[6 AM]: My brother drove me 20-30 kilometers from the hotel to the race venue that morning. The road where the starting line was located was blocked from traffic to give way for all the race equipment and staff. The race itself was mostly uneventful—after all, it was just a 16k run.

Except in the middle of the run, I got a random call. The caller wasn’t asking for anything, it was just a random call.

That race marked the beginning of… stuff.

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Today we packed some stuff that we will donate to those affected by the recent eruption. Most of the stuff I donated are race singlets. I really liked the design of the singlet I used back in 2017.

Holding it in my hand, I asked myself,

“Does this shirt spark joy?”

It didn’t.