The Tacky Light Fun Run Conundrum

December 22, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Humor, Life In Your 20's, Cazey's Column

Last week my running friend, Ally, told me about the “Tacky Light Fun Run” that she discovered on Facebook. The local running store in Carytown would be coordinating a run through Richmond to see holiday lights in the Fan, Oregon Hill, and downtown. Ally asked if I wanted to go and suggested that we dress up. I thought it would be fun and clicked attending on Facebook alongside Ally.

The day of the run, the event hosts posted the route and wrote, "Hope to see you at 6 PM! Dress up :)" I didn’t have anything festive to wear other than electric blue tights so I hurried to the Dollar Tree in the afternoon and bought green tinsel, an elf hat, a bell ornament, glow-in-the-dark sticks, and a big red bow to decorate myself.

Bri's First Race Ever

April 18, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Humor, life lessons

Last week you read about my first race ever. This week you get to read about Bri’s first race ever.

The story begins two Thursdays ago. My friend Brian asked if I was running Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, Richmond’s big spring run up and down Monument Avenue. I told him I wasn’t running since it since I don’t pay for races unless they're extraordinary deals like my 10-miler was.

Brian: “Do you want to run it?”

Me: “How much?”

Brian: “It’s free. You can use my bib. I have shin splints.”

Internally: Oh, free you say?

Externally: “I’m really sorry to hear that. You could walk it?”

Running My First Race

April 11, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Humor, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

I’m known for being a generally fit person. I walk everywhere in Richmond, including the grocery store and work/school, and I lift weights five times a week. I also used to run regularly in college (now I run once or twice or never a week, but whatever). But I’ve never done a race.

Okay, that’s not entirely true. Senior year of college, an organization I was in hosted a 5K fundraiser, so I participated. I almost won, too. Having never done a race at that point in my life and being used to running 10 miles at a time, I thought I’d sprint the 5K. I led for the first mile. For real, I was hundreds of yards ahead of the second person. But one cannot run at 10 mph for three miles. By the end of mile one, I met my mortality. I was lapped twice. By a father and son. Anyhow, they got first and second place, and I got third. Fourth place was my friend who now runs marathons regularly, so it says something that I beat a future marathon runner. Right?

Anyway, that race was $15 and benefitted my organization. I never did another race after that because why pay to exercise? Races are extravagantly expensive. They’re usually upwards of $60 to jog a distance I could do on my own. So what, I get a t-shirt I won’t wear and a medal that I could just order and pretend I earned?