Turkey Trotting

I stayed in the DC area again this year for Thanksgiving. I had some extra cousins in town, so we decided to run the S.O.M.E. Turkey Trot Thanksgiving morning. Its the same race I ran last year with my dad and sister. The route was a little different this year, they got rid of a weird out and back and we circled back closer to the Capitol Building before heading back down Pennsylvania Avenue to the finish.

getting ready to go

some people got into the holiday spirit

Last year we headed over the the White House for post race pictures, we did it again this year, so now it is a tradition.

First Family and Family Flyers

Again this year the race was huge, they were announcing something like 10,000 participants. I worked my way up to the back of the 8 min/mile pace group with my teenage cousins in tow. I was hoping to run around a 7:40 pace, but the starting area was so packed I couldn't move any further forward. There was some issues with people not lining up in the right area. To my left was a man with a stroller and an eight year old and to my right was a girl in jeans carrying a backpack. Since it was Thanksgiving I didn't tell them what I was thinking about their positioning at the starting line.

Once the gun went off and we crossed the start line I didn't have too much trouble opening up, but I immediately lost my cousins. The first mile went pretty fast as we ran toward the Capitol Building. A little after my watch beeped for the first mile at 7:33 I spotted my cousin Matthew. Although very athletic, at 15 he's not a long distance runner so I was a little surprised to see him at this point. I gave him a nod and a smile and passed him as we headed into the second mile. Mile 2 is the least scenic and flat portion of the race. We looped around some office buildings south of the Mall before heading back towards Pennsylvania. My second mile was only a bit slower at 7:39.

My stomach started feeling a little iffy as I headed into the final mile so I slowed down a little. I hadn't really been running with anyone so I didn't have anyone I was trying to keep up with or pass, mistake. Soon I saw the balloons at the finish and powered through. My third mile was 7:55 with a 1:08 final .1(6). 

My official time was 24:15, another PR!

My pace was 7:49 a little off of my Baltimore Relay Pace.

I placed 593rd out of 3453 (timed participants, many signed up as untimed)

and 61st out of 550 Females 20-29

legwarmers and a headstand for the win