In advance repentance for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Grandma, we spent the morning participating in Austin’s annual Turkey Trot. Thanks to the generosity of Grandma and Papa’s neighbors, we were able to borrow a jogging stroller so David could come on the 1-mile walk after his Kids’ K.

David had been talking up how he was looking forward to his race, so I was also looking forward to running along by his side. Not too much of a surprise, however, he decided part-way through after starting to drag his feet a bit that he’d rather ride on my shoulders. We passed under a train, which he found quite impressive. We turned around at the half-way point, and I warned him that he would soon be his turn again. He ran the last third flat-out, and I had trouble keeping up with him at times. When he decides that he is into it, there is no stopping him. So much so, in fact, that I had some difficulty getting his attention so that he would cross the finish line on the right half of the barricade in order to get his finisher’s wrist band! Papa was toward the side near the finish, and I did not even see him while trying to keep David aimed at the finish line amid all the fun and chaos.

The grownups’ race started shortly afterward. This year featured a new course, presumably to accommodate the record 15,000 participant turnout. The previous course, starting at Waterloo Park and winding around the UT campus area was pretty nice, but I think the new course nicely features some different areas of town. Using the Long Center for the start and finish area offered a lot more room. Due to some sort of last-minute mix-up, the course was a half-mile shorter than the advertised five. I’m not complaining, since I found it to be quite hot and humid compared to Indy’s recent weather. Later that day, keeping the shortened course in mind made resisting that fourth slice of pie a little less difficult!