Finally got some socks! Spartanburg Turkey Day 8K

The fifth annual Turkey Day 8K was held in downtown Spartanburg this morning.  My goal - earn a pair of socks!  The first 80 men to cross the finish line get a pair along with the first 80 women.  This is only my second year running the race after finishing with a 48:50 last year.  No socks for me last year, but still had fun running.

I had no idea what time I would need to get the socks and I had no idea how to "race"!  Up until this morning I have never went out as hard & as fast as I could go for 5 miles.  Several hundred people lined up at the start and we were off.  I didn't know what pace I was running or what distance I was at.  I just ran as fast as I could stand to go.  Hard up hills and hard down hills.  If my body wanted to slow down I pushed it harder.  We went up & down several hills and through some neighborhoods with folks cheering us on in their front lawns.

I rounded the final 100 yard leg of the race and saw 37:30 minutes on the clock.  WHOA!  I then thought "SOCKS!" so I kicked it as hard as I could to the finish line with a 37:50 time.  I don't know if I was more excited to have ran a 7:37 min/mile pace for 8k or to have won some socks!  YEAH!  This big man has never moved that fast!

You get a small stick with a number on it when you finish if you are eligible for socks.  I noticed my number was #78.  Whew - close call - two more and I would have cold feet today  ;]

Thanks to the Spartanburg Running Club and other sponsors for collecting food for the soup kitchen from runners.  This was a free race to support a great cause.

Now off to bask in the glory of the turkey socks....