On Turkey Trotting and Thankfulness

Published by Bethany on November 25, 2011

My Google reader cache is filled with thankfulness posts this weekend. I had the opportunity yesterday to truly experience thankfulness.

My sister-in-law hosted a massive thanksgiving crowd. Included were an exchange student from Saudi Arabia who is living with them, and a family of refugees from Iraq. Hearing the story of this family over dinner was a huge wake-up call. Without going into too many details, the hardships they experienced during their oppression under Saddam, trying to flee the country, being separated for years, and then finally legally immigrating was amazing and sobering. This family is very close-knit and thankful for things we all take for granted on a daily basis: the ability to legally drive, get a job, basically, to be free.

People here like to complain the consequences of their choices, their freedom. In contrast, the eldest son of this family is working up to two full-time jobs in a bakery and making shoes to support this family on his own, all while feeling like the luckiest guy on the planet!

I am thankful for all the opportunities and gifts I’ve been given, and I appreciate them more after our experience yesterday.

On to the Turkey Trot!

The one I did was actually the MUST Gobble Jog, which benefits MUST Ministries. This is an organization which helps immigrants like the ones I mentioned above get temporary housing, jobs. etc. and basically helping them get their start in our country. Great organization.

Anyways, the funny thing is when I read the name of the race, and knew it benefitted this ministry, I still didn’t make the connection with the name of the race. I was thinking along the lines of MUST Gobble Jog= You SIMPLY HAVE TO Gobble Jog!

I only did this race because I couldn’t stand the thought of not running a race on a holiday. Since 2009 it has been a tradition to do so, and I didn’t want to end it even though I was 2.5 weeks post IM, and 10 lbs too heavy. John didn’t join me for this one, but was VERY sweet to get up early and show up as support for a fun run.

So I registered the night before, and showed up feeling nervous. The route was also hilly, and I haven’t run a hill in weeks. Thus, my strategy was to jog up the hills and use the leg turnover I hoped I still had on the downhills. I also only made my playlist on my IPOD 41.7 minutes, so hoped that I wouldn’t be slower than that.

Went out and felt pretty good, the route was two loops and I hit the 5k at about 20:05. At that point I knew I didn’t have a negative split in me, though. As I had suspected, I had good leg speed still on the downhills and flats, but was basically “waddling” on the uphills.

So I’d pass ten people on every downhill and the same ten would pass me back on the hills, this happened with the same ten people on EVERY hill.
At the beginning several girls got out in front. I passed all but two (so I thought) but it turns out one was too far ahead to see. Finished as fourth female in 40:53.

Was happy that I did the race, and this gives me hope for the lofty goal I have set for my 10k benchmark in February. It also makes me realize that I need to get my act together if I want to represent at the Hogpen Hill Climb in January!