Run to Feed the Hungry 5k (Race Report)

Happy Thanksgiving to all!! I'm back home in Sacramento, relaxing, eating, and enjoying time with family. I'm so very grateful for everything and everyone in my life. I really do love Thanksgiving - minus all the turkey eating! For several months my dad and I have been planning on running the huge turkey trot in Sacramento called the Run to Feed the Hungry. Beginning in 1994 with just 800 runners, it's grown every year and today saw 30,000 runners and walkers of every age, shape, and size. The race donates all funds raised to the Sacramento Food Bank, so it truly is a great way to give back while also getting out there and being active. It was exciting to be running a race with my dad, too, and it helped me take it easy and avoid racing it when I'm supposed to be in taper mode : )

pre-race

 lovely fall colors  : )

the crowded start!

To avoid the problem of parking, my dad and I biked to the start near Sac State, just a couple miles from our house. We got there pretty early and just hung out and took in the incredible crowds of people, mostly families for whom this race is an annual tradition. My only complaints were with organization. The race consisted of a timed 10k, timed 5k, and untimed 5k. My dad signed us up for the latter, which was fine with me, except that this group also included walkers and those with baby joggers. Even though I wasn't racing, it still really sucked to get stuck behind walkers or weave in and out of people the entire race. The course was great though, and the time seemed to fly by. My dad has been doing 11 minute miles at the gym, so that's what I was expecting, so imagine my surprise when we pass the first mile marker and my clock says 10:00! We managed to keep that up the whole race, bringing us in at 30:30 - not too bad! I'm really proud of my dad for having such a great race!

me & dad

 all finished! time for food!

Overall it was a lot of fun, and such a great way to start out Thanksgiving! I'm kind of bummed that we never did it before. I have have a feeling, however, that it might just become a family tradition for us as well : ) So now it's time to eat and eat some more, and spend this wonderful November day with the people I love so dearly. Again, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!!