As my alarm clock blared louder and louder, I emphatically pounded the snooze button with my fist and crawled back into bed to catch just a few more minutes of sleep. It was 6:45 a.m. (an ungodly hour for a college student to be awake) and I was about to participate in the seventh annual Spartan 5K Challenge.
Although my body desperately craved sleep after a long week, I somehow managed to free myself from my deep slumber and prepare for the race. I trudged towards the closet, rummaged through a pile of unfolded clothes and suited up in my finest workout attire.
The moment I stepped outside and saw the magnificent sunrise, I instantly became awake. Hues of orange, pink and blue filled the sky, and the moon was still visible in the west. The sight was so breathtaking that I plan on waking up earlier on weekends just to see all the beautiful colors that the morning brings.
Upon arriving at Pepin Stadium (the site of the race), I saw an array of UT students, families and even a few faculty members. In fact, the entire UT Lacrosse Team was out at the event running as a teambuilding experience. Sponsors such as Chick-fil-A also made an appearance and handed out promotional items like they were candy. Though it was 7 a.m., people were bright, cheery and eager to have a good time. “It was a fun way to test my endurance and stay active. I’m definitely going to participate next year too,” said junior Nolan Tashjian.
Having not run a 5K race in a long time, I forgot just how much of an electric and exciting atmosphere it is. Runners of all skillsets flock to the race, and some people even run while pushing their baby carriages (trust me, it happens).
The most beautiful part is that people genuinely do not care about winning. Sure, there are prizes and plastic trophies for the winners, but the idea of the race is to get some exercise, build community and experience the beauty that the morning brings.
That being said, the Spartan 5K Challenge is no walk in the park.
On the surface it seems like a run of the mill 5K, but the challenge is certainly fit for a Spartan. Runners had to leap over large bales of hay, tiptoe through tires and overcome tumultuous terrain before they cleared the finish line.
At the start of the race, I sprinted ahead triumphantly, and thoughts like “This isn’t so bad” and “I got this” began flooding into my brain. I had my favorite workout playlist pumping through my headphones, my body felt great and I really had a chance to take in all the sights around me. The course itself began at the track, looped around the intramural fields and sent runners all the way through Plant Park twice.
While it was cool to glide through the scenic park during such a beautiful time of the day, Florida is still a swamp and is brutal in the humidity department. At times, I felt like I was swimming through an ocean of heat and humidity, and it didn’t help that I saw signs that reminded me of water all around me.
Eventually, I did finish and feasted on the bevy of free food samples that were provided to participants.
It sounds cheesy, but the race really was life changing. It gave me a new perspective on running, waking up early and staying active. For all of you that missed out, I implore you to try this race next year. Yes, it’s early, and running in Florida is like baking yourself in an oven, but the overall feeling you gain from it far outweighs the pain you experience during the race itself.
Griffin Guinta can be reached can be reached griffin.guinta@theminaretonline.com.