Among the Young

Foodie - loves desserts, dancing, and all things sparkly.

  • Printables
  • Recipes
    • Dessert
    • Food
  • Fashion
    • Cricut Vinyl Tee Shirt Ideas
    • DIY
    • Styled by 5
    • Non-Maternity
  • Still Born
  • LipSense®
  • Contact

Tinkerbell Half Marathon 2014

February 27, 2014 by Kaylynn Zoe 13 Comments

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

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….

Half-1

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.

Half-2
These initials seriously MADE my run. I knew I was capable of running 13 miles – I’d done it in training, but these cute initials made it REAL. Each mile I could think of at least one story, quote, or moment that touched me in some way. Like the time I insisted one student eat broccoli and she spit it at me. Or the time I was asked to Homecoming by a boy with special needs. Or, my personal favorite, the time I caught a little girl eating boogers and she told me they were “GOOD.” I was seriously laughing my way through this race – it was awesome. To say that I loved it would be an understatement, because it was incredible.

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.

Half-3
Half-11
Half-12
Handsome was waiting for me at the finish line, but somehow he missed the blur of green. HA! I ended up buying this picture of me “leaping” across the finish line – it pretty much sums up my experience in one picture. And that medal? DANG. So cool.

Half-4
Best cheerleader? T. And a picture with a Special Olympian? PRICELESS.

Tink1
Moral of the story: I DID IT. I completed the Tinkerbell Half Marathon, and I’m no runner guys. If I can do it, so can you. Plus, feast your eyes on the bling!

Tink2
So….when’s your next race, Kaylynn? Stay tuned babes. It’s gonna be awesome.

Are you looking to go to Disney soon? Check out Get Away Today’s deals and use code YOUNG10 – it is good for $10 off any Southern California vacation package of 2 or more nights and tickets!

Filed Under: Exercise Tagged With: Disneyland, half marathon, TInkerbell

Comments

  1. Tia says

    February 27, 2014 at 7:25 AM

    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!

    Reply
    • Kaylynn Zoe says

      February 27, 2014 at 9:28 AM

      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!

      Reply
  2. Kaysi @ Keeping it Simple says

    February 27, 2014 at 7:37 AM

    What a fun half marathon to do!! Congrats on doing it!!

    Reply
    • Kaylynn Zoe says

      February 27, 2014 at 9:28 AM

      Thanks girl! I’m trying to decide what race to do next…. 😉

      Reply
  3. Anita Boeira says

    February 27, 2014 at 8:31 AM

    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!! 😛

    Reply
    • Kaylynn Zoe says

      February 27, 2014 at 9:25 AM

      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!

      Reply
      • Anita Boeira says

        February 27, 2014 at 9:31 AM

        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. 😛

        Reply
  4. Taralyn says

    February 27, 2014 at 8:51 AM

    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!

    Reply
    • Kaylynn Zoe says

      February 27, 2014 at 9:20 AM

      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.

      Reply
  5. Melissa says

    February 27, 2014 at 12:48 PM

    Wow how fun! and I loved the idea of running each mile for someone, that had to have made such a difference.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Frozen Party - Among the Young says:
    March 18, 2014 at 1:02 AM

    […] was pretty magical. Our Frozen party was a success and after my first half marathon, and ALT, this birthday party almost sent me to my grave. But I’m glad I did it and T loved […]

    Reply
  2. Tips to run a Marathon - Among the Young says:
    July 1, 2014 at 1:06 AM

    […] RAGNAR. First I did the Wasatch Back. Then it was Vegas. Then it was a 10 mile run, followed by a half marathon, and then another half marathon. By this point, people were calling me a “runner.” HUH? […]

    Reply
  3. Copycat Recipes: Disneyland Clam Chowder Recipe | Among the Young says:
    January 21, 2020 at 10:01 AM

    […] I’ve written about my love for Disneyland, but did you know I ran TWO half marathons (One is Disneyland and one in Disney World and a 10K? If you’ve never done a Disney race, I’d HIGHLY recommend it. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




About me:

About me:

Kaylynn is an avid treat-eater who is believes the world would be a kinder place if we all ate more desserts.

Let’s be friends!

Pinterest Twitter icon Instagram Facebook Email TikTok Youtube

Never miss a new post!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Salted Caramel Shortbread bars

Salted Caramel Shortbread bars

Oreo Cheesecake Cake

Oreo Cheesecake Cake

Raspberry lime cookies

The most amazing raspberry lime sugar cookies featured by top Utah Foodie blog Among the Young: image of cookies in a diagonal line

Lemon Bars

The Best Lemon Bars Recipe in the World, featured by top US food blog, Among the Young: image of lemon bars on a plate

Peanut Butter Pie

The Best easy Peanut Butter Pie recipe by top Utah Foodie blog, Among the Young: image of peanut butter pie slice with Oreo cookie on top

Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake

Oreo
AmongTheYoung copyright 2013. all rights reserved. You may not take any images or content from this site without written permission. Some items, such as food or clothing items, have been sent to me for free - all opinions are 100% my own.

Copyright © 2025 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in