I've been running for fitness, recreation and competition for several years. Admittedly, I came to it late, after my 40th birthday somewhere. But now I've done marathons and Ironmans and in the past few years, trail running.
I held my breath. I could feel my heart beating hard in my chest. But I wanted to listen to the world around me. The wind, the birds, the distant cars on the highway. I wanted to hear my world.
Last weekend (Oct. 28) I was the Newton Hills Ultra Trail Race, a 50k, 30k and 20k trek through the state park near Canton. Running trails at Newton Hills is tough because there are some long climbs that require walking, or a kind of exaggerated power hike. Much of it is also just beautiful, winding hiking trails. It's a true test of endurance. So I didn't race. I tended the fire.