This past American Thanksgiving, I joined a bunch of friends & family to run the North Texas Turkey Trot. There was a 1 mile fun run, a 5k & 10k. I knew the 10k was a two lap course, so I opted for the 5k.
Stop looking at me, swan turkey.
And good news, I set a PR!
That Ironman behind me was aghast at my speed!
But this was incredibly frustrating. Why was a PR frustrating? Because the course was short. It was flippin short.
Yay, feet in the air!
I did some comparing of my GPS data to their course map, and I see what had happened…
My detective work.
After the one mile fun run, they forgot to adjust the 5k/10k course to add an out and back. This left us ultimately .15 mile short for the 5k and .3 short for the 10kers. Bummer.
I remember at one point during the race I looked at my watch and saw it was at 2.75 miles. “Time to drop the hammer!”, I told myself. I picked up the pace, only to turn the corner and see the finish line…da fu???
My look of confusion at seeing the finish line so early.
I finished at 20:04. Good for a PR by a minute and a half…But at 2.95 miles instead of 3.1.
“official” finish time
The finish area was pretty funny ~ all the runners were comparing their watches. We knew it was short. So after a few minutes, I decided to run on my own until my watch said 3.1. And I still set a new PR ~21:15! I just wonder what it would’ve been on an actual race course.
Here’s my last three 5k’s:
Sept: 21:33 Oct: 21:34 Nov: 20.04 21:15
As punishment for a short course, I ate his cousin.
In the end, it was still a competition, and the course was the same for everyone. So I’m happy that I finished 5th in my division and 37th overall…out of well over 3,000 runners!
Anyway, after I was done, I went back to cheer for others. Including my parents who were doing the 10k!
Dad headin to the finish.
Warning: Rant Ahead
This race also had a ton of novice runners, which is great, but it also means a bunch of weaving. I REALLY appreciate the fact that they actually had pacing corrals in this race. But most of the newbies saw these as merely suggestions and still worked their way to the front of the starting line.
All the 10kers told me that there was nobody at the 5k/10k split to tell you which way to go, so it was cornfusing, and people kept going the wrong way then had to turn around. That, and when the 10k merged with the slower 5kers on the 2nd lap, it lead to more weaving.
Not only that, but if you look at the course map, I counted 26 turns…in 3.1 miles. How is that possible?!?! Are there no straight roads we could run?
I hope they get better organized for next year.
We snapped a pic while mom was looking up her time.
Anywhoodle, I’m glad several friends won medals. And since I was two spots from the podium, I had to live vicariously through them…
Ann won her 10k division. Pepsi didn’t race, but brought her smile and hat.
And we celebrated at our annual post race tailgate…
Mixing Everclear with Crystal Lite just like the pilgrims did at the first Thanksgiving.
I took the opportunity to make a 6 second video of the festivities…
So in summary, it was a fun time. I just hope they fix the course and get better organized as they go forward.
Peace out suckas!
How bout you? Race on Thanksgiving? Should I count the “official” PR on a short course? Do you tailgate after races?
-Scott
Piratebobcat 
Congrats on BOTH your PRs! How frustrating for the course to be messed up, esp when you are trying to PR. 😦 Was this a Mellew event? Ha ha, sounds like them.
Thank you so much! I know right? I was feeling really good too. Oh well. Ha, I don’t think it was Mellew. I blame the teen course attendants.
OH MAN!! I ranted about this same exact short course problem back in July when I measured a 5k course at 2.98 miles. I didn’t realize it was short until I had already finished and stopped, but I had more than enough in me to set a pretty huge 5k record. I decided to count it as a 3-mile PR instead of a 5k one but I haven’t run a faster accurate course yet
Despite the technical difficulty, huge congrats to you on the speed! And whatever you decide to do about that record don’t get down on the fact that you ran your speediest race yet!!! Either way, you will be speedier in another race one day anyway 😀
Awwwww man, bummer about your short course too!! Hmmm, maybe I need to count it as a 3 mile pr too. What’s crazy is the one I ran this past weekend was .1 LONG! Grrr!
Thanks so much! No race will be perfect, but we keep going for speed!
eeeee PR, yayy! so much fun. nice job! i love that you said “American Thanksgiving.” i have a lot of Canadian friends in NYC (eh?) b/c my best friend here is one, and they all call it that, too. happy running success!
Yaay, thank you! Ha, I said American TG as a gag cause I have a lot of Canadian blog friends. Thanks for picking up on that! Ha, I didn’t know they called it that though!
I hate short courses. My Athlinks 5K PR was set on a short course, but I don’t count it as my official PR.
Well I set another PR this week, but it was on a LONG course. I don’t know what to do!
You can’t win! haha. Average them?
There ya go – split the difference!!
Congrats, you are getting so fast! 26 turns is ridiculous, that would be frustrating…but it didn’t seem to slow you down! Also, Everclear?? That’s some rough liquor, I haven’t had any since my college jungle-juice days! 😀
Thank you!!! Yes, so many turns. I’m just glad I wasn’t in the 10k – two laps – 52 turns!
Haha, you picked up on that huh? Yeah, that stuff is dangerous. I don’t think I’d had it since college until I met these runners. The one guy always brings it on special occasions.
Congrats on the PR! I get annoyed when there are a million turns during a race, especially a 5k!
Thanks so much! I don’t know how it’s possible to fit that many turns into such a short race!
Urm, not sure I should congratulate or commiserate on the PB!
Ha, I’m all cornfused too!
Congratulations! I’d take the PR on the short course. That’s a decent time! I grumble about the slower runners moving to the front of the line too. I don’t like to grumble as it’s awesome that folks are out exercising, but please don’t hog the start line. Did you really have Everclear?! Wow, haven’t had that since my very late teens (we’re allowed to drink the hard stuff at younger ages in this neck of the woods).
As one friend put it “it’s not my fault, so I’m keeping the pr) haha! Oh man, this past weekend the announcer told everyone that if you’re aren’t running a 7 minute mile or faster, then to move back. But that did not stop anyone. they all pushed to the front. Grrr.
Ha, yeah, he brings it at special occasions. It wasn’t legal in my home state of Ohio, but in college we’d drive to West Virginia to get some and bring back. Danger!
That sounds like a bit of a ridiculous race, I totally understand your rant.
Ha, sorry about that. But thanks!
I’ve never attended a tailgate party…boy am I missing out! Looks like fun 🙂 It’s frustrating when you think you are running the distance but in the end done…or run more! I ran my half marathon back in October which was also our Thanksgiving weekend. We ran an extra 300 meters at the beginning due to the lead cyclist error – the issue hasn’t even been addressed – I’d sure love to know my actually 21.1 time not my 21.33 time.
Never ever???? Oh you need to! If Jimmy Buffett ever comes your way, that’s the biggest tailgate of them all!
Oh no! Bummer about the lead cyclist error. That happened to my elite friend a couple years ago in a local marathon, the cyclist took him over a mile off course (he still won). Crazy!
Nice “PR” 😉
That’s frustrating. Been there, done that.
Thank you!
I know, it’s frustrating alright.
My 5k PR was on a short course, so I don’t really feel like it was a real PR. I need to race a 5k and get a real PR to erase the bad taste.
Well, I pr’d again on a long course this past weekend. I can’t win. Go get yours!
Love the Goofy shirt! Nice work on the PR! Happy you got retribution with his cousin for the short course!
Ahhhh, thanks for picking up on that!!! And thank you! Haha, yeah, total turkey retribution!
Yay for PRs – you are getting so fast – but kinda crappy about a poorly organized race. They had one job to do – make sure the race is the correct distance – c’mon! I would keep it as a PR but keep the * like all those baseball records when they were taking steroids.
Thank you! I’m feelin pretty good on my runs lately!
Yeah, bummer they couldn’t keep the race course on track!!! Hmmm, maybe I need to take steroids to set that same PR? Haha!
Ugh, my last 5K had a ton of turns too and we got lost but it ran longer not shorter. Sorry about the confusion! That caption in the turkey photo made me laugh. Congrats on the PR!
Dang, that’s a real bummer! Sorry about your 5k!
Thank you! I always try to write silly captions, thanks for picking up on it!!!
Lol! I have never tailgated after a race, but that sounds like an awesome idea. I think you should count this as a 5k pr. Maybe your watch was off? I had a similar thing happen at a 10k this spring. But it was super windy and stormy, so I was not too convinced that my watch was working right. In any case, the new PR gives you something to chase.
Haha, well you need to tailgate. We do it after races all the time! Good times!
Unfortunately my watch wasn’t off, they forgot to make us run a section of the course. Bummer. Crazy about your stormy race – I bet that would throw off the watch!
Thanks for the perspective!
Boo to the course being short, but yay to a PR and tailgating. Isn’t beer really what it’s all about?
Boo indeed! And Yay indeed! Yes, it’s all about that beer sometimes! 😉
Well, better to PR on a short course than to suck balls. Just my two cents…
lololol. Good point. If I hadn’t pr’d, it would’ve been a bad day!
Short course?! Usually it’s the other way around. And for a 5k?! And the double loop option….ugh. Last year we did a turkey trot the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The course wasn’t disclosed until the day of the race. Smart thinking on their part because it was a triple loop. Oh and I didn’t pay attention to the announcements at the start of the race so I found out as I was going. Good grief!
I’d never run a short course before, blows. Yeah, they need to take a look at that race.
A TRIPLE loop??????? Ouch! That would really mess with you during the race if you didn’t know about it! Crazy!
Congrats on a PR, but a short course would make me mental..and seriously, what is with all the turns for a 5K? That totally slows you down, so maybe that makes up for it being short?? 🙂 Either way, great job and congrats to your parents for joining in on the fun too, that is awesome!
Thank you!!! I did go a bit mental. As for the turns, that city doesn’t like to cooperate with races too much, so they force them to have really condensed courses. Last 5k there was a TWO loop course!
Thanks so much!
Yes!! The same thing happened to me! It was an inaugural run (I should have known better), thought I had a PR and damn, it was short. So frustrating!! Congrats on your PR 😉
Awwwwww man, that blows! Sorry about your race. But congrats on the PR*
Thank you!!!
Ooo that is kind of frustrating! But wow, PR by a long shot! Great work!! It wasn’t Thanksgiving up here, but I did a last minute race on Sunday. No PR, but I came 4th in my age group which was exciting!
Thank you! Gives me something to shoot for!
Yay, congrats on your race!!! That’s awesome!
Congratulations on the PR! I’m positive it would’ve been a PR even with the proper length!
And how amazing that your parents did the 10km! I remember your mom ran Disney last year- so cool that both your parents participate 🙂
Thank you! I know it would’ve too, but I’ll never know by how much. Oh well. Yes, it’s very cool that they’re getting into it. And yes, you remember correct – she did the Dopey with my sis and I…crazy!
That happened to me once in a 5k – they completely left out the last loop. Hate that! Congrats on the PR though!
Oh wow, how can they forget a whole loop?????
thank you!!!
Wow blogger rant over here lol.
Congrats to you and the parents.
Hahaha, sorry about that!
Thanks so much!
Pingback: 156 Mile Month, New Races & Quitting Cold Turkey | Piratebobcat
My 5k “PR” is also on a short course, so I don’t count it. So frustrating!
It seems like this happens more often than it should!!!
That sounds like a terribly frustrating experience. Hopefully they listen to the feedback and fix the mistakes to make a better race.
It was terribly frustrating for everyone there. I posted it on their facebook, but they haven’t responded. We’ll see…
No way can you call it a PR on a short course! But you can call the course plus your make-up miles a PR. So congrats. Your comment about eating the mascot’s cousin made me almost spit out my water at the snack table after giving blood at the blood bank. Classy.
Ha, thank you!!! I’ll take your word as gospel.
LOL, I’m glad you like my goofy sense of humor! Sorry about the blood bank. Just be glad it wasn’t a sperm bank.
Pingback: Rudolph Run 5k ~ New PR, Two Medals & I VLOGGED! | Piratebobcat