A Perfect Season: Ashley's runDisney Experience

Ever wondered how a Disney enthusiast transforms from a running skeptic into a runDisney rockstar? Join us on this episode of Extraordinary Strides as we celebrate Global Running Spirit Week with Coach Christine and our extraordinary guest, Ashley Rose Lucas. Ashley opens up about her incredible journey of completing a perfect runDisney season, running every race from Wine and Dine to the Springtime Surprise. Discover how Ashley combined her passion for Disney with the discipline of running and the meticulous planning that made her dream season a reality.

Get ready to unlock the secrets of navigating runDisney races like a pro. We dive deep into the logistics of securing race bibs, the perks of Club runDisney membership, and the importance of early accommodation bookings. Whether you're eyeing Pop Century Resort for convenience or strategizing your transportation, we provide practical tips to ensure your race experience is as magical and hassle-free as possible. We also share essential tips for race weekend, from optimizing your morning routine to balancing rigorous training with life's unexpected events.

Experience the unique joy of bonding over a shared passion with our heartfelt discussion on the Princess race weekend. Ashley recounts running alongside her mom, celebrating girl power, and the thrill of aiming for a personal record. We reflect on the challenges, triumphs, and memorable moments of the runDisney season, offering insights and inspiration for your own running journey.

Don't miss out on our FREE 50+ page guide packed with everything you need to know about training for runDisney races. Download it now at Ultimate runDisney Guide.

Stay in touch with Ashley for more runDisney info and to plan your magical vacation at Ashley Mystical Dream Travel.

As we round off this special episode, we look ahead to next week's guest, promising more stories of transformation and triumph. Tune in and get inspired to make your strides extraordinary!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey friend, welcome to this week's episode of Extraordinary Strides. I'm Coach Christine and I want to wish you a very happy Global Running Spirit Week. This week has been so much fun, as we've been celebrating our love for running with an incredible community in the Stride Collective. It's been a total blast, from fun themes to sparkly selfies, and it's given us a chance to connect, share our passion and uplift each other as we strive towards our own unique, extraordinary goals. And speaking of extraordinary, today's special guest, who is here to give us all the 411, and how she tackled her perfect friend this new season, is the quintessential example of living for those big, audacious goals and making that extraordinary life possible.

Speaker 1: 0:42

Now, before we bring her on, I want to share something exciting because over the years, I've had the privilege and honor of coaching athletes like our guests today in interviewing Run Disney royalty, gathering wisdom from their experiences and coupling it with my own personal experiences and love of all things. Run Disney has led and culminated into a free 50 plus page guide packed with everything you need to know about training for run Disney races and rocking those weekends. So whether you're considering taking on the challenges or already planning your next race, this guide is your go-to resource for sample training weeks, nutrition tips, setting smart AF goals, perfect season strategies and so much more. And again, it's available to you for free 99. All you have to do is use the link in episode notes and download it. I'm not a huge fan of gatekeeping. Wisdom and knowledge. It is there for you to use, and I'm looking forward to letting me know what you think about this incredible resource. All right, my friend, you are ready to hear some of these tips and get inspired? I know that you are.

Speaker 1: 1:43

So let's welcome on in an exceptional runner who's been making waves in the Run Disney community and beyond Ashley Rose Lucas. Ashley was previously a guest when she was midway through her perfect season and since then she has officially garnered and achieved that incredible feat. That perfect Run Disney season was hers. But not only did she complete the season with remarkable times and an unwavering optimistic spirit, she also consistently trained, was incredibly dedicated and did it all with a smile. Her journey through these magical miles not only showcases her physical prowess, not only her discipline and her mindset, but also her deep love for the whimsical and inspiring world of Ren Disney and all things magical. So let's dive into her story and consider how she captures the magic in every single stride.

Speaker 1: 2:36

Let's welcome on in Ashley. Ashley, how are you doing, my friend? I am great. Thanks, how are you? I am so good and I'm so excited to chat with you, because it was extraordinary to actually be in your presence when you had all of these medals from a perfect run Disney season. So, before I get too far ahead of it, I kind of already said a little bit of a synopsis of what a perfect run Disney season is. But, in your words, what is a perfect run Disney season?

Speaker 2: 3:08

So my goal for this was really just to go all out, and I did every run Disney race, from Wine and Dine all the way through Springtime Surprise, and I also did Disneyland in there too. So every Run Disney race in the 2023-2024 season.

Speaker 1: 3:26

You did the inaugural, like basically bringing when Run Disney first came back to Disneyland. So I can't wait to talk about that as well. Now I do want to mention, before we get started into, like, what made you choose to do this and to tackle the whole enchilada of this Run Disney season. It's not an official kind of challenge that Disney offers, so there is like some interpretation for folks, but for you you wanted to go go big or go home and tackle all of them Absolutely Okay. So what inspired you? Let's bring it back when is Ashley at when she thinks you know what? This is what I want in my life.

Speaker 2: 4:02

So it really just kind of was a great way to tie my love of Disney and running. Growing up I always hated running, but running that mile was like torture to me. I wanted nothing to do with it. And just a couple of years ago I got bored at weightlifting at the gym and I was like, well, let me try running. And just kind of fell in love with the sport and it was the perfect way to combine them. So I started doing Run Disney events with some friends and I heard about so many people doing perfect seasons. I was like, well, I want more. So I want to challenge myself and do a perfect season and show myself what you're really capable of. To kind of take me to that next level.

Speaker 1: 4:42

So for folks that aren't quite so familiar with Run Disney specifically, it's a little different than most races that we have in other locations, because usually when you hear about a race weekend it may have a few different distances. Usually those distances are run within either the same day or within a course of a couple of days. Run Disney does it a little bit different. So how about we talk about the starting off process, the kickoff of the Run Disney does it a little bit different. So how about we talk about the starting off process, the kickoff of the Run Disney season? And I want to also talk about how you planned and you trained for it. But to give people a synopsis of what that means, let's start with Wine and Dine, because that is officially the kickoff, or it was the kickoff for Run Disney. It may look a little differently moving forward now that they've added in Disneyland, but tell me more about your run Disney kickoff.

Speaker 2: 5:26

So Wyandine weekend was great, kind of was just going into it. Everybody was extremely excited, your first run Disney weekend back, seeing all your friends that you might not see other times in the year because that's kind of your place that you go hang out with all of those people. So it was really great A lot of fun, a very cold weekend. We had some really nice running weather but it was very cold and wasn't really prepared for that, being from up north. It was fine, but definitely not what you want when you go down to Florida. So kind of just to kick off of just a lot of fun and the start of it, to kind of really put that block down.

Speaker 1: 6:10

I love to hear you say that for the record, because I am a native Floridian and I get teased a lot that we don't know what cold is like down here in the Florida parts. But remember, friends, if you are thinking of running Disney, you're not necessarily going to be running in the heat of the day, so that top temperature is never going to come to fruition for you. More than likely you're going to be starting at basically dark of 30. And that time frame usually is a little bit chillier, which is great for those hotter weekends. But so Run Disney weekend, wine and Dine this particular year that you tackled. It of course starts off with the 5K, the 10K and a half Going into it. Did you have a race that you were most excited about for that weekend? Oh gosh.

Speaker 2: 6:51

I don't think that weekend. Personally I loved all the themes but nothing really wild from that race weekend I was like super looking forward to. But I was just excited to start it and go into it, experiencing what all my hard work did, walking out of it and like really getting that meeting new friends, feeling strong about doing everything and just being back in the Disney bubble because I hadn't been there since April, earlier in the year.

Speaker 1: 7:20

So let's talk about that. When did you actually start your planning and preparation for this perfect season?

Speaker 2: 7:27

So obviously it starts all with the registration, first and foremost, getting all those secured, and then I actually started training with you and I believe it was mid-June we started that kickoff for Wine and Dine and started progressing for the rest of the season, so a good bit before the season actually started.

Speaker 1: 7:48

So essentially, you started planning for this the calendar year before correct, because to secure Wine and Dine Okay. So you tackled 23-24 race season. Essentially, for you to be able to make that happen, you had to start planning in 2022. Tell me more about what strategies did you use to ensure that you could actually even secure those bibs, because that can be a challenge of in itself.

Speaker 2: 8:14

Yeah. So I'm actually lucky enough to have Club Run Disney so that helps with a lot of those challenge bibs. But Wine and Dine, disneyland and Princess all have an extra race that aren't included in those challenge bids. So the 5Ks two of them I actually ended up running for charity for Girls on the Run to kind of help support them but also help me. So I didn't have to worry about the registration day stress. And then I was actually lucky enough to get the Disneyland 5K for general registration because we didn't know if charities were going to happen when that registration came out it was all still brand new to everybody. There weren't really answers. A lot of the charities that often have bibs hadn't heard back if they were going to have them or not. So I did try on general registration day and was lucky enough to grab them. But Club Run Disney definitely helped a ton by helping me secure all of my challenge bibs that way.

Speaker 1: 9:09

Let's talk more about Club Run Disney, because I think that there is a lot of questions about that and I know that they had some recent changes as well. But for Club Run Disney, in terms of generally, the biggest difference that I can understand is that you're able to secure your registration a week early, which is a huge deal. Do you get a special link? Do you have a specific time frame, kind of just like we do a general registration when it's live? Can you give us more information on that Kind of peel back the curtain?

Speaker 2: 9:35

Yeah, Can you give us more information on that Kind of peel back the curtain? Yeah, so Club Run Disney typically is about a week before general registration. They send out an email around the 10 am Eastern Standard Time, sometimes a little later in that day, to all of the club members for platinum and gold and we get a week. So it kind of closes down the day before general registration does and you just go in. It links all of your information right to your run disney account and you select the races that you want to register for. Platinum gets two registrations and gold gets one. So and it has to be for yourself a A lot of kind of the misconceptions is oh, I'm in platinum, I can register myself and my daughter, and unfortunately that's not true.

Speaker 2: 10:22

It has to be in your name. So it kind of just links straight to your Run Disney account and you go through and register like normal. But it's kind of that stress-free. You can do it a week after you get it and as long as it's before that general registration kind of cut off when they shut it back down, you can go ahead and register.

Speaker 1: 10:40

So essentially, would you say to folks that are endeavoring to potentially do a perfect season, this is the better way of approaching it with Club Run Disney.

Speaker 2: 10:50

Absolutely. It took a lot of the stress out of the equation for me. I know there's some changes coming. They did announce the date out of the equation for me. I know there's some changes coming. They did announce the date change for the membership. We don't really know any other details other than that, how they're going to work it. It makes a lot more sense the way that they're doing it, just because there's a lot of confusion back and forth.

Speaker 2: 11:09

But definitely, if you can't get gold and you have to get that bottom level, do it and get in and work your way up so the renewals happen. Platinum can renew into Platinum or bump down first and they have about a week to do so and then it goes to gold and then that bottom level and then if there's anything left, it goes out to the general public and just even alone. The registrations are wonderful. But also getting early access to merch. That's honestly how I scored my dopey jacket. Thankfully, and that was something that was really important to me going into that race season was getting that dopey jacket, since it was my first dopey and I know, unfortunately, a lot of the participants that ran it didn't get it. So I was lucky enough to be able to score that, thankfully because of the early access group club run Disney.

Speaker 1: 11:56

Okay, so definitely, folks, this is something to make sure to sign up on the Run Disney site for notifications for when they do open up or watch the blogs or follow Ashley on Instagram. I'm sure that she will absolutely be giving folks a heads up when she sees that these are available. So we secure our bibs, though you do kind of. It's fair to say that it's kind of a little bit of a mishmash. It's not going to be 100% one way, so Club Run Disney helps with the bulk of them. You still have to kind of be creative out of the gate with the 5Ks, finding a charity that spoke to your heart, or, lucky enough, with general registration. So you've got that behind you. Then what's next for you logistically as to what do I have to tackle?

Speaker 2: 12:39

So it was securing the hotels, making sure you had somewhere to stay, even if it wasn't full price. I know I tend to stay on property just for the ease of race morning transportation getting to and from the expos. I definitely always stay on property and I always secure it as soon as I can. That way I know I have a room and then, as they release discounts later on, I worry about that at that point. But I'd rather go into it knowing I definitely have somewhere to stay.

Speaker 1: 13:08

And, of course, again, that's something that you could help out with as well for folks that are kind of curious as to where to stay and what speaks to their heart, because there are, I would say, pros and cons to all sorts of different levels of accommodations at Disney. Would you not agree with that? Yeah, absolutely Okay. So you have a favorite property? What's your favorite property? So for race weekend, I should say, yes, I should caveat that you have a favorite property for run Disney weekends. Which one is that one?

Speaker 2: 13:37

My favorite for Run Disney Weekends is always going to be Pop Century. There's just something about the resort that I love and hopping on that Skyliner too. After a race, just feeling the breeze and getting off your feet, not waiting for a bus, has always been one of my favorites to do of my favorites to do so.

Speaker 1: 13:57

for folks that are thinking that they want to tackle maybe Hollywood Studios or Epcot, I could definitely see the Skyliner benefiting quite a bit there. Is that also the case for folks that maybe want to tackle MK, Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom as well?

Speaker 2: 14:08

Yeah, I personally love the resort. I think they do a really great job for runners. Specifically, when you get off the bus, they have a whole table set up historically of waters and they have the celebration buttons, they have photo ops and there's one specific member of the bus and company staff that is always there. She's a ray of sunshine cheering for everybody, first thing in the morning when you're loading the bus and then also every single person that gets off that bus. So it kind of just takes the whole resort and experience to the next level. So even for Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom any of those, I definitely think it's a great resort for race weekends.

Speaker 1: 14:50

Okay, awesome. So I mean you sold me. Knowing that I have a cheerleader waiting for me when I get off the bus, that's incredible. So I mean you sold me knowing that I have a cheerleader waiting for me when I get off the bus, that's incredible. And I love the fact that. Yes, the buses. While there's always an issue, I should say every race weekend, there's always something that kind of you'll see in all of the different Facebook groups for some kind of a bus thing, generally, for the most part, doing the buses does take a lot of stress off of most folks. So we'll get back to that, because I do think there's a lot from, like, the little itty bitties of all the weekends. But so you've got your bids, you've secured your hotels. I assume flights or transportation into coming down to the parks is the next step or is there anything else that you think that, like logistically, is most important for people to take into consideration? Almost like a checklist is what I'm thinking.

Speaker 2: 15:34

No, absolutely. I think I obviously fly in from Pennsylvania for all the race weekends. So I have a flight tracker that I use, that I plug in the dates that I'm looking to travel and it kind of tracks the prices for me. So I don't have to kind of hover over the airline websites. I typically fly Spirit just because of the convenience of where I'm located. But if you have a specific airline, obviously learning the habits of that airline to find the best deal because that's going to be another expense that you have to take into consideration, even just the logistics of driving to property and figuring that out as well I think that's definitely the next most important thing to figure out.

Speaker 1: 16:15

Okay. So then you go from springtime surprise where you tackle that challenge. You've got all of this. You know you're doing a perfect season. We get into training. What is going through your head during training summer, knowing that this perfect season is coming on up?

Speaker 2: 16:31

Honestly I was really nervous, not necessarily for the races themselves, because I've been there I've done run Disney races before I knew what to expect going into it, but just kind of that in the back of your mind that you can put in the work you can do all the miles, you can train as best you can to those race day conditions. But there's always that fear in the back of your mind of what happens if I get hurt. I know many of us have seen falls on race courses and it's always in the back of my mind at that point of what happens. If that's me, what does that look like? So I was definitely very nervous for that. But just keeping in front of that that you know what you're doing, as long as you do the miles and cover all the strength training and everything that you possibly can to prevent that injury from happening, it's going to happen, even if you do everything in the world to prevent it. If it's meant to be so definitely very anxious but very excited going into that.

Speaker 1: 17:31

I feel like that's the case that I would love everybody to kind of take into consideration with any time that you tackle these races, because, for the most part, regardless if it's run Disney or it's a hometown race, you usually are signing up for it months in advance, and a myriad of things can come up along the way. Even more so I would say, though, when you do tackle a run Disney, perfect season, because there are just it's not like it's a one and done where you have one race weekend and then that's it. You have to continue, like looping, in your training, making sure that you stay injury-free that way and as healthy as possible from weekend to weekend. So in that process, was there something that you feel like a big takeaway that people should go, should take into consideration for the first part of their training, which would be the summer aspect of it? Because, from what you just said, you're up north, you're training in summer. I assume it's hot, and then you get down here and it's super cold. But is there anything else that people need to take?

Speaker 2: 18:23

into consideration during that summer training. Just like everybody else says, make sure you hydrate, practice that before you go down to Florida, because you are on vacation for most of us, so you kind of want to let that slide, but get it in your mindset and best practice to make sure you're hydrating the proper way before you go down there, as well as down there too.

Speaker 1: 18:45

Okay, cool. So I love the fact that, for the record and I'm going to call this out, and I know I've mentioned it when you were a guest before but Ashley is one of the most dedicated athletes. She doesn't miss workouts. She's very consistent, but, more so, she's also super positive. So how she approaches her training is more from the fact of making it work, regardless if it's not perfect, and still making that actual workout happen, like splitting your runs or still finding a way to have a life outside of it, though I do know that, as we talk more about the training season, that you had a few things come up in life and I can't wait to discuss how you navigated that, because I think those were incredibly tough as well. Okay, so we get to wine and dine. What would be the first thing that you should? That people should take it in consideration if they've never done a run Disney or they're tackling the Run Disney perfect season. Regarding Expo.

Speaker 2: 19:37

The Expo is crazy. It's definitely a whole event of its own. There's lots to do there. There's lots to see. Definitely don't skip out on the vendor area of the Expo. Towards the end of the season we'll start skipping over some things because some of them are repeats, but there's definitely a lot of great offerings there. You have a ton of great athletic companies, such as sparkles. It does the sparkle skirt block sportswear.

Speaker 1: 20:07

You have there's so many great ones some other.

Speaker 2: 20:11

Yeah, there's just a lot of offerings, and don't stress if you forget stuff, because at Wine and Dine I was prepared to go down and buy Run Disney running socks and to my surprise they did not make a set this year. So I had to go to the expo and thankfully the vendor area is there and I was able to pick up some new running socks, because I did not have any.

Speaker 1: 20:35

Okay. So see, those are the kind of things that may come up on Run Disney Weekends, despite thinking that you've got everything in the bag and then just kind of keeping your cool through it all, because there's always a way to figure it out. Okay, so we get through Wine and Dine. You had a big, I feel, takeaway regarding those race mornings that you implemented moving forward, which I think is brilliant, so you want to share that with the audience.

Speaker 2: 20:59

So the race weekend I really just made sure I was going to bed early and just making sure I gave myself that time.

Speaker 2: 21:06

So typically on all the race nights I would be in my room by seven o'clock to kind of give myself that wind down, would always have all my race gears set aside, race bib ready to go, so all you had to do was just throw it on, do whatever you have to do and out the door you went. I did actually start getting up a little bit later, so instead of like the one o'clock or 1 30 wake up calls like some people love to do, I did start doing later-ups and hanging out at the kind of the reunion area in the morning and then I would wait there until the last minute and go over to the corral and I would hang out in the back of the corral. I don't go kind of pushing up to the front. If there's somebody that I'm with and I need to be up towards the front, I will. But I found a lot more enjoyment out of the whole corral experience hanging out in the back of the corral.

Speaker 1: 22:02

I think that that is such a cool way of approaching it and I've now heard that from a couple of folks where they kind of try to find a bit of a, I guess, the groove of the back of one corral versus the start of the next corral, and that seems to provide them a little bit of where the actual first mile isn't quite as congested and also gives them some breathing room back there too, so that you're not because you are in those corrals for a really long time.

Speaker 1: 22:26

So if you can be comfortable at that back of the corral versus being sardine packed at the front of the corral, that's always a good approach. I will say this I think, when it comes to run Disney, you have to kind of find what works for you in your comfort zone, cause I do know that a lot of folks do feel really antsy about that possibility of being towards the back of the crowds because of that fear of the balloon ladies. So I think that's a really good takeaway is to kind of find what works best for you. My favorite takeaway from you, though, was that you ordered, like a foil, a Mylar foil blanket after wine and dine. That I feel like you were prepared for the rest of the season with to stay as comfortable as possible in those corrals.

Speaker 2: 23:05

Yeah, so I definitely had to order a pack of those off of Amazon because it was a lot colder than expected and those throwaways are really great that a lot of people will bring down buying the cheap sweatshirts or blankets or whatnot to wear to the morning. But when you're traveling from out of state sometimes that can get a little heavy in your suitcase and when you're on weight restraints it's kind of hard to do that. So I really loved the Mylar blankets. I know they're not necessarily eco-friendly all the time, but if you're conservative using them they're a lot easier to travel with because they fold up so nicely in your luggage.

Speaker 1: 23:42

I feel like you could probably do a full series on how to pack for these races, because I feel like you also, aside from the one time with the socks for the most part I feel like you were always really prepared and you were able to bring everything that you needed. Usually it seemed like on a carry on. So I think that's something that folks should also take into consideration trying to minimize any of the aspects of being overwhelmed with extra luggage at the start of this race and kind of streamlining their process. Yeah, absolutely All right, Ashley. So we talk a little bit about Wine and Dine. Yeah, absolutely All right, Ashley.

Speaker 1: 24:17

So we talked a little bit about Wine and Dine. You did phenomenal. Part of the strategy, too, was that we were not trying to race every single weekend, so utilizing it as training, kind of picking some favorites throughout the race weekends that we might look at pushing a bit harder, but for the most part, using them as training runs to be able to ensure that you stayed really nice and healthy through it all After Wine and Dine. I feel like we go into a really busy holiday season. For most parts, that's also when you go into your peak dopey mile training. So you want to give us a little bit of insight as to how that went for you.

Speaker 2: 24:47

Yeah, my kind of really into the dopey training was a little difficult. I had family things come up that had taken some priority. So there were some days where I was cutting long runs in half and doing them in two different segments as much as I possibly could because of those things. But then that's also when me and my boyfriend started looking to buy a house. So I started in that process, which obviously is never really recommended when you're training for a marathon. But here we are, so we started that process. So it definitely threw some curveballs, my way to really focus on what was important and making sure that people around me knew this is what I have to do, like I have to be home so I can get these training miles in to avoid getting any injuries throughout the season.

Speaker 1: 25:34

I love that you talk about the fact that you know it's not like you get to put your life on hold during training. Unfortunately, there is no like a pause button on the things that happen in our day-to-day life, so we kind of have to figure out how to make it still happen. So were if there were any conversations that you had with the people in your life, like in terms of your loved ones, employers, did they know what was going on? Do they know what you were working on? Or did you kind of just figure out how to make it work and still be able to show up for all of those different aspects at the same time?

Speaker 2: 26:03

Yeah, there were definitely things that I wasn't able to show up for just because I needed to get those mileage. If it wasn't something that was super, super important, I would kind of skip that. Or like there were a couple nights that I didn't have dinner with my family because I needed to get those miles in. So there were some handoffs that everybody kind of knew what I was going through and what my goal was and they all kind of supported and respected that space that okay, I need to get those miles and I need to be home by this time to do that or get up at a certain time to go out and do that. So it was really just kind of an open communication between everybody around me knowing what I was up for.

Speaker 1: 26:43

Again. I so appreciate that. That's kind of a little bit of a balance, a little give and take, Right. So showing up for the things that really, really matter, but also knowing that there's going to have to be a priority of our training. So let's talk about that, because next up on the list is the infamous Dopey. It's actually the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. I think most of us associate it with Dopey and for folks that maybe are still not 100% sure as to what Dopey is, can you give us an explanation of what that is?

Speaker 2: 27:13

Dopey makes you feel a little dopey. I would think so. Yeah, it's the four consecutive days. In my opinion, it was probably one of the hardest race weekends because you have the 5K, a 10K, a half marathon and then the full marathon, four consecutive days in a row and again, technically, if you want to call it a five-day event, you have the Expo at the start of it. A five-day event, you have the expo at the start of it and, being in Club Run Disney, we do get that early access. So that is still quite an early morning wake up, not quite as early as the races, but getting there, going out, being in the heat, because although it is January for marathon weekend, it can be a little warm when the sun comes up.

Speaker 1: 27:52

Still, because we are in Florida and we did get very, very lucky with that race weekend that it was cooler, it was a little soggy though yeah, let's talk about that, because I mean, on the kind of unfortunately here in Florida, you never know what you're going to get, and that's probably everywhere, but especially I think more so in January, you can count on the fact that it will be kind of expect the unexpected, and there was an unexpected change for this particular Dopey weekend. Do you want to talk a bit about that, or is it a little? Is the wound still too fresh?

Speaker 2: 28:24

No, I think I've kind of accepted it at this point. The 5k obviously we had gotten a group together and we walked the whole 5k, which I tend to do because they're very packed courses, they're not timed and I kind of take that time to just do kind of a warm up for the other days and get acclimated to Florida humidity and whatnot. And towards the end of it we did get that light sprinkle happening. So that was one of the days. The 10K was the only day that was kind of beautiful. It was very humid still but it was beautiful. And then at the end of the 10K day we were sitting at the hotel and I got a text from one of my friends that was also running Dopey and he's like did you hear the news? I'm like no, what. We knew there was rain and whatnot coming for the next day and I had feared the worst.

Speaker 2: 29:17

And Ren Disney did decide to make the announcement to shift the half marathon start time up I think it was about 15 minutes as well as shorten the course. So our course did end up being a little over seven miles, so just about half, and then towards the end of it it actually got cut. Even shorter than that, they did cut out the world showcase at the end of it for some folks that were in the back of the pack, so that was not a favorable experience. I did get my miles in. In the parking lot there were tons of runners doing miles.

Speaker 2: 29:46

They got there early and were just making a lap, and the cast members were absolutely phenomenal. They were kind of cheering you on on the sides. They were making little paths through the crowd to make sure everybody was safe in doing so, because there were a ton of us out there just trying to make the best of it getting our miles in. They were running through the corral area as well, anywhere that you could get a big open space and getting those miles in.

Speaker 2: 30:13

And then actually towards the end of the half marathon, I did get stuck in a significant amount of rain. I did make it through before they cut the course short, but I was definitely not running as hard as I possibly could, because World Showcase can get a little slick sometimes depending on that material that they make the ground out of. So I was definitely being very cautious of where I was stepping but also trying to keep moving forward to get out of the rain. So I definitely think Run Disney did make the right call for the weather that we ended up getting, because you just never know.

Speaker 1: 30:46

Yeah, I think it's so hard and I know a lot of folks felt like their dopey that they had worked for and trained for didn't necessarily come to fruition the way that they hoped. But again, you still got in the mileage. It looked different, but that's part of what running is all about is kind of having to assess and make those changes and know that it is not always going to be ideal or perfect. I do agree with you. I definitely do think they made the right change or the right call. So it feels like most of the runners that were doing Dopey tackled it pretty much the way that you did and I think that was such a smart way of approaching it in terms of getting those extra miles before after. Either there were some folks that may have tackled it on their treadmills afterwards or some folks were trying to get as much mileage as they could in before going into the corrals.

Speaker 1: 31:28

I also wanna walk it back a little bit pun intended to the 5K, because I love that. You mentioned that. We've said that before, but I'm gonna say it again. I know lots of folks kind of want to run all of the races, but if you are tackling what's essentially a multi-stage ultra, which is what I feel Dopey is. You really can't think of running all four days. I mean there are people who do, but walking it on the 5k is a really great approach, so love that, but for you that's not it. So you get through. Dopey, I am curious, did you have a favorite race from that weekend?

Speaker 2: 32:02

Oh gosh, I really think it's the marathon. Okay, it was one that really challenged me. I was coming through the parking lot of Magic Kingdom and you could feel the rain coming and sure enough, it let loose and we were about a mile of pouring down rain. So just enough to make you miserable. I had some issues with my feet after that because you're splashing around in your shoes, so I did have to stop twice, but I still managed to PR the race and my watch died at like mile 18 19. So that was fun.

Speaker 2: 32:37

But when I looked back at like reflecting on the weekend, I really think that one is my favorite because it really showed me that I can do hard things when you have the rain, like I didn't let it get in my head and stop me, I just kept moving. And when my watch died, I didn't let that stop me and just kept going and actually enjoyed the back end of the race more than the first half, because I wasn't looking at my watch and seeing what is my pace, when am I at? What do I need to do better? It took that all out of the equation and it made it a lot more enjoyable for me.

Speaker 1: 33:11

And I think, again, that's such a really important thing to take into consideration is that, at the end of the day, you're tackling this as a goal to, yes, prove that you can do hard things, but also that you're enjoying yourself in the process. So the marathon is your favorite from that day, even though it was tough. Now you don't just get to stop there, though, because you have to travel back home, still again, live your life, and then you are jet setting off into the West coast, because, while the upcoming we're in Disney season has a little bit of more breathing room for the dopey to Dumbo, this particular season did not. So you had, I think, literally what four or five days before you had to head to Disneyland.

Speaker 2: 33:50

Oh, there was only one day that I was actually at home. So after dopey I flew home on Monday morning. I got back home, worked all day Tuesday and then worked Wednesday morning and Wednesday afternoon it was off to California. I went, so pretty much only one day home.

Speaker 1: 34:09

Wow, incredible. So basically you just had enough time to get home and do laundry.

Speaker 2: 34:14

I didn't even get to do laundry because we ended up losing power in our house from a storm, so we were in the dark laundry. I had to just pick other outfits that I didn't already have for Dopey to take out to Dumbo.

Speaker 1: 34:29

So what I hear with that week, though, that the strategy really is or even for folks that do have a little bit more breathing room with the upcoming season it is to not necessarily pack those weeks in between one race to the next. Your training is kind of the dishes are done, like your training's set. You know that you have the endurance at that point. It is just kind of recovering, staying mobile, staying nice and light, so that you're able to go into Disneyland. So you go to Disneyland. What are your biggest takeaways, heading that way, in comparison to Walt Disney World, because I think you're dealing with time changes. It's your first time out to that property. Give us a little bit of insight there.

Speaker 2: 35:08

Yeah, disneyland weekend was very, very different from World Race weekends. There are two different aspects altogether. Obviously, a lot of World's races are on property. You're typically on the highways of Disney World property or through the resorts or the parks. Where Disneyland is very, very small, they only have three resorts out there. At the time there were only two open and then you have two parks and that's all you really have. So it's very different experience, different environment. I think there's definitely going to be a lot of improvement going into the 2024-25 season of Disneyland races. Just from the feedback that they got from there. It was a really great weekend overall, but there were definitely a lot of hiccups that could have been kind of taken back. I think one of the biggest shocks that a lot of Disney World runners know is the post-race fears. That does not exist out in Disneyland.

Speaker 1: 36:11

Shut the front door.

Speaker 2: 36:14

That's like a big part of race weekend is the post-race fears, and that wasn't a thing at Disneyland. It was very interesting, a very different vibe of the whole race weekend. It was not my favorite, but I definitely will give it a try in a couple years again. I will definitely be a Disney World runner, for sure.

Speaker 1: 36:35

Okay. So aside from the fact that we don't get the post-race celebration that we're looking for there and again, they did have some hiccups, and that's a great takeaway too for anyone who's registering for any inaugural run. And while it wasn't the very first run at Disneyland, it was our first one after quite a hiatus. Definitely take into consideration that inaugural runs generally do have a little bit of what I guess you would say is like a soft opening. There's always gonna be some things that weren't necessarily ironed out or considered, so take that into consideration when you may hit some inaugural runs near you that maybe you want to plan for being self-supporting or for the fact that there might not be as many port-o-potties. There's a myriad of things that to take into consideration, not to freak you out, just to be prepared during your training season. Let's say we're at Disneyland. What's your favorite parts there in terms of do you have a favorite race or just favorite medal from Disneyland?

Speaker 2: 37:27

I think my favorite race and medal was the Disneyland half. The Disneyland half medal was so beautiful. It was kind of your traditional Disneyland-y with Mickey and Minnie on it, so it was super cute. But many people were not crazy about the course because obviously you are in Anaheim, you only have the two parks to run through and then the rest of it was all highway miles. But I actually found a lot of enjoyment in the highway miles because you were often running across the span of four lanes. You could really spread out and kind of do your own thing and not be worrying about running over other runners or getting around a walker or anything like that. So the Disneyland half was actually a very enjoyable course for me.

Speaker 1: 38:09

So I'm going to say something right here and there and kind of be bold Friends. If you want to get in your car and drive 13 miles or drive 26 miles, you're going to notice that it's virtually impossible to like get it all into any park, even though Walt Disney World is huge and Disneyland is obviously much smaller. I think that there needs to be a more realistic approach to the consideration that it's likely not all going to be park miles and that's not because Run Disney is sending me any kind of money to say that. It's just a realistic aspect of it. There's always going to be parts of a course that aren't going to be fabulous and it is kind of, like you said, making that happen, where you change your mindset, appreciating there's less congestion. I love your Disneyland D as well. It's gorgeous. Metal Is that where you officially get your coast to coast? Do they award you with your coast to coast metal? Right then and there.

Speaker 2: 38:56

Yeah, so you get your Disneyland half, you get the Dumbo metal and then went straight into another line and got your coast to coast and cut off the band.

Speaker 1: 39:07

Okay, so again for folks that are considering perfect, uh, run Disney season, that is another really big aspect of it is doing that coast to coast in terms of that beautiful extra medal. I think it's an incredible achievement. It's always so much fun to see the folks that tackle coast to coast, where they essentially do. I think it has to be half marathon, or can you be at 10k distance at both Disneyland and Disney World?

Speaker 2: 39:28

I believe it's a half marathon, but the 10 miler also did count, so 10 miler plus, I'd say.

Speaker 1: 39:34

Okay, sounds good. So double digits. Once you hit double digits, friends, with your mileage, you are into that coast to coast if you tackle one within the same race season. Actually, I think they made it calendar year, I don't think it's calendar year.

Speaker 2: 39:48

It has to be january, december yeah yeah, okay.

Speaker 1: 39:51

so this is where it starts to get a little tricky in terms of race season being different than calendar year and I know there's definitely some things in regards to that. So it'll be interesting to see how how Run Disney continues to unfold their changes, but I do think they are listening to runners and trying to perfect it as much as possible. So we go from Dopey and Dumbo Super big. I mean, at this point, do you feel a sigh of relief? You got through the biggest, hardest parts of your races. Are you still concerned? What's your mindset at this point?

Speaker 2: 40:24

Yeah. So at that point I was kind of relieved because that was the biggest battle that I was up against throughout the season because of a quick turnaround, fly home, fly back out. A lot of time working from hotels because I'm lucky enough to be able to take my job with me. Otherwise I don't think I'd be able to do that back to back. But it was definitely a big sigh of relief just having all of that mileage over with. I didn't have to worry about the flying home and quick turnaround what happens if a flight gets canceled or delayed. All of that kind of worry was gone and everything the rest of the season was familiar.

Speaker 1: 41:03

I am so in love with the fact that here we're able to start kind of getting a little bit of a sigh of relief. You feel like you're more than halfway there. What's next on your run agenda for your perfect run Disney season at that point.

Speaker 1: 41:17

Up next was just get through the rest of the season and enjoy it Okay which for the actual races means princess, but in the process of the season and enjoy it Okay, which for the actual races means Princess, but in the process of this. This is about when you start really kind of fine tuning, where you're also again living your life. Finding a place that you're going to be buying and moving into is about this time, isn't it?

Speaker 2: 41:38

Yeah, right before Princess, actually to back it up, we had gotten a call from our agent. As I was literally getting ready to board the plane out to Disneyland Is when I got the call that the house that we had previous been out bid on is going back on the market if we wanted to make another bid. So right before Princess we closed on our house and Cole was back home while I was running Princess getting everything ready, and Cole was back home while I was running Princess getting everything ready.

Speaker 1: 42:04

Okay. So again, this is where I would say that Ashley has such a positive, silver lining kind of outlook in life that for most of us mere mortals, we would be incredibly overwhelmed. Closing on a house finishing up a perfect run disease season, and while she may have had a couple of little things, for the most part you literally feel it felt very like just fluid for you. You didn't seem to really get frazzled by it. How did you manage that?

Speaker 2: 42:33

Just have a great support system. I don't think I could have gotten any luckier with people that I'm surrounded by. Cole kind of knew going into this that my running was very important to me, so I needed to remember that my run still needed to make a priority. Even through working on the house, painting rooms and stuff like that, getting it ready and kind of worked the whole schedule and move around my running schedule. I didn't really get the beat there, because that was important to me. That time that I'm running is really what kind of keeps me sane through all of it.

Speaker 1: 43:09

Can we also say that during this process, you also inspired some well Cole's starting to get inspired around this time, and your mom is actually officially signed up for the next race of the weekend that we're going to talk about. Next is Princess, so let's talk about Princess Weekend. Your mom comes down with you and it's kind of got a very different feel all the way around for Princess, and I'd love for you to touch on that a little bit too. How, like every race weekend has its different feel. So do you want to start now or do you want to wait till we get through them all and then you come back and kind of give us your opinion of the different feels of the weekends?

Speaker 2: 43:46

No, I think it's great. Princess is kind of a whole girls weekend vibe happening. There's a lot of girlfriends that are down there running together, there's a lot of mom and daughter duos running together. So that's why I asked my mom to go to that race weekend because I knew that it was a lot of kind of girl power happening for it. So if it was anything, I wanted to run a race with my mom. So she did come down with me, she did run the 10k with me and that was a lot of fun. And I honestly never have brought anybody from home and ran a run Disney race with them. It was always running friends from training groups or whatever. So it was really fun to have somebody from home run one of the Disney races and actually get to experience what I experience every time.

Speaker 1: 44:28

And, of course, again, as you said, it's really girl power. So I think it's such a great mother-daughter experience for that weekend and so much fun to be able to share that with her. And I feel like again, when we talk about running and how transformative it is, it is a transformative sport for us. It's why we do it, it's why we madly fall in love with it. But what I love is how it transforms those around us as well. So I think that, again, cole's kind of been dabbling more into running.

Speaker 1: 44:52

Your mom has been more inspired seeing your journey along this process as well, but it's super exciting. I also love that. I feel like you're like the perfect person to have on hand for these race weekends. So from a first timer, I think your mom got like VIP access as to how to tackle the weekend. But tell us a little bit more about like, what favorite. Do you have a favorite race that weekend? What may have been a big takeaway that you would have in sharing a run Disney weekend with others versus maybe tackling it more where you could race your own race?

Speaker 2: 45:21

I love both ways. Personally, I'm somebody that very much enjoys running by myself, just because I get in a little zone and I don't necessarily focus on everybody else around me. But I also love running with somebody. It was really fun running with my mom and getting to see her cross that line and help her get there. But I have also gotten called to run a little bit more and that's something really fun for me to have somebody else to run with Because, yeah, although I like running by myself, you always want that some person to kind of push you along when you need it, so that's really fun as well.

Speaker 1: 45:59

Absolutely. Again, it's. I love when we can bring people along this journey as well. So we do. Princess, now we officially feel like safe to say we're 75% of the way there. We have just more than that. We're 85% of the way there. We have just one more race weekend. Is this when you feel like it's in the bag? Is there still any kind of trepidation or nervousness around Springtime? Surprise after Princess.

Speaker 2: 46:22

There definitely was, because going into it, I was like I want another 10K PR. I accidentally did it at Dopey, not having my timer or anything, just kind of did what felt right.

Speaker 2: 46:34

So it's like, okay, once I actually focus and do my real run block intervals, let's see what I can do. So going in it, there's nerves. We're still there because I really wanted that one more shot at PR and especially, it's very, very hard to do a PR at a Disney race because of the course and the amount of people down there. But it's definitely possible and I know a lot of people are like you're doing Disney wrong if you're not PRing and fun, but a PR race-wise in Disney can still be a lot of fun. Some of my PRs are the best fun that I've ever had down there and this was one that I got to run with you and there were definitely times that I was like I am not gonna make it, I'm not doing this, why am I doing it? But you kept pushing me along and it was the most fun that I've had and it really makes you see like see that other side of this is really what I can do and it's a lot of fun.

Speaker 1: 47:31

Well, for the record, you may have been feeling that way, but never did you actually externally express that. So you did amazing and we knew going into it that you had this in the bag. I will say what makes it a little tougher for Disney again, beyond the congestion, beyond the fact that some of the places are super, super tight and can be a little dangerous and you have to be very cautious. You're running in the dark in a lot of places. Again, run Disney does a great job of trying to light it up as much as possible. But beyond all that, there's also the aspect that you are working off a little bit less sleep than you would ideally on any other race weekend, like any hometown race or any of the bigger races.

Speaker 1: 48:09

But we knew that you had this in the tank because you have had such a strong season and progressively there's been so much incredible improvement. So I was super stoked, absolutely loved it, had such a great time. Some of my favorite pictures of the entire run Disney season were from that specific race because we were running together. But at that point you have to know that it's like it's official, even if I have to walk across the start and all 10 miles at springtime surprise, or is that when it felt real? Or when did it feel like I did this really big thing for you?

Speaker 2: 48:42

Yeah, pretty much after the 10K was done it kind of all started settling in that I literally just have to start and finish a 10 miler and I've done it so many times Right. That was my one of my first race weekends. I did for Disney was the 10 miler when they brought that back a few years ago and I did that and I was released from physical therapy a week beforehand and did zero training at all for it and I was so nervous to hurt myself again and I was so nervous to hurt myself again so I was like I did it then with no training. I am very, very capable now of running this.

Speaker 1: 49:23

That's so absolutely amazing. Okay, so were you prepared for your photos with all of your medals? In terms of, like, I know you prepared. You had a super cute outfit. You always look amazing at Run Disney, there is no doubt about it. You've got your pixie dust alchemist glitter Like you've got your braiding. You look amazing. Were you prepared for how heavy those medals would be?

Speaker 2: 49:44

Oh, my gosh. It was going through my mind of okay, I know they're going to be really, really heavy. I was lucky enough to have a bunch of running friends that have run throughout the year so they were able to do or bring some of those medals down for me so I didn't have to travel with all of them from the whole season.

Speaker 1: 50:08

But once they started going on my arms, I was like, ok, these are a little heavy. So we now know, for anybody who's planning on perfect run Disney seasons, that you need to definitely do some shoulder workouts. Make sure that your arms are getting in a little bit of workouts as well with your strength training, because there's no doubt that it was intense, and I can't wait for folks to see all these incredible photos of those perfect run Disney's and what that actually means, because I have never desired to do a perfect run Disney season until seeing you with that. I've also seen the pride, because you were just glowing with pride and it was so beautiful to see. So what is your top three favorite memories from this specific training season and your run Disney perfect season?

Speaker 2: 50:47

One of them is definitely crossing the finish line of the marathon. That was probably one of my biggest hurdles that I knew I needed to get over and seeing Cole right before the finish line kind of just made it all worth hurdles that I knew I needed to get over and seeing Cole right before the finish line kind of just made it all worth it. I knew he was going to be there. Seeing him on main street too during the marathon in the pouring down rain for me so that was definitely a big highlight was just the marathon in general and having him there to support me.

Speaker 2: 51:12

Another great memory is being able to cross the 10K finish line at Princess with my mom.

Speaker 2: 51:18

Being able to do that with her was something really fun and it was one of my favorite princesses, for Rapunzel was on the medal, so that was really fun.

Speaker 2: 51:28

We both dressed up in Crown Athletics for that race.

Speaker 2: 51:30

So that was probably another great memory up there and definitely still reflecting back on the season season, the 10 miler, finishing that race and just the whole race was so much fun because I knew once I did that 10k pr, the 10 miler, I just had to start and finish it, but I had the goal of going in and doing whatever I wanted stopping and seeing the characters stopping and taking pictures, walking if I wanted to, running if I felt like it, just really taking it all in and enjoying it. And that's definitely one of the biggest kind of tips that I could give anybody that's doing the perfect season is make sure you take at least one race and just take it all in, because that was the best time ever being able to just see friends on the course and walk with them for a little while, or take pictures with those rare characters that you see out there. Or take pictures of Epcot at night because it's beautiful, with everything all lit up, seeing the sunrise, just those little things. That was probably one of my favorite memories from the season.

Speaker 1: 52:33

I love that A little celebratory. Just you know, 10 miles to celebrate. You're incredible. Now let's talk about that. Not only I think people think about like the amazingness of the medals and we've see all of the stickers that people get from dopey distance or goofy distance, 38.6 or whatever the cumulative of the weekends may be but let's talk about not only the cumulative mileage that you did at races but your cumulative training, because I think you kept track of that as well.

Speaker 2: 53:05

I definitely did, and it was well over 700 miles since June that I put in clear until the end of the 10 miler Kind of wild when you look back on it. Yeah, I gave up on counting the time because it had to be hours and hours and hours and hours of time. But seeing the actual number on paper of the mileage from just training alone is mind blowing that you're even capable of that over the span of just shy of a year.

Speaker 1: 53:37

It's absolutely extraordinary, like that's what I love so much about it is that, like it's such an investment every single time in yourself and your goal, and that's why I think it makes the actual finish line so sweet. So, looking back, for folks that are now looking to make this their goal, what are some of the key pieces and key takeaways? We know that they need to plan a celebratory race of one of the distances, to kind of take it all in. What else, would you say, is something they really need to consider, especially now, because a lot of folks are going to when this episode releases. A lot of folks are actually going to start the meatiness of their training if they're doing Run Disney Perfect Season coming up this year with 2425.

Speaker 2: 54:20

But what are some of the biggest key takeaways that you would suggest people take into consideration?

Speaker 2: 54:23

I definitely think make sure you find a running coach that you mesh with.

Speaker 2: 54:25

If I didn't have you, I don't know how I would have made it through the season, because just having somebody that really listens to what your goals are and knowing what you need and when you need need it is so important to find that right match for you.

Speaker 2: 54:38

So definitely having a solid running coach to have that kind of game plan for the races and also just making sure that your circle around you knows this is what your goal is, and having that tough conversation sometimes of what it is that you need. There were days that I didn't feel like doing it and the people around me were like, no, you're going to go do that mileage because this is what you want. So having that support system that will tell you what you need to do when you don't feel like doing it in a very positive way, making sure it's all positive in your circle, because it does get very, very hard. I'm not going to lie and say that I walked through it and it was rays of sunshine, because there are definitely days that it is not. You question everything that you're doing and it makes it very hard to get on that treadmill or hit the pavement or pick up the weights, but making sure that you have a circle around you that can get you through it.

Speaker 1: 55:35

Absolutely, and that's what I think is again so wonderful about it, which is where the Ren Disney community gives so much. But then you also start to kind of hold your circle to a higher standard as well, because you start to see, like really kind of makes the cut, that is helping me to get better and supporting me in this. So that's such a great takeaway, as folks endeavor these really big things and knowing that it will change you. It's going to change how you approach your life day to day. So I think those are all exciting things. Let's talk about some of the fun stuff about Run Disney or Disney in general, because again, I know it's your happy place, it's something that you love and you've made it your passion as well to help people make the perfect Run Disney weekend or the perfect Disney getaway through contacting you. So where would they find you if they needed help and guidance to make their Perfect Run Disney happen, be it one weekend or the entire enchilada?

Speaker 2: 56:26

Yeah, I'm on TikTok, facebook and Instagram. Facebook and Instagram are probably the easiest ways to get in touch with me and I'm happy to answer any questions, whether Run, Disney, hotel, stays, transportation, any, and all of those Happy to help with whatever I can.

Speaker 1: 56:45

Okay, cool. So we'll definitely have that in episode notes. Friends, you're going to want to follow that. But I'm now curious if you could have any theme ever for a race weekend. What would you like it to be?

Speaker 2: 56:58

Well, I got one of my wishes with Up this past race season. That was definitely one that I was on my list and, as much as I hate to say it, the Disneyland Haunted Mansion. That was like one of my dream race themes and I just I can't bring myself to go back out to Disneyland. I need to take that second step back, but the Disneyland Haunted Mansion medal will probably be very envious of everybody posting those, as well as Remy next year.

Speaker 1: 57:28

but those are definitely my biggest bucket list ones and they're out there yeah, we definitely may have to potentially like avoid social media for that race weekend, that metal Monday after the Halloween Disneyland one, because it's gonna hurt. It's gonna hurt a little bit, but that's okay, because that's a great thing about. There's so many wonderful races. Let's talk about that. What's next? You've crossed off one of the most. I mean, truly, this is a huge bucket list item for people. What's next for you?

Speaker 2: 57:58

Well, I really wanted to focus on a lot more local races and some other ones around in the area. I did actually just finish the Pittsburgh half marathon this past weekend as well, which is in my home state and actually very close to my hometown, so looking at tackling the full marathon of that next year for the first time. So really focusing on more marathons, I think, is what's next, but my next big goal will be the world majors.

Speaker 1: 58:29

I mean, first of all, all of these are big goals, right? Like I mean, for the most part, I'm excited if I get my coffee and I get to drink it before it's five o'clock in the afternoon. That's a big goal for me on a day-to-day basis, so there's no small goal when it comes to running or fitness. I love, though, how you do tend to have a really go big or go home kind of shoot for the stars, which is why I love working with you, but I love that you have a world marathon, majors, as your next big adventure. I see a lot of fun running. I also have to ask is it official? You've tackled every single distance. It feels like.

Speaker 2: 59:08

Outside of the official ultra is marathon your jam. I really like the marathons. They're challenging, but once you finish it it feels like no other race. I mean, half marathons are wonderful, I could do those all day, every day but just that extra step that a marathon kind of gives you a sense of accomplishment. I really love that distance.

Speaker 1: 59:25

I have to say that I feel like we have a lot in common, ashley, but that may not be one of them. It is a beautiful distance. It's not my absolute favorite. With that said, again, friends, please do follow Ashley, stay in touch with her. She's always a wealth of knowledge and she really does help you create a really magical experience and has firsthand knowledge of what it's like to do these really big, audacious goals.

Speaker 1: 59:49

So thank you so much, ashley, for joining us again. Yeah, thanks for having me, isn't she incredible? Truly, I I have goosebumps from being in her presence when she actually finished this big, audacious goal that she endeavored to tackle. And she's, as I mentioned in the interview, she's just getting started, my friends, but if you are just getting started, or maybe you are a seasoned pro and you want someone to help you to kind of navigate it all, or you want some extra questions answered, you are more than welcome, as she mentioned, to please reach out to her at Ashley underscore, mystical dream travel and Instagram. I'll make sure to link it in episode notes so you can stay in touch, maybe learn more about how, making your next trip to Disney absolutely magical as you tackle maybe a run Disney race or two Now.

Speaker 1: 1:00:36

With that said, friend, I want to again remind you that the stride collective is your go-to spot for inspiration and a whole lot of fun uplifting support. So join us there as well. And next week we have a very special guest who is going to tell us a little bit about his story, how he tackled some of the incredible Ironman distances and turned a mindset into mantras that we can wear for training and race day and beyond. So, friends, I do invite you to subscribe and, of course, tune on in to next week's episode as well. Until next time, I want to ask you to keep running, keep shining and keep making those strides extraordinary.