It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The best because it was my fastest half since coming out of lockdown, and the day was incredible overall – perfect weather, great crowd support including, I think, the entire retired population in town, and tons of great comments and picture-seekers. The worst of times because it was technically my slowest Bill Snyder Highway half time, but 2015-2019 saw every previous one under 2 hours, which may need to stay in my rearview at this point. Also, I forgot to take my meds Friday morning, and the worst effects come in attempting to sleep and the following morning until the pills kick in again – not the best plan for a big race morning. I’ll keep coming back to this one in the town where I did most of my growing up (2nd grade through 2 bachelors). It was here I learned to love music and the way it moves people (show choir included, where I shared a stage all year with Bridget Everett, star of the HBO hit “Somebody Somewhere”). It was here I first ran because I chose to, although that took a long pause when I believed my legs were different lengths. (They aren’t, as a chiropractor later helped me learn.) It was even here, with mandatory showers in middle school PE, that I began to learn that this body is the only one I’ve got, and how I live in it is ultimately up to me, no matter how I used to compare it to others’.
Playlist (Spotify)
Playlist (Apple Music)
