El Chupacabra 10k

I don’t always do trail runs….

But when I do

a) I like to do them at night. In the pitch black darkness. In the woods.

b) I like to stick with the fast people, then get them lost.

Let me start off by saying this was *the* funnest 10k I’ve ever done, in fact it’s one of the most fun races
period.

This was an evening race, that started at 830pm…right up my alley! I love races, but one thing I could do
without is their butt crack of dawn start times.

Since the race was all the way down in Grapevine (about a 45 minute drive from my house), I opted
to pick up my packet before the race. Packet pick up was *super* easy! No line. No waiting. Nothing.

Love that!

And my number?

Best. Number. Ever.

(apparently it was alphabetical)

So a little chit and chat with the ladies. Strapped on my headlamp (a first for this too), flashlight in hand,
we were ready!

Lisa was *really* ready!!

So we were told the first part of the course was a little “gnarly”. If you consider slanting land which
dumps into the lake with one misstep as gnarly, then yes. Yes it was.

we *rocked* the gnarly!

Luckily, no one was a victim to the lake.

The trail was super nice. A little rooty in areas, but over all well kept and pretty smooth. One reason I
have fallen in love with running trails is that the ground is so much softer and forgiving on the joints.

I stuck with my friend Lisa, her nephew Trent and Christy and her husband (this was their first trail run!).
Trent had us cracking up the entire time. That boy had more energy than all of us combined I think. I
was sad to see them go at the 5k turnaround.

So then it was Christy, her husband and me. We trekked through the chupacabra infested woods for the
next 4 miles without incident.

That’s when it all went south. Or was it north.

We had passed the mile 5 marker. Up until this point all of the trail had been really well marked with
glow sticks and giant white x’s on the trail. Somehow we took a wrong fork in the road. Think the road
less traveled. Time passed and we hadn’t seen anyone in a bit too long. No glow sticks. Mile 6 had to
be coming soon. Except it wasn’t.

Luckily, runkeeper saved the day! I was recording the run on my ap and had a map. It showed us that
we were a little over a half mile off course. So we hoofed it back to the turn. At mile 5.

We were the last finishers (I think), but we were last with a smile. We were all out there to just have fun. No
one was competing. In fact, we were laughing at ourselves most of the time. Thank goodness none of
us were out there alone with the chup!

Basically it took us as long to run that 10k, turned 7.4miles, as it did for Christy to run a half marathon!

We were well rewarded at the finish with really, REALLY yummy BBQ, beer and what MRTT gathering
would be complete without Nicole’s fab cupcakes (that is until she told me how much butter was in the
frosting….j/k). Side note: they’re worth it.

We all hung out for a while, then headed home. It was after 11 when I got back. Between the baby
shower and the race, I was out like a light!

This is definitely a race that will be on my agenda next year. I’d *really* like to get Louis out there with
me too. I know he would love it. He loves running at night and I think he’d love the woods. I mean, he
IS a boy!

SO….did you race this past weekend?

Have you ever done a trail race?