D.C. Road Runner Cross Country Champion Runner Up

In spite of warnings and watches about t-storms, we headed Sunday for Maryland and the D.C. Road Runners Cross Country Championship Race held at the Landon School for Boys. Above a runner warms up.
Runners stepped lightly over tree roots in between these two rows of pines. . .the cool shade was a relief after running across the dirt track and open field.
We crossed this drive to get from one loop of the race to the other and wondered, "How much did it cost for the white paint on these rocks?"
After crossing the drive and across the grassy field, the trail went behind the trees in the rear.

This was my first true cross-country race, though I have run across trails. But to run across grass where a runner just can't really get traction and through trails too narrow for passing while dodging tree roots during a race was a new experience. I finished with a time of 29:16 (9:26 pace). I think I could have done a bit better. But this was my fourth race in four days and it was 83 degrees. Given depth perception issues, I was also afraid of tripping and falling. I did trip over a tree root once and nearly landed on my face, but righted myself just before my center of gravity tipped toward a horizontal landing. And I got behind a runner who wobbled as he ran; every time I thought could go around him, something about his gait unnerved me and I stayed behind, fearful I might trip him. About two-thirds through the race, at another opportunity to pass, he was the only one I could see or hear; scared of getting lost on the course, I opted to follow.

Unbeknownst to me this was the D.C. Road Runners cross country championship. Since I was second in my age group, that makes me a D.C. Road Runner Cross Country Age Group Championship Runner Up.