On March 10 I got to run the Skye Canyon 8K Trail/Road Run. There are two distances at this event, a 5K that is all on roads and an 8K that is on roads and on trails. This is the 3rd year in a row the race has existed, the 3rd year in a row I’ve run it, and the 3rd year in a row the course was different. That’s what happens when it’s taking place in an actively growing and developing new community here in Las Vegas.

The race didn’t start until 9am, so I could wake up at a normal time and eat breakfast before the race. Then my husband and daughter drove me to the start line. They just dropped me off about a half-mile away so I could get a nice little stroll in (and also they could avoid the roads that were closed for the race!)

It was a cloudy morning and it felt absolutely perfect for a race.

I was a little nervous to run because I have not run as much in 2018 so far due to a persistent illness. I’ve been given meds, I’ve been to the doctor… but I just have a cough that I can’t shake. But I was feeling fairly decent this day so I was going to run.

This event is nice, since it starts at the clubhouse/community center for the Skye Canyon community… that means there are nice bathrooms available! (Always critical at races!) So I walked to the race start, used the bathroom and then started the race about 5 minutes later. I didn’t have a ton of time to hang out beforehand and I liked that.

I felt good throughout the race and just ran at a pace that felt good. I didn’t push myself or stress about keeping up with anyone or any pace.

The trail portion of the race is a lot of loose rock, typical of the desert. My mile splits are very evident which miles took place on the trails as they were about 1.5 to 2 minutes per mile slower than the road. I did take a moment to pause for my feet picture!

They had no age group awards. I did finish 4th female overall in the 8K, which surprised me.

After the race they had a Fit Fest, a bunch of local vendors were there and some fun activities for kids were available. My husband brought my daughter to the Fit Fest after so we could spend a little bit of time there. My daughter got to color her own hat at an REI booth, she went through an inflatable obstacle course a few times, and a “build your own trail mix” station from Whole Foods. It did start to rain some, so we took off after a little bit and didn’t spend quite as much time at the Fit Fest as I originally anticipated.

It was a fun day… the only downside is that my cough took a turn for the worse after the event and it has been much worse since. I have been through more rounds of steroids and a round of antibiotics. I hope I start feeling better soon, because running is really difficult at this time and I’m feeling really sluggish/lethargic plus a little squirrely from not running.

I’m not sure what this race will look like next year or if it will happen… there are more housing communities going in and a new shopping center being built. But if they have it again, I will be there.