We had just started our summer work schedule this week which meant that I got off of work at about 11:30 am. So I headed over to Downtown Disney to pick up my race packet. Parking wasn't too bad at this hour. I was able to find a parking space at the Downtown Disney parking lot. Per the usual, you first pick up your bib below the expo floor of the Disneyland Convention Center. They now take a picture of you right after you pick up your bib. It's their way of preventing the transfer of bibs.
Packet pick up
I normally blaze through the expo after picking up my race shirts since the expo is all geared towards women. But this year, I decided to have some fun. I got in line to get a green screen photo where they add a nice background and pixie wings to your back. I met up with a couple of my friends before we split up to go eat at separate places.
Green screen photo
After my friend was on break, we met up at Toro Burger in nearby Santa Ana for lunch. My friend and I have been on a burger tour of Orange County to sample and find the best burger in the county. This was our next stop on our tour. We both ordered their Truffle Cheeseburger. I got mine with Melted Cheese Tots, and a Strawberry Lemonade. The burger as a whole was good and tasty, but I thought that the patty was a bit too lean for my preference. I love any place that serves tater tots! It was really good with cheese and chives. Eating them brought back fond memories of my childhood. The strawberry lemonade was good, not too sweet, just the way I like it. Based on this burger, I will definitely be coming back here to try their other burgers!
Truffle Cheeseburger and Melted Cheese Tots
After lunch, I drove back to Downtown Disney and had a Guinness with my friend at ESPN Zone. It was pretty crowded, but we were able to snag a couple of seats at the bar as some people were ready to leave. Afterwards I went back to the expo to see if I could find anything worth buying. Good thing for my pocketbook, I didn't find anything. So I went home to rest and pick out my outfit for tomorrow's 10k.
10k flat runner
Saturday 5/9
I got to the Mickey and Friends parking garage at about 3:30 am. I haven't figured out why, but I was able to score free parking. Hardly anything is ever free with Disney. I went down the escalator and used the parking garage restroom. There's absolutely no lines in the men's restroom since this is a women's race. On my way back to my car, I bumped into a guy dressed as Aladdin riding on the magic carpet.
Free parking!
Aladdin!
After changing and getting ready, I headed over to the gear bag check at the starting area. For this race, it's located at the Simba parking lot. After dropping off my bag and putting on my pixie wings, I headed over to my starting corral. Just as last year, they put the guys starting from corral B. However my friend and I did noticed that there were guys assigned with corral A. We assumed that they either registered as females or were running with a lady's bib. At 5:30 am they released the first corral.
Rudy sending off the 10k runners
A few later, corral B was released. It was pretty cool to charge ahead in the opening group of men and a few women during the opening mile. I can actually run fast enough now that I could hang with them during the beginning of the opening mile. Once we hit the hills, I had to back off a bit as I didn't want to totally wreck myself. Besides the first mile and a half, the majority of the course was on Disney property. I was hoping to be under 47 minutes, but I faded a little in the second 5k. The mile markers were off, so I stopped pushing the lap button on my watch. The legs were responding pretty well despite the left foot being sore.
5k: 23:15
10k: 23:52
Finish: 47:07
10k finish line
The normal post race snack boxes that I was used to getting was not given out at the finish. But there was water, Powerade, and bananas.
On my way back to my car, I noticed some of the 60th diamond anniversary decorations. Pretty neat. I'll need to visit Disneyland some time this year without there involving a race.
60th diamond anniversary decorations
10k medal
I met up with a couple of my old church buddies to eat lunch at All That Barbecue over in Arcadia. It's located in the Westfield Santa Anita shopping mall on the second floor adjacent to Macy's. This used to be my old stomping grounds. Man, things have changed quite a bit around here! Anyways, most of the Korean barbecue restaurants that I like to go to are ones where you can get your own meat. For this place, we had to place our orders with our waiter. However banchan and rice was self served here. All of their different variations of meat had clever names here, so you don't have to worry about mispronouncing Korean words. I liked their steamed egg (Let Go My Egg Go). Ordering that was a good change of pace for all of the beef, pork, and chicken. One thing I didn't like about this place was that the only beer available for the beer tower was a cheap watered down OB beer. I really didn't want to be stuck drinking a lot of bad beer. It defeated the purpose of getting the tower!
Beef!
Beer tower!
After dinner, I drove over to my friend's house and we hung out for a while. It was pretty nice to catch up with old friends. We've known each other since I was in high school, when we all went to the same church.
Later that night, I met up with my friends at JT Schmid's in Anaheim to load up before tomorrow's race. They wanted me to try a beer with my name on it, Emil's Amber Ale. To go with the beer, I ordered their Cobb Salad. It was a pretty big salad, big enough that it felt like a never-ending salad! The salad was good as was the beer. I think I will have to try a sampler of their beers next time. We pretty much had an empty restaurant to ourselves. The place had just cleared out because there was an Angels game next door that evening. Less people usually means better service! We pretty much had two waitresses checking up on us.
Hey! It's my beer!
Cobb Salad
Before going to sleep, I gathered all of my orange race gear to match the pixie wings. I even had to dig out the orange shoes.
Half marathon flat runner
Sunday 5/10
I arrived at the Mickey and Friends parking structure at the same time as yesterday hoping to score another free parking pass. No dice. Today, it was $17 to park. After taking care of business at the parking structure restroom, I made my way down to the Simba parking lot.
Booooo! No free parking!
After checking out the little stage show, I checked my gear bag and headed to corral B. At 5:30 am, the first corral was released. About 7 minutes later it was corral B's turn. It was pretty cool to see my friend up at the stage sending us off. She was filling in for the regular co-race announcer.
My friends sending off the half marathon runners
The first mile and a half of the course was on the perimeter of Disneyland before we made a right turn into Disney California Adventure. After a couple of miles there, we head up into Disneyland. Now that this race is in May, we get daylight much sooner. It was good to see both parks in daylight during the early miles.
Start of corral B from OC Register
Running with the Red, White, and Blue from Run Disney
As we approached the mile 6 marker, we ran past the Sorcerer's Hat, where the course was lined with women from the Red Hat Society. This has been a great cheer zone each year!
After passing mile 8, we turned left on Harbor where my friend snapped a picture of me and called out my name. I was completely oblivious! At this point, I was already starting to struggle so I was zoned out trying to convince myself to keep on running. I was able to hold it somewhat together for 2 more miles. The next three miles thereafter were a bit of a struggle to the finish line.
Mile 8 from Dana
1: 7:34
2: 7:40
3: 7:49
4: 8:10
5: 8:07
6: 7:53
7: 8:27
8: 8:28
9: 8:22
10: 8:39
11: 9:03
12: 8:58
13: 8:49
13.1: 0:58
Finish: 1:48:59
After I picked up my Tinker Bell half marathon medal, I got in line for the Pixie Dust Challenge medal. They checked my photo to confirm that I was the same person to pick up the bib at the expo before giving me the medal.
I then went through the post race snack line. I'm guessing they're no longer giving out those snack boxes. It was the same items, just not in a box.
Pixie Dust Challenge complete!
Post race snacks
As my friends and I were gathering to take some post race photos, a stranger came up to me and told me that I helped her get to the finish. She was using me as a pacer during the last 3 miles. I told her that I was really struggling at that point and was glad that I was able to help out. Sometimes you never know who is watching you or who you're helping when you're just trying to drag your butt to the finish line of a race.
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