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NER: total AW (sorry long... sports related)
So, I am totally bragging, hope ya dont mind! Background: I used to be a competitive runner (many here know this) and I was relatively "famous" in my little running bubble in CT (very much a medium fish in a small pond). I was good, not the best around, but did alot of local road races, ran since I was like 7 in 5ks, and my dad and sister did too so many local adult runners knew me/my fam.
Last night I went to a thing with my dad - Joan Benoit Samuelson (aka winner of the 1984 women's Olympic marathon - aka the first Olympic marathon for women... an AMAZING runner... she won the trials going AWAY 17 days after knee surgery... yeah... she is tough!!) is the honorary chairperson for the Manchester Road Race here (72 years running, biggest non-marathon road race in the country, its on TG, Ive run it every year since I was 8 or 9 minus a few due to retail, former age group record holder there... ). My dad made a donation this year so he was invited plus 1 to a pre-speech meet n greet with her. It was really neat, seeing all the people who have been in charge of MRR for years who remembered me from my 'glory days' and Joan was really really nice... teeny tiny etc.
ANYHOW. To my AW part (all the other stuff was just fun and really cool from a running geek persepctive). My dad went out to the entry area because he had seen a coach there he knew. The coach was chatting with Lindy Remigino - he recently retired as coach of Hartford Public HS and won 2 golds in the 52 olympics. In running circles, well known olympian (it was a close finish etc). He went to all the HS xc and track meets for many years. My dad chats with him and Lindy says "oh your family etc" and my dad tells him "my daughter meghan is back in the room here, you should come back and say hi" So he comes back, says hi. Turns out he and Joan go way back, his daughter ran with her, etc. They hug and talk for a while, photo ops, etc. He comes back over to us before he leaves and says to me "I followed your running career for years!" Freakin winner of 2 gold medals. After talking to freakin Joan Benoit. Tells ME he followed me running career. 11 years after the CT part of my career ended.
Very very cool 
And reminds me... I need to start running again 
Luckily Ive lost weight so I looked trim but I hate when people who "remembered you when" ask "oh are you still running" and you have to say... "well... no..."
So that is my (long, sorry...) AW from last night! Plus it was really neat to meet Joan - her speech afterwards was very interesting... she is such a driven person, very competitive. Motivating! There were some neat tidbits too. One of THE best American Women Distance Runners of all time. The breaker of a glass ceiling in the sport. She is in her 50s now, and she freakin PACED Lance Armstrong through NYC. Amazing.
One story (if you are still reading and interested), her competitor for the Olympics was in the training room with her before the race and she heard her complaining to the trainer about some back spasms. And Joan goes... "right then I knew it, I had her. She shouldnt have said that! I knew she had a weakness. Ive razzed her over the years since that 'you shouldnt have told me about your back! once you said that, I had you!'" Those who have been in competitive sports I think will totally get and appreciate that story. Its all mental, kwim?
Re: NER: total AW (sorry long... sports related)
That is very cool.
So why did you stop running?
I ran D1 in college and had some really crummy coaches... and got kinda burned out. Joan kinda talked about Div 1 runners a little last night actually and it struck a chord... she was saying how scholarship runners end up looking at running as a job and not as a passion because they are getting paid (in tuition) for it. Plus, when you are on scholarship you are required to run all 3 seasons (xc, indoor, and outdoor track) and that is ALOT. You mentally need a break. (compared to most other sports wehre you are in training year round, but competing only 1 season). She said that she saw alot of D1 runners lose their passion, and get burned out as a result and I thin that (plus azzhole coaches) is what did it for me. And once you stop... it is so hard to get back into it. I really want to, I keep trying... running was a huge part of my life, it did alot for me, shaped me, etc... so hopefully I will get into the groove again soon.
Probably a longer answer than you wanted
I've been running on a recreational level for the past 10 years, and I love it. I'm not fast, but I can accept that. I'm definitely a "middle of the pack" person. If I was as fast as you seem to be, I would definitely be running more races.