sun

At mile 7, the first trail runner burst from trees glittering in the early sun to the applause of volunteers and family.

“Altitude, it’s really hot, the sun is burning…” He sounded a bit like a student talking about how hard the test was after getting an A plus.

The heat is familiar enough to players who spend their seasons chasing the sun.

Instead of saying the truth—there’s nothing out there, just air—he describes for his cellmates beautiful scenes: people strolling on the street, a pretty girl, the sun is shining.

Both are emblems of his childhood, he says, describing a time of “total love and sun and just uninhibited joy.”