Walt Disney Marathon Weekend - Part 2: Marathon

I was relieved to not have had too much physical damage after the half marathon. I had a few small blisters on my feet and a little fatigue but nothing too bad. That was a good thing too since I had 26.2 miles waiting for me the next morning.

Preparing yourself for multiple races at Disney is tough. The temptation, almost obligation, to spend every waking moment exploring the parks is overwhelming. Luckily for me, my family and I had visited for an entire week over Thanksgiving. We still spent plenty of time at Animal Kingdom after the half marathon (FastPasses for Fight of Passage must not be wasted!), but we left early enough to allow me enough preparation time and sleep for the next morning.

Perhaps morning is not the best term for it. My alarm went off at a painful 2:30 AM. For a theatre person like me, that’s more like bedtime not getting up time. Still, thanks to good planning the night before I had plenty of rest and was ready to get up and go run! My legs and feet felt good too. That’s one of the advantages to bringing our camper to races - I can sleep in a familiar bed and prepare in a comfortable environment.

Certainly the costume I was wearing has become familiar to me. I was dressing once again as Chef Gusteau from “Ratatouille” with tall chef’s hat (stuffed with packing air pillows to keep it vertical) and chef coat with “Chef Gusteau” embroidered on the front and GUSTEAU’S on the back complete with 5 gold stars. The coat is an actual chef’s coat, but it is made for hot kitchens with a mesh back and short sleeves. It’s comfortable for running, but I always wear a black technical shirt under it. I was tempted to skip the undershirt with the heat and humidity of the day, but I worried about chafing from the seams. Dark running shorts, socks, and shoes completed the outfit. My running partner was to be the puppet who got all of this madness started for me: Remy the rat chef.

My drive in was the usual frustration, but I had better luck with the parking lottery and wound up with a spot right beside the staging area. This came as a great relief since I wasn’t sure how far I would want to walk after the marathon.

I made my usual pilgrimage to the porta-potties and was surprised to find that some enterprising Disney cast member or volunteer had highly organized the line system. I’ve never gotten through a porta-potty line so smoothly EVER at Disney. Kudos to whomever had the brilliant idea to tape out waiting queues on the pavement.

I was much more at ease before this race. Having run two Disney events with Remy and in this costume, I felt very comfortable. People were already very happy to see Remy. We were welcomed like old friends, which was quite cool.

Even the walk to the corrals was more pleasant. There were several nice conversations and a more lighthearted attitude in the group I was with. The corrals were their usual insanity. I set up in the back half of Corral D and watched with amusement as people kept pushing past trying to squeeze into the front of the corral. I can’t figure out what people are trying to gain at the front of the 4th corral, but to each his own!

After the usual pre-race festivities including on-stage visits from Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Dopey, the race began with the same series of perpetual starts as the half marathon. Remy and I were already having lots of fun with the volunteers and runners. We got a nice shout-out from Riley and a brief appearance on the video screens as the fireworks and music announced our start.

The first two miles were absolutely hysterical for me. I have never been stopped for so many selfies in my life. I could almost not take a step without another picture. This was actually probably a good thing since it forced me to start slowly. Going out too fast is one of my perpetual issues.

I loved the change to the course that had us taking an early visit to Epcot. It reminded me of my early years running Disney where we split into two groups, each exploring a different part of the park. All of the race took the same path through Future World this year, but it was a nice nod to the past. We only got a short look at the park, but the lights of World Showcase are always a treat to me - even two days in a row!

As we worked our way through backstage we started to suffer collective deja vu as a group. It seemed like we had been here before - and for good reason too! We were running through the same path we walked to get to the corrals in the first place. Then, we ran by the corrals and were treated with seeing the crews taking apart the starting line and getting the hundreds (thousands?) of barricades loaded into trucks.

As we headed towards the Magic Kingdom, Remy and I enjoyed being in pictures with dozens of different runners. By my estimate, we were part of a hundred or more selfies requested by other runners during the course of the race. I met people from more than ten different countries through the pictures including England, Ireland, China, Japan, Australia, Brazil, and more. One of the great regrets of my life is never having been able to learn a second language. However, through Remy, I was managing to communicate just fine with many runners who did not speak English. There is a shared language of a smile, of love for Disney, of amusement in a costumed chef taking a rat for a run. I have rarely smiled so much myself during a race.

The Ticket and Transportation Center was its usual delicious cacophony, perhaps even louder today. For the life of me, I can’t figure out the magic of this Remy puppet. The puppet itself is spectacular, one of the best I’ve ever seen. It’s big and fairly heavy, but has one of the most expressive faces I’ve ever seen in a puppet. Like the Pooh puppet I used for the half, Remy is a glove puppet with arm control handled by the thumb and pinkie. Unlike Pooh, the arms are extremely functional. The puppet also fits my hand like it was custom-made for me.

But it’s the reaction that people have to Remy is what gives me pause. I would think that people have more of a connection with a classic character like Pooh than a relatively newer character like Remy. Yet people are crazy about this puppet. Maybe it’s just the perfect combination of a lovable character, a perfectly made puppet, and the fun combination we make when I am in the chef costume to match. Whatever the reason, I have said multiple times that running with Remy is like being in the entourage of a rock star. It’s a powerful thing.

After the usual tour by the Contemporary, we made the turn for the Magic Kingdom. I was amazed at how tired I was starting to feel. The heat was definitely having an effect on me. I have run many warmer marathons including some dangerously hot ones (Make It By Midnight Marathon in Georgia and the Tupelo Marathon in Mississippi come to mind) but the combination of heat and humidity at a time when I had not been training in those conditions made things quite uncomfortable. It was strange coming into the Magic Kingdom after having already run 10 miles. I found myself mentally preparing myself to give full effort for the crowd as I ran through the park.

Main Street was magic as always. I again ran right by the crowd and almost felt swallowed up by the noise and movement. It was like a solid wall of cheering people. I was able to bring Remy lower to interact with some kids sitting on the ground which was delightful. So many high-fives, so may smiles. It was powerful. When we headed across the bridge to Tomorrowland I was amazed to find that I was completely winded. The effort to play to the crowd for that stretch had taken more energy than I realized. As we ran through New Fantasyland, I was consciously trying to pull myself back together for the big run through the castle. I found some second wind and enjoyed the final moments in the Magic Kingdom.

As we made our way past the Magic Kingdom resorts, I was having an intense internal conversation. I decided that I needed to be careful for the rest of the race. I was going to walk every water station for the rest of the race. I also planned to walk a good bit of the remaining course once I lost a little more steam. Several runners and I started discussing slowing down and possibly walking. We agreed that we had nothing to prove today. We would enjoy ourselves and take whatever time was needed.

I enjoyed seeing some of the treats Disney had for us on the course. Besides numerous character photo ops - many with rarely seen characters, we had several high school marching bands. A very fun trio performed in the woods on the west side of property as we headed slowly towards Animal Kingdom. My favorite was seeing one of the nautilus ride vehicles from the long defunct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride. Very cool.

Remy and I continued to encourage people as much as possible. As the heat rose higher and our speed slowed, sharing smiles seemed more important than ever. We took the usual path by the water treatment plant - not part of the regular tour of Disney, that’s for sure. Luckily the wind was in our favor and this often smelly part of the run wasn’t bad at all.

As we turned to enter the Animal Kingdom backstage we encountered a large out-and-back of runners. I enjoy these parts of races when I am puppet running since I can make eye contact with other runners and really give Remy a chance to perform. We encountered cast members with live animals for photo ops as we ran by the enclosures used to house the Kilimanjaro Safari animals. A few moments later I had Remy pop up over my shoulder to wave at people behind me - something I had been doing off and on for the entire race. However, this time when I did it the runner coming up beside me nearly jumped out of his shoes. Apparently after seeing a live possum just a few minutes before, he thought a live animal was jumping out at him over my shoulder. He told me I had gotten him as we had a good laugh together.

I was doing a good amount of walking by this time, primarily to keep my cardiovascular system under control. I wanted to run all of the parks though, so I pulled together my strength as we ran through the backstage entrance to Africa in Animal Kingdom. This park is so beautiful. I always enjoy running it! Remy had some great moments with the crowd and we paid a quick visit to a restroom in Asia. I was tempted to take a ride on Everest as we passed, but Remy talked me out of it. He was afraid he would fly out, and I had to agree. We exited the park through Dinoland and began working our way through backstage back to where we had entered.

I knew the course change had replaced the endless stretch of Osceola Parkway with a long stretch of Western Way, but the trade seemed to be good. At least the road here had some trees and a touch of shade. There was a lot of walking going on at this time and I saw several runners definitely suffering from the heat. As we headed towards Blizzard Beach, I accepted the fact that I would largely be a walker for the rest of the day. That was just fine.

At Blizzard Beach we got an extensive tour of the parking lot and a small look inside the water park itself. I love the snow and ice theme of Blizzard Beach. I hoped the cold-appearing scenery would make us all feel cooler. It didn’t. I was very tempted to hurl myself into the lazy river, but figured that the cast members would probably not be amused. I did really enjoy the novelty of running through a water park - that was a first for me. I barely found enough strength to run Blizzard Beach, but I was spent as we came through the exit. I had a nice talk with several volunteers including some folks who follow Puppet Runner online. It was great to meet them in person.

As we left Blizzard Beach, I was confused. I wondered if the heat was getting to me, but for the life of me I couldn’t understand why a whole group of runners (mainly walkers at this point) were joining us from a different direction. The new group informed us that the race had been red-flagged due to the heat and they had been diverted before turning to visit Blizzard Beach. Many of them were not amused that they would not be able to complete the entire 26.2 mile distance. I was nervous that they might make further cuts to the course ahead of us, but I couldn’t think of any more direct route than the one we were already taking. Hopefully we would be able to complete the full distance.

With the new crowd of runners, we were very crowded for the remainder of the race. While this made for tight conditions in some places, it gave me plenty of chances to meet new people. Several people told me how great it was to meet someone famous - or Facebook famous as one of them put it. I certainly don’t think I’m any type of famous, but my running companion certainly is! Still, it was humbling to discover how many people had heard about my exploits of running with puppets.

This next section was a bit scary as I saw several runners suffering from the effects of heat exhaustion. One person passed out near me and was caught by fellow runners. Disney’s bicycle medics were getting a good workout, and I was very appreciative of their service.

As we staggered towards Hollywood Studios I started looking forward to seeing my family. In the past, they have really enjoyed cheering on people outside the front of Hollywood Studios, giving them a final surge onto the finish. I once again found just enough strength to start running again to make it down Sunset Boulevard for our extremely short visit inside the Studios.

I ran until I found my family. They had found a nice patch of shade not far from the new restrooms by the Hollywood Studios bus lot. As a true Puppet Runner family, they were cheering on the runners with their own set of puppets: Minnie, Donald, and Pluto. The Donald and Pluto puppets in particular are extremely large and heavy. I was impressed and touched by how my wife Janet and our sons had spent two and a half hours of non-stop cheering for others. They were not just there for me, and that’s the way we like it. I hope they were able to give some smiles and strength to the runners for the final stretch through the Epcot resorts.

As for me, my heart was lifted by seeing my family, but my feet were shot. I sweat a lot in the best of conditions, with this heat and humidity I was sweating spectacularly. I was drinking four cups of liquid at every water station to try and keep up. So, my shoes and socks had been completely drenched since early in the race. No amount of sports lubricant can protect my feet from soaked socks for that long. I was already dreading looking at my feet after the race.

So, I walked my way through the rest of the race, enjoying talks with many people. I had a nice moment with a lady that I had passed or been passed by a dozen times during the race. We wished each other a good finish as she found some speed to hurry to the finish. I found enough pain tolerance to run through Boardwalk (I absolutely love running there). I desperately wanted to run Epcot, but I accepted that it just was not going to happen this time. So, I soaked up every wonderful moment. Remy and I put on a miniature play when we went through France with him wanting to go visit his country while I tried to talk him into continuing towards the finish line. Despite the discomfort of my feet, I cherished my time in Epcot. I watched Epcot being built as a kid and went there not long after it opened. Epcot is my park, and I walked it like it was mine.

As we headed backstage I started trying to prepare myself for the finish. I needed to run to the finish line. While I was trying to psych myself up I took a moment to have Remy wave to the marching band that was backstage. They went berserk. I have never heard that much cheering in my life. While it was a little embarrassing - I remarked to the runners around me that I seemed to have started a riot - the cheers gave me that final burst I needed to run through the finishing line stands. Remy waved like crazy and we crossed the finish line with huge smiles - if not my usual jump!

The walk to get my marathon and challenge medals, finisher Mickey Ears, and refreshments was extremely long. My feet were in major pain. I even skipped the chance for a photo with my medal and headed for my truck. On the way the most amazing thing happened. Several families with small children came up to meet me and take pictures with Remy. For a few minutes, I became an unofficial photo stop. Tired though I was, I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything.