Tinkerbell Weekend Part 3 (the Half and saying goodbye to Disneyland)

Sunday morning was the half. I convinced my mom and Holly that there was really no reason for them to get up super early and come to the start. After seeing how fun it was and how many people were around they agreed there was no reason. I met my local running buddy at the corner and we went to the start line. Due to crazy work schedules we have not had as much chance to run together as usual so I was totally looking forward to being able to do this race together. Local ones are fun but there is something special about Disney with a friend.

We had the usual fun at the staging area and had our group picture. Then we headed to the start. I love how Disney starts races. Each corral was a different fairy and it was just so fun. Since we were in B, it seemed to be so quick and we were ready to start. It chilly at the start so I was glad I had a jacket

The Tinkerbell course was really fun. The entire first part is in the parks and there are just so many fun things to see and experience. It was not too crowded and we even had fun running behind some guys who were wearing SparkleSkirts they had bought the day before!! We had talked before we started and Jennifer and I had decided we were going to stop and take a ton of pictures. We did have some we skipped but not many. Because of how the course is set up, the character stops are at the beginning of the course so seeing our 5K/10K splits, we were SO SLOW but it was SO MUCH FUN!!! As we ran through Downtown Disney we got to see my mom and Holly waiting for us! I was also able to hand off my jacket so it survived 2 races without getting tossed!!

We had really been looking forward to some of the pictures. As you can see, the Monsters Inc group was the #1 stop we knew we had to get. There are also some at Disneyland that are just so special. The picture in front of the World of Color area is just so pretty. That area is all lit up and the music is playing. I think out of all the places at Disney (both World and Land) this one is one of my favorites. In some ways, it is even better than Cinderella's castle since it is not as busy!!!





I will admit once we got out into the streets of Anaheim it was a little harder than with the Disneyland Half. We ran through some neighborhoods and they had the cutest signs up reminding up to be quiet that people were sleeping. It was just a cute Disney thing.

We also went through what I think is more their downtown. It was a nice course. The Disneyland one takes you a different way so you go through Angels Stadium which is special but this was more peaceful.  Now, I made a rookie mistake, for the 10K I had worn a new pair of shoes. Not only a new pair but a new style. I love them but they were not something I was used to. I had switched to my old ones for this race. I think that was a mistake because by mile 9 or so my foot felt bruised. It was OK but annoying.

Now I had a brilliant idea that I was going to do a leap before the end of the race. I did one about mile 5 and then another at 12.5. Not as spectacular as some but it was fun and I am surprised I could even go it.

Once we got back to Disney it was a quick bit to the finish. The end was awesome. First we saw my mom and Holly and then not far away, we saw Scott.

I have to admit, I LOVED getting the space blankets at the end of the race. It was so nice and super helpful

After the half marathon we had met up with my mom and Holly and Jennifer's fiancée before heading back to the hotel. We had brunch reservations and we had to make sure we packed a lot into the few hours we had left. 

We had brunch at the Plaza Inn. Overall, it was another very disappointing Disney meal. I had fun with the people and they had a LOT of characters but it was just OK, nothing special and probably one of the worst Disney buffets I have experienced. Oh well. The characters were great!!!

We made sure to stop and get some castle pictures though I will admit the castle down not have the same backdrop as it does at Disneyworld.

 It was fun to get to show off my medal here and Merida made a fuss over seeing it!

At this point I think the 2 early days, a cross country flight and 19.3 miles had caught up with me. I left my mom and Holly and I headed back to the hotel for a short nap. I was really exhausted and just tell asleep for 30 minutes. It was exactly what I needed before heading back to meet them.

Our last stop before leaving was to watch the Mickey show and pose in the teacups.






It was so hard to believe this was such a fast trip. I mean we were on the ground in California for 52 hours. I think that hardest thing about getting on the plane was knowing that when we landed I was heading right into work. Oh well, made for an amazing girls weekend with some of the most important people in my life.

I really am so lucky to have such great friends and such a wonderful mom!

TinkerBell Weekend Recap--Part 2 (the 10K and Saturday at the parks)

Saturday morning (January 18, 2014) meant the usual early Disney start. I have to say, West Coast races are not as bad though because even though it was early, it was not that early to us! Holly decide to get up and go with us and be the official photographer for the day. We met up with 3 ladies I knew from my online running group and we made the walk over to the staging area. Unlike for the Disneyland Half in August, this race stages in the Paradise Pier parking lot and the corrals lined up in front of Paradise Pier.

We went over to the area and took pictures and hung out. It was not long at all before we went to the corrals for the start. We said goodbye to Holly with plans to see her on the course. Again, we were super lucky to have a bunch of people I knew in our corral so the time passed fast. Before I knew it we were off and running.



I have to say, I LOVE the 10K course at Disneyland. It is almost all through the parks and Downtown Disney.

There were so many character stops and fun things to see. From the floats and the farm animals to SO many cast members out and cheering for us.

It was just so much fun. We took a lot of pictures but we did not stop for every picture stop and that was OK. We got really lucky and Holly was able to see us 3 different times on the course. She really worked her butt off to get to the different view points and I think she might have had a rougher time than we did. I told her she should have just done the 10K with it but she didn't believe me!

At California Adventure

Running through Carsland

I just cannot even begin to list all the amazing shots we got but the best part was to do this with my mom!

Carsland

You can see my flat running friend in this picture

Outside "It's a Small World"

Our Castle picture!

We got runDisney space blankets

This really was an amazing day and race and it was not even breakfast time yet. I knew if the morning had been this good it was only going to get better once we got out to the Expo and the parks.

We went back and got ready to hit the parks but first we had to eat breakfast and get to the expo. I was so excited for my outfit for the day. My friend Judi had made this skirt for me and it was so much fun to wear. I put my Black Silk SparkleSkirt under it and it was perfect for park hopping.

At the expo we had to get Holly's park ticket, both the cheer squad packages and I wanted a picture with Jeff Galloway. When I met him in August my camera battery was dead so this was a must do. I admire him so much because he convinced me I can do what I set my mind to and I don't think without him and his training plans I would have had the courage to try to accomplish all I have!

After this we decide to hit the parks. We went to California Adventure so we could get the free VISA picture and just have fun. The park seemed busier than when we were there in August which really surprised me. I thought Labor Day weekend would be far worse than MLK day weekend. It was still a lot of fun.

We did take a nap during the day before going to dinner at Carthay Circle and to see World of Color. I will say, the pork chop really was the best thing ever though I do not think I would recommend going there for the World of Color package, it was good but not that good.

Before I knew it, it was time for bed before the next day was time for the HALF!!

Running at Disneyland--a Guest Blog

Since I am preparing for my first trip to Disneyland in almost 20 years for my next runDisney event, I am doing what I usually do; I am reading everything I can and trying to make sure I know EXACTLY what is going to happen when I get there. This is slightly complicated because while the Disneyland Half Marathon is not new, the 10K on Saturday and the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge (10K on Saturday and 1/2 Marathon on Sunday) are brand new events to the runDisney line up.

So I turned to a friend and fellow runner to fill me in. Here is what Rosie has to share about running at Disneyland.

The Expo: The expo is at DL Hotel in the main ballroom area, it is easy to get to if you are on property you can just walk right over.  If you are staying off property there are you can park at DTD for the expo, there is free parking for 3 hours (up to 5 hours with validation from participating locations).  If you have an AP you can park for free in the Mickey and friends parking structure.  If you are staying on Katella Ave, you are most likely within walking distance, other good neighbor hotels some have a shuttle to the weekend’s events.

The expo itself is split up into 2 different areas the main floor is where all the vendors, to include run Disney merchandise, and the speakers are located.  There is an area outside the main ballroom where you can register for any available Run Disney races (at Tinker Bell they had pre-registration for DL ½).  There is another area where you can print up your bib and waiver information if needed near packet pickup.   

The second area is downstairs in the parking garage 1^st floor.  You must exit out of the building and head towards the ramp that leads downstairs (there are volunteers and signs everywhere to help you).  Once down there the setup is spaciously laid out and you pick up your packet, any pre-purchased park tickets, cheer squad, breakfast and commemorative items.  You do not pick up your t-shirts in this area, although I think Run Disney should reconsider this as the area is amply big enough to accommodate the pickup.

The Tinkerbell picture display

With your bib in your hand and any other stuff you may have picked up, you need to head back upstairs to pick up your bag and t-shirt (see the flaw design, better hope you don’t lose your bib on the way, we kept everything in a folder we brought with us).  Upstairs the ballroom is set up with a wide variety of vendors.  Unlike the recent Princess ½ marathon expo this one is smaller and the vendors are spaced out more.  I would plan at least 2-3 hours if you want to view all the vendors at the expo, longer if you plan to hear one of the speakers.  For Tinker Bell, if you forgot your wings Studio 365 is on hand with some for sale as well as to give you a new hairdo for the event.

Once you are done at the expo, take some time and walk through DTD.  It is set up different and is not a large as DTD WDW but has some wonderful shops and restaurants.  From DL Hotel heading towards DTD there is the AMC movie theater which is followed by the area with mostly restaurants and then a large shopping area.  Some highlights I would check out are:

·       Rainforest Café- this is a 2-story restaurant near the AMC theater

·       Jazz Kitchen- check this place out if you want Beignets

·       Napolini/ Naples Ristorante- a good pre-race meal on property

·       La Brea Bakery Café- at the other end near Disneyland entrance

Now this is completely different and is going to be quite the experience. We will be staying at Paradise Pier so we will be really close to all the events for the weekend. All I know is I hope the expo has more physical space then at Princess Half Marathon

Getting to the race:

• On property- walk over towards the Paradise Pier hotel, bag check is in the parking lot at the end of DL Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel.
• Off property- if you are staying on Katella Ave it is within walking distance, some other hotels are also within walking distance.
• Off property shuttles- from Run Disney:  Shuttles will depart from select Disneyland® Resort Good Neighbor Hotels to the Disneyland® Resort Esplanade Shuttle Drop-Off area every 20 minutes continuously through the weekend.  You will receive a pass from your driver the first time you board the shuttle. Please save this pass for use over the entire Half Marathon Weekend.  Additional information is available in the e-program sent out 2 weeks prior to the race.

Parking on race day- parking is available in the Mickey and Friends parking lot, please see the race program for information on which ramps will be closed and the best entrance into the garage, after a certain time in the morning (normally around 6:30) if you enter the garage they will begin charging a fee.












It seems from looking at the maps from the 2012 Disneyland Half and 2013 Tinkerbell, the start area is in the same place even though the race itself does not follow the same course.

Bag Check is located in the parking lot near the end of the DL Hotel and Paradise Pier.  It is set up the same as WDW races by the first letter of your last name.  You will receive a sticker with your information (letter and bib #) that you put on the large clear plastic bag.  There is also a significant amount of porta potties along the side of Paradise Pier behind the stage.  There are a few more close to the corrals for last minute needs.  Tip: make sure to look all the way down the row at the far end from where baggage check is there are more PoPs and are often less of a line at the far end.

From bag check to the corrals is no more than 200 yards.  It won’t take more than 5 or so mins to get there, depending on your corral.  I was in corral C which is the 1^st entrance to a corral as you walk away from bag check.  Unless you want to be at the super front of your corral there is no need to rush out of the staging area, but they will try to get people to move out of there about ½ an hour before the race begins.  At this time they move the entertainment to the beginning of the race, there are big TVs on the DTD bridge so you can see what’s going on.  There are normally only 5 corrals in the race and you are lined up on the road between DL Hotel and Grand Californian heading away from Katella Ave.  There will be people at the entrance to each corral ensuring you do not get in the wrong one.  There are signs everywhere and plenty of volunteers to assist you in finding the entrance to your corral.

Pre-race entertainment consists of people beginning interviewed and lots of talk about Run Disney.  There might be a video or 2 they show and normally they recap the 5K the day before.  At DL I can only remember the fireworks going off once at the beginning, which makes sense since you are in the middle of a town. 

Again, after the 2 mile walk to the corrals at Disneyworld races, this will be awesome. Add to that with the time change it will be like an 8:30am start and I am going to be one happy camper. 

Look for the next guest post that will cover running at Disneyland.

What I have learned about runDisney Races

I think some people find Disney overwhelming and I know that the runDisney events are not exception to this. In just over a year I have read a lot about the various races and I have experienced the 2013 Princess Half Marathon. This in no way makes me an expert but I am going to try and help people out.

1. Some Disney races sell out REALLY FAST, while others do not. There are some things to note with this. Disneyland only holds 2 race weekends a year (Tinkerbell and the Disneyland Half/Dumbo Double Dare weekend). This means for those going to for a Coast 2 Coast medal there are only 2 chances to make this happen. Also Disneyland races take a smaller number of runners. Because of this it is no surprise how fast things sold out for the Disneyland Weekend events (even the kids races sold out fast). Add to it that BOTH of the Disneyland events are over holiday weekend; Tinkerbell is MLK Day weekend and Disneyland Half weekend Labor Day weekend so people can travel easier.

2. Disney races are EXPENSIVE but there are things that are special for Disney. How many races have character stops along the course and fireworks for each starting corral.

3. Starting Corrals are a source of confusion and anger for many people. Disney requested an estimated finish time. Prior to the 2014 races, you did not have to provided any proof to support your estimate unless you planned to finish in under 2:45. What this led to was a lot of people putting down 2:46 even if they had no plan to finish that fast. It put slower people in the middle of the corrals and led to some backups in places. It looks like Disney has fixed this by now requiring proof for anything under 3:15 (the max is 3:30) so hopefully in the upcoming races it will help the field to be seeded better to make for a better experience for everyone. Now, it might lead to more people being swept but that is number 4. Also, time must be submitted by the deadline since no time estimates will be taken at the expo.

4. Disney does require you to maintain a 16mm pace otherwise they will remove you from the course. The balloon ladies are real and start as the last people and walk at 16mm. If you fall behind them, a bus will come and get you and you will be taken off the course. You do still get a medal as of 2013 even if you do not finish. With the old way of placing some people were able to be placed into earlier starts to give themselves up to 20 minutes extra (or 1-2mm). With this new way, that cushion will be eliminated so I am interested to see if more people will be swept.

5. Disney does often have preregistration for certain runners. This is usually Annual Passholders, Disney VISA credit card holders and Disney Vacation Club (DVC members). As of now, this links were made available to these people BUT they also had a feature to share the link on social media sites when you registered making it open to everyone. Personally we are members of all three groups and I wish Disney would provide this perk just to members by either requiring a code or not allowing it to be shared. I know this upsets some people but I think it is a great perk for those willing to spend the money.

6. Bib transfers and deferrals are also confusing or a course of confusion with Disney. Disney does not allow bib transfers. A runner can defer to the same Disney race next year but cannot transfer names. Now that does not mean that it does not happen it just means that the runner and seller run a risk of being banned from Disney races (though I don't know if anyone ever has been). For an explanation on deferrals and how Disney appears to be changing things, see this post on Margaritas, Miles & the Mouse

I know there are a lot of things but those stick out to me!! Happy racing.

runDisney Announces the new medal for Disneyland weekend and I AM EXCITED

Overall, this has been a down week. It is the end of the school year which means a ton of things going on and that have to get done, I have been struggling with some feelings/insecurities and I have been unsure about how this year will go with all the races I have scheduled. I think I am just in one of those places that everyone gets at times.



Saturday was a highlight day for me. I was able to complete just over 12 miles. My pace stayed below 12mm and while it is not amazing, it was consistent and I think I have to be able to maintain before I can focus on dropping time. I really had a great time though. The kids had breakfast with my mom so I ran from there. Being in the old neighborhood was nice. I also spent a while up at the hill so I could use the 1 mile loop. Everyone there was super friendly and it was so nice to see people out and about. There were several couples out running/walking together, people who looked to be on break from work and there was even a boot camp thing going on. It was GREAT and I plan to spend a lot of time there next weekend when I do my 14 mile one. I plan to do that one on Saturday again since it worked so well.

Now that 14 miles is a whole thing. I need to do something to improve at Niagara Falls. Galloway recommends a 14 miler which I never did. Maybe it will push me over to improving some!!

Today runDisney sent a message to those attending the Disneyland Half weekend to watch for an announcement about an hour later. It turned out that it was the announcement of the medals for the races that weekend. It included the Disneyland Half Medal (which is the same D as last year with a new ribbon), the new 10K medal and the Dumbo Double Dare Medal. They are amazing. There was also the 5K medal but I am not registered for that since it did not look like you could do the 5K and 10K because of timing.

For now, I am going to try and focus on the good and not the things that I am missing or am sad about. Only another month before summer is here with lots of time for the kids, running and refocusing. Until then: DISNEY MEDAL DREAMS!!!

And runDisney does it again!!!

Last month runDisney announce a new challenge. This one takes place during the Marathon Weekend in January. It involves 4 days of running and over 40 miles (actually 48.6 miles to be exact). It is called the Dopey Challenge and involves a 5K on Thursday, 10K on Friday, 1/2 Marathon on Saturday and a Full Marathon on Sunday. It encompasses the Goofy Challenge that has been around for awhile that is the 1/2 and full in the same weekend.

The announcement of the Dumbo Double Dare for Disneyland weekend was new and exciting. It was exactly 1/2 of the Goofy Challenge and it was something most people can image doing whereas Goofy is just Goofy. Some have questioned if the Dopey Challenge is too much. For me while I hope one day to be able to do at least part of this challenge, it is just not possible for me to miss 3 days of school at one time in January, well actually to miss that amount of time ever.

Well today runDisney just announced the Glass Slipper Challenge. This is a 10K on the Saturday of Princess Half Marathon Weekend and the 1/2 Marathon on Sunday. In addition to that, if you are able to complete the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in January and the Princess Half Marathon, you will earn a special Coast to Coast medal that runDisney released today. The old Coast 2 Coast will still be available but you can only get the special one if you do Tink and Princess.

This was the announcement that appeared on the runDisney Twitter feed today. It has created quite a buzz in the Disney running community.

I am so excited to do the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge in August/September and earn my Coast 2 Coast medal for doing Princess. Now this has added one more thing that I want to do. I am afraid that it is not possible to do everything but I do not want to miss out on the chance to do something special that is happening now.

The first good thing is that Tinkerbell weekend is MLK weekend and again in 2014 we have the Monday off so it would be possible to travel to Disneyland to complete the race weekend. I could also do Princess again in the same way I did it this year. It is going to require me to depend on my running friends since it will be impossible for me to get into town early enough to get to the expos to get my race stuff. Missing the expo will be sad but the races are the most important right?

Now there is the cost. These are not local races and it involves travel expenses. I am glad I have about 40 days to decide anything. I am also glad I have such a supportive family.

I am going to be dreaming of this for now though.


For more information here is the official runDisney Blog Post