My first organised race was at Emen on 15 November. I arrived for a route advertised at sixteen kilometres, then came home with a recording of a little over fifteen and roughly five hundred and twenty metres of elevation gain.
I loved it. The atmosphere was calm and welcoming, the organisation was excellent, and the ground kept changing beneath my feet. It reminded me how comfortable I feel running on trails.
I finished in about one hour and forty-four minutes. It was also my first time using the GoPro in a race, so I was learning that part as I went.
I hesitated before sharing the footage. It was not as polished as I wanted, but leaving it unseen would have meant keeping a good memory to myself for the wrong reason.
I am glad this entry is here. It holds my first race, a beautiful route and the feeling of being welcomed into something new. That is plenty for one short story.