Thanksgiving Fun & Cycling with the Hub

It's a tradition in our household to attend The Turkey Trot, held each Thanksgiving morning at 11 a.m. I started doing it 15 years ago on my own as a fun run. What makes it special is that it's low-key and all proceeds go to our local food shelf.

Some families arrive by bike.

On such a glutinous day, what better way to start it off than with exercise, plus knowing you are helping others.

I estimated 1200-1300 people at the mass start.

The event is held rain or shine. In fact when I began 15 years ago there were as little as 25 people. I've run through icy ruts, pushed a double stroller in a thunder and lightening storm (our children loved it, snuggled under a tarp, with snacks), and now I walk it, while our children have taken up running. The local club who hosts the event posts a race clock, so if inclined, you can check your time. Our youngest boy likes to set a personal best each Thanksgiving.

Over 1000 people show up now, which gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. More folks equals more for the food bank.

There is a huge contingent of walkers.

The 5k course follows a bike path and dirt trail through a golf course.

Some like to dress up. I thought it humorous that the dad and son both wore
 unique turkey hats: one  live and one cooked.

While waiting to see it we won raffle prizes, it was announced that 1500 pounds of food was collected, along with 5,000.00—not bad for a morning of Thanksgiving fun.

The following morning the Hub and I rode out on the causeway together. He'd wanted to see the reconstruction. It was funny, but I hadn't noticed before that the surface was raised at least 2-3 feet. This makes sense though; why go through the expensive restructuring without provisions for more flooding.

Seeking shelter from 35-40 m.p.h. gusts on the former train bridge.

A cold front was sweeping into the Champlain Valley so a strong southerly wind blew us to the end. We cranked hard in the granny gear on the return trip. Put your head down and spin away. I mentioned how neat it would be to bring minimal gear with our boys and spend the night. I was thinking about springtime, but the seed was sown in my husband's mind. He plans to try it this fall. Brrr!