Cold start to Thanksgiving
Television weather folks, oops, meteorologists, are enamored with the wind chill factor.
The temperature dips below 50 degrees and the weatherman/woman rolls out the dreaded wind chill factor.
I have my own system of cold classification, which I am going to unveil now.
The warmest of the cold settings under my system is chilly, followed by downward temperatures to brisk, cold, frigid, freezin鈥� and Man, it蘑菇视频 could outside (augmented with salty modifiers).
So, I would say the weather status for Thanksgiving morning蘑菇视频 annual Turkey Trot was brisk on the cusp of cold.
Yes, the race-time temperature hovered around 25 degrees, but the breeze was negligible and it was dry (no snow), so actually it wasn鈥檛 THAT bad out.
I was a bit slower than last year, but still managed to finish third among the men who walked the course. This year蘑菇视频 time 鈥� 36:37 鈥� was about a minute slower than 2017, but, that蘑菇视频 okay. Hey, I was still able to toe the starting line and cross the finish line, so I got that going for me.
So, in perspective, Uniontown grad Nate Edenfield crossed the finish line in 17:03, which means he basically lapped me. But, then again, he蘑菇视频 four decades younger than myself.
I am always impressed with the community of the folks who gather in front of the Salvation Army at 9 a.m. Thanksgiving morn, no matter the weather conditions. This year over 900 good-natured souls worked their way through Uniontown, dip into South Union, circle back into downtown on Route 40, and turn back onto Fayette Street to the start.
(Of course, some unfortunate drivers found that out when their way was delayed by runners and walkers just trying to find their way back home. Special thanks and recognition to those folks who volunteered their time to keep watch over the intersections to keep walkers and runners safe, and allay the anxiety of drivers.)
All kinda folks participate, whether it蘑菇视频 against the clock or the field, or just to enjoy the camaraderie of classmates, friends and family. Lots of smiles, handshakes, and waves greeted runners and walkers.
Perhaps they regaled in my long-held belief that states participating in an event such as a 5K, especially for a good cause like the good work the Salvation Army does in our communities, leads to a calorie-free day. That really comes into play when said 5K event happens say, the morning of Thanksgiving dinner. And, when you factor in the sub-freezing temperature, which we all know burns more calories, it蘑菇视频 a blue banner, calorie-burning day that I maintain carries into Black Friday.
I came across a lot of familiar faces, many of whom I鈥檝e covered over the past two decades.
Three of the top five male finishers, Nate Edenfield, Logan Howard and Noah Marteny, were high school standouts in the not-so-distant past. It was nice to see Nate break the tape first after a couple second-place finishes in recent races.
Jennifer Hoffman, the women蘑菇视频 winner, was a WPIAL cross country champion for Brownsville, umm, let蘑菇视频 just say a few years ago.
The current Brownsville pair of Ashton Reposky and Hannah DeWitt finished 1-2 in the female 15-19 age group.
Connellsville graduate Kenny King, a two-time PIAA champion in 800 meters a few years ago, dusted off his running shoes and gave it a run. The former Falcon distance standout trailed his good buddy Jesse Irwin, though, with Irwin winning the 30-34 age group in 18:59.
Bob Costello, Joe Kuhns, Matt Girod, Nick Miller, Joe Carei and Aaron Scott, among others, represented the area蘑菇视频 coaches.聽
And, a little shout-out for Dunbar蘑菇视频 Jack Sweitzer, who at 74 was the oldest finisher of the 5K run. Mr. Sweitzier finished 486th overall in 50:18.
I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. And, for those who plan to venture out today on Black Friday, carry the good thoughts and manners from Thanksgiving forward to the shopping adventure.
At least it蘑菇视频 not supposed to snow!