Thanksgiving Turkey 10k Race Recap

This year…we got dumped on more than 24 hours before the race. At my house, there was at least 18 inches of snow. We cleared snow off our driveway and sidewalks using snowblowers and shovels 5 freaking times.

And for some reason…I still wanted to go run this 10k.

I think part of my desire to run this race was my romanticized view of running in the snow, doing a race with a bunch of other crazy runners, and wanting to burn some serious calories before eating a huge Thanksgiving meal later that day. I could have just run 6.2 miles on my treadmill where it is warm and dry but…what fun is that?

Our 22-mile drive to the race was nerve wrecking at best. The snow was still falling, but thanks to my husband’s 4-wheel drive truck and skillful driving, we made it to the race safely. To his dismay, the race was NOT cancelled.

Training and Preparation

Most of my fitness carried through the summer from my Air Force Half Marathon training cycle, and then the Halloween Half at the end of October. Just 4 weeks later, I basically repeated the last few weeks of my half marathon plan after taking a week to fully recover.

My Must-Have Gear for a 10k

• Bib Number! (And safety pins)
• Comfortable, Warm Running Tights
• Long sleeve Underarmour Cold Gear Turtleneck
• PRO Compression Socks (The wool ones are warmer!)
• Brooks Adrenalin 19 Running Shoes
• Reliable, Comfortable Sports Bra
• Bose Soundsport Headphones
• Custom Oakley Half Jacket Sunglasses (Actually, I should’ve had ski goggles for this race due to all the snow falling!)
• Phone Armband
• Warm Winter Touchscreen Running Gloves
• Garmin Forerunner 35
• **Full set of dry clothes, undergarments, and shoes to change into after the race**
• One thing I wish I had brought with: Running hat at with a visor to go under my headband and keep the snow from falling in my eyes.

Race Morning Routine

My typical breakfast: oatmeal with peanut butter and Nutella and a cup of tea.

We had to shovel 8 inches of snow off our driveway AGAIN before we left, which took us about an hour because it was wet and heavy. Nothing like getting the muscles all warmed up!  

After we drove through the snow and arrived safely at the race location, we picked up our bibs and went back to the truck to keep warm until the race start.

Inside The Thanksgiving Turkey 10k: Recapping the Miles

The South Davis Recreation Center hosted the “Thanksgiving Day Races” which included a Turkey 10k, Family 5k, and Kids 1k run.

I strongly, STRONGLY considered dropping to the 5k because of how cold and wet it was. Then I remembered that the reason I chose to still run on Thanksgiving morning was to burn calories, so I toughed it out with the 10k.

Start Through Mile 2

During my training and up until a couple days prior to the race, I was planning on running a new 10k personal record at this race. My goal was to run between 8:45-9:00 minutes per mile. Once all the snow fell and I realized that the roads would DEFINITELY NOT be plowed, all pace expectations went out the window. I had never tried to run fast on snow before, and I knew it wouldn’t be possible with little traction.

At the start of the race, I vowed not to check pace on my watch and just run by effort.

We jumped out of our truck about 10 minutes before the race start time, and the race started about 5 minutes late. Which means we were standing around freezing for about 15 minutes.

By the time we actually got started, I was REALLY cold. The snow falling was wet and soaked our clothes. My fingers were frozen, and I wished I had an extra pair of dry gloves.

Just before the 2 mile point, my blood was flowing enough to start warming me up, and I got circulation in my fingers again.

Mile 2 Through Mile 5

Around mile 2, we turned onto a bike trail. I was really hoping that the trail would be plowed, but no such luck. There was about 6-8 inches of snow on the trail, and a tiny path had been packed down by runners ahead of us. So…we ran single file down the narrow track.

At this point my body was warm, but the snow falling in my eyes was REALLY annoying. It would build up on my eyebrows and then dump right into my eyes, or the huge flakes would just fly right into my eyes. I alternated between wearing my sunglasses and putting them back up on my forehead, because they just kept fogging up with the humidity. I definitely wished I had a hat with a visor to keep my eyes clear.

Mile 5 Through the Finish

After mile 5, I just wanted to be done. The snow in my eyes, the cold, the wet…I was really wishing I had opted for the treadmill this morning.