Deschutes River Ranch XC Open 5k 2017 - Recap

My favorite kinds of races are the small races where I'm not bumping into everyone around me.

I like knowing that my race entry is actually making a difference AND that difference will be for a local cross country team. In this case it was the Black Hills Wolves Cross Country team.

Which is nice, because running programs in the United States are horribly underfunded, and I like running so I like it when other people like running and I'll clearly pay to make that happen;)

The race was on Friday and started at 6pm so it was a bit tight for me, but I made it with 15 minutes to spare!

(Another plus, of smaller races, is the ability to register for a race in the 15 minutes before the starting gun.)

Another reason I ran this race is that they offered a trophy for the Largest Team and the Fastest Team. Megan at Pints Pavement Pounders is a sucker for a good competition so we couldn't disappoint her:)

Martinho, Me, Dennis, Julie and Sheila!

After a quick look around at the runners waiting for the start, I knew we wouldn't be snagging the Fastest Team. BUT...we had a chance at the Largest Team. (Guerilla Racing Club snagged the Fastest Team...again.)


I'll let you in on a poorly kept secret...I have a horrible sense of direction. I can get lost in a box with one end open.

The race director gave us a detailed description of the course and assured us that it was well marked and there would be course marshalls and we wouldn't have any trouble.

Challenge ACCEPTED.

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I almost made the wrong turn twice on a two loop course.

The very alert and enthusiastic XC kids managed to stop me, and I noticed  on my next lap that they proactively conned off those options:)

Seriously though, those kids were awesome. They cheered for everyone (even if they DID tell me I was "almost there" one mile into the race) and were alert and made sure that we were all going the right way. They were super cute, even though that's probably the last thing they want to be described as.

During the last loop I found myself thinking..."5k's take FOREVER...why am I still running?!...out of all the different terrain options cross country races are at the bottom of my list...I should probably try and remember this BEFORE I end up in the middle of the race..."

But I do like trail runs...I live a complicated life...

I did manage to snag the 4th overall woman, 14the overall runner which was pretty cool.

And P3 got the Largest Team! It was fun, even if I don't like 5k's OR cross Country and I'll probably run it again next year:)