Assemble… and run!

“Never say never” I guess is the lesson you should take away from my ramble today. That and I guess we all reserve the right to change our minds.

As you Trippers all know, I’ve been rather vocal about RunDisney’s “slightly inflated” race prices. And to say their race prices are slightly inflated is like saying that ingesting a half dozen Taco Bell bean burritos and washing it down with prune juice might cause “slightly inflated” gastrointestinal distress.

Let’s be honest, $195 for any half marathon is just “stupid expensive.”

And Disney races are famous for being overcrowded and sporting roving packs of walkers clogging the course like the aforementioned bean burritos clogging your bathroom’s plumbing after… never mind, you get the picture. Needless to say, Disney races tend to be, how shall we say “PR challenged.”

Well, several weeks ago, Disney announced the newest race in its RunDisney series… the “Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon” at Disneyland in November. I quickly decided that I wasn’t going to run the race simply because I had just shelled out the GNP of Germany to pay for the “regular” Disneyland Half Marathon coming up in August. And I certainly didn’t feel the need to further put off my eventual retirement in order to pay for yet another romp through the “Happiest place on earth” just two or three months later, no matter how cool the theme.

I mean to do so would just be “Goofy”… or perhaps “Dopey.”

Hulk smash… and want bling.

Besides, I already have a race planned for that weekend in November, The Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon. So obviously “no can do,” right?

Matter solved. I was not going to “Assemble” with the rest of the Avengers faithful.

Then registration opened this morning and as you also know, Disney races fill up faster than your commode after you ingest… sorry, I’ll skip the scatological satire. You still get the picture.

So, as I saw the “percentage filled” bar quickly rise, I paused to think. And during that moment, my inner 10-year-old spoke up. I am a lifelong comic book collector (and yes, I was still able to manage to get girlfriends). My comic book knowledge is encyclopedic. I happily go to Comic-Con every year (as a Professional). I’ve even been on numerous panels in front of the Comic-Con crowds (it’s awesome, by the way).

Hell, I’ve worked on numerous superhero projects in my career. I produced the DVD/Blu-ray “special features” for numerous animated TV series, like:

“A” is “astronomically expensive.”

• Batman: The Animated Series
• Superman: The Animated Series
• Justice League / Justice League Unlimited
• Batman Beyond
• The Batman
• Teen Titans
• Legion of Superheroes
• X-Men: Evolution

I also co-directed and co-produced a feature length documentary for WB and DC, NECESSARY EVIL: SUPER-VILLAINS OF DC COMICS.

I’m also currently working on yet another superhero-related project.

And no, I don’t have superhero Underoos… as far as you know.

So the idea of not participating in an event that combines two of my passions (superheroes and running) suddenly seemed incredibly silly. Not to mention that several of my running friends from Team Roadkill and the Half Fanatics have also signed up for it.

And just like that (insert appropriate dramatic superhero-y music here)… I changed my mind!

In a “Flash”* I jumped on the site, filled out the form, plunked down my credit card info and was triumphantly invited to fight injustice for 13.1 miles.

Note: Yes, I know “Flash” is a DC character and if I wanted to be Marvel-pure I should have referred to “Quicksliver,” who will be featured in the next Avengers flick. But “Faster than Quicksilver” didn’t sound as eloquent. Told you I was a comic geek.

And what about the potential Las Vegas race also scheduled for the same day? Well, I’m currently working on a diabolical “master plan” (more to come on that).

Fortunately, this Disney race is the last “new themed” race I can expect for some time to come… Wait, there’s rumors of a Star Wars themed half-marathon for early 2015?

Damn you Disney.

Run on!