Last month Eric and I ran the Run for the Trees 5K. It was our first time in this local race and we had a blast.
The event is organized by Track Shack and takes place in Winter Park, FL, not far from our new neighborhood. We didn’t pick up our race packets ahead of time, so we had to stop at the packet pickup booth before the start to collect our bibs. We were in a bit of a hurry to reach the starting line for the 7:30 AM start, but made it just in time—perfect for a small local race. We don’t usually like to arrive too early anyway.
That morning I ate my usual pre-run breakfast: a gluten-free waffle topped with peanut butter, cinnamon and honey. Sometimes I add banana or blueberries for extra sweetness and texture.
At the start line Eric said he would run with me, but after the race began he broke off to run his own race. I love that he does that—he’s competitive and wants a time he’s proud of. I ran more for fun. It was a cooler Florida morning, so I wore long sleeves; the weather felt great for an early run.
The course was lovely. We ran through neighborhoods I hadn’t explored before, which made me even more excited about moving to Winter Park. The final mile followed Genius Drive, a shaded private road lined with big oaks, Spanish moss, orange trees—and even peacocks.
Yes, peacocks. They’re an iconic part of Winter Park, and I didn’t expect to see them in the nature preserve along the course. About half a mile from the finish I spotted one proudly displaying its feathers. I had to stop for a moment to take a picture and admire the bird.
I felt like I pushed myself on the course, even though my finish time wasn’t my best. I crossed the line in about 30 minutes—tired but energized from the run.
After finishing, participants were shuttled back to the start line by bus where we picked up our finisher’s medal—a tree, fitting for a race called “Run for the Trees.” Eric and I each received a river birch sapling, and we hope to plant them at our new house.
At the finish area we checked results and realized our bibs had been swapped in the rush to pick up packets and get to the starting line. The official results show I set a PR of 22:49, but that was actually Eric’s time. He ran fast and I inadvertently got the credit. Lesson learned: double-check bibs before the race starts.
Overall, we had a fantastic time at the Run for the Trees 5K and hope to run it again next year.