DETROIT TURKEY TROT (Detroit - 2019 - 5K)

  Detroit Turkey Trot 2019 Photos

27 Mile Drive

The 2019 Detroit Turkey Trot is a run I do every year. Halloween has been moved up to November for me.  I do a lot of costume design and construction throughout the year, but for Detroit its go big or go home. I give it my best year after year. The blueprinting for the next year usually starts the day I get home from the race. This year I paper-mached a giant blow-up beach ball.  It took a week with massive amounts of layering to get the ball strong enough.  Everything would have been smooth sailing if I hadn’t had a hold-up with matching yellow felt. I purchased a sealed bag of bright yellow 36 by 36 felt in early October that only covered half the bee.  It turns out that was the last package of yellow felt anywhere because it was a discontinued product.  No bright yellow I bought anywhere matched, even a desperate purchase of $16.98 from the same company on Amazon (later returned) did not match.  The bee ended up with two different colored felts, hopefully unnoticeable, but noticeable to me.  My efforts to find the color match totaled to searching three stores and calling multiple Michaels locations.  

The day of the run I overslept my alarm and missed my Mashed Potato Mile at 7:30am.  I have never had an issue parking on Cobo Roof, but this year we had big issues due to Detroit Police closing roads.  We had to make the call to drop me on Cass Avenue so I could walk to the costume contest.  I made it in with a minute to spare, literally!  The judges were amazing, as they are every year.  They gave me something really special this year, a Clownie Pin, just for participating!  It holds an extremely special value to me, like most cheap and fun little trinkets in my life.  

I made one major design flaw in my costume. I forgot to put shoulder pads in as I had with The Turkey Trot Robot from 2018. It was extremely uncomfortable to walk in for more than 15 minutes so I ran without it.  Next year I am making a functional runnable costume.  I had my bib taped to the front of the bee and forgot to take it off when I left for the 5K.  This was my second year not getting an official time in Detroit.  A huge goal of mine for 2020 will be landing official results for the first time in two years.  I did record my run on MapMyFitness and ran a virtual Mashed Potato Mile Thanksgiving night so that I could hang up my Cranberry Combo medal.  I don’t get as many finisher medals since I started the Michigan City Challenge, so I cherish the ones I do receive and love hanging them up. 

I won Best Female Costume for the third year in a row!!!  I put so much time into making my costume for Detroit every year.  It means the world to see people enjoying it.  If nothing else I want my costumes to make people smile.  I love the judging panel in Detroit.  They are always throughout and fair.  I was sad they didn’t have the award turkey box this year.  They have put the winning gift cards in Turkey Trot boxes the last two years.  Jason offered to make one.  They gave out envelopes instead with gift cards inside. I got a $75.00 gift card to Lululemon this year.  I have never bought anything from Lululemon.  I ended up ordering a new plum purse on Black Friday and went just a tad over my gift card amount.  Everything from Lululemon is very expensive.  It was the purse or one single pair of pants.  I like the purse a lot.  The Christmas themed Lululemon coin purse the gift card came in was very cool too. 

It was awesome that dad and Sue drove down so early to be at the race with us.  I appreciate their support.  I normally just have Jason and the kids with me. 

The things I take from this run are: 

1. The pure number of people you see when you turn left onto Griswold Street (it’s breathtaking) and the energy you feel upon sight of them. 

2. The parade route section of the course with the best cheering squad and high-fivers.  I high-fived every person that put their hand out.  This year I got 10!  

3. The yearly traditions of water and cookie stations and Clownie blow-ups on the course. I always love grabbing the cookies.  

4. The screaming encouragement lady at the last quarter mile and the dancing man next to the blow-up clown.  If that woman was not completely hoarse by the end of the race she’s even more amazing.  I loved both.  I’ve cut out some events I originally thought I would always come back to year after year.  It’s sad to me when changes are made that take away the uniqueness of an event.  Detroit never fails to be predictably great year after year.  It is one of a smaller number of runs I will always come back too. Thanksgiving has new traditions in our family.  It’s important to look forward to things in life. I now look forward to creating awesome costumes every year for Thanksgiving. 

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