Midnight Run: The 2010 Firecracker 5k

I mentioned yesterday that my wife and I are training to take part in her first 5k this summer. The specific run for which we're preparing is the 2010 Firecracker 5k. Starting at 11:55pm on Saturday, July 3rd, the idea is that we'll be running at the moment the clock strikes midnight, ringing in Independence Day. At first this seemed a bit strange and irrelevant (of course, I ran the St. Patty's Day Dash 5 years ago; what the heck does that have to do with health and fitness?), but upon further reflection I'm seeing a connection, if perhaps an unintended one.

For people who've struggled their whole lives with obesity and poor health, as my wife and I have, successfully jogging the entire 5k will be a tremendous accomplishment. We will, in a sense, be celebrating our newfound independence from our previous, unhealthy lifestyles; from laziness; from a lack of confidence; and from--for a time, at least--our unhealthy bodies. Now the symbolism of running Starr's first 5k--and my first since once again taking my health seriously--as we usher in America's Independence Day seems perfectly appropriate.