​Peter Thompson Running and Stepping up in the Community

How long have you been running and why do you run? 
I started running eleven years ago, using the Ten-Miler training pro-gram to get started. I was approaching 50 and sensed I was getting  softer and less fit and knew I needed to get more active.  Plus working at The Center (then known as the Senior Center) while I lived much of our values of healthy aging, I knew there was room for me to ‘walk the walk’ more by ‘running the run!’ Running has given me so much more than I ever imagined as an incentive to take care of myself, to hold off work stress, and with an added bonus of meeting scores of really cool folks I likely would never have otherwise met.

Favorite Route
The mile along Chapel Spring Road with the friendly horses and lovely vistas to the glorious sunrise at Free Union Road has become a favorite in the midst of long Saturday runs.

What are you training for now?
I’m enjoying the 2021 Race Fest Coach Mark has developed to keep us interested when there aren’t the traditional races I love. This includes the 10 miler, the race that got me started and the only one I do every year.

Why do you work for a not for profit?
I have always done community service work, from Scouts and Key Club and other youth and young adult volunteering. I left the restaurant business 25 years ago to make my avocation for service into my vocation. I deeply believe that we are all part of a greater good and the highest calling is to work to make our community a better place. Being able to do that while making a living is a blessing.

How does The Center benefit the community?
Aging is the biggest demographic issue our world, our nation and our community faces. Research consistently shows that the key is how we can help older adults remain as active and independent as possible, for as long as possible. The Center provides the key ingredients for this -- providing opportunities for physical, intellectual, social, and psychological wellness. And we do it in a fun and supportive environment so people are achieving their holistic wellness needs in a way that keeps them coming back.

Is running a hobby, a lifestyle or a curse?
It has absolutely become a lifestyle from very early on for me. Especially when I began training for half and then full marathons, it inspires me to eat and sleep better and generally take care of myself. This is only becoming more vital as I get older. During the Covid pandemic, running has kept me disciplined and given me motivation to keep moving even in the midst of so much hard to process news.

If you’re not running or working you are...?  
Spending time with my wife, and with my large extended family when I can. Plus reading, walking our dogs and volunteering and advocating for a better community for All. The need to fight systemic racism and develop a more just and equitable community is a big focus for me now. Racism, like ageism, kills. We all have to do our part to work towards a more perfect union.