Make room for another slice of pie with Turkey Day exercise
The cooks basting turkeys won't be the only people working up a sweat Thanksgiving Day.
Runners, would-be football stars and others have activities planned for that morning.
The Fox and the Turkey 4-mile race in Batavia is returning to Thanksgiving Day, after two years of being held the Sunday before the holiday.
Why jog on a day of rest and relaxation?
"Maybe they are thinking about what they are going to consume later in the day," said Tom Jurgens, race director.
The organizers are changing things up this year: It's not a predictor race any more. That means to win, you are going to have to pick up the pace and outrun other people.
"We decided to try a regular race just to see how people like it. Apparently they do," Jurgens said, judging by the increase in entries. Last year, about 270 people ran. He's already received more than 1,000 entries.
The prizes are frozen turkeys.
Race-day registration is from 7 to 8 a.m. at River West Family Fitness Center, 108 First St., Batavia. The youth mile race begins at 8:30 a.m.; the 4-miler, run on the Fox River Trail, begins at 9 a.m.
The race is organized by the Fox River Trail Runners and the Batavia Accelerators Youth Track clubs.
Entrants are encouraged to bring a canned good for donation to the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry.
Tossing the pigskin
In Sugar Grove, men in high school and older are invited to Turkey Bowl IX at Volunteer Park. Village Grove Bible Church sponsors the loosely organized flag football event.
It starts at "8:30-ish," said Bryan Lederhouse, the organizer. "For me, I would probably get up early and go to work out at the gym anyway," he said.
"There's not too many days where everybody is off work" and has a free morning to play, he said.
Plain old exercise
No race, no points. Just an opportunity to burn calories - and help Lazarus House homeless shelter and a school in Peru.
The Norris Recreation Center in St. Charles is open Thanksgiving from 6:30 to 11:30 a.m. Admission for everyone is a suggested $5 donation to the shelter and the school. You don't have to be a Norris member to visit.
"We're trying to look outside of ourselves," said Mark Hensel, the facility's manager. The center is normally closed on Thanksgiving, but the staff has donated their time for this fundraiser. There will be aerobics classes, and all the other amenities - including tennis courts, the pool, and weight room - will be available.
Hensel noted that exercise increases a person's metabolism. And a morning workout may help deal with temptations of the holiday.
"It (a workout) might be the starting point. It might carry over the rest of the day," Hensel said.