Real David H.

The older I get the harder it is for me to talk about how much race experiences mean to me. I used to run so many a year that setting PRs and having long-range goals became natural.

But my fair share of injuries, having more things to do in life with three kids, the pandemic, weight gain, and getting older have all moved me to this phase of running that I was so uncomfortable with for a while.

This past April was my 10th running of the Blue Ridge races in Roanoke – 8 half marathons, the full marathon once, and the 10k once.

After last year’s race cancellation due to storms (that I still finished and count in my personal running files), things changed. It was another derailment out of my control … and I was totally fine with that.

My training certainly wasn’t the best in the first quarter of the year, but it was nowhere near the worst. My overall fitness was OK. My attitude in the first part of 2024 became one of indifference about my running performance — and it’s helped.

The 2024 Blue Ridge Half Marathon was truly a mix of having fun and taking things seriously for a few moments. I got moo-mosas coming down Mill Mountain for the first time. My sister and I had a couple of opportunities for some selfies. Peakwood didn’t totally make me regret everything in life.

I was able to push myself to a course record in my 40s. The fastest of three attempts in this decade of life, knocking a couple of minutes off my 2022 adventure. It’s a far cry from my 2:20 something from nearly 10 years ago, but it’s very much a moment worth celebrating.

My fastest mile was near the end. I actually finished strong without a feeling like I could’ve pushed myself harder somewhere else.

I can’t wait for 2025 to set a personal record no matter what — the most times I’ve done one event.