Trotting Like a Turkey

We got up early Thanksgiving morning to head downtown for the annual Turkey Trot. This was our 9th year to participate. We have been doing this as a family since 2002. The number grows each year & this year we had 10  participating. Half did the 5K (3.1miles) and the other half did the 1 Mile Fun Run.

My nieces & nephew are ready to go !

We ate bananas for breakfast. I was trying to save my appetite for later in the day. This turned out not to be such a great idea. We found this out later in the morning after the race.

Addicted to the Smartphone

I was posting a status on Facebook, or Tweeting or Texting somebody, just before we hit the ground running.

The gangs all here ! 

Fire Academy recruits

The recruits from the Fire Dept Academy ran the 5K with us. They were bringing up the rear & since I ended up straggling in this race, I really appreciated that Cadence they were chanting. It helped me to make it through ! LOL

Sea of Turkey Trotters !

We had perfect running weather. I ended up coming out of some of my layers. If I had properly trained for this race, it could have been great, but I was struggling. I can't deny it.

Family Finish ! 

This was probably my worst 5K ever ! And I have run a lot of them. Ugh! My niece hurt her ankle and I had to walk with her for a large portion towards the end, but I can't lie, I was GLAD to be walking ! LOL

He left his parents in the dust ! 

We finished the 5K just in time to watch the rest of the family do the 1 Mile Fun Run. The hilarious part was watching my 4 year old nephew (he will be 5 in a week) suddenly appear sprinting to the finish line without his parents or Mr. Mixologist who all started out the race WITH him ! LOL

Just before running out of his shoe ! LOL 

We were so excited to see him out front & by himself, we started cheering & calling his name, he heard us,  got excited & really dug in & then lost one of his shoes just before he reached the finish line. He ran back & picked it up and ran across the finish line holding it in his hand. We were laid out laughing at this point!  LOL

Me and my Beau :)

My sister, BIL, & Beau came trotting in WELL AFTER my 4 year old nephew. We all sat around & relaxed before heading to the cars. Not long after that my BIL became light headed  & was short of breath. To the point that he had to lay on the sidewalk. I saw some panic in his face & my sisters. By this time they were breaking down everything from the race, but there was still  an ambulance there about 200 yards away. You should have seen me sprint to those Paramedics !



They rushed right over and gave him some oxygen, asked him some questions, took his vitals & he was feeling better in no time ! (Praise God) This was his first year to actually participate instead of being a spectator.  It turns out, if you are 6'4" , 250 lbs, haven't done any significant cardio in a while and only eat 2 bananas before coming downtown to run a mile, that is probably not a good idea. LOL   We were all so scared for a moment & I remember thinking " Lord please don't let my BIL have a heart attack out here." I am the coordinator of this event & try to get as many family members to participate & I was feeling real stressed in those few moments.

Now I don't know how your family is, but once we got into the cars & headed to our respective homes, word was spreading through calls & text that my BIL had to have help from the Paramedics. By the time we got to my Aunt's house for Thanksgiving Dinner that afternoon, my cousins were.going.in.on.him ! LMAO. I mean they cut him no slack. They were laughing & clowning him big time ! I was just glad we were able to laugh about it.  I already know it's going to be extra hard recruiting for next year !


Do you have any family traditions ?

Did you do anything different for the holiday ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?


Beautifully Complex