PC: Fit & Able

Following a disappointing half marathon last weekend, I registered for another race in the same distance at the Cary Greenways Tour, a rare mere twenty-minute drive, which took place on October 7, 2023. The event started from the marathon all the way down to the 5K and had scattered starts due to the trail being narrow and open to the public. I had never been asked to briefly stop in the middle of racing due to traffic, which somewhat snapped my flow early on.

PC: Fit & Able

I knew the chances of my performing worse than I did a week ago were slim to none, but because of the unexpected suffocating humidity, exacerbated by my wearing the event’s not-very-breathable black T-shirt that led me to begin sweating like a mad pig from the very first mile, I deliberately moved much more slowly than I typically do. This, comparable to the previous race, had more downhill running the first half and returned back up the second half, and though I ran consistently for the first ten miles, I slowed down drastically toward the end, thanks to my deciding to walk a few of the climbs to preserve energy and run faster on the flat and downhill portions. With the course not being USATF-certified, I was not surprised the distance stretched over 13.1 miles, 13.33 with an elevation gain of 627 feet according to my COROS, which would not have been a big deal if the temperature would have rested about 15 degrees cooler. I would normally be more embarrassed by my finish time of 2:14:48.79, but considering the hills, humidity, and the temperature much higher than forecast and that I am just returning to racing from the summer, I am content simply having challenged myself and put some fun mileage in over the past week. I am often amused that individuals try to predict what Earth will look like millions of years from now when they can hardly ever accurately predict the following morning’s weather.