Running Off Thanksgiving

The holiday season is upon us, with all its glorious dinners and pies and treats, oh my! This Thanksgiving meant escaping to the rural Tri-Town and indulging in lots of family and friends time.

In an effort to make the holiday slightly healthier, I took part in two races while home. I kicked off Thanksgiving morning with an inaugural turkey trot in Fairhaven to benefit the local food pantries. There were two running options: 5k or 5mi. Which do you think I opted for? 5k it was! As it was a fun-run, participants were encouraged to dress up. Unfortunately, I left my turkey costume in Boston; however, some runners made quite the effort. At the start line, we met a Pilgrim, two Native Americans, and Small Pox. (You know you're laughing too, as bad as you may feel. It's ok, I laughed too.) The morning was brisk- a toasty 33 degrees with a surprising wind around Fort Phoenix- and I think we shivered off more calories than we did running, but it was a perfect start to the day. Saturday morning, I ran another inaugural race at the high school, the Bulldog Dash. People from all over the Tri-Town turned out to help lower the cost of sports fees at ORR. It was only a two-miler, but it got me in my sneakers on a day I would normally spend in slippers. Mission accomplished. I was happy with my time... although the mascot beat me. Boo.

The third running-related event of the weekend was a metaphorical one; it was a run back to 2005. My high school class reunion was held at the Inn Friday night. For some reason, I spent the evening more anxious than a turkey on Thanksgiving Eve. It was great to see those who came, although it didn't stop me from shaking all night. I honestly don't know what came over me. Apparently four years of non-existant high school nerves materialized out of thin air. Nevertheless, it was a fun night with an unfortunate ending. One of our brilliant classmates yanked the fire alarm on his or her way out. The smarts never cease to amaze me...

Either way, it's always nice to run out of the city for a bit and spend time with the people you love (or the people you remember you love every five years... this reunion thing is going to take some getting used to!).