8 December 2019 - Riverside Reigndeer Run Half Marathon, Riverside,CA

My last race of the year! This year I set a goal to complete a California Race series challenge (in addition to my running of the Beach Cities Challenge). The first 3 included Tustin, Irvine, and Laguna Hills. This one is a race I have wanted to do since 2015 ever since I moved here. I was a little worried as it has been raining for the past few days and I do not like to run in the rain.

I left my home at 5am and drove to Riverside, arriving around 6:15am. I rode a shuttle bus to the starting line. The weather was really good, cooperating with cloudly skies and mild temperatures around 60deg F. This was a much smaller race (participants) than I expected. It was kind of nice to not feel so crowded.

The first part of the run followed some city streets. Next, we transitioned to a river trail for a few miles. Then, we did a square mile in a residential neighborhood. Maybe it wasn't the most exciting course, but it was a new one for me and I enjoy the exploration.

I finished with not that great of total time but was happy to have met my goal for the year.