Katy YMCA Turkey Dash

In both the figurative and literal senses, this morning's Turkey Dash was an acid test. I thought I had found the right strategy to ward off the race-day nausea that has dogged me for too long. But would it work?

Well, just like true gold drenched in nitric acid, the results turned out to be shining:

Mile 1: 9:44
Mile 2: 10:02
Mile 3: 10:33
5K elapsed time: 31:26 (per Garmin Forerunner 205)

And so, I find myself thankful for my best race in six months. I thought I had an outside chance at 30 minutes, but that was definitely lost in the final mile. Mysteriously, several people in the crowd running around me began to wheeze, hack and cough. This put my mind in a not-so-pleasant place, so I just slowed up and let them pass ahead before I caught whatever they were tossing up. Otherwise, the battery of ranitidine and old-fashioned calcium carbonate enabled me to open up my breathing and push my pace into the tens again. It was a good run, and I was entertained for much of it by eavesdropping on a group of women swapping stories about what their kids were learning in sex-ed class.

The weather was stunning -- sunny with temperatures in the high 40s and no wind. The public address announcer crowed that the event set a new registration record (2900). Families with children and dogs were as abundant as the parking at the new Villagio shopping center across the street from the Y. In all, I can easily see this event growing just as popular as the TXU Energy Turkey Trot in the Uptown District.

Happy Thanksgiving!