Turkey Trot 5K Race Report

When we were first married, Matt and I decided we would stay home and not travel across the country to be with our families for major holidays. Most of the time, despite our best efforts, it is still a bit lonely. Thanksgiving is the only holiday when I don't feel this longing for my family. For one holiday each year, that empty feeling in my heart is filled as I toe the line, spending it with those I treasure just as much: my running family.

At the starting line, I tucked in next to Tanya, the only familiar face at the front of the pack. Soon Rachel joined us and introduced me to her brother. Over the course of the morning, I'll meet many more of my friends' children, siblings, and parents for the first time. In doing so, they always make me feel like I'm briefly part of their holiday gathering. This is arguably the best event on my yearly racing calendar.

The starting gun goes off and the pack breaks apart. In a chaotic swirl of small children, flailing arms, and weaving runners, we climb to Eureka's Carson Mansion. I take off at an unsustainable pace to break free of the madness. Soon I find we're taking a detour that adds another hill and two unexpected blocks to the course. Assuming the out-and-back portion would be shorter, I'm not concerned.

Rachel pulls ahead as I slow up a small hill. She looks over her shoulder to find me and then keeps on. I almost catch her on the downhill, but the same oblivious man keeps running into me while he cheers for his family and she leaves me behind.

The course empties onto a boardwalk along the bay after about a mile. With a little more elbow room, I concentrate on a strong stride and begin passing people. The only person to pass me from here to the finish line is Lanore. We exchange rushed greetings as she pulls away.

On a long out-and-back stretch of road along the waterfront, I can still see Lanore ahead of me. I focus all my energies on keeping her in sight. Even though I don't have someone immediate to push me along, this at least gives me something to think about other than how much racing a 5K hurts.

A rush of relief greets me at the turnaround. Even though there were no mile markers on the course this year, I can tell that I'm somewhere near mile 2. Some club buddies call out my name and I can mostly make out shapes and colors, but my mind has trouble registering who it is through the thick haze of fatigue and pain.

With about a mile left to go, I realize that I finally found my pacer. He's about half my height and just nine years old, but his pace is strong.

Here's his finish shot, his mama took 3rd in about 20:00, so he's got some fast genes.

I slow to cross some broken pavement, turn left, and can see the remainder of the course. I start my kick and gain on my tiny competition. With less than 200m to go, he looks over his shoulder to see me right there and launches a kick of his own.

From here I can see the finish clock and am surprised to see it already displaying 22 minutes. I try not to let that deflate my finish and push as hard as I can just behind my tiny buddy.

22:12
54/1036 overall
2/125 F30-39

I pause my watch, unsure what had just happened. That felt like my fastest 5K effort. Then I realize my watch still reads a pace that would have garnered me a PR: 6:56/mi..... with 3.2 mi. Those extra two blocks made the otherwise accurate course a bit too long. Other runners agreed that the course was at least 3.20 miles. Normally, I don't mind long (or hilly) courses, because then I just go for a course PR, but this race has always been spot on and if I'm going for a PR, I'd really like it to be less than 0.10 mile difference each year. At the true 5K point, I had been running for 21:34, which would have been an eight second PR. Even though I can't count this as a PR, this indicates a steady improvement in my fitness. So that's an unofficial PR. Regardless of the course, I always leave this race with the warm and fuzzies. :)

Also, I beat our local runner superstar, Morgin, for the first time. She went on to take 2nd at the state high school cross country meet two days later, but who's paying attention, right?

Matt placed 4th overall 17:56 (17:28 at 5K, tying his PR) and won a pie for his age group win. This is also the first finishing photo where he looks like he's working for his speedy time. :)

All photos: Y. Kim, SRRC photo credit.