Day 44 - I Run Like a Seven-Year-Old Girl

My Saturday started with volunteer help at a track meet all morning, then I coached my daughter's indoor soccer team (won 6-1 and made it to the group championship!), and I finally got out to run in the cold, grey afternoon.

As I approached the bike trail, I confronted a "family parade" also joining the trail from another direction. A little girl, definitely no older than eight and probably seven, led the parade running. She was followed about ten yards back by a boy about ten or eleven kicking hard on a scooter, ten or twenty yards behind him two more pre-teen kids on bikes, and finally "Dad" on his mountain bike in the rear.

I reached the intersection and turned onto the trail just a few yards behind the young lead runner, who turned out to be running much faster than I expected. At this point, I'm at about a 7:30/mile pace, and I'm not gaining any ground. I'm thinking, "That's really cute! She's pretty a pretty fast sprinter for a kid her age." After another 200 yards, I'm still not gaining ground, it is clear she is sustaining this pace, and I'm feeling a little self-conscious about being a random middle-aged man running in the middle of the family right behind the little girl. I'm sure she'll run out of gas soon, but I decide to kick it into gear and pass her anyway to get out of the pack. I do, and compliment her speed as I pass. She very politely, and showing no sign of being winded, answers, "Thanks!"

A quarter mile later, I look back and she's still right behind me, no more than ten yards. According to my GPS I'm now at a 7:15/mile pace, and she's been running hard at least half a mile since I first saw her, and who knows how long before that. I try to step it up again.

Finally I reach a turn, and go off into Sun City. As I turn, I look at my GPS and see that my last quarter has been at a 7:05/mile pace. And she is still within 20 yards.

After they go off the other direction, I slow down considerably because I need to catch my breath. I don't see any sign of her slowing down. And I am definitely feeling humble. It takes me a few minutes to catch my breath.

I don't know who this little fireball was, but if I see her again, the next time I will drop back to where Dad is (partly so I can breath), and I'm going to try to recruit her for our track club.

I know there are plenty of younger kids out there who can outrun me, but most of them are not seven-year-old girls. I'm glad she won't be in my age bracket in my next race.