Race Crashers......

So, this morning I took my running group on a new route.  We were scheduled to run 7 miles this week so I took one of our regular routes and added on enough to make it 7.  A little familiar, a little new...mixin in up.  I mapped out the course online and then drove it in my car during my lunch break this week to check for any hills, extremely busy streets, or sketchy areas.  All were in check.....I remembered everything....right?

Not so much....this week we had to run uncharacteristically late to accommodate all of our schedules so we started around 8:30...we were cruising along just fine until we made our turn onto the new part of the course.  Coming towards us were a few, very fast teens and twenty year old males with a guy at the corner waving them to the left.....What is this?  Shirt read, "Knights of Columbus 5K"....excellent.  We chatted with the guy as to whether we could run against the crowd if we stayed out of the way and he gave us the go ahead.  As we ran against the crowd it was so tempting to scream, "Ahhh....where is the finish line?  I have obviously made a wrong turn."  Instead we kept our pace and soon passed the entire group (small race).  What we didn't realize is that we would meet them again just around the corner and this time we would be going WITH the flow.  We proceeded across the street and joined up with the other runners.  Soon there were small children cheering us on....and of course we said, "Thank you, Oh thank you."  We befuddled a camera man who had been given a mission to make sure the runner's number was in each picture so they could be identified later.....wait a minute, 6 ladies, no numbers.....he mouths to me, "What are ya'll doing?"...."Just passing through I said."  

Next we turn the corner and spot the "Finish Line" sign....this was not the official finish line but instead, a loop that they would pass again to complete the race but the pressure was on.  We had to fake like we had just finished the race.  So, as we ran under the banner the two of us who dared, shot our arms up in victory and quickly checked our watches to find out our official time just in case those goobs with the "official" clock messed up.

This made for a great distraction and gave us lots to laugh about....but for all those out there who run races regularly in our city, you should be afraid, very afraid.  Next time you take on a 5 or 10K you just might meet....."The Race Crashers"