Legacy Love from runDisney - Tinker Bell Half Marathon Edition

We're 7-ish months away from the 2017 Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon Weekend... which means it's almost time to get signed up. (Or, if you're an annual passholder, your sign ups are already underway.)

Wil and I discussed our plans for 2017 and had decided to not sign up for the Pixie Dust Challenge this year -- we have a lot of races to run and trimming the extra night off our trip seemed like the right idea.

That said, I figured I might have some sort of crisis of desire when sign ups came ... lord knows it has happened before...

And then I got this email from runDisney. At first I assumed it was just a reminder that sign ups for the 2017 race open on Tuesday, September 20 -- but then I noticed the subject line: "Sunny, your special registration awaits!"

Now, I used to work in email marketing, so I figured that it was just a nice bit of personalization, personally reminding me that I can sign up with the rest of hoi polloi on Tuesday.

Then I saw this:

Oh! It *is* a special registration! Golly! Wil got one too, so we decided to go ahead and sign up and just get it done.

Interestingly enough, the only race each of us were allowed to register for was the Half Marathon, which is fine because we had already decided just to run that event. But I must admit to being a little surprised that runDisney didn't allow us to "supersize" our event (after all, we had also run both previous Pixie Dust Challenges!). But this just sealed the deal and guaranteed that we wouldn't change our minds at the last minute.

I love it when a race recognizes and celebrates their legacy runners -- so a big thank you to runDisney for making us feel special!

If you haven't been as lucky as us and haven't been able to run all the Tinker Bell Half Marathons, your chance to register is Tuesday, September 20 at noon Eastern at runDisney.com. There has been one big change since I wrote this tips article last year  (11 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend Registration Tips and Tricks): you now need to show proof of time for a predicted finish under 2:45 -- a huge change. However, you can now submit your proof of time when you register, so you don't have to remember to submit it later. Not that anyone would ever forget to submit their proof of time...

Tinker Bell 10K race report

We're halfway through Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend -- let's get a little caught up. 

Flew down Friday morning, got settled in the hotel, went into Disneyland to ride Pirates of the Carribean, then headed over to the Disneyland Hotel. 

It had been drizzling, so the carpeted ramp was super slippery. And, apparently, black and white. Must be the rain. Disney noir. 

First we picked up our bibs. Amazingly, we had NO LINE. My luck may have rubbed off on Wil. We were celebrated as Legacy runners with a shout out... and a special bib. 

We took our "challenge" photo, then headed over to this congratulations wall: 

The 900-ish runners all have their names up on the board. So simple, yet so charming! Basically, seeing this made me #tinklegacyforlife ...

Me and Wil on the board. 

Then it was time to receive our "legacy gift". The Wine and Dine legacy runners received a spatula... We Tinks got... a mirror compact. 

(I'm actually pleased with it, Wil less so...)

Then to the expo proper...

We picked up our shirts (meh....) and took a quick pass through the Expo... but then went to go look for the official merch. 

I'm not ashamed to admit it -- we waited in line for 10 minutes to shop the merch. But the line moved quickly, and the shopping was actually pleasant because there wasn't a huge crush of people. We found all the medal pins (to go with the rest of the race pins we preordered) and a runDisney ornament, and were surprised by the amount of things still available. (Race jackets! We could have bought race jackets!)

Then back to the hotel to survey the haul.  

 

So. Many. Pins. And, no, we never managed to get past year's pins on the lanyard. 

There was some park time, some "Alertos" burritos, and then an early night. 

We woke up to a weird noise...  Was it the wind? Nope. Rain. Rain rain rain. 

But off we went ... All costumed up, but also wearing our Nanopuffs. 

We walked through a very wet Downtown Disney,

got into our corral: B; and then got ready for the start. Here was our view of the start:

and a view back down the corrals. Look at all the Tinks!

Finally, time for A to start!

Which meant it was time for our pre-race photo!

And... our turn to Go!

Managed not to take any photos during the 10K, other than this attempt at a Castle photo. Teeny tiny castle!

I had a surprisingly hard time. No idea why. Just struggled. But we finished.

And got a nice medal. 

Tomorrow: the half. 

2016 Tinker Bell 10K and Half Marathon Course Maps - a closer look

I always love looking at the race programs when they come out ... sure, they're pretty formulaic, but it's nice to get a sneak peek of the color theme (prediction: peach and lime shirts this year) and, of course, the COURSE MAPS.

First, the 2016 Tinker Bell 10K map:

At first glance, it might look very similar to the 2015 map ... but NO! Thankfully, runDisney kept the opening mile(-ish) intact, running around the outside edge of the park. But then the route through the parks is quite different.

Here's 2015, for reference:

It looks like we'll have much more time "on stage" in both parks! And this year the 10K runners will get to run through the castle -- always a bottleneck .... em, highlight. ;) Of course, a lot of the Disneyland course changes are probably because of the Star Wars Land project (squee!) -- which makes it somehow even more exciting.

Quick side-by-side, with 2015 on the left and 2016 on the right:

Now, what about the half marathon?

Here's the 2016 Tinker Bell Half Marathon course:

and the 2015 course:

Similar changes within the parks -- though the half marathoners will have more time on Main Street in Disneyland than the 10Kers will. Is it just me (or the trick of the scale of the map?), or does it feel like there's less "on stage" time with the half marathon? The route through the quiet streets of Anaheim remains pretty much unchanged, though it looks like the finish line has been moved out of that parking lot behind the Paradise Pier Hotel (and into a different parking lot... by the Disneyland Hotel).

Here's something a little odd, and new:

Mile 5 ... and mile 12 ... are parallel. Which potentially means that some of the slower folks in the later corral, who will start nearly an hour after the first corral, will be in that stretch while the fastest folks from the first corral are running to the finish. I'm going to trust that runDisney is prepared for that and will have cones and such... but I can imagine some congestion here.

Finally, a quick side-by-side of the half marathon map, with 2015 on the left, and 2016 on the right:

I'm finally getting excited about this race... or maybe just for our first trip to Disneyland in a year!

11 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend Registration Tips and Tricks

runDisney races are some of the most popular races around. They are well-organized (who knows more about managing crowds than Disney?), offer the chance to run inside the Disney parks, are very beginner-friendly, and make for a great destination run-cation.

But unlike other races, where training is the challenging part, runDisney events are so popular that they often sell out within hours -- or sooner -- of opening for registration. Add in an inaugural or "anniversary" event -- the 5th, 10th, 15th, and so on running of a race -- and it's even more frenzied. So here are some tips to prepare yourself so you can secure your coveted race bib for the 5th running of the Tinker Bell Half Marathon in 2016.

1. Know when your race is going on sale. Each race has a separate page at runDisney.com. They post the general registration date on there well in advance of the race opening up.

As you can see, you can even sign up for an email reminder and runDisney will send you a nudge. Even better … set yourself a reminder.

2. See if you qualify for early registration. Disneyland Annual Passholders, Walt Disney World Annual Passholders, and Disney Vacation Club members all were eligible to register for the Tinker Bell Half Marathon two weeks prior to the general registration date.

Even this early access doesn't guarantee you a spot; fewer than 10% of entries are available during early registration, and they go quickly. The Pixie Dust Challenge was "on hold" within 35 minutes of early registration opening up, and was later updated to "EARLY REGISTRATION IS SOLD OUT".

3. Block off your calendar. Okay, this might be a stretch for some people. I'm super lucky that I work for a running company, so I can pretty legitimately block myself out as "busy" on my calendar from 8:50 - 9:15 so I can sign up for a race.

This year, at 8:57, a colleague stopped by to ask me a question… and I could turn to him and say, "I can't talk to you right now, I need to register for the Tinker Bell Half Marathon when it goes on sale in 3 minutes and need to focus." He laughed, sure, but he also totally understood!

4. Decide which race you want to run. Yeah, this sounds like a no-brainer. But you have choices to make here. Do you want to run the 5K? The 10K? The half marathon? Or the Pixie Dust Challenge to run both the 10K and the half? You may also want to have a "Plan B" -- in case your first choice is sold out. For example, you really want to run the Pixie Dust Challenge… but that's sold out when you try to register. Are you willing to just run the half marathon instead? Or your first choice is the 5K… but it's sold out. Given how far before race day you are signing up, do you want to commit to running a longer distance instead? (Of course you do!)

5. Set up an account with Active.com. runDisney registrations are handled through Active.com. Save yourself time on registration day by setting up your account ahead of time, which will include your name, address, and other information. Each runner must register separately (more on that later), so be sure to set up accounts for each person and remember the passwords.

6. Gather your information. You'll have your address and other information set up with your Active account, but you'll need additional info, such as:

• shirt size - you will be able to choose a men's or women's shirt. The men's shirts range in size from S - XXL; the women's range in size from XS - XXL. I'd say the shirts are pretty generously sized by running tech shirt standards. FWIW, I wear my husband's men's M comfortably, but I usually order a women's XL -- at least for the long-sleeve shirts -- because I end up layering it over other tops and like it to be baggy.
• emergency contact information - you will need to provide the name and phone number of an emergency contact should anything bad happy to you on race day. Since I no longer remember ANYONE'S phone number (other than the numbers of my childhood friends, which are indelibly inked in my memory), I make a point of writing my mom's phone number down and having it in front of me on registration day so I don't have to be fumbling with the contacts on my phone. 
• your rough finishing time - whether you expect to finish in under 3 hours 15 minutes, in 3 hours 15 minutes, in 3 hours 20 minutes, in 3 hours 25 minutes, or in 3 hours 30 minutes. If you do expect to finish in under 3 hours 15 minutes, you will have to acknowledge that you are willing to come back at a later date to submit your proof of time… and that failing to do so will result in your being placed in the last corral. 

• commemorative items - there are lots of different things you can add to your registration, from pins (now conveniently available in a bundle), to a necklace, to a "performance jacket". It's super easy just to choose the number you'd like and include it … but you can also COME BACK LATER to buy them separately. Don't waste time trying to decide if you should order the "merchandise pack" with the "wide headband, narrow sports band, magnet, and bag tags" -- especially since I have NO IDEA what a "narrow sports band" might be...

7.  Be at your computer ready to go 5-10 minutes before 12pm ET. Being in Seattle, I get myself settled in at 8:50am. Let's be honest… I'm already there nervously checking that I'm ready to go at 8:45. Note that I said be at your computer -- the Active.com site is actually really mobile friendly, but I'd still rather trust my keyboard for fast typing. I open a browser with two tabs -- one for rundisney.com, and the other for active.com. I also sign in to active.com in advance, just because. A lot of people also like to have Facebook open to one of the runDisney groups -- on registration morning, if people are struggling, there are usually folks who can help out with direct links to the event page, etc.

Also have your credit card ready to go -- now isn't the time to be fumbling for your wallet. I'm not ashamed to admit that I actually type the number onto a Word doc so that I can just cut and paste when it's time to pay.

8. Coordinate registrations. If you're running with friends, encourage each of them to be ready to go and do their own registration. It's every runner for herself, frankly. Just like on a plane, put your oxygen mask on / get yourself registered first before assisting others. It's worth having / knowing "plan B" for anyone else you might be registering, too -- does your running buddy only want to run the 10K? Or would she consider running the half marathon instead?

If you, like me, do the registration for your family, you can still be successful. For both Princess and Tinker Bell, actually used two separate browsers -- Chrome for Wil, Firefox for me -- so I could do both at the same time. I signed Wil in to his Active account and everything. I would complete page one for me, submit, then switch to complete page one for Wil, submit, and then back to mine to submit my payment info, etc. There is obviously a lot of room for error here… but it worked out okay for us.

9. Have a strategy. Historically, "challenges" sell out first. Who doesn't want to earn extra bling? So that should be your first priority if you're interested in the Pixie Dust Challenge. Next to go is usually the Never Land 5K. It's the most beginner-friendly distance, easily achievable for anyone. Then the Tinker Bell 10K -- you get a proper medal (not a rubber one -- though those 5K medals are super cute!), and the race is on a Saturday rather than the Friday. For whatever reason, the Tinker Bell Half Marathon was much slower to sell out last year. Possibly because there are now so many half marathons at Disneyland, or possibly because the date shifted to Mother's Day. But this year is an anniversary year, so maybe it'll go faster this year?

Note: I've never followed the kids races -- but it seems like they sell out quickly too.

10. Refresh, but sparingly. Many, many runners will all be trying to access the registration links at the same time. Most runDisney races now use a "queue" system to help keep the Active servers from crashing. Once you are in the queue, don't refresh your browser… and don't walk away from your computer. I've heard cautionary tales of people who stepped away for just a few minutes and ended up missing their spot.

Stay calm. You'll be told when it's your turn. You'll be fine.

11. You can always go back for swag. As I mentioned above, you can add pins, necklaces, and the jacket to your registration… but you can also go back later on to order them separately. Don't wait too long if you're interested in the jacket -- that's the first item to sell out, both in registration and at the expo. BTW, a girlfriend pre-ordered the jacket from last year's Tinker Bell, picked it up at the Expo, didn't like the fit, and was able to return it. That doesn't seem to be official policy -- the site states there are no refunds on commemorative items -- but it's good to know that it might be an option if you aren't "feeling the magic".

Runners take your marks -- registration for the 2016 Tinker Bell Half Marathon opens on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 at noon ET. 

Got other tips? Share 'em in the comments below!

Tinker Bell 10K race report

We ran last year's inaugural Tinker Bell 10K and somehow managed to run a PR. We had been placed in Corral A (ha ha ha), and just had a good run, despite telling ourselves we needed to take it easy because we had to run the half marathon the next day.

The race was nice enough, but we decided we wouldn't need to run it again... until, of course, this year they announced the inaugural Pixie Dust Challenge. (Three inaugural races in four years is a bit... excessive... but we're suckers!) So of course we decided we were *in*.

Spoiler alert: we are not going to run the 10K again next year ... for no other reason than financials. While I want to keep my status as a legacy half marathoner going, the other races are just collateral.

I was awake before my alarm, and we quickly dressed, at a little bread, and were out the door by 4:55. We had the advantage of feeling extra perky because, well, we were dressed like this:

We happily marched through a quiet Downtown Disney -- always one of my favorite parts of a Disneyland race. I love seeing the costumes worn by our fellow runners, and seeing the mixture of excitement, nervousness, confidence, and even terror on everyone's faces.

We made our way to our corral, stopping to see Suz, adorable in her dalmation costume. B wasn't too crowded; we easily found a spot we were happy with and listened to the Star Spangled Banner, the wheeler start, and then corral A. It occurred to me that the wheelers would finish before the last corral had a chance to start. Woot!

We started to move up when A started -- I'm always a little surprised at how far away the start is, even from corral B.

I loved the Tinker Bell 10K course -- this year they clearly heard my plea to do the first mile or so outside the parks, allowing some room to stretch out a bit before diving into the park. This also meant that I can't imagine they had to sweep anybody, since most of the course was actually on property, and the only road they would have to keep closed was essentially their own elaborate driveway to the hotels.

As we ran through the parks, we saw all 5 of the (original) supporting fairies: Iridessa, Silvermist, Fawn, Vidia, and Rosetta. I didn't see Tink at all, but, still, 5 character stops in 6 miles is pretty cool.

teeny tiny castle in the background

Amusing aside: as we ran past Big Thunder Mountain I noticed they had set up one of the big glowing "Mickey head" lamps. A woman near us said, "Oh! Look! It's the Halloween lamp! ... Except for not being orange." So, umm... a lamp….

Wil stopped in the Fantasyland bathroom, and while I waited I saw a "Donald". She and I waved at each other and she ran over to take a photo. Wil arrived at the same time, so the three of us posed for a friend of hers. DUCK DYNASTY!

I struggled a little towards the end, but otherwhise felt pretty strong. My foot is still feeling weirdly painful, but that's what happens when you don't rest things, hey?

We saw some amazing costumes out there, including a guy dressed as Aladdin on a flying carpet (SO AWESOME), a spot-on Jake (of Jake and the Neverland Pirates), and my absolute favorite: Hades. HADES! From Hercules!!! And it was a GREAT costume. The hair, the cape, everything. He was amazing, and totally put us to shame. (Like when I thought I had a cute Chewbacca costume and a guy nearby had a FULL CHEWBACCA SUIT. Sigh.)

It's fun to see the castmembers out cheering and waving, especially the ones who get excited by the different costumes and call them out.

We finished in 1:07:03, much slower than last year, but completely acceptable given our level of training (low), the level of pain in my foot (moderate to high), and the twists and turns on the course. And I got a nice kiss.

We picked up our medals -- this year the fairies' wings had been enamelled white, which I'm not sure I like, but I know some people like something different each year.

love the ribbon, as always!

close up

I was surprised that there were no snack boxes at the finish -- apparently, the applesauce pack in the box had expired, so they didn't give them out. Being Disney, and therefore smart, they knew the Disney moms would FREAK OUT if they were given food past its "best by" date. Apparently the internet blew up about it. But at the end of the day, you just ran 6.2 miles and burned fewer calories than were in that box. So relax, okay?

I love how runDisney learns and adapts. People want to see fairies? We'll give you fairies. People want more time in the parks? We'll give you more time in the parks. People were sad they couldn't keep up with the required pace time and got swept? We'll change the course so that it will be extremely unlikely that we'll have to sweep anyone. Everybody is happy. Except that they didn't get a snack box. :)

We didn't have time to linger after the race... we had a very special breakfast planned!