A cool way to spend my Thanksgiving morning, raising money for  Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity! The annual Wrightsville Beach Turkey Trot had 2500 runners this year and raised enough money for a new Habitat house! The course was familiar to locals,  the Loop at Wrightsville Beach (with a slight modification to make the 5K distance). IMHO, the weather could not have been more perfect  for running at the beach!

Of course, no run is complete without some fun costumes. The folks of Nelson’s Bay Oysters scored  first place with their Oyster Roast getups.How cute are they?  And then there’s this canine. That face, though!

In addition to admiring Thanksgiving themed costumes and  chatting with friends and neighbors, crossing the finish line was another highlight for  many runners, myself included. This race proved to be my fastest 5K so far, finishing in 23:35 for a  pace of 7:35 per mile  and good enough for first in the Women’s Grand Masters. More race results here.I have so much to be thankful for, including opportunities that promote the importance of wellness through exercise, nutrition and giving back. Happy Thanksgiving!