Costumes Anyone?

Part of the fun of any Disney race is wearing a costume.  Any facebook page devoted to any of the Disney races is full of people discussing the costumes they will wear.  Women offer opinions about racing in a tutu and running skirts and how to run with wings.  At my first half marathon and Disney race, it was great to see all the costumes.   The majority of the costumes were Tinkerbell inspired (after all, it was the TINKERBELL half marathon) but there were lots of princesses and other characters, too.  Hubby and I spent most of the race just behind a fellow runner dressed up as Mary Poppins.  Some costumes are inspired by the character while others want to replicate their Disney hero down to the most minute detail.

My first Tink inspired costume: a sparkle skirt and arm warmers from sparkleskirt, raw threads shirt which had silk screen wings on the back and light up pixie green shoe laces!

Many runners wear a decorated skirt and a tank top and use accessories as their costume.  Others go full out. in their costume design.  There's no right or wrong.  I saw many halloween costumes that had been "customized" so they will be runnable. 

If you are trying to come up with costume ideas, there are lots of resources.  One of my favorite bloggers is According to Kelly who is a Disney racing fanatic and has designed some great costumes and offers tips for others to recreate their favorite Disney characters and how to run with wings.  Trying to figure out how to do a top for Aurora...yup, Kelly has conquered that and included it in her blog.  Trying to figure out how to make Snow White's sleeves...yup, Kelly's got that covered too.  Wondering how to run with wings...you got it, Kelly's got that covered as well.  If you cannot tell, I am a huge fan of Kelly's and am hoping to meet her at a future Disney race. 

Another blogger, who I also idolize, is Karla at Run, Karla, Run! She and her husband have ran in the cutest costumes!  She also gives lots of tips about costumes and has had some brilliant ideas!

Team Sparkle and Sparkleskirts make running skirts that can be incorporated into your costume.  I looked at both options at the Tinkerbell expo and my personal preference was sparkleskirts.  The shorts do not ride up, I prefer the design,  and the skirt is hemmed..  Both companies have a strong following.  Both companies offer suggestions on how to incorporate their skirts into a costume. 

 Of course, also search pinterest boards (there are lots!) and etsy for a running costume or accessories.  Chic by Amber has some wonderful disney shirt designs.  Etsy has a number of women who make running costumes.  Just search your character's name plus "running costume" and you should get multiple vendors. 

If you want to make your own tutu, check idiotrunnergirl's blog post.  If you want to make your own wings, here's the post you want to check out.  This year at the Tinkerbell half marathon, a number of women had glowing wings and they looked spectacular!

Whatever you choose, remember to take it on a practice run to identify any issues you may have during your run.  In the middle of your race is not the place to find out that your costume chafes or needs to be altered for your comfort.  Have fun!

Run Disney Tinkerbell Half Marathon

I did it!  My first half marathon was completed on Sunday, January 20, 2013 when I crossed the finish line just outside Disneyland!  The Tinkerbell Half Marathon weekend and the race itself was an amazing experience.  If you are looking at running a half, this one is a GREAT experience and so much fun.  If you HATE Disney, you probably will not like this event.  If you are looking for a unique experience and are even remotely considering doing this race, just think a happy thought, sprinkle some pixie dust and go for it!

My Tink-inspired outfit: Tinkerbell shirt from www.rawthreads.com, arm sleeves and skirt from www.sparkleskirt.com, and glow in the dark shoe laces which my hubby gave me as a surprise and our race bibs!

The race starts at 5:00 am.  UGGHHHH!  I am NOT a morning person but I set my alarm clock for 3:15 a.m. to get ready by putting my hair up in a sock bun, sprinkling LOTS of glitter in my hair, and getting into my Tinkerbell inspired outfit and race gear, driving to Disney and walking to the corrals.

The corrals are about a 15 minute walk from the parking structure.  Hubby and I did make it to the corrals in time!  I was assigned to Corral B but my hubby was assigned to Corral C so I started in C with hubby so we could experience the race together.

 I chose not to wear wings since I thought they would drive me crazy.  At the start there was more pixie wings, glitter and tutus than in a drag queen revue!  It was so much fun to see everyone's costumes and see grown women embrace their inner pixie!

Each corral starts with a send off from a Tinkerbell on a computer generated screen.  "Three, two, one. GO!"  and we were off!  We spent the first five miles or so running in California Adventure and Disneyland.  They wound us throughout the parks, including cast areas.  Disney had many of the main rides lit up (you couldn't ride), floats from the parade out as decorations and, of course, character stops.  One of my favorite was World of Color music playing and the water fountains lit up by Paradise Pier.  Hubby and I stopped for a quick picture and then once again we were off!  We only stopped for a few pictures and could not resist stopping for a quick picture with the Chimney Sweeps on Main Street Disneyland.   Of course, a highlight is to run through the castle when it is all lit up against the early morning sky!  The Disney parks were full of Disney runners!

That's a lot of runners!

The spectators were all along the course cheering us on.  It was amazing seeing husbands cheering on their wifes, kids cheering on their parents, and grandparents cheering on their kids.  My favorite cheering section was the Red Hat Society ladies.  This group cheered as loud for us near the middle of the pixie mush pot as they cheered for the first racer.  These ladies were so great and such a motivation as an older generation cheered on the younger generation of women!  Thank you ladies!  Here were some of my favorite signs:

Around mile 6, we left the Disney property and began winding through the streets of Anaheim. There were bands, cheerleader groups, and spectators cheering us on after we left the parks.  I have a soft spot in my heart for marching bands so I loved hearing the junior high, high school and college bands playing on the course.  It definitely pumped me up!

Pretty soon, we could see Tower of Terror from a distance and knew we were getting close to the end.  Through a tunnel and up to see the glorious "Finish" line arch!  My hubby turned to me and said, "Let's sprint to the finish."  We began to run our hearts out.  But, darn you Disney, it was a Disney illusion.  There was a loop which we did not see.  Hubby, not skipping a beat took my hand, looked into my eyes and "I meant at let's run from the 13 mile marker."  We laughed, slowed to a walk and continued forward. 

Want to see my favorite cheerleader?  My daughter was waiting for hubby and I at the finish line.  She even had a little surprise for us.  She had a shirt made that said "My parents cheered for my dreams, now I cheer for theirs". We spotted her just before the finish line (thankfully we were running) wearing her cheer bow from her cheer days and waving her pom-poms.

 Before long, we were running to the finish line with Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy to greet us with high 5s!  After the finish line, the group bottlenecks.  We received our medals, handed a water and snack box and went to the parks for some fun and celebrating that we actually finished our first half marathon!  Of course, we had Tink with us wearing it proudly!

My first Disney bling~ain't she purty!

Faith, Trust and A Little Pixie Dust

I cannot wait!  The Tinkerbell Half Marathon is almost here!  This combines my love of Disney (and I am a Disney fanatic) with my goal of losing weight.  Ever since I found out that Disney has running events where you run and there is entertainment and character stops along the way, I wanted to do a Disney run.  In 2013, I am running a half marathon in Disneyland and Disney World about a month apart!

The Tinkerbell Half Marathon Weekend (yes, a whole weekend!) begins this Friday!  There is an expo Friday and Saturday and the half marathon is early Sunday.  I am so excited that I want Friday to hurry up and arrive and them time to slow WAY down so I can savor every minute of my first half marathon experience!

As with any major event in a girl's life...clothing is key!  For the Tinkerbell, my costume is Tinkerbell inspired.  I ordered one of their fabulous fairy inspired shirts from www.rawthreads.com with wings painted on the back and a running skirt from Sparkle Skirts.

My shirt is the black one.  The front and the back are gorgeous and the fabric is SO soft and moisture-wicking!

I cannot wait to pick up my skirt on Friday at the Expo!  Leah, the owner of Sparkle Skirts was so friendly and answered ALOT of questions.  I LOVE this skirt and cannot wait to try it on!

Of course, I will be using pixie dust liberally!  Oh, yeah, my goals for the Disneyland Tinkerbell Half Marathon:

1. Smile!
2. Have a great time!
3. Finish in an upright position.

Seriously, it's Disney where dreams come true!

Goals...The Course Map

Pick out any self help book and there is ALWAYS a chapter (or 5) on goals.  Goals seem to be placed on the altar of weightloss and fitness as the golden lamb.  I don't know how many times I have heard from my skinny friends something to the effect of "If you focus on your goals the weight will melt right off."  Yeah, right.


Am I a driven person?  Most people who know me would answer yes.  I remember sitting in the hospital bed just after my oldest son was born and reading an article about how young, uneducated mothers statistically have children who are underachievers, on welfare and are ill prepared for life.  The article hit a sore spot.  I had just given birth 10 hours before to a beautiful boy but at that time in my life I was unwed (and not certain if I would be getting married), had no college education and did not know how I would support this precious child.  I did not want this hopeless, pitiful, bleak future the article painted for me or my son.  Then and there, I did not know how or when, I decided I would go to college and change my fate (if this is what fate had in store for me).

Fast forward many years later~the father of my oldest son and I had been married since my son was three months old and we had been blessed with two more beautiful children.  While money had always been tight (and sometimes virtually nonexistent), we did the best we could with what little we had.  At times that meant my sweet husband worked three jobs so I could stay at home with our children and we just did without.  When my youngest was beginning first grade, I decided to go to the local community college.  At first, it was just a class here and there but I enrolled each semester.  Although it was not expensive, I could not have afforded to do so without the generosity of scholarships. I went on to transfer to University of Nevada, Reno (1 1/2 hours each way from our home) while juggling a full time job, kids, husband, and every day life.  As I completed my B.S. in Finance, I took the LSAT and was accepted into law school.  My dear husband and family made the sacrifice to move to the San Francisco Bay Area for law school and we have lived here since.  It took many long years to complete the goal, but I did it.

My children saw their mother struggle with classes, finding balance with all the different pressures, and how important education was to me and each, in turn, is now attending college.

When I was contemplating setting goals for my fitness life, I reflected on this goal.  Why?  Because, to be honest, I am really good at making lists but hardly ever follow through and reach the goal.  But this goal was different.  Again, why?  I knew what I wanted and why.  I had decided on a certain outcome and the reason was ingrained in my heart.  What did I need to make this goal?  I relied heavily on my husband and his wisdom and support.  I could not have done this enormous task without him.  Even when I sat across from him in our small kitchen and (finally) had the courage to tell him that I wanted to go to law school as our three kids battled for legos and nerf guns in the other room, he just looked at me and said, "What do you need from me to help you?"  I then explained that there is no law school close to us and it would mean moving just so I can go to law school.  My husband, a games dealer across the Nevada state line for a casino, took this in stride since it would mean there would be no job to transfer to since gaming is illegal in California.  He took a deep breath and said that if that is what I wanted to do, the family would support it.  Less than a year later, we boxed up all of our worldly possessions, took what few possessions would fit into my childhood room and moved in with my wonderful parents who welcomed me, my husband and their three grandkids into their home and heart.  Three years later I graduated from law school.

 I decided if I was going to start taking care of myself, I would need the same dedication and commitment and a GOAL.  I had been looking on and off at the Disney World Princess Half Marathon thinking "once I get the weight off, I would love to do that."  The first goal I set was to complete the Disney World Princess Half Marathon in 2013.  Run Disney had a training program and I also found one for my iphone.  I told my husband that I wanted to do a disney half marathon at Disney World.  His response: "Could we do it together?"

Now, my running partner is my dear, sweet husband.  We are both trying to lose weight as we train together.  We completed the Color Me Rad 5k and have signed up for a Veterans Day 11k as this will help us move closer to the goal of the half marathon.  We both are signed up for the Disney World Princess Half Marathon.

What does it take for me to achieve my goal?  To have a clear picture of what success is and to have support in reaching the goal.  For the Disney half marathon, my goal is to finish standing up. That's it!  I know I will not be the fastest and I don't care if I am the slowest.  I just want to finish 13.1 miles with a smile on my face and maintain a minimum of 16:00 minute per mile pace so I do not get "swept up."

I am starting to get this "goal" thing.  How about you?