Odd Distance Race and Things You Can't Make Up

I am thisclose to signing up for a race tomorrow.  I wasn't going to do it originally because it has been so hot and the race doesn't start until 10am. It has also been smoky from all the wildfires.  Now the weather is looking pretty good, the smoke is supposed to clear out and I am rather itching for a race.

I can either do a simple 5k or do the 8.5 mile warrior run.  I think the warrior run will be on trails some and have a lot of elevation changes as well as uneven terrain.  I am of course leaning towards the warrior run.

 The Warrior Run is a challenging course starting along the same Swords Park Trail, rounding Skeleton Cliff, looping back and climbing to Yellowstone Kelly’s Grave before dropping into the Black Otter Trail System taking runners by the Old Swords Homestead, Across Alkali Creek Road and back into the trail system where runners will be faced with a 700 plus foot vertical climb of steep rock terrain before heading back along Swords Trail to the finish. 

8.5 miles seems like an odd distance, they did give an explanation I thought was pretty cool

Why an 8.5 Mile Course?

 Most run events consist of a 5k (3.1 mile) run and in many cases a 10k (6.2 mile) run. Our run is different by design, we do have a traditional 5k run, and The Warrior Run which is an approximately 8.5 mile course. 

The Montana Warrior Run could be another run in a line of running events throughout the year. A traditional run would indeed help us reach our goal of awareness and funding for veterans and veterans issues in our area, however I wanted this to be more than a timed run. I wanted to create a course that required those who chose to participate to have dig just a little deeper to finish. It is my hope that those who participate will reflect not on their performance in the race, but rather reflect , honor and perhaps relate in a small way through the sacrifice of sweat and pain those who sacrificed with blood so that we can gather in peace for such an event. 

For those of you questioning if you can finish the Warrior course, or concerned that you may be embarrassed by your performance...don't. Tie on your shoes, run, walk, help a buddy, keep moving and finish. It may be long, it may very well challenge you, and it indeed might hurt, but in the end you will, in a small way through the sacrifice of sweat, honor those who have sacrificed so much for you. 

And in the Stuff You Can't Make Up category..

Wednesday the kids found a cricket in the house. I asked them to catch the poor lost fellow and put it outside.  My son dutifully caught it but then proceeded to chase his sister and cousin around the house with it.  To his delight they ran and screamed and gave him all the reaction he was hoping for.  Somewhere in the commotion the cricket got dropped in my daughter's room.

not a cricket but same sort of thing

This was cause for more calamity and drama. I tried to reassure her it was just a cricket. Her panicked answer to my calming words were shrieked "WHAT IF IT LAYS EGGS"?!

That, my friends is where I lost it,  I laughed. Then all the kids except little cowgirl were laughing with me.

Fast forward to Thursday.  I get home from work and the kids happily come running over to the car and give me hugs.  Before I can even ask "how was your day"?  I am getting a "Don't worry if you hear croaking sounds in the house, we caught a toad and put him in a container, but he got out and we don't know where he is"

We never found the toad.

We still haven't found the cricket.

I wonder if they found each other and now all I have is a toad in the house.

Do you suppose it will lay eggs?

random photo from our vacation