Thanksgiving is full of long-running holiday favorites. Indulging in delicious home-cooked meals, being surrounded by the smell of fresh pie and relaxing with family on the couch — there’s no doubt it’s one of the best times of the year. And completing some form of physical activity in the morning has become increasingly popular before the feasting begins. A Turkey Trot is a great tradition to start or continue come Thanksgiving morning.
First thing’s first: Are you just starting out or have you been putting some miles under your belt? Regardless, a Turkey Trot is a great way to create a short-term goal from now until Thanksgiving Day to get yourself on a set training program until then. Or, if you’re already a runner, now is the time to show all the hard work you’ve been putting in and see how well you can do. Plus, it’s a fun, not overly competitive race.
Here’s how to prepare for your Turkey Day 5k even when you’re not the endurance athlete of the family.
If you’re just starting out, here’s what I recommend:
- Start going for morning runs. I always recommend training at the time of day your race will be at.
- Don’t worry so much about your time. Your goal may be to run the race without walking, or to run two of the miles without stopping, so when you’re training, focus on those smaller goals rather than your overall time. You should be so proud of yourself for entering a race to begin with!
- You do not need to run every day. It’s actually not a good idea to push yourself too hard too soon, because you’ll risk getting injured. If you’re just starting out, I’d recommend running every other day and cross-training on the in-between days to get extra cardio in such as swimming, biking, or the elliptical.
- Drink plenty of water and make sure you’re recovering well. Begin stretching and foam rolling — especially your legs and hips — and sleep well and fuel your body.
A sample week of training may look something like this:
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