Thanksgiving

Today I am thankful for a lot. Since this is a running blog, I'll start with that stuff. 

I'm thankful that it's not raining. 

I'm thankful that Fredericksburg has a Turkey Trot that is successful, even if I don't agree with the location.

I'm thankful to have a very competitive race minutes from my home. (Will I finish top-20 today?)

I'm thankful to be relatively injury-free at the moment. (We'll see how long that lasts after this hard 5k in freezing weather...)

I'm thankful for my runner friends in Fredericksburg, who will welcome me home, into their warm-ups and conversations, without skipping a beat. (And thankful for the jokes they will undoubtedly make at my expense.)

I'm thankful for the start/finish line crew who will let me leave my jacket at the line so I can wear it as long as possible and as quickly as I can after the race. It's good to have friends in high places.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to see people in the community that I miss while living in Charlottesville: runners, students, parents, friends and family.

I'm thankful for my beautiful, healthy baby boy, and my wife who will care for him while I'm out running, like she does everyday.

I'm thankful for family traditions, and at least one holiday that I know what I'll be doing each year.

Good luck to all you turkey trotters, and congratulations in advance to all the high school and college kids who beat me today for the first time. I'm getting old. Right Scott and Jack?