A Chinese Tortoise vs. An American Hare

I had high hopes for my first 5k race two weeks from now, until I tried running in the heat and humidity yesterday, which turned a five mile jog into a struggle to get home. I've been pushing myself pretty hard recently, and unfortunately for my racing ambitions, it's going to be hot and soupy for the next several weeks. One upside to all this, though, is that the heat will force me to moderate my workouts, which I apparently am not mature enough to do on my own. I once learned - and quickly forgot - the importance of going slow almost two decades ago while hiking up a steep mountainside in China. I was rushing to get to the top, but had to take a break every few minutes. At the same time, there was an elderly lady from a nearby village who was making the same ascent, except that she was carrying two baskets filled with something heavy, suspended on a bamboo pole that she carried on her shoulders. She took tiny steps, but was consistent and methodical, and eventually she passed me during one of my breaks.

Fortunately for my sense of pride, no one else was around to see this lady, who was carrying what looked like half her body weight on her shoulders, beat me to the summit. But I did think about the virtue of going slow, and wonder what she could possibly be carrying to a mountain top. Twenty years later, will I apply the same lesson to how I train? Given that summer in D.C. is just starting, I don't think I'll have a choice.