Turkey Trot 2012

Sadly, not prime. 

This was my first trail race.

The Turkey Trot is a cross country race put on by MATC and held in Warner Park.  There are two options for the run: 5k and 5 mile. The 5k seemed to be the more popular choice, and there were only about 40 some runners for the 5 mile.  The 5 mile route does a 1.9 mile route before they end up on the same course as the 5k.

The route is actually really nice through wooded areas.  It's essentially two loops.  The first loop has a daunting looking hill that we approach head on, but on the second loop, the route takes us on a more gradual ascent up the same hill.  Turns out I totally prefer the first loop and facing that hill head on because then it's over in seconds.  A gradual uphill ascent takes a mental toughness that I had little of this morning.   

I had a bad go of it this morning. Despite the Daylight Savings falling back, I had gotten only about 3 hours of sleep. For whatever reason, I was up until 4am (that's with the time adjusted) just watching movies. It took a little bit of arm twisting for me to run this race as it was.

My friend Barry picked me up at about 8:30am, and we got to Warner Park just before 9am. After I registered for the 5k, we met up with our mutual friend Linda and Ava.  Barry and I decided to take a quick look at the route and warm up by jogging the first loop. Unfortunately, my womanly parts decided to act up. After the first daunting hill, cramps started setting in fast. This was something that I had experienced many times before. I would run about 5-10 minutes and suddenly wracking cramps would set in and I feel faint. I have to stop running and sit down immediately. It usually passes in 20 minutes or so, but those 20 minutes are excruciating. When I started to increase my mileage training for half marathons, it went away and I hadn't experienced it in a while. This morning took me by surprise.

A vintage Turkey Trot shirt for another $10.
I registered too late to have this year's shirt.

Despite having just handed over $30 to register this morning, I wasn't sure I'd actually be able to run the race. I didn't want to start the race and end up curled up on the side of the trail in pain as runners jumped over my body. But have you ever actually tried to drop out of a race? It's mentally tough to give up. I start thinking to myself that I had already registered and I could just walk the 5k.

I lined up at the start with my friends.  I started thinking that I could start jogging at a very very slow pace and just walk when I needed.  I could always drop out later.  Linda reassured me that she planned to run at a walker's pace and that I could just pace with her.  The gun goes off and I start by pacing with Linda for about 200 meters, then I decided that I felt well enough to go a bit faster.  Turns out my friend Joe had exactly the pace that I needed.  I finished the race, never stopped to walk, and finished with a time that wasn't awful.

30:30.

Does it still count as an automatic PR if it's my first trail race?