Race racap: Charleston Turkey Day Run 5K (5 months postpartum)

This was the second consecutive year I ran the Charleston Turkey Day Run and I think it's safe to say that it's now a family tradition. Last year, I was 11 weeks pregnant and really beginning to slow down. This year, I was 5 months postpartum and my speed is coming back. I ran this race within seconds of the time I ran it last year, which put me at more than a minute faster than the 5K I ran just two weeks ago and over three minutes faster than my first post-baby 5K. Progress!

The weather was perfect for racing - sunny and in the low 50s with a slight wind. Much warmer than last year's temps in the 30s!

My official time was 24:57 (last year was 24:49) and I was so, so, so happy to see sub-25 on that clock. I really didn't know if I'd be able to do that, but I managed to get in with a few seconds to spare. Hopefully, I keep on progressing and maybe (maybe???), I'll see a PR by the end of the year.

What made this year really fun was having family in town. My mom, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother- and sister-in-law and their 18-month-old little girl were all here. Our parents cheered while the rest of us ran or walked. Even little Baby B! He crossed his first finish line with his daddy walking him in my running stroller! My sister-in-law also walked with her daughter in a stroller and my brother-in-law ran his first 5K.

Unfortunately, D's timing chip fell off his race bib and he wasn't officially counted in the race (we found it in our front yard after we got home). But he crossed it with my sister-in-law and I got pictures! So it happened.

My baby and D crossing the finish line!

 They changed the course a bit this year so runners went left at The Battery instead of right. Last year, close to the 2-mile mark when turning onto King Street, you could see and wave to the runners (and walkers) still coming up Meeting Street. I was looking forward to that again this year, in hopes that I'd see some of my family members, but I had to wait until the end of the race for most of them.

After I finished, I was able to run back about a quarter mile and find my brother-in-law. Once I saw him, I ran with him until the finish chute, then stepped off the course to let him have his moment of glory at the finish line of his first 5K.

There's always a big post-race party at this event, complete with live music and a biergarten tent, but we didn't really stick around after the race other than to snap a few pictures. I had overnight eggs in the crockpot (just like last year), so we went from one tradition to another. I think we've got ourselves some fun Thanksgiving traditions - it doesn't get much better than racing and eating, especially with family!