Rise and Run: The OG runDisney Podcast

We are thrilled to sit down with Bob and Jac from the Rise and Run podcast,  a podcast that we have followed and listened to from the begining. This dynamic duo provides an entertaining look into their transitions from an Army pilot and a Disney Tower of Terror operator to dedicated members of the runDisney community. They, along with Carissa and I, reflect on the nostalgia of Disney races, the surprising facets of athletic histories, and the future of podcasting in a world that increasingly values authentic connections. 

As we look forward to reconnecting with you and the Rise and Run community at Springtime Surprise, we extend a heartfelt thank you to our guests for their presence and stories that resonate with every stride.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Welcome to 3-2-1-Go the podcast. I'm John Pelkey.

Speaker 2: 0:08

And I'm Carissa Galloway and we're bringing you stories from start to finish to keep the everyday athlete motivated to keep moving towards the next finish.

Speaker 1: 0:17

All right, Carissa, before there was a 3-2-1-Go back in the dark ages. Well, they weren't really dark because there was the Rise and Run podcast, A group of friends united by their love of Run Disney who wanted to share their love and joy on the airwaves. Do we call the podcasting the airwaves? We're going to go with that as of March 2024, they've released over 130 episodes and counting. We sat down with two members of the group, Bob and Jack, in Atlanta at the Jeff Galloway weekend to chat about the origins of the podcast of the group Bob and Jack in Atlanta at the Jeff Galloway weekend to chat about the origins of the podcast, to get to know Bob and Jack a little better and hear their own run Disney stories.

Speaker 2: 0:54

Well, I really loved learning about Jack's Disney background. I think you guys will too, and I just continue to be impressed with so many things about Bob. I mean 70 and dopey, and the list goes on and on. We also got to meet Bob's wife and she is a trip. So a great couple. Would love to spend more time with both of them and hopefully we can do that soon. Today on Healthier you, we're going to talk about plant botanicals I know I've got John excited and we answer a listener question about the Tower of Terror races. Thank you for your kind emails, especially the ones after our princess recap. If you know, you know. And thank you for sharing 321GO. We want to grow this audience so truly, we can convince more people to get moving and you play a big part in that Great. Share us on social subscribe. Email us at 321GOpodcast at gmailcom your stories and let's do this 3, 2, 1, go.

Speaker 1: 2:14

All right, carissa, we took 321. Go on the road for the very, very first time to Atlanta for the Jeff Galloway weekend. Now let's start by talking about travel to Atlanta. Where we live is well, six hours and 15 minutes on a good day, of which there are none, or as much as eight hours, depending on the travel. Jodi and I ran into some inclement weather, we ran into a little bit of traffic, but all in all, our drive to Atlanta wasn't horrible. You, however, jetted it because of your level of prestige. Let's talk about that travel day, because I've always thought that to go to the Orlando International Airport to check in, to get there in time, to go through security, to get on a plane, fly to Atlanta, get to the Atlanta airport, get out of the Atlanta airport, it really saved you probably about 40 minutes tops. What was your travel day like?

Speaker 2: 3:09

Well, I booked on miles, so what the cost is? I mean, I guess that's still a cost, but Weston books it on miles. My travel day was really easy getting there Well, I won't say easy. So I got to the Orlando airport and in the best of circumstances I was carrying all my luggage. I can leave my house the best of days 90 minutes before the flight leaves.

Speaker 1: 3:31

Oh, wow.

Speaker 2: 3:32

This one I left an hour and 45, and I get there and both parking garages. The line is backed up to get anywhere near the parking garage, so I had to, and the parking garages they close them now right, so they'll occasionally intermittently close parking garages, but when they close them, you know their spots because they've been closed.

Speaker 2: 3:53

So, I sneakily talked my way into the parking garage because I couldn't have gone around and I was going to miss out. It's fine, it's fine. Mco is totally fine. Got in the parking garage, I go through TSA pre-check and Terminal B is always. I don't think the lines are that bad, so I got through that.

Speaker 1: 4:12

It's been better. As of late, I will say that.

Speaker 2: 4:15

Pre-check. I got through in like five minutes Did I go into? I even had time to go into the Sky Club, fill my water, go to the bathroom, get some snacks. Boarded the plane, not to. We were delayed. We were like 30 minutes delayed for those like no reason delays. Like you get to the gate and they just don't board and then you sit on the runway and they've given you a time.

Speaker 2: 4:35

Um, so it was fine for me. But then the woman next to me, bless her heart, she only she had like less time to connect and so she was starting to get really, really worried and she didn't have anyway. So I helped her, calmed her down because I believe me, after missing our flight in LA, I know the rules on when they're going to close the gate. So let me think, if I left I think I left my house at 11 and Barb picked me up at like 3.30. So it really only took me. It didn't take me that long, that's pretty good. And then I almost missed my flight on the way back. Do you want to know why?

Speaker 1: 5:08

Yeah, I would like to know.

Speaker 2: 5:09

Because I told Barb we needed to leave at 1.30, and that was 15 minutes before we really had to leave. But we left closer to 2. And that's all I have to say about that.

Speaker 1: 5:20

And now you guys were on the side of town, the traffic was just horrible. Closer to the airport.

Speaker 2: 5:24

No, we have to go through downtown Atlanta and the traffic was just terrible. I made it with 10 minutes, yeah, anyway.

Speaker 1: 5:34

We stayed a little bit longer with my friend. I'm sure we'll talk about that in the chat, but we had to go through downtown Atlanta and tried to time it out, so it was like 10 o'clock in the morning.

Speaker 2: 5:44

It's just not possible to time it out.

Speaker 1: 5:46

There's no good time. I'm sorry, it's like I-4. It does. Atlanta's been that way since I started going there in the 80s, but a great town and I'm glad you know again our travel day not bad. We had snacks. We didn't stop, we only stopped for gas once, took snacks, so we didn't have to get any fast food or waste any time there. As I said, the gas just the one time and I guess probably door to door. We were at about 7 hours and 45 minutes, 7 and a half hours.

Speaker 2: 6:17

I guess I just like I like flying better because it's more like not thoughtful time. You're not always focused, but anyway, let's move on because you got there. Friday we had a wonderful happy hour event at the Jeff Galley Weekend, which one of the best things about it for me we're going to talk about this was just actually having not rushed conversations with people that we see all the time. But you get there. You stayed at the Lowe's. How were your accommodations?

Speaker 1: 6:43

Now I should point out that you and Weston were good enough to say, hey, why don't we bring, why don't you and Jody come up? We'll get your room on the podcast on the weekend and you can do some Q&As. We'll do a couple of 3-2-1-go recordings, tapings, whatever you want to call it. I still call it taping, which I'm old.

Speaker 2: 7:04

And I said airwaves, so you know.

Speaker 1: 7:06

Yeah, so I have nothing to do what we just said, because you said you want to fly, you want to drive, and it's like, well, we'll probably drive up, because my best friend from college lives there. So we got to the lows, which was great, found it very, very easily. Uh, got in to check in.

Speaker 1: 7:24

Everything was great and I knew it was going to be cool because, as I'm checking in, sc Scotty Pippen comes into the hotel who was staying there for the weekend and I don't know whether it was the college basketball tournament that was going on or something was going on NBA, because I was busy with other things but did not speak to Scotty, though I'd interviewed him back in the day One of my favorite interviews we had at the ESPN club but that was cool. One of my favorite interviews we had at the ESPN Club, but that was cool. And we checked in, Everything was all taken care of, which was lovely, thanks to you guys setting up our travel and we went up to our room. And you know I've stayed in a lot of hotels in my lifetime, but only twice have I ever stayed in anything larger than a standard room in a hotel. Once when I was traveling for Universal Studios and they didn't have a room for me and they put me up in a conference room where I slept on.

Speaker 2: 8:18

a pull-out couch Talks about that, yeah.

Speaker 1: 8:20

Another story for another day, though I did order two bottles of wine on the company that night because I figured they owed me that. And then there was this time where we opened the door to our room and there was a long hallway. It was a long, long hallway and we walked into then a larger living room than I've ever lived in and a bedroom bigger than my bedroom at home and an architectural digest level bathroom room at home and an architectural digest level bathroom. And I was fairly certain you know me that we were in the wrong room. Of course, of course. No, apparently, I don't know how this happened, but we were given a suite at the Lowe's in downtown Atlanta, bigger probably than Scottie Pippen's room. I'm going to say that right now, I don't know. You got the Pippen room, I think I than Scotty Pippen's room.

Speaker 2: 9:07

I'm going to say that right now, I don't know. You got the Pippen room.

Speaker 1: 9:10

I think I did get the Pippen room but, it was amazing, oh my good. It was so big that we talked about the cocktail hour. We actually had an after party in the hotel room. It was that big.

Speaker 2: 9:20

We did. We had a wonderful party which we'll get to.

Speaker 1: 9:23

It was very prestigious. So I know somewhere there was somebody who was a little bit upset that it happened, even though they had no idea, because it was really not a John Pelkey level of prestige, it was someone else level of prestige, but you deserved it and you enjoyed it, I hope, and it was a great trip for you guys.

Speaker 1: 9:42

It was great, a fun weekend all the way around, but it was a really really cool hotel. And the funny thing about being in Atlanta versus Orlando we're further south than Atlanta for those of you who may be geographically challenged, but when you get to Atlanta it moves at a southern speed. Like everything moves at a southern speed. Like everything moves at a southern speed when you go for breakfast, you're going to take your time because you're in the south. So we enjoyed the leisurely breakfast, even though that almost made me late for our recording, and really enjoyed the hotel. So thank you. Now I don't want to stay in any room that's not a suite and I will probably never stay in another one as long as I live.

Speaker 2: 11:48

Well, I don't have any control, but I hope that maybe if anyone's listening, that works in the hotel business a couple, but it's so nice when you get those big rooms. It's just such a treat. So we did enjoy it by hanging out there a little bit. Well, but that was after the cocktail hour, so we got there. On Friday we had a cocktail hour at a nice Irish pub where we had tacos. So that's a juxtaposition there.

Speaker 1: 12:09

Yeah, I love covering, we're covering, we're equal opportunity International. There was an international flavor to it all.

Speaker 2: 12:16

I had a Stella, so really checking off. I was drinking Guinness and eating tacos which, honestly, if you know me, that's sort of me and now I just want a beer. But it's 12 in the afternoon. That's not appropriate for right now.

Speaker 1: 12:30

Yes, I would also like to touch on. The elephant in the room, for that first night party is that we got lanyards with our names on them. Yep, and, as frequent listeners of 321 Go the Podcast realize, my wife did not take my last name. My wife's name is Jodi Chase. She had established that as a performer and a professional and chose not to take my last name and in addition to Jodi Pelkey. It just doesn't really work. However, that's something that does not make my mother happy, but either you or Weston I don't know who was involved in this made my mother happy for that one weekend because Jodi's lanyard said Jodi Pelkey. So Donna Pelkey, 89-year-old Donna Pelkey in Emporium Pennsylvania, thanks you Did, you tell her?

Speaker 1: 13:21

No, well, no, I didn't tell her because you know, most of the time when I call she's not wearing her hearing aid. So not a lot of information gets exchanged.

Speaker 2: 13:28

Maybe visually show her at some point Weston made the lanyard.

Speaker 1: 13:32

I'll take a picture of it and send it to her.

Speaker 2: 13:33

Yeah, he worked so hard on this weekend because they had to transition from having a race to having this weekend and he basically did all of that himself and he did a great job, because I think this format was better than a race, because, instead of getting up running a 5K and leaving, we spent all day Saturday with everybody. We spent Friday night with everybody. They hosted a happy hour. Sunday was a very fun, relaxed race environment, which we'll talk about. But he I was like don't you know Jody's last name? But I guess he did not process that information or thought that it was like a, maybe that was. I don't know what he thought, but it said Jody Pelkey and he was like, yep, I did that. He forgot one of Jeff's top ranking officials, if you will, kelly, she didn't have a name tag at all, so she was Elliot Galloway, which you know, which.

Speaker 1: 14:18

I sort of appreciated.

Speaker 2: 14:20

He wasn't there either. So it was okay. But yeah, jodi, she was Jodi Pilkey for the weekend. It was good. And then we had a late night on Friday. You were going. There was a 5K fun run on Saturday originally that was planned for the weekend and then a fun half or go at your own distance. All this was on time fun events. Half or go at your own distance. All this was on time fun events. So Jodi and I had, as you've mentioned, asked you to do, the 5K.

Speaker 1: 14:51

Wow, that is a liberal interpretation of the sentence. Asked you to do a 5K. The way it happened was you called my wife to ask her if I would be interested in doing a 5K, because you knew calling me and asking me.

Speaker 2: 15:04

I just thought like well, you're going to be there. It would be a nice way for John to get in some training, sure sure, sure.

Speaker 1: 15:12

And why ask John?

Speaker 2: 15:15

Because what part?

Speaker 1: 15:15

does he play in this drama?

Speaker 2: 15:17

I just thought I asked her like to gauge your feelings?

Speaker 1: 15:21

Yeah, okay, well, anyway, look, admit it, you know me well enough to know. If you'd have asked me, I'd have been like oh I, you know, I don't think I'm ready for that, because that's what I said to Jodi oh God, I don't know if I want to do that because we're doing other things and she said that is an unacceptable answer. And so thusly, I volunteered air quotes if you guys, you can't see me volunteered to run the 5K initially, the 5K fun run on Saturday.

Speaker 2: 15:44

And you volunteered. We said, you could just walk right, wasn't that?

Speaker 1: 15:47

what we said. No, no, you guys said you know it'd be good to do the distance Just to get the distance on your feet. And the more I thought about it, the more I thought it's probably not a terribly bad idea.

Speaker 2: 15:57

Yes.

Speaker 1: 15:57

Because I do struggle in my long runs. We'll get to that in a bit, but then I'm jumping back to Friday.

Speaker 2: 16:06

I wanted to have some drinks and, of course, once you have a couple of drinks and you want everybody to have all the drinks with you too, don't you?

Speaker 1: 16:13

Yeah, and it was early, and so I acquiesced to have Guinness. One thing about Guinness is not only is it my favorite beer, but it's lower in alcohol content and I thought, well, 5k. Uh, you know, I'm doing this early, I'll hydrate, hydrate, hydrate up. I'll walk a good distance of it if I, if I'm struggling. So I was cool and had my second Guinness. But but you're enjoying beverages. My lovely wife was enjoying her beverages and may or may not have had a third drink come my way, through no fault of my own, frankly.

Speaker 2: 16:48

So then we just decided, you know what you can do, the 5K on Sunday.

Speaker 1: 16:52

I had no idea this was a choice, because I'm just like I can't, guys, please look at me, I can't do this anymore. And you're like, just like I can't, guys, please look at me, I can't do this anymore. And you're like, oh no, no, you can just run it on Sunday. Which, in my mind, I'm thinking. Okay, if I were to say I was going to run it tomorrow and something happened, like weather or something, then I would still have Sunday to run it.

Speaker 1: 17:10

But if I say all right, I'm not going to do it tomorrow, and I say I'll do it on Sunday, then if there's weather, I don't have to do it at all, which, in my mind, was like all right, this is a better choice anyway. And, frankly, once I got the third beer, there was no choice involved any longer.

Speaker 2: 17:28

I was also like not going to the 5K, but I felt like if you were going, then I had to guess.

Speaker 1: 17:33

See, now the truth comes out, maybe that's where my motivation came from.

Speaker 2: 17:35

And See, now the truth comes out. Maybe that's where my motivation came from. And then it did. Spoiler alert actually rain on Sunday in the morning before the race started, and you came in and you were like it always rains on my 5Ks.

Speaker 1: 17:47

It does Two 5Ks rain, but the rain really kind of let up before we started running. It was unlike the back last spring for Disney, where it rained for about the first 15 minutes that I was running. So we didn't have to deal with that. But I got out of doing the 5K on Saturday. So all I had to do was was our recording and our Q&A and everything and I gotta tell you it was just a blast across the board all of it and you know you go into those going.

Speaker 1: 18:16

Both you and I were like run Disney Q&A when we get like it's going to be you and I and I should call Jodi and tell her to come out here. Maybe Weston will ask a question, but we had a good crowd for it?

Speaker 2: 18:27

We did. We had a woman who'd never done a run Disney race. She asked a great question. What was funny is we were recording it, because every question was about like, when this went wrong, what did you guys know about it?

Speaker 1: 18:38

A lot of questions about Disneyland. Had a bunch of Disneyland folks there.

Speaker 2: 18:41

Yeah, we did, and I think we answered them to the best of our knowledge, as we've pretty much answered always here in the podcast about anytime there's something. We don't know anything, but we shout out the people that do know. So the Q&A was great. And then on Saturday, the first thing we did was what you're about to hear the Rise and Run podcast with Bob and Jack, and then we also did the podcast with Jeff, which you heard the other day, but it was just such a cool environment of just basically it was a day of seminars where Jeff spoke, chris spoke, there were drills, we did a bigger Q&A. It was just really fun to see people like Stephanie running through breast cancer. She was there, we got to chat with her. Really fun to see people like Stephanie running through breast cancer. She was there, we got to chat with her. A lot of other people that we see at Disney races, we see on social media, but we never get to have more than a two to three minute conversation with.

Speaker 1: 19:26

So I don't. We got to talk to him over days.

Speaker 1: 19:28

I know a number of them were at the cocktail reception, the opening thing, and then Saturday. Obviously a lot of people were there for for all of the festivities and the majority of the folks who were there on Saturday also showed up on Sunday to run the half, and so, yeah, it was great like a weekend long discussion, which was very enlightening for me as well, Somebody who's not really taken part other than the 5K in springtime, and it's all different for us because of the way we go through it. It's really interesting to get folks just their observations on what those weekends are like, what they like and what maybe we could do better.

Speaker 2: 20:05

Yeah, and just great meeting people. The runners are such a great group, so supportive. So that was Saturday. The bulk of the day was just kind of very relaxing, chatting with people. We ate dinner separately because you had a big day in the morning. It was 5k day. How did you feel?

Speaker 1: 20:23

Well, I looked at my weather app all Saturday afternoon and Saturday night just thinking, okay, oh, there's, wait, there's, there's, there's rain in the air. Is that a thunderstorm? Oh, thunderstorm, thunderstorm, and I'll be able to get out of doing this. But I did so. We went back, uh, ate at the restaurant at the hotel, which was lovely, and went to bed. Very, I went to bed almost too early, um, because I generally get about seven hours of sleep, but I got. I got more than that, and then I woke up, but it was still like 5 30 in the morning and it was not a run Disney race, so I was going to be there at a reasonable hour, but I woke up and I was a little bit testy.

Speaker 4: 21:07

I'll say that with my wife.

Speaker 1: 21:09

I was a little bit like good Lord. I don't want to, but this is me whenever I have to do anything.

Speaker 2: 21:13

That's just called anxiety. That's what it is right.

Speaker 1: 21:16

Yeah, there was a great deal of anxiety, Fear anxiety like what if I fail? Blah, blah, blah, yeah, and it was at that point there was a little drizzle going and I thought oh my god am I going to run?

Speaker 4: 21:26

Am I going to get?

Speaker 1: 21:27

blisters. I'm going to be dealing with that for the rest of the weekend because I was going to be horrible, however.

Speaker 2: 21:38

It started at 8 am, so that wasn't a complaint.

Speaker 1: 21:45

By the time I got there and was chatting with folks, realized that there were a number of different paces that I could run, decided I was going to try to run it at the 14-minute pace because that was better than the time that I'd run at Disney, even though I did stop for the ugly topiary photo and the three mile photo at Disney. So that did hold me up a little bit. No offense to the topiary, but it was just. I think it was a normal bush and I thought it was a topiary and got a picture of the story for another day. But by the time I got there and that I kind of felt like, okay, I think I can do this. I feel like I could do. I mean, I know I knew I could finish, yeah, but I kind of wanted to keep up the pace. You know what I mean. I set up the bar for myself. I want to keep that pace up or better, and I just really want to do this legitimately. I don't want it to be.

Speaker 2: 22:30

Haha, isn't it funny, john can walk three miles which is still an accomplishment if that's where you are in your journey. But yes, you wanted to feel proud of your effort.

Speaker 1: 22:40

Yeah, yeah. So I want to shout out to Ryan Arpacer who was on the I normally when I'm training we've talked about this I normally do what the Galloway app sort of told me to do for 5K to finish, 10k to finish, which is a minute run and 30 second walk. I do pretty well with that through about two to two and a half miles, but then I find I really start to really start to fatigue my legs, start to go. So I went with Ryan the pacer and the 30 second run, 30 second walk, and it was revelatory. It changed the entire way that I felt about the entire the race, despite the fact that when I got to the halfway point I thought I was done and you guys laughed at me and disabused me of that.

Speaker 2: 23:25

Well, that's a little bit of my fault, because I didn't. Weston tried to explain to me the course and he was saying when you get back, you're at 1.5, but I thought he was saying that out and back is 1.5. So, bless his heart, john comes by the halfway and we're're cheering for him and he goes to stop and we're like no.

Speaker 2: 23:38

John he's like I feel great, I've never felt so good for a 5K and we're like that's because you've done half a 5K and we didn't want you to get angry. We were like, please keep going, Keep going. And you did.

Speaker 1: 23:49

And I did, I stopped and I hydrated, so I really just you took that news extremely well. And then you were lovely enough to run along with me, run, walk along with me on the 30-30s, which is probably something you haven't done in decades.

Speaker 1: 24:05

But I felt really really good, even about that second half and what I realized when I was at the finish, unlike last spring when I was at the finish and like I cannot go further, I knew I could go further. I wasn't going to break any, any records or I wasn't going to be doing it at fast, but I but I did see we've talked about this I did see improvement in myself as as an athlete from when I, from a year ago, so that made me feel really really good about it. And then, of course, everyone was so supportive, as I do my 5K and they're all running a half marathon, the vast majority of folks doing a half marathon but they were all very, very supportive of me, so it was actually a really positive experience.

Speaker 2: 24:46

I'm so proud of you and I did. I got to run with you back and you were talking, you were pleasant, you were doing really well, I was pleasant.

Speaker 4: 24:54

What are the odds of me being pleasant?

Speaker 3: 24:55

Because I was like.

Speaker 2: 24:56

I had to tell you to run, walk, you know I've got to run again and you never complained, you just kept going. So I guess my question, and a little bit my concern, is that when we get to 10k, should you be able to run? Should you run, you're going to be in corral A. There's no pacers do you think you're going to be able to maintain that 30-30 on your own?

Speaker 1: 25:20

Yeah, I think I'll probably have the same issue that a lot of people have coming out of the initially, and now that I've learned how that works, it's difficult for that, until it spreads out a little bit, even in corral A, to not just sort of go with the pack.

Speaker 1: 25:36

But I think I'll be able to manage it a little bit better and I certainly think, changing my pace up and for that I may change it a little. I spent a lot of time talking to Jeff about the different paces and he just assured me he said well, the one minute, 30 second thing, that's a suggestion, it's kind of, but you really do need to, and this is something that I haven't done. I've just you know me rule follower, this is what I have to do. You really do need to massage that and see where your sweet spot is. So I think I'll be good. The challenge will be the first like half mile where you're in that big, where you're in that big group, and after that it'll just be people running by me and me saying hello to them as they pass me as you say.

Speaker 2: 26:14

Well, if you a running buddy, I'm sure someone would come and help you with the 30, 30s, if if that you think would help you. But I know sometimes it's almost better to be by yourself. So when you struggle you don't have to like feel like there's another person judging you.

Speaker 1: 26:26

Yeah yeah, and I think I think what for for a 10k. For me it's like, once I get through like the first mile of it and stay on my pace, then I'll be able to relax a little bit. But I know it's going to be. Yeah, I'm going to be nervous, Should I be able to run that in the spring. But I'm going to give it the college try and I actually have. I'm very, very confident that I can finish ahead of the balloon. Ladies.

Speaker 1: 26:51

Some of that may be me holding back the balloon, ladies, at some point.

Speaker 2: 26:55

The balloon ladies coming in on drones. We'll talk about that a little bit later on, I still think it's a great idea, but I also do want to just point out the reason why John is starting in A is because he needs to get back to the finish and work, so he could just start. You know later.

Speaker 1: 27:09

Yes, no, I did PR. I did PR at the Galloway weekend. I ran faster than the. Pelkey Running Club is supposed to be able to run, so we had to change the bylaw 13.30 for your second half.

Speaker 2: 27:19

So kudos to you. I ran I think I did six miles that day. I thought about doing the full thing and I thought, well, I'm just going to hurt myself doing that. There's absolutely. I'm not trained for it, there's no need. So I did six. I ran a little bit with Weston's cousin, david Paul, and his other cousin's husband, dan. David Paul was there helping support his mom who has Alzheimer's, barb's sister. So we're going to talk to him a little bit later.

Speaker 2: 27:45

But you might have seen it on my Instagram running for memory, so check that out. And then we wrapped up the weekend, John, with some giveaways and you did some Civil War trivia.

Speaker 1: 27:56

How exciting was that for you? Well, I mean, I always want to do Civil War trivia. How exciting was that for you? Well, I mean, I always want to do Civil War trivia. And you guys were nice enough as you were giving away things. I couldn't think of any questions, so you could and I just in an attempt to be funny, I said I'll do some trivia. But it's got to be either Kennedy assassination or Civil War. And apparently the decision was made that the Kennedy assassination probably was not a joyous post-run thing to discuss.

Speaker 2: 28:22

But the Civil War though really, but apparently the.

Speaker 1: 28:23

American Civil War, which killed three quarters of a million people. That one was fine.

Speaker 2: 28:27

Oh, that's so awful.

Speaker 1: 28:28

But I got to do Civil War trivia. I threw out a very, very easy question.

Speaker 2: 28:32

And nobody knew it At least in my mind.

Speaker 1: 28:34

Nobody knew it, at least in my mind, and it took a while, but we did get a winner.

Speaker 2: 28:37

I mean it took a while because it was like we were going to run out of options at some point. Right, I asked what?

Speaker 1: 28:42

the extreme left, the Union line Gettysburg, little Round Top, july 2nd 1963. 101 years before I was born to the day, by the way. What was that? It's a very famous regiment. What state was the regiment from? So, basically, you had all the union states to choose from. I don't think anybody chose a territory that was not yet a state because I was waiting for the South Dakota. No, it wasn't a state then.

Speaker 2: 29:06

What was the answer again, idaho, maine, not Maine.

Speaker 1: 29:09

It was Maine. Yes, it's the 20th Maine, it's the 20th Maine, and so I was able to bring that up and then also say by marriage, I am related to Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the Medal of Honor winner, who was the captain of the 20th Maine, future Well, at that point, future governor of Maine and president of Bowdoin College.

Speaker 2: 29:30

Anyway, I could go on about Chamberlain. No, we're good. So wraps it all up, we've gone full circle. Back to Mrs Jodi Pelkey, originally from Maine. It was a great weekend.

Speaker 1: 29:40

New Hampshire.

Speaker 2: 29:41

Okay, she's actually in New Hampshire I don't get that.

Speaker 1: 29:43

We were talking about Maine.

Speaker 2: 29:44

She wants to live in Maine, but we don't have that earning potential. Okay. Well, it was a great weekend. I'm so glad you and Jodi could come. You did Drag Bingo, which we'll have to talk about another day because we've got to dive into the Rise and Run podcast, but really just a great fun weekend.

Speaker 1: 29:59

Yeah, it really was great. Thanks to everybody. Again, all the people Shout out to Stephanie, who's been recommending compression socks for me actually since, and again Ryan, who was our pacer, who kept me on the 30-30 and chatting with him. You know again and I'll just jump back to this for a second because you said something about you know sometimes it's good to run alone, but I did find actually that having the conversation with Ryan, other people in our group, and then you kind of took my mind off what I was going through physically, so I think, between finding my pace and interacting with people. So I apologize to anybody who may run with me in spring. I may be chatty, I may end up being chatty.

Speaker 1: 30:37

Hey, I apologize to anybody who may run with me in spring. I may be chatty. I may end up being chatty. I didn't expect the Michael.

Speaker 2: 30:40

Gabriel of running. You know the chatty runners. They're out there, so good. Well, whatever you know, whatever comes your way, I know you'll do amazing. So kudos to you, kudos to everybody who did the Jeff Galloway weekend and John, before we move on, it's an exciting day because, as we said, we'd be doing a giveaway in the month of March for anybody who supported us. They click that link in the notes and that time is now.

Speaker 2: 31:05

So five people we have lots of supporters. We picked five Adrian and Emily, don, melissa, april and Bill I don't want to say your full names, but I guess I have to. So you won. But if you think that's you and just tell us that you won, you have a choice of prizes a motivational video from either John or myself for you or someone you like. You can get a spring meal plan from me or a membership for the monthly Healthier you Chats that Jeff Galloway will be joining us on April 29th. So email us 321gopodcast at gmailcom If you are one of those supporters that won. Pick your prize and then, if you want to be a supporter and maybe win a prize, check the show notes on how to do that. We are so thankful for all of your support.

Speaker 1: 31:54

Yes, we are. And we also want to thank Sarah Akers at Runs on Magic. As a lover of Run Disney herself, Sarah always loves helping plan those magical weekends. But that's not all.

Speaker 2: 32:04

No.

Speaker 1: 32:04

The world is your oyster, with Sarah's help. Maybe you want to do maybe it's a honeymoon getaway and if it is, congratulations on your nuptials All-inclusive girls trip. Like Carissa did a cruise with Angela a couple of weeks ago and we've talked about Maybe a boys weekend, you're going to Vegas. Put all your money on the Raiders winning the Super Bowl Probably not going to happen. Whatever it is international travel. Sarah is there to help you and she'll make sure it's as magical as one of those run Disney weekends.

Speaker 2: 32:37

That's right. So when you go there, use the promo code 321GO to request your vacation quote, and then you can be entered to win up to a $200 Disney gift card or booking credit. Find her on Instagram at runsonmagic and, as you're getting ready for springtime, do so with fluffy fizzies. Again in those show notes, we've got a link there. You can use the code Carissa Galloway it's my whole name and save 10%.

Speaker 3: 33:08

Okay, civilians, it's time for the goods.

Speaker 1: 33:09

Let's get on to the interview, they refer to themselves as a group of friends united by their love of run Disney. Now that can be used to describe a lot of different groups of folks that we get the privilege of seeing and talking to and celebrating those early Run Disney race mornings and the occasional evening. But this group of friends, Carissa, took their affection for running at Disney to another level and on October 22, 2021,.

Speaker 2: 33:33

I'll be specific, John. You felt the need to be specific.

Speaker 1: 33:35

I shout out to my best friend whose birthday is October 23rd. It's really the only reason I put it down there, my best friend growing up. They dropped the first of as of this, recording 129 episodes of the Rise and Run podcast, which has become essential listening for an ever-growing segment of the Run Disney community and we are so happy to have with us today from Rise and Run, bob and Jack. Welcome to 321. Go On the Road in Atlanta. How exciting, how exciting.

Speaker 4: 34:04

Thank you so much for having us. By the way, john, october 22nd, my wedding.

Speaker 1: 34:08

Oh, very well, Mine's April 22nd. So there you go. Well, we're all done, all right, we'll just wrap it up there, it's.

Speaker 2: 34:14

October 26th. Anyway, bob's talking and we haven't even formally welcomed him in. That's how you know. You have a podcaster here, he's just jumping in.

Speaker 1: 34:24

We're not amateurs, this is all professionals here. This is just all inside baseball It'll only be. Only other podcasters will find it entertaining. But whatever we're going to do this we're going to enjoy it.

Speaker 2: 34:34

Well, we're here in Atlanta as part of the Jeff Galloway weekend, so we're excited you guys could join us here at Ainsley Mall. We usually say how are you and where are you, but I've already established the location. You seem well, so we're just going to dive in and talk about, not the podcast. First we want to know individually what your Disney history is, so we'll start with Jackie. Talk about your Disney. That was a very princess, wow.

Speaker 3: 35:03

No, I grew up going to Disney ever since I was four years old but I didn't start running at Disney until 2018. When my friend was like you want to run a half marathon? And I thought about it for like two seconds and said sure, and then I was like okay, I didn't train properly for it.

Speaker 1: 35:19

See now, my response would have been no, what's wrong with you? And then I would have not trained either. So we have that in common I wouldn't have trained.

Speaker 3: 35:28

I think my problem with just running in general or races. I don't ever do research, so I just assume I'm just going to do it and see what happens. I'll learn from it. So I just assumed I'm just going to do it and see what happens, I'll learn from it, and that's been my thing for most of my running career.

Speaker 4: 35:42

But yeah, I did the.

Speaker 3: 35:42

Disney college program as well. So I worked over at Tower of Terror. I was a bellhop over there. I loved theming. I felt like I loved it when I would get people to come back and be like you scared me last time.

Speaker 4: 35:55

I was like you're welcome.

Speaker 3: 35:57

And then I worked over at Fantasmic and yeah, that's kind of my Disney story. Oh, I met my boyfriend there. I know true.

Speaker 2: 36:07

I have a follow-up question. Were you one of the people that put your face right when the door would open at the end of the ride? Can?

Speaker 3: 36:12

I be honest, I did something I'm not supposed to do. There's a lot of things I'm pretty sure I probably got fired for I do something I'm not supposed to do. There's a lot of things I'm pretty sure I've got to get back to fire for they never caught me, so you're not supposed to scare them. But what I would do is I would actually, before the door is open, I would step back a few feet and when I started seeing it come open just a little bit, I would burst in running, screaming.

Speaker 2: 36:34

I'm like, oh my God, it finally found you.

Speaker 1: 36:36

That's great, that's awesome Now, I should say, but I'm going to jump in here. You also have a little bit of a Universal Studios history, and since I do as well as does Carissa, let us know about that. I don't know about that I walked still there.

Speaker 2: 36:50

So I wasn't a Universal employee team member.

Speaker 1: 36:53

It's kind of like I am for Disney. Well, yeah, we're contractors, team members. It's kind of like I am for Disney.

Speaker 2: 36:57

I walked over by Poseidon, where John worked.

Speaker 1: 37:02

Not actually in the Poseidon Adventure. I was just outside telling people that the ride was closed. It's not even a ride. So here's the thing.

Speaker 2: 37:10

You're not getting in there, but you want to take a picture with this guy that you don't know.

Speaker 1: 37:16

Let me do a song from 1776. You'll enjoy that. All right, Bob, what's your Disney history?

Speaker 4: 37:21

Well, I mean, I grew up as a Disney kid. First trip to Disney World 1974.

Speaker 1: 37:27

Most of you weren't around. I was around, I was 10. That's good. I appreciate that. I remember 1974, vaguely.

Speaker 4: 37:34

I was an Army cadet training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. We got off four days for the Fourth of July weekend. We came out of the field at midnight, hopped in the car, drove down here, spent a day at Disney World in 1974. That was my first trip. Only thing open, of course, was Magic Kingdom. We thought it was spectacular. I was pretty well hooked. Didn't get back until the 90s when I had children of my own that came through here. Disney history, that's it. Sorry, didn't work at Disney.

Speaker 1: 38:06

That's okay. Well, you beat me by two years, because my first year there was 1976. As a guest back in those days.

Speaker 2: 38:12

I like that I can raise my hand here I mean, usually we're on video. You didn't work at Disney, but, bob, I don't know what you did in real life.

Speaker 4: 38:19

In real life. Yeah, I was a 20-year Army career.

Speaker 1: 38:22

Okay.

Speaker 4: 38:24

Retired in 1995, primarily as a pilot.

Speaker 2: 38:29

Really.

Speaker 4: 38:30

Wow.

Speaker 1: 38:31

He throws that out, just flip it. Helicopters, airplanes, hovercrafts, the occasional Saturn rocket yeah, I bet.

Speaker 4: 38:40

Helicopters, airplanes, hovercrafts the occasional saturn rocket. Yeah, I bet. For a few years I worked with movie gallery. Are you familiar with movie gallery? It was a video retail chain. Yeah, I was their director of distribution for movie that was. That was kind of tough. And then came back to a government contract job for 20 years again in aviation, this time flight simulation.

Speaker 2: 39:01

Oh, very cool. Now I'm retired. Well, I assumed you were retired now, but I know, I didn't know I should know these things and I will stop.

Speaker 1: 39:08

That's so interesting and we'll stay on this just for a moment. As your career in the Army did, it take you all around the world.

Speaker 4: 39:15

Mostly Asia. I never got over Europe.

Speaker 1: 39:24

I was in Korea a couple times. I spent some time in Japan, alaska and Hawaii and then throughout the States. That's cool. Well, growing up in Washington DC, every other person I ever met in my lifetime was an Army, navy, air Force or Marine veteran, so it's always fun to find out what people's careers were like. My dad joined the Navy to see the world and he had a 400-mile round trip from where he did his boot camp and then he was stationed in his hometown of Washington DC and never set foot on a ship and never saw any of the world. Yeah, that happens. Yeah, all right, no, okay, let's ask about your athletic history Now. Jackie, you touched on this a little bit Prior to your run Disney career. What was your athletic history? So poorly, sorry.

Speaker 2: 40:05

Just tease it up, right.

Speaker 1: 40:07

I'm caffeinated now. I got my second coffee in the morning.

Speaker 2: 40:09

The other two are coming.

Speaker 3: 40:11

I would say high jump a little poorly because by the time I got to senior year I didn't feel like running anymore. I just stuck to high jump. Because then I didn't got to senior year, I was like I don't feel like running anymore. So I was like I just stuck to high jump because it meant I didn't have to really run.

Speaker 1: 40:20

It's only like 12 yards or something that you have to run.

Speaker 3: 40:24

Well. So in my school you can only choose one sport at a time. They kind of made it a thing when I went to high school and so at the time so to go back to Fort Tragg, I did soccer and then I kind of made a notion that I've been wanting to run and I made a notion to be like, hey, this is an individual sport, so technically is there any way that I could technically do two sports in one season? So I was able to do cross country, loved it. Oh my God, I wish I could do it all four years. But by the time I did it it was, like you know, it was my junior year and I just was tired because it was a long season. But the track.

Speaker 4: 41:02

I did the 1600.

Speaker 3: 41:04

I remember my fastest, I think, was like the 653. I kind of wish I would have stuck with it, because I feel like I would have gotten faster and then I did the 400, like you. Hi Is Chip Gallagher.

Speaker 4: 41:16

Right there Over there. Thank you, sir, you're welcome.

Speaker 1: 41:21

Shout out to the Purdue Boilermaker who just joined us here to get directions somewhere else. So go, boilermakers. Yeah, did you do the 4x4s too? Yeah, I did the 4x4, the six-lap relay and indoor track, we'd call it. And then the straight-up. I'm old, it's the 440. It wasn't the 400 meters of that, it was the 440.

Speaker 1: 41:41

And then I was a really bad high jumper. But I loved. I'm telling you I loved track and high school. I played football as well, but that was really because I wanted to get girls. How'd that work? Semi worked out my senior year. Prior to that, I really didn't do much. If you're not any good by the time you're a senior, at least younger girls will think you're cool, which I was not in any way. But I enjoyed the track season probably more than the football season. I mean, playing football was fun. But there was something again about track that gave you a community. You know we'd all sit in the middle of the track between our events and meet people from other schools. And you know, if you even speak to somebody on the other team when you're playing football, the coach will bench you. So, yeah, no, I'm right there with you. All right, bob, what was yours Now. Obviously, in the military your guy was in good shape.

Speaker 4: 42:29

Yeah, as hard as it is to believe I was a basketball player.

Speaker 1: 42:34

I know it's a stretch.

Speaker 2: 42:40

By the way, bob's 5'4". Everyone Bob may not be 5'4".

Speaker 1: 42:42

Bob may be more than a foot over 5'4" Saw.

Speaker 2: 42:44

Scotty Pippen last night at the bar.

Speaker 1: 42:45

Yes, we did.

Speaker 2: 42:46

Really.

Speaker 1: 42:47

Yeah, he was staying in our hotel.

Speaker 4: 42:49

Oh, how about that? Yeah, I played in a very small college, dickinson College, colorado, pennsylvania. I know it well A lot of walk-ons. I was one of them, you talk about play poorly.

Speaker 4: 43:02

I was okay. I mean, the coach is talking to me at my first Christmas break and he goes. I haven't told this story before. You haven't heard it either. He's going and he needs to talk like this. He called me Bobby Rinkle. Bobby Rinkle, you're the youngest guy on the team, but you're always in control. You keep your head about you. You know what you're doing. If only you had any talent, you'd be great. And I bust up laughing and I see him playing in his eyes I go. What did I say? I'm trying to be nice. What did I say? He goes.

Speaker 4: 43:34

I didn't mean that I said not, what did I say? He goes. I didn't mean that. I just said not only did you mean it, you were exactly right. If only I had any talent.

Speaker 1: 43:41

It's kind of like the Rudy thing, if I could just put your heart into actually talented athletes.

Speaker 4: 43:48

But I got the best that I could and that was fun. I did that Athletically. After that Army, as you said, I was very active as a referee soccer and basketball at the high school and the adult amateur level and really enjoyed that up until my mid-50s when I just couldn't keep up with them anymore.

Speaker 1: 44:10

I was going to ask if it was because of the parents, because we all know the horror stories of being the parents of the middle-aged adults. Well, I remember we had a really good high school basketball team and I remember not playing basketball but going to the games. I mean we would just ride the referees Now we weren't offensive, but it's just. We'd get the whole gym, you know, at a chant. And I'm just thinking why would anybody want to do that?

Speaker 4: 44:35

There were moments when I thought that too, but thinking why would anybody want to do that? There were moments where I thought that too, but no, I really enjoyed it. And I got to a point where I knew that when I went into the gym the coaches I had to respect the coaches and players, and they knew me. Yeah, it was when we start in soccer, particularly, it's the parents. Then you graduate, now you're refereeing young adults, now you're dealing with their wives and girlfriends.

Speaker 1: 44:56

It's just as bad. Now can I say I'm sorry, I know, I'm jumping over the. I'm going to ask another follow-up, did you?

Speaker 2: 45:00

raise your hand.

Speaker 1: 45:01

I'm raising my hand now. When you watch a game now, you critique the referees. I don't watch it the same as you do. Yeah, I know that.

Speaker 4: 45:10

I critique the referees, but I pay more attention to the referees. I used to train soccer referees and I told them at an opening session I said you're never going to watch a game the same anymore. I said coaches watch it one way, fans watch it another way. You're going to watch it a third way. And so, yeah, I still watch it. Like a referee I do.

Speaker 3: 45:29

I praise you for being a ref. I tried it one year for soccer for little kids and I'm going to be real, I had no clue who kicked the ball out. I would guess it sometimes. And then the parents are like nope, nope, that's right.

Speaker 1: 45:43

I don't think people realize how difficult those jobs are really on any level. It's really easy to criticize, but I would ask anybody who's criticizing like a football or basketball referee, go stand on the side of the court or the side of the field, don't watch it on television and see if you can figure it out, because the speed of the game and all that.

Speaker 4: 46:00

Well again, training guys. I used to tell a class who would come in. I said half of you are going to quit this year and I'd be like, but I'd love to do this as long as I could.

Speaker 2: 46:10

That's very Grey's Anatomy of you. That's what they said in the first episode of Grey's Anatomy, but that's another story.

Speaker 1: 46:15

The first episode that was like what 1811? I know exactly Because that show's been on.

Speaker 2: 46:19

Pre-Yellowstone.

Speaker 1: 46:20

Good Lord.

Speaker 2: 46:21

I'm going to start with Bob on this question and then we'll head on over. What drew you to the run Disney races and what were your first races like? Yeah, that's a good question, john wrote it. It is a good question, good job, good job John.

Speaker 1: 46:36

Johnny does some things well, not like track.

Speaker 4: 46:39

I don't know we had come back to.

Speaker 4: 46:42

Disney. My wife and I had come back to Disney a couple times. We loved it. We're adults. I ran recreationally in the late 80s when I was in Hawaii because oh man, you want to be outdoors. Then I kind of stopped. I think social media, as much as anything, got me back into it. I didn't know about one Disney and I started reading about it and I found out about this thing. I found out about the Wine and Dining because Becky and I were coming to the Food and Wine Festival.

Speaker 2: 47:13

When folks it was just the Food and Wine Festival. There wasn't a festival all year long. It was like six weeks. It's one festival.

Speaker 1: 47:21

It meant something yeah, might have to edit that one out if we want to keep working there. Good lord, they don't even take the little shacks down anymore. They just keep them up year round.

Speaker 2: 47:31

For god's sake, it's upsetting, all right, anyway, yeah anyway we would come to.

Speaker 4: 47:37

Somehow. I found out about it online and I wanted to do this wine and dine, but I was too late, I couldn't get registered. So I spent like a year and a half reading about it, getting excited about it and then finally, in 19, I did my first one, 2019. But I really think social media brought me back into it.

Speaker 2: 47:55

And how was that first race for you, would you? Oh man, it was wonderful.

Speaker 4: 47:58

Wine and a half marathon. That's all I did. It was my first organized race in like 25 years and I remember I had also discovered Jeff's method by then. If you're in Run Dizzy, discover Jeff's method. I print it out and I'm checking off the days and I get into it. I hadn't done a half marathon, like I said, in a long time, about seven or eight miles in. There's a picture of me, big grin on my face because I'm thinking I got this, I'm going to finish this thing. Oh, I was hooked.

Speaker 2: 48:30

I was hooked.

Speaker 4: 48:30

I haven't missed a wine and dine weekend since and I've grown to do other things. I'm about to do my 50th Disney run here in not too long. Wow, how did you know that? Do them all this season and my 50th will actually be, but this is appropriate, the one and nine 5K next year oh nice.

Speaker 2: 48:52

And your wife is on board with this. Yeah, does she come with you to race weekends?

Speaker 4: 48:57

She comes with to race weekends she's been doing the 5Ks with me, where we stroll along and just take our time and enjoy it. She retired last year and then has done every one this year, but now she's here. She's had enough. I think she just doesn't like it. Not that early, because we have fun with it, but yes, becky has done the five k's quite a few love that.

Speaker 2: 49:22

Now we heard about you how you signed up for your first half, but how did that go and what brought you back?

Speaker 3: 49:27

yeah, um, like I said, I'm very much a spur of the moment. I'll kind of do a decision and then live with the after effects of it, and I'm happy to say that the race, although I didn't train the way I should, because I learned you shouldn't train almost the whole time on treadmills and I only trained up to eight miles. That was problem number two.

Speaker 1: 49:47

And that's not as uncommon as you may think.

Speaker 3: 49:49

We get a lot of people saying that I mean actually eight is farther than a lot of people train.

Speaker 2: 49:52

Yeah, we get a lot of people.

Speaker 1: 49:53

Well, I've gone six miles. I'm like you know it's twice that far.

Speaker 2: 49:56

I have stairs in my kitchen. It was honestly train for a good spot, though, because it was a gym.

Speaker 3: 50:02

It was a movie, theater, cinema, I would just go and run. Put that one on.

Speaker 1: 50:14

No, merchant Ivory films are a good choice, fair enough. My Dinner with Andre. I don't know what that movie is. I'm sorry, john, just nod and let him go. Carissa will make the actual pop culture references that people understand. Bob got the. My Dinner with Andre. It's two guys sitting at a table. Let's just say that, folks. It's all. It is a whole movie.

Speaker 3: 50:33

But I will say there's something about Run Disney that I'm glad that it sparked my love for running, because I do love running, even in high school and I know for my last year in track I just went to high jump. But there's something about a Disney race that makes it so magical and so memorable. And my friend and I started together in the race. I remember it was my first race. We started in Corral F, it was Princess 2018. And right as the race started we were kind of different paces and she's like I'll just go, go, have fun. I was like are you sure? She's like yeah, I remember I didn't want to see any characters yet because the lines were so incredibly long. By the time I got to the castle, someone looked at my bib and you're like you're from Corral huh. I was like yeah, why? She's like oh, she looked at her bib and she was like Corral City. I got caught up to the other Corrals. I was so afraid of these notorious blue maids.

Speaker 3: 51:28

I was like when am I going to see them?

Speaker 2: 51:31

I didn't realize they started at the very end of the race.

Speaker 3: 51:35

I just figured that someone was watching you.

Speaker 2: 51:37

They just show up with balloons.

Speaker 1: 51:38

You have a drone. You have a Disney drone that flies over.

Speaker 3: 51:43

I was nervous. That's how I got to the castle. When I relaxed, that lady was like, oh my gosh, you're so fast. I was like I didn't realize. That's when I started seeing characters, and it was the most magical thing ever and since then I've been addicted to it and I remember signing up for the marathon and my friend was like that's crazy, why would you sign up for the marathon? You're only up to mile 13, 15. I trained up to 17,. I think that year, you know what's another?

Speaker 1: 52:09

nine miles or whatever? Um, and it was nine miles, I wouldn't go. Yeah, and then having the community.

Speaker 3: 52:18

I always ran by myself, so being able to meet everybody I didn't start doing that really until being with you guys on the podcast, because I didn't really know too many people.

Speaker 3: 52:28

And then I'm like what has my life been without all of you know, having done it by myself for so long and doing it with you guys? It's like there's this huge, beautiful community, people. And then I'm like what has my life been without all you know, having done it by myself for so long and doing it with you guys? It's like there's this huge, beautiful community.

Speaker 3: 52:37

I'm like it's one of the best things that could have ever happened and I'm so happy to be a part of it because it's so unique, so beautiful and yeah, just talking.

Speaker 1: 52:46

It's it's the ironic thing about it's the most individual of sports, yet it has maybe the most supportive of communities in and around it, from what I've seen. And there are no referees to get yelled at too, which is really.

Speaker 2: 52:58

Just balloon ladies, though. Just Maybe we should tell that to Mark that, like there should be a corner and the people with balloons, your wife just jumps out occasionally, gotcha.

Speaker 1: 53:07

Oh, wait a minute.

Speaker 2: 53:09

All right, hold on. You went there, you're out.

Speaker 1: 53:12

That. Oh wait a minute. All right, hold on. You went there, you're out. That's really good Actually. Jack, you did a good segue into this. You mentioned getting involved with the podcast. What was the catalyst behind the podcast? When did you decide? Now I know that it's now the law that we all have to have a podcast. Everyone in North America has a podcast. Now what got you guys started?

Speaker 4: 53:30

I loved the community. As soon as I got running in Disney, I loved the community. I loved the interactions on Facebook pages. We started. Credit to Alicia, a member of the Rise and Run gang, who started a Facebook group, the Run Disney Motivational Team. She started it I don't know what day. I joined the next day and we were very active there. We grew from there. Customized training. I got with Chris customized training and he would have Zoom calls. They were fun. I said let's do Zoom calls for our Facebook group. So we started that. Jack was very active in that. That grew until as more or less our Facebook group. So we started that. Jack was very active in that. That grew until as more or less as you just said, John.

Speaker 4: 54:19

I wanted to do something else and I I loved listening to podcasts about running at Disney, but there weren't. There were a lot of podcasts about running. There are a lot of podcasts about Disney, but there really weren't any dedicated to running at Disney, at least not when I was listening. I said, well, why not, let's give it a shot? I got together. I knew Alicia. I had met Greg, john, lexi and Jack were mostly from our Zoom calls and they were active in all our Zoom calls, I said let's get them. You know, I didn't want to be alone, so we ended up with seven of us. At one point we added Allie, but just one.

Speaker 4: 55:06

What really set it off for me is a friend Laura from the Netherlands says hey, I'm going to be on a podcast, it's the We'll Run For podcast. Please listen. So I did, I listened and again I want to credit these guys. They helped us and I said you know what? I think I can do, that, I think we can do that. And so we launched. I remember telling the gang we're going to listen to our first episode someday and we're going to go. Oh my God, that was fun. What Got to get started Right?

Speaker 3: 55:38

That's the craziest thing. I remember just starting it and then being like I bet you five people are going to listen, Wait six, because there's six of us At the first episode at the very least, and I never thought this would ever get this big.

Speaker 4: 55:49

Never saw this.

Speaker 1: 55:50

Well, you sort of answered this, Bob. Did you do any other research about podcasting before you dove in?

Speaker 4: 55:57

I did, I did. I searched online. I found that the ideal time for a podcast duration was about 20 minutes. We decided we were going to make ours 30 to 40 minutes.

Speaker 2: 56:06

And then it ends up as you have the best intentions.

Speaker 4: 56:12

But we thought, okay, 30 to 45, that'll be going along with Jeff's weekday runs, Yep, and that didn't last. Our first early on are about 30 to 45. But I think by episode five we started inviting and talking to other people, people who have run Boston, people who had this experience, that experience, yeah. And then we actually, when you get late in the season getting ready for the marathon weekend, we try to go because the train runs are yeah, yeah so we try to go two and a half hours or so.

Speaker 2: 56:44

It's uh tuesday evenings stretch out for us, yeah well, you guys have a good rhythm, john and I I have been on. It's really a fun thing, bob, you're obviously. It's Bob the captain of the ship, is he the?

Speaker 1: 56:57

leader. He's an army guy. That's really a horrible analogy.

Speaker 2: 57:00

Military precision. You mentioned the early episodes. How did those recordings go? Did everything go well, you know? What did you learn in those early episodes?

Speaker 4: 57:11

What did you learn in those early episodes? We learned that we were very lucky to have Greg with us.

Speaker 2: 57:15

Yes, you are lucky.

Speaker 4: 57:16

yeah, I knew Greg was involved in audio and video recording and editing, but I didn't realize that more or less his profession was editing podcasts.

Speaker 2: 57:30

Wow that's really lucky yeah.

Speaker 4: 57:34

And he continues to this day to do a wonderful job. We learned that we needed better equipment, yeah, and it didn't take us too long to do that, because you had the echoes, et cetera. And what else did we learn, jack?

Speaker 3: 57:50

I don't know, I just feel like we grew as time grew.

Speaker 4: 57:55

I think things just became more natural.

Speaker 1: 57:56

We kind of stumbled onto a formula yeah yeah, you have to find your rhythm, I think. I mean, I think, a good time. Our earlier podcasts and maybe our later ones aren't any good, but our earlier ones, I think, were a little more jumpy and we were a little less, uh, aware of what we were a little less aware of what we were doing.

Speaker 2: 58:12

We have our alternate questions.

Speaker 1: 58:14

We semi-scripted. Well, how about? How do you decide? Obviously, if it's the one before race weekend, a preview and then the review afterwards. But the rest of your episodes, how do you decide on guests, subject matter, how does that all come about? I just do what Carissa tells me, so that's it.

Speaker 4: 58:31

Yeah, and we're thinking of trying that too.

Speaker 1: 58:34

Doing what Carissa tells me. Wow, very nice.

Speaker 4: 58:38

It's a combination of places. I think We'll have friends online who may suggest somebody. In fact, our guests coming up Tuesday are Penny and. Allison. They were suggested by our listeners saying hey, these people would be great. We'll get book authors if we can. We'd love having you guys. It sounds patronizing because I'm here with you but I genuinely mean it. I actually do. You're amongst our favorites. Riley was fun. It was great having Tracy on. Who else? I mean? How else do we get our guests?

Speaker 3: 59:13

Like Instagram, sometimes we'll see like a really good story, yeah, and we'll be like, oh my gosh.

Speaker 4: 59:20

Contact those people.

Speaker 3: 59:21

Or if there's like a dream race of ours. I remember, I can't remember.

Speaker 2: 59:24

Oh, I forgot her name, but she ran the UTMB race.

Speaker 4: 59:28

I understand why you forgot her name it's Carissa, oh, carissa, carissa, but I can't think of Carissa's last name. Quadricool is her.

Speaker 3: 59:37

Yes.

Speaker 4: 59:38

Quadricool.

Speaker 3: 59:39

And I blank sometimes. I'm like Dory from Finding.

Speaker 2: 59:42

Evil. It's okay. Yes, I get it. We're all getting older and somehow Bob's still the quickest witted of all of us.

Speaker 1: 59:47

I'm not even sure where we are right now. This I'm not even sure where we are right now. This is not my office in my home. We've got to use those shelves to get you back home Bread crumbs.

Speaker 3: 59:58

Yeah, like sometimes just inspirational stories, Like for her. Like I said, like doing the UTMB, that's a dream race of mine. The 100-miler out in Chamonix, France, that's going to be the coolest thing. I would love to hear how that would be.

Speaker 4: 1:00:09

See, that was fun. I started following Carissa on Instagram in like 2016. Yeah, because she at the time I think she was doing freelance work for Runner's World. She has some great articles and I follow her on Instagram off and on, and so I see she did UTMB. Yeah, I know what it means to you. Yes, I contact her. She goes heck. Yeah, I'll join, but that's it. We try to go about four to five weeks out. We've got some folks and sometimes it's Sometimes it's just us, Sometimes it's just us. Sometimes we'll have a product or something. We make contact. It's not necessarily an affiliate relationship or a sponsorship, but maybe something I think is of interest to people listening. Hey, this may help you out. So most of the time you invite those people on, they're more than happy to come.

Speaker 1: 1:00:56

Well, here's an unfair question. I know Present, company excluded, because I won't force you to that. Do you have a favorite? Was there an episode? Because I know for Carissa and I well, I speak for myself but every now and again we'll have somebody we don't know a lot about and that'll sneak up on you and it'll turn into the best conversation ever.

Speaker 4: 1:01:16

I talked to both you guys about your interview with Creed. That was awesome. Not that your other shows aren't also excellent, which they are. I know you're asking what's my second favorite part Right of course I can't narrow it down quite that much, but I will say love having Jeff love having Chris, of course, brittany Sharpener.

Speaker 3: 1:01:37

Brittany Sharpener Wow.

Speaker 4: 1:01:37

That's it. I saw it, brittany Sharpener.

Speaker 1: 1:01:39

She's going to replace us all. She'll replace us all. I know she will.

Speaker 2: 1:01:43

Well, she is at Colfax actually.

Speaker 1: 1:01:44

She's replacing me at Colfax.

Speaker 4: 1:01:47

Announcing the Colfax Marathon. We contacted. We contacted her after she won all four and she says, of course, so then the next time, jack had just done her first ultra or your first 50 miler.

Speaker 3: 1:02:00

It was my first 50 miler and she had ran and she won it.

Speaker 4: 1:02:04

She won it. So I actually got up with Brittany and I said, look, can you sneak on as a surprise for Jack? Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 1:02:15

Of course, yeah.

Speaker 4: 1:02:17

What a sweetheart she did on five or six times Brittany. Then there was one. Right after Brittany won, we had the episode with cancer survivors. That was a favorite, and I'm trying to think there was another one. There was two or three in a row that I was really proud of about a year ago.

Speaker 1: 1:02:36

that I really enjoyed well, two and a half years of shows, I mean, it's hard to narrow it down to one, which is why I said unfair question and it's a lot of work.

Speaker 2: 1:02:43

We know we get that. It's a lot of work and, yeah, we have very different systems from you, are very consistent on Tuesdays and we're like whoa.

Speaker 1: 1:02:51

And may I just say I have all the free time in the world. My schedule is generally an open book, but Miss Travel the World over. Here it's always okay. I'm jetting in from San Tropez for 20 minutes. Can we touch down and do a chat? Sure.

Speaker 2: 1:03:07

Sure, sure. So how long did it take for the podcast to evolve, for you guys to start getting recognized and for the Run Disney people to kind of recognize you, because it is a visual medium. But maybe they're listening to you, maybe they don't. You know when did that start? What month?

Speaker 3: 1:03:22

No, I will say it started out the first year, but I feel like our second year especially. It was very much whoa and it's kind of crazy because, like you meet so many cool people, but it's like some I remember it was not this past marathon weekend but the marathon weekend before that, I think and um, we were sitting down at the expo area there was a food court and we were just chatting and someone's like um, we have a question. I was like like oh yeah, what? And she's like are you Jack and Lexi? I was like, hi, it's crazy because it's like you don't know who's around you.

Speaker 3: 1:03:57

That's like that listens and it's like it's so honoring and it's so like beautiful and it's like you get to make so many great connections.

Speaker 4: 1:04:08

I Well. 21 is when we started and even though we weren't very active by the first wine of dying, we started in 21. No no, I'm talking about when it was starting. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, we grew quite a bit in 22,. Yes, you're absolutely right, it didn't take that long and.

Speaker 4: 1:04:24

I was surprised and shocked and people will ask me did you ever expect this? And the answer, of course, is no. Oh, no, no, absolutely not. But like Jack said, I'm humbled, honored, I love it. If I open my mouth, somebody will say I know that voice.

Speaker 2: 1:04:40

Yeah, isn't that weird? It's very weird. People say that.

Speaker 4: 1:04:43

Or I was doing another podcast video with somebody and it was a fellow who was a listener and he said Bob, it's so funny listening to you and seeing you.

Speaker 1: 1:04:54

I'm sure you get that too, yeah, yeah, people see us more than they see, you know. Yeah, people knew us going into it, but I was so surprised, unfortunately for hours.

Speaker 2: 1:05:01

They have to look at us. They don't have to look at us, but we're there to be looked at, should you choose to look at us, right right, look away, do not shun.

Speaker 1: 1:05:09

Have you had?

Speaker 2: 1:05:10

any moments outside of Disney where you know you're at the grocery store or somewhere weird and you're like, you know you're not in the bubble.

Speaker 4: 1:05:16

Yeah, yeah, yeah it happens and it's usually after I open my mouth. And what's funny is people are more likely to go to Becky and go. Is that Bob? I threatened I was going to have her T-shirt made. It says yes, that's Bob, but yeah there were a couple a couple here in Atlanta, a couple in Tampa, which is a big area and it's a big area for Disney runners too, so it's not unusual yeah, it's always fun.

Speaker 2: 1:05:45

It makes you feel like your work pays off a little bit, because it's not a lucrative career or hobby, whatever you want to call it. Well, we were talking about that earlier, bob. It's not a lucrative career or hobby, whatever you want to call it.

Speaker 1: 1:05:53

Well, we were talking about that earlier, bob off air. It's another one of those businesses where the 95% of the money is made by about 3% of the people who do it. So if we could just move into that, that would be really, really really great for me.

Speaker 2: 1:06:05

Thanks for those of you who are listening. Yes, thank you.

Speaker 1: 1:06:08

We love you and thank you very much. Okay, favorite run Disney weekend, marathon weekend. And why? Why, I don't know Extra day. I think it's the miles.

Speaker 3: 1:06:20

There's so many people there. If you look at the amount of people that are lying and dying at Princess Springtime and then you look at the numbers for Marathon weekend it's just that again. There there's four races, so it makes sense. But it's just such a big number and all the weekends are magical, but for that one specifically, I don't know. It's the one weekend I'm like I have to do no matter what if I don't get in? I'm gonna be really sad, I just find I don't know, it's just a different feel.

Speaker 2: 1:06:47

I feel like everybody's there. I kind of agree with that, like I like it a lot and and it also comes.

Speaker 1: 1:06:53

it's a new year. There just seems to be something about that and I always say I love Princess because we as hosts always I think we're better by that time in the season. Wine and Dine first, won back, and then Marathon Long Weekend Princess. It's like we're in theory a well-oiled machine, but I think that too there's just it's out of the holidays.

Speaker 3: 1:07:13

it seems to be kind of the last gasp of the holidays as well, and it's like that big, I mean and that's the only weekend that has a marathon. So it's kind of like and the goofy challenge, dopey challenge, and I know we talk about that weekend a lot because it's it's a really big distance and I'm not saying anything, it's half marathons because those are yeah but it's yeah yeah but for 48.6 miles that's like a whole another yeah, 39.3.

Speaker 3: 1:07:39

so it's just kind of like seeing people cross those finish lines. I don't care, like any finish line, I cry. I will like watching people cross the finish line and seeing the reactions that they just did something awesome. That's the best thing ever. Like seeing especially somebody who did like dopey or goofy or their first marathon, and watching them be like, oh my gosh, I just ran my first marathon. They start crying. It's like I just want to hug you.

Speaker 2: 1:08:02

I say it all the time, like when you cry at the finish. That is my favorite, favorite thing, because it matters to people and sometimes I'll go and I'll, I'll be able to walk back from the finish and that's how I saw DW that one time. But just that people finish and then like four steps after you see it like sink in in their face and it's just the most beautiful moment, especially when you understand as an athlete whether you train to 17 miles or you, you know what I mean. You got there and that's just such a cool feeling because no one made you do that, unless you're John Pelkey. But like no one made you keep going when it got hard no, there was no. If you didn't, nothing happened. You pushed yourself through there and that moment is so cool and I do like Marathon Weekend for that reason. But, bob, you said you like wine and dine.

Speaker 4: 1:08:44

I don't disagree with anything, I'm going to go with wine and dine.

Speaker 2: 1:08:47

Yeah, I think Wine and Dine if I'm going to label it the most fun. I feel like yeah, and the party. Yeah, and it's always Do you go to the party, bob? It's very late. You do, it is, it's late.

Speaker 1: 1:09:00

Well, we've also been off six months before that, you know. You haven't done anything for six months and now you're back.

Speaker 4: 1:09:05

It's like going back to school.

Speaker 2: 1:09:07

Yeah.

Speaker 4: 1:09:09

So it's been my first and the coming back type thing, yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:09:14

So I'll take one. Neither of you did the night race Wine and Dine when it was a night race. I just missed it.

Speaker 4: 1:09:18

Yeah, the first one was 1918.

Speaker 2: 1:09:20

Yeah, I thought so. Yeah, it was fun For me. I didn't enjoy the night races that much. They were harder on me physically. I was more tired by the end, tired by the end. I just remember being really tired. Remember that was the. You can do anything, buddy.

Speaker 1: 1:09:38

We were so punchy, we got a little more punchy.

Speaker 2: 1:09:39

It was like a nutsack joke, but it was a version of that, you know what I always hated about those night races.

Speaker 1: 1:09:44

It was always the same weekend as the Alabama LSU college football game and the year that it was almost canceled. We were five minutes away from being canceled and I was in the trailer watching the game, and it was a hell of a game.

Speaker 4: 1:09:57

And then they were like, no, we're going to do it and I'm like really I have to go actually do my job now.

Speaker 1: 1:10:02

Very, very offensive, Very offensive.

Speaker 2: 1:10:04

Yes, what I would like to know from each of you your favorite thing about a run Disney weekend and your least favorite thing?

Speaker 4: 1:10:11

Oh, that's the favorite thing. It's easy, it's seeing everyone being with everyone. That's almost cheating, picking that okay. So running through the parks. I'll add that Least favorite thing Gosh the training that leads up to it. The training can be tough and tedious, but the least favorite thing by coming down here, golly, looking at my credit card statement.

Speaker 1: 1:10:40

That is so fair I just have.

Speaker 4: 1:10:42

I love it. I love it, so it's hard to pick up.

Speaker 2: 1:10:45

What's your arrival time on race day, like what's your usual time that you try to get there?

Speaker 4: 1:10:50

On race day. Yeah, on a race day, I normally board the 3 am bus Okay, which is not typically.

Speaker 2: 1:10:56

That's not super early. No, because we do a show at 3.15, 3.30 that you're missing. Okay, just kidding.

Speaker 1: 1:11:04

That's a really loose interpretation of show. We say hello and we do a couple of interviews. We say hello. And we've had a couple of interviews.

Speaker 4: 1:11:13

But yeah, you two, your whole crew is a huge part of these weekends. I hope you know that. I think you know it.

Speaker 2: 1:11:21

John knows nothing, john.

Speaker 1: 1:11:23

I don't even suspect anything to be honest with you.

Speaker 4: 1:11:29

I know I have privately met. I think on one of the times you were on the podcast 21 when we came back from Wynandine I'm walking in doesn't seem right. It's a dreary day.

Speaker 2: 1:11:37

Oh, is it yeah.

Speaker 4: 1:11:38

Doesn't seem right and it's not the same organization. I can't go and meet with my friends. No, I hear your voices. I go. Okay, I'm home, it's going to be all right. That was an emotional moment.

Speaker 1: 1:11:54

Well, I think we were all kind of wondering I think Riley really was the one who was either on your podcast or when he was talking to us we just didn't really know what to expect because, I mean, coming out of everything that we had been through, and here is an event that flies in the face of what you should be doing in a pandemic. And now we're back and we're still, you know, we're not on a really solid footing. So it's good to hear that people did feel it felt that way. It felt really, really affectionate, if that's the word for it. Everybody, we felt a lot of affection from people that they were just able to back and do it.

Speaker 2: 1:12:28

All right, Jack, favorite and least favorite and arrival time. The question has grown.

Speaker 1: 1:12:33

Yeah, because that may be the least favorite, actually, as you mentioned it earlier.

Speaker 3: 1:12:38

Well, I mean, I agree with you, bob. I think my favorite thing every weekend is getting to meet everybody and see everybody, because it's a one big community. But if I can tie it with this I know we already talked about it, but my favorite is like the cheering, the cheering aspect of it. Yeah, I love cheering for races. Um, so when I finish, the first thing I do is I go find a spot on the route and I start cheering because I think it's so beautiful seeing people crush their goals.

Speaker 3: 1:13:04

I don't care what distance it is, I will be there to cheer for you. Um 5k, 10k, half marathon, whatever. I think it's so beautiful to see people accomplishing something. That is so crazy because if you think about the amount of people that do a half marathon, it's what one percent of something like that, yeah the world of people have done a half marathon, so seeing you get to be that one percent, something so special and so I love. I've just seen those kind of magical moments, um, and I would say my least favorite getting up sometimes I get to the.

Speaker 3: 1:13:38

I get to the race I'm like why am I here?

Speaker 1: 1:13:49

do you sleep well the night before? Is your? You, because managing sleep obviously for anybody who hasn't, who may be listening, who hasn't done one of the races, managing sleep is probably the most difficult thing because everyone's different and over the years I've found different ways to do it and I don't know about I think Carissa has as well. But do you guys sleep well the night before?

Speaker 3: 1:14:09

So I have a plan that's worked now and I've figured it out. You kind of have to, a week before, at least four days before the race weekend starts, getting up early and forcing yourself not to take any naps and then going to bed early. You get into a little schedule and then by the time it's race morning, you've got already six or seven hours of sleep because you went to bed so early And's like okay, that doesn't really change. Getting up early, you know that feeling of like oh, sluggishness, and it happened to work. I mean, my god, the tower of terror, 10 miler. I went to bed at 5 30 pm, okay, and um, I had eight hours of sleep, beautiful things. I'm waking up and looking over at Lexi's like do you feel good? She's like I feel great, let's do this. And so it was great. I mean, when you have a good race.

Speaker 1: 1:14:56

Good for you.

Speaker 2: 1:14:56

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:14:57

But I mean still waking up to the race. But sometimes I forget when I announce a different race. And I think Chris and I have talked about this. You know you're thinking, okay, i'm'll be that one day where I get two hours. Oh, wait a minute, I have to be at the starting line at 6 am.

Speaker 2: 1:15:14

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:15:15

Good Lord, I get too much sleep.

Speaker 3: 1:15:17

Yeah, I think there's also that fear, though, that I don't know if you do this, but anytime it's before race morning. I wake up an hour before, 30 minutes before a clock, 20 minutes before. Okay, I guess I'm up. Okay, I guess I'm up, but it still would be like my alarm clock my internal one is quite horrible.

Speaker 1: 1:15:36

See now, mine's really good, but it's like 17 minutes before I have to wake up, so it would be at instead of 1.30, which is actually late. I couldn't get up that late?

Speaker 1: 1:15:44

It would be late, but it would be about 17 minutes before that I will always wake up and just go yeah, all right, there it is, I'm going to be up now. Okay, guys, blue Sky, we're putting you in charge of everything. We need notes for the entertainment team Individually. Take it either way you want, but, jack, I'll start with you. Any notes for the entertainment team Themes you'd like to see, characters, you'd like to see Anything that you would improve your experience outside of cost and having to get up really early in the morning Because we can't really do much about any of those things.

Speaker 3: 1:16:14

I'm all about the entertainment along the course.

Speaker 4: 1:16:17

Sometimes like especially during the stretches where you're not in the parks.

Speaker 3: 1:16:20

I would love to see just a little bit more entertainment, like I know you guys have talked about it that you have like three slots per mile, right?

Speaker 1: 1:16:26

Yeah, mark is. I think that's Mark's goal. He's added to that and he's taken, you know, with the resource he's had. He always says the parks are their own entertainment, you don't have to, and tries to get it out there on three spots in a mile. I would definitely love like a fourth, not every mile, but like you know how, about those popping?

Speaker 2: 1:16:46

out balloon ladies we talked about earlier. Maybe they'll come down from the ground. They'll be like parachuted down.

Speaker 1: 1:16:52

Just a drone. Again, I'm into the drone with a balloon that just follows me. It goes through the course the balloon drone.

Speaker 3: 1:16:59

I don't know Like a theme, though I think it might Well. Okay. Question Are we talking Disneyland as well, because there are a lot of things that probably should be, I'm not.

Speaker 1: 1:17:10

Clearly, of course I'm not clearly there's, yeah, there's.

Speaker 3: 1:17:15

I love Disneyland, don't get me wrong, but they should have had Avengers characters that was my biggest take on that weekend you're riding through Avengers campus and they didn't have a single Avengers person there. I remember running I was like kind of disappointed because I sprinted to get to that area, but that's the only like big that and a few other things but character and film-wise. That was one thing I wish over at Disneyland they had and I'm hoping for Halloween weekend that they're going to have that.

Speaker 2: 1:17:43

Well, they do have. So they're really I've said this before they're really theme-centric, right. So, like they're very into like well, well, this was Pluto, so everything has to somehow touch Pluto 5k, everything has to somehow connect to, you know, chippendale and these are the friends and this is this. So, on Halloween, there isn't there a Captain America like a dead version? Yes, so that's, that's. Oh, I mean, robin, if you're listening, I'm sure you're not, but um, they just they try to, really, because the parks are so small, to make sure that everything touches the theme. Yes, yes, the finish was so cool and, yes, that finish was awesome.

Speaker 3: 1:18:24

I just remember like I sprinted the first half just to get through the crowd and then after that I felt like I had a whole park to myself because I was further ahead. Um, that was magical, but um, in terms of like a race theme one, please bring adventures yeah, right, that's it.

Speaker 2: 1:18:39

That's just that, the best you never did it. Yeah, oh, the best, the best thing ever greatest um, and then I would love um.

Speaker 3: 1:18:49

personally, I would love to do a race weekend catered towards attractions that are no longer here, like the fact that they're taking away Dinosaur my favorite attraction.

Speaker 2: 1:18:58

Oh yeah, I'm going to be there the last minute.

Speaker 3: 1:19:01

I'm going to be there nonstop, but I would think it would be really cool to do maybe an attraction-themed race, or I love Hercules.

Speaker 2: 1:19:12

Yeah, hasn't gotten a lot of love yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:19:14

Seems to be a no brainer too.

Speaker 2: 1:19:15

He can go the distance. It's the perfect song. All right On a metal. That would be great. Yeah, even the full. Well, the full C which you're going to get in marathon weekend, we're never going to change that. That's always classic characters, so I, so that's my first, that's. The only thing I don't like about Marathon Weekend is that we get pigeonholed into, and Mark did a good job this year of doing the decades, but we're always Mickey and Minnie. On Sunday we're always Donald and Daisy, because that's I like the evolving themes. I like when we get to have more fun with different movies, and I think I'll shout out because of your thing and we'll give him a shout out.

Speaker 1: 1:19:48

And my lovely wife was one of the archaeologists. He had a I don't remember what year it was, but he had an actual spot where they had things from closed attractions One of the cars from Mr Toad's Wild Ride which I'll never forgive them for getting rid of. There was a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea submarine and there were a couple of performers as archaeologists there. So he touched on that. But I do love the idea of closed attractions because, again, galactic Star Cruiser could be an entire half-marathon with all of those characters. Captain EO.

Speaker 2: 1:20:24

Yeah, that would be cool, I'm so old.

Speaker 1: 1:20:25

I was at the press event for Captain EO when it opened. Yeah, I was in college at the time.

Speaker 2: 1:20:31

You're still young at that age, bob. Any themes or entertainment things, themes and entertainment things.

Speaker 4: 1:20:37

This is a little unfair because one thing I missed. I just said I'm old, I am. I would like to hear or see more of the traditional. I want to hear Jiminy Cricket sing when you Wish Upon a Star Stuff like that. But that's not fair. Okay, this is a different generation enjoying this. One thing I would like to see Disney do in these races and I understand the efficiencies and logistics of starting and ending at Epcot, but I'd like to see some variation in the courses. Let's get back. We used to start at Magic Kingdom Park and Lot. We used to start at. We had a 5K that started and ended at Animal Kingdom. I hope we get back to that. If we do, great. If we don't, I'm still coming.

Speaker 3: 1:21:19

Yeah, yeah I do agree Variety would be nice. It's like you get so used to the course that it doesn't become like a big surprise Somewhere all of our techs are going.

Speaker 1: 1:21:29

Please don't make us move these things around. Oh, for God's sake. To be honest with you, I miss it being on Epcot Center Boulevard. When we were out on the big, it just felt bigger.

Speaker 2: 1:21:40

I agree with you.

Speaker 1: 1:21:41

It just felt and not that it's not. You know, there are a lot of good things about where it is now and it's certainly a lot easier for our team, because I wish somebody would do a time lapse of what they would have to do from half marathon day, everything they'd have to tear down to then put back up later that day because they can't be in the way of people coming to the park. Yeah, but I completely agree with you and it's just. You know, it's completely a logistic thing. Yeah, yeah and that was fun.

Speaker 2: 1:22:08

The people would be dancing, which we thought was insane. Like the people doing these with DJ Steve. They're like dancing like maniacs and we're like you have to go run a half marathon. But that was a really fun environment there.

Speaker 3: 1:22:19

What they could do, though, is like if they're starting a race at 5K for Disneyland, they should do it over at Magic Kingdom. Start in the parking lot, Then you can still go through Magic Kingdom and you know right where you started. You can still go through Magic Kingdom and you know right where you started.

Speaker 4: 1:22:33

That would be a nice flat cave difference.

Speaker 2: 1:22:35

Yeah, I mean I know our team Shout out to our Red Disney team. They work really hard to make with all the construction and everything that has gone on.

Speaker 1: 1:22:44

Blue Sky? It would be great. And Animal Kingdom is always a challenge because you have sound issues and stuff with the animals.

Speaker 2: 1:22:54

There was a year we had to do something about the course for Expedition. Everest because of the baby hippo had just been born, or something.

Speaker 1: 1:22:57

Right, and it had just been born and we had to change stuff, we had to turn down everything.

Speaker 2: 1:23:01

I think it ended up shortening it a little bit just because we had to reroute, because they didn't want, because their goal is with all the animals and everything. All right, before we guys wrap up, we have our standard closing questions that we're going to let each of you answer. Who would like to go? First, bob, okay, and then you have to answer them. All right, what's the most inspiring moment you have seen or heard or been a part of at a run Disney race?

Speaker 4: 1:23:28

Uh, there are many, many, many and I'm going to be selfish and take the finish to this last dopey where I got to push my friend and a week after my 70th birthday, finishing my fourth dopey pushing my friend Woody and his mom, as Montcam is an amazing person, emotion-wise again, I'm not being patronizing, but I love hitting that corner. The corral will make me cry. Okay, then I go to see Jeff and then I see you guys and, uh, that was, I got pretty, uh, I got pretty emotional on that one. There are so many and you know this better now. There's so many stories. There are so many stories amongst our friends in our community that inspire me, that our friends in our community that inspire me, that I, if I named one or two, I'm going to leave others out. Yeah, but it's, uh, that's what run Disney is to me.

Speaker 1: 1:24:44

That's why I run Disney, so I have to go out to your land. See, see wasn't such a great idea.

Speaker 3: 1:24:51

I'll always answer the question first. Um, I don't know. I think I think learning about getting to know people the more people you get to know, the great, because then you get to hear all their stories. And I felt so honored that one of my close friends that of course she, um, she started out as a listener and I got to know her and I love her and her name is Rachel.

Speaker 3: 1:25:12

I felt super, extremely honored that at the end of her first ever Dopey, she asked me if I could middle her and I was just like that was so beautiful and to be a part of that kind of special moment for somebody who just accomplished and crushed their like you know, they just crushed their goals and the thing is so beautiful and getting to be part of those moments is extremely special.

Speaker 4: 1:25:37

I hope this doesn't embarrass her because I'm sure she'll hear. When she finished that race I grabbed her and she started crying and I'm holding Rachel, she's like. But again, I felt so honored that she felt that she could pour out those emotions on a stranger. But just, our friends know us from listening to us as your friends know you from listening to you, and it does go both ways, yeah, and it's just like I feel very like, again, super honored this year, especially because she's doing all the disney races.

Speaker 3: 1:26:18

She even did all the disneyland races, so she's completing everything this year and so I'm going to be there on the 10 miler and I can't wait to see her cross that finish and just see her be like, oh my god, yeah, and you need to be there when she gets to be medaled again for the last medal of the of the season. I think it's going to be such a huge honor. Um, my favorite thing, I guess, during, of course, is that what was the other question I forgot.

Speaker 2: 1:26:44

Oh, that was it most inspiring moment. That was it. You did a great job that's good.

Speaker 1: 1:26:48

Well, your podcast is inspiring, but so before we let you go, uh, people, the rise and Run podcast, check it out Anywhere podcasts can be found. And what about anywhere online, facebook, the artist formerly known as Twitter, instapot? I don't understand any of these things. Where else can people find you if they want to follow you?

Speaker 4: 1:27:05

Rise and Run podcast on Facebook. Rise and Run pod, because somebody else had Rise and Run or something. On Instagram. Rise and Run pod because somebody else had Rise and Run or something. On Instagram and Jack's YouTube channel. I call it Jack's. It's our YouTube channel. Jack does 99% of the work on it. You'd have to go to YouTube and search for Rise and Run.

Speaker 1: 1:27:24

That's great, good, well, so great to have you here in Atlanta, our first road show, our first road show, thanks. I'm sure we'll talk down the line on either of our podcasts and we look forward to seeing how many of the Rise and Runners are there for springtime. So, bob Jack, thank you so much for coming on 321GO. We love you guys and we'll talk to you soon, thank you so much All right athletes, here's the drill.

Speaker 2: 1:27:48

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