Race Report: 2015 Tink 10k

Race day was here!  I was psyched for my first ever 10K.  What a better place to do it but the Happiest Place on Earth!

It was a pleasure staying at the Disneyland Hotel.  We were so close to the start.  I was a little nervous, but Alyson had faith in me.  Now all I needed was a little trust and Pixie Dust!

We donned our Sparkle Skirts, Raw Threads top and Sweaty Bands and headed to the corrals.

As we settled into our places in corral E, numerous times Alyson was told she was in the wrong corral.  I guess it was hard to understand why someone in Corral A would move themselves all the way back to the last corral.   But Aly was determined to get Mom through this and I appreciated her company. 

Yes, the last corral was crowded. We were up towards the front, but looking behind me I saw a sea of runners.It was almost a half hour past the official start time when our corral finally crossed the start.  We were off!

The first few miles were amusing as we paced through our run/walk/run intervals. Alyson was in charge of the timer.   I kept hearing it go off and asked, walk? The answer was no.  It seemed like everyone had timers on all different intervals and that is what I was hearing. She had ours on vibrate and finally told me…I’ll let you know each interval!

There were some hills (ok, they were small but to me it was tough), but after that you got a good deal of park time.  I loved running down Main Street towards the castle.  The cast members in the backstage areas were such great chEarleaders!   Then you navigate California Adventure before heading to the finish. I absolutely love how much time was spent in the parks and backstage area.

I loved running down Main Street towards the Castle!

Beautiful day for Paradise Pier!

Because I was unsure of myself, I didn’t want to stop for any pictures.   I do wish I had at least gotten a mile marker pic.   Alyson did take a couple of selfies!

Only two miles to go!

We did it!

As the finish line came in sight, I knew I made it.  My official time wasn't good, but that was my fault.   I should have trained better. But, I finished and yes, I had tears in my eyes as I approached the finish.   I really enjoyed this race and was really proud of myself (and of Alyson who probably struggled to keep my slow pace!). 

Bill met us at the finish and we all headed back to the hotel to get ready for our visit to the parks.  When we got to the hotel, the kids surprised me with the best Congrats and Mother’s Day surprise (so good it deserves its own post!).  

My first "real" medal!

S'mores Bake

We celebrated at Disneyland Park with a late lunch at Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue where Alyson insisted she "needed" the s'mores bake dessert because she had to "carb load" for tomorrow's second half of the Pixie Dust Challenge.  Neither Bill or I questioned her choice.  It was delicious, but we really needed a "doggie bag"

I truly enjoyed my Mother's Day weekend racecation at Disneyland. Did you run Tinkerbell this year? How do you like to celebrate after a race?  Have you ever tasted the s'mores bake?

Race Report: 2015 Tinkerbell Half Marathon Weekend: Expo

For once, I'm on top of it!  Just a few days ago we returned from the 2015 Tink Half Marathon Weekend.  Here's Part 1--our review of the expo.  Since me and my mom were running, I thought it would be fun to hear from both of us, since we "expo-ed" different days.

I want!

Joann: After checking in at the Disneyland Hotel early Thursday afternoon (This was my first time staying here and I was obsessed with the Mickey Glove lamps in the bathroom!), I headed to the Expo around 2:30.  This turned out to be a great time to go, no crowds.

My first stop was the Official Merchandise area to see if anything on Alyson or my lists was left.  I was disappointed to find there were no wine glasses (my list), but I did manage to get us the coffee mugs.  I picked up Alyson’s water bottle and my “I Did It” shirt.  The rack that housed Alyson’s “Pixie Dust Challenge” Sweaty Band was now full of generic runDisney bands.  Browsing through them, I did find her a “Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend” one.   After checking out and getting my Disney Visa discount, I headed out to explore the rest of the expo.  

Wandering around a bit, I found myself at the New Balance booth checking out the Tinker Bell sneakers.  They were adorable!  Hmmm…no wine glass, maybe I should get the sneakers….

Next stop was packet pickup.   I realized I left my waiver home, so I had to print one.  I had my choice of computers.  I printed my waiver, picked up my bib and headed to the Get Travel booth to pick up my park tickets.  My Dooney backpack was next on the list and then I headed upstairs for my race shirt. I think I did all this in less than 20 minutes! 

Margaret Kerry

Once I deposited my “treasures” in the room, Downtown Disney was my destination for a quick meal.  It was a definite benefit being so close to everything, unlike WDW.  My plan was to head back to the expo and catch some of the Speaker Series.  This was the first time I’ve had an opportunity to do this.

I sat in on the end of “Information for Runners and Spectators” by the runDisney panel.  It was interesting as they went over the race courses and answered any questions posed. This seemed like a good choice if you were a first time run Disney participant.

The speaker I wanted to hear was Margaret Kerry.   She was the Original Animator’s Reference Model for Tinker Bell.   You could see why they chose her for the part.   What a fun and entertaining speaker!   At 86 years young, she showed us pictures of herself posing for the artists, told interesting stories and even danced a little in her tap shoes.  So glad I was there for this hour.  Yes, “laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever".

Aly:  My hubs and I arrived REALLY late Thursday night (in face, I think it was technically Friday morning), so we headed to the expo on Friday morning.  I set my alarm for 6 am to sign up for the New Balance Virtual Queue.  There were no issues and I was put in group 4. We slept in a bit longer then got ready to go to the expo, day 2.  I wasn't expecting much, which was good, because they were pretty well wiped out of any merchandise I wanted (thank goodness for moms who get there a day earlier).  We can go on and on about ebay and runners "rights" to buy stuff, but I'll leave that for another blog, another day.

For the pink C2C

The expo was similar to the DL Half, with all of the vendors and speakers being in the main ballroom.  It was a bit busy, but nothing like I would imagine the day before.  We were able to get our Lasting Commemoratives bookmark, browse the runDisney booth, pick up packets and goody bags, and look around leisurely. 

Just a few pairs!

Finally, around 11, it was my turn with New Balance.  I seriously love the new virtual queue system at DL! (It's a little tough at WDW because the expo isn't close to anything.  Here you theoretically could go to the parks and come back when your time is up.)  My mom and I were able to try on the new Tink shoes, plus I bought the Minnies that were released at Princess.  Yes, I have a problem.  We were done quickly and headed back to the room where we dropped off our packages and got ready to hit the parks.

Overall, the expo was pretty typical.  I didn't get the same "special-ness" as I did at Princess, but it was a standard expo.  Of course, if you're dying to get your hands on merchandise, you just have to get there for the first minutes on the first day.  There's just no way around it.  If that's not important to you, though, I highly suggest going later.  You'll have a much more enjoyable experience!

Race Report: 2015 Princess Half Marathon

Here we are--finally!  The big event!  This was my first Princess Half Marathon, and I was SO excited.  I didn't even know at the start how much fun this race would be, but just to set the record straight, this is a MUST DO for all the ladies who love runDisney!

Photo Credit: runDisney

Truth be told, I was running a bit late that morning.  I kept forgetting things in the room, and when we got to the buses, there was a huge line.  We waited, and finally got on the third bus.  I have a suspicion that our bus driver was a temp because once on the bus, he clearly didn't have any idea how to get to the start line in a timely fashion.  We ended up there really late, and I missed all of the fun pre-race fanfare.  I got into my corral just in time to start--I hate feeling rushed!!!

Today's course was exactly the same as the WDW Half in January, so I was very familiar with the course (I had just ran it a month earlier).  I hadn't trained much since the Surf City Half a few weeks earlier, and I knew I had to take it easy.  The night before I was starting to catch a cold and was really feeling under the weather.  I knew I could finish, but I also knew I couldn't push it.

I started out with my 3/1 intervals to stay on the safe side.  My pace was okay and I was feeling fine...not great, but fine.  The first few miles are on roads, which is nice because it gives you some time to settle into your pace and spread out.  This course was definitely crowded, though.  I started in corral C, but wasn't running at an all out pace, so I was probably more in line with corral D for the majority of the race.

At around mile 6, you finally get to the Magic Kingdom.  I feel like I say this in EVERY recap, but there is really nothing more magical than turning the corner to run down Main St USA!  The sun was just starting to come up, but the castle was still lit.  We also ran through Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and out through Frontierland.  It was quick, but it was nice to break up the course.

More time on the roads through the infamous "cone alley" (it's always tight there) and on our way to Epcot!  You enter Epcot in Future World and pretty much stay there the whole time.  While it's not much park time, it's great because you know the end is near.  The finish line was AWESOME--and had tons of surprises!  The medals were great and right after you got your medals, fairy godmothers were there to sprinkle you with sparkles.  It was such a sweet touch!  Then, as you started to collect your post-race goodies, you were given a drawstring backpack!  This was such a great idea--I wish they did this for every race!

Here are my official stats:
Chip Time: 2:30:18
Overall Place: 4379/20237
Gender Place: 3854/18517
Division Place: 707/3153

Already prepping for PARIS!

I gathered my things and headed out to meet my hubby.  No congratulations, no hugs, just "aren't you excited...we're going to Paris!"  Huh?  Wait...what?  I refer back to the start where our bus was so late I missed all the pre-race fun.  Well, I had totally missed the HUGE announcement:  They finally announced the dates for the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon!!!!  Forget this race; we were on full planning mode for Paris!  What a great ending to a great race weekend!

All in all, I loved the entire Princess weekend!  I hope to come back for a girls trip sometime soon.  It was themed perfectly and I really appreciated all of the little touches that made it magical. It's on my runDisney must-do list for sure!

Race Report: Princess 10k

Okay, okay...I'm behind!  I have had so much excitement going on in my "real life" that my blogging life just got put on hold, but I'm back and I'm ready to finish recapping the 2015 Princess Half Marathon Weekend!  If you missed the first two parts, click HERE and HERE.

For the 10k, the weather "warmed up" enough for me to sport my recycled Olaf costume.  Hey...when you run this many races, you've got to recycle!  I still headed to the staging area with a jacket and mylar blanket to keep warm.  The morning went similar to the morning before, minus a few shivers.  It was still cold, but after the FROZEN 5k, it seemed more manageable today.

I handed off my cold weather gear to my hubby and headed to the starting corrals in the same way as the day before.  I was in corral A and there was a huge backup of runners trying to get through the small walkway where they were checking bibs.  By the time I made it to my corral, they were already escorting runners around the bend to the start line.  They also gave the warning to get rid of your mylar blanket before crossing the start or you jeopardize your chip time not being recorded.  I didn't want to take any chances, so I tossed my blanket a few seconds before they counted down to the start.  Yes, for the record, it was still COLD!

The 10k course was similar, if not exactly the same, to the 10k during Marathon Weekend.  This means you spend a good amount of time on the streets before seeing the magic of Epcot.  It also takes you through the Boardwalk area, which is a great distraction and gave my feet a bit of a break (somehow running on the boardwalk felt different than the road, and it was good to switch it up).  I've run this course before during Dopey, but somehow this time it seemed a whole lot more crowded and it was hard for me to get some good speed going.  I'm sure some of this had to do with how cold it was and with me starting toward the back of corral A.  I just remember getting "stuck" at some areas where I just couldn't push through and had to slow down.  I wasn't running for a PR or anything, so I just "Let It Go"!

I finished the 10k in 59:54, not bad for not really trying too hard.  Here are the rest of the official stats:
Overall Place: 942/11003
Gender Place: 736/9753
Division Place: 152/1570

I love the entire Princess Weekend and I DEFINITELY see myself returning in the future.  That being said, I will always prefer the Disneyland 10k courses to WDW.  You just get more time in the parks in DL.  The medal was awesome and I loved all the Princess touches.

At the end of the race, I was a little disappointed in the amount of time we had to spend on the bus for the clearing of the streets.  If it had been warmer, I probably wouldn't have minded, but seeing as it was so cold, I was more than ready to get into a hot shower!  We were staying at Saratoga Springs and weren't able to get to the hotel due to road closures.  They did, at least, allow us to stay on the bus in comfy seats while we were waiting.

Did you run Princess?  Do you prefer DL or WDW 10k courses?  

Disneyland, Party of One

As many of you know, I love an adventure and trying new things. I recently had an opportunity to do both. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was scheduled to work for an entire week in Los Angeles, with the exception of Tuesday. I took that as an opportunity (or should I say excuse?) to explore a little or to do something fun. I checked Yelp and Trip Advisor for some ideas, and of course Disneyland was one of their recommendations. This got me thinking. Since I have an annual pass, why not head down to the parks for the day?  I decided to call a few people to see if anyone was free, but unfortunately, no one was. Ugh. Time to look for a Plan B.

Or was it? Hmm, what if I just went by myself? 

Wouldn't that be weird, though? I wanted to get a second opinion, so I went back online and read a few blogs from people who had done Disneyland solo. They all recommended it. Between that and with a little encouragement from my fellow Disney nut/wife, I decided it might be worth heading down to Anaheim to spend a few hours in the parks and have lunch. I mean, it beats hanging out in the hotel all day, right?

So the next morning, I braved the L.A. traffic and took the 40-mile drive to the Happiest Place on Earth. It took me well over an hour, but finally I arrived, parked the car, and began walking towards the gates. I quickly became very aware of all of the families and couples around me, and started to have second thoughts. Perhaps this was only a good idea in theory. Awkward or not, it's a little late now. Besides, worst case scenario is that I head to Downtown Disney, grab some lunch, and drive back if it wasn't fun. 

I decided to check out California Adventure first. Any awkwardness I felt quickly went away as I strolled from the main entrance to Radiator Springs Racers and observed that there were a lot of people walking by themselves. I assumed that they had temporarily separated from their group to pick up a Fast Pass, get a drink, maybe use the restroom and were now headed back to meet up again. And that was when the light bulb above my head lit up! Other people who see me will probably assume the same thing (that is, if they even notice me at all). Alright, I'm ready to do this!

Now Radiator Springs Racers, one of the newest attraction in California Adventure, is notorious for having long lines, and today would be no different. The wait was 80 minutes. Weak. But alas, this ride has a line designated for single riders, and it was much shorter. (FYI- it was 29 minutes. So much better.) 

With one ride down, I recalled that California Screamin' was close by, so I decided to go there next. (Side note: this is one of the perks of going solo- no long discussions to get everyone to agree what to do next. You want to do something? You do it.) Using the single rider line again, I was able to board the coaster in only 27 minutes (as opposed to 35 in the main line). To pass the time, I struck up a conversation with the guy in front of me, an entertainment lawyer from L.A. He had finished work early and since he was an annual passholder, decided to spend the afternoon at Disneyland. How cool is that? Afterwards, as I exited the ride, I was greeted by a Disney cast member who was handing out readmission tickets. Apparently, the ride had broken down while we were waiting and to compensate us for the "inconvenience", we were all given a front-of-the-line pass to whichever ride we wanted to go on next. Really? It was only twenty-sev... uh, nevermind. Thanks. 

I used my pass to jump the line onto one of my favorites, Tower of Terror. It was while waiting in line for this ride that I had the most memorable moment of the day. For those of you who have not been on the ride, you start out by watching a short Twilight Zone video giving you the back story on how the service elevators became haunted. Afterwards, you head to the boiler room to wait for your elevator. It was there that this 7-8 year old little girl turns to me and out of the blue the following conversation takes place:

Girl: (in a reassuring voice) "Just so you know, that service elevator, it's not real."

Mom: <smiles and shrugs her shoulders>

Me: "I sure hope so. That video was pretty scary."

Girl: "Nope. It's not real. It's all juuuust pretend." (I'm guessing somebody needed a little pep talk to get her to go on the ride.)

Me: "I'm so glad you told me that. I was getting nervous. Will you remind me again if you hear me screaming on the elevator?"

Girl: "Ok. I will." (Turns back and resumes conversation with little brother)

Kids crack me up. 

After having lunch at Carthay Circle (opting for the firecracker duck wings of course), I walked across the way to the Disneyland side where the trend continued- short lines, easy decisions, and random conversations with complete strangers. It was such a different, but great way to experience Disney! In addition to the lawyer and the brave little girl, I also met a newspaper editor from New Orleans and a lady from Salt Lake City whose nephew is an axe murderer. Yes, you read that correctly. To call It an over-share would definitely be an understatement, but I have to admit, it certainly was a fascinating story and made the time pass quickly while waiting in line!

Although I only planned on going to the parks for a few hours, when all was said and done, I ended up spending the entire day there. And I realized on the drive back to the hotel that I had managed to get on a total of ten rides, waited for an average of only 16 minutes per ride, and wanted to add my name to the list of bloggers who would recommend that others try Disneyland solo if the opportunity presented itself. 

Adventures in Learning to Fly

"Think of the happiest things, 

it's the same as having wings!!!"

RunDisney’s countdown clock reads 25 days to the Tinkerbell Half Marathon Weekend. 

 

This means my trip to Disneyland is getting closer and I get to spend some time with my “kids”.  I haven’t seen Aly and Bill since Christmas.   I’m even taking an extended vacation and visiting them in Vegas for a bit.  I registered for the Hot Chocolate 5k in Vegas the following weekend, but it was postponed.   (That was my “safe” race so I could come home with a medal in case I didn’t finish the Tinkerbell 10K.  Yes, I have decided that if I do not finish, I am not taking the medal.   It’s a personal choice and it wouldn’t mean anything to me unless I finish. )

Training has been tough in the northeast. I'm not motivated to run outside since the weather has been so cold.  It seems that when it warms up, it rains.   Alyson told me “it might rain on race day” so I should just go for it.  I won’t have a choice on race day. I have a choice when I’m training. I keep choosing the treadmill.

The treadmill and I are not friends.   I hate running on it.  And, the treadmill let me know it’s feeling for me a couple of weeks ago.  When I took my phone out of its case, my driver’s license (which wasn’t properly tucked into its pocket) went flying out and disappeared into thin air.   We looked underneath, moved the treadmills and couldn’t find it anywhere.   I’m thinking it conveniently fell between the belt and frame.  So thank you, treadmill, for making me stand in line at the DMV on the last day of the month!! 3 hours later, I had my new driver’s license in hand.   

Last weekend, I did my 4.5 miles on the treadmill, again (the temp was only 28 that morning).   I’m hoping it warms up one of these days so I can do my runs outside.  I’ve even tried switching up the training plan Alyson gave me to fit the forecast, but alas, on those days, the forecast was wrong (or at least was way off for the times I had to fit in my run).  

This week, as bib numbers and corral placements came out, it was like everything fell into place!  The gym called this morning and the treadmill finally “coughed up” my driver’s license.  I no longer fear the finish line.  I actually say “when” instead of “if”.  I realized that I did my 4.5 miles and it didn’t bother me.   I’m actually looking forward to my 4.5 miles outside this weekend.  And, hopefully the next few weekends of mile increases will also be outside.  

Yes, things are looking up.  My costume will be simple because I need to comfortably get through my first 10k. Alyson and I will be dressed alike.  I'm honored that she's planning to move back from corral A to run with me!!  I’m looking forward to “flying” across that finish line.   And then, proudly wear my medal as Bill and I watch Alyson complete the Pixie Dust Challenge!

Will we see you wearing one or more of these medals at Disneyland?  We'll be looking for you on the course!

An impromptu trip to the Happiest Place on Earth

If you follow along on Twitter or Instagram, you may have seen that this past weekend Bill and I made an impulse decision to hop in the car and drive to Disneyland for 24 hours.  It's one of those "only when we have an annual pass" kind of trips...and it was a BLAST!

First, clearly I'm a Disney planner!  My parents taught me at a young age to plan each and every Disney moment to get the most out of each trip.  I generally follow that rule; dining reservations, packing lists, hotels, schedules...I do it all!  This time, though, we literally booked the hotel as we were on our way, picked up a sandwich for the road, and didn't even take a bathroom break.  It was very out of character for me!

We were a little worried about it being Easter and Spring Break, but we were pleasantly surprised at the low level of crowds on Saturday night.  It helped that all passes except Premium were blacked out and we stayed until park closing at midnight (we arrived at 5pm).  It also helped to have some Starbucks after dinner to perk us up for the late night.  In all honesty I haven't been to the park when it was this empty in a long time...maybe ever!  We walked right on Haunted Mansion with zero wait, even to get in the buggy.

Easter was a little busier, but we were still able to get on tons of rides.  If we had gotten up a bit earlier it would have been even better.  Carthay Circle was almost empty, but we still made reservations just to be sure.  I had to drive home alone, but even the drive was fairly short with almost no traffic.

Happy Easter from Disneyland!

This was seriously one of the most fun times I've had in Disney!  I think it was the spontaneity that made it just a little more fun!  If you're a passholder that isn't quite local, drop everything, get in your car, and go for a day.  The planner in me didn't even realized what was going on before I was back home and back to work.  Have you ever done a trip like this?  Tell me about it!