230: Hope Is Always Possible, and Miracles Are Real: with Amanda Ferrin

What if every step you took felt like a small miracle you could share? That’s the energy running through this episode as we move from Princess Weekend prep into one of the most inspiring stories we’ve ever hosted. We kick things off with training touchpoints, expo strategy, and course notes for the Run Disney Princess 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon—plus our meetup details, virtual queue tips, and the can’t-miss Main Street moment for first-timers. If you’re mapping out corrals, merch runs, or yoga logistics, we’ve got your plan.

Then we sit down with Amanda Ferrin—The Walking Miracle—whose life with a rare autoimmune disease didn’t end her story; it sharpened it. Amanda shares how a spontaneous 7K in Denver led to a last-minute Disneyland 10K, a Dopey bib through charity, and a season of marathons from London to New York. She explains scleroderma’s impact with honesty and warmth, talks about living with constant pain, and how moving—often dancing—through miles brings relief, dopamine, and community. Her signature sequin jacket isn’t a costume; it’s a choice to celebrate every day she gets.

This conversation holds more than race talk. When Amanda needed specialized surgery and IV antibiotic therapy, the runDisney community rallied overnight to fund it—turning hope into action and a bill into a lifeline. We hear what recovery looks like now, the races she’s eyeing next (Rome, Paris, London, and the New York City Half), and why joy, presence, and kindness matter more than pace. Along the way, we share a polished Princess Weekend guide—expo hours, Brooks drops, transport windows, photo tips—and a lively Race Report packed with PRs, scenic routes, runway 5Ks, and hot chocolate finishes.

Subscribe for weekly stories, race guides, and real talk from a community that runs on heart. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review—what moment will you carry into your next run?

Amanda’s Fundraising Site

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Transcript

Warm Welcome And Snowy Listener Intro

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Hey, this is Mary from High Point, North Carolina, taking a snowy hike around our neighborhood. And it's so cold here that I think Donald Duck would start wearing some pants. Because I know I have five on. So hopefully you have a great rest of your day and happy running or hiking.

Hosts Check In And Florida Weather Update

SPEAKER_10 1:02

Hey, Mary, thank you for that introduction. Hope it's a bit warmer now than when you recorded that. We have a hard time imagining Donald having to wear pants because it's so cold. So I hope it's warmed up. Hey, my friends, welcome to episode 230 of the Rise and Run Podcast. We're delighted, as always, that you've chosen to spend some time with us this week. I'm Bob, and I am here with Greg. Hey, hey, hey. With John. Hey, how you doing? And with Alicia.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Hello.

SPEAKER_10 1:41

Hey, my friends. Lovely to see you. Hope weather's I said this last week too. Hope weather's warming up a little bit for you. I saw Greg actually got to run outside this week.

SPEAKER_09 1:53

Yeah, it was a Christmas miracle in uh in February. Or maybe a Valentine's Day miracle.

Episode Roadmap And Guest Tease

Community Shoutouts And Patreon Extras

SPEAKER_10 1:58

Yeah, that's good. I will tell those of you who are coming down for Princess that the weather right now in Florida for running is about as good as it gets. It uh it actually reminds me of the weather we had in Disneyland, where the humidity is down a little bit. Not Florida's humidity is not as low as California's was, but the temperatures are cool in the morning and then warm in the afternoon. So we'll see how it goes. But here's what we're looking at this week. We've got a very special interview this week. Our friend Amanda Farron joins us. Amanda, the walking slash running, slash dancing miracle, sat down with us and we just had a wonderful time talking with her. And we got the race report spotlight back this week. Carrie Ann joined us. She's going to talk about the Superhero 5K that she ran in Orange Park, Florida last week.

SPEAKER_04 2:53

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 on your Run Disney journey. Remember to follow us on Facebook at Rise and Run Podcast, on Instagram at Rise and Run Pod, check out our YouTube channel and visit our webpage, Rise and RunPodcast.com. If you have a question, comment, race report, or want to introduce an upcoming episode, call us at 727-266-2344 and leave us a recorded message.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

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 patreon.com slash rise around podcast. We do have a new Patreon this week. Chrissy joined the Plastic Cheese Level. And Greg, you did something special for our patrons. What was that?

SPEAKER_09 3:43

Last Friday, uh, I had off from work, so I got a little bored. So I was like, you know what? I'm just gonna sit down in front of this microphone and I recorded a Greg Solo show for our awesome Patreon. So this time it's not Bluey episodes. Uh, this one was ranking my favorite resorts to stay at during a Run Disney race weekend. And um, all I'm gonna say is, John, don't listen to it.

unknown 4:14

Okay.

Sponsor: Magic Bound Travel Room Block News

SPEAKER_10 4:17

Oh gosh. Well, that's good, Greg. You did uh something for the Patreons. Jack wanted us to know that she's got a new YouTube episode coming out, it'll be out Saturday morning. Didn't tell me the topic, but I'm sure it'll be fun.

SPEAKER_09 4:34

The Rise and Run podcast is sponsored by our incredible friends over at Magic Bound Travel. Now, I I know each and every single week when we do these ads, you know, usually we're talking about MBT in some relation to some type of Disney vacation or you know, the Rise and Run cruise coming up. But it goes to show that Magic Bound can do more than just that. And we learned that this week because Maggie, one of the co-owners over there, posted on our Facebook group that Magic Bound is currently in the works of securing a room block for the bird in hand half marathon. I think that post has only been up for a couple of days, and I learned that there's already at least 10 people that are interested in that room block. So uh I know as of right now, Magic Bound is working out the final details, but that form is on our Facebook page. Uh Bob, maybe we could work on maybe getting that pinned uh you know to the top of the Facebook page so that way, because I know we have a lot of friends coming to Lancaster, Pennsylvania again this year. So um once the details of the room block are announced, uh, but right now on that post, there's a jot form that you can fill out your interest form if you want to be part of that room block. Um, but again, that can also be done through Magic Bound's normal website, MagicBoundTravel.com, and they can take care of all of your Disney Universal and Amish country needs.

SPEAKER_10 6:10

Greg, I think it is pinned to the featured section.

SPEAKER_04 6:14

Oh, excellent.

SPEAKER_10 6:14

Okay. I'm checking right now.

SPEAKER_04 6:16

It is, Bob. I checked before.

Apologies, Inside Jokes, And Podcast Crossover

SPEAKER_10 6:17

Okay, thank you. Yeah. Uh yeah, that's good news. You know, uh Burton Hans 204 days away. And I want to thank one of our friends made a Facebook post. I remember we had talked about this very casually, getting a room block, and someone posted a question, hey, did anything ever come of that? Well, the answer now is yeah. Yeah, it did. So thank you. And I I will probably I'll make a note in the apologies and alibi section next week to give credit to who that was. But I I got nothing for apologies and alibis this week. I don't know that anybody will, but I could just Well, actually, Bob, I do. Ah, well, what you got, Greg?

SPEAKER_09 7:02

Well, uh, I need to offer a very thoughtful and heartfelt apology uh to my friends over at the Will Run for podcast. Because I uh I was listening to uh this week's episode, and I got very, very excited uh to hear the news that our our friend here not only in Rise and Run, but Run Disney and and all the all the spheres, uh our friend Brianna uh was named as the new fourth co-host of the Will Run 4 podcast. So I'm very, very excited for her. But at the same time, I'm heartbroken because I was told I was the fourth host of the Will Run 4 podcast, and without even making an appearance in over a year when I was told that I was going to take on this role, I have seemingly been fired. And um, apparently for the reasons that I don't return any of Tom's calls, or I don't slide into his DMs enough. Now I will go on the record to say that I have receipts and um the conversation in uh sliding into his DMs is very one-sided, and it's on my end, not necessarily his. So I think the the facts that they're they're spewing on their podcast are a little erroneous, if you ask me. But at the same time, obviously I've caused some hurt that you know I got fired and and got uh replaced by Brianna. So Tom and Michael and Diana, I'm I'm sorry. But um again, I'm very excited for Brianna, and I know she's gonna kill it over there. She's she fits in with that crew perfectly, but um I I'm very excited for this uh this new chapter of the uh we'll run for podcast.

SPEAKER_10 9:04

Hey Greg, we still love you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_09 9:07

Yep, you got hopefully you guys don't decide to replace me.

SPEAKER_04 9:11

No, Brianna's doing double duty.

Training Schedule For Princess And Springtime Surprise

SPEAKER_10 9:18

All right, all right. Let's hey, let's take a look at the training schedule, my friends, Princess Weekend next week. Next week, I get excited. We'll be getting back together on my training schedule. It includes help wife make cookies. So we'll be there for that. Seven days to go. Uh, it is training week 17. There are four miles on the training schedule. I always tell our friends, go ahead and do them, do them at a nice, easy pace. Yes, your training hay is in the barn. You've done the bulk of it, you're ready to go, but go ahead and get out there, keep the legs fresh, do those four miles. Springtime surprise is just eight weeks away now. We're in training week 10 on the training schedule. It's a double up for those of you doing the challenge. A two-mile walk and an eight-mile run walk run. Well, training, how's the training going, my friends?

SPEAKER_09 10:16

Any updates for us, please? I got an update this week. Uh, for personally, for me, training is going swimmingly. Uh, I last week I talked about the cool are you, Greg? Yeah, I wish it's a little frozen right now, but um, yeah. So last week I mentioned you know doing the 400s and and being excited about those. And I I've done them twice now, and so far, so good. Um, I you know, I had to do the first two batches of them on the treadmill, and based on the speed that I had to put the treadmill at, I did not fall off the back of it. So I consider that a win.

SPEAKER_10 10:51

That's a win, yep.

Greg’s Speedwork And Coaching His Wife To 10K

SPEAKER_09 10:52

Which is nice. But um, for me, my training update actually is that uh not only do I take on the role of training for all of my upcoming races, including springtime surprise, but I've now garnered a new role uh in this household, and that is I am becoming a pseudo-coach because my wife just signed up for her first Run Disney 10K at Springtime Surprise. Very cool. Yeah, I'm I'm very, very excited for. Um, I gotta admit, it was a little weird to hear her say in the house uh at dinner time tonight. So yeah, I gotta get my run done tomorrow. That's something that I haven't heard her say uh probably since let's see 2012 when her and I tried running together in order to you know lose weight for our wedding and such. So, but I'm I'm very, very proud of her for willing to take on the challenge, um, you know, embracing this new, you know, this new woman that she's becoming. And now before committing to it, though, I took her out on a two-mile run, and I just wanted to gauge where she was at mentally and where she was at physically. And I think as we were getting back to the car, she uttered some phrase like I don't like it, but I definitely could keep going. So I think that was enough for her to be able to pull the trigger. So yeah, so no, um, so very, very excited for her. And what's also nice as well, too, is that um not only is she doing this first 10k at Disney World, but she's also doing it on behalf of our uh wonderful, wonderful friends over at Give Kids the World, and she's doing some fundraising for that as well, too. And uh she's the the little self-goal that she set for herself, she's very close, Dad, thanks to some very generous donations from friends. So, yeah, good. Exciting times here.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

And Meredith, we'll check in with you again after springtime surprise after you do that 10k. And I bet that I don't really like it, but I'll do it. We'll change into I really like this and I love Run Disney.

SPEAKER_09 13:12

Yeah, she she she made some comment to me about that I could have, you know, depending on how it goes, I might have created a monster because you know, usually, you know, not often do I go to Run Disney race weekends by myself, but the fact that if she now gets tied up in this, then I'm financially screwed. So, but we'll we'll figure out for that. Actually, you know, maybe she could be our race report spotlight for uh the cruise when we record the episode since uh we're gonna be doing our springtime recap on the cruise ship. Um, granted, I I'm sure the moment she hears this, she's gonna shoot daggers at me with her eyes and such.

SPEAKER_04 13:50

I'm looking, I'm looking for a shoe to fly across the room right now, Greg.

SPEAKER_09 13:53

Uh she's upstairs, so uh so I I'm safe for at least right now.

SPEAKER_10 13:58

Hey, that sounds good. Now, has Meredith done any Run Disney event?

SPEAKER_09 14:02

Uh so she has done a uh she's done one 5k. Uh the the first race that Riley ever did. Um, that was the one you remember where you know I got punched in the face at 2 30 in the morning. So yeah, so she's done that.

SPEAKER_04 14:17

So yep. Are you still gonna get punched in the face at 2 30 in the morning? I hope not.

Bob’s Run-Walk Progress And Season Plans

SPEAKER_10 14:25

Oh well, hey, that's that's good news. Good luck, Meredith. We're glad to see you know doing it. I think that's great. Uh real quick training update. I'm I'm doing great. I mean, I'm slow as can be, but I've been doing run-walk-runs since the Disney marathon. And that the the Disney World Marathon, that was my goal. The walk until that, and then start reintroducing run, walk, run. And I continue to do that with no ill effects, so that's a win. We're going to keep it at a very slow and slow pace through this race season, and then maybe we'll see what happens with this starting uh starting maybe with bird in hand, we'll see. Hey, a couple quick announcements, and we'll make them again at the end of the episode. Princess Race Weekend meetup as usual at 3 p.m. at the food truck area at Disney Springs. Now, if you're new to this, please come by. We always recognize that it's a challenge, especially folks with families, especially folks who are making their maybe annual Walt Disney World trip. You don't want to give up part-time, but if you have the time, please come join us at the food truck area. I promise you a lot of fun. I promise you a lot of wonderful friendships and relationships come out of these meetups, and we hope to see you there. We start around 3. We take a group photo around 3.30, and typically we hang out there till I don't know, 4 30 or 5 o'clock when people start getting their dining reservations. So that'll be this weekend. Also, this is a Zoom Thursday, so the evening that this episode releases, February 19th, will be on Zoom, and instructions for joining us will be on the Facebook group page pinned to the featured section. Last chance to talk about Princess Weekend. Also, last chance to get your names onto the race report to get mentioned in the Princess Weekend roll call, which we'll do on the next episode.

SPEAKER_08 16:40

Caution runners, change of topic ahead.

Princess Weekend Meetup And Zoom Details

SPEAKER_10 16:48

There are a multitude of stories amongst the Run Disney family. Golly, just last week we talked with Heather, who finished a 110-mile race in her wheelchair. We have friends battling injuries, we have friends battling illnesses, we have those who've recovered, those are in the process of recovery. Maybe, if not the most remarkable, one of the most remarkable stories is the friend we have with us this evening. And we are very proud and happy that Amanda Farron of the Running Miracle is joining us this evening. Amanda, welcome to the Rise and Run podcast.

SPEAKER_07 17:31

Thank you so much, Bob. I am so honored and so excited to be on and to just share um with my amazing Run Disney community tonight.

SPEAKER_10 17:41

Yeah. Well, it's great to see you with a big smile on your face. That's always exciting. So thanks for taking the time. Let's start out. Amanda, I'm gonna start out like we do with a lot of our guests that we want to talk about running. And let's go back a bit and talk about how you got started in running.

Interview Setup: Introducing Amanda Farron

SPEAKER_07 18:04

I would say that I got started in running by getting started in walking because I um have done a lot of races and I do call myself I'll I'll take the running miracle, but I also call myself the walking miracle because I loved before I ever entered a race, I just loved to walk. It was something that having broken so many bones over the past few years, I find that every step that I have is a miracle. And so I have chosen with every step that I take to declare hope and to choose joy. And so about two a year and a half ago in um September of 2024, I had just received a pretty bad prognosis. And I was home visiting my mom in Colorado, and we were kind of talking through honestly, end of life options and some different things. And it was over Labor Day weekend, and we were looking at, you know, just what would be fun to do. And I'm a huge Denver Broncos fan.

Amanda’s Start: From Walking To Her First 7K

SPEAKER_10 19:20

And so we won't vote that against you, okay? I know, I know.

SPEAKER_07 19:25

I'm I'm kind of grieving their their recent loss anyway.

SPEAKER_10 19:28

They had a good season.

Crashing The Disneyland 10K And Finding Run Disney

SPEAKER_07 19:30

They did a surprisingly good season. So we'll we'll be back next year. Okay. But I had I had seen that there was a 7K race that started at Mile High and ended at the 50 yard line. And so I didn't know what a 7K was. I didn't care about a race. I just thought it would be so fun to cross the 50 yard line at Mile High Stadium. And so I it was Friday, I looked online, it had been sold out forever. I didn't, I didn't know, you know, that races sold out or anything. So I emailed the the race organizer and just kind of shared my story and said, listen, I don't even care, like if anything about this, if you're out of metals, whatever, like I just I if I could cross the line, I just want to be there. And so they let me in and I showed up at this like early in the morning, got my bib, you know, like didn't know what a bib was. They're like, no corral's over there, I didn't know what a corral was, you know, all these things. And so I ended up, I started in the the front. They started out the all the athletes with disabilities, whether they um were in a chair or just, you know, whatever. So they started me out in the front, and I, the Denver Broncos like horse mascot was there. I was dancing with them, I was just having a party. And so I started out doing this race, and we got, you know, a few yards down, and they started the fast people, and everybody's just passing me, and I'm just like in smiling, like this is so fun. And I just like partied for like the four plus miles that it was and I got to the end and I crossed that finish line, and I like I said, you know, I feel like I crossed that finish line and I started a whole new life. Um, I got the medal and I I don't even think I knew I was getting a medal. I got this medal, I was taking pictures, I you know, it was like I'd won the Olympics. And so I came home the very next day thinking that was so fun, but not thinking I'd ever do anything like that again. And I lived at the time in Orange County, California, and I drove back and forth to LA. For medical treatment. And so on Wednesday of that week, I was driving home from my medical treatment at LA. And every week, I would come and I had a magic key. And so on my way home from treatment, I'd go and just walk around the parks. Disneyland. Disneyland and California Adventure. So that week I was driving home and on the overpass, it said road closures this weekend for Disneyland races. And I was like, Well, I'm an athlete. I can um I can do this. So I was that girl that showed up at the expo and was like, hi, I'd like to do this. And they looked at me like you had two heads.

SPEAKER_10 22:46

Are you yeah, exactly?

SPEAKER_07 22:48

And I so I was like, Well, I could do a 5k. I did a 7K. So I tried to talk to everyone that whole day of the the opening day of the expo um on that Thursday. Um, and I did got nowhere. Um, and so I left and I knew that the 5K was happening that Friday morning, but undeterred, I showed up on Friday afternoon because I knew there was another race on Saturday. So I had emailed everyone and I found the the headlining charity, and I literally just camped out at their booth. And I was like, surely you have something. And I think by like five o'clock on Friday, they finally found me a bib just to get me to go away. And so they're like, so they had me go up to Runner Relations, they walked me up. It's funny because actually, this at the Disneyland 10K we just had, the the lady that gave me the bib, she found me on Facebook and she's like, Amanda, that was like we, you know, we started you on this, and I was like, Yes. So we go up to Runner Relations and they're like, here's your 10K bib. You're in Corral, I think C, which I I didn't know that that was like a good thing or a bad thing. And I was like, okay, and they're like, here's your 10K. And I was like, awesome. And I was like, oh, then they said, Do you have any other questions? I said, Yeah. Um, how far is the 10K?

SPEAKER_10 24:21

Yeah.

Dopey Via Charity Bib And Discovering She Could Finish

Sequins As A Daily Choice To Celebrate Life

SPEAKER_07 24:21

And they're like, This girl, who is she? So um, I ended up, I told everyone I'd been like putting on my stories, like, you know, I didn't know anyone in the Run Disney community that I knew of, but there was someone that had followed me on Instagram, and she ended up putting a picture in Run Disney Run and said, This girl got a bib. If you see her tomorrow, she doesn't even know what a 10K is, but she's a walking miracle. If you see her, encourage her, you know, whatever. So I show up for the 10K. Um, and I like it was like the Broncos race on, you know, times a million, not Disney, it's all these things. And um, I showed up with like my crossbody Lululemon bag, like clueless, wearing my sparkle jacket just because I was like, I don't know what to wear. And I had a bunch of my It's a Miracle stickers in my crossbody. And so people kept coming up to me and being like, Are you Amanda? And I was like, How do they know you were? And they're like, Are you a miracle? And I was like, Well, yeah. So I was like handing out stickers, I was dancing with people, and it was, I don't think I stopped smiling for like the whole time. And I didn't know at that time what a balloon lady was. And luckily, I was far enough up in the corrals and clueless enough that I just like did my thing, I ended it, and I mean that was it for me. Um the next week, there was um the surf city, which happened to overlap this year. It was the following week. And so I did that. I did another 10K, I got my medal, and I was like, I did three races in three weeks, took 10 steps from that getting my medal, fell and broke my leg. Um, and I had already found a way to register for wine and dine and all this kind of stuff. So I was like, oh no. Um, and long story long, um, I ended up doing wine and dine that year on kind of a broken leg. Um, it was kind of recovering, but I break enough bones that I'm like, if I can make it happen, I'm gonna make it happen. Um, and so I loved wine and dine. It was so great. And so I was trying to get a 10K, a 5K and a 10K for um marathon weekend because I would never do anything more than a 10K. Like that, like that was crazy to me, but sure. So the day that the submissions had to be done for um the marathon weekend, I got an email from NDSS that was like, we have one bib, but it's for the dopey challenge. And I was like, well, I'm never gonna do the dopey, but I was like, I'm so desperate, no one's ever gonna know if I don't do the five or the half or the full. I can just do the five and the 10k. That's my only way to get a bib, so I'll do it done. Um, and then I was on some of the different um, you know, Run Disney Facebook groups and stuff like that. And people were like, you can walk the whole thing. And I'm like, yeah, I mean, like, my doctors don't even know what I like how I'm even, you know, upright. And like, I was supposed to die of a terminal illness four years ago. Like, how there's no way I'm gonna do a half marathon or a full marathon. But I so I flew to Colorado and my mom and I were gonna drive to Missouri. And so this was like the week before Christmas. I had just gotten my dopey bib. And so this is where my story intersects with the Rise and Run um community because I was looking for something because we were stopping at all these like desolate, desolated strip malls in the middle of Kansas, and I would just be doing laps, walking laps for like two hours. Then we'd get back in the car, we'd drive, and I do like laps for two more hours. And I started listening to the podcast during that time. And so I was like listening and I was getting like more and more excited and trying to convince myself like to like the half marathon. And then I found out that like, well, I could join these people that are dressing up as Galvatians, like how crazy. Um, and like it's um, and so then I emailed Monica, you know, that was like had extra shirts, which it's so like how all the thing I never knew, and she was like, Well, you could donate to my charity for Chicago fundraiser, which I didn't even know what any of that meant. And so then I ended up doing Chicago with Monica, having given to her fundraiser, like so it was just so cool, and so again, I didn't intend to do Dopey, um, but long story long, I ended up doing Dopey the full thing, just because I'd wanted to do the half marathon, not finish it, but get far enough ahead of the balloon ladies that I could run because I found out for the half marathon, you got to run down Main Street, and I was like, Yes, yes, that's it for me. And then if I get left after that, I get swept, but like I'll at least run down Main Street, and then I didn't get swept and I finished, and I think I was more emotional about finishing the half marathon that year because I was just so shocked that it happened, and so then I was like, well, the next day when it was the marathon day, I said, Okay, if I do like 2.4 miles of this, I'll have done the length of a marathon over the course of the week. That's right, and then I could be like that, and then I got that far, and then I was like, Well, maybe I could get to the castle one more time and do that one more time. And then I was like, Well, I've never done Animal Kingdom, maybe I can get to Animal Kingdom, and then I got to about 23 miles in, I was sobbing, everything hurt. I was like, this was the worst thing ever, but I can't quit now. And we're in Blizzard Beach, I finally see the balloon ladies for the first time, and I'm like, I'm gonna get swept, I'm sobbing, I'm like calling people up FaceTime. Why did I do this? And then somehow, like, I made it to the end, and it's been an adventure ever since.

Understanding Her Medical Conditions And Setbacks

SPEAKER_09 30:48

Oh boy, oh boy, Amanda, such an amazing and incredible story, and and I think the part of the story that I didn't realize is that you're relatively new to all this. You know, you said you know, 20, you know, 2024, you know, was your first introduction. You have captivated this Run Disney community so much that, you know, again, from my perspective, I thought you had been doing this for you know well over a decade. But I but I think the one thing that you have done that has captivated this community outside of you just being this run-walk-run um miracle is you make your presence known, not just on social media, but and it's something you referenced a couple of minutes ago that I wanted to specifically ask you about. When I think of Amanda Farron, I think of a fabulous sequin jacket. Yeah. Tell us about what inspired you to wear that jacket and then continue to wear it for race after race.

SPEAKER_07 31:51

I I do love my jacket. I I feel like at one at some point it's going to fall apart because I've literally worn it for every single race. Um, but that actually goes back to even really before, long before I ever did a race, um, when I was first told that, you know, I wouldn't live to see my next birthday. Um, I've always been someone that loves like glitter and sparkles and sequins and everything like that. And there was a day that I was like getting ready and I was standing in my closet and it wasn't that sparkle jacket, but the amount of um sparkle and sequins I have is somewhat absurd. And so I was looking at something and I it was like this big sequin maxi skirt, and it was a Tuesday, and I was like, why would I put this on? It's there's not there's nothing for me to wear this for. And I was I was like, it's a Tuesday. Why don't I celebrate this? There you go. And so I made a decision that day that every day for however many days I had left, I would wear sequins, sparkles, glitter, or pink. And so when I showed up that day, I wore that first race, I wore that sequin jacket. But really to me, it's the more the background of every day as we're celebrating. And whether even if it's not a race day, show up for your life and show up to celebrate it.

SPEAKER_10 33:20

You bring it home very well. It's good. I I love the smile too. I mean, I know this is an audio podcast, but I love seeing the smile. Now Amanda, a lot of our friends know who you are, and we follow social media, we see you at the racist, but I think there's a little confusion, and I'm gonna ask you if you can explain to us what your medical condition is.

The 180-Mile Challenge And Global Races

SPEAKER_07 33:43

I think that um it's a easiest to explain it kind of in two parts. One is I have an underlying diagnosis of an autoimmune disease called scleroderma. It's um scleroderma in and of itself is very rare, but I have a very rare form of scleroderma. It's actually called scleroderma, synderma. Um, and so basically the best way that I can explain it is most people know multiple sclerosis or some of these other more commonly known autoimmune diseases that kind of attack either your neurons or your muscles, different things like that. Scleroderma impacts your skin and hardens that. Um, but derma is your skin, it's your largest organ. So rather than um my skin hardening, I actually don't have any of those markers. Um, what it has done is paralyzed my esophagus and my stomach are over 90% paralyzed. My heart um has at times been so low functioning that I am actually considered in heart failure, and other organs have been in organ failure. Um, so I'm in chronic organ failure, and then that has also caused um the stomach, my stomach wall to um, I have another um disease called GAVE disorder, which causes internal bleeding, and so I'm transfusion dependent. So one to two times a week, I am dependent on blood transfusions, and kind of the underlying um thing with all of that is the poor nutrition and the poor functioning of my body has caused my bones to be very weakened. And so in the last three and a half, four years, I've broken over 30 bones. My hips, both my hips, both my femurs, my pelvis, and specifically when I broke my pelvis, they told me I would never walk again. And at that time, they they tried to send me to hospice um because I had some other things that weren't functioning as part of a fall. And I um I made a decision that I was not ready to go to hospice, and so I actually signed out of the hospital and um said this is not my end yet, and um was able to find some doctors that believed that I would walk again, and I walked a lot of miles since then.

SPEAKER_10 36:18

So I danced a lot too.

SPEAKER_07 36:20

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_10 36:22

Well, it's not that we know each other terribly well, we've met a couple times, but I know that you are not a person I would ever say the words you'll never do blank again. I would never say that to you. No matter what it was. One of the things that I learned about you early on. Well, it's not that early on, actually, it was just last year a little bit. You started into what you called a hundred and eighty mile challenge. Can you tell us about that and how it went, what it was?

Dancing Through Pain: Joy As Fuel

SPEAKER_07 36:53

I think that one of the reasons that Disney race weekends really speak to my like heart is I love something that is not just, you know, I show up at a race and I leave, but I love that we get to do these challenges to build on each other, and they create like we have these communities and we're all pushing each other and things like that. And so I I did the dopey challenge, and for me it was kind of like, okay, well, what's next? And I knew I never wanted to do another marathon again, but I was like, well, what can I do? Um, and I did end up doing the London marathon, and I just loved that. Um, I was like, if I'm ever gonna do one more marathon, it should be London because that's iconic, whatever. So then um I did a couple more kind of things. I did a hundred-mile four-day walk um called the Four De Sage in um the Netherlands, which was the best four days of my life. It was amazing last summer in 2005. And um that was incredible, especially because there was a pace requirement. But for me who loves walking, it was there was no like pressure that we were all walking really fast because they're like the Dutch people that are like walking in wood clogs at like a 15-minute mile. It's insane. Um a lot of them aren't. Um, but some of them do that as like a world record thing. But um, so the um I wanted to do the my next goal was to do the um to get the six stars, the Abbott World majors in a year. Um, because for me, I do feel like I'm always kind of living on, you know, like I gotta do it with urgency. Like this could be my only opportunity, which in a way is a gift, and um because I never take anything for granted. Um, and every every race is special because I don't know if it's my last. Um, and so I went through and was kind of, you know, people talk about like my race calendar. And so I went through my fall dream race calendar. And if I could get all the races that I wanted, now mind you, this is August or September that I'm making this, and I put New York on my race calendar, not in New York, and everybody's like, you can't say you're doing New York, and I'm like, I know, but I am. And so I um so I had all of these races that were like the dream races Berlin, Chicago, New York, Honolulu, and then all these other races. And when I added it up, they added if you added every one mile or every three point one, you know, all of it added up to exactly 180 miles. And I was like, well, it's gotta be. Um, and so I did um embark on that because of a couple different health things along the way. I had to drop out of like the Detroit race, um, but then I added um Space Coast, which I saw you out. We did that, and then I did every woman's. So I actually ended up doing like 220.

SPEAKER_10 40:14

Yeah, I know it was more than 180, yeah.

New Treatment Hope And Community Fundraising

SPEAKER_07 40:16

But I so I ended the year. Um I did my first marathon was Dopey in January, and I ended the year having done eight marathons and I think about 12 half marathons. And so two 2005 before that, I had only done the two 10Ks and one 5K and one 7k. Um, but everything changed. Did you have a favorite of all those races that you did? Well, if you take it out Disney, I would say London is probably still my favorite. Although I feel like I should say New York, everybody likes you know, so I would say London and New York, but my favorite race beyond Disney that I've ever done is the New York City half marathon that was in um in March last year. It was actually on my birthday, and the they only close Times Square, they don't even close Times Square on Marathon Day. The only days they close Times Square are the Thanksgiving Day Parade and the um on in New Year's and then for the half marathon. So I was like, they closed it for my birthday, and it was incredible.

SPEAKER_10 41:34

So that's perfect, absolutely perfect. Where do you find the energy? Not just to do the races. I get that a lot of people do the races. Yeah, you dance through half of them. How in the world do you find that energy, illness or not?

SPEAKER_07 41:50

You know, I I know that there's a couple of people that talked about recapping the Disneyland races, the the last Disneyland half marathon races, and just talking about the five and the 10k, especially, you know, smiling the entire time. And that is the way that I feel through even if it's a marathon, I cannot, I just can't not smile. I feel like for me, every like step is a gift. And um, I live um having broken all the bones that I have and some of the other illnesses I have, I live in truly in constant pain. Um, and because of my heart, I'm not able to take pain medicine. There's nothing really that can help it except for walking. Um, the walking, you know, it keeps my mind off of it. I mean, medically speaking, even you know, the UCLA sports medicine doctors talk about the dopamine releases and all that kind of stuff, that is almost like a pain medicine that is not pain medicine. And so for me, it is the greatest joy and gift. Um, and I feel like if you're gonna dance or if you're gonna walk, you might as well dance. You know, if you're gonna if you're gonna show up and you're not gonna be the, you know, I love that um DW always says, like, if you're not gonna be the you can be, if you're not gonna be the fastest, be the most fabulous and have the most fun. And that's been my like my like I clung on to that and it's just such a joy, especially now that I know people, and it's it's like this big family reunion for 26.2 miles.

SPEAKER_10 43:40

I feel it just talking with you, my friend, but I gotta tell you, I don't have the energy to dance through those boxes.

SPEAKER_06 43:46

I don't know, Bob. When I saw you, I and you keep an you and Alan, you were having your own kind of party.

How Run Disney Community Changed Her Life

SPEAKER_10 43:53

So I'm we had a great we had a great time at that event. That was wonderful, a lot of fun. Listen, I've been I've been looking, you know, I I follow you on social media, of course. And unless I'm missing something, recently it looks like maybe there's a cause for some optimism in the future. Am I misreading that or is that true?

SPEAKER_07 44:14

Well, I think there's always a reason for the option.

SPEAKER_10 44:16

Oh well, I knew better than to say that.

Looking Ahead: Majors, Rome, Paris, And More

Hosts Reflect On An Uplifting Conversation

Support Amanda: How To Help

Princess Weekend Event Guide: Expo Essentials

SPEAKER_07 44:20

Um, but I so I have been over the past year or so battling a an infection that has been in my blood that had moved into my bones. It's caused me to lose, um I had to have all of my teeth removed and part of my jaw and um was looking like it was gonna have to lead to um a because I have um such bone death and disease in like specifically in one of my feet, I one time had eight fractures in my foot um and a calcaneous fracture in my heel. Um and I found that out like six weeks before Berlin. And I was like, does that mean I can't go? Um and so I knew that I was kind of walking, if you will, on borrowed time. And so the the the disease and the bacteria that has been kind of deemed untreatable. When I was at UCLA in Den in December, they came up with um, they took some blood quiltures and some different things and to not get too into the medical weeds of it, basically came back with some real hope for um a surgery and then a longer proto treatment protocol. And so I was looking at that and really hopeful, but also I've never wanted to kind of do any treatment that would take me out of life and the amount of life that I have to live and greatly reduce the quality of life. Um, I feel like I have been given so much more time than I ever imagined possible. Um, but I also know that none of us know our days. And so I live each day, but I also know that I'm not promised tomorrow. And so to fight for something only to be sick for the rest of my life was not something I was interested in. And so I a couple of weeks ago, I mean, it's crazy how recently this all happened. I came and really the reason that I didn't even have a bib for Disneyland six weeks ago, but I was like, I really, really, really, really, really want to do the Dumbo coast to coast. And so long story long, I did end up getting all the bibs. And I feel like the whole Run Disney community championed me getting the 5k the day before the 5K. I feel like that was our whole Run Disney mission, and we did it. Um, and I did the 5K. Um, but after um that I knew that the next week I would be potentially getting this surgery and this longer treatment. Um, but one of the biggest issues is I um it was very expensive and a lot of it was not covered by insurance. And a lot of it was, and I have incredible doctors that um all almost all of them offered their services pro bono. So it took um the the whole treatment protocol, um, it reduced it about 90%. And so I was left with um around$17,000 of a bill. And um, I knew there was a a portion of it I needed even before I went in for the initial surgery. And so just the week after Disneyland, so just two weeks ago, um, there was some different things. I thought maybe I would even be getting surgery on Monday or Tuesday, but I was like, Oh, I really want to go to med on Monday. Um they're like, no, we gave you the races. Like, yeah, there you go. Yeah. And so don't get greedy. Um, yeah. And so I went to the appointments and we set everything in place. I had to get a few more scans and it was kind of set in place for Thursday, but um, I needed a certain amount by that Thursday, but in general, I needed the$17,000. And so on, I think I went to, well, I kind of went off of social media and everything like that, you know, around six o'clock on California time. Um, so obviously that's nine o'clock on the East Coast. And I didn't know, but um, someone from the run Disney Run community, Matt Krebs and David Thompson and a couple of these like villains, which um the villains before I ever dead last started really kind of adopted me um into their family and made me an honorary villain, even though they wouldn't let me into their Facebook group until I actually dead last started. Um and so I had to do that, and I did do that, but um I the I felt like this whole community was just like cheering me on. Um and so I went so I I'm not always on social media, I'm not great at updating things. Um and so I didn't even realize that they made this um this post and just said, if everybody can do a little bit, we could make a huge difference. Um and so into the night and through the night, and by the time I think I came out of surgery, because my surgery was ended up being very late into the day on Thursday, um, the Run Disney community essentially had um and and some other people that love and support me, but largely the Run Disney community had rallied and raised over$25,000 for my medical treatment. And it um it still makes me emotional now.

SPEAKER_03 50:18

I get it, I get that, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 50:21

I don't I I wouldn't I don't I mean, I would still be here right now, um, but I would not have been able to do this and so I had the surgery, I was in the hospital for another week. Um, and I they ended up taking out um part of my um part of my uh a further part of my jaw and the cochlear bone and some other things and debrised a lot of the infection that was in my collarbone and some different things. And um, and from there, once they got enough infection out, they felt like they could start this um antibiotic protocol that has been tailored just for me. And I'm getting daily IV infusions while here in California. And again, because of the community, I'm able to stay out here and get this treatment that I really believe for the first time in a couple of years, I have hope beyond let's just wait for the next massive surgery. And so I always feel like there's reason to hope, but I feel like my doctors actually are on board with me on the on the unapologetic wild hope.

SPEAKER_10 51:42

So well, that's exciting. That's exciting news, that is, and you know you got an awful lot of people in your corner.

SPEAKER_07 51:49

Yes, yeah, I'm so grateful.

SPEAKER_04 51:52

This is all a great story, but since you're new to Run Disney, how did the Run Disney community affect your life and your cause?

5K And 10K Course Notes And Logistics

SPEAKER_07 52:03

Before I was a part of Run Disney, before I ever would have called myself an athlete, which it's still I trip up on that, or anything like that, runner, run walker, I wanted to be, I wanted people to know me as more than a patient and more than a diagnosis, more than a disease. And I never want my illness to walk into the room before I do. I want people to know me by my joy, by my sparkles. And what I love about the Run Disney community is I feel like we are all walking with stories. You know, I feel like when we all stand up at that start line, um, we all carry our joys and our challenges and our fears of balloon ladies. And we all, we all are this, we all stand up there and it doesn't matter your diagnosis, your disease, your disappointment, anything like that. We all just get to be a part of it. And it's in it's cheering people on. And, you know, whether it's someone gives me a bracelet and I hand them a sticker, or the there's people, you know, where I I've listened, I listened to the Rise and Run podcast, and I I know the first time that I met you, Bob, but like I didn't, I heard you before I saw you because you're this voice in my head and and I'm sure other people tell you that. Um, but it's that you belong and it doesn't have to be about like what what you're struggling with or anything. You just get to get out on that race course and be a part of something. And, you know, I think of that that phrase that Chris always says, like, there will come a day that we don't get to do this, but today is not that day. And I just think of like, there are so much that happens in our lives. The other like what 340 days that we're not a part of, like Run Disney races or doing races, or you know, six days a week we're doing, we're patients or we're coworkers, or we're moms and dads, or whatever. But, you know, we get out on that start line and we get to almost be like superhuman and like our own superhero story and do something that seems like the other 1% would say is impossible, but we get to do it together. And I just feel like that's such a gift, and it's something that the family, the community is something that I never thought that I would have again in this life, being so sick, and it's made me fight and made me believe that there's something worth fighting for. So I'm so grateful.

SPEAKER_10 54:50

Wow, that is amazing.

SPEAKER_01 54:52

So, as our listeners can hear um your story, Amanda, you have this tenacious um personality and you are a fighter and we know you won't quit. So, looking forward, what does the future hold for you?

SPEAKER_07 55:06

I am very hopeful, um, both that this treatment and just for the future. And even beyond that, I love to just make the impossible dreams. And then when people say, Oh, well, we see you in a week and a half at Princess, and I'm like, I don't know. Um, I truly don't at this point. But I also have all of these other big race dreams. And so I had, like I said, the dream to do all six Abbott World majors in a year. Um, some things happened with Tokyo and with my registration, and it's kind of one of those things I'm like, we it was a fluke that I didn't get in. And then everybody was like, Well, you're Amanda, you'll get in. And I was sure I would somehow. And I never did, which now thinking through the surgery of the last couple of weeks, I'm so thankful that it didn't happen. Um, but because of that, I was offered a bid to Rome and Paris. Um, and I was like, uh, that's a pretty good trade-off. So I um and then I got into the lottery of all shocks for the New York City half this year. And um, one of my Ryzen Run friends, Sandy Krebs, is guiding me on that. Um, and then another um Run Disney friend is guiding me in Paris. So ideally, I will be doing um both princess, which is probably I think getting less and less likely, but you just want to see me there. Okay, and then um springtime, and then I will in March hopefully be doing both the New York City half and and Rome the following week, and then um, and then possibly in April, Paris and London. So we'll see.

SPEAKER_10 56:56

Amanda, you're amazing. Absolutely amazing. And we're proud to know you, and we're happy that you were with us this evening.

SPEAKER_03 57:04

Well, I'm honored story.

Half Marathon Tips And Main Street Strategy

SPEAKER_10 57:07

No, what an amazing story. It's one that uh is full of hope and joy despite some uh really difficult circumstances, and it's one to be admired. So thank you for taking the time to share that story with us. Thank you. And I'm not ruling it out, Amanda. Maybe we'll see you next week.

SPEAKER_07 57:28

Maybe. Well, as I always like to say, hope is always possible and miracles are real. So maybe I will see you next week.

SPEAKER_08 57:37

Caution runners, the topic is about to change right now.

SPEAKER_10 57:42

It is hard for me to recall in the coming up on five-year history of this podcast, a more uplifting interview than the one we just had with a friend who has just some very, very serious health issues. But I I I kind of every now and then I wish we had a video component to this because Amanda's smiling the whole time and it was infectious, and her whole attitude was infectious. And I just found it I personally found it motivational, uplifting, and a whole lot of fun. So, Amanda, we look forward to seeing you down the road. I'm counting on it. And I I might even dance with you if you want.

SPEAKER_09 58:30

People would pay to see that. But now, to make it even better, though, it has to be dancing dressed as Tinker Bob with glitter lips. You gotta you gotta match your aesthetic with the jacket.

SPEAKER_04 58:43

You gotta be sparkly, you gotta be sparkly, Bob.

SPEAKER_10 58:44

Gotta be sparkly, yeah. Yep, yep, yep. Gotta be sparkly uh in in appearance and in personality. That was wonderful. Now, Amanda didn't talk about this specifically during the interview, but if you would like to support her financially with her medical and with her running adventures, there is a website, all one word, support Amanda Farron. That's M A A M A N D A F E R R I N, Support AmandaFarron.com. That is a 501c3 charity organization, so any contributions there would be tax deductible. So if you if you think you would like to do that, that's the way. Supportamandafarron.com. Thanks. Hey, you know, we kind of mentioned Princess Weekend talking with Amanda. It's here, friends. The weekend guide's been out for a while, but we like to go over them, the event guides closer to the race. So let's take a look at the event guide right now. And Greg's gonna kick it off talking about the expo.

Yoga Day And Weekend Wrap Logistics

Top 10 Things To Spot At Princess

SPEAKER_09 59:56

Thanks, Bob. Yeah, so uh, you know, per most Run Disney race weekends, every amazing weekend starts at the expo, which again is held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Expo hours are as follows. Uh, first day, Thursday, February 26th, open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Then on Friday, the 27th, from noon until 7 p.m. And then your last opportunity to get merch or pick up your bibs is on Saturday, February 28th, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Per usual, a virtual queue will be used on the first day of the expo, and this will gain you access to the official Run Disney merch and the Brookshoes area. The virtual queue will be available at 8 30 a.m. and then a second drop at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. And again, that is done through your My Disney Experience app. Uh, including yourself, you can have up to six people be part of your virtual queue. So if you want to team up with friends, uh, you know, and see who can get the best spot, make you can go ahead and do that before the official drop at 8 30 a.m. Just a reminder though, you can only join the virtual queue one time uh during the course of that day. Once your uh virtual queue has been called, you do have exactly one hour uh to scan in with the cast members to head inside of the uh the advent arena there again, where all of that is taking place. For the Brooke shoes, um, as it has been last couple of race weekends, you will be able to try the models on. You must fill out your form indicating style, size, width, and quantity. Again, there will be the opportunity to um you know put on sample shoes prior, just in case if you need to figure out sizing and widths and all that's um all that jazz. And per usual, there are no discounts like you know, DVC, annual pass holder in terms of the Brooks shoes themselves, but you can get those discounts for the official Run Disney merch. Now, as per time of recording, we do not know what the special shoe is going to be for Princess Weekend. Now, we've seen photos randomly online of a bell shoe, you know, something that you know all yellow with like a rose on the back. Again, that's been circulating. Heck, I even saw an eBay posting. I don't even know how that's possible when they haven't even been announced. Oh yeah. But you know, usually in the typical time frame, Brooks and Run Disney usually make those announcements the week of the race. So, you know, maybe we'll be able to comment on that uh during next week's episode. Per usual, make sure to sign your event waivers online within your Run Disney account. But again, if you forget to do that, there will be paper copies available at the expo. And for all of our international friends traveling to this race, you do have to fill up the paper copy at the expo. Uh, the Advent Health Arena is where you will purchase all of the official Run Disney merch and the Brooke shoes. The State Farm Fieldhouse is where you will pick up your race bibs if you need to speak to runner relations or the folks over at uh AWD. And then this is also the opportunity where you'll be able to get the character photos as well, too, based on the map that was provided. And then finally, in the Athletics Center, which is right across the way from the State Farm Fieldhouse, that is where you will pick up your Brooks uh sponsored race shirts and praying to God that the design does not take up 95% of the shirt. And then this is where you can also visit all the vendors like our wonderful friends Fluffy Fizzies, Jeff Galloway, KT Tape, BB Brooke, the whole King Caboodle, all those wonderful vendors are over there.

SPEAKER_10 1:04:07

For what it's worth, I believe I'm the only host who's going to be there this race weekend.

SPEAKER_09 1:04:13

That is correct. Yep.

SPEAKER_10 1:04:14

Yeah. Becky and I are going to get there. Actually, we're going to get to Disney World on Wednesday. So we'll be at the expo on Thursday. Although I am not doing the 5k this year, I'm just doing the challenge. Uh I'll probably get there around 10. So I'll that's either a chance for me to say I'll look look for you there, or a chance for you to go, oh good, if I go later in the afternoon, I won't have to deal with Bob.

Loopy Looper Team Update And Interest Form

SPEAKER_01 1:04:40

So all right. Let's move into the first race of the weekend. The brave or Merida themed 5K. The bus transportation from the resorts begin at 3 a.m. The corals are A through F opening at 3:45 a.m. The race begins at 5 a.m. And all runners will be on the course by 6 12 a.m. If you want to spectate this event, um, it will only be taking place at the start and finish lines. And this is the exact same course as the Princess 2025 5K course, and also the same as the Marathon Weekend 5K course that we just did in January.

SPEAKER_10 1:05:22

We're kind of in a rut for 5K courses, aren't we?

SPEAKER_01 1:05:25

It works. It works, Bob.

SPEAKER_10 1:05:26

It works, it's not a bad course. I mean, uh World Showcase is pretty dark, so you got the torches lit. Yeah, it's kind of it's kind of fun. 10K is on Saturday, of course. Buses start picking up at the expo at the expo. Buses start picking up at the hotels at 3 a.m. I like to get on an early bus. Corrals don't open till 3 45. Race starts at 5. They say all runners will be on the course by 6 08 a.m. I wouldn't be surprised. If it's closer to 60930, but we'll see. Uh really not a lot of spectating on this 10K course. This is different from the 2025 10K, but it's the same as the 10K course that many of you ran on Marathon Weekend. Of course, I mentioned at the top of the episode that Saturday is also our rise and run meet up at the food truck area at Disney Springs. We hope to see you there.

Zoom Night Reminder And Upcoming Guest

SPEAKER_04 1:06:31

And the last race of the weekend's the half marathon. This time the buses start at 2 30 in the morning picking you up. Corrals open at 3.15. Race begins at 5. They expect all runners to be out by 6.05 in the morning. There is cheering here. There's a couple of spots to cheer. About mile four and a half to the Grand Floridian. Mile 5.4 is Main Street USA. To get there, you must take the monorail from the TTC and transfer to the line to the Magic Kingdom. Cheering starts at 5.20 to 7.30. 7.30, they'll start throwing you out of the park. You do not need a ticket. You do not need a ticket for the morning. Mile 6.7 is the contemporary. Mile 7.5 is the transportation and ticket center. And on the finish line, those are your things. And again, this is the same course as Marathon Weekend.

SPEAKER_10 1:07:31

Yeah, let me say something really quickly. And we we tend to, we've done this so many years. We as uh Run Disney runners have done it so many times, and on the podcast, we've talked about it so many times. If this is your first Run Disney event or this is your first time going through Magic Kingdom, the run down Main Street, I don't know, might be one of the best stretches in racing, road racing in the United States. It is it's a lot of fun, friends. It's exciting, uh it becomes emotional. Uh I've done it many times, and I still get a little choked up going down Main Street. Seeing the castle, hearing our friends, cheer. It's a wonderful thing. So if it's new to you, congratulations. Take it all in. Take your time and enjoy it.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:25

And get that good castle shot.

Race Report Sponsor And Host Check-Ins

SPEAKER_09 1:08:27

Yeah, especially for first timers. You know, the one thing I forget whose video I was watching. Actually, it was our buddy Andy, roller coaster of running. I was just watching his half marathon video the other day because I was curious to see if he captured if uh the spot where I almost fell when I was running with him. But um the one thing that I noticed though is I I know they have started adding uh usually it's like Mickey and Minnie in that like gazebo float right at the end of Main Street where you know you can get like a selfie and and such. Oh yeah. But I was shocked by the number of people that were taking selfies in that general vicinity with the castle in the background. So if you're a first timer, if you want to go ahead and do that, be my guest, take that photo. But just remember, once you come through Cinderella's castle and you come down that red ramp, you will have all those photo pass photographers there with an unobstructed photo of you and Cinderella's castle. So, you know, just again, for any first timers out there, just you know, one to pass along that point.

SPEAKER_10 1:09:30

And this is one place not to be intimidated by the lines, correct? The line moves very fast for the castle photos, yeah.

Race Report Spotlight: Superhero 5K With Carrie Ann

SPEAKER_09 1:09:37

And usually there's like five or six different photographers there, so yeah, it does go very, very quickly. So but yeah, so that's the half marathon. And then to close out the weekend, this is one of those weekends where yoga actually takes place on Monday as opposed to the same day as the expo. So as it has been for the last couple of years, uh yoga takes place at Hollywood Studios on Monday, March 2nd. Bus Transportation will pick you up from your resort at either 3.30, 335, or 340, depending on what resort you are staying at. So be sure to check the full event guide or the display board in the front of your resort. And this is a situation where you know it's not a range in terms of like, oh, well, I can, you know, in the span of like 90 minutes, I can grab a bus. It's like you pretty much have one opportunity to get on a bus uh to get here in time. Now, if you are driving, the parking lot for Hollywood Studios opens at 4 a.m. And security will also open at the same time. Check-in will begin at 4 15 a.m. and you are encouraged to arrive by no later than 4 45 a.m. Yoga begins at 5 and lasts for one hour. And per usual, you will be getting the yoga mat with a carrying strap. Let's not forget about that. Um and that is like the special gift that is provided to you at yoga, and that is a rundown of the 2026 Princess Weekend event guide.

SPEAKER_10 1:11:10

Yeah, and then we all line up uh later on that morning at Magic Kingdom or somewhere and get our metal pictures on Metal Monday. But that's not all to look forward to. In fact, I think there might be 10 things that we can look, 10 more things that we can look forward to at race weekend. John, any ideas?

SPEAKER_04 1:11:34

Oh, we have a top 10 list for this race weekend. Well, there you go. So here's the top 10 things to look for at a Run Disney princess race weekend. Number 10, sparkle skirts so bright they can probably be seen from space. A few villains, number nine, a few villains who showed up just to prove they can run too. Number eight, a perfectly coordinated group costume that took longer to plan than training. Seven, the most creative signed variations of run like a princess you've ever seen. Six, a castle photo stop that turns into a full-blown celebration mid-race.

SPEAKER_10 1:12:11

As it should.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:12

Five, first time runners realize like halfway through the race that yes, they're really doing that they're really doing this. That's a good one. Four, cast members cheering with extra magic, glitter, and encouragement. This one I know Bob's supposed to talk about this one. Number three, tears on Main Street USA. Happy, proud, and I can't play can't believe I'm here. Tears. Number two, medals that feel heavy because they carry a whole lot of meaning. And the number one thing to look for at Princess Race Weekend is runners discovering their inner strength and finishing feeling like absolute royalty.

SPEAKER_10 1:12:51

Well, there you go. There you go, friends. John, thanks a lot. The top ten things to look for at this race weekend.

SPEAKER_08 1:13:00

Caution runners, change of topic ahead.

SPEAKER_10 1:13:05

Hey Greg, we've been talking loopy-looper. Any updates on that, please?

SPEAKER_09 1:13:09

Yeah, so I'd mentioned last week that based on the amazing amount of interest that we are getting for this, I feel like we need some more time to get all of our ducks in a row, or in the in the case of our friend Brandy, all of our um noisy rubber chickens in a row. So what I've decided to do is I I know originally when I posted that Google form, I was gonna shut it down on March 13th. But based on the fact that we are pushing close to 30 people now who are interested, I'm now gonna shut that form down at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 2nd. So if you are interested, you know, and again, this is for the 12-hour four-person relay teams. So hopefully by the time we're done with this, we have a multiple of four. Uh, if not, that's hence why we'll give ourselves some more time um to go ahead and do this. But yeah, if you can fill out that form by March 2nd at 5 p.m. Eastern, I would greatly appreciate it. And I do know we have some friends out there, um, like the aforementioned new host of We'll Run for, uh, Brianna. Like I know she's gonna be there, but she's doing the 12-hour by herself. So I know that there are plenty of other Rise and Run friends who are gonna be there, but are doing, you know, uh, you know, a different event. Heck, I even think I I heard um someone is looking to do the 100-mile um event, which is incredible. So um, yeah, again, get that filled out, and then we'll start an email chain and we will get all the teams sorted out, figure out our team captains, and then figure out payments, and then actually get officially registered with endless endurance and uh the loopy-looper folks. So, but again, based on the fact that that number of interests keeps going higher and higher, this is gonna make for one epic 12 hours.

Valentine’s Races, PRs, And Local Highlights

SPEAKER_10 1:15:01

Oh, it is. I love seeing the way the family comes together and how the numbers at at some of our marquee events outside of Disney World or Disneyland keep growing and growing. To which we talked earlier about burden hand, and I know that coming up not too distant future at Flying Pig, there'll be uh a large contingent of rise and run runners there. Uh, mentioned at the top of the episode, this is a Zoom Thursday. Instructions for logging in will be on the Facebook page, pinned to the featured section. Hope to see you there. I'm sure we'll be talking the upcoming Princess weekend. If if it's your first time at Princess, this is a great time to drop in and ask your questions, or if it's your first run Disney race. Got a lot of people with a lot of experience there who will be more than happy to share it. Next week we continue visiting with members of the Rise and Run community, as our friend Kristen will join us. Kristen of Running and Makeup Fame drops back by. We haven't she's been with us as part of the Council of Costumes recently, but we haven't talked to the Running and Makeup Kristen for quite a while. It was early on when we first talked to her in the podcast. And now please stand clear of the doors. It's time for a race report. The race report sponsored by Tom Stokes and Stoked Metabolic Training, Stokes at Stokes. I have to duck out a little early because can't record both at the same time. But Tom does a great job on those. He puts a lot of effort into it, gives a lot of information about nutrition. Uh I am uh I'm into the second week. John, you're into the second week on this. Uh so far so good? So far so good. Yeah. I've I missed last Wednesday's gym workout, but so I've made three of the four so far. And I am not I'm not trying to push hard at the gym. I'm going to the gym just to you know maintain some fitness and maintain some upper body strength. And I promised friends that I would give an accountability week to week. It helps me because it puts the pressure on. Uh this week I lost 2.3 pounds, which is not bad. It's what you're supposed to stay in the two-pound range per week for effective long-term weight loss. I'm a little disappointed because typically when I start out trying to lose weight, the first couple pounds drop off quickly. We'll see how it goes this next week. But I'm trying to stay disciplined and work with it. Good program information. Now, of course, the challenge has closed, but information on Tom's coaching is pinned to the featured section of the Rise and Run Facebook page. Hey, let's take a look at the race report for the week. So let's kick off Saturday in Orange Park, Florida, where they ran the Superhero 5K. Carrie Ann was there running it, and she joins us tonight on the Race Report Spotlight. Hey, Carrie Ann, thanks for joining us. Good to see you.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:42

Hi, guys. I'm thrilled to be here. I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_10 1:18:45

It's fun. We're glad to have you. She's a little looks a little red, doesn't she, John? Too much time in the Florida sun.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:53

I wish. I wish.

SPEAKER_10 1:18:55

It's an inside joke, friends. We know you can't see this. It's uh it's just the lighting where Carrie Ann's sitting.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:02

Yep. Okay, Carrie Ann, so here's the first question we usually ask everybody how'd you get started running?

SPEAKER_05 1:19:08

I'll try to make a long story short. Um, I'm a full-time dance teacher. I grew up doing competitive dance. In high school, I had a crush on a boy that was he set state records in cross country. So I decided to drop join the cross country team. I ended up having to quit because of my dance schedule, and I never really got really great at it. A few years ago, 2018, I found a running group back when I lived in, I'm from Alabama, um, North Alabama. I live in Florida now, but I joined a running group and they were they made me fall in love with running and do it the right way. So, and then 2019, I ran my first Disney race. I did Princess 2019, and then I've been trying to do at least one Disney run a year and do a 5K at least once a month just to stay in the training because I'll be honest, I used to not train. I used to just sign up for the 5Ks and do them.

SPEAKER_10 1:20:06

Just do them, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:07

And you know what they say? Training really does help. I have seen the biggest difference in my past few months of training. So so I guess long story short, it started with a little high school crush and developed into a true passion for running. And uh my favorite benefit is the mental benefits and clarity and the endorphins from running. That that has um surpassed all the physical benefits personally.

SPEAKER_10 1:20:36

Very good. I like it. We we love to ask the question because we love to hear how people we really do, how they got started running. I I should have, and you're like the 120th guest, I think, or something like that for the race report spotlight. Uh I should have c started cataloging. I did it for a boy, I did it for a girl. That's like number one or number two on the list.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:59

Really? Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_10 1:21:01

Yeah, it's it's it's right up there with uh I found out about Run Disney. And I started, and you got a little bit of that going on too. Or I played soccer, or I played soccer. Yeah, I played a sport, yeah. That's that's actually further down the list, I think. A little bit. I played a sport. I wanted to lose weight. Anyway, yeah, but I did it for a boy, I did it for a girl. Number one. So if we were doing uh family feud, there you go. That's the number one answer. Uh so great. So that's how you got started. Now let's talk a little bit about the race this week in Orange Park. What was this like and how did it go?

SPEAKER_05 1:21:37

Absolutely. So uh the race is superhero run. There was a 5K and an 8K. Um, I tend to go more to the 5K's locally. It was in Orange Park, Florida, which is close to Jacksonville. And um, I did the 5k. I wish I had done the 8K because looking back, you know, eight sounds scary, but it's just under five miles. Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_10 1:22:00

Five miles, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:01

But also I told myself I was just gonna enjoy it because they only did awards for the 8K. They didn't even do an first female male overall for the 5k.

SPEAKER_10 1:22:12

Oh, that's unfair.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:15

I know, and uh it happened to be my best 5k I've ever ran.

SPEAKER_10 1:22:19

Yeah, wouldn't that be the case?

SPEAKER_05 1:22:21

I have lots of races to look forward to that do have awards, which to me, I got a personal award, I guess, you know. Yeah, the weather played a huge, it was perfect. Um, I wore my little uh everyone was dressed in superheroes, but it was Valentine's Day. So I wore my pink, you know, Valentine's Day outfit. So a little tank top, the chicken leg shorts. And when I got out of my car, I was like, it's pretty cold. It what 50s maybe?

SPEAKER_10 1:22:50

And then yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:51

By the time you start going, it was the perfect temperature with the perfect breeze. We ran um alongside the uh St. John's River. It was beautiful. Um just a great course, pretty much flat, a few little tiny heels, not much, but it was just the perfect recipe for me to have the best 5k I've done. So I, you know, kind of dreading the weather getting warmer now.

SPEAKER_10 1:23:19

Oh, yeah, we know that's gonna happen. But it really has been nice lately. Um, I mean, Jacksonville's a little different from where I live, but it's been really nice. And the humidity's been low for Florida.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:29

Mm-hmm. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_10 1:23:32

I think you're burying the headlines a little bit here, Carrie Ann. First of all, was this a 5k PR?

SPEAKER_05 1:23:37

It was. Um there you go. I wasn't too for sure when I did my race report. I had to look back, but only a few seconds for a PR, but still a PR, and I got a PR. Yeah, I loved it. Any second counts, but I also got first in my age group.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:56

There we go.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:57

That's also it was about 500 runners in the 5K. So that's the biggest race I've done where I've placed. So I just next time I'm gonna do the 8K and see what happens.

SPEAKER_10 1:24:09

Okay. Hey, that's a big deal. And I I wasn't I I'll joke a little bit, but I first in your age group at a good sized run like that. That's a big deal. I I'll get first in my age group if I'm the only runner in my age group, which happens, which happens sometimes. But uh I congratulations on that. That's really cool.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:28

Thank you so much. And I just kind of noticed the other day that this is my last year in that age group. Next year I'll do the uh yeah, so it's like what 35 to 39. So next year I'll be in the 40 and whatever. So I'm trying to really kick it into gear, my last year in this age group, because these ladies, even in the age group above me, the 40 to 44, what yeah, they are they are tough. There's some, I mean, some good runners around Jacksonville, Florida.

SPEAKER_10 1:24:59

Yeah, if if you look at the age groups, folks keep moving along pretty well, definitely into their 40s. Now, around 50s, people will start slowing down, and then it drops off dramatically after that. But that's really, really good. We're proud of you. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:14

Thank you so much. I just uh I really enjoyed that race. I would recommend that um to anyone close to Orange Park. It uh it I forgot to say what it benefited, but it was for the Grace Episcopal School raising money for for that school. So um it was a good cause, great run.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:33

It's a superhero race. Was there superheroes out there in cosplay?

SPEAKER_05 1:25:39

Look, I'll say my biggest regret is not getting a picture with this one runner I saw. There, I mean, you saw Spider-Man, Wolverine, everyone. But I don't know if you remember this, but there was a guy dressed up like Quailman from the cartoon Doug back in the early 90s. Quailman, he wore underwear over his shorts and a belt around his head.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:02

Okay, yes. I I I I don't remember I my son used to watch it, yes.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:07

And I oh, that just made me smile. I wish I'd gotten a picture with him, but uh I didn't.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:12

But yes, people were lots of capes, lots of superman no capes, you know. I just said no capes.

SPEAKER_10 1:26:24

Yes. You ran you ran with a uh a former student?

Trails, Airports, Hot Chocolate, And Unique Swag

SPEAKER_05 1:26:28

Yes. So uh I teach dance at a bunch of different studios and schools in the area, and I didn't know it. I ran into her and her dad. I was like, oh GG, and we pretty much stayed neck and neck the entire race. Um she got uh second in her age group, and um yeah, we really I really enjoyed it, helped seeing a familiar face because a lot of times I'll just sign up for random races and go by myself. And so that was a little motivation. I was like, well, I I I can't suck. I need to do good because now I'm a role model. I get it. It was fun.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:02

Okay, Carrie Ann, so what's next on your list? And when's the next time we're gonna see you in Disney World? Or well, just ask me Disney World, sorry.

SPEAKER_05 1:27:10

Yes, that's a I love that question because first time I met you guys was at the meetup last year for Springtime Surprise. Um, I'll be at Springtime Surprise again. And um, my sister-in-law and I are doing just the 10K this time, but uh I'm also doing uh somewhere in Jack's uh a St. Patrick's Day run on St. Patrick's Day, and then the one I'm really looking forward to, other than Disney, is the Canines United um fundraiser. They have a 5K and a 9K, and I'll do that at the end of April. So um I got I got a few things on my plate, but I'm really excited to see you guys at the at the meetup for springtime surprise since I'll be missing Princess this time.

SPEAKER_10 1:27:51

Sounds good. We'll be looking forward to seeing you there too. Carrie Ann, thanks for dropping by and sharing your story on this week's. Spotlight.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:01

Absolutely. Thank you guys for having me and uh thank you for providing me with entertainment while I run because I love listening to the podcasts more so the music when I run.

SPEAKER_10 1:28:13

Well, you're welcome, and we're glad you're part of the family.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:16

Thank you.

SPEAKER_10 1:28:17

All right, continuing on Saturday, which of course was Valentine's Day, there was a series of races, the Cupid's Chase 5K, sponsored by Community Options Incorporated, an organization that provides housing for people with intellectual disabilities. They run these races all over the country. Thanks, Rob, for providing that information for us. One of the places they ran was Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where Michael and Terry did the Cupid Chase 5K there. Rob did run one in Rutherford, New Jersey. After weeks of sub-freezing temperatures, the tempent race time was 35 degrees. Felt like short pants weather, John. That sounds about right. It was beautiful out there, you know. I mean. That was good. The good course. Uh volunteers were enthusiastic, as they always are. And Rob won his age group in this race. Congratulations, Rob. Uh, there was another event in Wakefield, Massachusetts, this one raising money for the neurofibromatosis Northeast organization. No, I'm not going to try to say that again. Uh, Jessica was there with Colleen, Rachel, and Rachel's husband, Fred, about 30 degrees, not too windy, so it felt okay. Took a little bit for the crowd to thin out, then about a half mile in on the race, came to a complete standstill because there was a narrow stretch on the course that was all ice. Once we got through, once they got through that, rest of the race was relatively easy, only a few icy patches along the way, and those they could avoid. Uh, they all this lake in Wakefield, Massachusetts, that the course goes around. This group runs through it so often, so it's a favorite route for sure. Jake was also there. Jake lives up in that area. Jake's got a goal to do a 25-minute 5k this year. So good to have as many shots as he can. Didn't quite make it this time. I think snow and ice may have had something to do with that. Still glad to be out there. He'll run this one again. And I feel really confident Jake's going to break that 25-minute goal. In Orlando, where they did not deal with snow or ice, the track shack run for love, four miler. Tracy was there fifth year running this race, and for her, a four-mile PR. Weather was perfect. I've alluded to it a couple times. The weather, running weather in at least my part of Florida right now, has been super. Uh love seeing a lot of local running friends on this Florida Valentine's race morning. And Tracy loves the fact that she's been a track shack ambassador for the year. Heather, who we spoke with last week, was there. Now, a lot of the races in the Orlando area hit some cobblestone streets. Not fun for someone pushing, uh push rim in their chair. This course, lovely and flat pavement throughout. Heather managed a four-mile PR. That's because she doesn't do, well, primarily because she doesn't do a lot of four-mile races. Uh finally able to race without a jacket in Florida. That felt great. Claremont, Florida hosted the Dreamfinder Homes for the Love of Chocolate 5K. Debbie, Kay, Laura, and Sam were there. Now, I didn't see a report, but I did see. Did you see the video, John? I saw the video. Yeah. Kay was not letting him win.

unknown 1:32:08

No, no.

SPEAKER_10 1:32:10

And Sam was smoking towards that finish line. I saw Laura coming in after him. I think Laura would have chased him had Kay not been setting the pace.

SPEAKER_04 1:32:20

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_10 1:32:21

But that was quite the finish. I was impressed. So I'm glad you had fun at that one, friends. Uh, another Valentine's race, the Valentine's Day 5K run for autism in Seattle City, New Jersey. Kathy was there. Kathy PR'd the 5K on this gorgeous day. Last year, this race raised over$100,000 for Autism Charity. Tookesbury, Massachusetts, we've seen this race on the race report for the last six weeks. It's the Fudge Sickle 5K. This is week seven. Sophie and Audrey, they actually missed a couple of weeks. Now, I thought they'd been there and just didn't submit a report. They actually missed a couple. So got to this one. Since it was Valentine's Day, they wore their matching heart onesies. I don't have a heart onesie. Anybody have a heart onesie? Alicia, you have a heart onesie?

SPEAKER_01 1:33:21

I don't, but that sounds lovely.

Wrapping The Race Report And Princess Countdown

SPEAKER_10 1:33:23

They looked nice, they did. Temp was in the 20s, but the onesies were pretty warm. Even for a temp in the 20s. So by the end of the race, they were pretty warm. Uh, they're going to miss the next week, which is the last one. They'll be in Disneyland. So that's it for the Fudge Sickle 5Ks for Sophie and Audrey this year. Let's see, the Run for Love For Motto. I talked about this one before, I sure did, but I just noticed that Mary's entry in here is different. It's the same race. So Mary did that race also. She hasn't run this one in five years. Glad she decided to do it this year. Giving herself a Valentine's Day gift, and she pushed a little bit to see what she could do. Uh again, the course was mostly through the Winter Park neighborhoods. Community support was wonderful. Mary stayed steady, came in with a three-minute PR. And even better, felt great coming across the finish line. So sorry I got that one confused, Mary, but we got it in and we got that PR in. In Virginia, the Colonial Williamsburg half marathon. Caitlin ran that one. An amazing race. Includes a run through the historic streets of Colonial Williams, sorry, which is one of my favorite areas, at least on the East Coast, if not in the country. Just a really nice area there. Caitlin reached out to our friend Alec at Kawaiian Pizza Apparel about a custom printed dress, and Alec didn't disappoint because Caitlin's a millennial girl. The race was in Williamsburg. She decided she had to dress up as the American Girl doll. Felicity. Dress was beautiful. Got a lot of compliments on it. Only runner in colonial garb, which surprises me a little bit, but that made the race extra special. Looked great, Caitlin. I saw the photos. Well done. The Myler Series 3 Miler. I believe this is in Indianapolis and it's part of the Indie Mini Race series. Tiffany did this one and just commented that she's back at it on the racing trail. In Gulf Shores, Alabama, Shannon ran the Sea Turtle half marathon. Comfortable weather, sunny 60 degrees. All road racing in this one. A fun after party. No PR, but still a good time. Our buddy Rob, without either Beckham or Ash, because it was probably a little too warm at the end of the race, did the Pickyune 10-mile trail race in Naples, Florida. Now, at least for the second time I can recall in the last couple months, we had a rise and run friend doing an accidental dead last start. That is, I think the race starts at 8, but it really starts at 7:30, and that'll get you a dead last start. Let's see, this one uh finishers mugs instead of a metal. That's cool. A thin hoodie as the race swag instead of a t-shirt. Also nice. Afterwards, the Trail Sisters of Southwest Florida always have pancakes and sausages waiting. Rob knocked this 10-mile route in less than two hours, which was his goal. No stumbles and falls this year. That makes it two of the last four years that he managed to stay upright the entire time. On the trail course, hey, it's a trail course. Those falls will happen. Charlotte had a hot chocolate run this weekend, and Melody was there to do it. After eight years of running this event, she finally leveled up from the 5K to the 10K and thought that was a smart decision. They celebrated Lucy's first official 10K finish. Lucy, that's a PR. Showed up, got the miles done, crossed the finish line, and celebrated the only way you should after a hot chocolate race, which of course is with hot chocolate. Go out west to Ontario, California. The ONT 5K on the runway at Ontario International Airport. Stephen was there. It is his first official run since Dopey to Dumbo. This event is always fun. Money raised goes to support the USO. It's a three-lap course on a mile-long loop that runs right alongside that runway at the airport. His first official run in ages that wasn't part of a weekend challenge. So he really focused on it. It paid off his first sub-30 5K and a new PR. Good job, Stephen. That's a uh that's a benchmark number, that 30-minute 5K. Well done. In Hamtramck, Michigan, Christy ran the paunchkey run 5K. Now, I'm not going to pretend that I know what a paunch key is, but do you guys have a clue? No. It is a uh it's a Polish fried pastry like a fried donut. I'd look it up. And uh and Christy helped out too. She gave an explanation of what things was. Typically eaten uh the day before last uh Ash Wednesday, which is Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, which is today.

SPEAKER_04 1:39:07

Yeah, it's it's a heavier donut. It's heavier than a donut, though. It's a little more dense.

SPEAKER_10 1:39:12

It looks it looks significant.

SPEAKER_04 1:39:15

Yeah, they're big around here.

SPEAKER_10 1:39:18

Actually, it sounds pretty good too.

SPEAKER_04 1:39:20

Yeah, well, you gotta get that last lick in for Lent.

SPEAKER_10 1:39:23

That's right. That's right. There's a reason it's Fat Tuesday. Now let's see. Christy hasn't run a 5K or even over two miles since September. There's a big party. Uh Hamtramic's a Polish neighborhood. I think it's actually within Detroit. So it's uh complete with polka music. First time she's been at a race where Poland's national anthem was played. I'm sure I've never been at a race where Poland's national anthem was played. I'm not sure I would recognize it. In fact, candidly, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't. But that's cool. No medals. Of course, they got a Ponchke and a shot of vodka distilled in Detroit at the finish. They had the inaugural Cold Hearts 5K in Philadelphia, and Yvette was there to do it. They had to have a last-minute change of course due to a water main break. The Schuylkill River is still frozen, or at least it was at the time of this race, it was cold. Due to the changed course, the first half mile was downhill. That's cool. That meant that the last half mile was uphill. Not as much fun. She hadn't run in a couple of months, so she took it slow. It felt good. Wrap up Saturday in Tennessee, Strawberry Plains, the Strawberry Plains 10K. Amanda was there, as was Jimmy and Shay. Amanda says the rolling hills and the crisp air fueled a PR for her. She's now channeling that momentum into her upcoming marathon. She is driven by a renewed sense of purpose and determination. Jimmy knocked this one out. He's been sick for a while, but he was still able to finish. On Sunday in Austin, Texas, we had a good-sized group running the Austin Half Marathon. Adrian, Emily, two Emilies, and Avery were there. As was Jen. Jen saying that the villains ran the Austin Half Marathon. So much fun. Dead last starting and then up and down the rolling hills. Ryan was in the group. He went and grabbed Slurpees during the race. Very cool. No time goals for this one. But Emily PR. Great after party, beer and a live band. Metals are cool. Belt buckles. And for Jen, this was state number 10 for her attempt to race across all 50 states. Another Jen was there, did the 5K. Jennifer did the 5K. Friends were running the half, so she dropped in for the 5K. Happy with her performance. Got to run her race. Snagg some breakfast tacos. Pets some dogs waiting for their owners to finish. And then ran into a co-worker whose sister was doing the full, and she still got to see most of her friends finish either the full or the half. Out in Apache Junction, Arizona, Beth did the lost Dutchman half marathon. Kind of a small race. Apache Junctions just a bit outside of Phoenix. Chilly start. In fact, the opening miles, one of the prettiest sunrises Beth said she's ever seen. Great views on a relatively quiet course. Great young people manning the abundant aid stations for this race that supports local community programs. In Melbourne, Florida, Valerie did the Slay the Beast Challenge. That's a 10K plus a two-miler. Second weekend in a row with double races for her. I remember that from last week. This race had temps 20 degrees warmer than the last two weekends. Starting temp in Melbourne was in the mid-60s. Says Valerie, winter in Florida is on its way out, and we are back to, and I like this, the preheating the oven temperatures. I know what she means. I know there are mornings where I open the garage door, and it's kind of like opening the oven door in June and July. Let's wrap it up in Ponciana, Florida for the long leaf blaze trail run at the Disney Wilderness Preserve. Morningstar did this one. Peaceful course, Florida trail running at its best. Tall pines, open skies, and the quiet you only get when you're truly out in nature. As for fellow Disney runners, there's a little extra magic. This preserve was purchased by Disney in the 90s as part of their conservation effort. So you're literally running on a piece of Disney history. And with that, we wrap up the race report for episode 230. Friends, and if you run, you know you are our friend. We're back to Disney World this next week. I genuinely look forward to seeing you there. We're gonna have a good time until we see you there. Happy running.