Hunsinger & Legg Run Again

This past weekend, Trustee Scott Hunsinger and I headed up to Lakeview Cemetery just south of Brockport to “compete” in the Harvest 5K. The last time Scott and I ran together, it was a called a campaign, which is more of an endurance event than a 5K. For the metric-impaired like myself, a 5K is about 3.1 miles. Before Saturday, I had never run a race.

Running, like most every sport, has a lot in common with politics. In the case of the Harvest 5K, the Sweden Town Board was responsible for staging it, and did a wonderful job, by the way. But the parallels are more general than that. Goals, for example are important in both. And having realistic goals instead of wishful ones can make the difference between success and disaster.

Being my first race, I had no idea what to expect from myself. When I started passing other runners, I began to mull over my objectives: first and foremost, to chug through the race without injury in under a half-hour. My stretch goal was to cross the finish line in under 26 minutes.

This is how I typically approach challenges, whether in sports or work. I’ll set a standard for performance, one that’s reasonable given the circumstances—some of which are out of my control—and then I’ll set a higher mark to strive for.

Being the freshmen trustees, Scott and I frequently revisit the unwritten to-do list we compiled while running for office and since being elected. There are some things that we feel the village must address, like the former Kleen Brite properties or hiring personnel to perform the functions of former Village Manager Ian Coyle. Then there are other tasks that, while important, rise to a lesser level of significance.

That’s why right now front and center for Scott is the future of 200 State Street. On my desk is the critical task of finding Brockport’s next treasurer. While the task for my fellow trustee is a marathon, my top job at the moment is a sprint.

This division of tasks seems, based on the results of the Harvest 5K, appropriate. I ain’t braggin’, but my official time was 25:45 and change—meaning that I crushed my stretch goal and finished 15th. Scott, on the other hand, clocked in at over 33 minutes.