May 26, 2012 - Without delay after hitting my sixtieth birthday I toed the line
the very next day for the start of my seventh decade of play.  Sixty is not the
time to slow down and take it easy.  After a two-hour drive to just east of
State College I arrived early at the Seven Mountains Boy Scout Camp to pick
up my number and ready myself for what portended to be a hot trans-sylvania
run (that's through the woods, for those of you not from these here parts!) 

Temps were forecast for the 80's with higher than normal humidity.  The race
followed undulating, zigzagging mountain bike trails half the time and roads
and fire trails the other half, making for a varied course requiring both speed
and agility at different points.  I dug deep on the roads to find what remains of
my leg speed of younger years and then danced with the rocks and roots as
I am good at once I hit single track trails.

The small field took off at the start, as expected, while I began conservatively,
by choice.  After a mile in the woods and a trip around the scout camp we hit
the roads for four miles before reaching a water station half way.  Once I hit
my stride on the roads I began to pass people and move up in the field.  Only 
one guy in his fifties passed me during the race to finish ahead of me a couple
minutes, so my race plan proved sound.  

The second half of the course moved along quickly in the woods, mostly.  I
caught a couple more people before the finish, using what experience and
tough I could draw from.  The group at the finish back at the scout camp was
small as I crossed the line in the top ten in a respectable time of 2:05:39.  
Two road-racing girls finished first and second in 1:51 with a young fellow
named Cliff whom I had beat handily at Hyner coming in third.  

Most of us stepped into the lake to cool off after the event and socialize a bit
before everyone finished and awards were presented.  I received a nice
hoody as an award with kudos and acknowledgement of my post-race plan
to start a 60-mile hike on the Loyalsock Trail.  Switching to some hiking shorts
I headed out to meet brother Don to drive to the trailhead where we would
continue the day on the Loyalsock Trail to hike 9+ miles before calling an end
to my first day as an old man.