Running makes the turkey taste better. This morning, I laced up my sneakers and joined my family for the Turkey Rock 5K at Floyd Lamb Park in Las Vegas.
My kid decided to sleep in.
According to the Las Vegas Sun, prospector Jacob Goumond bought the land that would eventually become Floyd Lamb Park back in the 1940s. He turned the property it into a divorcee ranch. Like in the 1939 film The Women with Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer, people would come to this ranch and stay for six weeks to qualify for Nevada residency. As Nevada residents, they could file for quickie divorces.
I think this history is interesting because most people know Las Vegas is a city that hosts quick weddings on and off the Strip.
For this Turkey Trot, I loved running by the beautiful autumn leaves.
The race was held just as the first light hit the desert sky. The air was crisp—cold enough for gloves at the starting line but perfect once we got moving. As we shuffled into place, Mt. Charleston stood tall in the distance, dusted with snow and glowing soft pink and gold in the morning sun. You don’t always think of scenic beauty when you think “Las Vegas,” but the contrast of desert foreground and alpine peak was stunning.
This Turkey Trot had it all: families in matching shirts, toddlers in wagons, serious runners chasing personal bests, and dogs dressed as turkeys. The route was mostly flat and friendly, winding through a part of the city that let Mt. Charleston stay in view for much of the way.
One of the things I’m most thankful for this year is that I’m still able to participate in running events—even in my 40s. There’s a certain joy in being able to move, to be out in nature, and to enjoy an activity that’s both challenging and rewarding.
