Turkey trotting...

Ready to trot!

I'm on a roll with turkey holiday traditions this week, so I thought I would write about a newer tradition the family has decided to take part in.

The annual Republic Turkey Trot. It's huffing before the stuffing, or something clever like that.

This year the trot was a fundraiser for the recreational committee, and a free will donation was an entry to take part in the 5K or the 1 mile walk around town. The mile trot is marked up by gigantic turkey foot prints, while the 5K was a trail out toward the Pawnee bridge.

On Thanksgiving morning we got up and dressed warm in preparation for the big trot. We had delicious breakfast casserole and banter. Normal breakfast at our house.

"Are you going turkey trotting?" we asked Dad.

"No." (that's the clean version of his response).

After breakfast we got pumped up and ready to go. One of Mom's gal pals came by the house and the four of us made our way down to the starting grid. Well, the corner by the restaurant/grocery/pool hall/oil company (hey, it's a small town). At the trot they give away prizes, so we registered by putting our name in the jar and walked back out to the corner where they would start.

Turkey Trot 2014.

There were a couple people who were organizing the event, and they did a great job. It's nice to have something to do in a tiny town on a holiday. It even brought people from other small towns in the county. I was able to chat with people I hadn't seen in a while and we had some good laughs getting ready to start trotting.

At 9 a.m. the flood gates opened and one of the organizers just yelled, "GO!"

You would have thought there were donuts at the end of main street the way people took off. Out of a cannon. Like bats out of hell.

Yeah, I was one of them.

I was shot out of a cannon. I've been walking pretty hard core since May and I was confident that I would be able to knock a 5K out pretty easily. On average I walk about 2.5 to 3 miles regularly and the 5K portion was right at 3 miles. Sis is somewhat of a runner, and I'm really not. However, we kept up with each other pretty well. Until we got right out of town, and we were in the dust.

"No worries," I said. "We're better than those people still sitting on their couch."

A guy passed us in regular shoes and jeans. This is when I felt a little demoralized. We were about halfway and we looked back. Mom and her gal pal had turned around to head back. This was probably a smart idea on their part.

I looked at sis, who laughed.

We made it to the turn around sign and started back toward town on the trot trail. Then I had the bright idea that I should run. I think the shock of the cold, and the holiday haze made me think this was a good idea. Because, well, it wasn't one of my finer ones.

Remember when I said sis was a runner? She's also a coach.

"You can do it, just run about 30 seconds and then walk," she said.

So I jogged for about 30 seconds and quit. We walked for a bit. "Are you ready?"

"NO." I wheezed. Then I started again and for the next mile or so I jogged a little and then walked, and then jogged a little and walked. We turned the corner to town and it felt like I had nine miles left. I was dead tired. This is why I don't run.

"We'll do every other pole," sis said.

At this point I don't even think she was breathing heavy. I was.

"I may lose my breakfast casserole," I said as we stopped running to walk the homestretch back to the cafe.

"You did good," she said. Oh, how encouraging that was (feel the sarcasm). And, then we got passed by a guy in jeans, again. I wanted to punch him in the face. Jeans. Really?

By this point in the morning I can see the cafe, and even though it's cold I'm sweating - a lot. I also feel breakfast starting to rise, and my body feels like it was run over by a tank.

Then we won some stuff and I felt better. Sis won a $50gift card from the pharmacy in Belleville. Mom won a smoothie from the Dairy Queen, and I won a $5 gift card from Dollar General (which buys a ton of stuff there).

Even though we came in last (seriously, last freakin' place), we were winners. The best part is even though I felt like I was at the end of the rope we made it to the end. 


Oh, did I mention there was photographic evidence of me running? I didn't. Well, here. Against my better judgement I am going to post the photo of me running.

Because it will likely never, ever happen again.

Yes. That's me on the right. Running. And, nothing was chasing me.