Race Recap: Grant Park Turkey Trot

This post should actually be called "Better Late Than Never" because the Grant Park Turkey Trot was November 29, 2014. I signed up for this race on a last-minute whim because I figured it would be the only time I would actually be able to run a "turkey trot" since the race took place on a Saturday. You see, I refuse to run a race on Thanksgiving because that's my absolute favorite holiday and I love spending the day in the kitchen. My day starts at 7am and the food is ready for a late lunch (and even later dinner!). Running just isn't part of my plan for the day. What can I say? I love to run, but Thanksgiving is the exception.

This is the only picture from race day. Oops!

I wasn't running this race for time. After Chicago, most of my runs have been about feel and just running to run. Training for a marathon is life changing in so many ways and, while I still have dreams of qualifying for Boston, I am more into enjoying the run and the time I get to myself to be myself. So, this run was all about enjoying the run and the crowd and finishing with a smile. I ran 10 miles prior to the race as part of my training for Miami Marathon so I was already in my running groove by the time the race started. Running on the lakefront is my favorite place to run, so I was happy we spent part of the race running there. Overall, it was a fun race and I'm happy I finally participated in a turkey trot!

What I Liked:

• The fleece is awesome. 
• I liked everything about the course, except for the last 1/2 mile or so that I felt like I just ran a circle. 
• Snacks at the end. 
• Hot cider at the end. 
• Reasonably priced. 
• Saturday event. 
• Chicago skyline on the medal. 
• The oatmeal sample they gave out in the goodie bag was the bomb. 

What I Didn't Like:

• Packet pickup was a disaster. I have never waited as long as I did to get my packet. The wait was so long that Road Runner Sports was even raffling off items every 10 minutes. I still don't understand why the wait was so long. 
• Last 1/2 mile of the course because of the looping feeling. 
• Packet pickup. It was really awful. 

Next up, race recap for The Ugly Sweater Run! For more on my running, follow me on Instagram @thecookierunner.