Stretching in heels

I’m thankful for running.
I’m thankful for the ability to run.
I’m thankful for running with friends.
I’m thankful for my health.
I’m thankful for my family.
I’m thankful for running so I can eat.

I’m thankful that every year on Thanksgiving I get to do one of the things I love most [running] with some of the people I love most [friends and family] and follow it up with one of the things I love most [eating].  This year’s run was a little rainy, but not too chilly.  Malia and her sisters were at the race along with our friend Dane.  My friends Lindsay and Sara were also running along with my cousins Mat and Sarah.  I’m sure there were many other people running that I know, I just didn’t see them.

The race started at 9 a.m. (it was SO nice to sleep in a little bit that morning!).  There were tons of people out there to support the community.  Malia and I decided to stick together as always and run a 9:30 or so pace for the race.  Two years ago we were able to run a 27:30 for the race and hoped to match it this year.

There were so many people at the start of the race that we had a hard time getting up to a good pace.  Our first mile was about a 10:30 pace with all the crowds and walkers to dodge.  After that we ran into Lindsay around the halfway mark where the crowds thinned out and were able to pick up our pace.  We ran along and a 9-9:30 minute pace for the next mile or so finishing out the race from a 7 to 8:30 pace.  Our time was once again a 27:30.  We were very excited to have run the same time especially with the larger crowds this year.

After the race I ran into my cousins in the snack area.  We chatted for a bit, I said hi to some other friends and then we headed home.  All in all it was a great race and I look forward to running it with my family and friends again next year.  :)

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My Thanksgiving was awesome this year.  I love seeing my family and getting to know my little nephew more and more (he’s ADORABLE!).  We had a delicious “linner” around 2 p.m. that day and I got to hang out with my cousins and catch up on the happenings in our lives.  I also got a call from Will saying that he had left his truck keys in my car so he couldn’t drive to work on Thanksgiving morning.  The good thing about that was that he had to come and get the keys from me (borrowing his mom’s car) so he could get to work the day after Thanksgiving… so I got to see him on Thanksgiving too!  All in all a great Turkey Day.