2014 Tinker Bell Half Marathon- Review and Tips!

Tinker Bell Half Marathon- January 2014

It has taken me quite a bit of time to get my thoughts and feelings around my experience from this year's Tinker Bell Half Marathon.  It was such a wonderful and magical experience and I am so proud that I accomplished this goal.

There is so much that led up to the point of waking up at 3:30 AM on January 19th. So much preparation, thought, and money went in to this goal. It is hard to put into words how long it took for this day to come, and then how quickly it passed!!

January 18- Day before the Race, and Kids' Race Day

The kids' race day went off without a hitch! It was so wonderful to experience the joy that my kids felt as they got dressed, waited patiently, and then darted toward the finish line.  Meanwhile, my nerves were anxious to get to the next morning, yet savor their moment.  I posted on how that morning went, if you want to go back and recap.
When we were done with the kids' race, we meandered around Downtown Disney for a bit, and then made our way back to my grandmother's house.  She had made us sandwiches for lunch so we all ate up, then took the kids to the pool to wear them out. The pool was too chilly, so we mostly laid in the warm California sun while the kids dipped back and forth between the frigid pool and hot hot tub.  It was nice to be able to take a moment to breathe and relax.  Previous to arriving at my Gma's house, my cousin and I had asked her to prepare a light, pre-race dinner- our only request was nothing fancy or "new" and something pasta-ish and a salad. Otherwise, she would have made a spread for an army and expected us to have 3rd and 4th helpings along with dessert. :) Gotta love grandmas!! Before the pool, she ran the dinner plans by me for my OK: Pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, along with a salad. She would have chicken and stuffed mushrooms for those of us not running who might want something more than pasta and salad. She had heard that bow tie pasta was lighter fare, so she had selected that. I was so touched that she had put such thought into what to make.  She really made our whole weekend such a pleasant experience, as she always does!
My cousin, Larisa, finally got to Gma's right in time for dinner.  Since we were in So Cal, the night was warm and we ate outside and visited, my grandma, grandpa, cousin, in-laws and my cute little family. Really- good company, great food, can life get better?

We all ate well, and probably ate too much, by about 7 pm, my in-laws were taking my kids to their hotel room, and we three racers were putting final preparations in and laying things out for an early night, and an even earlier morning.  Dustin and I were in bed and asleep by 9:30 pm.

Tips for Pre-Race Week and night:

1. Stop running 3 or 4 days before your race. This will give your body enough time to recoup from your last run, and be in good shape for your race.
2. Get lots of sleep! The night before your race, you may not get tons of sleep, so try to sleep up when you can.
3. Hydrate well the week before your race.  You should be drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day the week before your race.
4. Don't eat anything new before your race. If you introduce anything new to your system, it can be a nightmare for your race.
5. Get to bed EARLY!! You have an early start to your day, so make every effort and preparation you can to get in bed early.  If your nerves are too hyped up to sleep, at least make sure you are relaxing in your favorite way: reading, visiting, watching TV, etc.
6. 3:30 AM comes around early. Make sure you have everything laid out, and anything you can do tonight is done. Makes it less for you to do at 3:30 AM.

January 19- Day of the Race! 

Ready to Fly! 

My alarm went off at 3:30 AM, so I gently woke D up and we started getting dressed.  I quickly realized that 3:30 wasn't early enough, so we had to get into crunch mode and hurry getting ready. I did my make-up and hair, and then helped D with his Rufio hair.  We got our shoes on and were out the door by about 4:20... 20 minutes later than I had hoped and planned on.  I had read in the local paper that the streets around Disney Land would be blocked off at 5 AM, so I thought we would be just fine. But alas, the police were EARLY!! ugh... So to my demise, we followed the detours and went the loooooong way around.  I was so angry with myself. We parked at Mickey and Friends and got out of the car. I had Larisa tie my wings on my tank top, and D needed me to spray his mohawk Red.  And we quickly walked and ran to where we needed to be. We were still a bit aways from our corral when we saw the fireworks go off. :( I was bummed. So we started to run again.  The good news is, plenty of people were with us, and we were slated for Corral E, so we still had plenty of time to get into place. As we ran we pinned our bibs to our shirts and we finally made it to our entry space: Corral E.

I must say, there was no one... I repeat, NO ONE checking our bibs. As soon as we went to get into the corral, the gal directing people did not take one look. So I really could have snuck into a higher corral, and no one would have been the wiser. Perhaps they thought no one would sneak into corral E, but still....

At this point, I realized that we had plenty of time. Although I would have liked to have gotten in place earlier, we still had plenty of time of standing around. I would say that we got into our corral at a little after 5 AM, and we didn't get across the starting line until about 5:35. It was fun. There was lot of energy. We took lots of pictures, and offered to do so for others around us.  They had DJs playing loud music and there were club lights all over. It was a lot of fun to be around the energy.  The time came for our group to finally start and they counted down and we felt the pulse of the crowd pull us forward.  

Starting line alllllll the way up there

Our area was so crowded, it really was hard and quite pointless to try and run, but I really wanted a running start, so we jogged onward with the crowd around us. There was a lot of weaving in and around people, but I like that.  





The start of the half marathon was on Disney Land Drive- the road that separates the two parks. We went out and around the Disney Land park on the streets. I liked this because it was the only little bit of uphill and downhill that there was. 

Running on the road over the highway

We ran over the highway, and we wanted to get some running in, so we got up on the divider and whizzed past a bunch of people.  

Next, we entered the resort. They weaved us into the back-lots of California Adventure and then out through a service door into the actual Park.  
We ran past the big mural that looks kind of 3D, past the Mad Hatter dance area, and onto Hollywood Blvd where the Muppet and Disney Jr theaters are. 





We ran around the main fountain on Buena Vista and then on towards Cars Land. 

This was one of my favorite parts of the run! It was still very early- probably only at 2.5 miles. So the whole area was lit up, the rides were dancing, and they had some of the "car-acters" out.  My kids love watching Cars, and Mater's Tall Tales and this area just comes to life for me!! So we ran down main street, around the back edge where the Radiator Springs Racers are and under the big rock formation at the back end of the park.  I love to see all the effort that went into every little detail of the area. Love it! 

Next we went onto Paradise Pier. Another favorite of mine and D's. It really makes you feel like you are right at the water and not in the middle of a built town. We ran at the back of Paradise Pier, so along Screamin' California, past Triton's Carousel, and all the other fun state-park-type rides there.  









We rounded the corner to get a better look at the "lake" and

this is when I noticed that World of Color was going off!! Every fountain and every color imaginable was shooting off all at the same time. So it wasn't the actual show- but it was just as well for me! I love the World of Color show, it's better than fireworks for me! So I HAD to stop. 

I love the picture above. Of course its blurry, but it shows the energy and color of the race! 

I guess here is as good a time to mention that up to this point we had not, nor did we, make any character photo stops.  I was a little let down at how few characters were actually out. I was led to believe that nearly all of the characters are let loose during the races, and I thought I would have too many too choose from. Before the race, I had a mental list of who I HAD to have if lines were long. Well, because there were so few, all of the lines were long, and NONE of my must-have photo ops were out. I was a little bummed. BUT I did get a photo with World of Color behind me. Good Enough, right?! 

We ran the rest of California Adventure, and out the front gates, through the atrium and into Disney Land! They weaved us to the right of the main square and onto Main Street from there. Again this is another part of Disney that I Love!!  Main Street holds many memories for me as a kid, but also as a mom now. Right as we entered, there was Hook. Peter Pan, Smee, and Tink- Up on a parade prop! She was on my must-have-photo list, but not with her up on a prop. Booo.... so we skipped that photo stop too. Whoever thought of that...??? This is Her race.. why put her up where no one can take a photo with her.

You really have to be careful on this part of the run because the trolley tracks run right down the center of the street. D said he rolled his foot here, and luckily he didn't get injured! Cali Adventure had them too, but it felt like there was more street to be able to avoid it. 
Main Street was nice. We were right at the start of 3 miles, so just enough to get your muscles warm and you're starting to feel good about the run! There were a lot of spectators too. They allow spectators to enter this area of the park to cheer on loved ones and strangers.  My MarathonFotos are the best from this- There are a few different shots of me running on Main Street, and in each one I was grinning ear to ear.  I did not buy any of my photos- they're pricey! So I won't be posting any. 

We also had a great view of the castle which was all lit up with lights and snow.  
We entered the castle from the front, and decided not to take the opportunity to take the obligatory castle shot.  It was not as bad of a bottle neck as I had been prepared for, there was a nice flow through the castle.  At my first 5k split, I rounded in at 41:52, which was an average of 13:29/mile. Which isn't bad for me.  I signed up for Facebook notifications, but I forgot to have it send ME my notices, so I had my friend Jess keep me up to speed. 

After the castle, immediately there is the King Arthur Carousel and the Lost Boys were hopping all over it. I really liked the one dressed as the skunk!
Then we ran past the Mad Hater's Tea Party- which was running and playing all its fun music, and then down and around the Matterhorn and up to It's A Small World. Again, this was all lit up festively! So we stopped and got another photo together. 

Now we got to see more of the back-lots and at some point the sun rose. I can't quite remember where they snuck us in, and where they spit us back out, but I really loved being able to see these areas. Where they keep the props, and costumes; there are even full blown restaurants back there! Also real restrooms too! So keep your eyes open if you are allergic to using port-a-johns! At some point we ran through the French Quarters and New Orleans Square and out to Downtown Disney!

Downtown Disney was another area that had plenty of spectator support! Lots of people with signs and fog horns and clappers.  Here was the second time I saw a woman with a "Whine now! Wine later!" sign. Loved it!! 





When we rounded on to a side street right in front of the DisneyLand Hotel and their big Sorcerer Mickey Hat, we were on-slotted with a mob of Red Hat Ladies members!! 
Bright, royal purple outfits, and gorgeous Red Hats!! There had to of been a hundred of them clapping and shouting praises at us!!  It really gave me quite the boost of confidence and support I needed. This was at about the 5.5 mile marker, I think.  

At this point, the rest of the race was waged on the streets of Anaheim.  Cute little signs were all through the neighborhoods that said "Quiet.... Neighbors sleeping" So this was a nice reprieve from the loudness of the crowd and parks.  Plus some of the energy was dying down as the crowd thinned. I passed my 10k marker and I had maintained my 13:30/mile pace, and had done half of my race in 1:23:58.
It was around this point, as the energy, noise, and crowd died a bit, that I noticed my hip screaming at me. I had slowed to a walk, and it was really difficult for me to talk my body into running again. blah. So I downed a Clif Shot and D gave me four ibuprofen in hopes that it would help. I probably should have started the race with ibuprofen in me, but I didn't.  My cousin decided that she needed to gallop ahead of us, and I didn't mind nor blame her. D was kind enough to keep me company, and I'm glad he did.  Any type of crowd that passed us or that we passed would chant at him: "Rufio! Rufio! Ru-Fi-OOOOO." He got that A LOT during the race! It was awesome! And it made me smile.  

If I remember right, it was around my 10k, at 7 AM that my bestie, Jess, texted me just what I needed to hear: "Woo hoo! 10k done already! You got this! You Rock!" She's the best! 

So up and around and back, we made our way through the streets. At around 8 miles was the Clif Shot break, so we stocked back up on those. This was right around Downtown Anaheim and there were plenty of marching bands and cheerleading squads to egg us on. We tried to make the best and we would run down with our hand outstretched and we got gobs of high-fives from everyone. 

There were strangers handing out bananas, someone running for office handing out ice cubes, there was a little old man holding on to his wife and he was holding a sign that said "hit for more speed" with his hand out, some people even had their chairs out and they were drinking and making toasts for us. This being my first race, I was really pleased by all the spectator support. It really warms ya up to see so many strangers cheering you on and giving you that extra kick in the rear to keep going.
One thing that I hadn't experienced, so therefore didn't plan on, was chaffing. UGH! I had ran several long runs in my tank that I wore, and never had experienced the chaffing. Right after the Clif Shot stop, there was a medi-stop that had the bio-freeze rub and Vaseline. A young guy gave me a popsicle stick with a big blob of Vaseline on it and I rubbed it on my upper arms where it had been rubbing wrong the past 8 miles.  At first I was kind of peeved because it was really tacky and distracting, but once it absorbed a bit,  I didn't notice the chaff or the tackiness at all. Note to self- prepare for chaffing even if you don't think you should! 
I really must say that it was also around this point that I noticed the time and the mileage.  It was going by so fast. It didn't feel like we had run so far, or for so long. I think this also contributed to my slowing up. I let it all go by so fast that I really wanted to try and take more in.  I took more pictures of D next to the mile markers. We chatted with people around us, and played with the bands that we passed.  I texted Jess again asking what my timing was, and she told me I had slowed a bit, and I was at around a 14 minute mile.  I really didn't want to go under a 14:00/mile, so I tried to pick it up a bit as much as my hip would let me.  I didn't think I'd need to before, but here is where I used my mantra: Pain is weakness leaving the body; and One foot in front of the other. I started to notice that we had settled in with those around us and we'd be finishing with them too.  


We got closer and closer to the parks. We could hear DJs again, and the spectator signs told us how much more we had to go. I could feel my energy kicking up again, so we really tried to finish strong. It was in the final backlot area of the parks when I looked down and noticed that somewhere along the way I lost one of my shoe-poms. I decided to really dramatize it up and it was so funny! I did a little freak out and shouted loud enough for plenty around me to hear: "I LOST A POM POM!!! I CAN'T FINISH WITHOUT MY OTHER POM POM!!!" And it was so fun to hear others let out relieved laughter and have a moment with this dramatic little fairy. Really, we were hardly even a mile out of the finish line. Some around me jokingly gave kind words of sadness and remorse to me and encouraged me to press on- its what my pom pom would have wanted. 

Crossing the finish line!

That last mile was tough for me to coax my legs into running it, but we ran the rest of the way and gladly crossed the finish line. I was so giddy that I was dancing it up.  

We were promptly crowned with our medal, then mylar blankets, then water and Powerade, we had MarathonFoto takers in our faces, we took plenty of selfies, and then we went and got a finishers photo done.  We grabbed our snack packs and met up with my cousin. 

I finished my first half marathon at 3:03:37. My goal was right around 3 hours, and I was happy that I got there! I averaged out at 14:01 minutes a mile, so apparently I slowed more than I should have in the last half. But I was so proud of myself, and my hunny, for finishing! It was a relief and it was a success. I rode on a high for the rest of the day! 

Tips for your runDisney Half Marathon- from a first timers perspective! 

1. Take it in!! Enjoy everything around you and don't sweat the small stuff!! 
2. Plan for plenty of prep time in the morning!! Get up early, and get there early!! 
3. This race is not a PR race!! It was nearly impossible to got the pace that we wanted to. Roads narrowed, crowds thickened, it just didn't make sense to try to run when it was nearly impossible. Don't try to PR- if you can, great. If not, have a great time! 
4. Stop for photos! Whether it is with scenery or characters, take photos of this fun and awesome race. Half of my photos were blurry and no good to post, but I still love them! It brings back the memories of where we were. 
5. Prepare! Like my note to self- I hadn't planned on my tank chaffing the crap out of my arms, but it happened. Thank goodness for the medi-stops.  If you usually don't chaff, still have a little something in your running belt just in case. Especially if your race isn't runDisney and doesn't have medi-stops. 
6. Take and enjoy everything Disney offers you on this race. At each water/Powerade stop, I took both. I would swish one and drink the other. At the Clif Shot stop, I took one to eat, and 5 to take. haha. No really, I did. At the finish line, I took a bottle of water, a bottle of Powerade, the Mylar blanket (even though I wasn't cold) and a box of food even though I had my favorites in the car. I even took two bananas. I saw some people walking away with two or three food boxes. 
7. Our families didn't come to the race, but it was a little crazy there at the end. I would recommend planning to meet away from the finish area. There are tents with letters on them to make meeting easier. But it was still a bit chaotic. The finish line is usually near DisneyLand Hotel, so meet at a landmark there.  

8. WALK! I know it will be tempting to have the tram take you back to the parking structure (if you drove) or the bus back to your hotel. But if you are within a mile or so of the parks- walk it!! You should not just sit and be done. Research says that you should walk for about 20-30 minutes after you've run a long distance run. The next day, plan on walking or doing a short jog to warm up your muscles. Trust me- it'll be painful at first, but once you've warmed up, your body will thank you for using your muscles! 

Here is a look at the 2014 Tinker Bell Half course: 

Later that day... 
When we got home, my daughter was ready for a nap. It was all I could do to not lay down with her. So I putzed around on my phone, filtered through my hundreds of pictures, texted and called friends, while my husband got cleaned up and went to chop off his mohawk. After the initial sleepiness, I got a really strong second wind. I cleaned up, ate some lunch and played around with my cute kids.  I really was feeling the mental affects of doing that much running. I was in such a great mood.
That night, my grandma made us a killer dinner! Steaks, green beans, salad, bread. It tasted so good! After dinner, we all got our suits on and soaked in the hot tub! I believe that we were in bed and fast asleep by around 10:00. Our plans had us at the parks the next day too.  At first I was extremely sore, but after about an hour of walking, I was loose and sore no more! 

Now we are looking ahead to our next run. I would love for that to be a Disney race, but it won't be this year. We are looking at local races in Salt Lake City, and also in the city where my in-laws are.  We need to keep up our momentum and keep at it. I don't want to be someone who says "Yeah, I used to run." or "I ran a half marathon once"... I want to be someone that says "I am a runner" and "I run half marathons". Who knows... maybe a full is in my future!!