Flashes of Panic

As running goes, I am pretty lucky. Not only that I’m able to do it at all, but in the people I’ve come in contact with simply because of my (relatively) long participation in the sport.

Through today’s half marathon, from arrival before the start to departure, I was running in to people I know professionally, including three different members of the marathon bike spotters team.

A member of one iteration of our Reach the Beach relay team was at the eight-mile water stop. Spotting and recognizing him took my mind off feeling sorry for myself (that was the race’s rough part, for me) for a few minutes, which was great.

And in the finishing chute, I was greeted by a college teammate who had finished around the time I was passing the twelve-mile mark. Another person I was pleased to see.

When I was running PRs and racing to win, I used to wonder what motivation I would have for training and racing when my times were hopelessly slower. I don’t think I’m washed up for good yet—another year or so of consistency may bring a breakthrough that would pull me back to PR territory—but several of my races this fall have given me clues about why I’ll keep at it once I am.

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