My sister, Claire Rearick (left), and my friend, Casey Losee (right), flaunt their America-themed attire in a pre-race photo outside the Lafayette County Courthouse.
Now that we’re back in the daily grind, I hope your Independence Day was as stellar as mine. As promised from the previous blog post, here’s how the Stars & Stripes 5K race went down for me.
My sister Claire Rearick, my friend Casey Losee and I arrived radiating patriotic spirit. As other runners warmed up and stretched, we adjusted our American flag printed bandanas. Before we could second guess our decision to participate, it was time to line up. We confidently found our starting spot in the back of the crowd and soon enough we were off.
I’m not sure if it was the power of our U-S-A chants, random (and mostly inaccurate) historical facts, or harnessing our inner William Wallace and shouting about “FREEEEEEEDOM,” but the race was easier than expected. We even finished about 10 minutes ahead of our predicted time!
For those who are wondering, I did have the strength to attend the other Independence Day activities without a nap or the use of ice packs. I’d say that was a success in itself.
Also, my apologies to anyone who may have been annoyed by our rather loud rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” during the race. It was all in the name of America.
Olivia Rearick, an intern in the UM Office of Communications, is a recent UM graduate with a degree in journalism. She is from Glen Ellyn, Ill.
Olivia Rearick