I went with the family to visit my in-laws in Pinehurst, N.C. for Thanksgiving.
I mixed in lots of turkey and stuffing with a couple rounds of golf, but managed to get in just two runs. I wanted to do three runs, but it just didn’t work out.
When it comes to peace and quiet, there are fewer places on earth that can compare to Pinehurst, a sleepy town in the middle of N.C. But if you don’t golf, there’s really not much else to do. Thankfully, I golf. And even better, my father-in-law golfs A LOT, and invites me to play with him every time we come to town. Now THAT is something to be thankful for.
After getting to town, I noticed an email from my friend Anne, saying that she beat me to the 80-mile mark for our November challenge! Awesome job by her, but I had planned on doing a 12-miler the next morning and beating her to it, but I was too late.
I still decided to go ahead with my 12-miles. Here is the route:
The route is flat and the temperature is perfect, so I run at a pretty quick pace and finish it in 1:35. I wish I had a Garmin to clock my splits. I guarantee that my last two miles were faster than my first two. I practically sprinted over the final 1/2 mile. It felt great. I absolutely LOVE when a long run goes so well.
I was enjoying myself so much, I even shot a few videos.
Here I am going through the quaint little Village of Pinehurst on Thanksgiving morning. It’s foggy and VERY deserted at 8 a.m. This is the third and final loop of my 12.5 miles.
After leaving the village area, I head back to where they live. As you can see, it’s a great path to run on.
The area that my in-laws live in is just a couple miles from “downtown” Pinehurst, home to the Pinehurst No. 2. golf course, which has twice hosted the U.S. Open, including the 1999 Open won by the late Payne Stewart. The statue below captures his famous celebratory pose after sinking the winning putt.
We spent two nights at the in-laws then two nights at the beautiful Carolina Hotel, seen below. The kids LOVED it.
They even did some running of their own in the hotel hallways.
The only bad news came when the battery on my wife’s car died. But I tried to make the most of a bad situation by running from the hotel to the in-law’s house, getting a new battery from AAA, then running back to the hotel.
I wished I had managed to get in a third run, but when I stopped to think about it, spending the weekend with my family, getting in two runs and two rounds of golf makes for a pretty good weekend and gives me lots to be thankful for.
Now, the Christmas season is here and Anne has challenged me to another 80 miles. GAME ON!
Is That French For...? 