A Silver Braid银色辫子

What a mistake. Starting in the back of a large race with the walkers andjoggers2 left me in a mile-long human traffic jam. Running through a wide greenvalley in the Ogden Half Marathon， I already felt a sense of loss. And it was stillonly mile 1.

I started at the back of the pack to keep my nieces company. I thought I couldwork my way up to the two-hour pacer3 who was holding a bright orange sign. Butat the end of the first mile， I was still stuck between joggers and walkers， trying towork my way through the crowd. The pacer had left me far behind.

The two-hour half marathon had been a goal I’d chased4 for years. Betweengiving birth to five children， I’d done lots of half marathons and gotten decent5times： 2：05， 2：08， 2：02. But the elusive6 sub-two-hour evaded7 me.

This was my year to make that goal. I’d been training hard for that distanceand that time. I’d done the speed work and gone overboard on long distance bytraining for the full marathon. My goal time was within my grasp8. This was myrace. But in the back of my mind， I knew my time in the first few miles wascritical9. And that first mile wasn’t nearly fast enough.

To make up for the lost time， I would need to go faster than I had trained forthe remaining 12 miles of the race—a rookie10 mistake I had learned not torepeat long ago. It’s a factor for burnout and failure. Today， of all days， I did notwant to fail.

真是个错误。在一场大型比赛中，我与步行者和慢跑者一起从后面起跑，这让我陷入了长达一英里的人流拥堵中。在穿过奥格登半程马拉松赛中一片宽阔的绿色山谷后，我已经有了一种失落感。然而这还只是第一英里。

为了陪伴我的侄女们，我从人群的后面出发。我以为我可以努力追赶上举着亮橙色标牌的两小时配速员那里。但在第一英里结束时，我仍然被夹在慢跑者和步行者之间，试着努力穿过人群。配速员已经把我远远甩在了后面。

两小时的半程马拉松是我多年来一直追求的目标。在生了五个孩子期间，我跑了很多半程马拉松，并取得了不错的成绩：两小时零五分、两小时零八分、两小时零两分。但我未能达成难以达成的两个小时以内的成绩。

这是我要达成这个目标的一年。为了达到这个距离和时间，我一直在刻苦训练。我已经完成了速度训练，并通过做全程马拉松训练在长距离上训练到了极致。我有把握达到我的目标时间。这是我的比赛。但我心里清楚，我最初几英里的时间很关键。而在第一英里我还远远不够快。

为了弥补失去的时间，我需要在剩下的十二英里比赛中跑得比我训练时更快———这是我很久以前就学会了不要再犯的新手错误。这是导致精疲力竭和失败的因素。尤其在今天，我不想失败。

During the second mile， I finally worked my way out of the joggers in theback. I found a clear lane11 and plodded forward， determined to finish strong. Selfdoubtgnawed12 at me as I saw the two-hour pacer dip13 over a distant snowcappedhill. I wondered if I would ever see the pace group again.

That’s when a silvery braid bounced14 by me. Going a little faster than mycurrent pace， a woman about my height and build strode15 away. She was probably20 years my senior. And there she was， stepping away from me in my race.

I wondered how long she had prepared for this event. Months？ Years？ Thiswas clearly not her first half marathon. I felt it also wouldn’t be her last. I foundmyself accelerating16 to match her even strides. I imagined reaching out to holdthat braid like a guide rope. If I could hang on with her， I would finish strong.

Near the fourth mile， what felt like a miracle occurred. My silver-braidedcompanion17 and I caught up to the two-hour pace group. I relaxed， happy to bewith the right crowd. But she did not. She passed through the two-hour group，running steadily18 ahead of them.

Something in my heart was still attached19 to her flowing braid. I followedher， knowing even if I slowed near the race’s end， the pacer was behind me and Icould still make my goal. Coming down a path that crossed a forest， she ran evenfaster. I followed.

Around mile 10， the increase in crowd support inspired me to pick up mypace. The disco music at the water stop really got me going. I caught a secondwind. Silver Braid was slowing. I passed her as the music filled the air around us.

在第二英里的比赛中，我终于从后面的慢跑者中挣脱出来。我找到了一条畅通的路线，艰难地向前推进，决心要坚持到底。当我看到两小时配速员消失在远处的一座白雪皑皑的小山那边时，我的自我怀疑折磨着我。我怀疑是否还能再见到配速员组。

就在这时，一条银色的辫子从我身边弹了过去。一位身高和体型与我相仿的女士跑得比我现在的速度快了一点，大步地将我甩在了身后。她可能比我大20 岁。她就在那里，在我的比赛中甩开了我。

我想知道她为这次活动准备了多长时间。几个月？几年？这显然不是她第一次参加半程马拉松比赛。我觉得这也不会是她的最后一次。我发现自己在加速，以赶上她均匀的步伐。我想象着伸出手来像牵绳一样抓住那条辫子。如果我能紧紧跟上她，我会坚持到底。

在接近第四英里时，奇迹发生了。我和我的银色辫子同伴赶上了两小时配速员组。我松了一口气，很高兴能和合适的人群待在一起。但她没有。她穿过两小时配速员组，稳稳地跑在他们前面。

我心里还惦记着她那飘逸的辫子。我跟着她，知道即使我在比赛快结束时放慢速度，配速员也在我身后，我仍然可以达成目标。跑过一条穿过树林的小路后，她跑得更快了。我紧随其后。

在第十英里左右，人群支持的增加激励我加快步伐。补水站的迪斯科音乐真让我动力十足。我重新获得了动力。“银辫子”正在减速。当音乐回荡在我们周围的空中时，我从她身边超过。

Mile 11， with the music behind me， I felt the sadness with my poor，tired legs. Glancing at my watch， I was excited to be far ahead of myprojected training time. But I also felt the strain20 of the additionalspeed. I was getting to the end of my endurance21. My body hit a wall.

Silver Braid passed me again. She gave me a thumbs-up and saidsomething encouraging my exhausted mind. Praising her steadiness22， Ifell in behind her. My focus was still on the end of her braid.

Mile 12 was the hardest mile. Knowing the finish line was close， but feelingthe aching body， I was tempted23 to walk. But just then， new inspiration foundme. A college-age girl from the crowd started shouting and running ahead of us.

“Go， Ann！ That’s my mom！ ”the girl shouted.“Keep it up， Ann！ ”