You Didn't Have to Race

I couldn't have not raced.  I, being the way I am, got inexorably sucked-in.  It was a bloodthirsty competition, we both gave all we had and not a word, or even a looks was exchanged.  Here's how it went down.

I was five and a half miles into an 8-miler and getting to where I turned off of a suburban side-road onto the (paved) rail-trail.  About 100 feet before I got to the turn, I saw another jogger pass my road on the path and going the direction I would be going.  

He was tall, gangly probably a bit younger than my 61 years and looked to be going a bit more slowly than me.  I hadn't run in a few days and had that, I feel really good, kind of running day.

I made up about half the 100 feet distance between us pretty quickly, he was going a lot slower than me--I'd been doing about 9:20 pace for my first 5.5 miles, I wear a Garmin, so I can be and was at the time, well aware of my pace.  Once I got to about 25 feet of him, even though I'd sped up, I was no longer gaining on him.  I had more in me and had already pushed myself to, what I thought, was a sustainable speed, so I redoubled my efforts. It had taken me half a mile to catch him and after catching someone, I like to burry them.  I hate it when somebody passes me and then slows down, either on the track or on the highway and so I don't like to; be that person,  so after passing, I kept pouring on the steam..  As I passed, I saw that he was running with ear buds in place and he made no sign of noticing me.   I could hear his footsteps and breathing behind me, maybe 20 feet back, even though I was redoubling my efforts, he was not getting buried.

Along we both went, passing pedestrians, getting passed by bicyclists.  At one point, I saw a man with a corgi ahead of me, by the side of the path.  I gave plenty of room and nodded at him as I passed.  I heard the dog barking and snarling behind me, about as far back as I estimated the other runner to be.  I was was aware of the man running behind me until at least the Heart Pond parking area and maybe a bit further.  When I crossed the final road and was a quarter mile before exiting the path, I no longer heard him--he could have turned off or quit with the speed.  I forgot to look back when I made my exit.

I'd been averaging about 9:20/mile before the race, the remaining 2.5 miles was at 8:00/mile and once I got off the bike path, I'm certain that I dropped my speed a lot.

Added:  I don't always win.  But I always end up running faster than I would have.