The race I will not be running

So.  Shortly after my 47th birthday I decided to start moving my ass (& not just from the kitchen to the tv room, etc.).  As of this morning, I am covering approx. 4 & 1/2 miles in walk-run (stroll-jog) intervals in just over an hour.  It is no the best hour of my day but the results are worth it.  No I am not losing weight hand over fist, but my hip (& all my joints) feel much better, I have more energy, blah blah blah. 

But back to the beginning.  I had decided, when I started-as part of my starting actually, that I wanted to run a 5K before the end of the year & it really looked like doing this was going to happen.  I was unlikely to win anything, but I could certainly finish.  Maybe finish last, but finish for sure.  & the race I had decided on was the first (& maybe last) Run with the Wild at Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation.

Up until maybe two weeks ago, I had every intention of running (with the wild or more likely trailing behind everyone else running with the wild).  Then a series of things happened here at home.  The short version is somehow we have two different significant yet not-emergency medical procedures scheduled in the ten days before the race & that the race is scheduled on the same day as the annual arts festival downtown (a festival I never remember happening in October before; all I can think it their usual weekend is homecoming this year & in their shoes I would find another weekend, too). 

Unrelated to my decision there are not one, not two, but three other running events scheduled for that same day.  Something called the Hustle for Humanity at Boulware Springs.  Another unknown-to-me called The Pickin' Patch with no links, but I am guessing might be the Florida Track Club's own autumn holiday event (it's on the calendar, but not being a member I know no details). & lastly the Halloween Hobble on campus. 

So for a number of reasons, I will not be running with the wild.  Or hobbling for Halloween.  Or hustling for humanity.  & I feel bad about it, the wild running one.  I hope they have it next year.  If anyone does run with the wild, let me know how much fun it was?  Please?