By Judith Roberts
So I did the thing.
I ran the Peach Fest 5k this past weekend, and, y’all, I had forgotten how much I missed racing. I run pretty regularly – albeit on the treadmill – but there’s just something more special about running in an actual race.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not a particularly fast runner. I’m not running to come in first. I’m running for my own personal goals, which I think is one of the greatest things about running. You don’t have to run to win. You can run to beat your last 5k time, or you can just race to finish. Anything and everything is acceptable.
One of my colleagues from Tech, who also ran the race, talked about how she started running when she was getting her graduate degrees, and she said how rewarding racing was. She was working so hard on different papers and assignments in grad school, and while the reward for her diligence was a good grade, she said it just felt different with races. You get treats afterwards. Heck, you even get a medal. I didn’t even get a medal when I received my Ph.D.
So yes, this race was very enjoyable. It started at Trinity Methodist Church, went down to the Rock Island Greenway, which is such a beautiful area to run, and then circled back around to Trinity. Not only that, but shockingly, there were only two hills. Granted, they were at the end of the race, but that’s highly unusual for any race in Ruston.
My kids, who are also cross country runners, got to see their mom cross the finish line for the first time, too, which was incredibly special. Many thanks to my father-in-law, who made sure they were there to cheer me and Kyle across the finish line. I love that this is a family sport now that all of us get to do. I didn’t see them when I finished, but my older daughter came running up to me to give me the biggest hug she could, and that was such a wonderful feeling.
Even better – I was as shocked as anyone – I came in third in my age category. I’ve never won a running award in my life, but somehow, not only did I manage to get a time I wanted at 29:38, but I also got a fancy Run for the Peaches medal. That was a pleasant surprise.
So yes, it was hot, it was a little hilly, and it was even humid – but it was a heck of a good time.
