Happy Thanksgiving to all the runners out there

Today was my eleventh Skinny Turkey Half Marathon event. This year, I am volunteering as a 2:30 pacer. I’m taking it easy and not pushing the pace since I have Derby 50k on Saturday.

This morning, I had the usual latte with hot cereal and a 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. I talked to BD, who was also going to pace with me.

There was no need for warm-up today since my goal today was to help pace. Also, since on Saturday, BD and I are running Derby 50k, similar to last year, I just want to run by effort. We walked just behind the 2:00 pacers, and after a few announcements, a picture with Santa Claus, the National Anthem, and the countdown, off we went.

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Mile 1-6: Very uneventful miles. The temperature was awesome, with cooler temperatures, sunny, and a very slight breeze. We started running at a slightly faster pace than needed, but quickly adjusted. We talked to the few runners running about the same pace. But quickly thinned out to about three runners. Around mile 3, we took advantage of the portapotty. The course was similar to previous years, with tons of up-and-down hills, but we were running steadily and a little bit ahead of schedule.

Miles 7-12: The hills continued, but we were all feeling great. I grabbed water at almost every aid station, even though I had my fuel bottle with me. By now, we were seeing the returning runners with the 10k group. BD and I continued to mention what was coming up with the hills, turns, vehicles on the road, and aid stations, to now only two runners near us.

Mile 13 to finish: The final stretch, more ups and downs; we pressed on the pace as we wanted to keep it close to the 2:30-hour mark, given that we slowed down a bit. There are no other runners in front, so there was no reason to slow down. The last 100-150 meters were downhill, finishing with a good effort and a smile. We came in dancing to the music as Raj, Balaji, and Barbie were there to receive us.

I 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-25	Skinny Turkey	NC	Half	2:30:05

Event Highlights:

Course: Great, ample road right from the start but very hilly. Around 125 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: Sunny skies at the start, then sunny, low 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.

Learning Points:

• Pacing and helping others during an event is great. Especially seeing them achieve their goals.
• Negative splits are not necessarily the approach for every single race. Always consider the type of course, elevation changes, and complexity of the event.