To prepare to finish the Turkey Trot, it is important that you begin a walking/light jogging program that builds slowly toward completing five miles. In the beginning, start slow and be happy to complete 10 - 15 minutes of activity (walk, run combination). Start by walking briskly and every couple minutes pick the pace up to a light jog for about 30 seconds. Do this every other day for about a week to 10 days and then begin to add time and distance.
Each week, add five minutes to every other day, building up your activity time to an hour. Keep the alternate day at around 20 minutes. This should be done over several weeks, and you won't reach an hour of continuous activity for about eight weeks. While doing this progression of added time, also add to the frequency of running breaks, and try to make each segment of running a bit longer. Eventually you will reach a point where you are almost doing it all at a continuous jog.
I think the real attraction for Turkey Trot is the fun and excitement it offers for almost everyone at every level. It's sort of a continuous participation parade down Delaware Avenue and an excellent way to kick off your Thanksgiving Day. The sheer number of people doing it makes it an attraction in itself.
I've been running since September 1976. I was over 200 pounds, and started running to lose weight and get myself back into shape. I was only 23 years old and was having a hard time completing two flights of stairs. I began my program much like I outlined above. Within a year, I started running, lost over 50 pounds, and completed my first marathon! ----------------------------------------------------
