I came in last.

So, I am in Nevada with my wife visiting her family for the holidays. We’ve had a good time and are heading to Arizona tomorrow to visit my family for a week, and then making the trip back to Georgia where I’ll start my FINAL semester of coursework. I know things won’t get much easier in the dissertation writing, but at least I won’t have to be on campus or go to classes. I’ve grown quite tired of them.

Anyway, back to the real story…

While here, we decided to participate in a new race in my wife’s hometown–a cross-country 5k.

There were only about 30 of us who participated in the race, so, at the starting line, I resigned myself to the fact that I’d probably come in last. And that’s exactly what happened.

I could easily be upset, but I’m not. After a semester that was exceptionally lackluster in terms of running and exercise, coming in last made me realize how much I’ve been missing. A lot. So, my wife hung out with me at the back of the pack, we chatted, talked about our exercise goals, and then ran the last quarter mile for a strong finish. Everyone in the family who participated got a medal, except me. But that’s ok, because in my opinion, mediocrity doesn’t deserve reward. I have, however, realized that I need to get back on track and make my health a priority.

Now my in-laws live in a small town, and there was talk of nobody wanting to come in last for fear of embarassment. More than anything, I think they were mostly joking (but there’s also a common retort in the family, in which one responds “60/40,” meaning what you said was 60% true). Regardless, I wasn’t in it to win it. I was in it to finish it, and that’s exactly what I did.

Cross-country races are probably not for me right now…I think I’ll stick to the road races until I’m in better shape and know how to navigate courses better. Granted, it was fun, but somewhat frustrating at the same time.

In any case, onward and upward…