Gobble! Gobble! Dragging the family out for local Turkey Trots (Hillsboro 19th annual Turkey Trot and Hood To Coast Series Turkey Trot)

On Tuesday, Nov 25, 2014 The kiddos participated in the Hillsboro Turkey Trot.  

I ran with Squeakers for her 200 meter dash and she needed/wanted to be carried for half of it.  I think she just wasn't "in the mood' to run because she did great at a 400 meter kids dash last summer.  

Poor Bugaboo was caught in a rush of kids and was knocked down on her face.  She had a bloody nose, scraped up hands and knees with slight abrasions/track rash on her nose and forehead, but she got up and finished the race crying.  What else could she do?  I was behind her with Squeakers and she didn't know that and Dad was at the finish line... so she ran to her Dadda and I was oblivious to the whole ordeal until we got there.  Poor kiddo.  We talked a lot about getting up and trying again and next time I might have my mother hen instincts on mega alert and won't let her out of my eye sight...  

After some hugs and kisses she was over it, but I know she was still pretty sore the next day.  Her first bloody race bib...

Thursday, Thanksgiving day, we headed out to West Linn to participate in the Hood To Coast Series Turkey Trot Run/Walk.  

This is Hood To Coast's first year hosting smaller race events other than "The Mother Of All Relays".  As a first year event, it went off pretty well!  The event is capped at 500 and was free for everyone.  I don't think all 500 registered participants showed up and would gauge it more like 30 runners in the first wave of 8 minute mile or faster and about 200 or so in the second wave of runners and walkers.  

I wish they gave the runners and joggers a little bit more of a head start from those that intended to only walk, as the trail did seem a little narrow in some areas.... but people gladly moved to the right to let me pass, so what can i complain about?  Besides, which group would I have "ran" with?  I ended up walking half of it with my kiddos and running half of it by myself.  

The kids dash left me carrying Squeakers again for half of it and Bugaboo had no reservations or fear about running, despite her fall a couple days before.  Dad ran on the side lines just behind her so that he could keep an eye on her but she felt by herself. I was a little worried if she'd like to run again, because nearly one year to the date I had biffed it and wasn't excited about running again.

  When the second wave started, we all got into "herd mentality" and followed each other off the course and around the parking lot for a quick 0.5 mile loop.  There was no denying the announcer's annoyance as he announced we were all off course and need to stay on the path.  Follow the path and do not cross traffic cones.  I was annoyed because I never left the path, or crossed any cones... the path just sorta turned into a parking lot...  but on my next trip past the start line, I saw the fork in the road and knew which way to go.

 The course was supposed to be "short of 3 miles" but after the half mile mistake, I did 3.2 miles.  While starting my second and final loop through the park, I ran into my family again.  I had left them after our half mile "warm up" (mistake loop) and figured the kiddos wanted to stay at the start.... but they saw a family friend walking the event and decided to walk with them.

When I reached them, Bugaboo would not leave me... so I trotted ahead and she stayed close behind.  We stopped for a few selfies and I kept encouraging her forward.  This is the first time she hasn't been carried at all for a race this size.  Although she didn't complete the full 5K, she has a new distance PR of walking and running 1.8 miles.  So proud of my Bugaboo.

We finished the race, claimed our goodie bags and enjoyed the race atmosphere.  There were warm fires to sit by and warm up, vendors with lots of samples, hot and tasty coffee and a finisher's mug for everyone.

Goodie bags contained an entire pumpkin pie, bag of dinner rolls, jerky, chocolate milk, chips, and a coupon for $10 off a $10 purchase at Dicks Sporting Goods.  I spent mine on some yak trax socks and will give you a detailed review of them, I'm sure!  ;)  The kiddos wanted (pretty) Polar Water bottles.  With holiday sales going on, my $12 socks were buy-one-get-one-free so $24 worth of cushy socks for $2 and the kids fancy water bottles were $0.99.

Thanks Hood To Coast!!!!   

They also had too many treats left over after the event so they piled the extra goodie bags on several of us "back of the packers" hanging out after the event.

It was so much fun and I am so glad we went.  The girls adore their finisher's mugs and we used them during our Thanksgiving Dinner.

I'd say that was a fantastic deal for a free race.

Did you do a "Turkey Trot"?  (Thanksgiving is the most popular day for Road Races.)

Recap: Uberthons' Turkeython! My first Turkey Trot... or waddle.

I enjoyed my first turkey trot this year... and if You haven't done one of these yet, you've gotta give them a try.  There are tofurky is your thing, chances are you'll even find a tofurkey trot near you too.

I participated in the Uberthons Turkeython which was held at the local mall.  I'm pretty sure there were no shoppers that morning, and the ample parking was all racers and their friends and family to cheer them on.  

The race charity benefits a program also put on by Uberthons called the UberKids Enrichment program, which you can read more about by clicking here.  They were raising funds for scholarships for kids who would otherwise not be able to participate in that program.  Another aspect to the charity was kids participating in the kids' dash were encouraged to bring a new toy and/or tree ornament and kiddos could dash with the toy/ornament to place under the tree for the Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

The morning was a freezing 30 degrees Fahrenheit as runners did a 2.5K loop to warm up or stand about jumping in place to try to stay warm.  I wore my crazy turkey costume... and though you might think that would help provide some warmth... I started the race with a numb butt.  So., there ya go.  No extra insulation there with 11lbs of pillow fluff inside my fabric turkey.

 The course was a 2.5K lap around the parking perimeter of the local mall.  That was as close to a shopping center I wanted to be on Thanskgiving morning... but not everyone may feel the way i do about that.

There are events for everyone with a 2.5K run or walk, 5k run or walk and 10K run, along with a relay with 2-4 team members (for a 10K total distance).  Each lap was 2.5K, so for a 5K, run around twice and for the 10K I lapped the mall 4 times.  

The course is billed as relatively flat.  Let me tell you about that. My first 2.5K around, I noted one hill.  Okay, not so bad.  There is one uphill portion that is a little bit difficult, but I'm chugging right along... trying not to burn out with this huge turkey costume on.  On the way back to the start/finish to start my second loop, I thought there was a nice down hill portion.  Not too bad.

The second time around the 2.5K loop, I distinctly remember counting 4 hills. 4!  That's not very flat for a 2.5K.... then the third time on the loop, I decided that the whole thing was nothing but uphill.  But to clarify my bias, my suspenders on my turkey had come loose and I had to carry the damn thing.  I stopped and asked two seperate volunteers managing traffic on the road if they'd help me reclip it... but it just wasn't working out.

As I neared the finish line for the final loop, I ditched the turkey at the JC Penny store entrance and ran as fast as I could.  Literally.

I am proud that my 15 minute a mile pace last April has improved to about a 11:30 minute mile... but when my friend who had long finished her 10K saw me about to start my final loop, she asked if she could join me.   I was grateful for the company as my legs were wobbly like a thanksgiving jello mold and I wasn't sure if i was going to make it... Much less stay upright.  I had taken a spill two days before the race and had road rash on my knee, elbow and both palms.  I didn't want to biff it again.

Well, she wasn't going to let me take a leisurely stroll.  She kept just a step ahead of me, hollering back at me how many more minutes I was from the finish at this pace.  Okay.  That was helpful.  I can't keep this up for a lifetime, but i can keep doing this for one more minute and 28 more seconds.  We passed her husband who volunteered to take race photographs.  On that final loop, I didn't even look his way to smile... much less exert any extra energy to wave.  I asked between puffs if I threw up if we could slow down.  My friend said something about waiting to vomit after the finish line.

 She's a beast!  

Well, I ran a 10:52 minute mile for that final loop.  I'll take it.  :D  

As I crossed the finish line, she grabbed my turkey costume for me, so I got to carry him across the finish.  Poor thing missed out on 2.5K of the race, but he finished too.
 
If you are looking to do this event in the future, packet pick up was three days and open for 7 hours.  So it was relatively easy to beat the lines on race day to get your bib.

Uberthons also had a second bib that racers could write what they were thankful for and pin to their backs.  I enjoyed seeing the ones that I could as people passed me.

Race photos (as of this writing) are still being edited but will be offered for a reasonable price of $5.  It's 4 days post race, but it's also important to remember that the photographer is a volunteer with a full time job too.  (After volunteering at three different races, I have a totally new perspective how much a race is held together by volunteers.)

The crowd is HUGE and very friendly.  There were more than 1,200 participants. I did get pushed once by a "very serious" athlete who was probably pissed that this wide turkey butt was blocking his path to a PR... but I didn't stumble to the asphalt and scrape my knees, so no harm done.  My crazy swinging pilgrim's legs kicked a little girl as I passed and I apologized profusely to her... but I don't think she even noticed.  

The bling is not to be messed around with!  1/4" thick and very heavy, the medal is beautiful.  I also won a grey fleece blanket for my turkey getup.  :)

It was a great morning.  (And day 18 of my Holiday running streak!)

What did you do for Thanksgiving?

DIY riding costume... or "How to stuff a turkey costume for your turkey trot"

Eight days before my "Turkey Trot" race on Thanksgiving Morning... I got onto Google.  This is usually bad news for me, because I see some idea that I can't let go of and become obsessed.  

This time, I looked up "Turkey Trot Costumes" and scrolling through the images, it didn't take long to come across this beauty:

Photo Credit:  http://www.kranson.net/events/2011/thanksgiving/parade/default.htm

The website says it was the Turkey Trot from 2011 in Detroit... So, getting more specific in my Google search terms, I found a youtube video with the runner in action (which you can click here to see it, but you might want to fast forward to 4:25.)  and a blog about his costume!

After my detective work was done, I set to sketching and after two hours from the initial Google search, I had the head completed.  

Because I was in such a hurry, I didn't think this through in terms of blogging and didn't take many photos of the process to make this.  So, bare with me as I try to explain it...

I've made 90% of the costume with found objects in my random home.  I have lots of felt for all sorts of projects, so using some felt, some orange-ish 4-way stretch jersey material, a pool noodle, black pants, coat hangers and a pole I use in the garden for bean runners... I have my costume.  And a whole lot of pillow stuffing.  Some I had to pilfer from friends who had some old/extra pillows I could de fluff.  

First thing, my orange material was "tube shaped" like the material was meant to be sewn into a skirt.  So, I took the "waist" of the skirt-like tube and folded it down to the bottom and sewed the two together all the way around, except for a small hole to shove pillow stuffing and the pool noodle in.  

Next I cut an "x" in the crotch of some old black pants and sew the new opening around the doughnut-hole opening in the orange material.  This "x" has to be big enough to fit around the hole in the orange doughnut and big enough for me to jimmy on before a race.  :) 

Getting into this thing is a making for a bad video on youtube or something.  

Then next part, I had my husband place a tennis ball on the end of the "bean pole" so that if/when I tripped and fell over my costume, I wouldn't impale myself on the rod in the head.  Shove it in the turkey head, add stuffing and sew the neck shut and attach the pole through the "chest" of the orange doughnut and secure pole into the pool noodle with just about anything you can get to work...  We have a lot of hot glue, string and maybe even a little duct tape in the mix.  The tail is attached the same way, with some coat hangers within a couple of the feathers so that it didn't just flop down behind me and get dragged behind me on race day.  It did droop a little and I'll want to fix that somehow so I'm not irritating the serious racers around me when i run in it.

That's pretty much it.  Oh!  Except suspenders.  Suspenders are a must.  That is what I did purchase for the costume at the local thrift shop.  Attaching the suspenders to the orange doughnut, I had to be cautious stepping into the doughnut hole... not to get tangled in the suspender straps and hike the turkey butt up over my own.  That was a chore.  Most certainly something I needed help with.

I have very patient friends...

This is me taking the turkey out for a test spin.  It did great for those 2 test miles.

The reactions I got from witnesses of my test run would be a whole other blog entry...

On race day, I'd change how to get the tail to be a little more predictable and not so droopy and after 3 1/2 miles in it, my suspenders came loose.  I pestered two poor race volunteers at separate parts of the course to reach down into the "doughnut hole" and clip my suspenders.

I swear that isn't as naughty as it sounds.

After giving up on it working again,  I carried the turkey to the end/beginning of the race where I had one more loop to do.  I'll go into all of that when i get the race recap up... but for now, I think instead of suspenders that are removable with their clips... I'd sew in something much more permanent and no chance of snapping/breaking/coming undone.

Anyway.  I added some old back socks to the end of the pants for "boots" (with some white material from the old pillow for the "socks"), hot glued some painted cardboard on for buckles and used a black tech shirt and some white material for the pilgrim's shirt.

The hat is black poster board and a little bit of foam inside.  I hot glued a headband to it and it stayed on perfectly.  That's about all I can think of...  :)  I'll get the recap up soon and post a pic of it on race day.  I added a couple embellishments with jingle bells on the reins and black arm sleeves with white cuffs on my arms.

Did you do a "Turkey Trot"?  Do you ever run in costume?  DIY or store bought modified for running?

**I should add that this beast weighed 11lbs, so I'll probably want to figure out ways to lighten it up too**