Bettina Davies is a fierce competitor in the courtroom and at the start line for some impressive races across metro Atlanta. As a busy mother and litigator (she’s a network attorney for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators), she finds peace of mind when she laces up her Mizuno’s. Bettina turned up the heat at this year’s AJC Peachtree Road Race, placing first out of the 3,338 women in the 45-49 age group. She placed 34 of all 27,368 women, and 534 of the total field of 54,999 runners.

“I’ve been a runner since I was 13 — although my parents will tell you I started running as soon as I could walk,” Bettina says.

In her decades of running, Bettina has learned a lot about herself. Here are some of her tips:

• Be consistent. Whether that means getting up at 4:30 am to be able to run every day or three times a week, create a routine and stick to it.

• Compete against yourself. As a member of the Atlanta Track Club Elite, Bettina is up against some pretty tough challengers. (Check out her strong finish at the recent HOTlanta half marathon.) But her real competition is against herself, doing her best every day. “I want to be a role model for my nine-year-old daughter, and show her that women can compete,” Bettina says.

• Don’t take yourself too seriously.Just do what works for you. Run in the rain. Use a GPS watch, or don’t. Running in a way that works for you will make you more competitive, regardless of who you’re competing against.

“I love the feeling of running,” Bettina says. “It’s a component of who I am.”