Remember that one time I signed up to do the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland?
I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I was at work (students had left – don’t worry, I wasn’t slacking!) and I should have been collaborating with my fellow Kindergarten teachers, but I was so preoccupied with the thought of doing the Tinkerbell half marathon. I literally couldn’t think of anything else. After doing the Tower of Terror 10 Miler, I was hooked on the races and I wanted NEEDED to do more.
But the race was sold out. OBVIOUSLY. Disney races sell out within minutes – it’s unreal. It’s like we ENJOY torturing ourselves. (Notice I said WE – not they…). The only way I could get into the race was to run for a charity and raise money for it. The stars aligned and I signed up to race for the Special Olympics of Southern California. How PERFECT is that? I’m passionate about this cause and I did manage to raise the required amount – I have some amazing and talented friends. You know who you are. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
So, after just going to Disney World a few months prior, we planned another adventure to Disney Land. We knew T would love it.
We planned on Disneyland the two days prior, then I’d race Sunday, we’d check out of our hotel and go to SeaWorld. Holy plan, right? No rest for you!
I know this plate of food looks DISGUSTING, but it seriously HIT. THE. SPOT. for my carb over-load the night before. And who wakes up at 3:30AM? Apparently a lot of people….
I was getting in the zone and literally had a little mini-freak-out about my water bottle…hallelujah for Bottle Bands this little thingy saved my butt. And what’s with all the initials? Oh man…a few of my friends gave me this idea. Each mile was dedicated to a certain someone – in my case, special education students I’d known, taught, or been associated with. Not all were up to the Special Olympics age yet, but they’d more than likely participate later in life.
Seriously though, how many people can say they’ve run THROUGH Disneyland? Please excuse the poor iPhone pictures – it’s hard to stop and take a decent picture! I’m sure the pictures I took were just as blurry! Oh well! And do you see my radical Special Olympics jersey? Worn with pride my friends. Worn with pride.
And how about my Agnes and Dora leggings? I’ll leave out all the gory details. Let’s just say I had a special RED moment and it was a good thing these leggings are so awesome. We’ll leave it at that.
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What an amazing post! I LOVE the idea of dedicating a mile to someone and keeping it on your arm like that! So cool! And, I’ve got to admit – that medal would make me at least try to run 13 miles – so cute!
Thanks Tia ! When you’re running that far, you’ve just gotta be in your own zone, and these names totally helped me! And that medal has made me do some crazy things, and I’m not alone. Once you get one, it’s hard to stop!
What a fun half marathon to do!! Congrats on doing it!!
Thanks girl! I’m trying to decide what race to do next…. 😉
You said you are not a runner and did it, so I have a million questions. How did you do it, what was your strategy? Did you run through the 13 miles or walked some too? How long did you train for it? What was your time? I’m hoping to do some tinkerbell run next year, probably the 10k. I’m training already and have a hard time doing a 5k as it is. I’ve done it a couple of times, but it hurts!! 😛
Oh yay! I love millions of questions!
1. How did I do it – what was my strategy : I started small, like you with 5ks. After I was comfortable with that, I did a triathlon, then a 10 miler, then a half marathon. It was a slow progressive thing, but you need to listen to your body!
2. Did I run the whole 13 miles? YES. I ran the 13 miles, but there are Disney training programs that recommend a “Magic Mile” or a Run walk Run pattern. I saw a LOT of people doing this race that I would never have expected to see running.
3. How long did I train for it? I followed a Jeff Galloway training program – it was totally do-able. 30 minutes Tues/Thurs with longer run (starting at 3 or 4 miles) on Saturdays. Again, I thought it was manageable.
Girl. You could TOTALLY do it. Just listen to your body. Get a good pair of shoes (go to a running store and have them fitted to you – it makes a huge difference!). Increase your mileage slowly. Eat whatever you want. 😀 It helps you stay sane! Hope this helps – feel free to ask any other questions!
I guess a million was exaggerated 😛 Apparently I only had 3 questions.
I’m already on my second pair of running shoes, lol 😛 Talk about starting slow! I got them fitted and stuff at the Salt Lake Running Company, I love that store. I started running a year and a half ago, but had to stop halfway through (when I was almooooost to the 5k stage) because of a fractured rib (unrelated to running). So this January I was finally back where I had left off.
I’m doing sort of the Jeff Galloway program too, mixed in with the Couch-to-5k. I got my first 3 mile saturday run this weekend, so next saturday I’ll try 4 miles. Still, I feel like I’m going sooooo slow. That’s okay, I got a year to train for it. I I only ever started running because I wanted to do a Disney run. They look so fun and amazing. Watch out for me next year, at least for the 10k. 😛
How fun! Love all these Disney races you are doing. I’m just a 5K girl right now, but if I ever do something longer – Disney will be the place to do it! Looks like a blast!
Oh GIRL. Disney is the ONLY way to do it. Look at that bling – it’s so worth it! I used to be a 5k girl, then I did a triathlon, a 10 miler, then a half. It just happened. You could do it.
Wow how fun! and I loved the idea of running each mile for someone, that had to have made such a difference.