On July 4th, I ran the inaugural Independence Day 17.76 kilometer race at Shirley Plantation. This race took us around the Shirley Plantation and on nearby roads, including Route 5. It was scenic, especially the "bonus" out and back path along which my friend Lilo escorted everyone at the start. I felt strong, and eleven miles is not a long way for me, given that I have been running more than a marathon distance in training.
After I finished, Lilo said, "did you look to see if you placed in your age group?"
"What, me? I didn't even look."
She encouraged me to go take a gander, so we looked. Turns out I placed second in my age group (ladies 50-55)! It was a small race. Were there no other ladies in my group? Turns out, there were a total of nine! I placed second out of nine ladies. Unbelievable! Some were not too far behind me. The lady who won our age group finished a full thirty minutes ahead of me: a truly fast runner. This was the first time I have ever gotten the opportunity to stand on a podium.
At the awards ceremony, some who are used to standing on the podium demurred when offered the chance. I said, "I'm definitely going up!"
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