First Race Reflections by Judy G:

My 14 year old daughter, who runs both track and cross country, came home from school one day and informed me the WE were both running the Thanksgiving morning Turkey Race. Before I could say "WE?" she slipped a pamphlet into my hand with a copy of a completed on-line application. All she needed was my credit card number -( surprised she doesn't have it memorized by now).

Here are the details:

What: Turkey Race November 26 2009

Place: Kenosha Wisconsin

Distance: 2 miles

I was currently running up to one and a half miles every other day on an indoor track as part of my normal fitness regime. My daughter was appointed (or self proclaimed) as my new training coach and as such was responsible for whipping me into shape and increasing my distance to at least 2 miles. As we ran together outside our home every night she would talk, talk, talk. She assured me that the minor inclines (I believed we were running up mountain sides at the time) were a good way of building endurance and stamina. Relax my shoulders. Focus on the distance ahead (not at my feet). Widen my stride (no shuffling). I found outdoor running a whole different experience. At first I had a hard time completing a mile. My gasp every so often was taken as acknowledgement and I began to realize that we ended up talking about other things that we would not normally have the opportunity to talk about one on one. I believe that this was best benefit of running with my daughter. By race day I did hit the two mile mark outside with hills.

RACE DAY ARRIVES!!!!!!

I have to admit that I was excited and a little nervous. I ate my normal breakfast. It was already snowing/raining outside so I dressed in layers. I however could not convince my daughter that a tee shirt and penguin hat was not appropriate running attire on a frosty November morning by lake Michigan.

My husband (chauffeur, cheerleader, official photographer and if needed first aid guy) drove us to the race. We got there about an hour before race time. I was amazed at the number of people already there (both runners and spectators). There was truly a buzz in the air -anticipation, and excitement.

We did the following pre-race:

We stood in line for our bibs and tags and tee shirts.

We talked to a lot of people.

We took some before shots.

We had a bathroom break.

We looked at the course map to see where we were running.

I took a bathroom break. (Coach/daughter was rolling her eyes)

We talked to more people.

I took another bathroom break (Coach/daughter walked away rolling her eyes)

I looked for and eventually found coach/daughter. (lost husband a while ago.)

And before I knew it, we were at the starting line. Whether you feel it or not the adrenaline has kicked in even before the starters pistol fires. I didn't notice it until I was chugging along breathless about a sixth of a mile into the race. I was thinking to myself "I've ran outside. Why is this happening?" My daughter was pacing me so I knew that I was keeping my normal pace. I focused on keeping my shoulders relaxed and my eyes on the distance and the breathlessness passed as I settled into my run.

Speaking of adrenaline, as soon as the starters pistol fired, everyone seemed to take off at a run. I recalled what my sister said "its not what you can do for me now, its what you can do for me later." So with much humility I came to the realization that it was okay when the giant hot dog breezed past me along with about a hundred of his closest friends. About the half mile mark I started to notice that i was doing the breezing - that was a bit of an ego boost. It was at this point that I lost my daughter. The frigid weather had gotten the better of her and she took off to finish the race (probably with hot dog man).

There was a lot going through my head while I was running. I was cold, my knee started to ache, I was getting tired, I had no one to talk to me. With a quarter mile to go i started walking ... at which point I looked around and the voice in my head said "suck it up princess - move it". And I did. (Amazing what a change in mind set does.) I can't tell you the exhilaration I felt as I neared the finish line with my husband snapping shots and my daughter yelling go, go, go.

Just in case you're wondering, I completed the race in a blistering 21.35 - a resounding personal best. Would I do it again - you bechta. I'm looking forward to running my first 5 k race in the spring.