What better way to close out the 2022 virtual series with a run AT Walt Disney World? Thanks to a rock-bottom airfare I was able to to plan a “quick hit” trip to Disney World this week. I won’t call it cheap, because, Disney, but I managed to squeeze a whole lot of fun into two days. I had some time on the last morning of the trip to run at my resort.
There are a number of resorts on property that have paths that are good choices for running, but the All-Star resorts are not among them. I didn’t have a car and didn’t want to over-complicate things so I kept my run on the sidewalk on Buena Vista Drive, which connects the three All-Star resorts. It was necessary to do a bit of back-and-forth to make up a 5k, but whatever. There were no sidewalks past the security checkpoint, which is a pretty clear sign they don’t really want any pedestrians there, and I didn’t feel much like playing in traffic, so I stuck close to “home”.
Even though it wasn’t the best place to run at Disney World, I still felt welcome. Midway through my journey, the sidewalk was emblazoned with a runDisney logo – a sure sign that I picked an OK spot for my final virtual 5k! I also found some mile markers on the sidewalk, but honestly they weren’t that helpful. There was no clear starting or end point, and some of them were missing. This left me wondering if these markers were left behind by some long-past event – with only some of the markers withstanding the ravages of time.
Not gonna lie, even a 5K was pretty challenging after 2 full days of park-hopping. The day before was a 15-hour, 28K step day that left me stiff and drained (but oh so happy). Honestly, what better practice for Dopey could there be? The Dopey Challenge is as much mental as it is physical, and being able to get out there several days in a row is key to completion.
I finished up my 5k and posed on the runDisney logo with the finish line marker that I printed at home and brought with me. I swear I was smiling – but maybe the smile was all on the inside because the sun was in my eyes. Anyway, 2022 Virtual Series is complete, and now I play the waiting game to get the medals in the mail. Those won’t show up until September at the earliest – which feels like forever when you’re waiting for your reward!
Disney Park Runner 