My Turkey Trot Experience (Read 534 times)

Slattery's Turkey Trot (Fitchburg Ma - 11/23/08) My son and I went to run in Slattery's Turkey Trot (5 miles). It was COLD COLD COLD before the race (about 22 degrees and wind was whipping around bringing the wind chill down into single digits). I might have changed my mind about running a race that day, had I not already paid $40 for me and Chris to run.....(the bad side of pre-payment is you feel obligated to run anyway, when the weather sucks). About 45 minutes before the race, we were walking around and trying to warm up (jogging a few minutes here and there) wearing really heavy winter coats with a liners (winter gloves and stocking caps). My son was even talking about wearing his heavy winter coat during the race (bad idea)......... About 20 minutes before the race began, we went to the car and took off the heavy coats and got ready for the race and began running some real warm ups. Then it was time to go to the starting line so we jogged over, and all of a sudden the wind stopped blowing – sun was shining and it really didn’t feel that bad. I had light gloves and a headband (for my ears) and I took the headband off and wished I wasn’t wearing the gloves. It literally felt like it had warmed up by 20 degrees (felt good). After the race started, we had about 20 seconds before we could begin running...there were over 700 runners and its a pretty narrow starting lane, but it opens up pretty quickly after you turn up the road to run thru the local college. You start off running up a tough, but not very long hill, but I really didn’t even notice it much, because I was in the midst of 700+ runners, fresh and excited and that kind of keeps you going (besides I was warm too - which really helped). Now as much as I like running, I have never been very fast. My goal today was to beat 45:00 (9 minutes per mile - I ran this race last year in 9:40 per mile). I felt good about it and thought I could do it. My son and I were running together at what I ‘thought’ was about a 9:00 pace (starting off), I wanted to hit the first mile between 9:00 and 9:15, made the 1st mile and our split was 8:50 – feeling good and my son was running along right beside me, stride for stride. During the second mile, my son started speeding up and slowing down – back and forth a couple of times and at about 1.5 Miles, he fell behind me and I didn’t see him again until after the race. Hit the second mile at about 17:30 – so now I’m thinking I'll be running a decent time (My goal was to break 45:00 and I’m about 30 seconds up - feeling OK). NOW I SCREWED UP -- At about 2 1/2 miles, I'm running along - nice pace, legs getting a little tired but not too bad, passing this lady when she says “Hey - You're from West Boylston (the name of the town I live in) aren’t you???” And I say “yes I am, are you” and then she tells me her name and I realize that HER SON IS MY DAUGHTERS BOYFRIEND (I have just run across my daughter's sweetheart's mother in a 5 mile race with over 700+ runners - about 30 miles away from our town- figure the odds. I slow down just a little bit and run along talking, I actually needed a little break about then anyway. We are taking about the kids, other races on and on and I didn't see the 3 mile marker. Next thing you know, I hit the 4th mile and my time was 36:30 and I realize that I have slowed down to talk to this nice lady (that according to my daughter will be her mother in law), forgot my pace and probably screwed up my time......STUPID STUPID STUPID. Now I'm behind my time, with one mile to go and a nasty 4/10 mile hill, so I say goodbye and pick up my pace. This hill was pretty hard, but I didn't remember it being as bad as last year, and I turn the corner and push it HARD to the finish line (a little less then 1/2 mile - full sprint)...... GOAL - 45:00 My time 45:02............DRATS --- You've got to be kidding.... Had I kept my focus and kept running and found that nice lady after the race to visit with, I would have still gotten to talk to her and I would have probably beaten my time (by a minute or more)....but NOOOOOOO -- I have to slow down and talk to her DURING THE RACE...... The moral of my story, Keep your focus during the race, and visit and talk afterwards.....

That's too funny. But, remember it's not all about you... just think how happy your daughter will be... plus think of all the shared stories over future Thanksgiving dinners. On the other hand, you missed your goal time by 2 seconds because of your daughter. Ground her, even if she doesn't live at home.

The 2 seconds might have been worth the stealth recon you did on your daughter.

Ha! As a father of three daughters I second this!

Nice race John and funny story. Think of it this way, there will be plenty of other races, but (hopefully) only one MIL for your daughter!