One year ago, I ran my first marathon at Disney World. This race is a great entry-level marathon for beginners. Disney does everything right (yes, I know I am a cast member and might be biased, but really, they do) from having a generous finish time to making sure you are taken care of on the course. Last year, I ran the 5k, 10k, and full marathon. I will not lie, when I saw people at the parks with their half marathon medals, I was feeling left out.
While planning for the 2016 races, I saw the Goofy and Dopey challenges. Basically, the Goofy challenge is to run the half marathon on Saturday and the full marathon on Sunday. You have to be pretty goofy to attempt such a thing. Then there is the Dopey Challenge where you run all four races on four consecutive days: The 5k on Thursday, the 10k on Friday, the half marathon on Saturday, and the full marathon on Sunday for a total of 48.6 miles! If you were goofy thinking about that challenge, you really had to be a dope to even entertain this one. I mean come on… FOUR races in FOUR days. How nuts does one have to be to do this stunt?
Well, if you know me, I do not back down from any type of challenge. I soon found myself ponying up the $550 to run the Dopey Challenge on RunDisney.com and wondered how on earth was I ever going to train for such a thing (hint: training includes a LOT of back-to-back long runs). I used my handy dandy cast-member discount to secure a hotel room months in advance and scored a pretty cheap flight on Southwest.com.
Dopey Challenge Check-in 2016
The first order of business was to get checked in. I made my way to the Dopey registration line, checked in, and got all my swag. The funny thing about the swag is that you get a technical running shirt for each race (5k, 10k, half marathon, and full marathon), and a special Dopey Challenge shirt. Additionally, by nature of the Dopey Challenge, you complete the Goofy Challenge as well, so you get that tech shirt too for a grand total of SIX tech running shirts! What a huge score (I know, I know – you actually pay for it in your entry fee, but I felt like I hit the jackpot here). Additionally, they photograph all Dopey Challenge participants. Here is my mug shot:
2016 Dopey Challenge Picture
Walt Disney Expo 2016
Donna had decided that she wanted to try a full marathon, so we was going to do the same thing that I did last year – the 5k, 10, and full marathon. After we got checked in and collected all of our swag, we entered the expo. As you know when Disney does something, it is immaculate, and this was no exception, The Disney expo is nothing like I have ever seen. It was held in not one, not two, but THREE separate rooms. If you forgot something at home, they will have it there. If you want try something new, you can get it there. There are free samples galore. You can spend an afternoon walking around, eating and drinking all you want. I found that the prices are average, and you should not expect any blowout deals here, but hey, if you need it, your item will be there.
My plan is to take all races nice and slow. I do not want to burn myself in the earlier races. My goal is to finish each race with gas left in the tank for the following race.
My ancestry is strongly tied to England. As a teenager, I had visited London as part of a trip to the UK and France, and as an adult, I have been wanting to visit London again. After completing the Gold Coast Marathon, I set my sights on the London Marathon. I researched this race quite a bit and ended up at MarathonTours.com. Apparently, this race was extremely popular and thus difficult to get into. However, if you booked a trip through MarathonTours.com, they would guarantee you an entry to the race. The packages were a little pricey, but it looks like they do everything top-notch.
After some communication with them, I was able to book a spot for the 2016 London Marathon. I was SO excited to be going back after all these years. While looking at their website, I stumbled upon Seven Continents Club. This elite group can only be joined if you a full (or half) marathon on all seven continents. WOW! That sounded like a lot of fun. With the Disney and Gold Coast marathons under my belt, I had completed two continents. With my confirmed entry to London next spring, I would have three continents complete after just running 5 marathons! In my eyes, this was a no-brainer. I was close enough (3 of 7) that I HAD to do it – no excuses.
In order to stay fit and keep training, I entered the Hartford marathon this coming October, and the Disney marathon again in 2016 (although this time it would be the Dopey Challenge).
I caught the fever – a running fever that is. After I completed the Disney marathon in January, I could not wait to run another marathon. I looked into the London marathon, but that race was already booked for 2015. I was itching to travel, so I decided to visit my brother in Australia. Lo and behold, I found the Gold Coast Marathon on July 4th.
Grace at Maddigans
I contacted Matt and made sure he and his family was going to be around. He was and said that he would pick me up at the Brisbane airport and drive me back to Hervey Bay to visit. Perfect! I found an affordable flight from Los Angeles and an Airbnb in Gold Coast, Australia. I arrived in Brisbane, and as promised, my brother was there to pick me up. We made the 3-hour drive north to Hervey Bay, and I visited for four days. The last time I had visited my brother was for his wedding. We had gone to the awesome casual seafood place called Maddigans. While here, I insisted that we go back there to bring back the good memories. I also got to meet my niece Grace, who I had never seen before!
When the day came to depart, Matt had bought me a train ticket to get to Brisbane. He drove me to the Maryborough train station and I boarded the train for the 3-1/2 hour journey south. After I arrived in Brisbane, all I needed to do was get another train ticket from Gold Coast, which was easy enough. After my arrival in Gold Coast, I picked up an Uber ride and made my way to the Airbnb that I had reserved. My host was lovely. After I got settled in, she offered to take me on a drive around Gold Coast and show me the sights.
I spent the next couple of days exploring. There was a train station about a half-mile from her place, which made everything convenient. I made my way to the Star Coast casino and played some poker. Australians LOVE to gamble. While at the poker table, I was talking to a few guys and I told them that I was a professional ice hockey referee, albeit in the minor leagues. They SERIOUSLY wanted to bet on a game that I was officiating, while having me try to push the game to their desired result. AHEM. No thank you. This was the closest I have ever been to a bribe in my life, and I did not take the bait (although it made for fun banter).
Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast Australia
I am also a HUGE Australian Football fan. Like, it is my favorite sport on the face of the earth, full stop, no questions asked, period, end of discussion. I follow it religiously during the season. My favorite team, The Geelong Cats, unfortunately were not in Gold Coast that weekend, so I had to settle for the North Melbourne Kangaroos vs the Gold Coast Suns. This was cool because, as a Geelong follower, I am of course a huge fan of both Gary Ablett Senior and Gary Ablett Junior. Gary Senior is a legend. I am not exaggerating as part of Geelong’s Kardinia Park is named the Gary Ablett Terrace, and Gary Junior is as much of a legend as his father. Anyway, after playing several years in Geelong, junior requested a trade to the Gold Coast Suns, which was granted. I was unsure whether I was going to get to see junior play because he was having all kinds of shoulder problems that year. I made my way to Metricon Stadium and took in the sights. There were so many young people kicking the footy around in the parking lot. The sports atmosphere here was quite a bit different than in the USA. Here, it was a LOT more family-oriented, which was very nice. I made my way into the stadium and found my seat in row 2. The seat was AWESOME and I could not have asked for anything better. (well maybe first row, but no seats were available). Before the game started, it was announced that Gary Ablett would be playing for Gold Coast! I was pretty stoked to be able to see on of the all time greats play. If you do not know anything about Aussie Rules football, one of basic plays is called a mark. A mark is when a player kicks the ball and if ANY player catches it in the air without it hitting the ground or another player’s hands, you get a free kick (muck like in soccer). One of the big competitions is called “Mark of the Year”. Whoever takes the most spectacular mark (also called a screamer, speccy, speccie, speckie, hanger, or ripper) wins a lot of bragging rights. This screamer, taken by North Melbourne’s Lindsay Thomas, happened right in front of me! This mark was worth the price of admission and was one of the best marks of the year!
For those of you who have never watched AFL, this type of play is perfectly legal. You cannot push somebody in the back, but if you want to jump up on an opponent’s shoulders and perch there until you catch the ball like Lindsay did here, you are perfectly fine in doing that. Have I mentioned that I LOVE this sport and it the coolest game on the planet? North Melbourne won the game, I saw Gary Ablett Jr. play, and I saw a contender for mark of the year. What an awesome evening!
The next day, went to the expo to get my bibs and swag. When signing up, they had options for 5k, 10k, half marathon, and full marathons. Both the 5k and 10k were run on Friday, July 3, while the half and full marathon were run on Saturday, July 4. You could do TWO races, not all four. Me, being me, I decided to do the 10k and full marathon. Go big, or go home, right? As I checked in, a greeter asked me what race I was doing so he could direct me to the correct line. I told him that I was doing both the 10k and full.
His response was hilarious. “Crikey mate. NOBODY does the 10k and full. I have heard about some people doing the 5k and full, but NEVER the 10k and full.” I laughed with him and told him that I was just a dumb American.
Route on the 2015 Gold Coast 10k
Friday came and walked the 1.5 miles to the start line. I arrived with plenty of time. The run was VERY scenic. It was along the coast the entire way! I took my time knowing that I had to run a full marathon tomorrow. After I finished, I casually walked back to the Airbnb.
That night another person checked into a different bedroom in the Airbnb. He was running tomorrow too! We really did not talk, but I saw his running gear.
I arose the next morning and made my usual pre-race marathon breakfast (oatmeal, a bagel with peanut butter, and a banana). The other dude was taking his time, but I did not think anything of it. I was not watching the time and I figured I would leave when he did (or shortly thereafter). Imagine my surprise when I did finally look at my watch and realized that the marathon was starting in a mere 20 (YES TWENTY) minutes! zOMG!!! WTF did I just DO??? I am 1.5 miles away and the race starts in 20 minutes. I had planned to take the transit train there, but there was no time. I grabbed my stuff and sprinted to the marathon start. I don’t know how fast I actually ran, but it felt like I was running a 6-minute mile, which for me is like the speed of light. I got to the road that was blocked off for the runners and had to convince a guard that I needed to get to gear check. I showed her my race bib. That did the trick and she let me cross the road. Spectators saw that I was late and they were directing me to the baggage check area (Aussies are so friendly and helpful). As I arrived at the bag check tent, the Australian National Anthem started to play. The gear check volunteers had a bewildered look on their faces and told me to get up to the starting line because the race was about to start. YES, I KNOW!!! Luckily the bag check was only about 100 yards from the start line. I BRISKLY walked (not ran) to the start line/road, pushed my way into the runners, and stood there panting and exhausted. I felt like I had just run a 10k just to get to the start line! “At least I had a warmup,” I thought with my dry sense of humor. I reached for my camera to take a picture. Alas! In my haste to get to the race, I left it in the Airbnb. I would NOT be getting any pics during this race 🙁 .
We started and I ran at my normal pace. What normal is at this point, I have no idea. This is only my second marathon and I am still winging it. The course was two out and backs. The first was to the south (about 28k/17 miles). The second was to the north for about (14k/9 miles). I was amazed by the scenery of this race. It was mostly on the coast. You could see boats, runners, parts, and the ocean. It was EXTREMELY scenic and I loved it. I made it to the southernmost point and did the turnaround.
The temperature was starting to get warmer, so I slowed down a little bit. I was also getting hungry and luckily (or not) at about mile 14 there was a farmers market. I had trained with clementines and bananas, so I figured they were safe. I stopped in the market and asked a woman for ONE banana. She said that they were only for sale as a bunch. I said that I only wanted one, but I would buy the whole bunch and she could have all the other ones back to sell again. She then said just to take one. I insisted on paying, but she had nothing to do with it. I thanked her and ate the banana. About a half mile later, my stomach started cramping and I was in a world of hurt. This banana was not sitting right with me, and I lost all energy – like I hit the wall. A runner passed me and asked if I was alright. I told him about the banana, and he said he knew because he pacing with me and had been watching me.
I struggled BIG time in the last 8-10 miles. Around mile 19, I approached a young lady who was also struggling. A friend/trainer was running with her at this point (but that person was not in the race). I overheard that she was in so much pain and that she wanted to quit. I started talking to her and told her that pain is temporary, but pride is forever. I also reminded her that if marathons were easy, then everybody would do them. We continued doing a walk/run and we talked. It was her first marathon and this was my second. She could not believe that I came all the way from the USA to run this race (oh, little did she know me). I told her all about the Disney marathon that I had completed 6 months earlier, and how I caught the running bug. I also explained that between my sprint to the start and the banana, I was struggling as well. The miles ticked by and soon we were only 2 miles from the finish. I told her that as we near the finish she will draw a lot of energy from the spectators, and of course, we both did! As we approached the finish line, she thanked me for the help. As we crossed the finish line, I let her go in front of me.
Gold Coast Marathon and 10k Medals 2015
After collecting my finisher’s medal, I sat on the quad for quite a long time getting my energy back. I reflected on the race and realized that they only had 2 spots on the course where they gave energy gel and NO food whatsoever. I might have been spoiled by Disney, but I was disappointed with that aspect of the race. One good thing is that I LOVED the energy gel that they gave out – Endura. It was SO much better than Gu, but you cannot get it in the USA (unless you have it shipped from Australia).
In January 2014 Donna and I were at Disney World for a vacation (it helps that I work for Disney and I get nice perks). Anyway, one of my aspiring professional poker player friends, Sarah, was also going to be down there with her husband Jesse. I really had no idea why, but we all decided to meet up. When we met up, Sarah proudly told me that she was here to run the marathon.
“What?”, I asked in amazement.
Now mind you, Sarah did not look like a “typical” runner. She was neither tall nor build like a bean pole. We were all fighting post-college weight gain that you can never seem to lose. Donna and I had been to Sarah and Jesse’s house MANY times to play cards, but she never even remotely mentioned that she runs.
She replied that it was hard to get her to do long runs in the New England winters, and she did not know whether she was going to run the marathon, let alone finish.
My ultra-competitive mind thought, “Well, if she can run a marathon, then I can certainly run one, and I am going to run this marathon next year.” Now, I love sports and I have tried a LOT of them, but running was never something that I enjoyed. Why I decided at that moment to do something that I never really enjoyed is a mystery to me (maybe it has something to do with that ultra-competitiveness). Right after vacation, I went home, put on a pair of sneakers, and started my training for next year’s Disney marathon (11 months later). I learned a lot over the next year- like I did not need 11 months to prepare for a race, but I was determined to finish a marathon nonetheless.
At Disney’s running event in January, they offer a 5k, 10k, half marathon, and full marathon all on successive days. I decided that I was going to run the 5k, 10k, and full marathon. I did not want to run a half marathon the day before I was supposed to complete my first full.
About a week before my departure, I was the linesman in a minor-league professional hockey game. At one point two players crashed into me from the side and I twisted my left knee. I swore at them for not going around, but the damage was done. I hobbled around the ice for the rest of the game, worried whether I would be able to run the marathon the following week.
I went to Disney, got checked into my hotel, went to the expo to get all of my racing bibs and collect whatever other free swag I could. My knee definitely was tender, but I was not park-hopping like I normally did. My plan was to run a VERY easy 5k on Thursday. If my knee left up for it, I would run a LITTLE harder (but not too hard) on Friday for the 10k. If that passed, then I would stay off my feet as much as I could on Saturday, and then run the full marathon on Sunday. I know, I know… I am ultra-competitive and would I ACTUALLY not run if my knee hurt badly? As much as I wanted to run, the answer was yes. I was going to listen to my body. I did not want to injure my knee any further and risk missing the rest of my hockey season.
2015 Disney 5k Start
Thursday morning came, and I ran a nice and easy 5k, and my knee felt good!
2015 Disney 10k Start
The next morning, I lined up to run the 10k. Sticking to the plan, I ran the 10k a little harder, but nothing too aggressive. My knee felt good, so I decided to run the full marathon.
2015 Disney Marathon Start
Sunday morning came around and off to the start line I went. I submitted a time that allowed me to be placed in corral J, which was pretty far up from the walkers (corral P). I was nervous. Would I be able to finish? In training, I only ever ran 22 miles. Was that enough to get me to 26.2? My goal was to finish in about 6:30:00 because that was the most common cutoff time for a marathon. At long last, our corral started, and off I went. The first 6 miles are between EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. I ran at a slower pace and was feeling good… until mile 7. All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my RIGHT (WTF?) knee. This pain felt like somebody stuck a knife in my knee and was twisting it. Why my right knee? I injured my LEFT knee a week ago, not my right. As I slowed way down and actually walked for a bit, I figured that between the 5k, 10k, the walking that I had done, and now the running that I was doing, I must have been compensating for the injury, and now it was catching up with me. If this level of pain continued, I would have to stop. However, I have a VERY high pain tolerance, so I kept pushing onward. After a while, the pain subsided and I kept going.
After exiting Magic Kingdom, we were routed to the Disney World Speedway. This facility hosts several Nascar and Indy car events. Most people hated this part, but I thought it was absolutely fantastic being able to actually run on a Nascar track. I ran up halfway up the embanked track (it is a LOT steeper than you would think) and back down to the apron several times.
After Disney Speedway, I was on my way to Animal Kingdom. One of the really neat things that I had read about for the Disney Marathon is that when you go into Animal Kingdom, you can absolutely veer off-course and ride the Expedition Everest roller coaster. That was my second goal for this race (the first being to cross the finish line). As I crossed into Animal Kingdom, I realized that the park was not open yet (and obviously the rides were not operating). I had entered the park about 30 minutes too early! What a bummer. Since this was my first full marathon, I was not sure what to expect. I decided that it would be better for me to continue rather than wait for the ride to open.
As I continued on, we made out way through ESPN Wide World of Sports. This was pretty cool for me because after all, I worked at ESPN (and if you have ever been the ESPN webite, you have probably seen/used some of my handiwork)! We ran around the complex, by soccer fields with games going on, and even did a lap on a track (400m repeats at mile 17 anybody). After exiting we made our way to Hollywood Studios and then back to Epcot.
As I entered Epcot and I reached mile 25, BOTH of my knees experience the same sharp knife-like pain that I felt at mile 7. I was more than on pace to finish in the allotted time, so I walked for a bit. After the pain subsided, I ran again and crossed the finish line in 5:12:38, beating my goal of 6:30:00 by quite a bit!
As I crossed the finish line, my first thought was “Wow, that was so fun, I can’t wait to do that again!”
WAIT – STOP THE PRESS
HUH? What? What did I think? Was I hallucinating? Was I sick? Was I dreaming? When most people cross the finish line of a marathon they think “Never again will I do that.” Nope. Not me. I could not wait to torture myself again.
I grew up very poor. For several years as a teenager, I had to hunt and fish for food. Many times if I did not catch a fish (or shoot a rabbit), I did not eat. Throw into the mix that my parents were divorcing (and I was used as a pawn between them), I was confused, depressed, and alone for most of my teenage years. All through high school, I was not able to really learn who I was. I never had a girlfriend, went to any football games, went to any dances (you get the picture). After all, the biggest problem I had was where my next meal was coming from (and whether I was even going to have one). I had no time for socializing. I was out hunting, fishing, or foraging for food.
After I graduated from high school, I went off to college at Penn State University. My freshman year was spent reflecting on what I had in college vs what I knew at home. I was mostly an introvert, but I did room with one of my best friends from high school. For my sophomore year, I got a new roommate and my life was about in a radically GOOD way.
One day on the way to physics class, I was walking behind two people who I knew. I love to people-watch and I love to listen to what people have to say. On this particular day, one of the two people in front of me was swearing like no tomorrow. I remember thinking, “How can anybody talk like that, it is so offensive.”
I stopped DEAD in my tracks. Why? Because I had picked up the habit of swearing as a teenager. If people think swearing like that is offensive, and I swear, then some people MUST think that I am offensive. This was a profound realization for me, and it took me several days to come to terms with it. Nonetheless, I was not deterred. I was determined to break this “bad” habit of mine. Within four weeks, I stopped swearing altogether, and I felt proud. It was at that moment in my life, that I realized I had control over my life and I had the power to change anything about me that I did not like. No longer did I have to question why I had to endure the events of my teenage years. Those events certainly SHAPED me, but they do not have to dictate who I am. Thus, I went on a TEN-year transformation to eliminate what I considered my “bad and offensive” habits. I was finally able to make myself into somebody who I actually am proud to be.
Along the way, I have learned a LOT of things. My ex-wife had a philosophy that I particularly liked:
If I am in doubt, I try it. I never want to look back on my life and think “what if I had done that?”
That stuck with me and still does to this day. Live life to the fullest – NO REGRETS!
Along those lines, I have been told many, many, MANY times that I lead a fascinating life full of fun and adventure. Since graduating from college, this is the only way I know how to live and know nothing different.
I live by three principles (inspired by my ex-wife):
If it sounds fun AND
If it is not illegal AND
If it will not hurt somebody (I am fair game to be hurt/injured 🙂 ) else THEN
TRY IT! You just might find something fun to do!
This mantra has served me well in life.
By all statistics, I should have ended up as a drug-using criminal on the street corner with a long rap sheet. Instead, one fateful day in college turned my entire life around. I seized the opportunity that the universe gave me and I have made the most of it.
I truly feel very fortunate to be where I am today. I never forget my roots and where I have been. I am grateful to have done so many fun and interesting things in my life – from playing poker semi-professionally to officiating professional ice hockey for eleven years, to skydiving, to scuba diving, to whatever life gives me next. I look at the world in a different light. For example, what does this phrase say?
O P P O R T U N I T Y I S N O W H E R E
Most people will say “Opportunity is nowhere“. You know what? I see “Opportunity is now here“, and that is how I live my life. I hope to share some of my adventures with you in my humble blog. Thanks for reading!
