The Des Moines Turkey Trot Complete! A VERY Happy Thanksgiving, Indeed!

Cheryl Gets a NEW PR for the 5K.   21:44

Did I mention in the last post that Cheryl was looking for a Possible new PR?   Kept it kinda vague...  but was half serious.   This year ( 2019)   Cheryl has bested all of her Previous PRs in every distance except the 5K.   And this Turkey Trot was the last ( and one of the only!) of the 5K's of the year. I was actually a fluke!  Since she had been running the 5 MILE Turkey Trot in Des Moines for the last several years.  But the people with Strollers and 5K walkers would get in her way.  Since there were no Age group awards,  no medals, no recognition of any kind aside from the time...  there was no reason to even do the 5 MILE over the 5K.    So Cheryl signed up for 5K without any advanced planning.

Finding the start. 

Keeping warm in the Subaru

Only afterwords did we notice that the 5K was the last missing distance for a new PR for 2019.    Cheryl told me she was not going to go for it, since there was no age group award, medal or recognition of any kind...  which is hidden code for :  She is going to try to get a PR tomorrow.  I tired to hide the fact that I knew..  I mean,  anything could happen after all.

Moving to the front to avoid the
strollers.

It was a  cold, but not terrible morning this morning.   Similar to the Marathon in Indiana. We visited the start line and then held up in the warm and toasty Subaru until about 15 minutes before the race was to star.  The festivities were as they always are:  Eat pie contest,  national anthem and then.. GO!

What the HECK?  Strollers in the
front? 

Children in strollers at
Dad's 5 Minute Mile Pace..

Cheryl moved to the front to avoid the strollers.  However,  there are always those people who think they can run a 5K with a stroller in the "Elite Front Section".   Who are these people?   Are they rude,  or just oblivious?  Or do they seriously think they can run a 5 minute mile with a kid in tow?   Imagine giving  their baby "Wind Tunnel Face!"

Start line is ready! 

Cheryl in the mix

Well,  Cheryl said those people usually "flame out" after 1/4 th a mile anyway.  So she had no problem getting around them.


She tore off and disappeared behind a pack of 4 tall people.  Good thing I nabbed at least one pic of her as she passed by.

Cheryl on the Horizon

At the finish,  Cheryl said the time to beat was 22 minutes.  I actually expected her around that time.   I was pleasantly pleased, but not surprised that she was coming in ahead of the clock time.    The Official time ( not captured on my camera or her Garmin. )  was 21:44!   A new PR and Full Sweep for 2019!   ( A "terrible" year for running, according to Cheryl)

And here is where the defining characteristic for Cheryl comes into play.... She does not BELIEVE IT?   Not like she is overjoyed with the performance... no, no, no....  She thinks that the course was "shorter"  than 5K and is not "official".   Talk about a Spoil Sport!   IS it always raining in her world?   Can she Never be happy with any of her achievements?

She can't believe her time. 

To be fair,  Garmin says that she was a little short.   However GARMIN told us that we were on a different street while driving in downtown Des Moines!  AND  GARMIN lost our signal ( and often DOES in cites with high buildings.) SEVERAL Times navigating the streets yesterday.   SO I don't trust Garmin very much in this scenario.   Besides,  GARMIN told Cheryl she ran 28 miles in Boston!  ( See a pattern here?   Garmin is not infallible!)

No medal,  just Chili and a  Cinnamon Roll. 

So YEAH!   New 5K PR at a Local Turkey Trot.  BE HAPPY!  Dang it!   And 2019 was a GREAT YEAR for running.   We have the PR's to prove it.  Maybe it was the shoes... or the Mushroom Power.   Or that she turned 45 and wanted to win all those age group awards. Whatever the reason,  her head was in the game...    And  this was a nice way to end the running season.   Be grateful!

Time for Pie!

All that being said,  and with No Medal or Trophy other than self pride and satisfaction...  the only thing to do now is celebrate by eating stuff.   Cheryl has been "celebrating" all the way home and now on the living room floor.   I guess she does deserve it.   Even if she thinks she doesn't.  It is a day of feasting, after all.  And that is saying a Lot in America..  (Where everyday is a day of feasting.) But only on these days do we get to eat an entire roasted Turkey... with all the fixin's