Tink Half Marathon Weekend: getting there and expo!

Being from New York, travelling to California took nearly 12 hours.  We were up at 3-3:30 am on Wednesday morning and didn't arrive in Cali until after 11:00, which would correlate to 2pm our time.  It was a long morning and was quite a relief when we landed at SNA.  We will always try to fly to SNA from now on.  Last time we did LAX, and it was a nightmare trying to get to Anaheim from there.  SNA was an easy airport to get through and an easy drive.

We decided to rent a car as the hubs found a cheap deal online.  We got stuck in a little traffic, which was easy to reroute around, and soon we were at the Tropicana.

We booked there through Jim and Pat Stone (Acclaim Travel) and got a great deal.  It is on South Harbor, pretty much across the street from the pedestrian walkway to Disney.  It's location was ideal- it was a 10-15 minute walk to the downtown area, with a few restaurants around so we didn't have to drive anywhere.  

The rooms were decent for the cost and had a fridge and microwave, a major plus.  There was a nice pool and hot tub area.  There was parking, which you paid a nightly fee for, and if it was full there was valet who helped out, all of whom were very friendly and greeted us whenever we came back.  The only thing I wished it had was a continental breakfast, but that is a small flaw for us.

For the expo I started to hear that people would be getting there around seven AM.  I was shocked.  I was thinking 8 or 8:30, an hour and a half or so before the doors opened, but apparently that would be too late.  I got up around 6:15, did a quick run, then headed over and got there around 7:15.  A bunch of people were already there.

DLand has it right as far as expos.  They took us to the basement of the hotel where they had lines taped down.  I was given an orange wristband and put in the third row.  I sat down and prepared for a long wait, which wasn't too bad as I had some good conversations with people around me.  Around 9 they started moving people.  They took the first two lines upstairs and shifted everyone over.   About 10 minutes later we also went upstairs and joined them in more lines outside of the expo.  When 9:30 hit we went inside and found more lines outside the official merchandise area.  They let a few people in at a time, but we were moving fairly well.  When I got in it was very relaxed in there, unlike the Princess mayhem.  I was able to look over everything and didn't have to rush for everything.  There were no ladies fighting over wineglasses, but sadly there was no Tinkerbell Tervis.  I grabbed capris, the blue jacket, a hoodie for the hubs, the wineglass, a tank, and a water bottle.  Check out was easy, but expensive (thank god for the VISA discount), and I went back downstairs for my bib.

Bib pick up was uncrowded and easy as well.  I was surprised when they put two C2C bands on my wrist.  I had thought I would get my blue one when I return to DWorld for Wine and Dine, but something was up and we got them there.  I took mine then, but plan on bringing it to Wine and Dine because I feel that is where I will have earned it.

ANYWAYS, there was another line for preordered merchandise and that is where I picked up my first preorder jacket that I absolutely LOVE.  Hopefully RunDisney keeps going in this direction and makes nice preorder stuff.

I finally was able to go back upstairs to meet the hubs in the expo area.  He had already paid to get the back of our medals engraved with our times so we just wandered a bit.  We had time to kill because I had randomly signed up for the RunDisney NB virtual que and got 10:30 and 11:00 slots.  My time came late and I went in and tried on the Tink shoes.  I had always loved them and had heard this might be the last chance for them.  I ended up liking the feel of them and bought them.  The hubs passed when he tried on.  He liked the Mickey shoes, but they were too supportive for him.

After that we found the RunDisney beer cups that a bartender had and both enjoyed a Pixie Hollow drink.  The hubs was happy because he had gotten a few at our last few DWorld races and was hoping to get a Dland one.  It was nice to sit on a comfy couch, put my feet up, and actually enjoy a relaxing moment at an expo.  So different from the insanity at Princess, where we rushed out after getting through the merchandise lines because it was just so frustrating.

One week freak out

I used to always question football players when I heard they weren't playing due to turf toe.  Really?  You're making mega bucks and can't play because of a TOE? Toughen up, Buttercup!  

Cue the big toe pain...

I don't know what happened. 

I finished the Flower City Half feeling good.  Confident for Tink weekend.  I did 1 mile Monday and Tuesday to keep my streak alive and 2 on Wednesday.  I was noticing a little soreness in my left big toe, but didn't think much of it.

Yesterday it was still sore, but jumped on the treadmill and ROCKED a short tempo run.  I mean, it was the kind of run where I was flying high and felt like I owned the world.  Epic music played as I finished the run and people cheered for its greatness.

Then my night went on.  Slowly I noticed more and more pain in my toe.  I went to bed thinking that staying off of it over night would make me better, but this morning it still hurt.  Just random motions, and very generalized.  I couldn't pinpoint what hurt.  A day on my feet at school teaching didn't help, though when I got home I was at least able to point to two painful regions.  The top of my toe, one that seemed to run the top tendon, and the ball of the foot immediately under the toe.

Now tonight was supposed to be my last 10 miler before race weekend.  It's killing me not to do it.  Especially after my day at school.  Running is my stress release when my students suffer from justendtgeschoolyearalready-itis. 

 I did 1.5 miles on the treadmill and stopped to play it safe.  I hate doing the "right" grown up thing.  I wanted to continue plodding on.  Honestly, it's not overly painful running, but afterwards it hurts like a beast.  I must say, I apologize to all football players who I ever judged for not playing with turf toe.  

Now Pixie Dust Challenge starts in about one week.  I was planning on racing the 10k hard and the half moderately, with my goal half two weeks after that.  Now I'm worried about being able to run, let alone race.  So I guess for now I'll suck it up and do the right thing, taking it easy and icing and such.  Just hoping my stupid toe will be cooperative next week 😡.

Dreams and Goals

Sometimes I don't like to speak my dreams out loud.  It makes me nervous and makes me feel almost vulnerable, like I'm telling a deep dark secret about myself, which I guess I am in a way.  Revealing a dream is like giving away a little piece of myself, a little hope of the things that I'd like to achieve... And to reveal that seems scary.  Especially if you fail.  

 But I've decided to change this mindset, thinking that if I share my goals it will hold me more accountable towards them and help me achieve them by driving me to work.  So here goes...

1.) 2016 miles in 2016.  This goal is the least scary to share.  I've done 2500+ in a year so I know I can do this.  Thus just requires that I stay injury free (knock on wood) and that I make sure I stay disciplined as far as getting runs in.

2.) go sub 1:40 in the half.  I've got A LOT of halves planned this year.  I've had two training runs where I've gone sub 1:42:30, which will already be a 2:00 PR if I can replicate in a race, so I am being optimistic.

3.) get a sub 21:00 5 k.  This one makes me more nervous because I would need to take 1:30 off my 5  k time, but I really want to try this year.

4.) place at a Disney race.  I know- you can't control the performances of those around you, but I keep coming closer- I was :35 off of one last year.  Maybe this year will be it.  I've got Glass Slipper and Pixie Dust Challenges (yea pink c2c!) to try, and hopefully Wine and Dine in Nov.

5.). This is the one that scares me the most: qualify to the Boston.  After completing the Dopey Challenge in 2014, I had said I probably wouldn't do another marathon until I thought I could qualify to Boston.  Well the running calculators predict it with my current unofficial training times, so I'm thinking by the end of the year I could be on my way, especially if I'm on target with my other goals.  So there it is- I'm hoping to get the qualifying time for the 2018 Boston Marathon.

What kind of goals does everyone have for 2016?  Any running plans?  

And on that note I now feel compelled to go run....