Turkey Trot: Fitness Before Feasting

A turkey trot isn't the funky walk your gastrointestinally challenged uncle does after he's had his fourth helping of turkey at Thanksgiving. Rather, a turkey trot is a race you do Thanksgiving day -- nothing like a little preventive maintenance before the big meal, right?

Turkey trots come in all kinds of varieties -- you can choose a fun run for the kids, or laid-back 5k. The more athletically inclined can commit to a full or half marathon. If you live in a warmer climate, you might even find a local turkey triathlon!

The trick, of course, is finding the right race for you. Though I have a couple of local resources I rely on (if your area has a track club, that's a great place to start), if I'm looking for an out of town race, I invariably check active.com. This year, they even have a Turkey Trot site, so you don't even have to search!

If you don't find a race near you (or just don't want to commit ahead of time), think about putting together an informal one for your friends and family. You can make it a friendly jog on a local path, or up the level of competition by offering a prize at the end for the winner. Hey, I'm pretty sure I could run a bit faster with the promise of pumpkin pie at the end!