(Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection - Editor's Notes with Christina Myer)

All right, everyone, the News and Sentinel Half Marathon and Two-Mile Race are about a week away. If you’re registered and have been training all this time, watch out. I did my last training walk/jog last weekend and finished four minutes under what I consider to be my “I’m not ready” time. Just hand me the trophy now.

To be a little fairer to myself, I do have to carry my own water on these treks, and the trail was more crowded than usual. First, I caught up to and passed a horse. The poor thing tried to turn its head to its rider like “What are we doing, here?” but she kept it at its leisurely pace (which is exactly the pace at which one SHOULD enjoy a trail).

Then, once I was around a bend and sure the horse and rider couldn’t see me anymore, I slowed down way too much. That lasted only a mile, though, as my fitness app announced the pace of that mile and I realized I had miscalculated horribly.

Farther up the trail, I encountered a road block. Well, four horses and riders, two dogs and a couple of extra people. I decided it was best not to go charging through that, as they were enjoying the afternoon, chatting. Even the dogs were laid back enough that the best one of them could manage was a lazy “boof” in my direction as I snuck past.

A little past that, two utility trucks. It looked as though they were working on one of the lines that runs underground alongside the trail. One of them actually backed his truck up to get out of my way, though I would not have been bothered by getting a little muddy if he’d stayed where he was.

When I turned around and could mentally set myself to “just going back to my car,” I passed the family with the horses again. This time they were stopped and enjoying some time at one of the picnic tables. Then, with only about four miles to go, I threaded my way through some people who were just starting a nice, easy bike ride. I must have looked gassed, because one of the men very nicely asked if I needed fresh water. I pointed to my backpack and thanked him, and they headed on up ahead.

I caught them three miles later. (Because they had stopped). But the same nice gentleman didn’t notice me skipping around them, so when they resumed their trip, he caught up to me and said “How did you get ahead of us?!”

If I had been just a little more delirious, I would not have admitted I’d passed them while they were stopped, and would have instead bragged about my blazing speed.

If there was ever a day when I was going to set a personal best, it would have been Saturday. The temperature and humidity were perfect. It was a gorgeous day to be outside, as all those other people had also realized.

And THAT is why I do this. In case I haven’t said it enough, I do NOT have blazing speed. I don’t even really have what anyone would call speed. I can get my legs moving just quickly enough, for just long enough, that I can finish a half marathon before they sweep the course to get ready for a parade.

But training to do even that gives me an excuse to get outside. (In my case, out into the woods). It gives me a chance to chat with strangers, even if the conversation is essentially a brief “Hey, you’re a human enjoying the outdoors? I, too, am a human enjoying the outdoors. Isn’t this great?”

It gives me a chance to watch the seasonal wildflowers change along the trail and tell people who might be trying to reach me that I will be unreachable for about four hours. (Don’t worry, I catch up with everything once I get back).

And, frankly, 11 years after I did my first half marathon, it gives me that little boost of confidence. “OK, yes, my body CAN still do this.”

If you haven’t been getting yourself ready for 13+ miles in summer weather, it might not be the greatest idea to sign up to participate in one that is a week away. But it’s not too late to sign up for the Two-Mile and get a taste of what it’s like. You can always start working your way up to longer distances next year.

On the other hand, if you know your body is capable and just haven’t signed up yet — what are you waiting for? If nothing else, you’ll have an excuse to be “out of reach” for a few hours while you enjoy being outside with plenty of sights to see and people to chat with along the way.

(I know, I know, the more serious runners aren’t doing any talking on race day. I can’t help it. I’m a talker.)

I can’t guarantee perfect lower to mid-70s temperatures, with a nice breeze and low humidity (Art Smith continues to disregard my weather requests).

But I know it will be worth it.

Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com.