Happy Thanksgiving to all the runners out there

Today was my eighth Skinny Turkey Half Marathon. This year I am volunteering as a 2:15 pacer. Taking it easy and not pushing the pace since I have Derby 50k on Saturday. This morning the usual latte with hot cereal and banana for later. 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 that were ready to provide their expertise to other runners in the event. I talked to Elena, who was going to pace also with me, about how we would tackle the course for this event. The plan was to gain a few minutes in the earlier part of the course with more manageable hills to then take it easy in the rollercoaster hills section in the later parts of the half. Since I have done this event before, I was ok with that approach and believed that it would help other runners as well to accomplish their respective goals.

No warm-up today since my goal today was to help to pace. Since on Saturday, I am running Derby 50k for the sixth time, similar to last year, I just want to run by effort. I walked just behind the 2:00 pacers, and after a few announcements, 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 and sunny and a very slight breeze. We started running at a slightly faster pace during these miles. Taking advantage of the long steady hills gaining from 10-20 seconds per mile. Around mile 3, I took advantage of the portapotty and told Elena to continue with the strategy as I was going to catch up with her after the bio break. The course was similar to previous years, with tons of up-and-down hills, but we were running at a steady pace and a little bit ahead of schedule. Ken, another fantastic runner, stopped by and chatted with us for a little bit before pressing on.

There was this young runner that came down to visit friends and family from Boston. At first, she was struggling a little bit, so I decided to hang around with her for a bit, talk to her, and help her reset her mindset to be able to tackle the upcoming hills. The whole route is a very nice wide road, making it easy to navigate around runners as the 5k runners, who started later, merged for a small portion of the event with the half marathoners. It was so great to see the family and the little kids tackling the 5k, smiling, and having fun.

Miles 7-12: 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 running with the 10k group; around mile 8, I saw Walter and, soon after that, Roland. Both were already on their way back, looking strong and with a smile. The runner from Boston was doing fantastic. Elena and I continued to mention what was coming up with the hills, turns, and aid stations. Once we were past the very long hill and the turnaround, with 3.5 miles left, she gained a lot of confidence and pressed the pace running strong. Another runner was struggling with his back. We provided a few things to consider, but it was obvious he was in some pain. But even with the pain, with about 2 miles to go, he pressed on the pace and finished well ahead of us. It was also great seeing other runners and friends. I tried to shout out and cheer for them, especially those for who I knew their names from our previous running adventures.

Mile 13 to finish: The final stretch, more ups, and downs; I pressed on the pace as I want it to take advantage of being ahead and take a picture with Cousin Eddie (There is this expectation that every year he dressed up like Cousin Eddie and plays music from the Christmas Vacation movie) I could not let pass this golden opportunity. The last 100-150 meters were downhill, finishing with a good effort and with a smile. 

I hung around at the finish line area for a bit, congratulating those that were finishing a little bit ahead of me and some that came behind. I am sad to say that normally I take a picture with the finisher’s medal in hand with Santa. But this year, he was not around when we finished the half, very, very sad. Now the plan is to recover well and get ready to tackle Derby 50k on Saturday.

Month/Year	Event	Location	Type	Time
Nov-22	Skinny Turkey	NC	Half	2:14:48

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, 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, 36º 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.