Happy Thanksgiving to all the runners out there

Yesterday was my tenth Skinny Turkey participation. This year, I am volunteering as a 2:45 pacer. I’m taking it easy and not pushing the pace since I always have Derby 50k on Saturday. Similar to last year, my daughter and her boyfriend are joining me in running this event. Although they were both tackling the half, they will meet a few of my runner friends and enjoy the holiday festivities at the event.

This morning, I had the usual latte with hot cereal and banana to eat before the start. The event location is at a High School, and it has plenty of bathrooms and areas to stretch, sit down and relax. There, I met with a few friends and the other pacers who were ready to provide their expertise to other runners in the event. It was still raining when I arrived, and there was a possibility of an early thunderstorm passing by.

There was no need for warm-up today since my goal today was to help pace. Also, since on Saturday, Laurie and I are running Derby 50k, similar to last year, I just want to run by effort. But just 10 minutes before the start, there was a little bit of thunder, which triggered a delay in the start to see if the storm would move away in time for individuals to complete the event.

Unfortunately the storm did not move fast enough and the half ended up being cut short to a 10k distance. So no need to pace this year. We walked just in the middle of the corrals, and after a few announcements, a picture with Santa Claus, the National Anthem, and the countdown, off we went.

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Miles 1-2: These were very uneventful miles. We pressed the pace to keep up with Bianca. We started running at a slightly faster pace than needed but quickly adjusted. The course for the 10k was similar to the back end of the half, with tons of up-and-down hills, but we were running steadily and a little bit ahead of schedule.

Miles 3: The hills continued, but we were all feeling great. I grabbed water at almost each aid station since I decided not to carry my water bottle with me. By now, we were seeing the returning runners. Just before the turnaround, I stopped to take a few pictures of Bianca and my friends. I was convinced that I could press the pace and catch up with her before finishing the event.

Mile 4 to finish: The final stretch, more ups and downs; I pressed on the pace as we wanted to keep it close to Bianca and close the gasp. But every single time I was able to get close, she sped up and go further away. There were just a few runners in front, so there was no reason to slow down. After the last water aid station, I tried once again to press the pace, but I think Bianca found a third gear, and this time, there was no way I was going to get close before the finish line. She had a great fun event today.

We hung around at the finish line area briefly. Now, the plan is to take it easy the rest of the day and tomorrow, recover well, and get ready to tackle Derby 50k on Saturday.

Month/Year	Event	Location	Type	Time
Nov-23	Skinny Turkey	NC	10k	3:00:53

Event Highlights:

Course: Great, ample road right of the start but very hilly. Around 200 runners. With the ample road, there is no problem starting, maneuvering around runners, and finding a comfortable pace.

Venue: At a High School, there are plenty of bathrooms and seating areas to rest before and after the event. At the finish line area, good food, plenty to drink, and snacks.

Expo: No Expo, but one of the sponsor’s vendors at the bib pick-up area this year.

Weather: Stormy skies at the start, then light rain at times, 40ºs with low humidity.

Fueling:

Pre-Race: 1 serving of Hot Cereal, latte, and banana 30 minutes before start.

Race: Water aid stations and one pouch of baby food.

Post: Protein Shake within an hour of the event. Great Thanksgiving dinner.