Today was the 5K Turkey Trot in downtown Pittsburgh.  Even though it’s a ‘fun run’, I wanted to crush it, because it’s the first 5K race I have done in more than 2 years.  I wanted a PR.

Got up nice and early but feeling tired after another very average night’s sleep.  Breakfast was coffee and a bagel, before getting dressed into warm running gear … the ‘real feel’ temperature outside was 28’F.

This is a great race with 1 Mile, 5K and 5 Mile options.  The race had over 7,000 participants this year.  There were throngs of people wearing turkey hats and all sorts of costumes and then there was me, treating the race seriously by carefully warming up.  I did feel a bit like ‘that guy’ as I did my lunges.

With so many runners, the race has a pace team and I was therefore able to put myself in the right part of the starting corral.  The horn sounded and off I went.  The race went well for the most part.  I did have an idea of how fast I wanted to run, but never looked at my watch until it buzzed after a mile.   I discovered that I was running a little bit quicker than planned, which was great because I was feeling quite good.  I never looked at my watch again.

The second mile felt just like the first but there is a half mile, very slight incline in mile three and that’s where my legs told me … “sorry buddy, we are too tired from those killer bike session you have been doing lately”. I dug deep and pushed on but I knew my pace was slowing quite a bit.  I eventually made the turn for the last hundred yards to the finish and was really pleased to see the time above the finish line.  I was going to get that PR.

Races always teach me something.  This one taught me that I am better than I was two years ago.  I was able to PR on tired legs and was really pleased with my overall effort.  Effort and execution are all you can ever really control .. the results are what they are.

So, on this Thanksgiving Day, I am truly grateful that I am healthy, have a great family and that after my morning run I can now happily go eat ‘all the food’.