Ep 106: Sharing Love for the Turkey Trot - Why a Thanksgiving 5k is a Great Goal for Fall, with Dr. Michelle Quirk

What If You Ran a Turkey Trot This Year? Thanksgiving is about two months away, and if you’ve been thinking about starting or restarting running, my question for you is What if you chose a Turkey Trot as your goal this fall? You might be thinking, “Coach Michelle, I can barely run for five minutes.” And that is okay. You don’t have to be a runner today to decide that you’d like to cross the finish line of a 5k on Thanksgiving morning. In this episode, we’re talking about why I love the Turkey Trot as a beginner-friendly running goal, and how you can use the next 8 weeks to work toward one in a way that is realistic, sustainable, and actually fits your life. In this episode, I talk about: Why Turkey Trots are such a fun, family-friendly, low-pressure introduction to running and races Why a 5k is such an approachable goal for newer runners Why your goal doesn’t have to be running 3.1 miles without stopping What to do if you’re starting from the couch, from walking, or from years away from running How run/walk intervals, easy effort, rest, and gradual progression can get you moving toward a 5k Why your training needs to fit the life you’re actually living, not the imaginary life where nobody gets sick and work never runs late How to think about the Turkey Trot as a celebration and community experience rather than another performance test Plus, I have some homework for you which is to find your Turkey Trot. Pick a race, put it on your calendar, and then ask yourself, What would it feel like to cross that finish line on Thanksgiving morning? Ready to train for your Turkey Trot? If you’re thinking, “Okay Coach Michelle, I love this idea, but I have no idea how to get from where I am right now to a Turkey Trot in two months,” that’s exactly why I created Ready, Set, Run. Ready, Set, Run is an 8-week, small group program offering a kinder, gentler approach to building toward a Thanksgiving-week 5k. You do not need to arrive as a runner, run the whole time, or know how to build your own training plan. I’ll help you start where you are and gradually build toward the goal with a personalized run/walk training plan, live coaching sessions, and support and encouragement in our private Telegram group between calls. Ready, Set, Run begins October 5th and runs through November 29th. The early-bird discount is available through September 30th. If a Turkey Trot sounds like a goal you'd love to work toward this year, check out Ready, Set, Run at this link: https://mindful-marathon.com/readysetrun This Thanksgiving, instead of saying, “I should really start running someday,” you’ll get to say, “I crossed the finish line of a Turkey Trot.” Keep up with Coach Michelle's adventures over on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Mindful.Marathon *** The information contained in this podcast is intended to serve as educational information and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should consult your primary care physician before undertaking any fitness regimen or exercise, which can pose serious health risks if undertaken or performed improperly. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in the videos is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/advanced practice provider. ***