Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I'm the Only One Not Trotting



I've been reading so many Trotting Turkey blogs and articles - I feel a little like the unpopular kid at school by not running one this Thanksgiving. Denver has one; it's an awesome 4-mile race through historic Washington Park sponsored by United Way. 10,000 runners/walkers. Whoooo, that's a lotta folks!!! But I will not be one of the masses; I have a marathon to run in a couple weeks and it doesn't fit well with my training plan. And that's okay, as much as I'm a "fit-in" sorta girl, I don't particularly like trotting this race, despite it's awesomeness. I don't like running my guts out for 4 hard miles. I don't like how cold it can standing there shivering for an hour before. I'm kinda facing race burn-out after running 17 this year. I don't like how the crowd never really thins out -- 4 miles with 10,000 people just can't "thin", and the competitive running snob that I am doesn't like that the vast majority of entry forms are for walkers and I'm in the mix of that. To say you've run the Turkey Trot is well, to be like everyone else in Denver. That's not me right now. At least I'm big enough to admit that.


But it got me to thinking. Scary sometimes.

The average American will consume about 2000 calories at Thanksgiving dinner -- which is like eating 2-1/2 double Quarter Pounders with cheese at one sitting ... which is, like, painful to even think about.



I'm not dishing those that are out there walking or strolling babies, giving Fido some exercise, or even trying to PR as my running partner, Dennis, always dose, in the largest holiday whatever-K annual race. Not at all -- what I love about Turkey Trot's are how entire families will come out and participate. To me, it really is what Thanksgiving is all about, families coming together! I've had my family at this event many times. I've shuffled through this thing in about an hour when Abbey was a mere 2nd grader and a few times beyond; I stopped at a portapotty for many minutes with my girlfriend Meg M-T visiting from Iowa, (who regular reads, but only once commented :P ) at mile 1 (really????); I've walked the race with a girlfriend who was sick that day, still wanted to do it, and I wanted to be with her; I had a maxed-out car of runners where we laughed so hard on the way there that my side hurt so bad and thereofre had to sandbag the run and just let any respectable time go to the wayside; last year I went and cheered Dennis and his son on. Yeah, I have a shelf-full of United Way Turkey Trot T's/pajamas. But not this year.



But I'm just saying, if you can get out there and pound the pavement before you down 2000 turkey day dinner calories while gaining a new turkey shirt to boot, then I'm all for it. It's all about the family time, being together, and just having a great time.



Look for me cheering from the sidelines for you where the wanna-be popular chicks hang; I'll be the one walking funny from the 22 I'm doing tomorrow. Otherwise, I'd be right out there with ya. :)


9 comments:

Tim F said...

Although the 5K Turkey Trot I signed up for should be fun, if I eat 2K calories . . . I should have signed up for the 10K.

Good luck with the 22!

Suzy said...

I love hearing about all the people running Turkey Trots. I won't be one of them, but I like hearing about them all the same. GL on your 22.

Jenn said...

Good luck on your 22!! We don't have a turkey trot around here or I would probably do it. Both my girls have run 5K's and it would be a fun family activity! I'm hoping to stay under the 2000 calorie mark for Thanksgiving but not sure. I'm pretty good most of the time with the no sugar and clean eating bullsh*t but every now and again it's fun to shock the metabolism, right!!!

Dennis said...

I don't always try to PR at every race. But if I do I am so happy!

If you're going to pay the $$ you might as well go hard.

Good luck on the long run.
They have race day registration in case you recover and feel like burning 500 calories at the race. That's 25% of what you will eat later on top of your long run burn.

Katie A. said...

You crack me up! But at the same time, I am with you. A bit of a running snob and a bit burned out from my 12 races this year!
I am doing the 10K Turkey Trot here in downtown San Jose and I have to put a turkey in the oven! The damn race starts at 8:30!!! Why couldn't it start at 7:30 like normal races - now I have to shuffle my turkey cooking schedule! Oh well! Have an awesome Turkey day and I will pretend to see you at mile four, right before I am about to puke my guts out! :)

Shellyrm ~ just a country runner said...

Enjoy your 22.
I don't have a local Turkey Trot to enjoy (nor would my family do it with me anyway) so I will be doing my usual run(s) in the early morning and hopefully again before the extra big evening meal. So maybe I won't do too much damage.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Happy Feet 26.2 said...

Our local race is Hobble then Gobble, a 5 mile race, but I will not be participating either. I will be out of town, and I am running a half marathon on Sat. Can't wait, the weather is supposed to be nice and cold, just like I like it. I will get in a few easy miles before my feast on Thurs.

Anonymous said...

I would like to say in my own defense - that I do write you emails! Plus I have known you sense 3rd grade! You may not want me to comment :) Happy Thanksgiving Meg M-T

Anonymous said...

Dear Meg: I believe I speak for the entire group when I say, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, how about giving us an embarrassing Jill childhood story? Thanks!