Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Ep 34 - Spectating races at Walt Disney World
314 Plays1 day ago
Friends, welcome to episode 34. This week, we’re diving into everything you need to know about spectating a runDisney race. Whether you’re supporting a loved one or just want to be part of the magic, we’re sharing our personal tips on the "who, what, when, where, and why" of cheering. We talk about the legendary Main Street moment, how to track your runners, and why it’s so important to stick around and cheer for everyone—especially the runners at the back of the pack.
We also have a very special (and very tiny) guest joining us in the studio today—meet June, our new puppy! Plus, catch up with our good friend Trevor who race his first half marathon at Walt Disney World Marathon a few weeks ago. You're gonna love this one and we're so glad you're joining us!
Recommended
Transcript
Joy of Cheering at Disney Races
00:00:00
Speaker
One of the most fun and meaningful things you can do is cheer for runners at a run Disney race. Today we're going to talk about our experiences and share some tips for spectating a race.
Meet the Hosts: AJ and Erica
00:00:17
Speaker
Hey there friends, welcome to episode number 34 of One More Run, the podcast. My name's AJ, this is Erica, and we have a special little friend on her lap if you're watching the video. You want to introduce who's sitting on your lap over
Introducing June, the New Puppy
00:00:29
Speaker
there? Yes. So if you can see her, she's finally asleep now. This is June. Yeah. How old is June? June is nine weeks old and she is our new Cavapoo.
00:00:40
Speaker
and She only weighs six pounds now, but she should get to about 20. And so we we've invited her to the podcast. Yes. So you probably won't hear much from her. And if you're watching the video and she disappears at some point, it's probably because she woke up, didn't want to live here anymore.
Loss and New Beginnings
00:00:55
Speaker
right So if like you're watching a video and all of a sudden Erica doesn't have a dog in her lap,
00:00:59
Speaker
that's that's what happened um we got june last weekend uh because unfortunately we had this sad uh event of we lost our dog that we had shoot i'm already crying we had we lost our dog we had for 10 years and it was uh it was a pretty quick decline in her health and all that so we had to uh make a really tough choice and um gosh i'll talk about it later in our in our training update or whatever but That was a hard thing. So we rebounded as fast as we possibly could. And hello to a new puppy keeping us up in the middle of the night. This is June. So anyway, yes if you if you see June in in the podcast recordings or wandering around the studio, that's where she is.
00:01:41
Speaker
Yep. With that out of the way, Erica, let's talk about today's episode. Yes. Of course, as we always do, we talk about the goal of the podcast and that is to help you guys feel inspired and confident, prepared for the
Spectating at Disney Races: Experience and Logistics
00:01:51
Speaker
things, right? And today we're going to talk about spectating a race, which believe it or not, before we'd ever done it, I had a million questions about- Me too. How and when and where and all that, and we weren't even running that race. And I had a million questions. I actually was potentially as nervous or more nervous to spectate the race from a logistics standpoint. i was as well. Yeah. And now on the other side, right? We're like, oh, okay, we'll do this again. We won't do that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And we wanted to share that information. Yeah. Right? So we'll talk about the Disney World races and how to spectate in case you're going to do a race but not some other races and you're like, you know what? I want a spectator. or you're going to support somebody. Right.
00:02:28
Speaker
This is your episode. Yep. We're going to talk about... all of that today. And of course, we always read a review at the beginning of the podcast. We do this because it's so encouraging for us. But then, you know, we want to just thank you guys. Like you take the time to go on there, put your thoughts down. And it means so much to us. We want to give you like a little spotlight for a second to say, yeah hey we we hear you.
00:02:48
Speaker
We appreciate it. And we love you so much. So um who's our podcast, Apple podcast review from today? Yes. So this one comes from Cody Krantz and it's titled Perfection. Recently discovered this podcast as I'm training for my first Run Disney event. AJ and Erica are relatable, passionate, and knowledgeable when it comes to all things Run Disney.
00:03:07
Speaker
This is exactly the podcast I was looking for. Thank you. Awesome. That was really nice, Cody. Thank you. Yeah, I've messaged back and forth with Cody a little bit, and I can't remember right now what races and whatever Cody's doing, but super excited to have you as part of this journey with us. So yeah thanks for leaving us a review. and Thanks for listening.
00:03:22
Speaker
Yeah, 100%. If you guys don't mind, leave
Listener Feedback and Future Guests
00:03:25
Speaker
us a review. It really helps other people find the show. And you can do that on Apple Podcasts. Erica, did you know you can comment on Spotify? We've been doing this for six months. I had no idea you could do that. I found some comments. No, I did not know that. Yeah, on Spotify. Did not know you could do that. I need to see those. so well maybe we'll start integrating those. Yeah, for sure we should. Because you can't leave a review on there. But anyway, they're called comments. Yeah, we should. So i sorry if you've left one and you're like, wow, really don't care about it I know. That's terrible. I did not know that you could. Yeah. And so maybe we'll incorporate those soon.
00:03:57
Speaker
Okay. Perfect. Okay. So next week we're going to talk with a special guest. Yes. I'm excited. Like as as a point of recording now, we actually haven't recorded it yet. Sometimes we record with someone in advance and then we say, hey, so-and-so so is coming up, but we've already actually had the conversation. We have not yet. And like my, what do you call it? Like my my jitters, my excitement level is pretty high. Yeah. Devin from Fit Fab Dopey is coming on the podcast. You might also know her. Oh, I know her Zippity DT's. That's right. I mean, I know her from both, but I love her from Zippity DT's. Yeah. So Fit Fab Dopey is her Instagram account and whatever. We're going chat with her. She's done, run Disney now for 10 years. And so she's got, I mean, it's like four dopey's and I mean, she's just like her experience level is like way up here. And so we're going talk to her and then Zippity DT's you love. Yeah, I wear their stuff all the time when we record this podcast and we go to race weekends. Right. Yeah. And I know a lot of y'all do. So we're going chat with Devin. So excited to have her on the podcast, learn from her, learn more about some of just the stuff she's working on. I'm hoping to get some inside secrets, you know, on Zippity DTs and maybe i I don't know. I'm hoping that my princess order arrives before we record with her so I can wear the new shirt. Oh, yeah. You have a couple of days. I do, yes.
00:05:08
Speaker
Hopefully it does. It's been shipped already. Oh, yeah, maybe. Yeah.
Balancing Responsibilities with Race Participation
00:05:12
Speaker
We're going to talk all about Devin, but we're also going to talk really that idea of balancing all the things, right? Like that's the topic because she's running multiple businesses, family, and she's been doing this for 10 years. So it's not like she ran two races and we can talk her about balancing life. She's done this for so long. Right, right, right. So anyway, that's the topic next week. Don't miss it. Anything else, Erica, in terms of just like housekeeping podcast stuff? June is finally asleep over there on your lap, which is wonderful. Yeah, moving or breathing. Yeah. This is the position I will stay in the entire time. That's where arm's going to tired. Great. Should we move on to today's topic of spectating? Yep, totally.
00:05:48
Speaker
uh for the first time we're going go who what when where why and how we've never done that on the podcast before like usually we we have our you know we talk about like the tips and whatever and then we do the good and the bad and then we do the running it back and we might do some of those too but we're going to do the who what when you remember in school yep the five w's and an h sometimes is that what they used to call it did you guys call it yeah the five w's five w's yeah But we're not going to do them in that order because what is more important than than some of the others. So we're going to define spectating to start off. How about I go first? Yeah, totally.
00:06:18
Speaker
but Bottom line, spectating, you might hear it called cheering. And of course, Disney has to add in the Disney levelness and the cheer that has an ear in the E-A-R. Yes. So cheering at a run Disney race is basically where you actively watch, support, or cheer for participants from the sidelines of the course. And really you're there to like provide motivation, right? Like an encouragement. And so that's really what it is, is you are on the sidelines. This is not from your hotel room. This is not sending texts from home or whatever. Like this is actively watching, engaging, and and cheering for folks. yeah And it's pretty different.
00:06:53
Speaker
At least my experience, it's pretty different at Disney, Erica. what What makes it different at Disney than compared to some of the other races we've done, which other races have really great spectators. like I'm not saying that, right? Like the spectating is is as good, right it's different. Yeah. Right. How's it different? Yeah, I would
Culture and Motivation of Disney Race Spectators
00:07:10
Speaker
say that the spectators are there for everybody, not just their specific runners. So, you know, there's going to be cast members backstage. There are family members, you know, on Main Street. But yeah, everyone's just cheering everybody on. Correct. You definitely get that run Disney feel, family feel.
00:07:25
Speaker
Sure, I did a half marathon up in North Georgia one time, and I saw plenty of people spectating the race, but they were kind of looking down the the race course looking for their runner. Yeah, they weren't really cheering for us specifically. And they might you know occasionally be like, hey, good job, runner. Right, but they weren't like...
00:07:41
Speaker
I feel like run Disney basis where they they are there for everybody. Right. And we, and it is loud. We latched onto that pretty quick. I don't think we were prepared for it when we spectated for the first time, which by the way, for context, we spectated two races this season. We did a half marathon at marathon weekend and then the 10 K at Disneyland. And we learned quickly, oh no, you don't just stand here and wait for your runner. No, you scream for everybody. That's right. Yes. Yeah, there are limited spots on the course. I think that's different than a lot of races. So yeah let's say you know New York City Marathon or something like that. The streets are lined the entire way through the whole thing. Right. right And you you cheer from your neighborhood or wherever you want to cheer from. At Disney, like one ninety...
00:08:24
Speaker
5th percent, like tiny little spot of the course is where you can cheer because the rest of it is just not accessible. Yeah. Right. So there's very specific spots and we'll talk about that. ah Getting to your spot is a challenge at Disney. Like it's its own scavenger hunt in a way. Right. Right. of figuring out How do I get there? You know, like what time does it open? What transportation do I use? And so it's not a matter of like, um we say Atlanta a lot, but like an Atlanta race, you could, as long as you know where Piedmont Park is and where to park wherever, you just pull your car up, get out of your car and walk over and stand there on the sidelines. You can't do that at a Disney race in any way. No. You have to. You have to have a plan. Yeah. A serious, serious plan. Yeah.
00:09:05
Speaker
Yeah. I think that's why the main street moment is so special for me because of all the spectators, because they're not everywhere else on the race course. And so, you know, there, there they are on main street on that magical moment. You've got the castle, you've got them cheering for you. It's the loudest on main street. I feel like, sure and so, yeah, it's, it's really special.
00:09:24
Speaker
Also, there's like a community aspect that happens with the other um spectators that are there. You know, you're waiting for your runner, they're waiting for their runner and you're, Before you know it, you all are like sharing like, well, what races have your family members been in? And these are the ones that we've been to and, you know, whatever. And so um and then, of course, in true Disney fashion, like everyone, you know, will say, well, tell me when your person's coming and I'll move back and you can take my spot. You know, and just we talk about how ren Disney is such a family feel. And there really is that family feel even among the spectators.
00:09:54
Speaker
Yeah. I think it's important as a spectator to know that, let's use Main Street as an example because you just said it, is that on the half marathon, the runners have been five and a half miles without seeing a spectator yet. Right, right. And so they've put in the work and now all of a sudden they turn this corner and there's a wall of them. Right. And so that's why it's like so, to your point, so special on Main Street. And then there's no spectators for a while. And then yes all of a sudden you come around and at the TTC, the Ticketing and Transportation Center, there's another just massive group of them. Right. And you come through really quick.
00:10:26
Speaker
And then, oh man, if it's the marathon, now you got a long way to go. Yes. And you see more of them, you know? Right, yeah. And so again, I think some other races, the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta is the world country's largest 10K. We did that. There were spectators from the beginning to the end. Right. And it was almost, which was awesome, but it was almost overstimulating. Yeah. Because the whole time, all you hear was people screaming, Right, right. Run Disney, you got some miles where you're alone.
00:10:54
Speaker
yeah And so I agree with you that those are, those are special. Yeah. um Okay. So let's talk about why, why would you um want to spectate? Right. Especially yeah if maybe you're not running in any of the races that weekend or whatever, what are some reasons you would want to spectate any distance of a race? Yeah, definitely. So, I mean, it's just a way to celebrate the hard work and training that your runner and that the other runners have put in. um You know, this is the time where, know,
00:11:19
Speaker
They're basically just celebrating all that they've done. And, you know, you want to be a part of that. It's a special moment. The hard work they've done for months. Right. Yeah. Prepping. Right. As a spectator, I believe, like, let's say we cheered for our friend Trevor specifically. I mean, that was like the pinnacle moment for us of support. Right. Like we text him the whole way. We checked in on all the things. Right. went on runs with him. But this was like that moment of like, you did it. Yeah. And so, yeah, supporting your runner is important. But I think it's really important to provide that energy and encouragement and everything for all the runners. Totally. Like we just said, that Main Street moment whatever only happens because everybody cheers for everybody. Right. It's not just a group of silent people waiting for their runner. Yes. And then you hear one guy be like, Hey, John, way to go. And then that's it. You hear the whole thing. think that's important. Yeah. And there's a lot of people that are there without friends and family and they need cheering on as well. If someone goes to a race solo because they're trying to accomplish a big thing and they just, for what any number of reasons, they're there by themselves. That spectator that they don't know cheering for them a big deal. man, that means so much. I still remember spectators from 2016. Yes. Yeah, it's important.
00:12:29
Speaker
Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, who can Erica? Anybody can. Yes. Anybody can spectate. You do not have to be a runner. Uh, I mean, and literally anybody, you don't have to be registered. Nope. You don't have to have a park ticket. Right. Yeah. Uh, there's are some scenarios in the marathon where you do, but you could have nothing to do with the run Disney race. Right. And you're allowed on main street from 5 AM to 7 30. Yeah. Who should, in your opinion, everybody should. Oh, everybody. Yes. Okay. It's such a special time. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I just, I don't know. I mean, I know I'm an encourager, but like I get so much out of seeing people come around that corner on Main Street, especially that, you know, you can tell on their face they weren't sure if they were going to able to make it and be able to cheer them on, celebrate them and maybe call them out in some way. Like, Ren Disney does names on bibs. They're tiny now, but yeah, like yelling at someone's name or their costume or whatever, eye contact, like, yeah, it's good. Yeah.
00:13:27
Speaker
Everyone should do it at least once. You keep saying Main Street, which is because it's like so awesome. Yes. whatever There are other places. yeah so Yeah. So who, like, should you, like, let's say a race doesn't go down Main Street, right? Like, is it still worth it? Yes. A thousand percent. It is. it Yeah. They need it maybe even more. Right. Because they're not looking at this iconic castle. Right. Yeah. They're not having the Main Street moment. Yeah. Yeah. no Yeah. For sure. Who do you think is going to enjoy spectating? Like, what type of personality type or any anything you can think of? Who's going to enjoy it the most?
00:13:55
Speaker
I mean, I clearly enjoy it because I like to to champion people on, you know, I like to cheer them on and and celebrate their big wins. But I think that even if that doesn't come naturally to you, you may be pleasantly surprised. You may find that, you know, it kind of encouraged you to encourage them. That's right. Yeah. What do you think about kids? Like, let's say, you know, young kids or whatever. Is it for a family, you know, like a dad is cheering on mom's running the race, dad, two kids. Like, is it for that? yeah What are your thoughts? So I think for sure, like it's super special. Just be aware that you may be waiting for a long time, especially if it's like the marathon. and We saw several families. So I would just say, you know, like you do when you take your kids on a plane, bring some activities and snacks for them. But sure but I think as a parent to have your kids there to cheer you on, that would be really special. I know when Addy Churches on at our local race, like I was shocked and cried bunches of times. but um But yeah, I mean, I think as long as they have something to do to keep them entertained. Yeah.
00:14:51
Speaker
That is special, but it is a long time to wait. There's a lot of hurry up and wait. Yes. Yeah. of that. What about, I'm just throwing out categories of people just, you know, if people are considering it, what about like, um, grandparents, right? Like yeah maybe just, you know, being out in the cold and in the, whatever, standing for a long time. That's a lot, right? Yeah. Is it for, you know, grandma and grandpa to come out and and cheer or not? Like, what do you think? Maybe like if they can wait till like, maybe i wouldn't say not don't go out at 2 a.m., but maybe, you know, be around for the finish line moment where they can sleep in at their hotel. oh yeah.
00:15:23
Speaker
Casually stroll up to the Epcot parking lot, you know, like for the end moment. It's pretty crowded there. So like I would say if you've got grandma and grandma coming, like they probably need. their support section two where like someone's saving them some seats. Right. Or you know what I mean? Whatever. Not because they're not physically able to be there, but it is a long time and you do have to kind of, you know, hold down a position. um but But back to the community element, if you need anything, if you need my spot, Yeah. You can have it. You know mean? Like whatever. And I think that would be true too. Yeah. And in any scenario is like, you want to do that for anybody, but especially, you know, maybe someone that's, you know, they're more fragile and they're out there at the cold in the morning to see their runner. Yeah. Give them some extra support, even if you don't know them. Right. Yeah. Would be, would be my thought. Last thing, like let's say you're a friend. You live two hours away. You know i mean? Should you make that drive early in the morning? You don't have to, you're not a hotel stay and all all that. Is it worth it? I think so. Yeah. I say surprise them. That would be really, that would be really cool. I think when you show up for somebody and especially if they're not expecting it, like that just speaks volumes. Yeah. So that means a lot to them, I'm sure. Totally agree. Anybody you think wouldn't enjoy it?
00:16:32
Speaker
I mean, I guess if you like don't like if you have a really hard time handling the cold and you don't want to stand for a long time. What if you don't like Disney? o What's wrong with you? No, I'm just kidding. No. um It's not overly Disney-fied? No, it's not.
00:16:49
Speaker
No. Okay. No. I don't know. My answer is going to be everyone should do it. Everyone should it. Period. I think I- Make whatever accommodations you need, but you should come out and do it. Yes. Yeah. You need to overcome whatever inconvenience or fear or whatever in an effort to support your runner or runners you don't know. Yeah. Because it really does mean a lot. It does, yes. To them. Yep.
00:17:11
Speaker
right.
Logistics of Tracking and Supporting Runners
00:17:12
Speaker
So that was a lot about the who let's talk about the when. Yes. It is going to be early in the morning. Same thing as the runners. So you are going to go to Epcot at the start of the race and then sort of like disperse from there, but bright and early. I mean, you're, you can potentially wait a little bit, but not much. I mean, you're pretty much getting on the bus with the runners. Cause the buses stopped running at a certain point. Right. And so you don't want to miss that. Cause then you'll be driving your car and then you can be dealing with road closures. Right. No, no. Thank you. Which means you can't you can drive your car. yeah Yeah. That's not an issue. Right. I say commit to it as if you're like a runner.
00:17:46
Speaker
Absolutely. Get on the bus with the runners. Yeah. You know, use the port-a-pot or the last real bathroom like the runner. Like go, because then you know you're there. Right. Yeah. But that does mean 4 you're already at the start line. I was going to say, yeah, I think the last bus stopped running at 4 for marathon weekend. Something like that. Yeah. it is It's an early morning, but gosh.
00:18:04
Speaker
It's so much fun. It really is. Just treat it like it is fun. Don't treat it like, okay, what time do I have to be there? You know what? It's kind of fun. It was fun for me, especially I'm thinking specifically of marathon weekend, yeah because even after we've done so many of these races and we talk about all the things you need to know, like there's still pre-race jitters.
00:18:21
Speaker
It was fun to just like go to the race start and like be completely chill. Like, and it kind of, feel like maybe even set me up well for marathon the next day because yeah I was like, We did this yesterday and I wasn't even running and it was totally fine. Yeah. Yeah. If you're if you don't plan on running or whatever, that doesn't apply to you, you know? But if you are running another race that weekend, and you'd be amazed at what you see yeah and experience and whatever. Right. When you're not freaking out. Right. Yeah. We went over and got our wetzel pretzel after we said goodbye to our runner because we had time. Got it, went over and I just stood there. Yeah. Just like drinking coffee calmly. Drinking a coffee, eating Wetzel pretzel. Not thinking, where's the next port-a-potty? Or, oh my gosh, the start line's going close, blah, blah, blah. You know, because you're always in a hurry. Yeah. And so it was wonderful. Yeah, it was nice. Yes. You could, you're right. You could cut it close, get there at the last second. Right. My opinion, it's not worth the extra 30 minutes of sleep or whatever. Just go. Just go, yeah. Um, you're going to want to do some basic math and I can give you an example here in a second, but the based off where you want to spectate from. Right. And so I'll give you the, the, cause most people want to expectate at, um, Main Street, yeah right. For a half or full marathon or whatever. So I'll give you like the, and this could be for any spot. I'll give you the magic kingdom example. Right. So you kind of want to know two things. You want to know do
00:19:41
Speaker
how far it is, right? And how fast your runner is. Right. So we use the princess half marathon as an example. Main street in that race and here in a couple of weeks is good is at miles five and a half. So we're going to take that and we'll just say like the runner I plan to watch or the group of runners or whatever, they're running a 12 minute pace. And let's say they're going out of Corral C, right? So that's 66 minutes to get there. That is their pace times the distance. 12 minutes, five and a half miles, that's 66 minutes. And then the delay of going out of Corral C and they might stop for some characters. Or if it's you, Erica, you're going to stop for the bathroom. You know I At that point, I should expect to see my runner somewhere around like 90 minutes into the race from when the race started. yeah So I don't have to rush. right right Or I might have to rush. my runner's going out of corral if i'm if i'm uh cheering you on then i'm better hurry up yeah yeah and so or let's say you know your correct your runner is doing dead last start they're at the very back yep they're walking the whole thing right right you might as well just be like you know what let everyone else have a spectating spot totally i'm gonna come in and not interrupt them and whatever now all of this in light of we said cheer for everybody yes If your goal is to cheer for everybody, get there, cheer for as many people as possible. to This example, of course, is if you're tracking your husband or your mom or whoever. yeahp Does that make any sense? Yeah, totally. All right. So that kind of gives you a general idea of where someone might be, but there are ways that you can actually track your runner, yeah like for more specifics. So if you are friends with them and they, you know, give you permission, you can use the Find My Friends app, which will show you pretty much exactly where they are. Sure. Life360, any of those. yeah Yeah. Any of those things. Um, also in the digital event guide, there is a link to the track shack website, which as your runner crosses, like the 5k mark and the 10k mark, it will show you sort of where they're at. So that one's a little less specific, but still, you know, gives you a better idea than just going by their mile time. So.
00:21:41
Speaker
Right. And that one is like a, you can put in any bib number right or name, right? Yes. So it doesn't have to be someone you came with. Correct. yeah and But again, you're not going to like be like, oh, they're standing in front of Pirates of the Caribbean right now. Right. Yeah. It's like, hey, we're predicting based off how long it took them to get to the 5K mark. This is when they should be right to the 10K mark or the point that you're standing. Right.
00:22:03
Speaker
In theory. In theory. Yeah. I like find my friends a lot better. Yeah. Right, but you have to know them and they give you permission and all that stuff for sure. But that is way helpful. That's how I knew Princess last year. I was standing in line and I'm like, I'm going check and see where, oh my gosh, Erica's right behind me. Because they're fine my friends. Right, yeah. You know what mean? that's always good one. I would say if the crowd is thinning out and you can,
00:22:26
Speaker
I would say stick around. Totally. For the other runners. Now, I understand that that's if you're trying to see your runner at specific points or whatever and you're in a hurry. We were in a very big hurry to get from the Magic Kingdom to the TTC to see our friends.
00:22:40
Speaker
So we booked it, right? yeah But we also knew we left behind a huge crowd of people at the Magic Kingdom. So it's not right like that. Right. And I'll tell you where this came into play. Was it Disneyland? Mm-hmm. Okay, you're nodding. yeah Yes, yes. Do you want to explain? no, go ahead. No, like we saw everyone that we had come to see. Right. And we had nowhere to be because you couldn't – I mean, you could go to the finish line, but – We felt compelled to stay right there because as everybody's runners went by, that person would leave. And then the next person would leave. And it just thinned way out. There weren't that many people to begin with, I felt like, in the esplanade. Sure, sure. And so we just felt compelled. Like, let's stay right here. For those people that probably need the encouragement the most. Absolutely. If you can, you're not tracking someone specifically, you're not headed somewhere, or let's say don't have to be somewhere for an hour. Yeah. Hang out for as long as you can to provide that support. I feel like, like you just said, like the support is needed more for the runners at the very back. And honestly, like, because it's kind of thinned out, like you can really cheer them on specifically. So like you can make... contact. You can call out their name, you know, and, and you can tell that it means a lot to them.
00:23:51
Speaker
They don't know you. There's not a huge crowd left, but that you stayed to encourage them. So yeah, it just means a lot yeah to everybody. It's a lot of emotions there at the end. Yeah. Yep. But I also understand if you're trying to get in, you, you did it for me. You came to the end of the marathon yeah to see me at the end, yeah right? Yes. If that's your priority, do that. But if you're not headed somewhere in a hurry, yeah just stick around. Yeah. Be there for, for people. Totally. Okay. So that's really kind of the when, right? Let's talk about the where.
Prime Spectating Spots at Disney Races
00:24:19
Speaker
Yeah. So we've kind of already mentioned this, but you can't really just show up and cheer from the side of the road. No. There are a few designated spots and we're going to talk about each of these sort of individual races and get into the nitty gritty. But... But yeah, you have to have a plan really before you correct show up Yep. yeah Yeah. Yeah. That's exactly right. I think that's like the the thing with Disney just in general. Right. Parks, cruise. It doesn't matter what is. You need a plan. Right. Yes. Okay. So let's go kind of race by race. yeah Some of them are really simple. Yeah. Whatever. Let's get Disneyland out of the way because those are those are on a pause. And we just did it. So Disneyland, really you have ah the Esplanade, right which is the spot between DCA and Disneyland. Right. Right. It was like a tons of space to cheer. You could also do the start-finish line. Yes. You know, we did not. But like every race, you can always cheer from the start and the finish. Right. That's always an option. Yeah. um But really at Disneyland, the only spot that you could really do that ah for the 5K and the 10K was in the Esplanade. Then in the half marathon, the city streets were wide open. Yeah.
00:25:24
Speaker
And that was, i mean, unlike everything we just said of whatever, like all the Disney World races, you could just be on the side of right Catella. Show up. Or Cerritos Boulevard. you know what mean? You could. Yeah. do that but again the disneyland races are are kind of on a break um so let's talk disney world this is the the ones that probably is going to apply the most for everybody and so you can always you know cheer from a start finish line of any race and the 5k which we have not done yet we have not cheered that but that's your only option yeah because there are no spectating spots for a walt disney world at least current time it's 2026 you there is nowhere on the course that you can cheer for yeah and the race is honestly so fast that i'm not sure how you would right how you would get there anyway yeah you know
00:26:05
Speaker
That's not to say there's not cast members on the course. Oh, yeah, for sure. And there's not support on the course. Yes. I'm saying you as the average person right you know cannot just walk in. Right, yeah. Any thoughts on that before we talk about 10Ks? No. 10Ks is kind of the same thing, start and finish line. um But and and a lot of this is going to depend on the race, right, and and if they change the route. But on the 10Ks, the boardwalk,
00:26:31
Speaker
resort guests that already have access to the boardwalk that don't need any sort of transportation to get there. They can cheer you on. yeah You know what the bummer is about the boardwalk though? I mean, it's still good to support them, but you you know what the bummer is. Well, it's the quiet zone, right? That's exactly right. They're like it's quietly cheering you on. Yeah. It's 5.30 in the morning, right? yeah And there's no cowbells. yeah no what if They're like, hey,
00:26:54
Speaker
great job, you're doing a Yes, yes. It's so funny because there are some spectators, but you just hear the the feet pattern. Right, yes. Because there's no music. Nope. There's nothing. You just hear all all on that boardwalk. Yep,
00:27:09
Speaker
so Okay, so let's talk about marath ah half marathons. And there's different courses here. So yeah the course that you're most likely going to like have here hear people say they cheered for a race or you're going to want to cheer is at the Magic Kingdom. And that happens at marathon weekend and princess weekend. Yeah. Those are the two weekends that have a half marathon that goes through the Magic Kingdom. So that course goes by the Grand Floridian right now. Oh, right, yeah. If you're a resort guest, you can cheer at the at their Grand Flow, yeah right?
00:27:39
Speaker
I'm sure someone who has not staying there has found a way to get there. without getting in trouble or without causing any whatever, I'm sure. Yeah. But it's not like officially listed as like a, anybody can spectate here. Right. So main street is where pretty much everybody wants to cheer from. totally Everybody's on one side of main street. You kind of have to,
00:28:01
Speaker
Fight for position or make friends quick. Yeah. Or get there really early and hold down your spot, you know, um all the way down Main Street. It's wonderful. Yeah. I would highly recommend at some point in your life cheering on Main Street. Yeah. But you can also cheer from the TTC, the Ticketing and Transportation Center.
00:28:19
Speaker
ah We did both. Mm-hmm. but it was a little challenging. You remember like we had to like rush on the monorail to get there and that was a, we barely made it, you know? I would say, and most people probably agree with this, it's one or the other. Right. Right. For for races that go through there. And then if you're staying at the contemporary, it's kind of the same thing as a Grand Floridian. You can cheer from there. There's not very many spectators there. Like can you remember like a memorable moment going past the contemporary? really i mean, I remember seeing spectators, yeah but it's not like a big moment. Right. No, no, I would agree with that. Great. um There are Walt Disney World half marathon or the 10 miler for springtime surprise. That is a different course. Those two courses are similar right now for wine and dine and springtime surprise. It's a different half marathon or 10 miler course. Mm-hmm. Unless they change it on me, that one doesn't have all those kind of spots that you can cheer from. And I never really thought about that, Erica, until was making these notes. yeah When we ran Wine and Dine, it was a silent course for the most part. Yeah, for the most part. I hadn't really thought about that. yeah I do like the course, but like you don't have those big, not only do you not have the castle, you don't have that big moment of spectators. Right, right, right. So it's start, finish line like every race. But then it was the boardwalk was where they were. But again, quiet zone. Yeah.
00:29:38
Speaker
Again, if they change the course, fine. You get the random spectator that somehow found a way into like- The back of a parking lot or something. Yeah. When you're coming into Epcot, there's like three people and you're like, how did you get here? How did you get here? Yeah. Yeah. And so, yes. But in terms of like what's publicly available, Disney says you can go here. Those courses don't have as many options. Yeah.
00:30:00
Speaker
um Okay. And then lastly, I know this is like very detailed, but the Walt Disney World Marathon, I think is one that most people want to spectate their, you know, their runner because it's obviously a big deal, right you know, all that stuff. And there's the most spots. So I'm just going to go through this really quickly. Yep.
00:30:16
Speaker
And if you have any comments, Erica, chime in. And I'm going to kind of go go in order. So start line, of course. We went through all of Epcot and whatever. We come out of there like three or four miles in. And there was a bunch of people at the Epcot bus loop. And I don't think that's an official spot that Disney says you can do that, but it's easy to get to because you just take the bus, right? Yeah, totally. i got a power up right there from yeah somebody. yeah And so the the Epcot bus loop worked, the Grand Floridian, just like on the half marathon for sure. Main Street, of course, it means a ton. And it's later in the race yeah for the marathon. I think it's like mile nine or something like that. yeah The TTC, of course, the contemporary, of course, right? Then there's some spots where you're going to need a park ticket right if you want to spectate. yeah But if you have an annual pass or a park ticket because you're there for the weekend or whatever, I highly recommend cheering on your runner in any of these spots yeah because they mean like double.
00:31:10
Speaker
right right yeah because your runner's exhausted so tired they really need or everybody's exhausted right and that's the animal kingdom right you can go in the park and they have it you know coned off where the course is and whatever and you can stand there and just scream as loud as you want yeah i mean it i i love spectators in animal kingdom yeah and you really need it because you're like you do you're so tired i know Yeah. Hollywood studios, same thing. We don't, on the marathon, current marathon course, we don't spend a lot of time in there, yeah but you come down that sunset Boulevard wear and it feels just like main street yep where it's like just a wall of people, you know, and that's where we saw Aaron and Tricia. I saw Aaron and Tricia on the, on that spot. And so again, you need a park ticket, but that really helps. That's mile 23 or something. Mm-hmm. Once you come out of Hollywood Studios, like kind of by the front entrance and the Skyliner is coming over, over you don't need a park ticket. You can cheer from there. Yeah. And there are a bunch of people there. Yeah, totally. Which really nice. Yeah. um And a bunch of confused people that are coming off the Skyliner, off the bus, and they're like, ah it's going what's happening here? Yeah. um all the way through kind of like the international squeeze way if you don't know what that is like that's the the pathway from uh hollywood studios over to epcot there's scattered people kind of through there but then the boardwalk again yeah is just tons of pack tons of people there and then if you have a park ticket you can cheer inside of epcot i loved that on this most recent one because those people knew that i was on mile 25 you know and they were screaming whatever their hype was great bummer you have to have a park ticket to cheer right there right yeah and then of course the finish line and the finish line has that final turn and you know you can just give it all you've got yeah it's very crowded right there especially on the marathon but the finish line of course who that was a lot on the where a lot of detail And I know we say this all the time, check your digital event guide for the race you're running because it is in there. Yes. That is free information. Anybody on the internet can access that. Any recommended spots, Erica, that you would say based off of kind of having been a runner and a spectator that you're like, Yeah, go to one or two or this or that. Or, you know, is the start line important to you, Erica, as a runner? Like, you know, like no any opinions. Yeah, the start line is not important. i I'm like aware of the fact that there are people sitting there as we come around that first little turn. But no, that's not ah that's not a thing for me. I would say the the most important parts out of all of our races for me have definitely been Main Street. Yes. Definitely the animal kingdom, like you were talking about, like the back half of the marathon. I mean, that's when, like you said, you're just exhausted and you need that encouragement. And then of course, I just love like that last curve as people are coming out, you know, near the finish line. Like that's also because you're tired and you're just at that point, you know, I don't care who you are. You're like, I'm giving it all I got, you know, I'm just going to run as hard as I possibly can. And so to have that encouragement from people as you come around the shoot, that's important.
00:34:06
Speaker
So. I agree. Yeah, we glazed over the start line, you know, as an option. And I agree with you that as a runner, you're so overstimulated, worried about your fuel, worried about starting your watch, not getting trampled. Yes. That you have no idea. No. Yeah. i would say don't waste your time there. You appreciate the energy. Yes. That some of the spectators are giving, but you can't see your person. You're not going to stop for your person. No. You know, like any of that. Yeah, no.
00:34:32
Speaker
Okay, so super short section here, Erica, now that we've kind of gone through the what and the when and the where and all that, whatever, is kind of the how. And I think there's really only one big thing here on the how is understanding the getting around part of it, the transportation. And we keep saying you can't just drive your car and pull over on the side of the road or whatever.
00:34:49
Speaker
So the big how thing here is that you want to go to Epcot. You want to, yeah whether you take the Disney bus or run Disney bus there or you drive, you want to start at Epcot for almost every race. The only exception there would be like if you're doing, you're only going to cheer at the back half of the marathon, you know, at Animal Kingdom, then sure, you can drive there. But for almost all the races, you want to get to Epcot and dispatch from there. And the thing there is you're going to take the monorail. Yeah. Right. So you can cheer from the star line if you want, if you're going to go to main street, if you're going to go to the TTC, um, if you're going try and sneak in a hotel or whatever, then you're going to need to go through the monorail, right? Take the monorail, literally, the express one goes straight to the magic kingdom. Well, no, goes through the TTC to the magic kingdom. You go, you cheer, you do whatever you're going to at the magic kingdom or the TTC. You take the monorail back if you're going to try and catch the finish line or just go back and get in your car and whatever. I think that was one of the things I didn't understand before we started spectating was that's how you get around. Yeah. Right. The Skyliner's not open. The Disney resort buses won't start running for, you know, a while. So like on the half marathon whatever, that's not going to help you. But on the full marathon, you could take a Disney resort bus, you know, like our friend Lexi cheers from Coronado. Mm-hmm.
00:36:04
Speaker
she could take a resort bus yeah from Epcot to Coronado Springs at whatever time she's wanting to get there. Does that make any sense? Yep. Great. Okay, so that's the how. Let's talk about some tips. These are just random things that we learned based off our experience that would help, I think,
00:36:21
Speaker
Anybody? Yeah. You know, just have a better experience. Yeah. Any tips you want to throw out there? Totally. So I would say the biggest one is bring some sort of noisemaker with you. Okay. Like a cowbell or even one of those little like party blower things. Like yeah you don't realize that when you're screaming for people for hours on end, like how quickly your voice is going to go. So, yeah right and you don't want to be quiet because you want to encourage everyone that comes by. so I found that I would cheer and cheer and cheer and then I'd just need a break. Right. Yeah. And as soon as I stopped, I'm like, well, now it's too quiet. Right. And so I'd kind of look at you like, hey, can you pick up the slack? But you've been cheering too. Right. Right. So yeah.
00:36:58
Speaker
Just have something if you don't to be yelling. Some sort of noisemaker. Yeah. You know, for sure. I say bring snacks. Oh, yeah. I had my backpack with me and I did. Well, after the Wetzel pretzel. Yeah. ah You know, an hour or so later, I just kind of hungry. Yeah. You don't want to get hangry. Right. And to be all mad about that. And then we mentioned that, um you know, you got coffee. Yep. They have food trucks in the in the Epcot area or whatever. So, yeah you know, get it get a snack, get a coffee, make yourself happy.
00:37:26
Speaker
Yeah. Right. to Come in fueled. I would also say that you want to bring um layers, wear layers, because the runners are moving, but we are not. So you might be a little bit colder than you anticipated. sure And then as the sun comes up, you know, if you're there for a long run, yeah it starts to heat up. So wear layers and also wear comfortable shoes yep because you'll be standing on concrete most likely for several hours. And so just some things to keep in mind so that you're happy while you're cheering people on.
00:37:53
Speaker
That's right. And then I would say be prepared to be friendly and chat with people. Even if you're an introvert, just know that you're going have much better experience. No one's going to look at you like a weirdo. You know what I mean? If you're like, hey, what's your runner wearing? Nobody's going to, you know, whatever. Not only did we like chat with people about like- you know when our runner was coming or hey if your runner's coming let us know like um i learned this you know didn't know i didn't know this is gonna be a thing but i learned that people would be like what's your runner wearing or what's their what's their name yeah and i was like what why you know what mean like that's what i thought but i didn't say it they're like i want to cheer for right when they come through i'm like oh his name is yeah and you know what i mean like yeah and so yeah like um Then you got like 10 people screaming, go Trevor. So Disneyland, same thing. The folks who were standing next to us, I'm like, you know, his wife and his daughter were running. great, are they wearing? So when they came through, it wasn't just them cheering for them. Now they had, like you just said, a cheer section. Yes. You've just said, what are they wearing now? Like three times. This is another tip is make sure you know what your runner is wearing. Um, that helps so much when there thousands of people running by you. I know that like what some friends of ours, well, DCL duo from last week. Um, yeah, we knew that they were wearing Judy and, and, uh, Nick. Yes. And so I was looking for his lime green shirt and her ears and that really helps. So anybody that you want to cheer on specifically, just know what they're wearing. Yeah. I had a picture of them on my phone because they posted a picture on Instagram at start. And I just kept forgetting, like, was he wearing green or orange, green or orange, green or orange? had the picture on my phone. Just like pulled up. Every once in a while, I would look be like, okay, it's this here. Okay. So yeah, knowing what they're wearing is definitely helpful for sure. It's really helpful in their not running on theme because some of the folks we were looking for, they were running the theme. Right. You know, the Sorcerer Mickey. There's like at least a thousand Sorcerer Mickey. You're just like, great. I'm looking for a Sorcerer Mickey. Yeah. Yeah. If there's something real specific about their costume, like any specific thing to your runner is helpful. Correct. Yeah. Absolutely. Any other tips before before the next section? No, I think it. As a runner. Mm hmm.
00:40:07
Speaker
what are what What are the best spectators, right? Like yeah from your perspective, when you're running, it doesn't matter at the distance of
Being a Great Spectator
00:40:14
Speaker
the race. What would you say, hey, the best runner or the best spectators are the ones who dot, dot, dot. Yeah. I would say the ones that have meant the most to me are like the people that have called up my name. Yes. That have said like, like I don't know you, but I'm proud of you. Oh, yeah. Or like, you know, way to get after your goals or whatever. Yep.
00:40:31
Speaker
Pointing at me. I don't know. Just like they make it feel like it's all about you in that moment. when When you're on mile 24 of the marathon or whatever, like you need that. You need that to keep going. Agreed. I 100% agree with you. And I would say as a spectator, it was awkward to do that. It is. But when you do it, you can tell how much it means to them.
00:40:50
Speaker
And then you do it three or four times. It's no longer awkward. Right. Yes. It's crazy how you don't care what any other spectator thinks. Right. Yeah. At that point, you're like, oh, I'm in. And I think like when you have run the race before, you know, like what, what they need, you know, how much they appreciate it. And so again, you just don't care what anybody else thinks. Yep. I love, um, spectators have the power up.
00:41:12
Speaker
Yeah. Uh, if you don't know what that is it looks like the Mario mushroom. Right. Yeah. And it doesn't have to be that, but it might be like a target or something like that. says press here for a power up. Right. Yeah. I love those. Yeah, um I just thought of something totally off topic, but it but it goes. So this week I was out for an easy run yeah and I got a hype and I legit laughed out loud. He was like, Erica, let's go, like screaming. and I'm like, this was, how I woke up June. This was exactly like what I needed at that moment. You know what i mean? And so like in that vein, like this is what the runners need when they're when they're running. And so the more obnoxious you are, honestly, the better. A hundred percent. yeah And I totally agree with that Holler Hype. if If you ever hear us talk about Hypes or Holler Hype, yes it's this cool app we've talked about on the podcast where like you you know you sign up, you join the group, we've joined the Rise and Run group, right? And when you go live, people can send you audio messages in your ear. yes It's like having a spectator it is on your training run. right yeah And it's really, the more ridiculous, the better. And so if you haven't checked out a Holler Hype, you should.
00:42:19
Speaker
yeah You should. It's spectating at home. Yeah. know I mean? It's really, really great. But if you send them, you don't have to be out in the cold. Right. You know, like you just send it from home. Sometimes I'll come down here in the studio when I see like 15 people live. Yeah. I'll come down and sit here in the studio, you know, no lights on or anything like that. Yeah. I'll just like send a bunch of hypes and it's so quiet down here. I'll be like- it's fun yes it's fun um okay so we're talking about what um the best spectators have yeah or the best spectators do i think um along the lines of like the power-ups wherever i love high fives yes and the shorter the distance the less likely that people are going to offering them right right but on the longer distances halves and full marathon whatever love a high five yeah those are those are awesome totally any other ones you want to share Some of the funny signs.
00:43:07
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Funny signs are they're um they're not as motivating as they are distracting. but Distracting. Yes, very much. If it makes you laugh and you're just get your mind off of what you're doing for sure. yeahp I like when people ah comment on my costume. I love a loud group. And so custodial shift three or whatever at Disneyland is that. They're so loud. yeah You go through with this huge grin on your face yeah because they're just so loud. The cheerleader groups or whatever, it's kind of the same thing. Screaming, they're so loud. so yeah I think best spectators are are willing to give it their all. I think that's the thing. Yeah.
00:43:44
Speaker
More than just... Good job, runners. Which is how when we talked about this in our Disneyland episode, you brought up that game of like playing the alphabet game. Yes, the alphabet. Yeah. Where you say a phrase or a cheer or something with, you know. Every letter the alphabet. Yeah. A for awesome. B for brave. C for courageous. You you keep cheering for people. Yeah. With those words. Anyway, one, it passed the time. But two, like it was kind of just silly and fun. Yeah. It was cool. So don't be afraid to be a little silly.
00:44:11
Speaker
No. I feel like you started. Everyone around you will join in. Correct. Yeah. I don't have any other tips or any other hows or any of that. Do you have anything else before we move on to the good and the bad? Nope. Great. The good and the bad. Erica, you want me to go first or do you want to go first? The bad is June's awake. June is awake. Yep. Oh, man.
Inspiration and Reflection from Spectating
00:44:29
Speaker
I'll go. The good, it feels really good.
00:44:31
Speaker
Yeah. To spectate. It obviously feels good for the runner too, but I was surprised that we'd waited so long to spectate race. You know, I'm like, oh man, why do why did we not do this sooner? Yeah. It really gives you the warm and fuzzy feels. Totally. And even if you don't know any of those folks, we went to breakfast after one of our, you know, one of those races and we just sat there and talked about all the things we saw on the course. Yeah. It was, it was really good. Totally. That's my good. Yeah. I would say another good, it's just supporting people all the way to the end. So, you know, like we said, those people that are at the end, maybe they're the ones that need it the most. Yeah.
00:45:04
Speaker
Maybe their training didn't go like it was planned or maybe they injured themselves like I did this year and they really need that encouragement and it means so much to them. So I say stick it out to the end if you can. Yeah, totally. Um, the bad, we talk about the good and the bad. Sometimes things just aren't, you know, they don't go as great as you wanted. Um,
00:45:22
Speaker
This is not really a bad, but like as a person who loves to run, was standing there both races, standing there going, they're so lucky. They're so lucky to be running out there. I would see their costumes and I would see their excitement. And all I wanted to do was like, okay, is anybody looking? Like, can I just jump out on the course? just jump on there? You know, but I don't want to be banned from run Disney, so I didn't. No, no. That would bad. But I really just, you know, it's not a bad. It was just like the only real negative feeling I had was like, I really want to be running.
00:45:50
Speaker
Yeah. But I knew that what I was doing was important. So, right I mean, I yeah got over it. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. Any bads? Yeah, the only bad I can think of is that we experienced this when we were spectating the Disneyland 10K, and that was that we had waited till the end to see everybody, you know. And we did, unfortunately, see a couple of people get swept, and that was heartbreaking for them. But um but yeah. Yeah.
00:46:13
Speaker
I think I cheered maybe the loudest for some of those folks yeah at the end. Yeah. Like positive encouragement. Yes. know Knowing on their face that that they weren't going to make it. Right. You know what I mean? But like it gave, to your point, it was really hard to do. Yes. But I feel like it might have been helpful same time. Totally. And like, we don't know their stories. And so, you know, we always tell people like, no matter the distance, whether you get to finish or not, or, you know, whatever it is, like, just be proud of what you did accomplish. The training you put in at home, the miles you did get in at the park, like we want to celebrate those things. So yeah, June's having a a field day over there. Yeah. Are you gonna be able to use any of this audio or? Yeah, because because we told everybody that June is is a puppy. Yes, she is. So if you hear June over there, she's like eight weeks old or something. Yes. So she's we're almost done with the podcast. We're almost done. We'll see if she can make it. Running it back, this I know is going to just feel redundant, but let's ah hit you know one thing you would do the same or different. Yes.
00:47:10
Speaker
Definitely the thing I would do different is bring a noisemaker. Yeah. Yes. Yep. don't Don't kill those vocal cords. no And I would say, um like we've said a bunch of times, cheer for everybody. Yep.
00:47:21
Speaker
You know? yeah Be there early before even the first runner comes through. And if you have the ability or the race works for you or whatever to stick it out to the end, yeah do that. And even if you don't stick it out the whole time, cheer for everybody that comes through. Yeah.
00:47:36
Speaker
June is getting podcast training right now. That's right. She's getting podcast training. It's part of her training. That's right.
Trevor's First Half Marathon Experience
00:47:44
Speaker
So friends, some of y'all will probably remember our good friend, Trevor. We've had him on the podcast before. um He ran his first half marathon ever at Disney with us over marathon weekend. And we are so excited to invite him back to hear all about it. Welcome back, Trevor.
00:47:58
Speaker
Thank you. It's great to be back. Big question we have. I mean, really, my main question is, how did it go? You know, now that you're a couple weeks out of, you know, it's in the past. How did it go? It went great. I mean, overall, the weekend was um exactly what I hoped it would be. It wasn't perfect. And you guys did a great job of kind of preparing me for that in the episode right before right before race weekend. It's like, you know, something is going to go wrong. It may not be exactly the way you think it'll go, but it's all good. You know, in the big picture, everything went really, really well. It was my wife and I, we came down, spent four days, culminating in my run Saturday. And then we were able to participate with you guys on Sunday, you know, which was wonderful.
00:48:36
Speaker
So ah great memories. And i really enjoyed it. Awesome. Was there anything about the experience that was different than what you expected? That's a great question. you know what? it It was a little bit more crowded than I thought it was going to be. And I think part of that was an aspect of my corral. So I was in G, which is the last corral. And I wasn't the last wave in G, but there's a lot of folks back there that were like me that were doing a run walk method. And and and I kept waiting to get to a point in the race where I was by myself, or at least I had a little more space. But frankly, it was just, there was just a lot of people around all the time. So I want to say I was I was not really prepared for that. So at the end, when you look at your distance and you're thinking it's 13.1 and it's actually a little bit more, it's because you ended up dodging and leaving yeah and things like that. So that that part was kind of surprising. But, um you know they're very well run events. And i was able to I was able to keep my pace the way I wanted to most of it.
00:49:39
Speaker
That's good. You know, we've talked about in the podcast to go run a race, any race because you train at home. Right. And there's nobody in your way. There's nobody, you know, but at all. So we, we kind of give that advice because yeah, if your first experience trying to go 13 miles on a race course is with 15,000 other people, it can be a lot. Was there anything, anything else that, um, you know, was like a, like a core memory or like, ah oh man, this was so good. Like I loved this part of it. Was there anything like that?
00:50:08
Speaker
Absolutely. I mean, there's nothing that can prepare you for entering the Magic Kingdom, um but especially when a lot of it's kind of like a four lane road, you know, as you're as you're traveling between Epcot and Magic Kingdom. There's nothing to prepare you for entering that park.
00:50:24
Speaker
And the energy in that park um from strangers alone. And then you're around the corner and you see your people, you guys, my wife. um there's There's nothing like that. It's very, very motivating. it's there's there's ah There's a wave of all kinds of different emotions. and And until you experience that, it's kind of hard to describe it. yeah But it it was awesome.
00:50:47
Speaker
I loved that moment. It felt so good. and whenever I keep saying this over and over to everyone that I talk about this experience with you. When you went flying by, and that's the right term, but you went, you um you looked like a runner. yeah like that i like We almost didn't recognize you. don't mean that in ah in a backhanded way. like I almost missed you completely because your form, your outfit, the smile on your face, you looked like you'd done this a hundred times before. It was awesome.
00:51:13
Speaker
Well, thank you. I i didn't have a costume on, but i had I had the right gear yeah and um I had walked right before. So I look like I had more energy than I actually did. After I saw you guys too. But no, i i it's true. I, in that moment, felt good. Felt really, really good. It's the energy, the adrenaline, yeah ah atmosphere of that place.
00:51:35
Speaker
And then again, seeing your people, there's a second level to that. Totally. Trevor, what was the hardest part? um The hardest part, probably the the early morning. I mean, we were prepared for that. And I you know made a conscious effort to try to get as much sleep as I could as early as I could. That is that is definitely um a real part of this.
00:52:00
Speaker
And then secondarily, the early morning, And being in the corral g you're there early to be in position, but then you're you're waiting quite some time before they actually get you going. So I think um I started running around 6 a.m., but the crowd collectively stood up.
00:52:21
Speaker
At about 430. So there's that hour and a half where everyone's just full energy, ready to go. Like, let me out of here. Almost like a bull in a bullfight. But you you're just kind of waiting. So that was challenging. that was I mean, there when you're at home, when you're doing training runs, you start running when you're ready.
00:52:38
Speaker
um But that was that was not unexpected, but definitely a challenging part of it. Yeah. Who said it recently on the podcast, Erica, we were talking to them and they said, you, you practice, like you train for the miles, but you don't train for the wake-ups. Right. you know what i mean? Or the standing in the corral or something like that. That is, that is a hard part. Any advice, Trevor, that you would have for someone who's considering signing up? They're like, Oh, I'm going to do run Disney. Or maybe they even, if they are signed up. Right. Like any advice you'd give to that first timer. I'm like, I'm imagining you six months ago, right. Or nine months ago when you made this decision to do it. What what advice would you give?
00:53:11
Speaker
It's a trust your training plan, even when it seems like it's not enough or it's too much. Just trust the training plan. um You know, try your best to carve the time out in a busy daily life um to to make that happen. and And staying on property, we ended up staying on property. That was a huge benefit, especially with the transportation.
00:53:33
Speaker
So for specifically for a run Disney event, I would definitely recommend that hard bit to someone. But someone new to running, absolutely just follow that training plan. um Don't forget about the nutrition side of it and and and try to minimize distractions when it comes time to choosing out your gear.
00:53:50
Speaker
You know, the right hat, the right backpack, the right, you know, ah earbuds, things like that. So if it's if it's bugging you on a four-mile run at home, probably want to try something else and get that completely locked down before you start doing something else. Yeah. Yeah.
00:54:05
Speaker
So Trevor, a big part of running these races is as you come around and you make that last turn, um head into the finish line. What was that like for you? that was That was right up there with Main Street. So i was I was hoping that I would see you guys one more time and and to come around that last turn and see my people one more time cheering me on. And there's so much energy from the cast members in that last stretch as well. Oh, yeah.
00:54:30
Speaker
It's amazing. I mean, that I turned off my my music, my podcast and just just enjoyed being in that atmosphere. yeah That feels amazing. Obviously, the sense of accomplishment at that point, too. And you're in the Magic Kingdom, you're halfway there and you're like, gosh, I really hope I can finish this. But now you've finished it and you're surrounded by this energy in your people. It was it was amazing. That was that was probably up there as a highlight for sure.
00:54:55
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, totally. We love that. We love that last moment. Erica told the story on a recent podcast where we're on a recap episode where we got to experience that with your daughter, Lizzie Kate. We got to. And the story there is that we're running and we're all together and we make that final turn. And I think I said, there it is. Go yeah like, let's, let's go, you know? And she went from tired to like rocket. Oh my gosh. We were in the back of her picture, like, like a 0.2 miles behind her because she took off. So it was really cool for us to so get to experience that two years ago and then get to see you do almost the same thing. Yeah, totally.
00:55:33
Speaker
It was amazing. And then the interactions that are at the end, you know, I didn't have any expectation there, but, you know, putting on that medal for the first time and everybody at that point is is still on that high of finishing and accomplishing the goal and and and accomplishing for the first time for a lot of us was iss pretty awesome. Totally. Awesome. i'm Good.
00:55:54
Speaker
Trevor, we just have to say like for the billionth time, we loved getting to cheer you on from the sidelines and especially getting to see Leanne support you. We are just so proud of you. We're proud um that you put yourself first and that you carved out the time to do this. I know that you have a crazy busy schedule. You have a big family you You know, and and you and I are helpers by nature. And so we want to give to everybody else. But we were proud of you for putting yourself first um and just following through this commitment. It was it was so great to see do it. It was it was so awesome. We're so proud of you. Thank you. I'm grateful to you guys, because to be frank, without you guys, I never would have signed up for it.
00:56:31
Speaker
If we weren't friends going into this, that's not something I would have ever done on my own. i would have missed the registration day and moved on. So um thank you for motivating me to do it. And then following all the way through to the end, I felt like I had a personal concierge the entire time. good You guys set me up for success, and I'm thankful for that. Thank you. Well, it was our joy to cheer you Oh, an honor, an honor. Yeah. All right. Big question. Everybody that comes on the podcast gets asked this question as long as they have experience with it, right? So you are now in the club.
00:57:06
Speaker
You can answer this question. Okay. Would you rather for a Disney half marathon, would you rather have the medal, the finisher medal for that half, or would you rather run down Main Street? You can only have one of those things. Which one would you rather have?
00:57:19
Speaker
Is ah the pineapple cider option three? You can have that too, but you can only choose between, yeah, yeah you have as many pineapple ciders as you want, but you can only have the metal or Main Street, not both. Which one do you choose?
00:57:31
Speaker
Well, I treasure the one metal I have because I only, it's 100% my favorite one. Yes. um That's such a tough one. i think it's I think it's the run down Main Street though. All right, Erica, another one for your team. Team Erica on that one. It's the correct answer.
00:57:47
Speaker
I'm going to say a bold statement here. Okay. I think I would give up my marathon medal from this year to see Trevor run damage. A thousand percent. I would. like Like that. That was that important to us this year. yep ah Speaks measures. Thank you. I appreciate that.
00:58:00
Speaker
We loved it. yeah Okay. Last question. Then we'll let you go is, would you do another run Disney? Like, you do you have your eye on anything? You don't have to commit to it. Like, I'm going to hold you to it, but would you, you know, you've done it. You know, everybody says Disney's for kids and then, you know, whatever, like, would you do it again? Yes or no?
00:58:15
Speaker
I would. Honestly, I'd love the thought of continuing to be motivated to stay out there and keep running because I haven't done anything since the race. um There's other reasons behind that, but for a couple of weeks I haven't and I don't want to just stop cold turkey. So ah the motivation of having another event on the horizon is is a big deal. So yes, I absolutely would consider it.
00:58:38
Speaker
Awesome. awesome So good. Thanks for joining us. One for the race and two for the podcast. we We're so proud of you, my friend. Thanks for being here today. Thank you, guys. It's a
Challenges of Training and Emotional Impact
00:58:46
Speaker
pleasure.
00:58:50
Speaker
I want to talk training updates or whatever. we did and haven't done that for a while because we've been in the middle of like racing. So we haven't had a whole lot of like training to be yeah to be honest with you because we've been back to back on races. So um let's talk a couple of training updates. Yeah. I would just say that um running has been hard since marathon. It sure has. Likely for us. um We've just had a lot going on. Family, dogs, children, all of the things. It's been...
00:59:16
Speaker
what I would consider cold here. Um, so that doesn't really help anything, but I would just say like this, our schedule has been a little bit crazy, so that's made it a little bit more challenging. I have gone out for several, like what I would call easy short runs, but not anything super long. Um, how have you felt?
00:59:34
Speaker
Obviously like external factors, right? Yeah. Like, like you just mentioned, But like, how have you felt post marathon weekend? Like I've noticed there, it's a leading question. I've noticed a lot on social media or on Holler Hype or whatever people just kind of have that like post marathon blues. Has that, has that set in for you this year or not? No, it has.
00:59:53
Speaker
I mean, probably not to the same extent that it has in years past when I've completed the marathons, but I would say that I've pretty much been in some sort of a bit of a funk. Funk is the word. Yeah. i would agree with that. Yeah. Yeah.
01:00:03
Speaker
And I don't know how much of it is because of running and how much of it is because of what we've had going on in life. but Yeah, probably a combo. And I'm sure to lot of people dealing with the same things. Yeah. It's been an interesting time of emotions. yeah and So you're back out on the road. Does it feel good to be it running or are you like just pushing through because you know you have another race? No, it feels good. it um My time has been about the same, which is always surprising because when I'm doing it, I feel like, man, my lungs forgot that I'm a runner. Oh, yeah. but But apparently it's it's going okay. But yeah, no, it feels good to be out.
01:00:35
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. Good. You feeling ready for Princess? You know, so I don't, I feel like I'm not, I'm definitely not going into it, like fully ready to run like I normally would. Okay. For sure. Okay.
01:00:46
Speaker
But I feel like this whole season kind of like tanked as far as like how I thought it was going to go anyway. Sure. So it's still going to get done. I'm still going to have a great time. I'm going to take some photos and whatever and enjoy it.
01:00:58
Speaker
And maybe next season will be the season where everything goes according to plan. I mean, probably not because it never does. But that's okay because- That's the life lesson is- It is, Taking it as it comes, right? Yeah. But look, I feel like any race, no matter like the situation, how I'm feeling, like there's still joy to be found in that. 100%. So I will find it. Yeah.
01:01:21
Speaker
And I will enjoy it. How has your, you said you've been in a funk as well? Yeah, same thing. I think it's a post-marathon thing or whatever. yeah um Time of year, the weather, all that stuff. um ah you know We mentioned June, who's just having a field day over there. She's a new puppy, which brings a lot of joy and whatever, but the flip side of that, and I sort of mentioned it earlier, is I lost my best buddy.
01:01:44
Speaker
You know what i mean? And that... For people who've lost a dog um or or any animal, I've never really, you know, my whole life never really had to deal with that emotion yet. And man, that one hit really hard. She was over a decade of our life. You know what mean? She was a big deal. She was a big dog. yeah Yes. And a big deal. So yeah um I already told her, thank you. I you know i let her go and yeah told her she did it. She was a good girl and all that. But that's been hard, right? And and I didn't think that... you know And people are dealing with stuff with family members and all that that are yeah you know way more taxing on the emotions and all that mentally. So I'm not sure what it means, but it really did yeah for my runs and for just how I feel in general. Yeah. uh, it's a grieving process. You know what I mean? no and Totally. It's been, it's been a great thing. And so anyway, princess is dedicated to Betty. Oh, sweet. I think we'll see what that means. Yeah.
01:02:40
Speaker
Any other thoughts
Closing and Listener Engagement
01:02:41
Speaker
before we wrap this up? June is absolutely done. June needs a bone. June is absolutely done with this podcasting thing. Apparently our episodes are going to get a lot shorter if she's going to hang out for for any of this. Erica, any thoughts for our, for our friends or anything before we sign off and call it a day?
01:02:57
Speaker
No, I think that's it. Hopefully this was helpful. Yeah. I would say do it once. You're going to be good to go. You're talking about spectating. Spectating. Yes. Yes. Perfect. All right. Thanks so much for listening to this week's episode. If you don't mind, subscribe on Apple podcast. If you don't already leave us a review, we'd love that. course, all the Instagram and all that stuff is always there. And we appreciate you guys. We can't wait to see you princess and we'll catch you next week for another episode of one more run. The podcast.
01:03:27
Speaker
Thanks for joining us for this episode of One More Run, the podcast. If you like what we're up to, be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and follow us on Instagram. You can find links to all of that at AJandErica.com.