Wife Mother Runner Mike Scopa Archives

2016 WDW Marathon Half Marathon

January 18, 2016

The second to last race of the Dopey Challenge is the half marathon. Once again I set my alarm for 3:30. For this race I made oatmeal for breakfast to hopefully hold me over. I was so hungry during the 5K and 10K races; even after having a small breakfast before I went to the races.

Diana and I were running this race together. Mandy would be joining us for the full marathon the next day. I arrived to the Epcot parking lot around 4:45 and met Diana down by the corrals. The crowd size doubles from the 5K and 10K to the half and full marathon sizes. The 5K and 10K have around 7,500 people. The half and full have 26,500 people. That does impact your course time when starting in a later corral.

Thankfully it wasn’t raining for this race, but it was extremely foggy. I wore my Donald Duck costume for this race and Donald sent us off at the start.

Diana and I at the corrals

Since we had run this course several time with the previous year’s Dopey challenge and running the Princess Half marathon two years prior, I was very familiar with the course. Not to mention that the full marathon also runs most of the same route for the beginning of the marathon. I am pleased to say that this year the change in character stops made the race more enjoyable.

I listened to Jeff Galloway speak at the Expo on Thursday and he mentioned that for the 5K and 10K it was ok to run; but he said for the half marathon, plan to walk the first few miles, then incorporate your run/walk intervals for a mile, walk a mile, then do intervals again, etc. So I discussed that with Diana and that was the plan. Well when race day comes around, sometimes plans get thrown out the window. We ran most of the first half of the race. Below shows our splits from the half marathon.

The first two miles of the race we made ourselves run slower. There also weren’t character stops at that point; just props to take photos of along the way. Between mile 3 and 4 is where we started to do the character stops for Wreck it Ralph and Oogie Boogie. Mile 5 lead us into the Magic Kingdom and we did stop for some photos and then miles 6-7 are up cone alley. It was VERY congested up cone alley. This year I think the cones were set up differently and weren’t the tall cones that were lined right up against each other because people were hopping over the cones and running in the lane that was dedicated for car traffic. So we just continued to do our walk/run intervals up cone alley as best as we could with the amount of people in that area. I also found Mike Scopa heading into the Magic Kingdom and played some leap-frog with him during the race. I’d stop for a character stop and then he’d pass me. Then I would spot him and I’d tag him and told him he was it. It helped pass some of the miles along the way! I also found Sid Busch out on the course and gave him some encouragement. He is such a celebrity now among the running community.

Miles 8 and 9 didn’t have anything too exciting so we pushed ahead and around mile 10 we decided to walk the rest of the race in to save our legs for the full marathon. We had gone over the overpass of World Drive at that point and saw the crowd still coming up the road and we knew we weren’t in any danger of being swept. At mile 12 we took a photo with Vacation Genie and that was it for character stops in Epcot for us.

It was a good decision to walk at that point. I was starving, though. I definitely did not have enough fuel with me for that race. All I could think about was making an egg sandwich back at the hotel room when the race was over!

After the race was over I drove back to the hotel and made the egg sandwich my mouth was watering for! Then I showered and wanted to hang out at the pool with my family. PK and Katie were going to be there for a little while so I wanted to spend time with them. After visiting with them I got cozy on the poolside chair and next thing I knew I woke up with my mouth hanging open, my sunglasses smashed against my face and drool going down my chin! I had fallen asleep for a long hard 2 hour nap! I looked around and saw my family’s items around but couldn’t find them anywhere! I finally located them and we noticed the dark skies were starting to roll in.

The plan that night was to go to Disney Springs to have dinner at Wolfgang Pucks and then head back to the room for an early night. We were watching the radar and packed our ponchos. Joe Pardo was also going to join us for dinner there. We arrived at Disney Springs around 5:00 but waited a long time for the boats to take us to from the West Side to the Marketplace side.

The balloon was tethered down because of the storms coming.

Half way to the Marketplace side they stop, which I wasn’t aware of. The kids had to go to the bathroom so we got off the boat there, used the restrooms nearby and put on our ponchos. We ended up walked through the pouring rain to Wolfgang Puck Express and met Joe. I had a cranky moment at this point in the day. I was frustrated with the rain, the boats at Disney Springs and I was hungry. So I had a moment of a mini meltdown. Once we had dinner I was better. We ordered the bar-b-que chicken pizza as a good pre-race meal with the protein and the carbs. After dinner my son wasn’t feeling too well. He had been battling a chest cough for several weeks and there were times during the trip where he just felt funky and wanted his mom.

Always my favorite view at night.

It was nice for Joe to meet my family. I talk about them all the time when Joe and I are at races and when we communicate in our every day conversations. After we said goodbye to Joe and boarded the boat to head back to our car I sat with my son on the boat and it cheered him up. I think it was also hard on him that I was going to be early and then not around when he woke up during the races. Once we got back to the hotel it was time for me to lay out my gear for the morning and call it an early night. I was in bed before 10:00 and I wasn’t feeling too anxious about the race. I did have a harder time falling asleep that night; but I blame that on the nap.

Coming up next, the big finale race of the weekend…the full marathon!

2016 WDW Marathon Weekend 10K Now Known As the PK10K

January 16, 2016

The 10K took place on Friday, January 8th. PK and his daughter Katie were running it and it was their first runDisney race! There were many first for my friends and family this year! We talked on the phone a week before the race because they didn’t know what to expect. They weren’t sure if you ran the race for time or what time you had to be there. They were staying at the same hotel as us so I told them I would drive them to the race and that they didn’t have to get up at 3:00 a.m. because we are staying close to Epcot and it only takes less than 10 minutes to drive there. I explained to them that the Disney races are races for fun and that there are character stops along the way that you take photographs with. They weren’t aware of the character stops. I also told them that the Disney races are far different from the races back home. I also told them that costumes are welcome and recommended. Katie said she would put something together and PK said he wanted to wear his Patriots gear. Come to find out, the Patriots jersey got the most complements out of all of us that day!

Since I hadn’t seen PK in over a year and Katie in many years, I wanted to run the race with them. I told them that I use the walk/run method but we could play it by ear on race morning. Since the 5K and 10K are early in the Dopey Challenge series, you can run those races with little issue for the full marathon on Sunday. I couldn’t wait to see them. We planned to meet up at the Expo after they land on Thursday, run the race together on Friday and then spend the day at Magic Kingdom on Friday afternoon after the kids races.

The morning of the race, I set my alarm for 3:30 and met them at the hotel lobby at 4:30. I was a few minutes late because I had to dig through my luggage to find extra rain ponchos. It was raining pretty heavily and I saw the radar wasn’t looking too good for the race either. I told PK and Katie I’d bring them a poncho. I picked them up in the front and drove us to the parking lot at Epcot. We were there at a good time because the rain was picking up and we didn’t want to stand too long out in the rain. We used the porta potties and then had to resort to the ponchos to stay dry.

PK and Katie’s 1st runDisney Race!

In our corral waiting to start

Once we started running it was getting warm with our ponchos on. We started taking them off within the first mile and I stuck mine in my race belt. We didn’t do walk run at that point in the race. This section of the 10K is the 3 miles out on the road leaving the Epcot parking lot and running on the road to head towards the backstage entrance to Epcot. My legs felt fine to do a constant run. PK is a faster runner, but he had his leg wrapped because he was having an issue with his calf. So he said that taking it slower in the beginning saved him from having trouble with his leg issue. We ran to the first area where a character stop would have been at the turning point toward the overpass but because of the rain there was just a plane prop there without a character. We walked up the hill on the overpass and ran the downhill. On the downhill there is usually a character stop with Lilo and Stitch; but again, because of the rain there wasn’t a character there for photos.

We did start a run/walk ratio around mile 2.5 and then entered the back of Epcot at mile 3. I was getting excited to enter this area because I love the way Epcot looks in the early morning hours with the torches lit and the music playing. We did our first character stop as we entered Epcot. Mulan and Mushu were there and it was perfect! Katie and PK reminisced about when Katie used to ask for her “Mulan Sheets” when they were camping and PK and his wife Lori would make the bed for her in their camper. I enjoyed knowing that the character stop was something that had relevance to them. Diana texted me and told me she was at character stops up ahead so I figured we would meet up eventually at a stop.

The next character stop was a new set of characters that haven’t been out for the races yet. Remy and Emile from Ratatouille were there so a new joke with PK, Kevin and I is the Rat-Stinkin Ratatouille Bastard (long story). We met up with Diana at that point so it was perfect timing. We did our group photo there and then proceeded to run over the bridge to the International Gateway and towards the Boardwalk and Beach Club Resort area. Mike and Sully from Monsters University were at ESPN, then we saw Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum around mile 5 but didn’t want to stop for their picture. We went backstage in Epcot and then headed towards Spaceship Earth towards the finish line.

We had such a great time at the race! They are planning on doing it again next year. Katie wants to do the 10K and the half marathon as well!

After the race we went to ESPN for the kids races. It was pouring rain and my son was still fighting a bad cough. He didn’t want to run the race but I brought his bib with him just in case. Just as I suspected, as soon as we were at the race start he changed his mind and wanted to run. I had him carry his bib in his hand and he shot off like a rocket! I couldn’t keep up with him. Then he looked back to find me and waited and we ran together to the finish. Adrienne had already taken off with my husband and she sped ahead as well. She had her eye on that finish line!

Adrienne in the purple sweatshirt

After the kid races we went to the Magic Kingdom to play with PK and Katie and my parents. The weather cleared up and it turned out to be a very nice evening. We had so much fun! We went on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. Then we waited in line for the Mine Train. This was Adrienne’s and my mom’s first time ever! After that we rode the people mover while PK and Katie had fast passes for SpaceShip Earth; and then we all went over to ride Big Thunder Mountain. After we rode the rides we went to the Columbia Harbor House for dinner. I had a great meal of Salmon, cous couse and broccoli. This was the perfect pre-race meal choice for the half marathon. After dinner PK, Kevin and the kids went on Splash Mountain and then we hit Pirates before heading back for the night. I needed to get to bed for the half marathon the next morning. PK and Katie were staying to watch the fireworks.

It was a great day! I had so much fun running the race with them and it was so good to see them again. I have exposed two more friends to the runDisney club and can’t wait to run more races with them!

Learn More About Michelle Scribner-MacLean from Mickey Miles Podcast

May 5, 2014

I love to listen to podcasts when I run. As you know, some of my favorites are the Mickey Miles Podcast, Be Our Guest Podcast, Laugh or Go Crazy, Two Gomers, and the DIS Unplugged. I decided while on a run that since I listen to these people (friends) all the time in my headphones, I’d love to start more of a dialogue with them and learn more about the voices behind the podcast. I recently interviewed Mike Rahlmann and Rikki Niblett from the Be Our Guest Podcast because I know Mike attends the races, but learned via Twitter that he registered for the WDW marathon. That surprised me so I reached out to him and learned that he was bit by the running bug and Rikki is also going to run the 10K during 2015 Marathon Weekend.

I have had the pleasure to meet Michelle Scribner-MacLean and Mike Scopa at various meetups at runDisney races and

they are the friendliest most welcoming, personable people to meet. I had never been to a meetup before, so my first one was in Disneyland during the Dumbo Double Dare in 2013. It was Mike and Michelle’s first time hosting a Mickey Miles Podcast meetup and it was a big success! There were a lot of people there and Mike and Michelle were so gracious to stand in the hot humid sun to talk to their fans! I also attended their meetup during Princess weekend this February also. And I ran into them one night in Epcot during marathon weekend in January. It’s nice to just run into people and they remember who you are! That means a lot to me!

Just a few weeks ago I went to the Boston Marathon as a spectator to cheer on Michelle and other friends. I like to support those who are reaching for their dreams. Unfortunately I had to catch a train home and just missed Michelle by about 20 minutes! I really wished I could have seen her!

I asked her and Mike if I could interview them for my blog and of course, they said yes! Here is what Michelle shared with me:

Have you always been interested in running?

Absolutely not. I have always been active. As a kid I did baseball and tennis and as a teen I did field hockey and was captain of my tennis team in high school. Running was a punishment or something I needed to do to get do the real sport that I wanted to do.

What was your first race?

My first race was a half marathon — Disney 2010 in January. It probably would have made more sense to start on a local race but Disney felt like a safe place to start.

What was your first non Disney race?

I did the Turkey Trot on my town (probably 2011)

Do you have a dream race?

In terms of location, running in Hawaii would be amazing. I’d love it if runDisney would branch out and do running vacations in different locations.In terms of my dream running team…any time I run with friends and family is the best.

You have been running with your son Liam lately. Do you think you will run a marathon with him?

I love running with Liam (and he’s signed up for some 10Ks this summer). His goal is to run a half in two years. He’s not great about practicing but he’s enthusiastic about running and loves running Disney.

Now that you have accomplished the Boston Marathon (yay!) do you wish to do it again?

As someone who grew up 10 miles outside of Boston, the marathon has always been something I’ve revered but never aspired to. The events of last year and the opportunity to run for my mom’s hospital (Spaulding Rehab, who did a lot of the rehab for the bombing victims) made it important for me to run this year. Doing the Dopey last year gave me the confidence to be able to do it. Boston was my third marathon and, by far, the most difficult. Having said that, I would do it again in a second. The crowd was amazing and the feeling of running down Boylston Street was really indescribable. I was very proud of my city.

Do you have a favorite moment from that day?

Seeing the crowds, generations of families, with “take back our finish line” posters was really cool. However, my favorite part of the day was the hugs and the look of pride that I received from my family and friends who were there to to cheer me on.

Do you listen to podcasts when running? What are your favorites?

I rarely listen to podcasts while I’m running (I usually listen to music). If it’s over 13 miles I’ll listen to WDWToday, This American Life, The Moth, and books on tape.

How did you and Mike become friends and decide to do the podcast?

Mike and I were both writers on AllEars.net. It turns out that we had a lot in common: running, teaching, and love of Disney. We also lived near each other and became friends. He coached me through my first half marathon and a few years later we started TeamAllEars to raise money for breast cancer research, help foster the love of running Disney, and to encourage new runners. We wrote many blogs about running and had lots of discussions with new runners. The podcast was born out of this and the desire to help folks learn about running Disney races.

I love new gear just like you do. What is your favorite gear you use?

I’m a “gadget girl.” I love my technology gadgets. My favorite is my Garmin 220.

I am also using Jeff Galloway for ecoaching. What was the most valuable thing you learned from him?

It was wonderful to work with Jeff. It was nice to have a “go to” person for my questions and he was so supportive.

I train teachers and he’s a born teacher. The thing I learned is that running, like teaching, is a craft. You can always learn more, always improve if you want to.

Thank you Michelle for answering these questions! I love it! I do wish I could have given you a hug that day in Boston! But I am very proud of you and so happy you enjoyed that special day and major accomplishment! Keep up the great work! You and Mike are doing a great job keeping us informed of runDisney events and also of running information that we can find useful and entertaining.

Tag: Mike Scopa

2016 WDW Marathon Half Marathon

2016 WDW Marathon Weekend 10K Now Known As the PK10K

Learn More About Michelle Scribner-MacLean from Mickey Miles Podcast