Hopewell Turkey Trot

Running a Turkey Trot is an easy way to feel virtuous when gathering with family later in the day. It is also an easy way to feel relaxed and mellow before gathering with everyone to sit down and eat for hours on end. Knowing this is how I feel, this morning I wondered why it has been seven years since I last ran a Turkey Trot. I only know it was seven years because I dug out my Turkey Trot t-shirt from 2010. I started this blog in earnest in January 2011. It didn't even get a mention in my short article about running that was pulled from our 2010 Pillsbury Press -- the last offline version. 

The race was in Rosedale Park in Hopewell -- where I run my long runs, and enjoy biking. It was cold this morning -- 27 degrees when I woke up, 30 at the start, 35 at the finish. BUT, it was not windy, the sun was shining brightly, and people were in a good mood. That really helps.

As I was dashing to pick up my bib (I was running late, motivation was low) I heard the announcement that they had 950 people registered this morning. It has grown nicely. I bumped into Gabrielle whose son wrestles for Hopewell. She said the event is run by the wrestlers, and that she noticed a lot of wrestlers from other towns running the race today. It was a nice sign of unity. It was also nice because Mercer County Park has since started a race on Thanksgiving morning that is growing in population. They have cool medals at the end, whereas the one in Rosedale Park is pretty low key -- cotton t-shirts, no chip, no medals, pretty bare bones. It was also only $25, most of which went for the cause.

Here are some pictures from this pretty fall day:

Before the race started -- eye on the finish line

With Gabrielle

Turkeys

Off the beaten track

This is the first race I have run where I wore the shirt that came with the race. I was debating between a long sleeved tee and a sweatshirt when I was at the car. I took off the sweatshirt, and regretted it by the time I go to the start. The sweatshirt would have been too much, but the short sleeved tee over the long sleeved one was a good compromise. The warm long wind pants was a bad choice, and I knew it before I left the house. Should have gone with capris or non-wind resistant pants. I will wrap my head around winter one of these days.

No comments on my awesome skirt. I was thinking about the skirt, though, when I kept the cotton tee shirt I will never wear -- maybe after a few more races I can turn it, too, into a running skirt. Now I wish I had run other turkey trots over the years.

As you can see in the picture, the whole course was off-road. It was hilly. It was pretty. There were a lot of people -- families with small kids, octogenarians, strollers, dogs on leashes, and everyone in-between.

Next year as I debate between this one and the one in Mercer County Park I'm not sure which way I will sway. I run a different race in Mercer County Park. On the other hand, their medals are a nice draw.

Happy Thanksgiving.