阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

　　It was an early September day,cool and bright and just right for running,and I was in the first few miles of a 10 mile race over a course with a few high hills,　　1　　,I felt energetic;despite the hills,it going to be a 　　2　　 run．

　　Just ahead of me was Peggy,a teacher from Mount Kisco．She was too running 　　3　　,moving along at my speed．The pace felt comfortable,so I decided to 　　4　　 where I was．Why pay attention to pace when she was setting such a good one?I'd overtake her 　　5　　 when she was tired．

　　So I ran behind her,The course 　　6　　 north for five miles,wandered west for a hilly mile,then turned south again along a winding road．The race was getting 　　7　　．We had four miles 　　8　　 and already it was beginning to be real work．

　　Peggy overtook a young runner．She seemed to 　　9　　 him,for they exchanged a few cheerful words as she passed him．Their exchange 　　10　　 me．

You don't chat during a race 　　11　　 you are feeling good and Peggy plainly was．

　　Sill,I was 　　12　　 enough to overtake her if she was tired,so I didn't give up hope completely．We were getting nearer to a tong,punishing hill now and it would be the 　　13　　．We were a mile from tile finish line,　　14　　 whatever happened on the hill would almost certainly determine who crossed it first．

　　As I moved up the hill,my 　　15　　 wandered for a few minutes．When I 　　16　　,Peggy was moving away— first five yards,then ten,then more．Finally it was clear that there was no 　　17　　 of catching her．She beat me soundly．

　　There is an important 　　18　　 in that race,Women are thought to be weaker,slower and not nearly 　　19　　 skilled in sport．Yet as Peggy so clearly showed,the similarities between men and women runners are more important than the differences．I have run with 　　20　　 women,and I can say that it is often hard work．

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