Divas SoCal Half Marathon - 12/8/13 Review

Yesterday I ran the Divas SoCal Half Marathon in Ontario, CA.  This race is part of the Run Like a Diva series of races throughout the US.  Being a new Southern California transplant (originally from the Pacific Northwest, most recently from Portland, OR) the cold temperatures at the start were actually a comforting reminder of home.  It was quite comical really, how alarmed everyone was regarding the drop in temperature and previous day's rain.  Ha.  I was prepared. 

The expo on Saturday was fun; I ventured there with my new running friend (and neighbor) and my nearly four-year-old daughter.  We checked out the booths, purchased cute necklaces from I declare charms and my daughter scored a new pink tutu (as if her collection wasn't big enough...). 

Obligatory Expo Pic. 

 

 

On Sunday, we left Irvine at 5:30 in the morning and got to the Ontario Convention Center a little before 6:30.  This race was extremely well organized; it was delightful to be able to park right at the start and wait in our cozy warm car until 15 minutes prior to the gun.  The indoor restrooms of the convention center were an added bonus too!  Much better than the traditional porta-potty pre-race experience.

 

The race started at 7:30 following the national anthem and a speech by the first female winner of The Biggest Loser, Ali Vincent.  My ONLY complaint about the entire day was the mashed start.  There were small pace signs near which people were supposed to line up accordingly, but of course nobody did.  No worries though, as the crowd thinned out within the first quarter mile. 

 

This was my first race with my new companion, my huge yet effective Garmin 310xt (purchased for the 20 hour ultra-runner's dream battery life, and ability to track swimming and running mileage as well, for future triathlon endeavors).  Though bulky, I adore my new gadget.  Runnerd forever.

 

The course was quite boring.  The race itself had many fun music booths sporadically placed along the course, but there was not a huge crowd, and Ontario really is not known for its impressive scenery.  The course was an out-and-back style so it was fun to check out all of the pink costumes of runners on the way back to the finish.  I was inspired by the variety of ages and running abilities.

 

Since it had only been two weeks since the completion of my first 100 mile ultra race, my muscles were screaming at me all race.  I'll be honest and say it was a bit of a struggle.  Still, I was pleased with my time of 1:44:31 (off my PR by seven minutes), which is under an 8:00/mile pace.  I ended up in 23rd place out of nearly 2,000 runners.  Considering the last few weeks has been recovery mode, I will take it!

 

The Divas medal is by far the largest medal I've ever gotten; I could seriously do arm curls with it.  The pink boa and tiara given to each runner just before the finish was a fun touch, and the champagne and pink rose handed out at the finish was equally whimsical. 

 

 

I definitely recommend this race to anyone (though it is a female themed race) who wants a casual, fun racing experience, especially those seeking their first Half Marathon finish.  There was also a 5k option too. 

 

Now off to foam roll and stretch!