Run now, feast later at Wooster YMCA Turkey Trot

It’s 7 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Any sane person is spending this work-free morning snuggled up under the covers, happily snoring away in a warm, comfortable bed. But me, I’m not in bed, swathed in pajamas and dozing away. Me, I’m standing outside in the dark at a starting line with 89 other insane people otherwise known as runners.We’re here at the Wooster High School cross country course for the third annual Wooster Turkey Trot, a holiday 5K/10K run/walk presented by the Wooster YMCA and Wooster High School. It’s a balmy 38 degrees, the sun is just beginning to rise in the east and there’s frost glittering on the grass. It’s time to run. We receive instructions to follow the marked route; a 1.5 mile loop that the 5K (3.1 mile) runners complete twice and the 10K (6.2 mile) runners round four times. At the finish line, we will each be handed a popsicle stick to mark our place and finishing time. Any questions? And with that, we were wished a Happy Thanksgiving and sent scurrying on our way.Off we dashed down the track. Even at 7 a.m., runners and walkers were smiling good-naturedly and chatting as they trudged through the soggy backstretch, wove through copses of trees and climbed up the hill. Children trotted alongside parents, husbands ran beside wives and runners of all ages joined Tom the Turkey, a runner in a padded and plumed bodysuit, on this festive morning run. A few more miles later, the going got tougher. With each pass, the mire got deeper, our shoes got wetter and our legs got heavier and more mud-splattered. And is it just my imagination, or did that hill get steeper? But the finish line, and turkey, beckoned from the distance, and we were all determined to reach that goal. I could practically see each participant chasing after the proverbial carrot. And drumstick. And slice of pecan pie. I know I could almost taste the vast quantities of date pudding these miles would merit. Because today, turkey trumps tiredness, hands down. As my lungs burned and my legs began to ache, I remembered my reasons for signing up for this race in the first place. Okay, so it didn’t hurt that I could guiltlessly gorge myself on gravy and pie as I eat my heart out at multiple Thanksgiving feasts. As Josh Adkins, YMCA head sports director said, it’s a great opportunity to burn off all the extra calories before eating all that turkey. But food aside, this run supports the YMCA’s youth programs, as well as honors a fellow runner. Each year, the Turkey Trot is held in memory of Jim Boyd, a longtime YMCA employee and sports lover who passed away in 2009. So I kept running. Fifty-three minutes 30 seconds and 6.2 miles later, the sun was officially up as I crossed the finish line to cheers and congratulations. I’d done it. I’d earned that extra plateful later and could happily brag between mouthfuls while obnoxiously wearing my bright orange Turkey Trot shirt. And besides supporting my traditional Thanksgiving gluttony, I got to experience a race filled with friendly competition and the camaraderie only an early morning race through the mud can inspire. For these things, and for not having to take another step, I can truly be thankful. Now, bring on the tryptophan, it’s time for a nap!