This inaugural race event followed another new Volusia County Schools (VCS) race event put on earlier this year that I was sorry to miss: the Volusia County Schools Home Run 5K. 

While the earlier event benefited VCS track and field programs, this Volusia County Schools Trails to Success 5K was meant to support VCS employee health and wellness.

Training & Goals
Due to persistent and very depressing knee pain, I have been struggling for a while. I took a break from running over the summer to save my knees for a big holiday to South Africa. Now that I'm home, the idea is to ramp up my mileage to prepare for two half marathons at Disney in January. It's not really going very well. I signed up for this race knowing I'd need a 3-miler this weekend. I hoped the atmosphere would give me a boost. It's hard to resist races at Gemini Springs, just a short bike ride away for me. I planned to try my easy current interval of choice for the race: 30 seconds running and 90 seconds walking.

Race Day: October of 15, 2023
Cooler days finally started to reach central Florida! I biked over to Gemini Springs in the pleasant, cool dawn. Packet pickup was easy, but finding a place to park my bike wasn't -- the tree I usually used was being crawled all over by a bunch of kiddos. After stowing my bike and gathering my packet, I took a walk over to the fishing pier for a moment of zen and was delighted to hear the familiar PUFF of a manatee coming up for a breath.

I watched the sea cow feed on spring fed vegetation for a while and listened to its gentle breaths before heading back to the race in time for the start. It was about 70°F with 88% humidity and sunny skies when I crossed the start line just after 8AM. 

Mile 1: 13:56

Mile 2: 13:37
The turn-around was unmanned. I didn't notice any race volunteers or personnel on the course except for the water stop and at the main intersections between the park and the multi-use trail. This was a little bit disappointing; I think a well-supported race should include staff or volunteers on the course in case of any problems with the participants.

Mile 3+: 14:18, 1:00 (my Garmin came up a bit short at 3.08 miles)

Shortly after I finished, I said hi to a couple of WVR pals before biking home. 

Recommendation
The trails around Gemini Springs are great for races. This was for a good local cause, but the lack of course support wasn't ideal. I might run this again but I'm not comfortable recommending based on this experience.

Chip time: 42:45
Placement details: 7/24 in Age Group; 155/305 overall
Race Amenities: Soft cotton t-shirt, nice medal, free race photos
Cost: $29.23

Photos (c) Almost There Photography

Volunteer registration for the 2023 Wine & Dine race weekend events opened up on September 6th. At that time, what was long rumored was finally, unfortunately, confirmed: 

Thank you for considering volunteering your time during the upcoming runDisney race season! Your passion for making a difference in the Central Florida community through our celebrated charities is truly valued. In keeping with that spirit of volunteerism, complimentary theme park tickets will not be distributed. We appreciate your support and enthusiasm for our magical running community

When Complimentary Tickets Were The Norm (through the 2021-2022 race season)

Arthur and I have volunteered for several runDisney race weekends at Walt Disney World. And getting the slots we wanted was tough! Before the brief Track Shack takeover during the 22-23 season, we could see the volunteer positions fill up before our eyes. Just like registering for race bibs, prospective volunteers needed to be online and ready to fill in all the necessary fields the moment registration opened up. 

When Volunteers Received Half Day Tickets (2022-2023 race season)

The Track Shack races of the last year worked a different system -- prospective volunteers made their interest known and found out their assigned shifts, if any, close to race weekend. Changes could be requested by email afterwards. Arthur and I were lucky to be able to work a few of those race weekends as well. I don't have inside information but my understanding is that shifts for the half marathons and marathon (the longer shifts) were not filled up, and there was a scramble close to race day to get enough volunteers. For both Marathon Weekend and Princess Weekend as I was on the bus to head out to a water stop, the team leaders asked if any aboard would be willing to switch to a different water stop due to lack of volunteers across the board. So with the half day tickets, filling volunteer slots already seemed to be a problem...

Wine & Dine Volunteer Registration 2023 So Far...

As of this morning, six days after volunteer registration opened up for this race weekend, none of the water stop volunteer positions are full for the half marathon. Only a few positions for that longer race are fully staffed, including some Cheering Fans; Medals (giving out medals to runners); and Volunteer Check In and Check Out (both air-conditioned positions). None of the 9 water stops have been fully staffed yet. This is really unheard of in my experience volunteering at various events since 2019.

For the 10K, only one of the three water stops is fully staffed. More other positions are full for this shorter race with a smaller volunteer need.

Most volunteer positions are full for the 5K race, the event with the least available positions. Heat Sheets / Cool Core and Recycling are the only two positions available right now. This to me is also unheard of though -- in the past it was my understanding that only longtime volunteers were able to get into the 5K at all. I've never been able to volunteer for any 5K event at Walt Disney World.

If you'd like to volunteer, or you'd like to keep track of how long it takes these positions to fill up like I have, click the button below.

Is It Volunteering If Compensation Is Expected?

Volunteering for runDisney races is a lot of fun, no doubt. Arthur and I have always had a blast working water stops, from filling the cups, stacking the tables, and handing out water, to the brief clean up and break down. The early morning wake-ups are worth it for the smiles alone. 

It has been known, but never explicitly stated, that volunteers receive a complimentary full-day ticket following their volunteer shift. Prior to the Track Shack season, the tickets were issued in the mail some weeks after the race event. Last season, the half-day tickets were issued upon checking out from the volunteer shift. 

So, is it really volunteering if compensation in the form of a free theme park ticket is expected? This is a big argument I see all over runDisney fan forums online. The volunteers are there on behalf of the "honorary charity", but they're really working for a huge corporation: Disney. 

Compare volunteering for a local race versus volunteering for runDisney. You're looking at a 5AM wake-up versus 1AM wake-up. There's heading to your local park versus a potential long commute to (or hotel room at) Disney. Work a 3-4 hour shift versus a 6+ hour shift. Helping out a local charity versus working for Disney. These are some of the arguments I see presented defending the ire over Disney taking away the complimentary tickets. What do you think?

Arthur and I have decided to sit out volunteering for Wine & Dine Weekend this year. I'll be able to run a local race in person that weekend, which will be nice. And we won't have any 1AM wake-up calls.

Are you looking for costume inspiration for the upcoming Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World coming up in November? The race weekend takes place in early November, which is just a few months after the Barbie movie hit the screens and had a cultural moment. If you're looking for a trendy costume idea and don't want to go for the race themes, think about old-new feminist icon Barbie (and Ken) for inspiration.

The race weekend will take place November 2-5 2023, with a 5K on Friday, 10K on Saturday, and half marathon on Sunday. The races have been sold out for a while, though bibs do become available sporadically on the site (follow this Telegram account to get notifications for Disney race availability: runDisney Race Availability).

Barbie and Ken Costumes

Amazon has quite a few Barbie themed costumes inspired by the movie, and other pieces that would work as costume starters. These aren't exactly designed for running, so they are probably best suited for a 5K race where chafing (hopefully) won't be an issue. Consider wearing a costume over performance clothing or using parts of a costume alongside running clothes for a more comfortable race. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

Are you looking for costume inspiration for the upcoming Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World coming up in November? Do you like to match the race themes, but still have your own unique look? I've got a couple of ideas for you in my Etsy shop. Today I'll be highlighting themed our Cheshire Cat collection, and our small collection of playing card pattern designs.

The race weekend will take place November 2-5 2023, with a 5K on Friday, 10K on Saturday, and half marathon on Sunday. The races have been sold out for a while, though bibs do become available sporadically on the site (follow this Telegram account to get notifications for Disney race availability: runDisney Race Availability).

Themes for the 2023 Wine & Dine weekend races are as follows:

Alice in Wonderland for the 5K
Be Our Guest for the 10K
Encanto for the Half Marathon 
Figment for the Challenge

Playing Card Pattern Costume Pieces

Evoke the Queen of Hearts and her Card Soldiers with these pieces that feature playing cards and playing card suits. Mix and match these pieces with other themed items to make yourself a unique running costume for the Alice in Wonderland themed runDisney 5K race!

Are you looking for costume inspiration for the upcoming Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World coming up in November? Do you like to match the race themes, but still have your own unique look? I've got a few ideas for you in my Etsy shop. Today I'll be highlighting themed slogan designs as well as costume pieces for the half marathon, which features a whimsical, musical theme with Encanto.

The race weekend will take place November 2-5 2023, with a 5K on Friday, 10K on Saturday, and half marathon on Sunday. The races have been sold out for a while, though bibs do become available sporadically on the site (follow this Telegram account to get notifications for Disney race availability: runDisney Race Availability).

Themes for the 2023 Wine & Dine weekend races are as follows:

Alice in Wonderland for the 5K
Be Our Guest for the 10K
Encanto for the Half Marathon 
Figment for the Challenge

Tank Tops with Encanto Inspired Slogans

If you're not interested in dressing up as a character, theme-inspired pieces make a good choice. We have a few different Encanto / running mashup slogan designs that are perfect for race weekend. See our options, all on tank tops, below. If you'd like one of these designs on a different garment, please let me know via Etsy.

Mirabel Madrigal Running Costume Pieces

Mirabel Madrigal is one of the heroines in Encanto. Dress up as this extraordinary, ordinary character who saves her family with her own special kind of magic. With costume pieces featured below, you can channel Mirabel's energy and unique look during Princess race weekend or for another costumed run.

Mirabel, born into a magical family, wears a unique outfit that is embellished with fun floral designs and child-like details. See some of our popular pieces below and check out all pieces here: Mirabel @ WeRunForFun

Luisa Madrigal Running Costume Pieces

Dress up as the strong Luisa, whose magic is extraordinary strength. Luisa works to balance the responsibilities of her gift with the pressures she feels from those who rely on her.

Luisa great character to channel during a runDisney race or other costumed run. Her signature song, Surface Pressure, is a great workout song with a catchy beat -- hum along during your run, or add it to your running playlist!

Luisa is also a perfect companion costume to join up with a Mirabel runner. Pick up Mirabel and Luisa running outfits for a pair of running sisters, or running besties. See some of our best-sellers below and check out the entire collection here: Luisa @ WeRunForFun

Isabela Madrigal Running Costume Pieces

Dress up as Senorita Perfecta, Madrigal sister Isabela, with our fun Encanto cartoon fil character inspired costume pieces. Below are some favorites; check out the entire collection here: Isabela @ WeRunForFun

I previously posted about this when I had my Garmin 235. This is an updated mini tutorial for the Garmin 245.

I wanted to post this because I often see runners asking how to set up more than 99 intervals on their Garmin watch. Interval workouts can be repeated up to 99 times, but the Alerts feature is what to use for run/walk interval running. Alerts notifications will continue for the duration of your run and are not limited to 99.

It's very easy to set up your Garmin Forerunner 245 GPS running watch to alert you to your preferred run/walk intervals. On your watch, the flow is:

Menu (long press) > scroll down to Activities & Apps > Run > Run Settings > Alerts

If you haven't set anything up yet, select Add New and then Run/Walk. Follow the prompts to set your preferred time for your running interval and your walking interval. When you have these alerts turned on, your watch will notify you when it's time to switch between running and walking. You can have your watch give you a vibration alert, a sound alert, or both.

How to Set Your Interval Alerts to Sound or Vibration or Both

Menu (long press) > scroll down to System > Sounds 

You have a choice regarding how you are notified about your run/walk intervals: via sound or vibration or both. I have mine set to Vibration only and rarely miss an alert.

I used to enjoy this race experience in Orlando. I ran the Global Energy Race in person in 2018, 2017, and 2016. The timing of a 10K in late September was often a perfect fit in my training cycle for a fall or winter half marathon. And it was a fun atmosphere, with lots of free swag and a fun, well-stocked after party for runners.

In 2020, the race went virtual, and it's been a virtual experience each year since then. Though I miss this in person run, it's hard to complain about a free virtual race that actually offers swag, including a finisher medal.

The Hero Hustle 5K, formerly known as the DBK 5K, is a fun small town race here in my hometown of DeBary, Florida. The race helps to fund the Kruid Charitable Foundation, which in turn benefits local and regional services for veterans. I ran this race before: DBK 5K 2016; DBK 5K 2018; and Hero Hustle 5K 2022.

Training & Goals
Following painful bursitis in my left knee back in March, I've been taking it very easy with no training runs and no running at all since the Springtime Surprise races last month. My current thinking is I will avoid high impact work until after a planned trip to South Africa in August-September, and then pick up training for the fall races when we return home. In the meantime I hope to work on strength and try to keep up with other cardio, in the pool and on the bike. Motivation has been tough to find, so ... we'll see.

For this race I thought I'd try out my super easy 15/45 run/walk intervals and see how I felt, with no time goal in mind and no worries if I had to switch to all walking at any point.

Race Day: May 20, 2023
I biked over to the race site on the other side of town. I arrived‌ in plenty of time to lock up my bike and pick up my packet before the race began. After I got my stuff stowed, I hung out with some friends from WVR before it was time to run. The weather was very similar to last year's event: 73°F with clear skies and 94% humidity when the race began at 7:30AM.

Mile 1: 14:24
This race is an easy run through quiet residential streets mixed in with a bit of light industry. I felt pretty good with the easy intervals after a short walking warm-up.

Mile 2: 14:19
Still feeling good! I tried to thank all of the police officers handling traffic at the intersections on the course. 

Mile 3+: 13:50, 1:29
I felt alright during the entire run -- good stuff! I was slow but kept my intervals throughout the race, though I did skip a run while walking through the water stop halfway through the race. Pleased to see the negative splits, too.

After the Race
Free beer, popcorn, shaved ice, chips, bananas and oranges were all available for runners. There was also a buffet with potato salad, pulled pork and hot dogs. The after-party for this race always includes a bunch of bounce houses, water slides, and other inflatable entertainment options. I stayed for a few beers, watched the awards ceremony (where WVR was well-represented!), and chatted with friends before heading home after a fun race morning.

I participated in the second annual Springtime Surprise race weekend at Walt Disney World. Here's my recap of the third and final event of the weekend, the Toy Story 10-Miler.

Training & Goals
So I'm still struggling with my arthritic knees, plus I suffered a very painful case of bursitis in my left knee about 6 weeks ago. The bursitis has mostly cleared up with PT, stretching, and strength work. It was scary, though, and that's been tough on my motivation -- I'm afraid I'll feel that sickening pop and pain again.

I took it very easy for the Cars 5K and the Monsters 10K, and planned to take it easy for this race as well. I was able to stop for some photo ops during the 10K and I was hoping to be able to enjoy this course as well, though worrying about my knees did give me some doubt about finishing at all. 

Costume
I'm always going to try to do Star Wars mashups for these races. I miss those runs so much! 

For the Toy Story 10-Miler I mashed up Darth Vader and Zurg to be Darth Zurg. I sewed a sparkly black cape onto a custom costume sport shirt like this one paired with a black Sparkle Skirt. I carried a DIY lightsaber made from a cut pool noodle and different colors of duct tape. And I made a Zurg helmet costume hat out of craft foam hot glued onto an old Headsweats visor.

Race Day: April 16, 2023
I was able to sleep! After the 10K on Saturday, and spending a few hours at Typhoon Lagoon afterwards, I was bushed. I had pizza and beer for dinner and then went to bed around 7PM. It took me a little while to fall asleep, and I woke up before my alarm went off, but when I got up shortly before 1:30AM I actually felt somewhat rested. I left home at 2:02AM and had the car parked just before 3AM. It had started to rain so I found a disposable poncho in the back seat pocket (such a handy thing to keep in the car!) and wore it over my costume while heading to the race area. 

Once I was past security and into the race area, I dropped off a bag at Gear Check and disposed of my poncho since the rain had stopped. I headed over to the photo ops and saw that the Monster for the day was George Sanderson, and the Toy Story characters were Woody with Buzz, who naturally had an extremely long line. 

By the time it was my turn, cast members were no longer taking cellphone photos in order to move runners through the line more quickly. The PhotoPass photograher would only take one photo per person or group, which I was totally okay with... until I walked towards Woody and Buzz and they both freaked out! Woody ran away and covered his face with one hand while pointing at me with the other. Buzz started to make blaster motions at me. It was so funny -- even the photographer and cast member were laughing, so I was kind of bummed that the photographer didn't capture any of this.

Woody and Buzz composed themselves and came back to pose for my one and only photo.

In the meantime, Wall-E had some technical difficulties and was no longer by his backdrop. The photographer was still there, though, and there was no line, so I went over to get a pair of shots. I wanted to see how my visor looked when I had it up, and when I had my face down. It looked good to go! I headed over to the corrals at around 4:20AM for a long wait in corral E.

It was about 70°F with 94% humidity when I started in the first group of corral E at 6:02AM.

Mile 1, 2, 3: 15:55, 15:38, 15:18
I started out with a walking warmup, then did the slow run/walk of 15 seconds running, 45 seconds walking, for most of these first three miles. I didn't stop for any character photos; we passed several: Lotso was backstage, Miguel from Coco was in Mexico, Carl from Up was backstage, and Russell from Up was by the Dance Hall.

Since they helped me so much during the 10K, again I carried a bunch of SaltStick FastChews. They work really well to help replenish salt since I always sweat a lot. I did my best to take a couple of tablets every 30-45 minutes. They helped so much with recovery and minimizing hand swelling.

Mile 4, 5: 16:13, 17:57
These miles took us through Hollywood Studios (the best part of the race!). I stopped for a photo with Daisy before reaching the park. 

Just as I turned onto Hollywood Blvd (the main street of Hollywood Studios), a runner behind me clipped my heel and my right shoe came completely off. Luckily there was a bench a few steps away, so I was able to hobble over, sit down, and put my shoe back on.

Continuing through the park, Edna Mode was posing by Holiday Fun.

Then we went past Star Tours, followed by Galaxy's Edge. Just like last year, I felt a little bit emotional in this part, really missing the Star Wars races. I was excited to see Stormtroopers out in Batuu -- a very pleasant surprise for a Pixar-themed race!

Running the streets of Batuu / Galaxy's Edge was great. I got my best on-the-run photos here, including my favorite below!

Next was Toy Story Land, the star portion of this Toy Story 10 mile race. I was very excited to see Slim from A Bug's Life out again. I had to stop to pose with him!

Other photo ops as we continued through Hollywood Studios and beyond included Minnie & Mickey in front of the Chinese Theater, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible by Fantasmic, haunted Bellhops by the Tower of Terror, and Flik backstage.

Leaving Hollywood Studios, all that was left to run was five and a half mostly highway miles, including the dreaded three overpasses. My knees were feeling just fine, after mostly walking the miles through Hollywood Studios (I did jog when I saw PhotoPass!). Going over and under the overpasses, it was easy to see my position relative to the Balloon Ladies (effectively the last runners before race staff starts to pick up those who fall behind pace). I kept up a brisk walk for most of the rest of the course.

Mile 6, 7, 8, 9: 15:43, 15:51, 15:41, 16:19
While these were strictly highway miles, there were several characters out for photos, and other entertainment to keep runner spirits high. 

Mile 6 had Atta, Jessie, and the Lightfoot brothers from Onward. These last two are particularly rare; I had only ever seen them when we attended a free Disney Parks Blog sneak preview of Onward back at Disney Springs in early 2020.

Mile 7 had a Jessie-themed country band singing live music, and a Toy Soldier encouraging everyone as we trudged up an overpass.

Mile 8 had the Dreadnaught Marching Band from Lakeland, and Chip & Dale on the road.

During mile 9 we passed by Goofy in a dapper outfit, and Mike (who maybe alternated with Sulley?) from Monsters Inc, both outside of Epcot.

Mile 10+: 17:05, 5.32 (Garmin recorded 10.38 miles)
This last mile took us through Epcot to the finish line. Here we could take photos with Frozone and Bo Peep. We were also treated to a choir on our way to the finish chute. And Mickey dressed as Woody alternated with Minnie dressed as Buzz at the finish line.

After the Race
I picked up my finisher and challenge medals, cooling towel, snacks and drinks, and walked over to pick up my gear bag. I took off my running shoes and put on my Oofos and headed over to the finisher backdrop for a photo with all of my bling! I checked out the merch tent but didn't see anything I wanted. The beer line was way too long so I decided to head home after a really fun race weekend!

Takeaways From a Great Race Weekend
There were some great improvements made by runDisney that I and others noticed during this race weekend. I haven't run a lot of rD races in the past couple of years so I don't know when all of these things were first implemented, but they were all firsts for me.

End of Line Character Name Paddles
The cast member managing the end of character lines during the races held a paddle with the name of the character for which the line was! This prevented people from dangerously doubling back on the course and wasting time standing in a line without knowing who the line was for. Hands down this was my favorite race improvement and I hope they keep it! I let several paddle-holders know how much I appreciated them.

Gloves for Biofreeze!
I don't know when was the last time I used Biofreeze during a race, but I remember having to use my bare hands and asking for a napkin to get the stuff off of my hands, only to find they didn't have anything. So now I have to run with a numb hand?! I thought it was really strange. During this race, when I stopped at a medical tent to get some Biofreeze for my knees, I was offered a latex glove! Genius!

Caution Runners Messaging Changed to Be More Inclusive
Approaching hazards and sharp turns, we heard the recorded message now addressed us all as "athletes" instead of "runners". 

Starting Corrals Adjustments
The corrals were rearranged to put A closest to the start line, then E, D, C, and B. It helped move the corrals out faster with less shuffling of runners from place to place. This was especially great for A and E.

Recommendation
Even though I'm much slower than I used to be, and I'm not able to stop for characters as much as before, I still have fun at these events. I was very happy to be able to stop for some character photos during the 10K and 10-Miler, and generally enjoy the courses. I was also really happy to finish without any significant knee pain!

Chip time: 2:47:15
Placement details: 508/721 in Age Group; 9180/11768 overall
Race Amenities: Nice themed medals and race shirts
Cost: $479.70 for the three race challenge!