Kicking Off Turkey Day with the Turkey Trot

What was my time in the 2008 Arlington Turkey Trot 5K? I ran the whole thing.

When you're as lousy a runner as I am, that's the only measuring stick that counts. And with temperatures in the mid-30s at starting time and the race almost entirely up and down gentle hills in Lyon Park and Ashton Heights, the Turkey Trot seemed more like the Gobble Hobble. But I finished.

The most amazing thing? You've never seen a happier group of people who are simultaneously sweaty and freezing. A cheer went up at the start and a big crowd hung out long after the finish. People came out to cheer us all along the parade route, with a puppy escaping its owners at one point and weaving through the runners like Barry Sanders in the open field. There was even a house on Fillmore Street handing out cups of beer to the runners, good for a laugh in the race's last mile.

I was up at 6am to help get runners registered with a group from CRM. Combined with the 4,000 calories worth of food I'll be consuming and 9 hours of football, Vegas has set the line of when I pass out on my couch at 8pm. Bet the under.

Staying in Town for Thanksgiving?

The Green Miles' family is based mostly in Massachusetts, and it didn't take very long into my time living in Arlington to realize that no matter if I drove, flew, or took the train, making the schlep north twice in a month - for both Thanksgiving and Christmas - made the holidays much less enjoyable.

This year I'm staying in town for Thanksgiving and heading to Massachusetts for Christmas. When I tell people I'm staying home for Thanksgiving, people usually look at me like I'm a lonely shut-in. A young professional recently wrote a Washington Post column portraying herself as some kind of pioneer for daring to spend her holiday in DC.

But the holidays in Arlington are among the most fun times of the year. Of course, Christmas brings lots of holiday lights and greatly reduced traffic. But a lesser-known fact is that the night before Thanksgiving is a huge party night -- anyone who's young, single, and staying in Arlington for Turkey Day will be found out in Clarendon, Shirlington, or Pentagon Row on Wednesday night.

My Wednesday night will end early this year as I'm waking up before dawn on Thanksgiving Day, volunteering to help with registration at the Arlington Turkey Trot. I'll then be running the 5K race through Lyon Park and Ashton Heights.

And of course, the 350 calories I burn while running the 5K will balance out the 3,000 calories I consume watching football ... right? OK, maybe not.

Staying in Arlington for Thanksgiving?

Your options are better than you might think. The night before Thanksgiving is actually one of the biggest going-out nights of the year, because really, if you're not heading out of town, tonight is the start of a four-day weekend (four-and-a-half if your boss is nice).

On Wednesday nights, Arlington's most happening neighborhood is Ballston, where Rock Bottom offers dollar drafts and Front Page serves half-price burgers and $2 Miller Lite bottles. Rock Bottom Wednesdays are typically too loud/crowded for The Green Miles' tastes, but if you get to Front Page before 8pm, you can usually have dinner and a couple of drinks for about $10 before things get too crazy.

Then on Thanksgiving morning, the Christ Church of Arlington is hosting its annual Turkey Trot, which apparently is more popular than ever this year. They already have 780 registered participants, up from 300 last year! It's run through Lyon Park/Ashton Heights.

As for Thanksgiving Day, Arlington County's website offers a tip -- don't cook your turkey in a turkey fryer. I didn't realize this, but Underwriters Laboratories, which rates product safety, doesn't certify any turkey fryers, considering them all dangerous. You can get more details and watch cool fire video on YouTube.

You can find more weekend events through WashingtonPost.com's Local Guide and get more details on what's open and what's not at Arlington's Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule.