1st Annual runwithjill Turkey Trot RR

I'm not really sure if I've mentioned that I have been having this little annoying heel problem for the past many months??  Well, if not I deeply and sincerely apologize so let me summarize:  My heel hurts, I've barely run  in 8 months.  I know, shocker!!  Speedwork?  Practically zilch, unless you call a handful of mile repeats at once MP "speedwork."

There must be about a half dozen or so Turkey Trots happening around Denver on Thanksgiving day, the biggest being the United Way 4-miler in a very popular running area called Washington Park ("Wash Park" known to us locals).  I've done this race a few hundred times in the past - when my daughter was little, we used to go and run/walk with friends.  One time my girlfriend from Iowa (Hi Meg) was here visiting and I think 9 of us smashed in my Honda Pilot to get to the start.  Fun memories, that turkey trot holds.

But I didn't do it this Thanksgiving; the daughter now thinks running is a death sentence, the only running child I own wasn't in the mood, no friends I knew were doing it and though I could easily have gone alone, as I have done with various races past, I couldn't justify paying the bucks to go run a very slow race (hahah, threw that slow pace thing in there for you, Kovas!).  But there was a 5K at the uber-cool gym I go to put on by the personal trainers (well, it was once uber-cool, but the novelty of it's grandiosity has waned and I now find many irritating flaws...like how many of the digital lockers never work, or at least two of the stellar treadmills are always broke) - and it was free!  Free + Jill-in-need-of-some-sort-of-speedwork meant it was time to bribe my neighbor, Jim, to join me.

Wake up Thanksgiving morning, ready to race..... to a balmy 9 degrees. 

Call me a pansy if you wish.  It does not matter that I grew up in Iowa, where lawns have been known to stay white for an entire 6 months and that I now live in Colorado, the mecca of winter sports - I just do... not... do... cold... well!  I'm not sure when this I-hate-to-be-cold problem started - I used to LOVE to ski but one time going up a ski lift, my toes got so cold and my core was shivering so badly - it took days of countless hot chocolates and scalding showers to thaw out and that was it, I was done downhill skiing.  Haven't skied in ages, have no plans of ever doing so again.  Snowshoeing, where I can constantly keep moving is another story...but not skiing. 

So I send Jim an email: I'm out.  Too cold.  Pansy.  Whatever.  Thankfully, he concurred so no guilt on my part.  Whew.

So what's a cold weather pansy girl gonna do?  Hello treadmill!!!  I know most have a hatred for the thing (except for Emz - my happy treadmill buddy) but I really don't mind it.  I especially love it's convenience (my basement).  So I decided it was time to enter the first ever "runwithjill Turkey Trot 5K" - here's me, jockeying for a pre-race front row position (remember that room, Marcia??).  I don't know what pace I can run a race anymore.  The 5K has always been a huge mystery to me pace-wise, and I honestly think it's one of the worst lung-sucking races ever invented.  Aside from the 10K.  Or the mile.  So considering all I've been through these many, MANY months, I was ok with anything my legs and lungs could produce; I just wanted a number - any number.  And for the heel to cooperate.  So I set the treadmill for random inclines between 1 and 4 and away I went.  Started out a bit too slow (whooa, that never happens in a paid-for race) so played with the pace here and there and by the end, I was doing a 7:31 pace and feeling mighty fine (and thankful I didn't decide beforehand I needed to do a 10K).

Goal #1 accomplished, I got me a number: Official runwithjill Turkey Trot 5K time: 23:51
Avg pace: 7:41
AG placement: 1st
Overall female: 1st
Overall placement: 1st
Post race food:  As much turkey (deep fried and smoked, thanks to my brother) as I could shove in my mouth!

Goal #2 accomplished: Absolutely no heel pain.

All I can say to these two accomplishments is Praise the Lord, MIRACLES DO EXIST!
This was not a PR, but as much as I detest pretty much avoid the 5K, this time isn't that far off....if we count it post-children era (I used to run sub-21's...but that was a looooonggg time ago).  And yeah yeah yeah, this was a treadmill vs enduring the brutal outdoor elements....whatever, I was happy with the time.  And stoked my heel didn't choke.  No race t-shirt, no medal around my neck, no congratulatory hugs, but the reward was better than all those combined - my confidence was starting to creep out of the mud pit it's been lurking for some time now and I began to start thinking of all the possibilities out there waiting for me in 2011.

But, true to form with just about everything in my life lately (whaaaa), I had a miserable 13-miler on Sunday when the heel started screaming at mile 10.  Ah yes, the infamous mile 10 of hauntings past.  How could I have forgotten you?  Oh how I hate you - nothing's changed in your absence!  I stopped and stretched and cursed the heaves above repositioned my heel insert some, walked and talked a bit with a woman on the same trail who was having some knee pain,and amazingly, I was able to finish the remaining 3 miles relatively pain-free.

*sigh*

But this post isn't about that dumb Sunday longish run, this post was about my runwithjil 5K debut so let's just focus on that, pretend the 13 didn't happen, and repeat that 13 next weekend with much better results.  Ok?  Ok!!!

Holiday Gift Exchange update:
So far we have 53 partaking in what I am sure will be the highlight of your upcoming holiday festivities - the blog fest gift exchange.  53!!!   Word is spreading and I couldn't be more pleased (I think).  Still lots of time to sign up and spread the love, so please help me in seeing if we can get some sort of Guinness World Record blog holiday exchange going (bonus points to anyone who can tell me what that magical number is!! - Well, I'll just make sure to pair you up with yours truly - how awesome would that be??)  Tara (yes, she still exists believe it or not) and I decided during our swimwithjill session yesterday that we were going to have to down a few beers while we pick names to keep our sanity... we may be there awhile, any holiday beer recommendations?? 

Still time to sign up if you haven't right here 

All you across the vast blue oceans or up in the fozen Tundra-lands of Canada are also encouraged to participate.  We do not descriminate here.

I will list those participating in this exciting holiday gala mid-week, just to make sure I haven't left anyone out.  Could y'all do me a HUGE favor and email me: runlikeagirljp@gmail.com your home mailing address if I don't already have it?  I won't publish it on the blog, I just need to let your blog buddy know - you know, so they can send the gift.  I'll be glad to send y'all my address, in case you're eyeing those diamond earrings for me.  Or a trip to Fiji.
Here's a list of special comments worth mentioning:
- Lindsay wants someone "good."  Wave your hand if you're "good".
- Emz will not participate if she gets Kovas.  Ok, I completely understand, Emz.  Anyone want Kovas?
- Kovas claims to have an inside scoop that Emz is giving away her 50-miler belt buckle for her gift.  I am SO picking Emz as my exchange buddy - I just knocked off a 50-miler belt buckle from my bucket list - go me.  But I do take cash bribes if anyone else wants it.  Bidding starts immediately.
- Jill (onelittletrigirl) said people signed up last year and didn't follow-through (obviously, some other lame blog attempted this last year).  Oh how this hurts.  You signed up, you will participate.  End of story.  Got it?  Good!  I will hunt you down and stalk you 'til you die if you don't.
- Chris K. is the only one who doesn't understand the rules.  Go figure.
- Katie A. also wants someone "good".  Hum, this good thing is becoming a common theme....I'm going to have to check Santa's good list, I'm not sure any of us are on it.

Anyone else have any special requests like being a pain in the ass ? 

I'm off to the gym to do a little cycling....got something on my plate this coming weekend which I'll share after - if I don't die.

Happy miles, friends!