answer, thank you. And as boy as we, as we've approached this milestone episode here coming up, I've been thinking about these kind of things also and I trace how things started in the podcast and you know it does all come back to Jeff, doesn't it?
Speaker 8:Yeah, yeah, it does for me. It does for me for sure. I mean he's, I think if I had not, I'm sure that if I had not found his initial book, uh, Galloway's book on running, I wouldn't have done my second marathon. I did the first one because of that girl, but, um, but then we found his Galloway's book on running and we used it to train for our second one and it was way more fun and it was faster and uh, and that's what brought me into to this world. So I I will forever be grateful to him but also forever, forever be grateful to all of you, because for the last few years that you, you've been doing this feeling older, but in a time in my life when I am not achieving quite the same things that I was in my own running, I'm able to focus a lot on the achievements of the folks that I, that I work with and hearing the race reports and things like that. I'm, I'm loving this phase of my running life as much, if not more, than any other.
Speaker 2:We appreciate that. That's. That's fantastic, coach. Thanks for taking the time. We probably took a little more than you expected, but we appreciate it. We always love visiting with you Before we got out. Let's talk one more time customized training. There's a link at the top of our Facebook group page. I think that still works, and the reason I think it still works is you're getting new clients so so I think, if they're coming in that way, I think that's still an active and valid link for it.
Speaker 8:It is absolutely active and valid and we want people to use it. Um, we have introduced a one-on-one option, which is which is differently priced, and so to get that, they would go to jeffgallowaycom and they can find out more information and talk to somebody about that, and that's they. That is, that is a that is a premium thing and there are only a certain number of spots for that. But I'm I'm thrilled with the folks that come into our customized family, especially when they come in through Rise and Run, and obviously those that come into customized and don't know about Rise and Run beforehand. They sure as heck find out about it once they're there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they do, it's a blast. All right, chris, we'll let you go. Thanks, very much.
Speaker 8:Thank you so much. We'll see you at the next Disney race.
Speaker 3:Well, coach, once again we want to thank you so much for your time, your knowledge, your expertise and just helping out this amazing community so much through the Galloway program. I know it's changed my life, it's changed a bunch of lives here, of the hosts on the podcast and just in the Rise and Run family as well. So we cannot thank you enough for your time. One other thing we want to pass along kudos before we get into the race report this week. It's been a couple of months since we've had her on, but our buddy Wendy Larson, the hand cyclist she had talked about this when we have interviewed her. She participated in the Race Across America.
Speaker 3:I know she has attempted this event in the past and I know either last year or two years I think, she had to drop out due to some nutritional issues. But this year year she joined an eight person team and what was really cool was, uh, her team of eight. She was, uh, the only hand cyclist um to participate, and on her team of the rusty dogs of war she was the only female on her team as well. So I thought that was awesome, but just really happy to pass along that the Rusty Dogs of War officially finished the race. It took them seven days, 14 hours and 34 minutes. And if you are not aware of this race, uh, this race starts in Oceanside, california, and finishes in Atlantic city, new Jersey, and it's really tremendous. What all? Whether you do this event as an individual or as a team, uh, everyone should be absolutely commended, um, for their participation in this event, and just congratulations to everybody. And way to go, wendy, we're so, so proud of you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a tremendous event, Tremendous accomplishment. Wendy, that's heroic, and the rest of your team also. I read about this in the past. There's a tradition for the cyclists to dip their wheel in the Pacific to start and then the Atlantic when they finish. Just rough back of the envelope math, it's about 3,000 miles. I don't know the exact distance of the race across America. It's about 3,000 miles. Seven days, 14 hours, that's about 400 miles a day. They go nonstop. They don't sleep. Well, the relay team, you get a chance to sleep, but yeah, that's pretty tough. And the winners, my goodness, the winners. On this thing I haven't looked in a while, but I think they make it in three or four days. It's ridiculous. All right way to go, wendy. Hey announcement, wendy, hey announcement.
Speaker 2:Friends, if you're going out to Disneyland for the Halloween race, there is a scheduled meetup on Saturday. They've got a great place for a meetup out at Disneyland. It's in what is. It's the picnic area, I think is what it's called. But if you are standing in the open area and you are facing the entrance to Magic Kingdom, if you look to your left, you'll see an area where there are lockers. I'm sure I don't know if the restroom's over there or not. I think they are, and there's an area that's encircled with hedges that's labeled the picnic area. You may have to look for the sign a little bit, but the friends who are out there are going to get together at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon and if you're going, I highly encourage you to get out there. Hopefully it won't be 105 degrees like it was last year when we had our meetup, but even so, last year when we had it, it's a nice shaded area, so it was a comfortable 105 degrees. Oh, let's see. Looking here, I've decided friends, it's time for the Race Report.
Speaker 2:Friends, it's time for the race report. Friends, the race report sponsored by Thomas Stokes, stoked metabolic training, stokesfit slash, rise and run coaching is the website. His next challenge starts pretty soon. July 7th is eight week challenge. I haven't checked with Tom lately. I don't know if he got his first 20 people that he's going to give his free one-on-one call in or not, but you can still try and get in there. Be amongst the first. Get a free one-on-one call with Tom. It's a good challenge. He gives us a $50 discount as rise and Runners Use the code RISE when registering. Let's begin on Wednesday, john, we started on Wednesday this week. Wednesday Wednesday.
Speaker 1:Wednesday.
Speaker 2:And I'm not sure it wasn't a holiday and we have three, not one, on Wednesday. Occasionally we'll get somebody maybe cast away or something like that. We got three runs, one of them in Pennington, new Jersey. Is that near you?
Speaker 1:Nope, it's not. That's closer down by where you you were from, bob.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, okay, okay, I don't remember that. Um, here's I forgot. Here's what happened on that one. I got a note on this one. It's the run for clean Water, solstice Trail Run in Pennington and our buddy, jack, the Camden County runner, did that 15K but they changed it to a virtual because you had storms or they had storms in South Jersey on Wednesday night and Jack ran it and as the time he made his report he made his report on Saturday, he was first overall. I guess they kept track of the virtual results and Jack's a pretty fast runner anyway.
Speaker 2:Also on Wednesday in Boston I know where that is John the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge. I think we've seen this one before. Three and a half mile race Starts at the Common, follows an out and back along Commonwealth Avenue, turns around near the Sitco sign, the famous Sitco sign not far from Fenway Park. That's a big landmark sign. If you run in the marathon I think it shows up around mile 25 or so. Two people run in. Avery did Warm, but beautiful night for a run in the city and Rob said the temps were manageable Thanks to a 7.15 start in the evening. Most of the participants ran as part of a company team, created a fun, energetic vibe throughout the whole event.
Speaker 1:Mids-Moor-Van-Loop midsummer evening run in the Netherlands, in Blazwek, that's probably right.
Speaker 2:Blazwek, I believe, is correct. Blazwek is right and I'll give it a shot. It's the Midsummer Evening Run and in Dutch that's Midsommar van de Lop. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Jessica and her husband Stellan did it. Stellan ran it's a 10-miler, he wanted to get a POT for. Goofy Ran a 117, which is a PR. That's nice man. Yeah, that's a good pace too. So he and Jessica, jessica's pretty quick also. They're going to be starting in the same corral in January. Jessica's running Dopey number three. Stellan's running Goofy number three. Estella's running goofy number one.
Speaker 2:Our buddy Brittany was with us last week. I don't really have a race report from her, but I did watch. She did the Broken Arrow Ascent 3,000 feet of climb in a little bit over three miles. This one was not for the faint of heart. In fact, on the website they tell the participants don't take this one lightly. It's a serious business because one of the problems is if it's too windy or something you got to get yourself back down, too windy or something you got to get yourself back down, the cable cars or whatever they're doing will shut down. I don't know if that happened.
Speaker 2:I know Brittany finished. I don't know what she was looking for, but I think she felt pretty good about it. I saw her posts and they look good. Of 160 female runners I think it might be 160 total, I'm not sure she finished 60th well into the top half and she felt good. I think she really felt good to be back out in a competitive run, especially a difficult one like that. All right, good job, brittany. Friends, on Saturday let's move all the way north to our 49th state and one of the really excellent runs in the country. Anchorage holds a marathon and half marathon right around the solstice, usually right around june 20 something like that, and we have two friends who participated in the half who are with us this week lance and courtney. Welcome to the rise and run podcast yay, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much uh, thanks, and you're both vacationing. Uh gosh that, john. That was the case last week.
Speaker 1:We had vacationers last week too, yeah I got a question and I this is like so the summer solstice is usually the longest day of the year, isn't it like no darkness over there now in Alaska?
Speaker 9:Yeah, I think they said the sunset will be here around after midnight and rise again at four where we are.
Speaker 10:I have not seen dark yet since we've been here anchorage.
Speaker 2:anchorage is far enough south that it does get a little bit of darkness, and in the middle of winter it gets a little bit of light. You get up around fairbanks. Fairbanks is just about 50 miles north or south of the arctic circle, the arctic circles, where on the solstice the sun skims the horizon but never sets, and in the city of Fairbanks it never gets dark in the summer, and the same thing in the winter. The sun pops up. You get a little more light than not light. And this is not the Bob spotlight, it's the race report spotlight. Lance and Courtney, I want to know about this run, so let's start here. Courtney, I'll start with you. You're on vacation. How's that going? What have you been doing besides the race?
Speaker 9:So we decided to go on an Alaska cruise. It's our first time ever being out here, and my husband is who got me into running, and so anytime we've gone on trips now including, you know, disney, we love from disney. Obviously that's how we found your podcast. Um, we look for trips or runs on those trips and that's how we found this run. So, um, that morning we did the half marathon and then we got on a bus that took us from Anchorage to Whittier and got on a cruise ship. So, yeah, we've had two glacier scenic days and we're in the middle of Glacier Bay right now. So to my left is glaciers and I've seen otters and whales today. So, yeah, it's been amazing.
Speaker 2:That is wonderful. Now, Lance, you're on land, but you're at a nice hotel with a beautiful backdrop behind you.
Speaker 10:That's right. After the after the run, we decided we took a day and we went to the Alyoska resort and they have a Nordic spa there. So we spent the day getting hot and getting cold and getting hot and getting cold and relaxing. So it was it was nice.
Speaker 2:And then this morning we took the train up to Talkeetna on the way to Denali tomorrow.
Speaker 10:So that's our post-race vacation.
Speaker 2:That's fantastic. Alaska is just a beautiful, beautiful state and it's so vast and expansive John and I were talking. Unless you've been up there, you don't realize how big that place is. It is huge.
Speaker 9:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But the half marathon is still 13 miles, whether it's in Alaska or whether it's in the in the lower 48. How'd the race go, lance? How'd your race go this weekend?
Speaker 10:It. It went really good. What happened was about a mile in I saw somebody with a dopey tattoo, and so then they started walking so immediately it's like asking somebody in college what's your major. It's like when you see somebody running, you go up and go hey, what are your intervals? They said a minute, I said 130, 45. And I said, great, can we run with you? And so we had friends for the next 12 miles it was great.
Speaker 2:That's great, that is great. Yeah, like Courtney, how about you?
Speaker 9:yeah, um, lance, remind me. I can't remember what mile marker I ran into you all um, but I saw the dopey tattoo on somebody's calf and um, then I saw Lance's rise and run podcast shirt and I was wearing my Kelsey's Hope gear. I've been lucky to run with them for the last three years, so we chatted for a little bit and then I kept on going and ran into some moose and took their pictures for a little bit. I'll have to send them to you, but it was, it was awesome, it was. It was a lot hillier than anticipated. My husband is notorious for this and he told me it was going to be a pretty flat course and it ended up being used to.
Speaker 9:Yeah, an elevation just about a hundred feet less than the Cincinnati Flying Pig, if anybody's familiar with that course. So pretty sore, but I wouldn't trade one one foot of it no, it's, it's spectacular, john, you remember years back I'm talking.
Speaker 2:I'm going back to the very early days of the podcast and I don't. We hadn't really started, but maybe we just started the race report spotlight. But you remember we had recorded the spotlight but then we had to talk to somebody else. Do you remember why it?
Speaker 1:was about this race I know exactly why a bear got on the course.
Speaker 2:That was shailene yeah, it was with shailene. Did you see any bear guys?
Speaker 10:I didn't see. I didn't even see the moose. We, we got a the group I was running with they had friends, look further back and they they got the texting there's a moose. We, we got a the group I was running with, they had friends a little further back and they, they got the text saying there's a moose at mile seven come back, we're like no, we're not turning around so you weren't at disney world wally world and it was open
Speaker 2:apparently so and no bears on the course is a good thing. Now, just curiosity now, since we're talking about bears do they warn you about wildlife or they tell you what to do? Does the race director give you any instructions?
Speaker 10:I was gonna say. There was a light drizzle at the start so I was away from that and huddled under an overhang until they actually started the race so I didn't have to stand around in the rain. So I didn't hear much of the opening ceremonies, but where we are it's a pretty well-traveled pass, so I think a lot of the wildlife is not going to be there. I don't know if you've looked at the course map. It's really interesting.
Speaker 10:You almost spend several miles running around the airport between the airport property and the water along this really pretty wooded trail and you start about eight o'clock on the. If you look at the face of a clock at the airport, you start around eight o'clock and you run to about one o'clock. But at one point what's really interesting is you're in the flight path of the planes taking off. So we stood there and we saw a sign that said no kite flying in this area and then about two minutes later this jet comes over the top. So we got a great picture of us with the plane right over us on the trail.
Speaker 2:Wow, Wow, that's cool, courtney. What were some other highlights of the course?
Speaker 9:I just think just you know Lance mentioned the way the course was laid out. You go through so many different just types of Alaskan you know landscape we started at I think it was Kincaid Park Lance correct me if I'm wrong which is where during the Cold War they actually stored defense missiles. So if Russia was to, you know many missiles over which which, bob, you're probably more familiar with this than I am. So we got to tour that and then you go through really dense rainforest and all the way down through town and you see lakes and the airport itself and you go through trails that a lot of locals use. So it's just a really neat way to see so many different types of you know vegetation and stuff as well. In one race it was unlike any other race I think I've ever done.
Speaker 2:Now, I haven't been there in years and years and I didn't get to Anchorage often at all, but I remember being impressed by what a nice city Anchorage is. I think a lot of folks from the lower 48 would think it's just a tiny little city and it's not huge, but I thought it was a very nice city. What did you think of anchorage lance?
Speaker 10:I was just about to say that the people they were so nice. Every every local runner we ran into. They would tell us great hikes to go on and other things to do while we're there, how to enjoy the state. The people were just so nice and friendly and the what I was. I was kind of surprised by this, but the after party all the stuff was just laid out. Just walk up and get yourself a sandwich, walk up and get yourself this. They were super, super hospitable. It was the most hospitable after party I think I've been to. It was just so nice.
Speaker 2:Courtney, courtney. You find any good places to eat in Anchorage.
Speaker 9:I was waiting on. You know food is my favorite part. Uh yeah, snow City is where we went for breakfast and they opened up pretty early so we were able to get some pre-race coffee and pastries and very, very nice staff there. So definitely Snow City and that's walkable to a lot of the downtown Anchorage hotels where a lot of the pre-cruise hotel shuttles offices, um like offers are. So definitely hit that up. Um moose's tooth pizza for that pre-race dinner. Uh, went there twice. And then 49th state brewing company um, yes, they have um a location downtown, walkable from the hotels, and they were the suppliers of the beer after the race as well. Tiger's blood was a sour. Definitely have to get that if you're ever up there.
Speaker 9:So good.
Speaker 10:That was so good. We ended up getting the tiger's blood and another one, and we didn't like the other one as much, so we poured some tiger's blood in it just to make a mix, and it made the other beer so much better oh wow, there you go, if I could ship that to my house.
Speaker 9:I would, yeah nice, nice.
Speaker 2:Um lance, you mentioned one thing in your report that folks come from all 50 states. That didn't me, but a bunch of folks use this as they're doing 50 and 50. So this is the one they get in the great northern frontier.
Speaker 10:They did. I saw several people wearing their 50 state shirts and a couple of people in sashes, and as soon as I saw a sash, I went up and I said is this your 50th? And it was. I mean, what a. What a great capstone. There was one. There's one lady, it was herth because she was running all the states in the order they were admitted to the union which I thought was very cool. That's a lot of planning right there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 9:I'm not that organized.
Speaker 1:Winding up in Hawaii ain't bad, huh.
Speaker 2:No, no, that's a good way to do it and I was thinking it's probably not too tough early on. One through 13,. One through 10, not too bad.
Speaker 10:They're all pretty close together?
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're not too bad, yeah, but then you probably knock out a couple in a weekend, but then you start going west and then it gets tough. And you're right, it takes a lot of planning.
Speaker 1:So that's terrific. So you're out there in alaska. I know you're on a cruise, you're in a hotel when you guys coming home and, uh, when are you guys going to see at disney next?
Speaker 9:um, we are on a cruise till next saturday. Um, I will be spectating my best friend ashley. She'll be doing the half at wine and dine um in november, and then I will be doing dopey for kelsey's hope again. So that's when I'll see you all, probably wonderful next and then hopefully registration goes well tomorrow for princess to see you all again for that so you're gonna be doing that from the cruise ship. We'll, we'll see how it goes, that's the plan.
Speaker 9:So I think I'll be up about what it would be 6am tomorrow it will. Yeah, so wish. Send me some good vibes for registration in the morning.
Speaker 10:We are, my wife and I are doing dopey our first dopey coming up soon. So we're, we're, we're staying here through Friday and then it's back to jump back into my coach Stokes workout so I can get in shape for Dopey and we'll be moving forward with that. So Wonderful.
Speaker 2:Well, be prepared when you come back. It's probably a little warmer back here, so but I'm glad you enjoyed alaska.
Speaker 2:that sounds like a great event, and thanks again for taking time out of your vacation and joining us on the podcast loved it so let's leave our northernmost state and come to another northern state for one of the great marathon and half marathons in the country Grand Mobs in Duluth, minnesota. Grand Mobs Marathon. A little warmer than normal up in Minnesota this weekend. They had some early morning storms which delayed the start, pushed the whole event back a little bit, which made for a warmer race. We had friends running, we had, uh, autumn. I think autumn did the full. Jill and pamela, I know, did the half, as did katie and tara and carlos, I think. Let's see, I think they did the full, but I'm not sure. Anyway, tara and Carlos told us that the course support was terrific Lots of water, electrolytes available, ice sponges throughout Nice breeze off Lake Superior from time to time, which helped with that warm weather, lots of enthusiastic crowds. So Carlos and Tara made it to the finish line with a nine and a half minute PR. That's great, whether it was the half or the full. So good job, I hope. Good job, friends. I hope you had a good time up there. Again, that's a well-known race here in the us. In north bend, washington, the super marathon, slash half marathon, laura and brian ran the half. In charlotte, north carolina, the South Half Marathon.
Speaker 2:Dale did this one. No report from Dale, but this is a race I did back in 2018, and I remember it very well. In fact, my friends here on the podcast will occasionally see me with a glass of water. It's an orange-colored glass and it's got Run the South on it. That's from this race. It's one of those soft plastic type glasses. I remember two things about it. Well, three things. I guess it was hot. It's Charlotte. It's late June. It was hot. I was still running pretty well back in 2018. I didn't do well in this one. I was having my struggles and the last thing I remember is that somebody put the steepest climb on the course right around mile 13. That was brutal. So, dale, I hope you did well. Hope you enjoyed that one.
Speaker 1:In the Run Super Series Half Marathon in St Qualamie Pass, Washington.
Speaker 2:That's pretty close, I think. I think it's St Qualamie. I think that's pretty close, though, john, st Qualamie. Okay, yeah, there you go.
Speaker 1:Hopefully we got this. We'll have alibis next week. Apologies, and alibis next week. Our friend Laura was there. This course passed through a 2.2-mile tunnel and over a bridge, while being among tall trees and in the clouds, the trail was crushed gravel which did not make her knees happy but finished two hours and 12 minutes for a PR.
Speaker 2:Good job, laura. Yeah, 2.2-mile tunnel, john, that's pretty tough. I think You're in there for a while. I mean, at my pace I'm in there for a good 45 minutes probably, probably not that much.
Speaker 1:And our friend Malane was also there.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, occasionally, friends, I get a post and someone will put a race report in and then someone else in the comments will make a comment. I was there too. So if you do that, you get on the race report and we say and, malane, and I think we're pronouncing your name right, malane, malane was there too, and that's so we get a chance to give you some recognition. Roswell, georgia had a run Imagine it was pretty warm the Possum Trot 10K. Roswell Georgia runs an alien race. I think in the fall that's not this one.
Speaker 2:Brooke did this one. Made a goal for herself after running the Walt Disney World Marathon to run one race a month. Then found out she was pregnant. It's getting harder Find the motivation in the heat and humidity. Glad she hasn't given up on her goal yet. Brooke, I hope you listened to Brittany last week and when she talked about just pay attention to your body and do what's right for you. We've had friends run up to golly eight plus months. Brittany stopped at five. But you're going to have to do what's right for you. But we're proud of you for driving on Says for the rest of the year, hopefully only 5Ks. And then her words after July's race I'm not sure what Brooke has planned for July.
Speaker 2:Steve ran the Allen Jones Vestal 20, 20k and I don't have a location for this one. I don't know why I didn't copy it down. Challenging course lots of hills, mostly rolling, a couple of sharp inclines followed by sharp down declines. Bucket list race. For Steve it's kind of a local legend type thing. He had a goal of two and a half hours for this 20K and he nailed it.
Speaker 2:In Calgary, where it's probably a wonderful time of the year to be running, melissa did the shopper's drug Mart run for women 10K. Well, maybe it's not a great time of year. It poured the whole time A little over two inches in 24 hours up there in Calgary. That's still worth it. Ran with a high school friend named Claudia Felt. All the community love. That's impressive. If the community comes out when it's raining hard, that's real support. Melissa even met a Rise and Run friend, andrea, who had run the 5k. And good for Melissa for finishing eighth place in her division in this 10k. Eighth place in her division in this 10k.
Speaker 2:Staying in Canada the Niagara Ultra Race Weekend at Niagara-on-the-Lake, nicole doing her second half marathon in the last week. Now Nicole says up in that part of the country which I know Northeast US, and this isn't that far away, hot and humid, so slower than she wanted. Still came in at two hours and 11, which is just rock solid Good time for a half. Nicole, good job. She showed a picture with that beautiful big double or triple scoop ice cream cone that she earned for finishing that race. Let's wrap up Saturday in Orlando at SeaWorld, to be specific, the SeaWorld Rescue Run 5K. Kayla was there, erica was there. Erica says more than as much course entertainment as the race that SeaWorld put on back in April, which a little disappointing Then. Pr definitely party paced. It had a great time. It's a little warm to be trying to PR. Mary celebrating her nephew's 14th birthday was there? 14th birthday was there. For anyone who's paying attention or keeping score, mary's nephew has still not finished before her.
Speaker 1:In fact this was a summer 5K PR for Mary and starting off Sunday across the pond in London, England, the Battersea Park 5K, Our friend Valerie, who was on vacation in her Rise and Run tank top and hat For the 5K. They had pacers for 20 minutes up to 35 minutes. She tried to stick to 35 minute pacer but no pacer was doing intervals so she decided to run her own race. It was my fastest 5K in a long time, Since my first time running in England, my first personal best. There you go. I got the results and I found that I placed second in my age group. Oh good, job, valerie.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's great, good job. Yeah, you find that in Europe they don't do a lot of Galloway but England does some. In fact, over in England they call it Jeffing, the run, walk, run method. I'm a little surprised you didn't have somebody there. But Europe in general, nope, not a lot of that. Let's see. This one looks like fun.
Speaker 2:It went from Lubbock, maine, to Campobella Island in Canada, the Bay of Fundy International Marathon. Rachel and Ken were there and ran the half Up. In Boston, jessica ran the BAA 10K. They expected it to be hot in the morning and they were putting out a lot of warnings to folks to take it easy etc. But come race morning, cloudy skies, light rain, a little bit of a breeze it was 75, which is warm. But when you add those conditions the breeze and the rain it makes it feel a lot better.
Speaker 2:Jessica felt great for the first half of this 10K, just soaked in the scenery along the Charles River. I used to live up there. I knew that river pretty well. I called it the Chuck Chuck Informally, yeah, instead of the Charles. Yeah, we got along real well. We were on a first name basis. Jessica eased off during miles four and five, not worried about the pace, just loved the experience. Got to make the iconic left turn onto boylston and running over the marathon 10k. That's awesome. Let's go to columbus ohio for the this is right up our alley john the columbus donut run 10k. Kayla did it. It was a cool 80 degrees with a dew point of 65, so not the fastest race she's run, but she enjoyed a melty donut at the finish. I don't know if they were intended to be melty or if the 80 degree outside temperature did that.
Speaker 1:It's probably all that sugar on top.
Speaker 2:It probably was. Back to Canada, the Vancouver Half Marathon Lauren, overcasting, cool, perfect running weather. Lauren was pretty familiar with this course, so she went out and ran a 1.48 half marathon, which is a PR and an awesome time. Great job, lauren. Time, great job, lauren.
Speaker 2:Let's wrap up in Baltimore, where Latia ran the Baltimore Women's Classic 5K 50th anniversary of this event, mr Goal time, but just by just a little bit about 10 seconds. She was annoyed. But come on, latia, you did good. You got a pr and beat your time from last year in this same event by a little over five minutes. You're picking up a minute a kilometer, nicely done. That's it, friends. That's the race report for episode 196, and if you run, you know you are our friend. Thank you so much for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this episode of the Rise and Run podcast, had a good time talking with Coach Twiggs. I've had a good time visiting with a bunch of our friends here these last couple episodes. Let's see no Zoom this week. We'll be back. We Zoomed enough today in our registration, so I'll we'll see you on zoom next thursday. Stay cool. If you're up north, that heat bubble is going to break. If you're not, well, the heat bubble will break here too, it It'll be November. All right, all right, friends. Enjoy Happy running.
Speaker 3: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. Bye.
