The Day Before Tink- Working, Resting, Celebrating TNT

Saturday morning I tried to sleep in a little, but that did not happen- I was clearly still on east coast time, and despite the long day on Friday, I was still awake way before my alarm.  I actually didn't mind this because I like staying more on east coast time so that waking up for the early morning race time doesn't seem that early.  I took my time getting ready for the day and just kind of hanging out for a while before heading over to Downtown Disney to find something for breakfast.

The weather in California was beautiful the whole weekend I was there and I really enjoyed being able to get outside and enjoy walking around and enjoying the sunshine.  I was scheduled for a morning shift at the Sparkle Skirts booth, so I wandered around the expo for a little bit to see if there was something that I missed the day before.  I really had a great time working at the booth and getting to meet all of the people who were looking forward to running the race the next day.  It was a great experience, and I do hope that I can do it again soon!

After I finished with my shift, I went to get a late lunch.  Part of my pre-race routine is usually to have fajitas the day before (usually for dinner, but I had a TNT dinner Saturday evening).  I went to Tortilla Joe's and was able to have some delicious shrimp fajitas.  I wandered around Downtown Disney a little bit more before heading back to my room to relax for a little longer.

When I got back to my room, my roommate had arrived and we met and talked a little while we both relaxed and then got ready for the TNT Inspiration dinner.  The dinner was great.  It was a buffet style with salads, pasta and sauce choices, and chicken.  We were directed to our table and then were able to talk for a little bit before the program began.   This dinner was for all of the TNT participants in the Tinker Bell half, lots of Team members and lots of energy!  The total amount of money raised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society from this event was over $800,000!  I was a part of the TNT Flex team, and the members of my team alone were responsible for $200,000.

After dinner we had a short Team meeting.  I then went down to the hotel's deli to grab a bagel and some peanut butter (I didn't want to try to do it in the morning) Then it was time to turn in early- 2:45 am comes early no matter what coast you are on!  I got back to my room, made sure I had everything laid out for the race, got my check bag ready, and double and triple checked my alarm.

I didn't have much trouble falling asleep and despite a bad dream about oversleeping and missing the race, I woke up at 2:45 feeling well rested and ready to tackle this race.

Next up:  2013 Tinker Bell Half Marathon!

Tinker Bell Half Marathon Expo

Today was my travel day!  I woke up really early on east coast time and made my way to the airport, made it onto the airplane and then we sat.  We've had some pretty chilly weather lately and the plane had to be de-iced.  Unfortunately for us, the de-icer truck broke down and we had to wait for the company to send a new truck.  So we waited.....about an hour.  I was a little nervous because I had about an hour and a half layover in Dallas, and this was eating into that time.  But, we finally got on our way and I was able to make my flight with a little time to spare and then we landed safely in California.  I made my way to the hotel and was able to relax for a little bit before meeting up with some of my TNT teammates for a trip to the expo.

runDisney expos do not disappoint.  The vendors are wonderful and there is no shortage of great merchandise to browse and purchase!  When you arrive at the expo, you are directed to first pick up your bib.  Once the business part is taken care of, you are directed upstairs for goody bag and shirt pick up and then on to the shopping!  This year, tink participants were given a long sleeve shirt and a mesh bag.  

My next stop was the official runDisney merchandise.  I love to look at all the stuff that they have, and the "I Did It" shirt is a must have for me:

The other purchase I made was one of the new runDisney vinylmation and the Tinker Bell medal (I'm planning on getting the princess medal in February to mark my next race:

Some of the other great merchandise:

And who can forget the wings?  I didn't personally run in wings, but I did see a lot of wings on the course Sunday morning!

I then wandered around the expo a little more, browsed a little at the raw threads booth:

I also took a few minutes to check out the exclusive New Balance runDisney shoes:

                                     

I stopped by to meet Leah of Sparkle Skirts.  I was lucky enough to be able to work a few hours on Saturday morning in the Sparkles Skirts booth, helping lots of ladies (and a few gentlemen) find the perfect skirt for race day.  

I had a great time at the expo and I am really looking forward to the next runDisney event- Princess weekend!

Next up:  The Day Before Tink- working, resting, celebrating TNT