Race Report: Surf City Half (February)

Ah, my first true (half marathon) love!  Like many in OC, I’ve been running this race since back in the day when it was called Pacific Shoreline and only cost $45 (day of registration).  Now, it’s got over 6000 participants and is just under $100 bucks.  Gone are the days of literally running up to the registration booth, strapping on the Bid number and running.  Instead, this race requires a well thought out plan of attack on the morning.   

The Ladies are scheduled to run 20 and I’ve finally smartened up and created my OC Marathon Schedule… so, I’ll be sticking to 13.1.  The lower mileage doesn’t buy me any extra time to sleep in, so I’m up at 5am to get fueled, caffeinated and packed before 5:30.  My super secret parking spot isn’t so secret… we roll up to claim it at 6am and find we are out of luck this year.  Off we go to join the masses in line to enter Beach Parking. 

By 6:30 we are parked (a mile away from the start) and start the heel-toe trek in.  Hit a few bathrooms along the way, drop the bags and meet up with The Ladies in the hotel lobby.   They chose the same strategy as before and ran in 7 miles from Balboa Pier to add the extra mileage to the race.  All of us are chattering about the day ahead, but more importantly we are excited about the Beer Garden.  One of the best in OC!

Down we go to join the crowd of Runners.  We push our way into a Wave Corral. 

Course Highlights:

·        I’m bias, I LOVE this course.

·        Relatively flat and mostly along the ocean.

·        Weather typically cooperates and reminds you why you love Southern California.

·        It’s generally an out and back.  (one place they kick you off to do a loop around the residential area)

·        Plenty of crowd and aid station support.

·        Beer Garden – two free beers.

·        NEW! Longboard Legacy – in the past The Longboard Legacy only got you an extra T-Shirt and a sticker for your medal.  This year, you gained a “VIP entrance” into the Beer Garden & “VIP Express Lane” to the Beer Truck! 

·        The T-Shirt and medal were ok.  I wished the medal wasn’t so cheap looking but they mixed up the color of the long sleeve dryfit shirt this year, so that was nice.

Course *Opportunities*:

·        Parking.

After a few beers, the gang picked up and headed onto our Superbowl parties… sunburnt, sore, and proud to have accomplished so much in the morning.