We are working with Jack Rightmyer -- an author, teacher, parent, runner -- who has proposed a book tentatively titled "Sports - A Family Affair."  Jack got into road racing when he was in high school.  Here is a report on his first races many years ago:

 

 Having run quite a few high school track races by that time, I wasn’t prepared for the Mardi Gras spirit of a road race.  I lined up in the middle of the pack, with a bunch of old sweaty guys and waited for the gun to sound.  When it went off we jogged down the road, which was littered with hundreds of potholes.  After a few minutes it began to empty a bit in front of me, and I could really start to run.

I began moving by many people to my right and left.  About two miles into the race we ran by a bar “The Ale House,” and there were some patrons already out on the street holding their beers aloft and cheering us on.  And this was 10:30 in the morning!  This stuff never happened in a high school race.

 

At the halfway mark we had to run around a cone in the center of the road and then go in the opposite direction.  I couldn’t believe how many runners were behind me.  I kept feeling stronger and stronger and when I could finally see the downtown section of Troy I knew we were just about at the finish.  And that’s when I heard a loud roar go up.  Were the spectators cheering for me?  I didn’t think I had a fan club in Troy.  I didn’t even know anyone in Troy.  

 

I could now see the finish line banner stretching across the road and blowing in the wind.  That was the end.  Only two hundred more yards!  The sidewalks were crowded with spectators.  I got up on my toes and began sprinting.  There were a few more runners I could pass.  Spectators love seeing runners sprint it in at the finish.  But why were these spectators waving and smiling?

 

And that’s when Captain Video pulled up next to me.  He was wearing a bright green fluorescent wig, with green tights, a green cape that spelled out Captain Video with sparkly stars and he was holding a wand and waving it at the spectators.  Who or what was this guy?  There was no way I was going to let Captain Video beat me in my first road race.  I put my head down and tried to run as quickly as possible.  I had to get to that finish line before this running freak, this abomination, this embarrassment.  He stayed with me stride for stride, and he was waving to the crowd at the same time.  I wanted to disappear.  If he beat me I’d never be able to walk through these streets of Troy ever again.  Only fifty yards left.  Keep pumping those arms.  Go! Go! Go!

 

But right at the end, with a sudden burst of speed, Captain Video exploded by me and through the finish line.  His cape kept blowing in my face as we moved through the chute, and the local TV stations at the race made sure to film this marvelous green mystery man, but I tried to slink away to my parents who were carrying my sweats, hat and gloves.

 

“Good race, Jack,” said my dad.  “You beat a lot of runners.”

 

“Here, get your sweats on, Jack,” said my mom.  She was concerned that I was going to drop dead from hypothermia.

 

“Captain Video has a fast sprint,” said my dad stifling a laugh.

 

I tried really hard not to smile.  “Let’s get out of here,” I said.

 

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 Photo by Clara S

This morning was grey and foggy, about 45 degrees, perfect for running.  Jen picked up Feaster Five packets earlier so it was less hassle.  The biggest pre-race issue for me was figuring out how to attach the ChronoTrack D-Tag system, a timing system that replaces the chips previously used.  It wasn’t that hard -- but different.

 

After an early morning walk with the dog, we headed out towards Andover with a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee stop.  As you merge into I-495, you start picking up lots of other racers heading toward the Andover start.  I parked near the highway, since the dog was to wait in the truck (and I wanted few distractions -- it seems that every tenth family brings a dog), and walked to the track where the kids runs were held.

 

For the first year, our grandson Mac was running the fun run.  It’s a great environment -- with individual races for each two year age group, with longer distances up to a quarter mile for the 11-12 year-olds.  An Andover motorcycle cop, lights flashing, leads each heat out at the start and every kid gets a prize and lots of fan support.

 

Jen and I went off to stand in line with thousands of others for the Porta-Potties and then wedged into the big starting crowd.  9,000 people take up a lot of space and everyone ignores the signs listing paces.  Walkers end up with the 7:00 minute mile folks -- but no one get too freaked out.

 

Short speeches by local heros, and this year, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Bill Rogers, and then the singing of God Bless America by a nine-year-old boy, and the national anthem by a woman, and we were off -- shuffling toward to start line.

 

The first mile is always slow -- with walkers walking five abreast, and faster runners darting back and forth.  One guy said later, “ I think I ran laterally longer than I did straight ahead.”  Hey, it’s a Turkey Trot -- know one is looking for a PR.

 

There’s a pretty serious uphill just before the first mile which is always tough, especially if you’ve gone out too fast.  This year, I chugged up it, albeit slowly, and felt like I had some energy left as we turned the corner and started a shallow downhill.  Shortly afterward, the five mile runners merge with our 5K and two guys came by, at a 5 minute pace, racing neck and neck.  Soon, I saw Joan Benoit Samuelson come by in the right lane as we chugged along.  She ended up winning the woman’s five-miler -- still remarkable at age 52.

As you near the finish, you can hear the announcer but you also know that there is one more climb -- sort of an insult -- up to the line.  It pays to save just a bit so that you can finish strong. 

The post-race is a lot easier without having to stop, untie and undo timing chips (at least for 69 year-olds it is) so the timing strip, which stays with you, allows you to walk over to the tables of goodies in the parking lot.  Each finisher gets an apple pie as well so it’s always a balancing act of bagels, water, bananas, and pies as you head to the car.

In addition to justifying a turkey meal later on, there’s a good feeling to a race like this.  Not only do thousands of dollars go to the Y, the hospice, and other beneficiaries, there’s a nice family-friend atmosphere that is uplifting.  It’s also very special to be able to run with my daughter and grandson -- I feel very blessed.  Happy Thanksgiving.

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"It's often said that the race is won or lost in the last few miles.

Although the natural instinct is to run faster early in the race for insurance, that strategy can leave you fatigued and unable to push when it counts.

A strong finish is the outcome of a wise start. Learn how to plot your strategy to push through the final few miles..." so notes coach Jenny Hadfield in active.com.

She goes on to say:

"...Whether you're running your first 5K or your fifth marathon, the key to finishing strong is in controlling your effort level early in the race. Line up according to your realistic planned pace at the start area to avoid getting caught up with faster runners.

Cut the race in half and aim to run the second half slightly faster than the first half (negative split). Conserving your energy early on will leave you with enough gas to push through the most demanding part of the race--the end..."

(Read complete article)

image from Falmouth road race by ClaraS

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Some dreams actually hurt. For example, there’s the recurring one where I’m running on the beach. It’s a beach from my childhood summers in Gloucester, Massachusetts; a beach that, in my memory, shines as an image of alluring mystery; of joy and discovery: Good Harbor Beach. There’s a long, gently curving stretch of pale sand; a scatter of rocky islands that seem to float on an incoming tide; the twin lighthouses of Thacher’s reef rising from the waves to the northeast.

In my dream, I head out for a run from my home in the Vermont mountains; a run through woods or meadow or brick-built downtown. Then I turn a corner and my heart takes a leap of joy inside me: I’m all of a sudden on Good Harbor beach. The sense of happiness, of being truly “home”, is vivid, even through the filter of dreaming.

And that sense still lingers when I awaken to realize that it was only a dream, that Good Harbor Beach is nearly two-hundred miles away; that in reality I won’t turn a corner and find myself there when I head out for a run today.
So maybe it’s not exactly the dream that hurts. It’s the waking up.

I began running for fitness at the age of fifteen. That was over thirty years ago, and, as might be expected, my running has changed, just as I have, over the years. From fitness training, through road racing, to long endurance and exploration runs on wooded trails, my running has evolved into a moving meditation, a way to connect with my deeper self, and with the history and geography of the world I run through. Often when I run, my head and heart and energy systems seem to work together better than they do at any other time in my day.

A few years ago, after a four-month period of particularly intense effort in my life, I decided to give myself the gift of a return--to run-- to Gloucester. I had no agenda other than to run on the beach, to look at the Atlantic, maybe take some time to peruse the canvases of New England marine painter Fitz Henry Lane on display at the Cape Ann Historical Museum. Knowing full well of Gloucester’s fabled past as America’s premier fishing port, I had a pretty good idea that by running in Gloucester I would once again be running through history and geography.

What caught me by surprise, though, was that, for the first time, the geography and history I ran through and into would be my own .... (more)

This is a guest post by Kevin Macneil Brown  (read the whole article)

(This piece appeared, in slightly different form, in NEW ENGLAND RUNNER magazine.)

 image homage to Fitz Henry Lane, painting by Kevin Macneil Brown, acrylic on canvas, 2009

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"It's been 27 years since an American man or woman has won the New York City marathon, and the streak is unlikely to be broken this Sunday. (Read the NYT article by Cameron Stracher.) Indeed, since Alberto Salazar’s victories in 1981 and 1982, only one American-born man, Ryan Hall, has managed to run faster than Salazar’s 1981 finish of 2:08:13. While Salazar’s time was a world record when he ran it, Hall’s time (set in 2008 on a faster course at London, where he finished fifth) places him 36th on the list of top marathoners.

Some have blamed performance-enhancing drugs for the loss of American dominance on the roads; others have criticized United States training methods; still others see a shifting of interest to other sports, like lacrosse and soccer. But the real reason for the decline is a failure of narrative.From the mid-’70s to the early ’80s the United States was blessed with three great runners: Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar. Each held the No. 1 ranking at the marathon distance during that period. Their duels were legendary not only for their frequency and intensity, but also for the ink spilled about them..."  (read whole article)

 photo by totalAldo  

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Having just received an electronic reminder and a postcard from the Feaster Five race in Andover, MA, I have been thinking about Turkey Trots I've run over the years.  Whether they were small local affairs like the one in Brattleboro, VT by the Red Clover Runners, or big affairs like the Feaster Five, they were a good chance to run with family members and burn some pre-feast calories.  Most provide strong support for feeding programs and other comunity groups.

 

Here are five big ones from across the country.  For many more, you can go to active.com and type in your zip code.

 

Feaster Five - Andover, MA

This is the race I usually do with my daughter.  With about 7,000 runners & walkers, it's a zoo but aside from the first 500 runners, not too many take it that seriously - it's a time for family and friends.  It's fun just to listen to the Boston accents as runners swap tales.  

Like many Turkey Trots, the Feaster Five has a great fun run for kids that goes at 7:45 AM.  

You can register for either a 5K or a 5-miler which are run simultaneously.   Be ready for a fairly serious hill in the first mile.  Finishers get apple pies to take home.

 

YMCA Turkey Trot -- Buffalo, NY

Established in 1896, this race mark its 114th start on Thanksgiving morning, making it the oldest continually running footrace in North America (even older than the Boston Marathon)!  It's an 8K race with 10,000 participants that rolls down Delaware Avenue finishing at the Buffalo Convention Center.  Register online here.

 

Turkey Trot -- Springfield, MO

One of the largest Thanksgiving races in the mid-West, the Turkey Trot featured over 5,000 runners last year.  They donated 5400 pounds of canned goods for the Ozarks Food Harvest. Online registration closes November 24th.  This is a 5K run/walk along a paved flat course.

 

 

 

 

Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot

Now in its 42nd year,  "Dallas' Way to Begin Thanksgiving Day" had over 33,000 participants last year.  There's a 5K and an 8-miler and they start early so register and pick up your packet early.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father Joe's Thanksgiving Day 5K - San Diego, CA

Starting in beautiful Balboa Park, the race brings in funding for the 1.7 million meals Father Joe serves annually to San Diego's homeless.  The race is family and pet-friendly, so even if you aren't a competitive runner it's still a great event.  Fresh oranges at the finish line.  Last year, about 2500 runners took part.

turkey logo by DCO site      kids race photo by di_the_huntress     training logo from SpringfieldMOCVB

crowd photo from Dallas Turkey Trot site   

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