Friday, August 11, 2017

Race Report: 2017 Tink Half Marathon


Yep, let's keep going with the recaps! I registered for the Tink Half in the eleventh hour. I was not trained well, but got in some long runs so I wouldn't hurt too much after the race. It was my Mother's Day gift, and I loved every minute! I ran this race once before (when I was in much better shape), so I was definitely looking forward to this race.

First, I have to say that staying at Paradise Pier was the BEST way to start the race! We were right by the start line and it allowed me to catch some extra sleep. I was in corral C; I've had a few years of not so fast races so the benefit of the female-only first corral was beyond my pace. No worries, though. I knew I wasn't going to be breaking any speed records!

The energy at the start was great. Tons of sparkle, tutus, and wings crammed into the street ready to run. The weather was absolutely perfect. It seriously could not have been a better day to run a half marathon. This is my favorite Disneyland course. I know, I've said before that the Disneyland Half Weekend is my fave, and it definitely is for nostalgia. This course, though, is just perfect! You get to run through beautiful neighborhoods, get a ton of park time, and it really does just fly by.

Bathroom Selfie!
I completed the race with a 1 minute run/30 second walk interval ratio. I've been playing around with it and this seems to work best for me. I was able to keep up with this plan for the entire 13.1 miles. I finished the race in 2 hours, 35 minutes. Nope, definitely not a great time, but for the minimal training I've put in and my lack of speed over the past 2 years, I'm satisfied. Most importantly, I was able to run easily and still walk around the rest of our trip. I took plenty of selfie breaks and a bathroom break, so my overall pace was not too bad. Most importantly, I had a blast and enjoyed every mile.

Sometime you need candy from a stranger!
Ride selfies, because I hate lines!
We have to talk about the elephant, right? If you didn't read recaps of the Tinkerbell 5k, you can check mine out here. There were many moans and groans about no characters on the course for pictures. Well, the half had plenty of characters! I'm not one to stop and wait for most races, but the character stops were pretty much the same as I had seen in the other runDisney races. Looks like if you want character stops, you might need to push yourself for the 10k, half, or full marathon distances.

Always need a finish line pic!
Tink is not a yearly race for me, but this being the second time running, it's one I would definitely return to. The time of year is perfect weather, the race is super fun, and I personally think it's a great way to celebrate Mother's Day! Now, we just need to sit it out and hope that whatever difficulties are preventing the registration of next year's Tink gets resolved!!! (Let the rumors continue!!!)
Beautiful bling!












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