Peoria Turkey Trot – 4 Mile – 28:19

Today was a hilly 4 Miler out of town. We met up with Drew and got ready to kick butt – Team Throw Down! 🙂

This was Drew’s first time doing this race and he was in for a treat. It is quite hilly, as my Garmin map from last year shows. It was 55 degrees with a light winds and some drizzle. I had a really nice 2 Mile Warm Up and felt ready to go. I only got in a couple of strides and it was time to go. Off we went, after the first half mile we start the climb. I don’t even bother looking at my watch. I don’t want to psych myself up with the lack of speed and instead just try to focus on good form. After the first hill there is a level off, down hill and then one more steep hill before the big decent. Many guys stop to walk the last hill for the moment they were out of gas. The downhill is quite steep and is a challenge to lean into it. I felt the flash backs of my fall back in May and that was on a flat surface easy run, so I was worried about tripping on myself. Luckily I make it down the hill and now it’s time to race down a few people. Rob has been fighting some sinus, cold thing for the last few days and wasn’t sure how this race would go for him. I was so excited to see as we left the hills that he was so far ahead of me he was barely a spec, I was proud that he was doing so great!

I manage to pass some dudes and one lady. The course finishes up on a cross-country path that was lightly muddy, my new shoes were baptised properly. In the last push I get past another guy, but can’t get up to the next female and have to settle with being on her heels just before the finish.

Rob came in at 26:12 and was 2nd in his Age Group!
I was 28:19, not a PR, but a course improvement of my 29:54 of last year. Plus I got 1st in my Age Group!
1st and 2nd finishers got a voucher for a free turkey, so Rob and I have to get out the turkey recipes!

Drew did amazing as well! We didn’t get far into our cool down until we came upon Drew. He was looking great, passed a bunch of people at the end and got a new PR!

Our traditional tree stump pictures. Rob and me.