Turkey Trot 10K

The Sertoma Turkey Trot 10K in Mesa is one of my favorite races.    It is touted at being the largest 10K in Arizona and there are 4000 runners including the participants in a one mile and two mile walk/run.  The course has s gradual downhill around mile 2 and a longer gradual (ok, much longer) uphill after mile 4.  The race started at 9am, which is relatively late but I guess it allows more participants.  It was a gorgeous morning but starting to get warm.  John and I managed to get excellent parking really close to the start of the race.

Secretly for this race I was wanting a PR.  I had got a PR 3 weeks before with a 47:22 a 7:38 pace and thought I should be able to drop a second or so per mile.  Mentally though, I was still struggling with the confidence issue that is following me around lately

Before the race, John reminded not to weave around people, which I often do.  Its almost a joke with us because he tells me not to do that and yet I continue to weave.  Once the gun went off I went out slowly, not weaving but got caught way outside on the first corner.  The wheelchair racers were also negotiating the same corner at the same time and those can't turn on a dime like runners can.  Some guy accidentally kicked me as I was trying to figure out what the wheelchair runner was doing and I had to swing into the guy's path to avoid the wheelchair (sorry whoever you are).

My biggest complaint about the race is water organization. Less than one mile was the first water stop, which   is too close for me to want water but other runners went for the tables. The water stop was not set up.  The volunteers were pouring cups as I ran by.  I wonder if they thought they would pour a cup and hand it directly to a runner.  Imagine a waiter with a white towel draped over his arm asking...would you like a cup of water?  And then pouring it.  The poor volunteers had no idea all the cups should have been pre-poured and there were thousands of runners ready to descend on them. The second water stop was around 2 miles and they were ready and more organized.   Unfortunately right grabbing my cup, the runner in front of me, decided to walk through the water stop.  Needless to say, I wore the majority of my water from that stop.  At 2.5 miles we looped by the starting area where the announcer said there is a water stop up ahead, make sure you stay hydrated since its warm.  At that point, it was quite warm and since I didn't get much water at stop 2, I was looking forward to the next water stop.  Someone should have told the announcer that the next water stop wasn't for 2 miles and he was misleading us poor runners.

Mile 1 was run in 7:29, which is perfect and not too fast.

Mile 2, which was a downhill grade, was 7:21.

Mile 3 was 7:36

Mile 4 was 7:43

Mile 5 was the hill that I ran in 7:54. With the hill,  I was thinking I had given up too much time.  My average pace at that point was 7:36.  I didn't know how accurate the Garmin was or if I could step it up to get a PR at this point.

Mile 6 I picked it up with a 7:24 and the whole remaining .2 was 6:49.

At mile 5 I asked a runner if the Tom the Turkey had passed us yet.  Tom the Turkey generally runs a 45 minute 10K but I didn't see him pass me.  I thought I must have just missed him (although it would be tough to  miss person in a turkey costume running by).  The runner said he hadn't passed and Tom the Turkey was probably running a 49.  One of my goals in running is to pass Tom the Turkey.  That means being able to run a 45 and I have a ways to go.  The other possibility is if Tom the Turkey just doesn't run real fast.

I was ecstatic when I crossed the finish line and I was handed a coveted "I Beat the Turkey" certificate.  No, I didn't come close to hitting 45 minutes but I still beat the turkey and was glad to have my certificate. Now I get to add it to my scrapbook along with the picture of me and the turkey.

My final Garmin pace was avg pace of 7:32 giving me a new PR of 46:49 (official).  5th in my age group and 294th person overall..  So not only did I get a new PR but I also beat the turkey.