Not comfortable sitting through the back-to-back-to-back embarrassing half marathon results, I at the last minute chose to register for and return to the Mayberry Half Marathon on November 11, 2023, that forecast an ideal temperature in the low 40s, requiring me once again to wake up at 4:00 AM to prepare and drive for over two hours to Mount Airy. I could vaguely justify my running so poorly recently, blaming the ginormous hills, suffocating humidity, and nonstop heavy rain, but here, like I told a 10K participant waiting in line for a porta potty, I had no excuse with the chillier weather and a relatively flat course, which oddly added unnecessary pressure.

I inadvertently opened up the first mile at 7:58, thanks to a downhill start, followed by a more realistic and cautious pace of mid-8:00 for the next nine miles. I continued to pray to God for help and to run with me, and three miles in, based on how strong I felt, I was confident I had this race in the bag while simultaneously anxious about suddenly tiring. Three quarters of the race in, my legs abruply felt heavier trying to maintain the same pace and I knew slowing down would be inevitable, and the rapid drop in speed occurred in the last mile and a half, perhaps due to occasional hills that I did not even notice at the beginning but felt like brief mountains on the way back. Regardless, I continued to run as hard as my body let me and crossed the finish with a gun time of 1:55:05.102. Going from three of my worst half marathons ever in my last three races to my top half marathon performance since a couple of years back at this exact event, I felt relieved having proved to myself that I could still comfortably run a sub-two-hour 13.1, boosting my confidence. As usual, with the conclusion of the race itself, the social butterfly in me came out, and I wrapped up my trip congratulating and exchanging stories with many runners and their families. Happy Veterans Day!

Following back-to-back half marathon weekends, I originally eyed a return to the High Bridge Ultra 50K for a second consecutive year, but seeing the possibility of thunderstorms and probability of nonstop rain in Pamplin, Virginia, I decided instead to go back to the Danville Half Marathon, taking place on October 14, 2023, that I ran a couple of years previously in the eponymous city, also in Virginia. Albeit I expected rain here and there, if I could have foreseen to what extent, from packet pickup all the way to the end of the event without a break, I highly doubt I would have signed up with two minutes to spare prior to online registration closing the night before.

Because I recalled this course as mostly flat, I shot hard from the start for a sub-two-hour run, but whether I am still out of shape from the summer or the heavy rain, soaking my shoes early on, affected me, or perhaps my legs have not sufficiently recovered from the two half marathons in just over a week, I felt fatigue hit me earlier than I imagined. Periodically smelling pungent weed odor throughout the trail predictably riled me up as well as confuse me what weirdo(s) would come outside early in the morning in this heavy rain just to get high. (For years now, there has been almost nowhere I have been able to freely run or even walk without the likelihood of encountering stoners or at least the smell, so I am extra sensitive toward these inconsiderate senseless dolts who shamelessly smoke in public and brag about their drug use.) Approaching the finish, I no longer cared strongly to push to my limit, as I had already blown this run, but a face I recognized from packet pickup pulled up from behind and said hello with just over half a mile to go, and I told her, “I am running the rest of the race with you.” Amber was running her first half marathon after just having gotten over pneumonia, and conversing with a fellow runner took my mind off the boredom and slight exhaustion, and I for certain would have finished later without her entrance, for which I thanked her. My bizarre finish time of 2:07:34.66 still placed second in my age group of 30-34, so I cannot be too embarrassed!

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.

After months of insufferable heat in Raleigh, with the effective temperature regularly resting between 110 and 120 degrees, although I continued to run consistently, my pace understandably drastically slowed and I pursued hardly any longer runs; thus, when I registered for the infamously hilly Run for Green Half Marathon in Davidson, North Carolina, taking place on September 30, 2023, last minute, I had no intention of running fast, especially having just recovered from a cold, and casually viewed the event as a training run for hopefully a bigger race soon.

PC: Run for Green

As typical, I did not manage sufficient sleep after driving 2.5 hours the day before, and the race commenced hotter than I predicted, with my body beginning to sweat profusely early on. I tried hard to run slowly for the first several miles but accidentally outpaced myself, likely due to the initial downhill. The course comprised rolling hills, some extreme, from start to finish with hardly any flat, and toward the end, when I saw my running uphill felt barely faster than walking, I chose the latter to conserve energy and to pick up running again when the hills subsided. When I saw how slowly I was moving, I lost any desire to keep pushing to make up ground.

No excuses, but in retrospect, following the summer of almost entirely shorter and slower runs, coming back to a half marathon with this many giant hills may not have been the wisest. My fitness, whether due to insufficient training or my not being the best hill runner in general, was missing while my legs do not even feel like they ran, with zero soreness. I went into the event conservatively giving myself just over two hours to finish, so this embarrassing time of 2:21:53, exacerbated by the course stretching well over 13.1 miles, as my COROS reads 13.38, humbled me. I am still confident I would have easily run a sub-two-hour half marathon had this course been flatter or the weather been 10 degrees cooler, as I would not have walked, and hopefully I will be able to prove that to myself shortly. Regardless of the result, I am thrilled to be racing again.

PC: Elm Street Run Festival

Just like last week, I identified a relatively nearby running event, this time the Elm Street Run Festival 10 Mile in Greensboro, North Carolina, that permitted online registration up to race day, May 13, 2023, and set my alarm to 5:00 AM to decide then. Again justifying I would run this day anyway, after a few hours of sleep, I ate a piece of bread and chugged Gatorade Zero, registered online, took a longer shower this time, and headed out for a 70-minute drive to the venue. Because I continue to participate in races last minute, I tend to pay significantly more than those who sign up early and often do not receive all the swag, this time missing out on the event T-shirt due to all sizes being sold out; nevertheless, I do not feel comfortable committing too far in advance in case something comes up that could prevent me from going, and I only make exceptions for World Marathon Majors (because I have to).

PC: Elm Street Run Festival

Two-time champ!

Not seeing many 10-mile participants upon arrival, I was concerned about navigation, prompting me to ask a fast-looking runner about the course. He happened to be the reigning champion who predictably reclaimed the title, and unsurprisingly he has run a 2:17 marathon and was using this as training for an upcoming marathon in Canada. To my relief, so that I could follow them if confused, many more people toed the line out of nowhere right before the start. The course ran up and down from start to finish, and the 463 feet of elevation gain in just 10.12 miles, according to my COROS, felt more challenging, especially in the latter half, thanks to the rapidly approaching summer heat that will continue to worsen for the next several months. I opened up the first mile in 8:06 and hoped to maintain this pace, but considering the hills, I am content with a 1:30:29.7 finish.

Seeing I could sign up for The Derby Run 10K in Fayetteville, North Carolina, up to the start on May 6, 2023, at 8:15 AM, I set my alarm to 5:50 AM and decided to decide then based on how I felt. Following a few hours of sleep, I rolled out of bed just past 6:00 AM and, because I would be running later in the day anyway, convinced myself to make it a race for more fun, shoving down a piece of bread and Gatorade Zero, taking a record-breaking short shower, registering half asleep, and rushing out for a 70-minute drive to the event location, all within 10 minutes. This reckless spontaneity made me worry if I could even make it to the venue with sufficient time in case of traffic or construction.

Several participants, in addition to the official website, spoke of the challenging hills throughout the 10K course, but unsurprisingly, as I did not associate this military town with hills, they felt like babies compared to the ones I regularly train and race on. As usual for a race this small, navigation concerned me most and I ran without music to be more alert. I opened up the first mile just under 8:11 and maintained a steady pace throughout, and I cannot recall recently feeling this strong with no sign of discomfort throughout. Prior to the start, I spoke to a pregnant woman wearing a Boston Marathon shirt pushing her daughter in a stroller, and although she has run a three-hour marathon in the past, I assumed she came to jog, until I saw her blow past me not even a mile in and not slow down one bit, prompting me to comment, “That’s amazing. How are you doing that?” Crossing the finish in an official gun time of 53:00.5, I was momentarily disappointed that I came that close to hitting 52 minutes and would have had the race used chip timing at the starting line.

After confirming my official time with the staff, I saw a finisher seemingly unknowingly dragging his dog who was panting and on the verge of passing out. Many of us rushed to the dog with cold water bottles and poured water all over the dog. A peculiar way to conclude a running event, but I hope the dog is doing okay.

Ready to start!

Nearing the registration deadline and misremembering Chapel Hill as a shorter commute, I decided a couple nights prior to the event to sign up for the historic Tar Heel 10 Miler, held on April 22, 2023, and commencing by the Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower. Had I known my drive to packet pickup from my office in downtown Raleigh would take an hour and a half due to traffic the day before, I may not have registered. I primarily planned to use this as a training run for a bigger race hopefully soon. I have consistently heard about the relentless hills of the event town, and many highlighted the giant one-mile climb on Laurel Hill toward the end.

This race too, like my most recent half marathon, had a mass start of thousands of runners, but thankfully I did not find challenging maneuvering around people and keeping my intended pace. The entire course comprised rolling hills but nothing extreme for the most part; hills generally look worse than they feel, the reason I often look down when running up so that my mind does not deceive me into believing they are more daunting than they are. Even in this hotter-than-ideal temperature, I for the first eight miles ran every mile significantly under nine minutes, with the fastest clocking in at just under 8:24, but the anticipation of the final climb remained. Unlike in many instances, people were not exaggerating about this monster that started around 8.5 miles in all the way to the finish with hardly any flat breaks in-between, which slowed me down drastically and ruined my overall performance. I only cared about not walking at any point, which I managed, and crossed the finish with an official time of 1:31:33.54, with my COROS reading 614 feet of elevation gain in 10.16 miles. Ten minutes following, officials asked runners to take shelter for a thunderstorm that never appeared, which had me worrying about the thousands of runners still on the course and if they would be allowed to finish.

Ready to start!

Planning to squeeze in a race in March, I casually set my eyes on the renowned Asheville Half Marathon, taking place in the eponymous city on the 18th, thanks to its seemingly ideal condition for a fast time, with the net downhill and temperature in the low 30s; nevertheless, I struggled to decide if my would-be-53rd half marathon was worth driving four hours out and four hours back and spending even more money on a hotel overnight. The morning before race day, having already taken a PTO from work, I finally pulled the trigger on this runcation and headed out for the event Expo.

PC: Asheville Marathon

I have raced in the vicinity twice in previous years and again was captivated by the breathtaking scenery and nature of Western North Carolina. Following waiting in line for a porta potty for nearly half an hour, I stepped up toward the front for a mass start of 2,500 participants, trying to minimize my chances of being stuck at a slower-than-intended pace due to the human barricade, which happened anyway. In spite of pacers with clear signs, an infinite number of slower runners clogged up the front, forcing me to maneuver around them and commence at an eleven-minute-mile pace when I planned to go out between upper seven-minute and lower eight-minute. Albeit I would typically appreciate this 31-degree start with the feels-like in the 10s, I did not foresee the nonstop vicious headwind and its impact on my running. Furthermore, as I suspected, the course opening up primarily downhill for the first two miles took more out of my legs than normally at this point. As I slowed down significantly the last several miles, specifically from the short climb and trail portion forward, I went from thinking I could realistically run between 1:52 and 1:55 to doubting I could even finish under two hours, as I saw the 2:00 pacers pass me with just over a mile to go; amusingly, while they stayed in proximity, they blocked the headwind and made the run less unpleasant. They left my sight with half a mile to go, then nearing the finish line, I saw them drastically slowing their pace, prompting me to look at my watch to see if sub-two hours was still within reach. I sped up as much as my legs let me, crossing the finish in 1:59:27 at 13.22 miles on my COROS. Considering how weak I felt approaching the final stage, I was thrilled I managed to at least salvage a sub-two-hour 13.1, even if I did not run close to my potential perhaps due to the spontaneity of this trip, lack of sleep, and/or simply not having the best day.

At the Expo the day before, I stood by a backdrop runners sign that asked what inspired us to run, on which I wrote, after pondering for a while, “Community!” I often wonder this myself, as I still do not know if I truly enjoy running itself but certainly love connecting with humble and disciplined individuals who share the same hobby before, during, and after any running event. I doubt I would run as frequently as I do without the availability of races or community.

PC: Fit & Able

Half an hour before online registration closed, I decided to sign up for another semi-spontaneous short race of 6.5 miles at Sole Mates in Cary, North Carolina, on February 18, 2023, due to the event’s taking place in my neighborhood, the lack of nearby options in my preferred distances, and that I planned to run this day anyway and did not have to wake up extra early thanks to its later-than-usual starting time. I ran this exact cross-country course half a year prior in a different event with the same group, and having felt these nonstop hills and turns, I only mildly cared to run faster than I did previously and more so accepted this as a light training run for a longer race hopefully soon.

PC: Fit & Able

With the organization’s highly discouraging the use of headphones, I ditched music once again, which has somewhat become the norm nowadays. I perplexingly clocked a 7:53 first mile and, no matter how short, reminded myself to chill out for the next several miles and push at the end depending on my remaining energy level. Because of the heavy rain the day before, I had to navigate around mud at times, nothing severe nonetheless. I crossed the finish in 58:08.65 and third in my age group of 30-34, with my COROS reading 6.58 miles and 476 feet of elevation gain. I did not have any expectations or serious goal coming in, but I am content I managed to beat my time from last year, albeit by a small margin, on this exact course.

Kelly and Andrea’s second 5K!

Emma blew past me with a mile to go and I could not keep up!

I opened my 2023 racing season in Greenville, North Carolina, with an impromptu 10K at the Cupid’s Crawl on February 11, confirming my entry half a day prior and uncharacteristically committing to a one-and-a-half-hour drive the morning of for such a short run. Commencing with a minor climb, the course remained primarily flat and, with the help of a cool weather of 50 degrees, ideal for a fast time. Immediately I was struck by the enduring revolting weed odor that seems prevalent everywhere I go nowadays and is extra irritating when I have to run through the disgust. Around a mile in, a fit middle-aged woman popped up next to my shoulder in my peripheral vision and stuck with me like glue for the following four miles, likely using me as her pacer, while I looked straight ahead and distracted myself with music. Then, just over a mile to go, I increased my speed drastically and left her behind and passed numerous runners, both 10K and 5K, concluding the race with a sprint to, in a cordial competition, hold off another lady who passed me for a brief moment. Considering the spontaneity and aware of my current fitness, I am content with an official (gun) time of 53:38.75 at 6.31 miles based on my COROS.

As I typically do, following a complimentary stretch, I endlessly spotted and conversed with humble and dedicated strangers, one of the main reasons I participate in so many running events. My obsessive personality almost never allows me to shut off work or what happened at work from my mind, and I am grateful for running that somewhat lets me balance out where my energy is spent, why I decided to join this race last-minute and which worked.