I’ve been running for five years, but this was my first official race. Closed roads, cool air, no room for excuses—finally, I stood face to face with the clock.

Finish time: 1:32:53.

For a debut, I’d like to think that’s a decent number. It’s proof that five years of quiet, solitary training weren’t for nothing. At the same time, the fact that 620 runners crossed the line before me puts my current standing in honest perspective.

What I want from the next race is simple: stronger hills, longer and steadier long runs, a calmer pace, and one more gutsy push in the final kilometer. The baseline is set. Now it’s just about raising it.