Giving Thanks After a Tough Running Year

When I was a was a twenty-something runner, I figured my knees would be totally shot by the time I reached age 40, and could no longer run. I was wrong on two counts. First, my knees weren't shot when I turned 40, and now at age 49, I've been running a lot since. But while my knees have been mostly fine in my 40's, it's my hips that have given me problems. The upshot from thinking long ago I'd be done by age 40 is that every race is now is a gift. That's still true, even though this year I've spent most of the time either battling hip injuries or recovering from them.

It was with this mindset that entered the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot this past Thanksgiving with a slightly bad wheel. My right hip which gave me problems in October's Healdsburg Wine Country Half-Marathon had recovered some, but was still sore. The goal was just to go out, find a good pace, hold on, stay competitive, and finish strong. I wore a watch to monitor pace, but went in with no time goal. A well run race, getting the most out of your fitness level, is it's own reward.

Even with a bad hip and reduced expectations, the morning reminded me about everything I still love about racing. The nervous anticipation building up to the start. Being a part of the surge of humanity released by the "Boom!" of the starting pistol. Running in the tightly packed herd, punctuated by foot strikes and heavy breathing, in the early miles. Finding ways to overcome the doubt as fatigue sets in around the halfway point. The battle towards the end and the fight all the way through to the finish line. The post-race comrade of strangers who all just experienced their own personal journeys through the course.  The feeling of accomplishment after giving just about everything I had. All of that happened one more time.

I figure I've run well over 350 races over 36 years in my life, and while a lot has changed over that time, a lot has also stayed the same. I've never grown tired of it. In fact, as I get older, I appreciate it even more. So this past Thanksgiving was time for giving thanks for a lot of things, and being able to race once again was a big part of that.

Giving Thanks, Albeit in a Rambling Sort of Way

I took this incredibly dramatic picture of runners waiting around for traffic
to clear before putting away the camera to get serious for the
Silicon Valley Turkey Trot

When we think of Thanksgiving traditions, most of us think of turkey dinner with family and friends.  And while I think of that too, I always also associate Thanksgiving with running.  Thanksgiving morning has usually meant a running a race ever since my high school days in Oak Park, IL, which I'd trek a few miles up to Chicago's Riis Park for their annual Thanksgiving cross-country race, a tradition that I'm glad to see still exists today.

Thanksgiving races are always fun, since everyone's in a good mood for the holidays and late November usually brings great running weather.  That tradition continued yesterday at the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot, a huge running extravaganza held in downtown San Jose.  So my wife and I joined nearly 25,000 runners, and then met up with a couple of friends for Thanksgiving dinner at the retirement home one of them manages.  And yes, a great Thanksgiving Day made me reflect on just what I'm thankful for.  And at the risk adding another insipid holiday "things I am thankful for" post into the blog-o-sphere, I'd like to share these things with you.

• I'm thankful that on race day, I still remain excited, tense and focused on the upcoming effort, such that I spend little time snapping a bunch of pictures to post on my blog.  (That's why most of my race pictures on this blog are pretty crappy, by the way.)
• I'm thankful for finding an empty porta-potty just 15 minutes before the start of a race of 25,000 people without having to even wait in line.  If there is any testament to the incredible organization of the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot, it is this.
• I'm thankful for my Garmin watch, which told me that "easy pace" early in the race, was about a minute faster than goal pace, so I should slow down before it was too late.
• I'm thankful I still have the energy to get out there in a 10k, having fun competing and pushing myself, and after over 33 years of running since starting at age twelve, I'm not too old for this shit.
• I'm thankful my wife has found joy and fullfillment in running, too.
• I'm also thankful that when my wife rolls her eyes at another one of my stupid jokes, she does it with such dramatic flare.
• I'm thankful the standard turkey with stuffing and mashed potatoes served at a retirement home, when enjoyed with the company of good friends, is elevated to a sublime eating experience.
•  I'm thankful for sharing the deliciousness of Great Divide's Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout with friends who also appreciate its rich, intense complex nature.
• And finally, I'm thankful for you, because I write things so others gain by reading them, and there's a satisfying feeling whenever I discover someone actually reads something here.

All the best to you for the holidays!