Dispatch: Happy Thanksgiving, Turkey!

“Dispatch” is an online column from Triathlete Editor-at-Large Holly Bennett that will feature pro updates, industry news, happenings afield and otherwise random reports related to multi-sport. Look for “Dispatch” every Thursday on Triathlete.com.

The holidays are upon us! It’s time to delight in the lavish spreads that await at our family feasts, to indulge in that extra piece of pumpkin pie as a reward for the dedicated training we’ve endured throughout the year. It’s time to take an occasional Sunday morning off of the swim, bike and run routine, instead snuggling up by the fire with a mug of steamy cocoa. It’s also time to honor the people and things we appreciate most, to honestly assess the mishaps we’ve made and find methods toward improvement, and in general to reflect and refresh in a sort of mental recovery phase as we gear up for a new year. With that in mind, and as always with a lighthearted sense of humor, I reached out to a selection of Triathlete and Inside Triathlon staff members and contributors to ask:

1) What’s one thing triathlon-related that you’re thankful for?

2) What’s one thing triathlon-related that you’ve done in the past year that made you feel like a real turkey?

Julia Beeson Polloreno, Editor-in-Chief, Triathlete

1) I’m thankful that triathlon gives me an excuse to travel and an opportunity to explore awesome places from the viewpoint atop my bike.

2) I bonked spectacularly at Wildflower after totally neglecting my nutrition.

Adam Elder, Managing Editor

1) An engaged readership who’s devoted to the sport; also, the power of this sport to motivate and change people’s lives.

2) Wearing short running shorts on the bike during my first triathlon.

Jene Shaw, Senior Editor

1) I’m thankful that training for triathlon allows for more quality time with friends and the opportunity to see places from the best possible perspective—on a bike. (This year, the highlights were the forests of Bend, Oregon; the streams and mountains of Lake Placid, New York and the climbs in Boulder, Colorado.)

2) On a ride earlier in the year, I got 3 flats (both wheels) and ran out of tubes. Naturally my ride partner had 650s, so I was out of luck. One $75 cab ride later…

Aaron Hersh, Senior Tech Editor

1) Getting into Vineman next year. It sold out in an hour!

2) Only racing twice. Got to race more next year.

Liz Hichens, Web Producer

1) I’m thankful for the fun/interesting/ridiculous conversations that I share with friends on long training runs.

2) Chickening out on signing up for my first post-pregnancy half-iron several times (my daughter will be two early next year!) I will do it one of these days.

Kim McDonald, Features Editor

1) At my age, I think I should be thankful I can simply get out of bed in the morning, not to mention swim, bike and run.

2) At this year’s IM 70.3 California I was going for what I thought was the finishing chute and the age-group win when I somehow ended up on the other side of the Oceanside Pier and ran another loop of the course, an extra 2.4 miles. The embarrassment I felt that day was nothing compared to the grief I got from my friends. And they called me a lot worse things than “a real turkey.”

And as for me?

Holly Bennett, Editor-at-Large

1) Despite the fact that I’ll age up to the 45-49 group next month, I eternally feel (and most certainly act) 30-something.

2) Due to a mix of injuries and an inconsistent schedule, my swimming suffered and I had to move down a lane in the pool. But I choose to look at the positive: I now know my New Year’s resolution!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!