“Are you a writer?” I asked the woman as we stood under the post-race tent. She had a baby in a pouch on her chest.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Chelsea?” I asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

It was great to meet her in person. One of her eyes, the iris kind of spilled out into the bottom and it was pretty. Chelsea was one of the participants in a zoom writing workshop that I do on Tuesdays.

Then I saw a man that looked like Ryan who was featured in the Upper Valley Running Club newsletter. I like that they put a photo of him in the newsletter. I studied him from a distance. Is it really him? It was. We chatted for a bit and it was fun. Two people I met in person that I had only seen on paper or on zoom

I got in my car and decided to take a selfie to post on Facebook about how much fun I had at the race. It was then I saw that my mascara had run down my face. I looked like I’d been crying. But it was just the sweat and the salt.

I loved the run. I gave myself a thought assignment: come up with a book title. Maybe “I run for fun in the hot hot sun”? Dr. Suess line might have to get legal advice on that.

Okay so I was last. Dead last. The last to finish the 10K. Not the first time I was last. It happens with smaller races; only 19 people did the 10K. It is also more likely with races that offer a 5k and a 10k option. Most people chose the 5k leaving slow pokes like me to finish last, but I don’t care because I was combining a 9 mile training run with the Sprouty. I am training for the CHAD half marathon on October 9. So I did a mile and a half before the 10K and then I had to do some more after the 10k. In the future always do the extra mileage first so I can enjoy the after-race party.

I ran through a tunnel under a bridge. It was concrete and echoed. I echoed. Go ahead have fun, make some noise.

“Oooh ooh,” I tried.

I made the noises. I thought about singing “I’m a little teacup” but that would be too weird. But I was alone. One of the joys of being last, I guess. Would Julie, my granddaughter, like to echo in a tunnel? I’d take her there and see what she did. To get it to echo, I had to pause. On the way back I was still alone and I echoed again.

They gave out lettuce plants. “You don’t have to plant them just eat the lettuce,” the lady said. I liked that.

“The ones from previous years?” the lady asked.

“Sure. My mom likes the t-shirts she wears them to bed,” I said.

They gave me one from a previous year. Extra-large. She will be happy.

I enjoyed the race. No, I didn’t win anything. Yes, I am still envious of the people who walk away with prizes. Wicker baskets of goodies and a large fresh baked loaf of bread.

“You won,” I said to a woman carrying a goodie baskets.

“No I just placed,” she said. Modest. You’re still walking away with a basket.

This is why I run, to feel free and have fun and that day I lived by my motto, “You don’t have to go fast, you just have to go.”