I have been running turkey trots/Thanksgiving race since the early 1980s, and if my counting is correct Thursday’s 10K in Minneapolis was my 27th. I enjoy these events, which have become hugely popular with some very large events, into the 10s of thousands in some places, and it now it seems that every town or community has its own local turkey trot.
I chose this one because it would have a relatively fast and certified course. Two laps around Lake Harriet, southwest of downtown. The course is flat most of the way, but there is a decent hill at 1 and 4 miles, and a smaller incline just before 3 and 6 miles. Enough to keep you honest.
Training since the marathon has been a gradual add-on of miles without any workouts other than a tune-up fartlek last week at a local park.
We have had pretty warm weather this fall, and prior to last Tuesday only a few days when it was below freezing overnight. That changed on Tuesday night with a fast moving front that dropped a few inches of snow on the ground and brought the temperatures down into the 20s. We got an instant winter, but unlike Colorado when it gets cold here it tends to stay that way for weeks or months at a time.
Get used to it.
Thursday dawned clear and cold at 25 F and 8-10 mph winds, bringing the windchill down to about 15. I was concerned about ice on the course and spent 45 minutes doctoring my oldest pair of super shoes (Vaporfly 3s from 2023) with a half dozen hex spikes on each shoe.
Making my way to the start area from a nearby side street was the most difficult part because the streets sidewalks were mostly ice covered and I was glad to have the hex screws in my soles. However, the course around the lake was in fine shape, with nary an ice patch. So I opted to go spikeless.
I layered just right, with tights and compression socks underneath, a merino wool shirt long-sleeve and my old Alaska Salmon Runners singlet and arm warmers. Ski cap and running gloves. I was just about right for temperature management.
They sent us off at 8-sharp, I was in about the 3rd row with nearly 1000 runners behind me. The first mile felt okay, not too fast not too slow but hitting that first hill I got kind of gassed and knew I would be able to hold this effort. Crossing the mile in 6:28 (6:23 GAP) should be about right for a 10K–but more mid-season. Twenty five days after the marathon I’m not yet ready for prime time running and I eased up. A few runners passed and the group I had been with pulled away. I settled into what a month a go would have been a moderate tempo pace. This was more like threshold, a pace I could hold on for an hour.
Did not feel the wind much for the first two miles but as we rounded the north end of the lake we got some headwind. I was not really close enough to draft much. Passed 5K in just over 20:20, so not near my pre-race goal of sub 40 for the full 10K. However I was maintaining okay. A woman passed me (1st woman) soon after but I caught up to a teenage runner who had fallen back. On the far side of the lake I did try to pick it up some but it wasn’t enough to speed up my splits or drop the runner. An older guy (not in my age group) caught up with about 2K to go and pulled away swiftly the youngster went with him so I was in no man’s land into the wind, nevertheless holding on okay. I wasn’t slowing down, they were just speeding up.
As we near the end of the lap, we had to turn right to extend the distance to a full 10K. I picked up the pace with about 500 m to go and carried it in. A masters runner caught me in the final stretch but I did not mount a counter sprint. Just took it in.
Splits (remarkably close the mile markers on the course for once!) were 6:28, 6:40, 6:40, 6:35, 6:37, 6:40. I have a good baseline for upcoming tempo runs weather permitting as temps are dropping and snow is falling.
My first turkey trot in Minnesota was a success. The goal for these is to run hard but not too hard, and have some fun but also get a decent workout from the effort. Success. I’d go back.
rrunnin234 