Phil Penzel tests endurance in 48.6-mile Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World

Like millions of other Americans, Phil Penzel found Walt Disney World at the end of a trail of baby steps.

When he arrived, a toddler he was not. But, like many, he departed feeling invigorated, years younger.

Penzel, the 53-year-old owner of Penzel Construction in Jackson, has twice taken on, and conquered, the daunting 48.6-mile Dopey Challenge at the vacation resort over the past nine years after deciding to improve his health in 2008.

The 5-foot-10 Penzel weighed in at 205 pounds at the age of 45 and was dealing with high blood pressure when he took his first baby step, which came on a treadmill.

"I was overweight and just didn't feel very good, and I'm a pilot, so you have to get a physical every three years, and it concerned me that I might be getting close to not passing that some day, so I decided to take things into my own hands," Penzel says.

Phil Penzel is shown running in the 48.6-mile Dopey Challenge, a four-day, four-race event, in January at Walt Disney World.Submitted photo

He says he started at a 3-miles-per-hour pace on the treadmill and lasted less than 15 minutes the first day. But the operative words were: "He started."

The treadmill turned into runs outdoors, which he incrementally increased. It was tough at first.

"I didn't like it," Penzel says. "In fact, I hated it at first. I hated running, but I was going to learn to like it, and there was some point in the middle of it, I said, 'This isn't too bad.'"

Toleration evolved into competition, with him entering 5K and 10K races in 2009.

In 2010, he ran in a half-marathon in Florida. Not only did he complete it, he surprised himself by covering the 13.1-mile course in 1 hour, 51 minutes.

Phil Penzel shows some of the medals he has won by running marathons.Fred Lynch

Three years later, in 2013, at his current weight of 170 pounds, he ran his first marathon at Disney World. He's run six more marathons since, with the vacation resort often serving as a test of mind and body.

A year after his first marathon, he found himself competing in the inaugural Dopey Challenge. The four-day, four-race event was nothing Sleepy or Grumpy would have enjoyed. On consecutive days, Penzel ran a 5K, 10K, half-marathon and full marathon.

"That was pretty cool. That was satisfying," Penzel says of the challenge. "I knew I could get the first three, and I had already done a marathon."

He duplicated the Dopey Challenge feat once again this year.

If he's been slow, it was in signing up for the event in 2015.

Phil Penzel shows some of the medals he has won by running marathons. Fred Lynch

"I didn't get signed up for the Dopey Challenge in time that year because it sold out in about 4 hours," Penzel says.

He had to settle for the Goofy Challenge, a half-marathon and full marathon on successive days, on that occasion.

Since 2010, Penzel says he has run somewhere between 50 and 60 half-marathons, counting competitions and training runs for full marathons. Some of the training runs can be as long as 20 miles.

"To me, running a marathon is one-third physical, one-third nutrition and one-third is mental capacity to handle it, because you're going to hit a wall, usually about 20 to 24 miles," Penzel says. "You just need to be prepared to push on through it to get to your finish line."

He's gotten a big assist on the nutritional front from his wife Sandy, who has taken his fitness lead and made big strides of her own. Sandy has attended The Biggest Losers Resort in Jacksonville, Florida, on several occasions and has gotten a handle on her health through diet and strength training.

Phil Penzel stretches out with his running shoes at his office in Jackson.Fred Lynch

"She's brought some good information back home," Penzel says.

He's eating healthier, and even utilizes a "carrot" when it comes to his training.

"The motivation thing for me is to always have a race in front of you as your goal," Penzel says. "You always have to have a race ahead or you're just running to be running, and that's not much motivation."

He ran in the St. Louis Marathon in April, making him eight for eight in completing marathons. In fact, he's never failed to cross a finish line of a race he's entered.

"It makes you feel good, like you've accomplished something," Penzel says about taking on the challenges. "It just makes you feel better all around."

Phil Penzel shows some of the medals he has won by running marathons.Fred Lynch

Although he was late out of the start blocks on his running career, he is chasing down goals. He is looking forward to running in the Chicago Marathon this fall, and he's already registered for the Dopey Challenge in January.

"There are a couple races for sure that are on my bucket list," Penzel says. "One would be the New York Marathon."

He's already completed a marathon in Brooklyn, New York.

"I would like to try to do [the] Boston [Marathon] sometime, if I could qualify for it," Penzel says. "I'm about 35 minutes or so minutes from qualifying for my age. I think I could do it, eventually. It's going to take a lot of work."