A Day For Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

Today I'm doing my best to be thankful for what I have instead of looking at what I do not have. So here's what I'm celebrating today:

1. My daughters. They are the reason I keep moving forward and bettering myself. Today it's just Gem and I hanging out at home. The weather prevented us from going to see our family which brings me to my second item....

2. Friends. My friends hold me up, support me, and kick me in the butt when needed. Today another one of my friends had no Thanksgiving plans. So we're making it a day of fun instead. We'll be having shepherd's pie, chili, apple pie, chocolate cake, and hot chocolate while watching Christmas specials and playing board games.

3. Family. Even though we're scattered over the east coast now we're still a family. I never would have made it this far without them.

4. The obvious one... RUNNING! Today I celebrated my health and ability by heading out at sunrise to run (post hole?) through the snow and ice in the park to meet my mileage goal for the year!

Despite the 17* temps, the icy conditions, and it being a holiday there were still three other crazies in the park. I struggled against the part of my brain that told me to go home, pig out, and be warm. Having others out there encouraged me and reminded me why I love the community that surrounds my sport. Hitting my mileage goal over a month early despite all the setbacks of the last three months was just icing on the cake.

I came home and bragged to Gem that I'd reached my 1,300 mile goal and she asked what I'd run in previous years. So I graphed it out:

I didn't realize this was a PR or just how far I'd come in the last 3 years. I have to say it's a great feeling and it made me even more grateful for my amazing coach who got me through my first hundred, a 50 miler four weeks later, third woman at North Coast 24 Hour, and a marathon PR. My daughters who are excited by mommy's running adventures and encourage me in my pursuits. My family who cheers me on while secretly worrying about my mental stability. My friends who listen sympathetically and then tell me to suck it up and get back to work. My teammates at FitFluential, INKnBURN, and Altra who prove to me on a daily basis that anything is possible with a good plan and hard work.

I am so blessed this holiday season and I hope all of you are as well! Share with me what has made your year and your Thanksgiving special!

Chasing the Turkey

I can now say that I have chased a man dressed in a full turkey costume for 3.1 miles. The first ever Turkey Chase 5k took place in Cranberry Township this morning and Shane and I were there. Shane expressed hopes that it would be small first year event. I, of course, laughed in his face. Every runner likes to create a calorie deficit before they fall into a three day tryptophan coma.

When we arrived at Graham Park 45 minutes early the parking was already getting tight. I pulled the Jeep onto some grass and we went to get our bibs and chips. I'm not sure what the point of chip timing was since there were 593 people and no starting mats. Being only a couple weeks post-marathon I decided there was no point in racing and this would be an easy run. No watch, no hard effort, and hopefully no pain.

Love the shirt

I lined up 6 or 7 people deep and when the gun went off I gritted my teeth as people blasted past me. I hadn't realized there were SO many people there! And I felt my pace start to pick up. I pulled back even more and tried to not be angry that runners were leaving me in their dust. I saw my Team Aquaphor teammate, Jordan, go by and felt another surge of envy. I wanted to race!

And then we hit a small but steep incline and I didn't want to run anymore. Someone said the distance was 0.63 miles and I suddenly just wanted to be done. I pulled my attention from my lack of speed and focused on my form. Stand tall, small arm movements, smooth stride, high cadence. I tried to estimate my pace based on effort. I knew that I was probably going faster than it felt since I was running with such a large group. I guessed I was in the 9:30 per mile range.

At one point we passed the finish line and the clock read 12:4x. I figured I must be around the halfway point, probably a little less based on the time and my estimated pace. As I headed out to the turnaround I counted from the leaders back. I expected to see Shane and as more people went by I started to worry. When I finally saw him I had counted 60 people ahead of him. I still didn't realize just how large this race was.

I rounded the turn and headed back to the finish. People were kicking and struggling to the finish. Rasping breath and coughs and staggering forms were all around me. My breathing was still easy and I felt the urge to find another gear for the finish but I held back. As I passed Shane he yelled out, "27". I figured he meant the clock was already past 27 minutes so I didn't kick. I crossed the mat at 27:0x. I should have FREAKING kicked! Doh!

I'm still pretty amazed that I ran a 27:04 easy race though. That's a big improvement and I feel a great 2013 season coming! The really cool part was finally meeting my Team Aquaphor teammate in person though. I've been following the exploits of these 200 people for most of the year and I feel like I know them.

Jordan and I

 

Of course, after that it was turkey time! Ash couldn't wait to dig into her 'big chicken' and I love pumpkin pie! Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

 

 

 

How was your day? Did you do a Turkey Trot/Gobble Wobble/Gut Buster?