It was pouring rain Saturday morning; but having signed up for the 11K race just north of town, I was determined not to chicken out. After picking up my bib, I waited in the locker room with all the other women who were discussing how they had strategically dressed for this weather. I said I was wearing a bright red shirt so that if I fell down a hill I would be easily found. Fifteen minutes before the start of the race, the rain stopped! I was familiar with the course that wound through the forest, partly on paved roads, partly on dirt paths; so I took off at a fast pace to avoid getting stuck behind cautious runners on the narrow downhill portion of the race. I overtook several young runners as I tore down the steepest and rockiest section. The second half of the course sloped gently uphill along the rushing stream. I slowed quite a bit as I always do going uphill; but surprisingly, very few runners passed me. The last two kilometers seemed interminable (mostly because the course was almost 12K instead of 11!), but I finished strong anyway. I didn't have time to hang around and mingle, so I jogged back to my car just as the rain started coming down again.
Gotta run...
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