Turkey Trot

This morning I was pleased to run another 5K race, the Ann Arbor Turkey Trot, held on the North Campus of the University of Michigan, where I lived in the early nineteen-eighties while working on my Master's degree. So it was fun to be back on old, familiar turf. Weatherwise, we dodged a BIG bullet ... they had been calling for rain, but none appeared, so, although it was cool (40 degrees) and moist/misty, the conditions were not unpleasant. This particular race has grown significantly - when I ran it in 2008, there was about 700 runners; last year they had about 1200; and this year they were expecting over 1800. My training has been so spotty and light lately, that I only set myself the modest goal of breaking 32 minutes (though my 5K personal record is 29:14, and when I ran this race in 2008, my time was 30:29) ... and even at that, I fell just short, coming across the line (by my watch) in 32:33. But I guess the important thing was to do it. While I ran, I listened to Christmas music on my iPod, and thought of my family, most of whom I look forward to seeing today. I also thought of my friend Mike, whom I saw before the 2008 race along with his son Andy, a professional violinist. But times change, and Mike and his wife Cindy have now moved to Pittsburgh. As I arrived this morning, though, I did see other friends from church - Robyn and Jeff - though in my nearsighted condition without glasses, I didn't recognize them until Robyn verbally identified herself.