I’m Back! Santa Cruz Half!

by Katherine P
April 7, 2013

So I’ve decided to come back to blogging. I’m ready to write about my running trials and tribulations. I think I’m ready for a a world outside of my work life so here we go.

Today I ran the Santa Cruz half marathon! It was really good race. It’s not just because I PR’ed (1:46:01) only 1 minute over my new years resolution goal of 1:45:00 for a half, but it was a really well, executed race. With 2 more half marathons to look forward to (1 on my “home turf”) I know I can achieve this goal.

START LINE

Pros of the Santa Cruz, CA Half Marathon:

Great course – running along the coast, through a farm with a horse, and great weather!
“Fairly” flat – Some gentle hills but nothing of note
Finished on the beach (literally the last 10 yards are in the sand) and it was really nice to take off my shoes and wiggle my toes in the surf… see…

Left my race/post-race self behind…

Post-race tents are to the right of this picture!

Cons:

Pseudo-trail run – portions of the course were through trail-like areas, dirt and rocky. This is not a road race. Probably about 3.5 miles are on “trails”.
Small water cups – This is my gripe about every race except Disney races. Those dixie cups do not cut it for my hydration needs. One of these days I’ll learn I just need to run with a water bottle… but not soon.

That’s my brief review of the Santa Cruz half. Overall, it was GREAT! Really enjoyed it. Great course, great organization, and great finish area.