Springtime Surprise Recap

PodcastRace DaySpringtime SurpriseCharacter StopsRunDisney Challenges
Written By Ali Marty

Season 3 of Running to the Castle Podcast w/ Dr. Ali Marty

Episode 215 runDisney Springtime Surprise Challenge Recap 2026 runDisney Races

In this episode of Running to the Castle Dr. Ali recaps her Springtime Surprise weekend experience from start to finish, sharing everything from travel chaos and expo surprises to race strategies and emotional finish line moments. 

She walks through how she approached each race in the challenge: choosing to walk the 5K, experiment with pacing and character stops during the 10K, and ultimately support a client through the 10-miler to ensure they finished ahead of the balloon ladies. 

Along the way, she reflects on meeting listeners and clients in person, the powerful impact of their stories, and what it means to help runners accomplish distances they never thought possible. 

She also dives into lessons learned like managing energy across race weekend, not trying anything new on race day, and giving yourself permission to rest and recover properly afterward.

The episode wraps with her plans for the next training cycle, including focusing on a 10K proof of time and incorporating strength work in a way that supports, not overwhelms, her running.

Ali Marty

Hi! I’m Ali. I’ve been in the health and wellness space since graduating with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2012. I worked in the typical outpatient clinic with active men and women with orthopedic injuries (shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, muscle and ligament tears, knee pain, IT Band pain, plantar fasciitis, and hip and knee arthritis until 2018 at which point I started Mobile Physical Therapy in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over the past few years I’ve transitioned to helping women running runDisney races after they’ve had an injury and they want to finish strong and enjoy the rest of their runcation.

https://dralipt.com
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