Running to the Castle
A podcast for slow, back-of-the-pack, or injury-prone runDisney runners on a journey to running magical miles.
Join me, Dr. Ali, as I share the secrets I've gathered as a runner, Doctor of Physical Therapy and coach.
You'll learn the exact ways I get my clients to the castle strong without feeling broken or held together with KT tape as they cross the finish line.
Dr. Ali and this podcast are lovers of runDisney and are not affiliated with runDisney.
Running to the Castle
RTTC #216 How Fueling More Helped a Back-of-the-Pack Runner Finish Dopey an Interview with Kai
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In this episode of Running to the Castle, Dr. Ali sits down with Kai to share his powerful journey from walking for weight loss to completing the Dopey Challenge after years of setbacks, surgeries, and time away from running.
Despite dealing with multiple surgeries, shin splints, and barely being able to run 20 seconds at a time just months before race day, Kai committed to a different approach: slowing down, focusing on time on feet, dialing in fueling, and using a run/walk strategy.
Together, they unpack how shifting from “just run more” to intentional training, including proper fueling (even if that meant Cherry Coke), structured workouts, and grace with missed sessions… helped him not only finish Dopey but actually enjoy Disney afterward.
This episode highlights resilience, patience, and the reminder that your time will come… and when it does, you’ll be ready to cross that finish line strong.
Learn more about Stronger. Faster. Finisher. !
Ready to cross the finish line stronger, faster, and prouder at your next runDisney race?
Get personalized support, smarter training, and strategies designed specifically for slow, back-of-the-pack runners who want to build a bigger buffer ahead of the balloon ladies, have time for character photos and energy to enjoy the Disney Parks. Learn more about the Stronger. Faster. Finisher. Program today and be the first to know when doors open!
Free Resources
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Hi, I'm Dr. Ali
I've been running for 15+ years and been in the rehab space since 2012 when I earned my Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree. I get injury prone runDisney runners across the finish line without feeling broken.
Hey, how's it going? Today I'm talking about how fueling more helped a back-of-the-pack runner finish Dopey. This is an interview with Kai. This is Running to the Castle, a podcast for injury-prone Run Disney runners on a journey to running magical miles. Join me, Dr. Alley, as I share the secrets I've gathered as a runner, doctor of physical therapy, and coach. You'll learn the exact ways I get my clients to the castle strong without feeling broken or held together with KT tape as they cross the finish line. Okay, I have a guest here. We have the pleasure of hearing another guest interview, hearing their running journey. I want to welcome Kai to the Running to the Castle podcast. Hi, Kai, how are you?
SPEAKER_00Holly, I'm doing well.
SPEAKER_01Great. For runners who may not know you, can you tell us a little bit about how you got started in your running journey?
SPEAKER_00Sure. So I started back in 2007. Actually, it was a walking journey before it became a running journey. Um I was very overweight and uh started walking, you know, to lose weight and set my first goal to do to walk a half marathon. I that was November, the half marathon was into February. Um, so that was my goal. And I had a treadmill, and my deal with myself was if I was gonna watch any TV, then I had to be on my treadmill. So that's just that was all that was the walking I did. Um and I did the half marathon, finished. Um, and when I finished, then I said, okay, well, next year my goal is to run it. Um, because at that point I had lost almost 80 pounds. Um, so you know, I was, you know, doing really well on my weight loss journey and um feeling better, you know, I was able to do more with that weight off of me. Um, so I felt like now I could start running, which, you know, I did. And um, so the following year, same, same race. Um, I did, you know, the half ran, not the full thing, but majority of it. Um, and then everything, it just, you know, kind of kept going from there. I um started working out um in the mornings doing strength training stuff. I got into spin classes and met some friends there who um did triathlons. And um, so kind of got that bug. Um, I remember as a young kid watching an Iron Man in Hawaii, which at that time was the only Iron Man there was, and seeing people finish the, you know, cross the finish line and thinking to myself, I want to do that one day. Um so I started doing, you know, working out with them, biking, swimming, and did, you know, a sprint triathlon, um, and then just kept progressing with my running. Um, I found I'm I've been a Disney person since I was five, um, and absolutely, you know, love Disney, everything Disney, and did my first Run Disney race in 2011, and that was the Princess Half. And um, so after that, of course, you know, got the bug with Run Disney races and just kept, you know, doing them the more, you know, longer over the years, adding more and more races and challenge, and then they added the challenges. And so um I did two of the marathons and I had done all the challenges for the you know, 10K's halves. Um, and then they brought in Dopey. And so I wanted to do Dopey and registered for the, you know, for the 2014 Dopey. But, you know, as with Run Disney and you're registering almost a full year out, um, when the time came around, you know, just life and things in general, and I just I couldn't do it. And that really crushed me. I mean, it, I mean, like, even to this day, not doing it just stuck with me. And so it was always in the back of my mind, like, that's I want to do, you know, dopey. And um between then and now, you know, I did two Iron Man triathlons um and, you know, kept doing running races. I injured my hip in a car accident, actually. And then, you know, running just became just excruciating, um, sitting, all those things. And I tried to rehab it for a year without surgery because I'd heard horror stories about the surgery and recovery. And I was like, I can't be on crutches for six weeks. Like, I'm not gonna be a happy person. And so I worked with a physical therapist's company and we did a whole year, and um, my workouts were fine. It was just the things of day to day, like driving, sitting in my car and driving to Disney, you know, two hours. I could, it was, I was just in so much pain. I couldn't make it through a day at Disney walking all day. And, you know, that just wasn't okay with me. And so after a year, my PT was like, there's nothing else. Like, you're gonna have to have surgery. Um, but thankfully for that year of prehab, um, surgery was a breeze. Um, you know, I had my surgery on a Thursday and I had a PT appointment with the orthopedist, you know, office on Monday. Walked into the office and the PT looked at me and she looked at my chart and she was like, You just had surgery. And I was like, Yeah. And she did an eight-minute evaluation and she said, You don't need PT. And I'm like, I know. And so um, I'd been out of running for a while and I really just didn't want to run anymore. You know, I I just didn't have that the drive. I didn't, you know, it just didn't do the things for me that it used to do. So um really took off two years of running and just went, did CrossFit, did a lot of strength training. And um, but then, you know, I was just like, I I really want to start running again. Um, and so I of course go from no running to signing up for Dopey. Of course. Yeah. I mean, it's logical, right? Um It's the Run Disney Way. Exactly. So of course, that's in March and signed up. And um I have had a surgery in February before I signed up in March and early February, and thought that was gonna be the only surgery I was gonna have, and I was gonna be, you know, healed and being able to train um to be able to do it, you know, the next January. And unfortunately, that surgery had complications and wound up with four surgeries throughout the year. Um, you know, surgery and then it was recovery, and then I would get back into training, and then no, now we have to have another surgery. So surgery, downtime, training, nope, another surgery. And so, you know, I was trying to do as much walking, running as I could in between, but I ran into a problem with shin splits and I wasn't able to run 20 seconds. Um, and I was doing walk-run intervals, even like as long as a minute walk after 20 seconds, and I just I couldn't do it. Um, and I was working with a PT at the time on a shoulder, you know, injury, and they also, you know, started working with me with my chin spleats because those started developing. And um, I had a surgery end of September. And the week before I had done my longest was 11 miles, and that was all walking, like, you know, running probably a minute total in all of that. I don't even know if it was that. And then I had surgery, and after the surgery, um, you know, the PT was like, yeah, you're you're not gonna be able to do that race in January. Well, the PT has no idea about Run Disney or Run Disney races or anything about that, you know, no clue. And I was like, Yeah, that's not an answer. That's not okay with me. Um and, you know, with registry, you know, everything that had gone into it, the registration prices, plus I had resort. Um, you know, I had my niece and her fiance had registered for the half. And so I was really looking forward to it. And I knew I couldn't go and be there to support them and not race. I I it was just mentally, I just would not be able to handle it. Um, so I was like, yeah, that's not an option. So of course, Instagram was always listening, right? And scrolling through one day, yeah, after that conversation with my, you know, PT and your um page came up. And, you know, slow, back of the pack. And I'm like, that's me. Like I have one speed, it's forward, you know, that's it. Um, and so I scheduled a, you know, the initial, you know, consult with you. And um, of course, you asked me at the time, like, kind of what is your training like? And I said, well, everything is in 42-minute intervals at this point because the life of the show girl had just come out, and that's how long the album is. And you smiled and you were like, Oh, yeah. And we started talking about Taylor Swift. And I was like, this is the one for me. Like, she's gonna be my coach. You didn't you didn't even have to tell me anything about the coaching. I was just like, she's a swiftie. Um I'm in. And um, so you would you'd ask me, you know, like up to my surgery, and I told you the 11 miles, and you were, and I said, you know, and you were like, no, we can do this. And it just gave me so much hope, you know, to just to hear that, you know, I'm I'm willing to put in whatever work. I I I can work hard. I mean, I've done two Iron Man's. I know how to, you know, put in the put in the effort. And so, you know, we I signed on for one-on-one with you because at the time, you know, from October to first of January, I needed the intensive, you know, one-on-one with you. And um, you know, we started, you know, send me your training plan. And up to this point, all of my running training was just running. I thought the only the way to get better and faster was just to run, keep running. And so, you know, three days a week of running, two days, you know, shorter distances, and then a long day, um, and just running. And surprise, I never got any faster plan. Um and then, you know, I got introduced to, you know, what you program and with the, you know, speed workouts, progression, tempo, heal, all of those during the week, and then the long runs, and you know, saying that the long runs aren't about the time, it's just the time on your feet that's important. So it's not about the speed, it's just spending, you know, however many miles on your feet, no matter how long that takes. And um, so you know, I started and you asked me what my goal was, and I said to finish. Like my goal was to finish Stope, but also after be able to enjoy the parks and my family, you know, Sunday evening and then Monday all day, and not, you know, be comfortable not being a pain and just be able to enjoy Disney after I finished Dopey. And so I did. And um literally finished the marathon just all out, just sobbing. I mean, I could barely catch my breath. I was crying so hard because it took me seven hours to finish the marathon. Um, and literally like the hardest thing I've ever done. And again, two Iron Man's. Um, but it's, you know, I think for the amount of training time I had, it's the 2:30 morning wakeups, four days in a row. Um, and when I crossed the finish line, I was in my head, I was like, okay, one and done. I'm never doing this again. Um, but two weeks later, I sent you a message and I was like, yeah, I'm thinking about doing it again. And you're like, yeah, I'll see your, you know, your registration next month in, you know, March. And you were right. So I am signed up to do it again, you know, in January. Um, I'm going through the Leukemia Lymphoma Society charity um to get the bib because I couldn't get one regularly. Um, and my niece is also going to do the goofy this year, um, this next year. Um, so because she wanted to do the marathon, and she has friends that she is now convinced to do the half marathon. So she was like, Well, why don't you just do the marathon with me? And I was like, I can't just do a marathon at Disney now. Like, once you do dopey, it's there's no going back. I said, one medal versus six, are you kidding me? Like, no. I mean, that's as crazy as it sounds to say I'm not gonna just do a marathon. Yeah. And so, you know, so she decided, you know, she wanted to do the half with her friends and the full with me. So, you know, she's doing goofy, and she has never been a runner. She has hated running her entire life. The half marathon this year was her first ever run race. Um, and now we're doing the New York City Marathon in November and then, you know, marathon weekend in January. So um, you know, if she's caught the bug too, and I knew she would. Like, you can't cross a Run Disney finish line, no matter what you know what race you do, and not want to keep doing it. The experience that Run Disney has is just it's not like any other. I mean, I've done half marathons, I've done marathons, you know, triathlons, and there's nothing compares to a Run Disney race and the experience. And so I knew when she finished, you know, she was gonna be hooked and we were gonna be doing this now regularly.
SPEAKER_01You guys are gonna be back every year.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we will. And probably, you know, more races, you know, because princess is usually um the weekend of like around my birthday. So um I've done tons of princess halves and 10ks challenges, you know. Um, and so, you know, we'll be probably doing more than just marathon weekends. So that's where I am now. Still following your plan, um, getting ready to do the Dollywood inaugural um runs in two weeks now, like the 24th. Two weeks, yeah. Yeah. No, it's crazy. So um, you know, still, you know, you've programmed that out for me. So my longest run, I believe, was Sunday. So now we're, you know, tapering. And um I feel good. Um the joy that running brings me is back. Um, because initially training, I didn't like it. I was like, I don't like this anymore. I'm doing it because I've committed to doing it and it's important for me, but I I just I'm not, it just doesn't bring me joy. And then one day on a run, I think it was maybe an eight-mile run I was doing, it hit, it clicked. And it was an easy run. I had fun. The endorphins were going, and I was like, it's back. My joy for running is back. Um, you know, my shins aren't an issue. Um, I know now that this last time they started giving me an issue a few weeks ago, and I changed, put, brought out a new pair of shoes, and then the run this past Sunday was easy. So I think now I'll know, you know, in the back of my mind, even though it wasn't even close to the miles on the shoes, that if that's what happens, then that's usually my cue to change out my shoes.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, but you didn't need to change your gate. You didn't need to change the shoes drastically. It just was they had they had run their course, literally. And you just needed to swap them out. And it's no more of this can't even run for 20 seconds at a time because that's that's what you were doing in September. You couldn't even do 20 seconds without your shins on fire. And and you continue to do run-walk intervals, right?
SPEAKER_00Yes, yeah, and now I'm doing um 35 second run, um, 30-second walk, and I'm doing them really the entire length of, you know, whatever you have programmed, you know, I'm doing a half a mile walk warm-up, and then usually whatever's left after, you know, to get home for the cool down walk. So that's usually half a mile or so. Um, but yeah, and back, yeah, like I said, back in October, there was no way that was even close to happening. Um and and really even for Dopey, I I wasn't, you know, even doing that much. Um, so just between January and now, I've gotten even that much better.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, because from from October to January, that is a tight timeline. That is that is caught in a close to be able to have to be able to do 48.6 miles over the course of four days. But with your background of having done triathlons, the training that you could actually have that you got up to, that made it so much easier. You know, I don't tell everybody when when we first meet on that consult. Sometimes I tell them, you know, it's not in the cards for this time around. But with your background and everything, it was it was a no-brainer. It was like, no, no, no, no. If he puts in the work, which I knew you would, this is gonna get done. Yeah. And I mean put life of a showgirl on repeat, you're right, so that we have 42-minute intervals.
SPEAKER_00And it still is. Uh, it's the first thing I start out with. Um no matter if it's a run, a workout, whatever, you know, it's it's it's the first, you know, 42 minutes of everything. And but just by you saying, yeah, we can do this, that just gave me the hope, you know. And we had just met. I mean, you know, fit 30-minute phone call or whatever, however long it was, I was like, I trust you. I trust your, you know, your knowledge. Um, I'm a physician and you know, I I know what I don't know. Um, and that's why I reach out and I have coaches that do a lot of different things for me, because I trust them. And if you tell me what to do, I'm gonna do it because otherwise, why do I pay you? Um, and so, you know, seeing then, you know, after that, then going back through Instagram and, you know, seeing more of your, you know, reels and things, you know, your posts and, you know, success stories with, you know, your other clients. Um, you know, I I was like, yeah, I trust her. And, you know, the other thing that you helped me with was my fueling, which I was horrible at. Um, I have tried various ways, had various other nutrition coaches, you know, trying to force me to eat breakfast. And I just can't eat breakfast. Like, I just can't. And even like if I get up at 2:30 in the morning, I definitely can't eat any breakfast. And so, I mean, I just was so underfueled and didn't realize how much that was impacting, you know, my performance. Um, I mean, I did two Ironmans completely, you know, underfueled, no car bloating, you know, just eating what was online, of course.
SPEAKER_01To me. Now, I want to get back to the fueling in just a second, but the the listeners may not know what an Iron Man is. Could you could you tell us just a little bit about what a triathlon includes and what an Iron Man is?
SPEAKER_00So a triathlon is a swim, a bike, and a run. And there's sprint distances, which are shorter. Your, you know, swim is like 800 feet, bike is 10 miles, and then it's a 5k run. And then you go up to Olympic distance, um, and then half airman, half Iron Man, and then Iron Man. And so a full Iron Man is um a 2.1 mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and then a marathon.
SPEAKER_01So one after the other, not one day, next day, next day. It's it's one right after the other.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So for me it was about a 16-hour day. So and training is a part-time job because that's how many hours you have to put in every week for all the you know, miles you've got to do with all the different modalities. Um, it is legitimately hourly a part-time job. Um and I've done two and one probably will do another one next year. Um you know, once I'm now, you know, getting my running back together and you know, feeling better. And um, I'm doing actually doing a sprint try um in May. So we've been, you know, adding some biking and you know, doing some swimming as well now with my running.
SPEAKER_01So and so you did all of that, the 2.1 mile swim, the 112 mile bike ride, and followed by a full marathon on minimal fueling.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like crazy minimal fueling. Um yeah, I mean my bike rides, they you know, I had just my water bottles. Um Every 15 miles they have a rest stop where you know you can get more um water, electrolyte beverages, um, and then the run every mile they have, you know, and I sh, you know, they have all kinds of different things. Um, my go-to was I mixed Coke with Red Bull Um and Lay's plain potato chips. So that would just like go by, they would just fill my hands up and I would just shove them in my mouth um literally every mile. And that's, you know, but prior to, you know, a week, you know, I mean, even the day before, like my intake for what I was gonna be doing was a hair. Um, and that's something else, you know, you give us for our long runs is this is how many carbs you need to take in during that run. And that was just mind-blowing for me. Um and then you helping me figure out what I can do in the morning to prepare, um, which is drink my carbs. Um, and that, you know, a cherry coke in the morning before I do it, and that's what I do now every morning before any workout is like crazy how much a can of cherry coke can do. I call it, you know, my superpower now. And then figuring out carb sources while I'm running that I can do, which, you know, carb powders um and then other various things. I've got tons of different things that I use. Um, and you know, purposely make myself, you know, every about 30 minutes fuel um with the carbs. And then the week of dopey, you know, you were like, you need to eat, I don't know, I think he told me 800 grams of carbs a day up to that. It was something crazy. It was like uh jaw drop, like that is a lot. Um, but up to that point, your advice had not failed me. So I um, you know, I just did my best to just eat as much as I could that, you know, entire week, um, leading up to and then after each race um for the rest of the day. So I mean, I don't think I could have finished without the feeling part of that, you know, um, because that is what's for me made the most impact um overall how I feel, you know, and there were, you know, bad run days and we would talk, and you know, obviously, like, man, I was so irritated, I was irritable, I was grouchy, and you know, and you were like, that's because you're not, you're underfueled. And and it, you know, it's it's true. Um, it wasn't, you know, my legs weren't hurting, it wasn't a, you know, muscle thing. It was your muscles didn't have enough glucose fitting to them, you know, and your brain, and that's why you were, you know, the end of the run, hating life, hating everybody, you know, yelling at people on bikes, feeding past me on the sidewalk.
SPEAKER_01Well, you might do that even if you're fueled.
SPEAKER_00Well, I do, but you had kind of a little more extravagant. So, um, yeah. So, I mean, as a package, you know, with everything, it's it's really made a huge difference.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's it's wild what uh not running on Red Bull and vibes gets you. Right? Right. And like I think of fueling like the Snickers commercial, it's like you're not you're not yourself when you're hungry. It's like you can't run when you have no fuel, and then you get angry about it. You're like Levi grumbling, like, grandpa, get off my lawn. Right. It it doesn't always work, but you had legitimate reasons for not being able to fuel. Like, if I remember correctly, like your stomach in the morning was just like, I I'm not hungry, I'm nauseous, my stomach is sloshing around if I eat something before I run. Am I remembering that correctly?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, correct. I tried, you know, all sorts of things to eat. Cause like I said, I I had consulted probably two other, you know, coaches, you know, for my nutrition and my training. And, you know, they were all like, you know, you gotta eat breakfast and you gotta eat, you know, of course, oatmeal or however many carbs. Um, I, you know, I would just tell them like I can't. And I don't really think they believed me. I don't, you know, I don't really think they thought I was putting in the effort. Um, but like my breakfast is a cup of coffee. I mean, and that's any, that's every day of the week. Um and so, you know, and that's kind of what when I told you that, that's what clicked with you when you said, Oh, well, then we can you can drink your carbs. And I'm like, and you're like, just go buy some soda. And I was like, what a wild idea. I mean, so simple, but you know, made the all the difference in the world. And also during the week of being at Disney, I started using like, because I was always using sugar-free, you know, creamer um on a regular basis. And so I bought, you know, regular sugar cream or flavored creamer, and then I bought whipped cream to put on top. And so that's you know, that was my coffee in the morning getting ready. And then on the bus and waiting was my Coke or, you know, whatever soda. Um, and I even actually was able to eat because you sit and wait for so long. After my drink, my Coke, I got those mini bagels, so, you know, about this big, and I toasted them in the room, put some um cream cheese on them and brought them with me just to see, like, okay, can I get this in, you know, before we start? And, you know, like I said, because you're it's you know, hours of just waiting, I was even able to eat one of those before each race. So that was a big thing, you know, it is because I was like, if I can, whatever more I can get in is gonna be better. And, you know, because of the way Disney races are, which aren't like any others, where you're, you know, you get up, you go, you start, you're done. Um, you get up, you wait, you wait, you wait, you hurry up and wait and wait and wait and wait. And so just that extended period of time of being awake and having the, you know, liquid carbs in me, I was also able to get in some solid, you know, carbs as well.
SPEAKER_01So that's perfect. Yeah, because you're right. Other races, like if somebody hasn't done another race besides Run Disney races, like you show up and it's like you go find your corral and then 15, 30 minutes later, it's go. And so you show up for like an eight, an eight o'clock start. Right. Right. Like not none of this 430 BS for the marathon at Run Disney. It's like an eight o'clock and nine o'clock start. You show up a little bit before, and then you're done. I mean, if it's a half marathon, you're done in three and a half hours, but it's not hurry up and wait. And I mean, doing the marathon, you're up at 2, 2.30. You get to the corral at three o'clock, but you don't start, especially for us back of the Packers, you're not starting until like 5:45. So you have two and a half to three hours of hurry up and wait. I use that time to post Instagram reels and whatever content I took the day before at the race, post that then, drink all the carbs, eat all the carbs, and then you still have to run 26.2 miles, and you're not finishing until like noon.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Seven hours later.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I mean, and in that time, like is, you know, I saw you, you know, in Animal Kingdom, and then it was like my phone was going dead. Um, I have portable chargers, and for whatever reason, I didn't put it in my running pack. Um, and so I ran into one of the merchandise at Expedition Everest because they had the, you know, ones you can purchase. But for some reason, my Apple Pay was not working. I I tried, I have all my cards on Apple Pay, and I tried every one of them, and it just kept denying them. And I'm like, I don't know what's wrong. So I couldn't get a you know, a power thing. Um, so I was like getting dead. So I was texting, you know, my niece because she was following along with me, and she had just given me a Coke in Animal Kingdom she got for me. And I told her, I said, okay, go find me one and you know, meet me at the boardwalk with it. And so, um, but literally turning out of Animal Kingdom into the worst and hardest part of the marathon from Animal Kingdom to Blizzard Beach through Blizzard Beach, which is, you know, the worst. Um, besides the ESPN route, that one's also bad too, but they've changed and added, you know, this other horrible route. But yeah, my phone was dead. So I didn't have my prompts for my run-walk intervals. Um, because that was, you know, on my phone. I didn't have music.
SPEAKER_01Um Taylor Swift.
SPEAKER_00Nothing. I didn't have you. And because you kept me updated about where the balloon ladies were, how far ahead of them I was, you kept, you know, the motivation and everything you were sending me.
SPEAKER_01And sent me some Taylor Swift videos. I won't say because I tend to not swear on here, but it's the S S up.
SPEAKER_00And that, you know, made me laugh and smile every time. And, you know, I was just like, I just have to double down and, you know, keep one foot in front of the other, walk, run as I feel. Um, and I was like, this is just like an Iron Man, because for an Iron Man triathlon, you're not allowed to have any kind of, you know, headphones, music, anything like that for safety. Um, so, you know, a 16-hour event with no music. So I was like, okay, you've done that. That's that's what you're doing now. You know, and also too, you know, with all the other people at that point around me, we're all just as miserable as I was. So we could all commiserate together and, you know, make each other laugh, and um, which was helpful. And um, so then yeah, got on the boardwalk, my niece gave me the power, you know, charger and I plugged it in. But of course, my phone was so wet from my sweat, you know, of being in my pocket, it wasn't working anyway because it had been waterlogged.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I plugged it in to charge it, but I still, you know, because my my parents were also there and they were um right at the um end of the boardwalk into the entrance of you know Epcot and um waiting for me. And they had asked back at Animal Kingdom, like, where are you? You know, and I was like, it was before I got into Animal Kingdom. And I was like, I have no, I have no idea. Like, I don't know what mile I'm at right now. I don't even know who I am right now.
SPEAKER_01Don't ask hard questions right now.
SPEAKER_00And they're like, because they were trying to find out, you know, what time to see me and be there. And I was like, I honestly can't tell you. Like, I don't know. And so, you know, I knew they, you know, were waiting and didn't have any idea, you know, where I was or when they were gonna see me, but they did. I did see them, you know, um, at the end, and you know, it just power through because I knew I was like quitting was not an option because I'm like, you're gonna have to do this again, you know, you're gonna finish this. So I knew if I quit then at that point, I had been through all of that up to that point. And at that point, I was like, I'm not doing this again. And I would never be happy without finishing. And so that was just kind of my motivation is like stopping is and quitting isn't an option. Like, it doesn't matter how much everything hurts right now, um, and you know, how dehydrated I was, and you know, it it was not an option. And, you know, luckily was far enough ahead of the balloon ladies, had enough, you know, lead at the beginning that I was able to, you know, not have I didn't even really ever see them, um, which, you know, was uh was also good because I kept looking and I kept asking the people around me, like, do you know where the balloon ladies are? And some people, you know, knew because they had other people tracking them. And um, so yeah, like I said, you know, made that corner and saw the finish line and was like, you know, I finished.
SPEAKER_01So and had the best cry finish line photos I think I've seen in a long time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, those I mean, I didn't even cry after I finished the Iron Man. I mean, I mean, that is just how much doing dopey and finishing meant to make.
SPEAKER_01Um it was 12 years in the making.
SPEAKER_00Right. Yeah. And it had been, you know, every year, it was just not the year, you know, to commit so early out to being able to do it the next year. And I was doing, you know, like I said, I was doing Iron Man Trathlons, I was doing CrossFit, I was wanting to compete in CrossFit as a master's athlete. So I was training and doing that, and that was two, you know, four hours a day of CrossFit, two hours in the morning, two hours in the evening to compete. And so, you know, my attention had shifted elsewhere during those times. But it was still always, you know, in the back of my mind. And, you know, since pretty much, you know, I had stopped, you know, competing, stopped doing CrossFit, just stuck with strength training. Um that's kind of how it crept back in and, you know, was like, yeah, now now's the time to get back and do it.
SPEAKER_01That's perfect. It it has been incredible because I knew your journey, you know, briefly beforehand. And I only say briefly because you're right. When we first decided to work together, like you had found my Instagram page and it was like 30 minutes later, let's set up a time to talk. And I'm like, okay, like we are on it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I mean, I sent you a message, like just kind of basically like, this is what I'm doing, this is where I am. Like, can you help me? And you were like, Yes. Um, you sent me your link, and I was like, boom, you know, I think it was probably that same week we were, you know, having our consult. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And you were like, Do you and you were like, Do you want to, you know, think about it? You know, I'm like, no, like, I'm ready. Let's do it right now. You know, send me the payment and you know, we'll start training next week. And that was literally it.
SPEAKER_01Yep. Yep. I heard Life of a Showgirl. Let's get this going.
SPEAKER_00Exactly.
SPEAKER_01Which it's funny. I now use the Life of a Showgirl album as a timer because I'm like, oh, it's like 45 minutes long. Like, okay, let's just, let's just play the the whole thing. Let's start with Phetophilia and let's just go through Life of a Showgirl. And when it's done, I know that my 45 minutes is up and I need to either be done with this task and move on, or I know that this is taking longer than it should. But you're the one that told me it was about 42 minutes, and I was like, ah, perfect.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And it's, you know, it's not it's not a shuffle album. It is a start to finish, you know. And it's it was the perfect album. I mean, I've been a Swifty, I tell people before Swifty was a thing. Like I've been following Taylor since she was 15. I saw her perform on a in a parking lot in Nashville, um, you know, with Tim McGraw. And I like fell in love with her then and followed her. And then when she decided to cross over to Pop, I was like, I don't think that's such a good idea, you know. And of course I was wrong. Um, but um, you know, of all of her albums, like Butcher Porch Department came up came at a great time in my life as well, you know, at kind of what I was going through. And then the life of a showgirl, there could have never been a more perfect album for me at that time, and still is. Um, I mean, just the music, and I mean, you cannot not be happy listening to that album. And it's just, you know, it's a motivator and it it's just was the perfect album at the perfect time.
SPEAKER_01So it was it was perfect. So that album came out. That was my birthday week. So I just talked about it all week. My sister was in town, and she's like, Are you ever gonna stop talking about this new Taylor Swift album? No, and it came out on Mean Girls Day, which is one of my favorites as well. So it was like a a triple whammy. It was birthday week, it was Mean Girls Day, it was Taylor Swift Day. It was it was one.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, I started talking about it, you know, when she announced it and kind of like, and I was kind of like, oh, you know, how does this fit with Taylor, you know? Um, because, you know, up to that point, you know, I mean, of course, you know, her life was completely different than Portraport's. And but I was like, I don't like, because we had no clue, right? When she when she said it, what kind of album it was gonna be. And then she released, you know, the tracks and the names, and I was like, ooh, you know, that kind of caught my attention and waited and waited and like legitimately listened to it at midnight. Um, there is literally nothing I will stay up to midnight to do. Like nothing, except listen to a Taylor Swift album.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I had it, you know, on my TV with the lyrics going while it was playing, and it was like, wow. And yeah, haven't stopped listening to it since. So it's just it's her magic. That's all I can, that's the only way I can explain it.
SPEAKER_01It's her magic. And, you know, you were saying earlier that like changing up how your different running paces and everything. Well, our girl Taylor does that too, because to train for the Aeros Tour, she walked the slow songs and she busted it, busted her butt running on the faster songs. And that's how she trained to be able to sing and be entertaining for three and a half hours for the Aeros Tour. It's the same concept. She and I are the same person.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. Exactly. I actually had to um I had a long run. I don't even remember it was long, but I was on call that weekend, so I couldn't like leave my house for my wrong run. And I have an assault runner, so I was gonna have to do it, you know, on my assault runner. And so I got on my iPad, pulled up, you know, the Air's Tour, and ran along with it. And it just like humbled me because I mean, by the time it was over, like I am one big hot sweaty mess. Like, I don't know how you she did it in stilettos, mind you, managed still to look amazing throughout the entire thing and sync um throughout all of that. When like the three and a half hours, I was toast, you know, and still had, I think probably even maybe an hour or more I had still had to do that day. So, you know, I was just like, I don't know how she did that, you know, because I had been to five, I went to five of the Airs Tour concerts, and um so I always remember like just being a part of the audience, how exhausted I was when they were done. Um, and I had um Tampa, she had three shows Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And I had tickets to Thursday and Saturday, and I wanted to go Friday, but I was waiting to see if I could get like last minute cheaper tickets because I had a four seat, so I'd spend a ton on that. Um but after the concert Thursday, which was when I was on the floor, like Friday morning, I was like, I can't do this tonight and then do it again Saturday. I mean, I was that's I I legitimately spent the entire day in my recliner. That's how tired I was. But she did it back to back to back to back to back nights and weeks and months and two years. Um and yeah, I mean, just being a part of the audience the next day was just I was toast because I it was just exhausting, just you know, singing and dancing around with everybody else. So to perform at that level, it's just like none other. I don't know how she does it.
SPEAKER_01It's crazy. And it it was good prep for you for the dopey challenge, getting, you know, being up and ready and somewhat active for however many hours, even if some of those hours you're just sitting around waiting in the corral. It's your own eras tour. It's the dopey challenge.
SPEAKER_00Right. Exactly. I'll think about it like that.
SPEAKER_01This is this is how I'm gonna keep you motivated for Dopey for next year is just think what Taylor could do. Right, just think of what Taylor did. If she can do it for, you know, however many shows, you can do it for four days.
SPEAKER_00For four, right. I mean, really, four days, four days. Six miles, what is that?
SPEAKER_01That's nothing compared to what Taylor went through.
SPEAKER_00Exactly.
SPEAKER_01So that's so cool. So knowing what you know now, like what would you tell yourself looking back at like the 2014 dopey that did not happen and how you were feeling after that? What would you tell yourself, or if or if another listener has had a similar situation where they've signed up for it, couldn't do it for some reason, what would you tell them or what would you tell yourself from 2014?
SPEAKER_00That it just wasn't the time. Um, you know, it wasn't the right time for me, and that right time will come. And it may not be the next year, it may not be five years, it may be 10 years. But if it's something that you really want to do, it will happen when it's supposed to happen. And, you know, that's kind of my best advice, you know, to myself then. Because, like I said, like it devastated me to not be able to do it. Um, because up until that point, I had never not done, you know, everything in my life. I had started, I finished, you know, whether school, I mean anything in my life, not just athletic related. If I had a goal, I finished that goal. There was no question. And so that was kind of the first thing in my life that I wasn't able to finish. And and so it it was hard. And but again, it just wasn't my time. And that desire never went away. And the time took longer for me to get to it. Um, but I did it and it happened. And so, you know, just don't give up on it if it's something you really want to do, because your your time will come, it will happen. Um, you know, life keeps going on. There's always tomorrow. As long as you're putting, you know, putting one foot in front of the other, you're making progress. So, you know, that's kind of when I get to the end of these long runs, you know, now in training. Um, like the one, my long one Sunday, you know, I walked the last mile and a half. I was very dehydrated. I did not hydrate well enough the day before. And now that Florida, you know, we're in summer in Florida and it's so humid. Um, and the path I was on was wide open, like there's no shade. Um and I went through like six of my bottles of, you know, kept filling up and electrolytes and it it was just that's that's why I was cramping, you know. I knew I knew why I was feeling the way I was was because I was just dehydrated. And but so the last mile and a half I walked, and I was just like, one, I have no other option. I have to get to my car because it it's a trail. So there's there's no lift to come pick me up. There's there's the only option for me to get back to my car is I have to walk there, you know. And so, you know, I was just like, just one foot in front of the other and you'll you'll get there. It's gonna take you a little longer, but you know, that's okay. Um, because the week before I had done 10 miles and I had done great. I mean, I was like ran the whole thing except for my warm-up and cooldown. I felt great. It was a great run. Um, and that's kind of something also you've, you know, you've taught me through all of this, is that you're gonna have bad days running and it's okay. Um, you know, as long as, like you said, as long as you're putting the effort in and you're still, you know, life gets in the way and life's gonna keep getting in the way. It always gets in the way. But as long as it's not consecutive weeks and you're still hitting most of your training and you're just, you know, like you put one foot in front of the other, you're gonna be okay. Bad days are okay. We talked about them, talked about how I was feeling, and we try to kind of process why maybe that was the way it was, whether it was fueling or just, you know, I was just too tired, you know, fatigue, whatever. Um, and worked out, you know, plans for the next run, and then the next week would be fine. And so it's just to remember, too, that you're gonna have bad days of running and you're gonna hate it and you're gonna say, I don't want to ever do this again because I did. Um, but there's tomorrow and it'll be better. You know, just keep keep going on, keep keep keep keep keeping at it, and you know, it'll pay off. The reward will pay off.
SPEAKER_01Will. And I love the one foot in front of the other because fast or slow, a mile is a mile, right? Like you're gonna get to the destination, you're gonna get across the finish line. And that actually brought me, uh reminded me that how do you feel about the speed workouts now?
SPEAKER_00I love them. I really do. Uh, from the, you know, tempo runs, uh progression of the heel, the 30, 20, 10, which initially no. And I think there was one progression run, like with the you know, speed you had me starting out. I'm like, you had me starting out at a sprint at that point, because that speed at that point was a sprint. And you were like, oh yeah, I guess I did. Cause I was like hating you because I was like, my first two minutes I have to sprint at 7.3, you know. You know, of course I was walk running, but I was like right off the bat, 10 minute walk warm up, and then bam, I'm sprinting. I'm like, oh, but now like I start off, and most days I'm like first 15 minutes, I'm like, I don't want to finish this, I don't want to do it. And then the longer I go, the easier it gets. And then before I know it, you know, we started out, would you start out like 30 minute ones? And then we went to 45, and now we're at an hour. Um, and first time I saw an hour one pop up, I was like, are you kidding me, Ali? An hour.
SPEAKER_01Ears were burning that day.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. But now it's like, you know, like I said, some days, first 15 minutes suck. And I like in my head, I'm like, I want to quit, I want to quit, I want to quit. But then I'm like, okay, no, just do the next section. And for me, with any of my workouts, I'm always doing take it a section at a time. Like if I wake up in the morning and I don't want to work out, I do my carbs anyway, and I get my clothes on. And so I say, okay, if you do that, and you know, you still don't want to, then you don't have to. But then usually I'm like, okay, then I'll do my warmup. And I'm like, okay, well, after my warmup, if I still don't want to do this, then I'm not gonna do it. And then I'll get to the next section and the same thing. And before I know it, I'm done. Um, and but there have been days where I have quit after the warm-up. You know, it's it doesn't always, you know, I don't always get through it, but I'm more gentle with myself now, um, not finishing a workout. Whereas, you know, 10, 20 years ago, there there was never an option for me not to finish a workout. There was never an option for me not to be in a gym for four hours, you know. It, you know, even one day of mistraining or one miss section or whatever was just like failure, you know. Um, and now I'm, you know, I see that I still get the results, even if there's a day where I don't work out when it's a plan day to work out. Um, and like I said, I'm just I'm a lot more gracious with myself and I know that, you know, the plan works. Uh if you just stick to it 80% of the time, you know, that's that's good enough. And that's okay because you know, we all don't have the same 24 hours in a day. Everybody has different responsibilities, families, work, you know, life. And a lot of times all of that gets ahead of a workout. And you know, and that's okay. You just, you know, make it to the next day and you know, do your best the next day.
SPEAKER_01How do you think you got to that point to be so gracious to yourself and so kind to yourself essentially with these workouts? How do you think you got there?
SPEAKER_00Lots of therapy, yeah. Yeah, no, lots of yeah, spending lots of time with my therapist because um I am my biggest critic. Um, you know, like I said, anything I start, I finish. And I also have a standard in that as well. You know, medical school was, you know, not just about getting through, but it was getting through, you know, with all A's. Um, you know, residency wasn't just about finishing, it was having to be chief resident, you know, my last year. Um, and so when I have a goal, they're pretty lofty. Um and if anything fell short of that, whether it was, you know, a B on a test and not an A, I was just beating myself up. And then I was putting in, making myself put in twice as much more effort to make sure that never happened again. And just not ever being able to forgive myself for, you know, a shortcoming on we're human. So yeah, I spent a lot of time in therapy, um, learning how to be kinder to myself, you know, and you know, her saying, you know, you wouldn't tell any other person, you know, whether they're your friend or their enemy, the things you tell yourself. Like, no way would you ever tell anyone else that. So why is it okay for you to speak to yourself like that? And that was, you know, kind of one of those eye-opening moments for me, you know, that, yeah, you're right. Like I wouldn't tell my worst enemy some of the things I tell myself. And, you know, that's not okay. It's not serving you. I was run down, I was depressed, I was anxious, you know, um, and was like, obviously, what you're doing isn't working, you're run down, you're not having joy, and what used to bring you joy, you know, is like CrossFit brought me so much joy. And I was just when I decided to start competing and training as hard, I lost that joy and you know, what I had once loved when I was doing it an hour a day as exercise. Um, and that's you know, it was just like, why are you doing it then? You know, if it's not bringing you joy and you're competing and then you don't win, you're a failure, you know, and so you have to work out that much harder to make sure that, you know, that doesn't happen again. And you know, it's it's I was just like, I'm getting too old, you know, to not have joy in all the things I do in my life. And so, you know, that's what I stick with. And, you know, at this point, if I do something and I'm like, I don't like it, I don't find joy in it, I'm not gonna keep doing it, no matter if it's something I thought, okay, I'm gonna set out and do this and we're gonna have this goal met, whatever it is. If I start it out and I don't like it and I don't enjoy it, then I'm like, I drop it. I don't feel like I still have to keep going to finish every single thing that I decide to start.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And especially with these types of events, training for dopey, for you training for the triathlons or the Dollywood challenge, like you're spending so many hours training for these things, you might as well enjoy it, right?
SPEAKER_00Yes. Because otherwise, why?
SPEAKER_01Why? Yes, exactly. And you don't have to run yourself into the ground, which actually brings up another point. What did you when you think back, and you might be right at the top of your head when you when I first told you how slow you had to go on your long runs. Do you remember what you thought about that?
SPEAKER_00Well, my initial thought is I have one pace and that's forward. You know, I mean, because that had been, like I said, up to the point of meeting you, that had only that's my running training was just running. And that's right. I have one speed and it's forward. Like don't ask me about paces because I had no clue what I was running because it was just forward and very slow. Um but you know, but you kind of emphasizing the this isn't race pace or this isn't, you know, this is just uh forward, essentially. You know, it's it's it was you just telling me it's more about the time, not the speed or you know, the distance, because you just need to get your body used to spending that much time, you know, on your legs. And also the fueling, not based on the miles, but based on the time as well. So, like, you know, the marathon, you know, it wasn't about fueling for 26.2 miles. For me, it was about fueling for seven hours because that's kind of how we figured how long it was gonna take me. I'm you know, I had a goal for 330 for my half, which I did. I think I was like 329. Um, but you know, I knew the next day we're gonna double that. I I was not gonna get faster in my marathon because of how my, you know, the short time of training and how just exhausted I was anyway. So I was like, my goal is again stay in front of the balloon ladies and finish, you know. And so if that takes me seven hours, then that's what it's gonna take me. Um, but I also know that I had all of my fuel on me to do that. Um, because, you know, I had, you know, your guidelines to tell me this is how many carbs you need for your marathon, and that's how many I had on me. Um, in addition to taking in, you know, what Disney had with power aid and that kind of stuff along the ways. And, you know, my niece is getting me a bottle of coke at Animal Kingdom. Like that really saved me as well, because it kind of gave me an extra little oomph, you know, they're leaving Animal Kingdom, you know, drinking a 20-ounce Coke on the routes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's your superpower.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it is. I found out. And then the tortoise I got to pet too. That that also helped because they helped it. Yeah, outside of Animal Kingdom, they had a few animals and they had a a tortoise. And um, so I gotta got to pet him and take a selfie. So, you know, I have a pet turtle, and so I love turtles, and they're kind of like my good luck kind of charm, if you will, because the um trail I bike on when I'm training for my Iron Man's because it's long enough, um, is rural, remote. And the days I would see a turtle crossing were my best days. And I don't, it's just, it's just the thing. And so when I turned and I there was tortoise was there, I was like, this is my sign, like you're gonna do this, you know. And um, so yeah, that was kind of interesting because I had not ever, and uh the other marathons I had run at Disney, they had not had animals out like that on the backside of Animal Kingdom. I mean, at least for any races I had done. So, you know, that was new and it was exciting, and so it's awesome.
SPEAKER_01Well, Kai, we will wrap up, but I want to give you a chance. Is there anything that I didn't know to ask that you think the audience would benefit from hearing from you?
SPEAKER_00Um, it's something that I emphasized to my niece because, you know, like I said, she'd never been a runner and she was training and, you know, upset about her pace or she didn't get to, she didn't finish all of her miles for the day because she just couldn't, and or she was walking. And I said, you know, when you cross that finish line, that metal is the same no matter how you got there. Like everybody's medal is the same. It doesn't say you walked half of it, it doesn't say you ran all of it. It's the same medal and you cross that finish line. Again, it doesn't matter how long it took you, it doesn't matter how you got there, even if you crawled, like you finished and you have that metal around your neck. And, you know, that's just what I kept telling her. I'm like, it doesn't matter how you do it. And keep in mind, you've not even ever done a 5K before. Like you're jumping right in to a half marathon. So, you know, she's very high achiever as well. We all get it honestly, and she's very hard on herself as well. And, you know, just kind of helping her, you know, guide her through her training and just reminding her that, you know, like you said, a mile's a mile, however you do it. And so don't worry about how you get there. Just get there. Um, because the reward's the same, whether you're first or you're last. And at Disney, when you're last, it's a pretty amazing finish, to be honest, you know, uh, you know, because it's the biggest, it's a celebration, just like they do with the first person that crosses, which is, I think, is amazing. And everybody sticks around to cheer on those, you know, last runners. And um, and that's a big deal as a slow back of the pack runner, because, you know, I and the Iron Man's the same way. I mean, like midnight finishing, and there's still tons of people at the finish line cheering you on. The announcers still are announcing, you know, you know, your name, you're an Iron Man, you know. Um, but I've also been a part of races where like you get to the end and the last few miles and like the aid stations are closed up, like they don't even have, you know, water or anything left because they've run out, and there's like nothing. And it's it's really just heartening. Um, and so that's you know, a thing about Run Disney is how they celebrate every single person that starts and finishes their races. The same. So I love that. Just do it and finish it and be proud of yourself.
SPEAKER_01Whether you have to run, walk, or crawl, you did the same mile as the person who finished first. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I mean, marathon runners who do marathons in, you know, almost sub two hours, mind you, at this point, you know, some of the top males and the females too, they will tell you like they don't know how we seven-hour marathonners do it. They're like, I could never run that long, you know, for that long of a time. I mean, they're they actually look up to us because we are able to go for seven hours. And, you know, when they've been done for, you know, five of those hours, but then it is, it's, it is a feat because it's, you know, a long time to be on your feet. Um, so keep that in mind that, you know, the fastest marathonners in the world really look up to us slow back of the pack runners because we're able to do it for so long and sustain it for so long.
SPEAKER_01Yes. It it's amazing to see runners do the thing, keep going one foot in front of the other for seven, even eight hours at these Run Disney races. It's incredible. It's incredible. Well, Kai, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today.
SPEAKER_00Well, thank you for asking me.
SPEAKER_01This has been great.
SPEAKER_00Yep. And I look forward to many, many more months of training. We've got a lot of races to do.
SPEAKER_01We have a lot of races to do. And who knows, maybe Taylor Swift will come out with another album that we can repeat.
SPEAKER_00Yes. You know she will.
SPEAKER_01So I can't wait for it.
