PC: Fit & Able

Unseasonably cool in the morning for a few days for this time of year and eager to immerse myself in the running community again, I, just before the online registration deadline, signed up for the 1/4 marathon option at the Summer’s Done in my neighborhood of Cary, North Carolina, on August 24, 2024. I was initially leaning toward the half marathon, but I have not run at what I consider to be a fast pace most of the summer with the real-feel temperature regularly sitting at well over 100 degrees and knew on a semi-technical course like this I could not finish in a satisfactory time. I had my playlist prepared, but reading the final announcement email that strongly discouraged the use of headphones, I ditched music again.

The event understandably chose staggered starts to avoid hindering people not involved from using the park as well. Albeit humid, the 57-degree start felt like a gift in the middle of August, and I took off. I would run the same loop twice, and having studied the elevation chart, I knew I would face challenging hills somewhere. As I approached the trail portion, a volunteer waved one hand at me and one hand at the driver not yet visible to me to his right, and I must have misinterpreted and kept going because he meant for me to stop, which would have snapped my flow and made the rest of the run less pleasant. I apologized, and he said, “Cars are always first,” to which I thought, “Umm, no, runners are always first, and you are supposed to tell the driver to stop.” Following, I was met with two major hills, the second of which very steep but thankfully only momentarily, on the trail filled with roots sprayed red. When I faced these hills the second time, my breathing felt heavier, and I kept my head down as I ran up to avoid eye contact with the giant and becoming discouraged. I would have moved about more conservatively for a longer distance, but as soon as I conquered the last hill, I increased my pace substantially, crossing the finish officially in 1:00:59.85, sufficient for 1st place in my age group of 35-39, at what was supposed to be 6.55 miles but according to my COROS 6.84 miles. Knowing the course was not USATF-certified, I figured I would be running slightly more, the only downside being the official results page showing my average mile pace significantly slower than reality. Regardless, I was elated to race again after a few months of hiatus.