After being somewhat goaded into it last month, I signed up for the BU Law “Race Judicata” 5K run held on March 29. If you don’t get the punny title, I apologize – if you do get it, I fervently apologize. To get an appropriate scope of this commitment, you have to picture a 5′ 8″, 210 pound (but athletic… kind of…) law student with an old football knee injury who’s normally too busy to watch TV, let alone run a mile.
So, what compels a law student to run five kilometers in thirty degree weather on a windy Saturday morning? A desire to live a healthier, more fulfilling life overwhelming sense of smug self-satisfaction. Really, you’ve got to want to brag about it. Within thirty minutes of getting home, my place and time were on my Gchat status and Facebook wall. Neither were impressive by any standard except that I finished the race and I had proof. Sometimes that’s all it takes – not doing it well, but doing it at all.
I know this sounds egotistical and self-centered, and it probably is. At least I’m self-aware. There’s a little more to it, though. As a first-year law student, your life is going to center around law school. The average day is four hours of class and at least two to three hours of reading – and that doesn’t count whatever prep you’re doing for finals. On top of that, there’s the never-ending job search and whatever clubs and groups you’re working on. The days are long, the nights are short, and I’ve never had a day with too much time on my hands.
With all this work to do, the most important thing is to make sure you put aside personal time for yourself and find some time to escape. Some people go to the gym, some play online poker, others follow Lost or Grey’s Anatomy or whatever else they can find on TV. I’m a sucker for FIFA ‘08 on the Playstation myself. The fastest path to a nervous breakdown is to not take the opportunity when you can to do something needless and senseless. Get a hobby and stick with it, pick it up when you can and don’t forget to set aside your personal time.
Why does someone like me run a 5k race? Because I can, and when I’m running, the last thing I’m worrying about is being cold called in Contracts on Monday.
