This past weekend I was heading to Vegas to watch an adult softball tournament. On a whim I looked to see if there were any local races happening while I was there and I found one about 15 minutes away from our hotel! I decided a few days before we left that I would pack my running clothes and register the day of the race if I felt like running.
We arrived in Vegas at midnight on Friday night/Saturday morning. Saturday morning was the race. In my head I could hear Jeff Galloway saying this:
I knew I could run on little sleep- and I decided I would feel better if I got a run in.
The race was called the Chefs for Kids 5k, benefitting the Chefs for Kids organization: http://www.chefsforkids.org/
On their ‘about us’ they have this:
“Chefs for Kids, Inc. (CFK) is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to alleviating malnutrition and hunger in children through education and awareness. This educational program’s goal is to help children build healthy behaviors while they are young – behaviors that we hope will carry into adult-hood. Eating a healthful diet and maintaining a physically active lifestyle have been proven to reduce the risk of chronic disease that can place an economic as well as a physical burden on our entire community.”
As a youth coach this was something I could jump on board with supporting!
I woke up early in the morning and headed over to the park where the race was being held. I registered and promptly returned to my car as it was below 50 degrees- and I am a wimp!
As we headed out to the starting line I was trying to figure out my race strategy. I’ve never run a 5k alone and I was long overdo for a PR. My previous PR was 29:56 a time that I was regularly beating while on training runs. I knew I had a pretty good chance of getting a new PR at this race. I figured I would just listen to my feet and get moving at whatever pace they took me.
They sent us off and immediately I could feel the cold air in my chest but knew that I would just push through. I found a comfortable pace and followed a woman in a pink shirt who I thought was about my age. I vowed to just stay with her. Around mile 1 I was feeling like this race was a little tough- what was going on? I had started my Nike+ a few seconds late but it told me that my pace for the 1st mile was a 7:38! There was my answer. I was moving fast (for me!)
I kept pushing and following the lady in pink. I started feel my rhythm and the second mile FLEW. Before I knew it was heading the final turn for the 5k!
(photo credit- Tim Kelly, Las Vegas Track Club)
I felt GREAT finishing the race at that speed. I really pushed hard! The lady in pink finished right before me and I immediately went over to her, shook her hand, and thanked her for pacing me to a PR. She told me that she had also PR’d that race!
I stopped my Nike + and saw this:
My fastest 5k EVER. Faster than any my training runs!! I couldn’t believe it!
I hadn’t started my app on time so I knew that the time was a little off. The race didn’t use timing chips- instead they pulled tabs off of our race bibs. I wouldn’t know my time from them until later in the day. That’s when I saw THIS:
First place in my Age Group! My first time ever placing! I wish I would have stayed around longer to receive my award- but I needed to get going to watch softball!
What a day for me 🙂
I don’t know what my actual time was. The app said 23:59 and the results said 24:30 (again no timing chips) – but I will take 24:30 as my official PR!
Chefs for Kids 5k was a very well run race. It had a cute long sleeve t-shirt, great food afterwards (pancakes, jamba juice, coffee), and had a fantastic race packet filled with snacks. If I lived in Vegas, I would definitely do another race put on by the Las Vegas Track Club!
Well, it’s been a while since I blogged (oops). A few updates:
The first thing I need to update is that I was cleared by my doctor to run the Dumbo Double Dare – and I did it! I PR’d both the 10k and the half marathon. Both races were so tough for me, mostly because of the mental aspect of it but I was physically hurting as well. You can read my recap of the 1/2 marathon here:
My shoulder still hurts every day. Every single day. Some days it’s a minor ache and some days it hurts to the point where I can barely move. It’s been almost 5 months since the injury and I am hoping for relief. Surgery is not a guarantee to heal it- so it’s not a good option for me right now.
I have retired from playing soccer. It’s crazy to let go of something you are so passionate about- and I did it cold turkey. I have consistently played soccer since I was a child so you’d think it would be more difficult! The reality is that getting hurt was so eye opening. This was the worst injury I have ever had and it most certainly wasn’t worth it. It also wouldn’t be worth it to hurt it AGAIN. That decision may change. Who knows. I still coach soccer every single day – so I get my fix.
We got into the Nike Women’s 1/2 Marathon in DC! I’m running this with my favorite people- and it’s my cousins first half marathon! I can’t wait! It’s my hometown too- so this race will be very special.
I am still getting faster. Slowly. According to Nike+ my average pace for 2012 was 10:44/mile. 2013 was an overall 9:56 average pace per mile. My average so far for 2014 is 8:53/mile but I haven’t run farther than 5 miles at a time and I’ve only logged 16 miles.
That’s it for updates! Here’s to an incredible 2014!
This summer has been absolutely amazing for me. I’ve been busy, but I enjoy being busy! Some highlights:
– I got married! I had the most perfect wedding in Kaua’i. It was the best week of my life!
– My girls under 9 team made it to the finals of 4 tournaments and were the champions of 1 of those.
– I have been training diligently and seeing the rewards (stronger/faster)
When I signed up for the runDisney Dumbo Double Dare I had several months to train for it. I had just finished running another half marathon (Princess) and I just kept the training going. I was feeling good, getting great miles in, and watching as my pace got faster. In the past few months I have shattered all of my personal records (PR’s) in training runs. I wanted an ‘official’ PR and had my heart set on Dumbo Double Dare to PR the 10k and Half Marathon. I recently unofficially PR’d 12 miles and 10 miles. My unofficial 10k smashed my previous 10k. I was well on my way to achieve my goal!
Just this past Saturday I was participating in a Women’s over 30’s soccer tournament. I could only make the second game of the day because I was coaching my girls under 15 team. I made it through the first half with no issues. About 10 minutes into the second half a ball got loose in front of the other teams goal. Being a forward, my eye was on the prize and I sprinted to go take a shot. The defender near me tackled me HARD sliding in and hitting me around my knees. I FLEW and landed directly on my left shoulder – getting the wind knocked out of me in the process. I knew immediately something was wrong.
The unimaginable happened- I got hurt 2 weeks before the race.
Now I sit here in awful pain, despite taking pain meds, contemplating my next step. I have at least a separated collar bone and a torn AC ligament (the collar bone is popped up – you can see it). I am devastated to not be able to run the Disneyland Half Marathon but I am going to stay positive about everything. It’s out of my control but I can control how I deal with it!
Hopefully I get a full diagnosis soon. It’s been difficult finding me a last minute ortho appointment, but I have one in 2 days.
I will still be attending the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend since our hotel is non refundable and I want to be in that atmosphere. It will be hard watching people complete the race that I had trained so hard for – but I have so much to be thankful for and I love cheering!
If you happen to be at the Disneyland 5K, 10K or Half Marathon – look for the woman in a sling- cheering for you 🙂
The other day I went for 5 mile run and something AMAZING happened. I ran it at an 8:43 pace!
Now, for the elite runner that is a slow jog (I love when someone says “went for an EASY run today- 7:30 pace”). For ME that is something that has never happened before- and something I never fathomed I could do! I had never ran over 3 miles at a pace under a 9 minute mile. Realistically, I know it’s also not something that will happen during every 5+ mile run (but it’s good to know I can do it!).
I have always been a runner. I never loved running until recently, but indeed, my whole life I have been a runner. My poor parents were given a child with an amazing amount of energy. I never sat still. I never stayed inside. I never walked. I ran everywhere! If I couldn’t sleep, I would get up in the middle of the night and run laps around the inside of the house. In an attempt to reduce my energy levels my parents put me in just about every sport (but ironically not track or cross country). When we finally found “my” sport it turned out to be soccer. Soccer is a running sport- so that worked out for me because all I wanted to do was run, and I was FAST!
As a youth player I would get the soccer ball from the defensive end and then just sprint as fast as I could with it until I ran directly into the goalkeeper. Sometimes I would get lucky and the goalkeeper would miss it, but it became obvious that I needed to control my speed and ball control. I was FAST but I could not slow down!
Off I go on a breakaway!
Oops, I ran straight into the goalkeeper- again.
As I got older my coaches helped me control my speed but I always remained a sprinter (still try in my 30’s). It was tough for defenders to catch me when I took off. All through college my greatest ability was my speed. On the other hand, I absolutely hated running. I hated running 2 miles during training sessions. I hated a treadmill (still do). I hated running a lap around the field. I was miserable when I had to go for a run. I didn’t mind the sprints though, it was over faster.
When I started running, that speed was nowhere to be found and that sprinter on the soccer field never really translated onto the pavement. Now that I’ve been a runner for longer a little of my inner sprinter is starting to come out. It feels good that I am finally getting faster since my first race in 2007 (a 5k at a 9:38 pace- which is incidentally still my 5k race PR). I now can run a training 5k in about 27 minutes (8:25 pace). My first half marathon in 2009 was 2:38 (12:07 pace) which took me 3 years and 6 half marathons to finally beat! I will say this, I don’t feel like I am trying harder and I appreciate that! Running can be such a great stress reliever so I don’t want to stress about running! Running for me is about feeling GOOD. I have never ran a race so hard I wanted to pass out. I have never pushed myself beyond my limits- I leave that for when I play soccer. Will I one day? Maybe? Probably not. I enjoy how I am running right now.
I’m not positive why I am getting faster but I think it is a combination of things. I have fixed my running form thanks to Newton Running. I researched and made a significant effort to improve my form- and I feel so much better. I also am obsessed with my foam roller which helps me feel better after runs. Finally, the most important thing I have done is I have built my confidence up to believe I can do it.
I know I am not going win any races but for all the running I’ve done over the past 6 years it’s exciting to finally be seeing some faster results! We’ll see if I can keep up the training to get 2 PR’s during the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland in September. For that challenge I am running the 10k and the half marathon on back-to-back days. I’ll need to beat 1:04 (10:24 pace) for the 10k and 2:16 (10:26 pace) for the half marathon. It’s a big goal but an attainable one for me- I’ll motivate myself by remembering that day in May when I ran a 5 miler under a 9 minute pace! Or hopefully it happens again soon!
Since becoming a runner (read: a runner, not a racer) I have used races as a way to hold myself accountable. On the days I did not feel like running (we’ve all had them) I would remind myself that I had paid money for a race, so I might as well train for it! It’s a great way to keep moving with your eye on the prize.
Recently, I have had to find a new way to keep motivated, and I found it somewhere I never thought it would be- inside me. Yep, I keep myself motivated to run because I feel good when I run. It’s as simple as that! Who knew?! I am taking a break of running races until September when I come back with a bang – the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland. It is the Disneyland 10K and the Disneyland Half Marathon ran in the same weekend. So I have something wonderful to look forward to!
Until then, I will keep running. There will be no bling. There will be no spectators (unless you count my neighbors and countless dogs). There will be no “official” PR’s. There will be no after party. What there will be is: me learning to love running even more.
The reason for my race hiatus? Well, it’s a good one. I am having my dream wedding. I know, sounds cliché, but I promise you this truly is my dream wedding. It’s a small destination wedding and I could not be more excited! When it came to registering for more races it really came down to the financial side of it. It is hard to justify paying for races when I could use that money to help fund our wedding! I will be able to run plenty of races down the road and this will be my 1 amazing wedding!
Not to mention, 2013 has already been AMAZING! I ran the Tinker Bell Half Marathon and the Princess Half Marathon so I feel blessed!
Amazing race medals for 2013!
I will be following all of YOU and the races you all do. I want to hear all about them!
My first half marathon ever was the Disneyland Half Marathon in 2009. After that I completed Disneyland Half in 2010 and Tinker Bell Half Marathon in 2012 and 2013. The common denominator? Disneyland. We live in So Cal so we are Disneyland Annual Passholders and can easily do a Disneyland race without too much pre-planning. We never imagined we would be able to run a race at Disney World (we have very hectic schedules- and it is a pricey trip!). We had dreamed of getting a Coast to Coast medal but we never imagined it would actually happen!
The Tinker Bell Half Marathon 2012 was our favorite races of all time so we knew we would be participating again in 2013 so as soon as registration opened we were all over it! During that time Laurie’s sister Amy was talking about us doing another family Disney World trip (previously we went with her in 2009). We knew how much Amy loved Disney World, so we had mentioned to her about the Princess Half Marathon weekend and she surprised us by saying she wanted to sign up as her first half marathon! We would make it a family trip and go for the week. Amy’s 5 year old daughter Bella would do the kids race. Laurie’s mom decided she would join us and do the 5k. I invited my parents to join us and do the 5k. Before we knew it we had a family racecation (race + vacation). We all registered as soon at the race opened and began planning our trip.
Laurie and I flew in on Friday night and met up with our families. They were winding down for the night to participate in the Royal Family 5k and Kids Races (my recap is here). Saturday was a very long morning of cheering for our runners followed by Laurie and I going to the expo.
The expo was NUTS. By the time we got there Saturday afternoon I was well aware (thanks to social media) that it was going to be crowded. I work with Pre-School aged children so over the years my patience has grown exponentially! I am thankful for that because the expo was so packed it truly tried our patience. We received our race bibs and we received our wrist bands for the Coast to Coast challenge!
Fit snug with my Nike Fuel Band
We walked over and grabbed our t-shirts and then explored the expo a bit. It was so packed you could barely walk around but we still enjoyed ourselves. I bought a team sparkle Princess Half Marathon exclusive t-shirt that said “Running Happily Ever After”. I love it! Laurie got a new road bicycle charm necklace- it’s adorable and she got many compliments on it all week. By the time we got into the official merchandise section so many things were sold out. Laurie got a coast to coast t-shirt, they didn’t have my size left, and we got a princess half vinylmation medal. I really really wanted a coffee mug- but they were sold out!
We returned to our hotel room and feasted on some pizza, our tried and true pre-race meal. Since we were still on Pacific Time we had a lot of difficulty winding down to go to bed. That combined with excitement made it nearly impossible! Around midnight we finally fell asleep. Our alarm to wake up went off at 2:30am. Yep- not a lot of sleep for us! We drank our coffee and had some light breakfast and headed out to the shuttle stop around 3:15am.
There were many princess runners staying in our hotel and we were able to see some great outfits! We arrived at the race start with plenty of time to drop off our bag and use the restrooms before they called us out for our long walk to our Corral.
Already packed just walking into the meetup area to wait for our walk to the Corral’s
Pre-race picture of Ariel, Belle, and Cinderella
We did our walk over to the Corral’s to wait for the race to begin. There was so much excitement in the air! I am easily cold- and once I am cold it is very difficult for me to warm up. I know so many princesses were complaining about the heat- but I felt perfect! I didn’t need to stress out about throw-away clothes. I was fine in my tank top and arm-sleeves.
Laurie and I were in Corral C- our Tink Half time would have put us in B (my Long Beach time would have put me in A). We moved back to be with Amy in Corral E. We had no intention of speeding through the course- our only goal was to help Amy finish her first half marathon! It is a different world starting farther back in the Corrals (more on that further down) and we had to watch several Corral’s start before us.
As we waited the crowd busted into song- I recorded it with my camera! It shows the energy at the beginning of the race. This is one of the reasons I LOVE the RunDisney races!
Then it was our turn to go and the Fairy Godmother bid us adieu with some fireworks.
The first few miles were in the dark. Our pace was slower than Laurie and I had trained but we got to have a different perspective on the race. We looked around a lot more and took many more pictures! We had asked Amy which pictures were “must have’s” for her and decided to stop any time she wanted to. My only “must have” was Gaston! If he was on course I really wanted a picture with him.
heading towards Magic Kingdom!
Our first must have photo stop was the villans. Amy loves them and wanted to get a picture. It was a longer wait but we had a cushion since we started in Corral E. This was my first race where I was worried about our pace. I was a little stressed about the long waits- Amy MUST finish! She was never a runner (ever) and had trained to do this race. We would not let her down.
They were all in character and were hilarious!
We inched closer to Magic Kingdom and I saw Lumiere! Since I was dressed as belle- this was a must have for me. I pulled over and told Laurie and Amy to keep going. THIS was the picture I got:
yep, I blew it. That’s his little arm. My head blocked him!
I sped up to catch up with Amy and Laurie- and it felt good to run! We entered the Magic Kingdom and I was loving all of it! When we run the Disneyland races it’s definitely cool but we go so often that I know most of the surroundings. Disney World is a much different story so I really was enjoying our run down Main Street!
I think it’s safe to say that Laurie was also enjoying it!
They had a bunch of volunteer’s helping take photos here
We then ran through Tomorrowland and turned into the new Fantasyland area! I had never seen it in person so I was loving it all- even the Mine Train construction! Then – there he was – Gaston!! AND he had a short line- so we jumped in!
He said to me “Bonjour Belle” to which I responded “Bonjour Gaston” (of course)
Then we turned towards the castle. The castle at Disney World is significantly larger than the castle at Disneyland so I got a picture of Laurie heading in.
You can see the trumpeters in the distance
WOW the castle was packed! We had to walk very slowly through the castle. It smelled very un-princess like in there!
eek! So many princesses walking through
Laurie and I broke off from Amy to take a picture with Jessie (Laurie’s favorite) and to take a picture with Cinderella in the background.
Jessie!
Cinderella with Prince Charming in the background
We caught up with Amy and kept on running. Amy had told us that at mile 6 she would start walking- and we told her we would do anything to stay with her. At this point with all of our picture stops (there were more- but I figured I would limit the pics on this already LONG post) we were at a very slow pace and Laurie and I were starting to worry about where the sweepers were. We knew we were in front of many people but since Amy wanted to walk at mile 6 we wanted to make sure we could build our cushion! We kept running past the half way point (yep- Amy went past 6 miles running) where they were playing the fan voted song- “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys
Half way and I felt amazing!
Just past here was our hotel where my mom, dad, Laurie’s mom Sue and Amy’s daughter Bella were supposed to be. I had circled on maps and signed them up for runner tracking. I also had warned them of potential times we would be there. We thought they were prepared to see us there and then head on the monorail to the finish line. As we ran past they were nowhere in sight! Ugh! Laurie and we not too concerned but we wanted Sue and Bella to see Amy running! We called and texted them and it turns out they had made very unfortunate yet very understandable error. When we signed all of them up for runner tracking they were not aware it was in Kilometers. So when they got the text that we were at 10k they misread it as 10 miles and they thought they missed us! They were on their way to the finish line. We shook it off, took a picture with the Genie and carried on.
Could we wish our family back to see us?
At this point we started walking. As I mentioned it is a completely different race when you are in the back of the pack. It was very crowded and there were not a lot of people out there smiling. In fact, some people looked pretty miserable, injured and or sweaty. There were other people enjoying the race- but I think we were in with a group that was stressing out about the sweepers. As Laurie and I had done several Disney races- we were used to all smiles and happy excited people. It was strangely quiet back there as we were nearing the last few miles. I had an epiphany at this point that maybe I COULD do a full marathon if I slowed my pace down. We stopped for our last character stop in the race- and it was a pretty awesome one, the heroes! We waited until we were on our way back to get this picture and I am happy we did since the line was significantly shorter AND the sun was out for the picture!
the heroes!
We kept going and then there it was- the10 mile marker- the farthest Amy had ever gone!
The farthest Amy had ever gone!
Amy reiterated that she was done running but would instead walk. We obliged of course but we told her that she would need to walk fast so we could keep our pace fast enough! When we got near Epcot we knew we would make it! We saw Sue and Bella just before mile 12 and Sue was screaming and crying (for Amy) that she was going to do it! Her waterworks in turn made our waterworks start 🙂 Once we saw spaceship earth we knew we were so close!
had to do a jump photo
sisters!
We passed the gospel choir and headed towards the finish line. We saw my parents cheering on the final stretch! My parents live in South Carolina- and we live in California so any chance for them to see me run is wonderful for me. We held hands and crossed together! Amy did it- and we would be getting our Coast to Coast medals!!
Amy’s first medal!
we did it! Added our Tink Half medal for pictures
Bella joined us for a picture with Rapunzel
Our final time was 3:46 – our longest by almost an hour but it felt like it went much faster than that. We were so happy that Amy finished! Laurie and I also discussed the possibility of doing this race again but running the whole thing. It was such a great time for us- we were so excited that we had done it AND we still had 5 days at Disney to enjoy!
My new favorite medal the coast to coast! Also loved the Princess medal.
I celebrated with a caramel apple- my favorite!
Laurie did a “medal Monday” picture with all of her medals (and Oswald ears)
We really loved running this race! It was definitely an eye opening experience for us, but in a good way. Laurie has often felt like all of her training was not helping her out, as she felt like she was too slow. With all of the energy she had at the end of the half marathon she really started to understand that she was, in fact, a runner. We loved everything about this race- but especially the fact that our families were there to participate and support us. I wish Disney World was closer- but I can say that some time down the road we WILL do another Disney World race!
being dorks
Next up? Wedding planning. I am on a race hiatus since we need to save money. I will still be running, and I will keep my distance up but there will be no “races” until my next very exciting one- the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland in September! For that race I will do the 10k on Saturday and the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday. I can’t wait!
The Princess Half Marathon weekend has come and gone and I am still reeling from our amazing experiences (a week at Disney World can do that to you)!
We flew in to Orlando early on Friday morning (and arrived Friday night thanks to the time change) to meet up with my parents (Boris and Valerie), my soon to be sister-in-law (Amy), my soon to be niece (Bella), and my soon to be mother-in-law (Sue). Our parents were meeting for the first time and all of us would be participating in the Princess Half Marathon Weekend!
On Friday night we started preparing everyone for the Royal Family 5k. My parents would be doing the 5k as one of several races they have already done. My Mom did her first race ever in her 60’s and my dad did his first race ever in his 70’s! Sue would be doing her first 5k race- she had previously done a short triathlon at her gym. Bella (5 years old) would be doing the kids race, her first race ever!
Bella is my favorite kid- so spunky and fun and shares our passion for Disney. I really wanted her first running experience to be a great one! We shared with her our tradition of laying out our race clothes the night before- she loved that!
Isabella – all ready to run/fly!
On Saturday morning Sue, Boris, and Valerie all got ready and left the room at 4:45am to head over to the race start. We stayed behind and left at 5:30am to go spectate. We boarded the shuttle bus with several other 5k runners and spectators. We had absolutely no issues with transportation and got there with plenty of time!
We saw tons of people in costumes of all ages. Bella really loved seeing everything there! We would yell out which characters we saw. Bella loved Santa Claus- real beard and all! They were playing music and pumping up the crowd at the starting line. Then they brought out Royal Mickey and Minnie and set off the first Corral with fireworks.
They set off fireworks for every Corral- we loved cheering!
Then it was time for our parents to go! We caught them in their Corral and showed them all of their signs.
and off they went! There were several more Corrals to go- which meant more music and more dancing! I’ll tell ya they kept us entertained. They even called Bella up to the stage to dance for the crowd! We were making such special memories for her! RunDisney really made it so awesome!
A high five for the announcers!
We then headed over to the finish line to watch the 5k finishers come by. What a beautiful sight with Spaceship Earth (aka Epcot Ball) in the background!
Go runners go!
We cheered for so many runners! I was so impressed with how many young kids were doing the 5k. As a youth coach I LOVE seeing that! The costumes were just awesome! We saw a family run by where the dad was dressed as the Genie, the son was Aladdin, and the daughter was Jasmine. It was awesome! We found them later and told them how much we loved their costumes. Then we saw Sue head towards the finish line and soon after we saw my mom and dad! Everyone was doing great!
Sue dressed up as Tinker Bell
Mom and Dad dressed up as- Mom and Dad
We had so much fun watching the Royal Family 5k and up next was the kids races. I had no idea the amazingness that would soon happen.
I pinned on Bella’s race number and then she was put into the Corral with the other kids running 200 meters.
So focused on getting it centered
While we waited for Bella at the finish line we got to watch the 100 meter races- the 1-3 year olds. Oh my goodness… THE cutest race I have ever watched! They had several small Corrals within the race. The only downside is that it took forever to finish those races – so we waited a very long time for Bella’s race. The 100 meter kids were TINY and so funny! There were princesses and princes and several parents running with, in front of, and behind all the runners. Some kids were having the time of their life smiling and waving and some, well, were not. Some kids would just take 3 steps and sit on the ground. Some would cry and chase their parents. It was hilarious! Everyone watching just loved this very slow 100 meter race.
Finally it was Bella’s turn! She was in the very back of the Corral so we thought for sure when they split them up into sub-groups and let them go, she would be one of the last to start.
Laurie showing Bella her race sign on the way to the starting line
When they sent the first wave we really didn’t expect to see her but all of a sudden from the back of the pack- there she was!
Cruising up from the back!
Passing people!
To the finish!
I was so excited for her! She did it all by herself- Amy walked behind everyone to follow her. She got her medal and we gave her so many hugs and kisses to congratulate her. Later we saw her official photos- she was so focused:
Focus faced! (Photo credit MarathonFoto)
Overall, we had such a great time spectating the 5k and kids races! If you are at all considering doing it- go for it! It was so well run (despite waiting for a very long time for the kids races) and everyone in our group had the best time!
We headed back to the hotel to clean up and then Laurie and I went to the Expo to pick up our race packets for the Half Marathon. I’ll continue more about that when I do my Princess Half Marathon Update (coming soon).
The Tinker Bell Half Marathon was yet again another amazing RunDisney experience for me. Add it to the list!
I participated in the Inaugural Tink Half last year- and loved it! In fact, it was my favorite race of all time- so I knew that this year would be awesome and I was so thrilled to run it!
After my amazing experience Friday Morning at the Tink Half Meet Up I was even more excited to get back up to Disneyland! Laurie and I drove up on Saturday morning and checked into our hotel- The Hotel Ménage. It was perfect walking distance to everything- and it was actually a very nice hotel! Last year we stayed at the Hojo and we loved it, but with just Laurie and I for this trip- it was too pricey.
Our first stop was to head over to the expo to get our bibs/t-shirts and just “window shop”. I love a big race expo and seeing all the gadgets, clothes, etc that I do not need/must have. We walked over and saw several other Tink runners with their bags. I’ll say this, everyone looked happy. It’s hard to not be happy at Disneyland (unless you are a 4 year old throwing a temper tantrum).
We walked around the expo for about an hour- I wanted to see everything! We picked up a few gifts to give to our family during the Princess Half (including a team sparkle skirt for Laurie’s mom to wear for the 5k- those Team Sparkle ladies are so helpful!) and we each got an ifitness race bib holder I loved this purchase! I hate how I have to pin my numbers through all my favorite running clothes. This belt worked perfectly! Laurie got the version that would hold her Gu’s and she also loved hers! Yay new toy! We look like “real” runners! (ha) I made sure to grab my Vinylmation (I have a collection) and the Tink Half medal for it. This has quickly become my favorite!
Seriously- how cool is this?!
We walked back to our hotel, took the car to California Pizza Kitchen (we always have Pizza- it’s a tried and true pre-race meal for both of us) and then got ready to sleep for the night. Before we laid down we made sure to do our ceremonial laying out of the race clothes. I want things to be perfect on race day so I kinda obsess about things being perfect the night before. Laying out the clothes helps me rest easy knowing I have everything (of course I have everything I checked my bag several times!)
Our first race ever in team sparkle skirts and wings!
We woke up at 3am (ouch) and had our coffee and breakfast. I usually have an english muffin with peanut butter and half a banana. We headed out in the dark to the starting line. You could hear the energy from so far away! We got there later than I would have liked- but were able to join in with our Corral just as the race was starting for the earlier Corral’s.
Tinker Bell came up on the screen and sprinkled some pixie dust for all of us and we were off!
I can’t reiterate enough how amazing the energy at Disney races are! Everyone seemed to be in such a great mood. It’s so exciting to go under the starting line and know you are about to accomplish something pretty amazing.
We made it about 2 miles and then headed into Cars Land. Disney really outdid itself when it built Cars Land. It is so true to the movie and the attention to details is just amazing. It is a MUST SEE at night (or in our case in the morning) when all the lights are on!
We passed by World Of Color with the fountains on- gorgeous. Unfortunately my photography skills are lacking with insufficient light!
I tried to take a few pictures of Laurie in front of it- but they didn’t come out very well either!
We were then off across the esplanade (fancy word for the space between DCA and Disneyland) into the gates of Disneyland. So many people had set up here to watch their family and friends. It was awesome to see so much support!
Then off to my favorite part- Main Street USA!
one of the last pictures we took
As we ran through the castle we stopped and took a picture with Peter Pan and Wendy and that was officially the last time we would stop. We spent a lot of time in DCA and Disneyland stopping for pictures or in gridlock with so many runners that we were WAY behind the pace we wanted to be at.
The reality is that Laurie and I have done almost every single half marathon (7) together (I did 2 without her). We trained so very well for Tink so we knew there was a chance for us to beat our PR from Disneyland 2009 (my solo PR was in October at Long Beach Half Marathon). Laurie does not ever look at her pace/time as it stresses her out. I was not going to be the person to tell her that we were about 5 minutes behind pace- but she could tell, and we didn’t talk about it. We refocused on running- and I stopped taking pictures.
Then the miles just starting flying by. We were cruising! I could feel us moving so much faster and we both felt so great! We ran through Anaheim and enjoyed seeing all the great signs, cheerleaders, kids, pets, etc. When we hit mile 10 I got a HUGE grin because I knew we were going to do it! Laurie was going to get her personal PR and we were going to get our PR of running together! I wanted Laurie to get that PR so so so so bad. She has gotten so close at other races but unfortunately things had not gone her way yet. Last year at Tink Half she had some awful cramps and we had to walk a lot. This time was different! She looked so good, happy, healthy! Her form looked upright and strong. I knew we were going to do it and I got emotional- and I didn’t dare tell her 😉
Those last 3 miles can be so difficult. You have to dig down deep. You are so close- but yet, 5k away. Right as we hit mile 11 we caught up with Sean Astin. I was so thrilled to see him again, as I had chatted with him on Friday during the Meet-Up. Laurie was also excited to see him but too focused to say anything to him. I chatted a little bit with him- wished him luck (I didn’t want to bother him) and returned to running with Laurie. We ended up keeping the same pace as him through the finish line (he really helped us to keep going). As we entered the final area I saw one of the little girls I coach with a sign for me!
I love the sign!
I love the kids I coach! Seeing something like this on a race course (this was my second sign from a kid I coach!) is so inspiring and really helps you get a burst of energy. Note- make signs for your loved ones! This little girl ran the 5k the day before and killed it! Her picture made it on the RunDisney Facebook page!
As we approached the finish line I high fived Minnie while Laurie went to the other side to high five Mickey. We met up in the middle and crossed together. I was not sure what our exact time was – but I knew one thing WE DID IT! I hugged Laurie and said- “We crushed it!” We also joked how we had beaten Sean across the finish line- and then a few hours later there it was! Picture proof:
There is Laurie in her signature Pink Newtons- with her green running skirt and purple shirt! (photo credit RunDisney)
We walked through and we were given our medals (my favorite race medal- and now I have 2!) and then we just relaxed and enjoyed the atmosphere (and stretched a little bit). I checked my email and there it was- our official time (I had the times tracked to my email) we beat our previous best by 9 minutes!!! 24 minutes faster than our 2012 Tinker Bell Half Marathon!!! It felt so good! It made an already amazing feeling feel that much better! Our first race in a skirt and wings too!
That is a genuine smile! Showing off what powered her speed in this race!
I wouldn’t want to share this moment with anyone else! (Bonus- our shirts matched the ribbon)
We returned to our hotel room and took a short nap- then it was off to Trader Sam’s Tiki Bar for a fancy drink! For the second year in a row Laurie and I did something we called “no drink til Tink”. We did not have any alcohol in the months heading up to Tink (we took a small time out for xmas but not a sip after!) We wanted to make sure that our celebratory drink was that much more special! The drinks there are delicious- as is the food. We later grabbed my favorite post-race treat- a caramel apple! I picked up the Mickey Mouse apple.
We had so much fun at Tinker Bell Half Marathon! It makes me really excited for our upcoming race the Princess Half Marathon at Disney World! We are going to earn our Coast to Coast medal at that race too! (earned by running 1 race at Disneyland and 1 at Disney World in the same calendar year). It will be our first race ever at Disney World! Princess will be a much different experience as we are running it with Laurie’s sister who is a beginner runner- and this is her first half marathon. We just want to make sure she finishes and enjoys it. My parents and her mom are running the 5k and her 5 year old niece is running the kids race! We have been pumping that kid up for her race since she was surprised with this trip at Xmas! I can’t wait to see her!
Until then, we will bask in the glow of our 9 minute PR! Our fastest run together since 2009!
I love the RunDisney events, they are the reason I got into running (I’ll save that for another post). I jumped on the chance to get into the Tinker Bell Meet-Up as soon as I could- and I was one of the lucky few to get in! You basically have to keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog page and as soon as they post the information RSVP ASAP.
When I got the email I was THRILLED to do the Meet-Up on that SATURDAY morning… “but hey, wait a minute” (I thought) “the email they sent said it was on FRIDAY” (oopsies). I could do it but it would mean a crazy weekend for me. My initial plan was Saturday morning go up for the 5k (to cheer for 2 of the kids I coach) and the Meet-Up. Since the Meet-Up was in fact on Friday this meant I would have to drive 1.5 hours to get there and then turn back around afterwards so I could make it to my High School Soccer game for the team I coach. I could swing it!
What sounded like an amazing idea- was slightly less amazing when I woke up at 3:15am to get out of the door by 4:15am (we needed to check in around 6am). It takes me an hour in the morning to function so I need that hour to slowly drink my coffee and wake up. I’m a happy person when I wake up (I wouldn’t say I am not a morning person) I just move slow 🙂
I arrived at Disneyland around 5:45am and was so excited to get going! I walked over to the meeting spot under the sorcerer mickey hat and saw a few other really excited women (and a handful of men). I received my RunDisney t-shirt, put it on, and stashed my bag with them. I was cold (hey, I am a SoCal girl now!) but the nervous excitement helped warm me up! They gathered us all together. Introduced us to Sean Astin (who needed no introduction!), Ali Vincent- the first female winner of The Biggest Loser and RunDisney running guru Jeff Galloway- then we were off!
(photo credit RunDisney)
Off we ran through Downtown Disney and headed towards the main gates. I have done Disneyland 5k 2008, Disneyland Half in 2009 and 2010, and last years Tink Half- so this was not my first time running through the parks BUT this was my first experience with it so empty! It was amazing, I was geeking out a little (shh don’t tell anyone).
I am a tiny little speck in a yellow team sparkle skirt on the left. (photo credit RunDisney)
a brief glance at an empty castle before we ran through
We ran around a bit- I tried to take pictures but then realized (since they were mostly blurry) I would just take it all in. When do you get a chance to run around a very very empty Disneyland?? Our next stop was Pixie Hollow to meet the guest of honor- Tinker Bell!
No, I didn’t know anyone in this group- but I do have to give a shout out to the 2 other people wearing the Newton Running shoes! I wore mine too- I wear them for shorter distances (photo credit RunDisney)
Then we were off to Disney’s California Adventure- just across the esplanade. We stopped a the fountain on Buena Vista Street and they announced we had some “visitors”. Out came Mickey, Minnie and Goofy for a photo op with us! We gathered together for this group photo:
I’m a tiny head in the back on the right. (photo credit RunDisney)
Everyone then lined up to take a picture with their favorite characters. There was a big rush for Mickey/Minnie and a smaller line for Goofy. I decided I would wait til the lines got short and ended up standing to the side with a few people including Sean Astin. He really is a down to earth nice guy. I was a fan before- I am definitely a bigger fan now. Once the lines shortened it was time for my picture with the fabulous 3.
I met Heather at the start of the Meet-Up and turns out we have a mutual friend! I loved hanging out with her 🙂
Then we were off to Cars Land! I had a good feeling we would be heading there since it had just opened in the Summer of 2012. For many people attending the Meet-Up this was their first experience there. I had been a few times previously- but it’s done so amazing- with attention to detail- that every time I go I love it! We even got to ride on Radiator Springs Racers!
I am in the green car- we won! I also got to ride with new twitter friends Victoria and Meridith! (photo credit RunDisney)
They then brought us into Napa Rose in the Grand Californian Hotel. I have only dreamed about eating at this fancy restaurant! They fed us breakfast and I grabbed some coffee (I needed it!) and some fruit and yogurt. I happened (by chance) to sit at a table with Victoria (upstate NY) and Meridith (NJ)- yay East Coast people! My new friend Heather and I sat with them- and I left with 3 very cool new friends.
Sean Astin, Ali Vincent and Jeff Galloway all got a chance to talk about themselves a bit. Sean has this great #Run3rd campaign where you dedicate your runs to someone in need. Ali Vincent has a new show starting up- Live Big with Ali Vincent. Jeff Galloway is just an all around inspirational running coach (with a passion for running Disney).
They had a few giveaways- entry into Disneyland Half Marathon Dumbo Double Dare (10k and half marathon), New Balance special RunDisney shoes and a few duffle bags. A few selections in and nobody at our table had won- so I commented how I have bad luck. THEN they called MY name! Well, it was at least my first name- and they joked how my last name was a mouthful (I wasn’t lying about that!). I won a duffle bag! I don’t care if it’s “just” a duffle bag- I love it!!
They finished with a cooking demonstration of some black bean cakes and poached eggs. OMG were they delicious! I love food- I LOVE good food!
I left that day and almost skipped to my car! I was on such an adrenaline high from such a wonderful electric group of people and an amazing experience! I grabbed another coffee (the Disney one was weak) and headed back to my car to begin my treck back to San Diego. I tried to explain how awesome my day was to my fiancee but I was all over the place- too excited/ADD to genuinely explain everything.
Nothing could bring me down! And then my High School team played awful and lost 0-3 (and I am a very passionate coach, so it’s hard to see them like that). Oh well, at least the morning was unforgettable!!
For a long time I fought the urge to start a blog. I mean, WHO would want to read my blog? WHAT do I have to say? WHEN would I have time to update it? WHY on earth would I want to? I don’t know the answer to any of those questions and yes, I do realize I skipped “WHERE”. I do know this- my dear “friend” Google has lead me to several blogs that have given me great insight to races/events/etc. I have also found several inspiring blogs. Maybe my blog will do that? Whatever this blog turns into- we’ll see, but if anything my mom will be a fan (hi mom!).
runningisakick 