Getting ahead³¹

Now when I run races, I see many people who start out ahead of me fall behind me after one mile. Of course, the really excellent runners have gone far, far ahead — God knows where. I can’t even see their backs.

In today’s five-mile race, towards the end I passed ten or twelve people. Then one girl went ahead of me. She looked at me to see if I was going to try to catch her, and in silence I said, “Go ahead.” Later I caught her.

Another girl went ahead of me after four miles. She was taller than I am and so strong and muscular. Again in silence I said, “All right, go ahead.”