That story haunted me more than many of the well-known Poe classics. I don't know if this is a common reaction to the story, but I was--still am--overwhelmed with feeling sorry for the old man, though I'm not sure we're supposed to.
Anyone else surprised that they've yet to cancel? I get that the air quality is improving, most runners are in good health, and it's not easy to cancel or postpone a major event like this, but it looks as though the quality will still be "unhealthy for everyone" tonight. I'm a very average thirty-something runner who was just going for a 36-minute time tonight (so unlike the elite runners, I have no stakes in this, really), no heart or lung problems, and I really don't think I can justify doing it.
I'm a former dancer so I do an awful lot of thinking about technique. I've also channeled all my strong opinions about dance shoes into running shoes. You'll find me in the shoe store trying on a pair and muttering "interesting" to myself before trying on the next.