Turkey Trot

D and I awakened early this Thanksgiving morning, donned our running clothes and bib numbers, met up with Mark and Elisabeth (she's pregnant and was our moral support), and drove 20 miles to the site of our Turkey Trot 5K. It was chilly--about 45 degrees--but clear and the sun was just flashing through the trees. We lined up on the 100 yard long starting line with the other 1000 or so runners. When 8:00 a.m. came, we were off. I've had much frustration with my mental state during my recent training. Namely, getting myself on the treadmill and, once there, keeping myself running beyond 2 miles. I've done it, but not willingly. So this race was a little tough for me. Add to that the surprise of the course--it was trail running with LOTS of hills . . . up and down, up and down, way up, way down. (None of this was mentioned in the vague "information" flier.) This was definitely the most challenging course I've run as far as terrain goes. Going into it, I really hoped to beat my 5K PR of 26:33, but early on I started to have my doubts about that possibility. I didn't enjoy most of the race. I felt exhausted about 50 yards into it and wanted to stop at mile 1 and mile 2. But I kept going as hard as I could and came in at 25:45, so I felt great about that. D and Mark were ahead of me and came in a couple of minutes prior to my finish, so their run was a good one too. I am so thankful for a healthy body and the ability to push it physically. And now, for some turkey! Happy Thanksgiving to all.