Each Thanksgiving season I tangle with the holiday traditions and running on the roads and trails around my hometown.

With so many communities offering versions of Turkey Trots, it is difficult not to participate in the fun.

In the middle of October I finished what I considered to be the last of my competitive races for the year, but still maintained thoughts of running on the trails in my area and maintaining my fitness level.

With the lure of these community-based events, I am lured once again into competing, or at least participating.

Following my 4^th national championship of the year, a 50-mile road race near Boalsburg, PA, just a mile from State College where attention has been drawn to Penn State, I decided to enter one of the “Trots”, a 4-mile course in Institute, WI.

It was many years ago that one of the organizers, who taught at the elementary school, invited me to join their event, offered me a comp entry and provided me with a hotel stay the night before. Hard not to take someone up on such a nice offer, so I accepted.

I asked what I could do in return and offered to speak at the spaghetti feed the evening before, present the awards or announce the winners. I was told they just wanted me to be there, nothing more was required.

I signed up for the 2-mile that year, as usual, by the time November shows up on the calendar, my race calendar is already completed and I don’t care to add any more dates to it.

It was the shortest race I had done in years, as usually I opt for the longest of the events offered.

Let me tell you, it seemed like an eternity running, those two country miles on the roads. One forgets how to run fast when one does not run fast for many years. Painfully slow, I completed the run, took second in my age group and felt embarrassed with my time and the guy who beat me, who was a friend and never beaten me before.

One thing I did learn was how much fun it is to run the shorter distances, for a change. Year-after-year of running the majority of my races at the marathon and ultramarathon distances seems to make the end of the year start to drag.

After thinking about it, I really should not be embarrassed to run in any event I choose, if I choose to run in them for the right reason. Running in the “Trots” has been fun and no matter what event you participate, just do it for the right reasons, your reasons. I went back and took 1^st this year and won a turkey too.

In Pennsylvania’s Happy Valley, I wore my Compressor’s by Wigwam, but because it was freezing at the start put on a light liner sock over them to keep my feet warm. I also knew it would be getting warmer, so I wore my Wind Sleeves under a long sleeve top and singlet. Eventually the top was shed and the sleeves kept my arms warm until I hit the sunny section and pushed them down around my wrists.

The hills on Tussey Mountain are known to wear you down. With 5,000 feet of elevation climb your legs are pretty worn out by the time the final 3-mile descent to the finish takes place. Luckily, my legs felt great and I was able to pass a few on “the way down”. I know, without taking the necessary measures prior to the race with appropriate clothing choices that would not have been the case.

Managing to run 8:49:02 and placing first, meant earning my 68^th national title, as the Tussey mOUTaiNBACK served as the host of the USA 50-mile road championships.

Part of the thing I like most about the race is that it is run through Rothrock State Park and it feels like a trail run, more than a road race. The long climbs and descents, are tempered by the trees shedding their colored leaves, making the journey through the woods much more enjoyable and never feeling like the run would be endless.

As I move into December, where I have no races planned, I look forward to perhaps getting on snowshoes and trying out some of my Wigwam winter gear. I won’t have to worry about speed, just comfort! What better reason to get out there?