Home by 7pm. Immediately changed into running clothes for a short shakeout run. Talked with my parents for a bit before heading out at 7:30pm. Brisk, but beautiful night out. I was cruising along thinking about the Manchester Road Race the next morning and just about a mile into the run, I realize I forgot the envelope with my bib number back in NY. Shiznit! Instantly, I begin stomping my feet on the ground (not good for the joints) in frustration as I was running down the road. I stopped in mid-stride and thought to just turnaround. What's the point of running right now? I told myself to just get the 3 miles in and started surging to the end of the street. I attempted to tear up, but it's definitely difficult to cry while running. I was more mad with myself (rather than sad) and so many thoughts were rushing through my mind over the next 2 miles. Some of the things that popped into my head included the 7 consecutive years of running the MRR on Thanksgiving morning with my family, Kimber was arriving at about 8:30pm to carpool to the race the next morning, I could run my local 5k race in Newtown depending on registration, pace Kimber through her race, not race at all. With about a 1/4 mile to go, I shined the flashlight over this blind hill and my beam of light met with the eyes of an smallish angry dog on the left side of the road. I screamed bloody murder like a little school girl and repeatedly yelled "No!" It retreated back to it's yard slowly (never turning its back to me) and I sprinted the next 50ish meters away to safety. Home to slam the door and pout around. I emailed the guy that sent me the elite entry bib number to see if I could grab another one in the morning. My stomach was uneasy and I was bumming like crazy. Sat down for dinner with the family (and Kimber) with a stink face. I checked my email right before we sat down and I got an email stating I was gonna be setup with another number without any problem. Woohoo! Switch flipped to ecstatic. Good to go.
Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Chilled the rest of the night in good spirits and ready to race tomorrow. We will see how the ups and downs of the day affect my race.
November 22nd (Turkey Day): 6:20am wakeup. Oatmeal for breakfast. Changed up and off to Manchester for the race. I got dropped off at Carter Chevorlet to pick up my new bib number. A whole slew of runners are bundled up in the room I enter. It's all the elites. I didn't know they had all these amentities for the elites. Sweet. Food, coffee, water, chairs for resting, and private bathrooms. With 15,000 people in the race, it's extremely difficult to get access to a port-o-potty (one year I ran down a side road and used a random person's bathroom because it was too close to the race). Lucky me. Blessing in disguise forgetting my number. Donn Cabral was in there and a whole bunch of fast guys. Coolio. Off to my normal spot to drop my stuff off and warmup with Thomas Paquette. 3 mile warmup and changed up for the start of the race.
Strides "with" Anthony Famiglietti. Wicked sweet. 2 time Olympian for the steeplechase. Start at 10am. Quick first 1/2 mile. 5:00 at the mile and downhill from there (2nd mile actually is uphill, but you know what I'm saying). Survived, but the elite women started passing me up the hill before the 2 mile marker. Still an amazing atmosphere and greateful to be out there healthy. Just not in 5 mile shape and the legs (especially the calves) are still feeling the marathon. 2.5+ mile cooldown. 11 miles on the day.
Off to the next town, Coventry, to pick up a grill for my Subie. Sweet. Conversed with the guy for a while and his wife/girlfriend. Subie enthusiasts as well. Parting out a car because the woman hit a deer. Car wasn't exactly recoverable. Works for me.
Over to my Aunt Kathy's for Thanksgiving dinner. Relaxed with the family. Delicious dinner at 4pm. Dessert. Leftover turkey sandwiches around 8pm. Mmmm. Crashed at my Aunt's because we were seeing the movie in Wallingford this year.
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