Hometown Nostalgia

Over the weekend I was able to go home and visit the fam and friends. It happen to be Country Days weekend (yee haw!) which is an annual festival in F-town. On the Saturday of Country Days weekend there is an "Invest in yourself" 1 mile and 5 mile run, along with a 2 mile walk, that my dad has helped stage for years. I can remember when I was a kid running the 1 mile race. In the morning, mom would swing by the house to run the last mile of her morning run with me to help me train. I don't think I was really all that excited about it then, but I appreciate it now! I can picture my "race outfit" in my head now: hot green and checkered flag spandex with a hot pink Body Glove shirt. Whew, hot stuff (hey, it was the late 80's, early 90's)!
When I was in high school, I moved up to the 5 mile race. One year my friend Tracy Boyd (Taylor) ran it with me. Another year, I got sick on the side of the road around mile 2 from a bad breakfast. Dustin and I ran it together as an engaged couple and finished together (that was back in the stone ages when Dustin didn't kick my ass everytime we ran). Ahh, memories. I haven't ran the 5 mile race in 4 years, but it was so fun to revisit the same course and see many familiar faces. It's not the flattest course, but the countryside provides ample shade, fresh air, and the occasional angry cow. This year when I finished 2 of my friends were at the finish line from completing the 2 mile (great job Hilary and Jamie!), my dad drove by around mile 2 in a golf cart, and my mom was at the finish line snapping pictures like the paparazzi. I love Springfield, but it was good to be home! ~Aimee