on me, bent to end my reign as the runner at the front of the pack. “After all,” I thought to myself, “I couldn’t actually win this thing, could I? That would be crazy! Just enjoy your brief time atop the leader board.” I did use my ears, however, and waited for the volunteers’ calls to resume at the Mile 1 aid station. There were only a few seconds of silence before the familiar cries of “WATER!” started anew. The second-place runner was close. I decided to stick to my plan and recover a little on the flat portion. I knew I’d gone out a little fast, thrust forward by my enthusiasm and the sheer adrenaline rush of leading a race for the first time. If I was to survive the uphill as the leader, I had to have something left in the tank. After a short time, I could finally hear the footsteps
of my pursuer as he or she closed in. I mentally counted the other runner’s cadence Thump-thump-thump. The rhythm was slightly faster than mine, but not too much so. And he or she was striking the pavement hard. It was clearly a challenge to take the lead. I waited. “Stick to the plan,” I told myself. “Recover, then hit the uphill at full strength.” Meanwhile the mysterious steps behind me were getting louder. Finally, the much-anticipated uphill came into view and I shifted gears. The footsteps behind me faltered slightly and, for a time, actually started to fade. It was a sign that I had successfully met my first challenge. I was still the leader! I also was keenly aware that this race was young. Anything could still happen. I tried to block out all the
Thanks to Sprouts for supporting the 2019 Road Race Series and the 2020 Winter Off-Road Series.
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