Virtually Running

For the last 3 years, our family has participated in a local turkey trot (Hubby actually runs it, I don’t- he only does 2 races a year, so I let him have that one… boo..) but this year, Hubby put off his registration and the trot got stuffed!  All sold out!

I’ve been catching up all on my blog reading lately and came across a fellow blogger’s list of virtual turkey trots and I thought, “Why not?”  I chose to go with Daily Vitamin F’s virtual trot (as fellow running mom Kiley was kind enough to donate one of her Running Sucks shirts to my auction for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society earlier this year), printed my bib and hit the road for my OWN thanksgiving day 5K.

Ready to trot!

Hubby stayed home with the kids and I headed out to one of my favorite routes at the Emeryville Marina.  Since this was my first run since the Big Sur half, I was anxious to see how my neck would feel during these 3 miles.

The weather was beautiful, one of those amazingly clear days where you can literally see forever- there’s the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Francisco skyline underneath a beautiful blue Bay Area sky. I am SO THANKFUL to live here!

Started out happily and easily, quickly settling into my normal pace of 9:30/mile (which was a HUGE relief following my miserably painful 12 minute marathon practice pace- that’s what I’m calling it now- at Big Sur).  It felt so great to be running without pain!  My neck held up, my right arm went numb a couple times but it wasn’t distracting- I was totally consumed with this amazing November weather and spent those 3 miles counting my blessings and all that I am thankful for: my family, my friends, my health (neck besides), my ability to run, and all the good food and wine I was about to consume over the next few hours.

Held pace and finished! 3 miles, no problem!

I also decided to join the Runner’s World Holiday Run Streak, pledging to run at least one mile every day, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, hoping to keep myself honest in the face of all these holiday temptations- and this was day #1, yay!  I’ve never really run consecutive days in a row, in fact I really try to avoid that as a way to also avoid injury, but I want to push myself and get out of my comfort zone.

Fitting in a run every single day for the next 40 days during the busiest time of the year, is going to force me to put foot-to-pavement at all different times of the day (basically, whenever I can!) as opposed to only in the mornings like I usually do.  I tend to think, “Oh it’s already 10am, that’s way too late to go for a run!” and “Oh, I ran yesterday, so no running today!” or “Go for a run like right now??? Don’t you know I have to cook dinner in 5 hours?”  So I am “virtually” running this streak in order to banish all those excuses… burning all those calories sure doesn’t hurt either…

How about you, did you run a turkey trot this year or do your own solo run for Thanksgiving?  Have you ever participated in or are you doing this Runner’s World streak?  If so, do you have any advice for me?  It’s only day 2 but in my post-turkey day food coma, I need all the help I can get!

And I hope you had a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!