I Went Running and Racing...and Boozing and Freezing!

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I am nervous for you just reading about your race! I am most certainly NOT a runner. I do think it would be cool to do a race in Disney, but I loathe running! I will just have to live through you!

 

[krr126]

It's so funny to think how warm Saturday felt compared to the rest of that week!! We were so excited the pool at Pop was open that day while we were killing time waiting for our Tragical Express back to the airport....

Ironic that the POP pool was open that day. We had seen the forecast while packing and knew not to even bother packing the swimsuits. Bummer, but on the plus side, we didn't have the kids asking 100x a day to go back to the resort to swim like we normally would!

 

[missjackiemcg]

We ran through Backstage construction (for the Gondolas, I imagine) and then turned a corner and suddenly there I was in World Showcase, torches blazing, each country beautifully lit, Spaceship Earth gleaming in the distance. It was breathtaking, and now I was near tears. This run made me feel like a total sap! I kept finding myself on the verge of tears just at the sheer joy of the fact that I had made it—I was RUNNING DISNEY!!
20180104_045651 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180104_045910 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180104_050019 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180104_050027 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

I skipped several characters right off the bat because I had met them before….I would later regret only one stop I didn’t make. I skipped Chip and Dale & Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, but I sure do wish I stopped in Canada to see Kinai and Koda from Brother Bear. After I had skipped the first two stops, I told myself I am stopping for the next character, no matter who it is! I noticed a line forming as I approached Morocco. I wasn’t even thinking about who it might be, but I started to see lots of runners going by and then seeing who it was an running back to get in the line. One of them yelled, It’s Vacation Genie!!! I was elated that I had stopped to get in line!! When I had started reading people’s runDisney TRs, he was one of the characters I really hoped I’d get the chance to meet. I probably waited about 5 minutes in line. Chatting with other runners while in these lines would be some of the best memories I made during the weekend. There was a box of Dunkin Donuts munchkins being passed through the line. Donut people are my kind of people!
20180104_050801 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr wdw2018004904877753_407774825316 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

After meeting the Genie, I was on my way passing Mile 2 and approaching Spaceship Earth. I hopped in one of the two lines for a pic in front of the icon! They were really quick about moving people through this photo op and there was a CM with a microphone giving directions and keeping people moving. But what to do with my arms!?!
wdw2018004904903911_407774825317 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Then a quick left turn toward Future World. Approaching The Land, I could see another character line ahead and decided to stop no matter who it was. I got in line and could see it was Horace Horsecollar—I told some people behind me he was a cow….oops! The girl waiting behind me was dressed as The Fairy Godmother. We talked about our runs for the weekend, and I said I was doing the 5 and 10 (but I left out the JUST this time). I said I wouldn’t be able to do Dopey. She says, “Sign up for next year! You can totally do it! I’ll coach you!” Seriously, could these people BE any nicer!?

Horace started to walk away for a break…I thought this was a little strange, not that he needed a break because I presumed there would be another Horace ready to switch places with him, but the fact that the meet was at the bottom of the ramp up to The Land, and they made him walk allllll the way up and then alllll the way back down. A lot of wait time, but definitely cool to meet him! And off I went!
wdw2018004904976967_407774825311 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

I ran past Spaceship Earth again and past the 3 mile marker and suddenly, just like that, I was at the finish line and it was over! At 6:35 I crossed the finish line. By no means a PR, and by no means did I care! I never really run for the pace or the finish time, and this time it was the furthest thing from my mind. This race was magical!! They aren’t kidding when they say runDisney: Every mile is Magic because it absolutely was.
20180104_053515 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180104_053607 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

I somehow missed the mylar blankets they were passing out, but I didn’t even care. I wasn’t thinking about it being cold; I was thinking I DID IT! I ran Disney and it was everything I thought it would be and more! I already couldn’t wait to come back and do it again the next day.

After you cross the finish line and get your medal, runners are funneled back into the area where we waited to go to our corrals. There are photo backdrops set up, it seemed like 50 or so! Just grab your food box, banana, water and powerade and hop in any line for your I DID IT! Pics.
wdw2018004904866967_407774825330 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

After taking my picture, I headed toward the meet up spot where they have signs up for last name. Rob and I had planned to meet there after the race. I’m looking and looking for him by L…..finally find him at letter C. Our last name is Lagoni. #smh

I spotted my favorite guy, Dopey, and even though his line was ginormous, I made Rob hop in line with me to meet him. I haven’t seen him out and about in the parks for years, except at MVMCP, so seeing him was a must for me!
20180104_061816 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

The line was LENGTHY! But I ended up being so glad we waited it out today because the line was longer than this after the 10K and I figured it would get longer as the weekend races went on. After almost 30 minutes, I finally got to see my guy!!! In an effort to keep the line moving, runners just run up, pose, and run out. I couldn’t resist going in for a big hug first. Sorry, runners behind me, I am JUST a “runner,” so I am ignoring your post-race pic etiquette. #SorryNotSorry

The line was pretty giant for Bus #10 to Pop and Art of Animation, but suddenly there were 3 buses there loading at once. We only waited about 5 minutes from being at the end of an insane line to being seated on a nice warm bus. While waiting for Dopey, the warmth of my run had subsided and I was now freezing! There were guys standing at the door for each bus counting out exactly how many people were getting on the buses to make sure every seat was filled.
20180104_063056 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180104_063332 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

 

[missjackiemcg]

And because I couldn't figure out what order they went in....and I'm doing ridiculous things with my hands, here are just a few PP pics from the race

wdw2018004904799635_407774825312 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr wdw2018004904853204_407774825319 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr wdw2018004904891216_407774825320 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr That one's for you @buzzrelly

My favorite one of all!! Do I look just a bit happy to be here?!
wdw2018004904950399_407774825328 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

And my #1 supporter at the Finish Line. Smooches!!
FB_IMG_1515070431083 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

 

[buzzrelly]

I guess I should drop the quotes

Yes! You ARE a runner!

(Last January, in Chicago, I ran The Polar Dash that was below zero at the start of the race with wind chills in the minus twenties.

Orrrrrr…you're a crazy person. I don't know that I should continue commenting on an insane person's posts

He kept me from getting too nervous with my own thoughts, kept me warm with extra hugs, and carried a backpack so I could keep all my layers with me until I lined up in my corral. At 4 a.m. we were on the bus to Epcot.

Aw, that's sweet! I'm sure you've said already, but I can't remember…why didn't he run this with you?

I was in the 3rd wave of Corral C, near the front of my wave, and at 5:41 the fireworks went off and we were on our way! I

Corral C is awesome! I think I may have actually liked the run better if we had started sooner. But when you're in corral E/F the lines for the characters are all too crazy long, PLUS you are already starting close to the balloon ladies

suddenly there I was in World Showcase, torches blazing, each country beautifully lit, Spaceship Earth gleaming in the distance. It was breathtaking,

So pretty

I probably waited about 5 minutes in line. Chatting with other runners while in these lines would be some of the best memories I made during the weekend. There was a box of Dunkin Donuts munchkins being passed through the line. Donut people are my kind of people!
20180104_050801 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr wdw2018004904877753_407774825316 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Aw, I'm jealous! Cute pic!

After you cross the finish line and get your medal, runners are funneled back into the area where we waited to go to our corrals. There are photo backdrops set up, it seemed like 50 or so! Just grab your food box, banana, water and powerade and hop in any line for your I DID IT! Pics.
wdw2018004904866967_407774825330 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Yay, you!!

And because I couldn't figure out what order they went in....and I'm doing ridiculous things with my hands, here are just a few PP pics from the race

wdw2018004904799635_407774825312 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr wdw2018004904853204_407774825319 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr wdw2018004904891216_407774825320 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr That one's for you @buzzrelly

Lol! Looks about right!

Congratulations on your race!

 

[Woth2982]

Your race recap is making me sooooo nostalgic for Disney races! I was supposed to do a 5 miler last weekend but on Saturday night I had an IBS flare, and I think the stress of the entire month of May finally caught up with me (my own TR is in desperate need of an update). I decided to sleep in instead (I still ran 5 miles, just at the gym so no medal). I almost feel like Run Disney races are not for PR's (unless you are in A corral). It is so much fun to stop and get photos and chat with other runners. I often say runners are some of the nicest people on earth. You will never be a stranger at a race. The smile on your face at the end is worth a million words! Great work!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Man you look amazing for being in the middle of a run!!! I turn beet red and look horrible.

One of them yelled, It’s Vacation Genie!!! I was elated that I had stopped to get in line!! When I had started reading people’s runDisney TRs, he was one of the characters I really hoped I’d get the chance to meet. I probably waited about 5 minutes in line. Chatting with other runners while in these lines would be some of the best memories I made during the weekend. There was a box of Dunkin Donuts munchkins being passed through the line. Donut people are my kind of people!

This part makes me think I could do a race. it's the parts in between this that are the problem...

Great photo!

The line was pretty giant for Bus #10 to Pop and Art of Animation, but suddenly there were 3 buses there loading at once. We only waited about 5 minutes from being at the end of an insane line to being seated on a nice warm bus. While waiting for Dopey, the warmth of my run had subsided and I was now freezing! There were guys standing at the door for each bus counting out exactly how many people were getting on the buses to make sure every seat was filled.

Sounds like they have everything organized and run pretty smoothly.

 

[lilmc]

Florida cold like this was seriously no joke!!!

Haha! We’re from Colorado and were there this same week and to this day, “but it’s not Florida cold” is a running joke in our family

 

[krr126]

Haha! We’re from Colorado and were there this same week and to this day, “but it’s not Florida cold” is a running joke in our family

Ever since that week, I call any weather warmer than 30° theme park weather. Throw a couple layers on and get on with it! Lol

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

I’m so behind, and slowly catching up! Im loving your race photos so far.

 

[missjackiemcg]

Orrrrrr…you're a crazy person. I don't know that I should continue commenting on an insane person's posts

Definitely a crazy person

Aw, that's sweet! I'm sure you've said already, but I can't remember…why didn't he run this with you?

Originally, Jimmy was supposed to go on this trip with us, which meant someone would have to stay at the hotel with him. Doing runDisney has always been one of MY goals, so that would be Daddy on duty!

Your race recap is making me sooooo nostalgic for Disney races!

I often say runners are some of the nicest people on earth. You will never be a stranger at a race. The smile on your face at the end is worth a million words! Great work!

It was one of the most incredible things I have ever participated in! Honestly, I've never had such a great race--I felt like I could run a marathon, and found myself disappointed I hadn't signed up to run more miles!

Man you look amazing for being in the middle of a run!!! I turn beet red and look horrible.

Thanks There is something magical about running there! I never got winded or felt sore or felt like I couldn't do it.

Haha! We’re from Colorado and were there this same week and to this day, “but it’s not Florida cold” is a running joke in our family

Ever since that week, I call any weather warmer than 30° theme park weather. Throw a couple layers on and get on with it! Lol

SO cold, but wouldn't miss a minute of my magical vacation worrying about the weather!! Just layer up in as many pairs of pants as I could LOL

I’m so behind, and slowly catching up! Im loving your race photos so far.

Thank you!!!

 

[buzzrelly]

Originally, Jimmy was supposed to go on this trip with us, which meant someone would have to stay at the hotel with him. Doing runDisney has always been one of MY goals, so that would be Daddy on duty!

Makes sense!

 

[DVC StephanieH]

Love your trip report! Disney races are like no other!

~Stephanie H

#dvcrentals

 

[Stasieki]

Wow... I am not a runner and now I want to run one. LOL

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

That's got to be such an awesome feeling when you cross the finish line. And you get to do it all over again. It's a win/win. Congratulations!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I was up and dressed with an extra layer of leggings and long sleeved black shirt to add to my planned Baymax costume! I thanked God many times during this trip that I had thrown that black shirt in my bag at the very last minute because having this extra layer saved me on both race days for sure!!

Good move on your part!! I know from experience on this trip that it's trickier than I expected to find long sweaters/pants/jackets in Florida. I did end up buying a long-sleeved running shirt at a Walmart before the race because I didn't have anything that would work well. But I'd also been looking for some kind of a warm-ish jacket to wear in the parks and came up with nothing, so I had to resort to the 3-4 layers of sweaters approach we all know so well!

The difference is I was prepared with layers, hat, gloves, face covering, etc. I obviously had not packed any of those things for my run in Florida. #rookiemistake

Right!? Who would have thought we'd need those things...

I spent my time in that portion of the line talking with a Snow White and Dopey duo who couldn’t have been more friendly. They were both running their second Dopey Challenge this weekend, and I had said I was “just doing the 5 and 10K.” Snow White (what IS it with Snow White on this trip!?) told me, “Don’t say JUST! Your run, is YOUR run. Own it! In fact, you could totally do Dopey.” She gave me just the boost of confidence I needed to start this race on the right foot. I was so thankful to have met her!

I love this! What wonderfully inspirational folks for you to have met. The runDisney community is so consistently supportive.

That was SO incredible…I felt really bad for him when less than a half mile into the race, the claw fell off. He hardly missed a step before grabbing it and running with it in his hand holding it up over their heads.

Amazing!!

I am nervous for you just reading about your race! I am most certainly NOT a runner. I do think it would be cool to do a race in Disney, but I loathe running! I will just have to live through you!

Maybe someday you guys will walk a 5K at runDisney! The 5K isn't a timed race, so as long as you keep moving forward you shouldn't have a problem, and I know a lot of people walk the whole thing.

We ran through Backstage construction (for the Gondolas, I imagine) and then turned a corner and suddenly there I was in World Showcase, torches blazing, each country beautifully lit, Spaceship Earth gleaming in the distance. It was breathtaking, and now I was near tears.

This. I didn't shed any tears, but I was close for a few moments. I had been struggling a bit to that point, not having warmed up properly, the cold causing us problems, and also just not being used to running so much on concrete! We usually run on trails or treadmills, and my shin splints were acting up as a result. But when I got into World Showcase and saw exactly what you described, that was the point where I was like, "You know what? Okay! I can do this! This is going to be great!" And it was.

I wasn’t even thinking about who it might be, but I started to see lots of runners going by and then seeing who it was an running back to get in the line. One of them yelled, It’s Vacation Genie!!! I was elated that I had stopped to get in line!!

Oh my gosh, right!?

Okay, so I'll be the first to admit that we took over 1.5 hours and stopped for almost every character stop. I have no shame about this. I'm not fast anyway, but I could have done a 5K in about 35 minutes if I wanted to...but I wanted characters, and it was super fun! But Vacation Genie was a serious highlight! (That, and the Brother Bear bears in my home country of Canada.) We got in line, and there were people in front of us who were like "Who is it?" And somebody else looked and was like, "Oh, it's just Genie." And they GOT. OUT. OF. Line. Ummm ?? Huh? It's not JUST Genie! It's Vacation Genie! Do you not know how cool that is!??

We talked about our runs for the weekend, and I said I was doing the 5 and 10 (but I left out the JUST this time). I said I wouldn’t be able to do Dopey. She says, “Sign up for next year! You can totally do it! I’ll coach you!” Seriously, could these people BE any nicer!?

Wow! You should take her up on it! If not for this year, than for the next, you should try it! I bet before you started running you didn't think you'd be able to do a 10K either!

I spotted my favorite guy, Dopey, and even though his line was ginormous, I made Rob hop in line with me to meet him. I haven’t seen him out and about in the parks for years, except at MVMCP, so seeing him was a must for me!

This is my biggest regret that I didn't stop for any characters after the race, especially Dopey. I was just so tired and blinded by the elation of having finished the race that I just made a B-line to snacks, and then another B-line to the busses. But your picture with Dopey was awesome!!

I couldn’t resist going in for a big hug first. Sorry, runners behind me, I am JUST a “runner,” so I am ignoring your post-race pic etiquette. #SorryNotSorry

You earned that hug!!

My favorite one of all!! Do I look just a bit happy to be here?!

This is fantabulous!!

 

[ThePrincess&TheJohn]

Hi!!! I'm loving your trip report. I'm not a runner, but I think I could do the 5k. My sister's a big runner and I'm trying to convince her to plan a trip. This seemed so much fun!

 

[dianachaney77]

Great trip report so far! Its crazy that within a few days you went from tank-tops and shorts to full on winter gear. Mother Nature has a mind of her own!

 

[Pluto0809]

<------------------------------- Guess who's finally here and caught up on your TR? Me!!!! I just wasted about 1/2 my day to read from the beginning. There was so much I wanted to comment on but of course I don't remember most of it now. I did enjoy every minute of it. I want to be there for New Year's now and do one of those special parties. And I also want to do the Highway in the Sky even though I probably wouldn't eat half the food. Both things looked like so much fun!

Commenting just on the race, it was great to see you before the race and I think you were almost done by the time I stepped over the start line. While it kind of sucked being that far in the back of the pack, I did have the pleasure of seeing the sun come up as I ran through Epcot. I'm definitely going to go back for more races, I'm aiming for the 2019 Wine and Dine 5K as of right now.

 

[missjackiemcg]

Love your trip report! Disney races are like no other!

Hi! Thanks for reading along! I have run lots of 5Ks but this was unlike anything I've ever experienced. I see how people get hooked!

Wow... I am not a runner and now I want to run one. LOL

You can be "just" a "runner" like me!!!

That's got to be such an awesome feeling when you cross the finish line. And you get to do it all over again. It's a win/win. Congratulations!

THANK YOU! It absolutely was the best feeling ever!

I love this! What wonderfully inspirational folks for you to have met. The runDisney community is so consistently supportive.

This was such an awesome surprise for me. I have run a lot of 5Ks in Chicago, and met some nice people, but runDisney people are unlike any other!

there were people in front of us who were like "Who is it?" And somebody else looked and was like, "Oh, it's just Genie." And they GOT. OUT. OF. Line. Ummm ?? Huh? It's not JUST Genie! It's Vacation Genie! Do you not know how cool that is!??

RIGHT!?

I bet before you started running you didn't think you'd be able to do a 10K either!

Very true! I still surprise myself every time I get out there and run at all LOL

Hi!!! I'm loving your trip report. I'm not a runner, but I think I could do the 5k. My sister's a big runner and I'm trying to convince her to plan a trip. This seemed so much fun!

Hi! Thanks for joining Lots of people did the 5K in groups and families, even walking with little ones. It's not timed, so even if you're just a "runner" like me, you can do it, I'm sure!!

Great trip report so far! Its crazy that within a few days you went from tank-tops and shorts to full on winter gear. Mother Nature has a mind of her own!

Thanks for reading along! I couldn't believe the shift in weather!!! It was MAJOR!!