Thanksgiving day my family and I went to run in the Turkey Trot 8k. The Turkey Trot is a 8k run that benefits the Kidney Foundation. For most of us it was our first race ever! We had to get up really early and spend the start of the day freezing outside. Not a typically start to a Thanksgiving day right? But, the excitement of the people around us kept our thoughts away from the cold! My Mom, little brother and little sisters did the 5k fun run/walk while my older brother, Dad and I ran in the 8k. I had been training for this since we signed up, but I didn't realize how different running by yourself and running among so many other people was! I loved the energy that running with other runners gave me! My Dad and I kept together and I am proud to say that we ran more than we walked!
Here is us getting ready for the run! My toes and legs were freezing....all until I started running! Then I wanted to take my jacket off because I was getting so warm!
Mom and my little brother. He wasn't too happy about getting woke up so early, but he was great through the whole thing!
The morning of the race we didn't have much to eat for breakfast, just something that would give us energy but not make our stomachs too full. I had a yogurt and coffee and I wasn't hungry or anything until after the race.
So since this was my first ever race, I learned a few things. Firstly, make sure that your layers are easy to take off while running. I made the mistake of pinning my race number over the zipper of my jacket so I couldn't take it off too easily. Second, Covering up my ears and hands was a great choice! Like I said in a previous post, its important to keep your ears, face, hands and feet warm!
The race was a mix of downhill, uphill, through neighborhoods and on highways. I was a little unprepared for this because I had been training going up and down my drive way and on the treadmill. I have made a mental note to change up my training for future races. The race started and the runners were let out in burst, so as to not crowd the running space. I was thankful for this because going around people is not always easy. As we ran through the neighborhoods there were people in front of their houses cheering us on and blasting music to keep us going! There were volunteers who handed us water and called out our times as we past the mile makers. I was very thankful for those people, and for the running community. Every one was so nice and encouraging no matter what their abilities were!
Like I said before, this was my first race so obviously I didn't win or finish in very good time. I started out slow and from start to about mile 2 I was still getting warm and I was a little uncomfortable. Once I got warm though I was feeling great and I was able to push a lot harder than normal for me! Running with my Dad was a lot of fun too! We were able to stay together and talk while we ran! We finished in just under an hour ( My older brother's time was 45 or 46 minutes) and afterwards the feeling of relief and pride was wonderful! I had just completed my first race and I was so proud of myself! No, I didn't have great time, but I finished and that in its self is something to be proud of!
After the race we went on to have thanksgiving dinner and I felt at liberty to stuff myself and not worry about it! After all, its thanksgiving!
This post really isn't informational or a healthy tips or anything, its just my take and story from my first race! I hope it inspires you to go out and try something new, run your first race like me or something else! Let me know if you have ever done the Turkey Trot or any other race! What did you think and how long was the race?
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H.Banana
