Turkey Trot and Family Fun

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.  I started mine by running in a small, low-key Turkey Trot race.  This is the 3rd time that I have participated in this Turkey Trot with my family. 

The course is one of our local golf courses and you run the cart path.  Since it's a golf course there are two options for you to run...the front nine or the entire course.  We had a big group participating and together tackled 20 miles...

Me - 5 mile full course
Kristen (my big sister) - 5 mile full course
Scott (my brother in law - 2.5 mile front nine
Lily Cate (my almost 5 year niece) - 2.5 mile front nine
Dad - 2.5 mile front nine
Debby (my stepmom) - 2.5 mile front nine

The weather was perfect for a run on Thursday with overcast skies and temps in the mid-50's.  I saw a lot of runners overdressed for the weather and I started the race the same way.  I wore shorts but on top had on a short sleeve and long sleeve top.  Just after mile 1 or approximately on hole 5, I executed a quick change and took off my long sleeve.  In the process, I managed to lose my Sweaty Band headband that I love.  I didn't even notice that my headband had fallen off until after we were back home from the race having brunch.  (Random side note...a friend of Kristen's ended up picking up my headband and rescued it!!!)

Looking out on the course as my sister begins the final hill

The golf course is a really pretty course with a creek running through it.  There are quite a few wooden cart bridges and a couple looked like they could have tripped you up. Luckily I'm extra nervous of wooden bridges so I was super careful crossing them...I have never liked how the planks sometimes move as you cross a wooden bridge!  There are also lots of small hills and inclines and then a whopper of a hill up to the club house as you complete both hole 9 and hole 18.  The final hill to finish was a heart burner and super tough. 

We all ran the race separately...but apparently Lily Cate challenged my dad to a final charge up the hill to finish their race.  I'm not sure of their time I think it was around 40 minutes or just under since I saw them starting the climb up the hill as I passed the 14th hole.  My time was around 51 minutes and Kristen was just behind me in 57 minutes. 

The race is very low key and while they have a clock at the finish line they aren't actually tracking finish times.  At the start, those in the competitive division were given a label with their name on it.  Then upon finishing, someone took the label and put it up on a poster board in the appropriate race/age division.  Places were determined not by a time just by the order of stickers on the board.  Sometimes it's fun to non-race races like this one to just have fun running with other people. 

We headed to Kristen's house after the race for a brunch of quiche and oatmeal.  Lily Cate and I had some scooter races and then we timed Lily Cate racing laps on her big wheels and also her bike.  That girl is quite the bike rider and she showed off some of her trick riding skills.  I had to head home mid-morning to start work on our desserts for Thanksgiving Dinner.  Our dinner turned out super yummy and we all did a pretty good job of not over-eating too much! I think we were all very thankful for the beautiful day and for having a healthy, loving family to share it with.