Trotting Before the Turkey

Every Thanksgiving for the past five years or so, I've made a point to run a turkey Trot prior to the big feast. Not only is it a great way to build up a huge appetite for T-Day (usually that's not a problem for me, but I have to go to two--that's right, two--meals in one day, so I need any help I can get!), but it's also a fun opportunity to get in a rare mid-week race. Usually, I'll do a 10K on a rather tough course, but this year I opted for a more manageable 5K in Northern Virginia. About 3500 runners toed the line on the balmy, bright morning, and I found a spot in the front of the pack just before the gun went off. My plan was of course to finish in a respectable time, but also to see if I could run evenly (I have a tendency to go out too fast in races). After a few near-trips over some high school kids running zig zag in front of me, I settled into my groove and darted toward the first mile. We crossed that mark in 6:20, and immediately I put on the breaks. Too fast. Even though I felt great, I wanted to focus on keeping a strong pace throughout. So I backed off into about 6:40 pace, which I managed to hold onto all the way through the slightly uphill finish. My final time was 20:41: Not my best, but faster than what I've run lately. And even better? I felt like I could run another 5K at the end, making me think I can hold 6:40 pace for a 10K with a bit more training.

So, did any of you get to trotting on Thanksgiving? If so, tell us about your race experience!

Hope to see you at the adidas Urban Run this week!
~Sarah