Midlife Divas

Any Divas in the house?

I did it again! I completed my second Run Like A Diva Race! This past Saturday, my friends Raulisa and Peggy joined me for the Run Like A Diva Special Edition Race 2019. We all chose to enter the 5K run. RLAD is the same race that I entered in 2018 and had an absolute blast. You can read about it here. That year, I joined with my friends Deb and Pam. No matter how many races you enter, they are still intimidating. Hopefully, once I collect my 10th medal, I won’t feel the squeeze.

What I love the most about this race is that we are women supporting each other and having fun. There were women from all demographics, sizes, and shapes. It didn’t matter if you ran, walked, or crawled. We all finished and we all received the same medal. We were giving high 5’s to each other and cheering for strangers. It was such a great atmosphere.

Divas Running Series hosts several runs throughout the year. In 2019 They offer both 1/2 marathons and 5K’s. This year the races are held in Galveston TX, North Myrtle Beach SC, Toronto, Calgary, Peachtree City GA, and San Juan Puerto Rico in 2020! They tout their running series as the most fun and glam in the nation and all about girl power. I must agree. Our race was again held in Temecula Wine Country which provides a beautiful backdrop. Since this was a “special edition” race, we received amazing swag!  Our registration fee included; race entry, wine tasting, crown, sparkle tutu, feather boa, diva wine glass, track jacket, and a beautiful medal!

I signed up to enter this year’s race a month or so after I completed the last one. I’m sure you are thinking “Wow…Crystal had an entire year to train!” Technically yes, I had a year to train, but No, I didn’t take the year to train. In fact, with my hectic life, I forgot all about it until November. Once I realized that I mentally began to prepare. I printed out a 5K training plan, slapped it on my cork board and vowed to get busy. Fast forward to Friday, February 15th when I thought “Holy Crap, the race is TOMORROW!”

Peggy and I

Raulisa and I

Raulisa, Peggy and I work together, and this was their first RLAD race. This was Peggy’s first 5K ever. Peggy is turning 60 this year and like many of my midlife friends wanted to challenge herself. On the flip side, Raulisa is a walking machine! She is in a walking club with over 20 friends, and they get together and enter marathons. Raulisa started the year completing her first 10K and had set a personal goal for herself to finish 12 runs in 2019. If that isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is. It’s a great feeling to see other midlife women achieving their goals and trying something new. I mean, isn’t that what this journey is about?

Peggy and I at the start of the race

Blinded by the light…..

As the gun went off, we headed through the pink balloons and started the race. My goal was to finish in under an hour. I popped in my earbuds and pulled up the playlist I created. I put no pressure on myself and just started walking. Of course, Raulisa left both Peggy and me in the dust but we pressed on. I was a walking fool until I started going blind in my left eye. My first thought? “OMG, I’m going to stroke out right on this course” and then “If I do what better place than a wine vineyard.”

Luckily I packed an arsenal of supplies in my nifty fanny pack including contact lens drops. I figured my eyes were running and a couple of drops would clear it right up. WRONG. I kept dropping, and my eye was getting more and more blurry. I knew I couldn’t take out my contact lens, so I kept on with an uneven equilibrium. I continued walking and singing to myself all the while wondering if I should stop by the ER on the way home. To make this sad story short when I finally caught up with Peggy after the race and was yelling that I’m going blind in my left eye (however, being partially blinded didn’t stop me from getting my included wine tasting) she told me that I had glitter in my eye. Imagine my relief when after I got my replacement lens in I saw that yes, it was glitter from my sparkly pink tutu that blinded me.

Nothing like wine at the finish line!

After the race, we enjoyed music, snacks and our wine tastings in our commemorative glasses. All in all, it was another fantastic race surrounded by upwards of 1000 other women (and a few men) that embodied girl power! I am looking forward to not only signing up for 2020 but completing one or 2 more races this year! Wish this MIDLYRS DIVA luck!  If you live near any of the above-mentioned cities, I highly suggest you grab your Girlfriends and run like the divas you are!