YMCA Turkey Trot Race Report

I was reminded by Chunky Wonder Woman's race report that I hadn't done mine yet!

Thanksgiving morning I ran in Dallas' YMCA Turkey Trot 8 miler.

We stayed in the host hotel, but I was unable to pick up my packet ahead of time, so I left at 7am for a 9am start, thinking if I got extra time I could always come back.  But the walk was kind of long, so even though packet pick-up was easy, we decided to just hang out at the start.

Which was awesome, btw.  They had bounce houses and a freaking petting zoo for the kid.

Petting zoo complete with pony rides!

Eventually, just after 8, I decided to get in line for the porto-cans, and P and Z headed back to the hotel to tool around.

At 9 we were off!  Errr.... not really.  It took me 12 minutes(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) to get across the start line.  And I was ONLY maybe halfway back.

At the start line with 30k of my closest friends.

Arg, I had forgotten what a total clusterfuck this race is!

Immediately I'm dodging walkers who lined up too close to the front, and I don't just mean walkers.  I mean old people in jeans and holding hands walkers.  And I have nothing against those people.  I am pleased that they have a healthy tradition on Thanksgiving morning, and I'm proud to share the road with them.  I just wish they'd start at the back.

So it took an expectations-adjustment because I was running around people, hopping curbs, bumping, weaving, and generally wearing the shit out of myself for the first almost-3 miles.  Ironically (NOT) right up to where the 3 milers turned off.

After that it was glorious.  A little warm, sunny, still crowded, but in a moveable way.  Definitely ready to be done by the end, though.

Where I was headed.

Chip time: 1:29:20
Gun time: 1:40:42 (!!!)

Oh yeah.  And I was banging out a sub-9 in the finishing straight, so I left too much in the tank.  But given the insanity of this race, I'm cool with that.

Afterwards, I was really frustrated with my complete inability to find food.  I had forgotten a Honey Stinger, which is BAD for me on runs over an hour.  I was really feeling depleted, woozy, even, at the finish.  I started wandering around asking people where they found their food and get sent all over creation.  One nice man took pity on me and gave me one of his bottles of Gatorade, and I almost immediately perked up.  (I was thankful for him!)  Soon after I located yogurt, which I ate on the way back to the hotel, and which continued to help.

So, note to self: for traveling races, don't forget the food!!  Also, the Dallas Turkey Trot is not, nor ever will be, a PR race.  It is about the experience of going out and being thankful for being alive and being a runner with 30,000+ of your closest race-day friends.  And I was and am thankful. :-)