Thursday, November 29, 2007







Race report: Paris Turkey Trot, Thanksgiving Day 2007 - another personal best of 26:06!

We are going to Grandma's house like always for Thanksgiving so I find a race about an hour away from her and son and I decide to sign up. So we hook up the RV on Wed night and head up there and figure we will just park in the hospital parking lot of where the race is to be held on Thursday morning. Didn't imagine this to be a problem till about 3 a.m. when a loud bang, bang, bang on the door, "security" wakes us up! He tells us we have to leave, we tell him we are there for a race sponsored by the hospital the next morning and he says he doesn't care, it's private property and we have to leave so we say, okay we will leave. Hubby starts to get up to drive off and a minute or so later the bang, bang, bang, "security". We sort of laugh to ourselves, thinking, no it's the tooth fairy! He asks, what's the name of the race and I wrack my sleeping brain to think of it and tell him it's the Turkey Trot and then he says "Well, I guess I can let you stay" and turns off his flashing lights and drives off. Well, to say the adrenaline is pumping is an understatement and we all laugh about everything and how we are causing so much of a problem sleeping there and kid about it a while and FINALLy go back to sleep.
Set alarm for 6 a.m. but am awake before that. Take dogs out for a walk hoping it isn't as cold this morning as it was last night. But, it's even colder. Try to figure out what to wear. Finally decide on something which later turns out to be too much as I got hot during the run. The race starts at 8 a.m. Registration at 7. We pick up packet and try to warm up. About 39 to 40 degrees with about 10-13 mph head winds. It's an out and back course with the wind straight at us on the way out and to our backs on the way back. I did not wear my music or Garmin cause I thought I read that they were not allowed. Realize now that was for the 2 mile run because they judged that based on actual time vs. estimated. Anyway, I had NO idea how I was doing during the race so I just kept plugging away. Saw Timothy in 10th place as the leaders came around on their way back. Kept seeing many more come around then saw the turn around over the next hill. Moderately hilly course but the weather played havoc. I take off the hat and gloves early on and carry them. Wishing I could take off the top layer top too but there is no way too since my number is on there. I've never run in anything like this. I try to keep up the pace and sprint to the finish as I see it coming over the last hill. As I come across the finish, they are calling out times and I finish the 5K in 26:06!! ANOTHER PR!!! I was so happy! I couldn't believe it. That was just after having a PR on the race 5 days before at the Tyler Half of 26:50. I still can't believe it. I guess I just like running cold and it probably helped not having the Garmin because I probably would have told myself to slow down, I can't keep that pace if I had of had it on, maybe. Anyway, it was great. I got 2nd in my age group (45-49) and a cool medal.




Timo got 10th overall but didn't medal as he was 4th in his age group with a 20:13 time. REALLY slow for him. He never did warm up and doesn't like cold weather running and even though he really wanted a medal, he didn't really want it bad enough to work real hard in the race since that is slower than his normal training time and way slower than his normal race time. Guess I'll let him slide this time. But it was fun ribbing him all day that I got a medal and he didn't. Course he told me he had 15 or so at home that I didn't have and I was yep, but TODAY I got one and he didn't. If you can't tease your kid, who can you tease. He could have gotten one if he really wanted it.
Then we went to Grandma's and I enjoyed Turkey, dressing and all the trimings! Then we took the RV on and camped and came home today. Bad thing is, it sleeted and iced up there and I didn't get to do my long run today. Had planned to do it this a.m. but with freezing rain, there was no way.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Love this picture of you ... saved the picture on my computer and it is my desktop. :-)