Sympathy for the Devil Race Recap 09.14.13

Last weekend I made a very last minute decision to run a Calico Racing event called Sympathy for the Devil. I chose the 5K event just to get outside and be around other runners since I have focused on indoor running lately. I just needed a different experience I guess. I needed something short and close to work in Henderson so this worked perfectly since it started at 7 AM. I packed my bag with a work outfit and also put out my running gear so I wouldn't wake hubby at 5:30 AM.

I headed to the River Mountains Loop Trail @ Equestrian Park Trailhead in Henderson. This event was also a final Farewell to "Running with the Devil" which had to be cancelled this past summer. This event was one of the first done by Calico Racing and Joyce, the Race Director, made sure to acknowledge those that had planned to attend that cancelled event and gave kudos for those that came to say one last goodbye to this race.




The View at the Start Line

At the start of the race Joyce gave us our directions once the 1/2 and full marathoners were on their way. Soon we were off on our own and I felt pretty relaxed. I wasn't going for any PR's or anything like that I just wanted to run solid. Despite the humidity that morning and the steady incline of the first half of the course I did just that. It was when I hit the turn around that I completely messed up. I misinterpreted the volunteer when she said it was the turn around yet pointed to her right. I had thought she meant to keep going to the path that was behind her that headed that direction thinking I just couldn't see where it looped. Once I got around it was still heading up and about .25 miles in I asked a nice guy behind me if I went the wrong way and he said I had so I just turned around then. It  meant that I added a half mile to my race. Oh well, instead of beating myself up I just kept going towards the finish. My official time was 45:42

 

 

 

 

After the race, I hurried to the gym and grabbed a quick shower before heading to work. Not exactly sure I was smart to do a race before a busy work day but I am still glad I did it. You can never regret doing something that makes you smile and running always seems to do that for me. I may not be great at it, but it is something I can always turn to. There is something to be said about that.