Always new on the same old trail

I know the point of this blog is to try out new trails, but most of the time I find myself on Teapot Hill. The trees look different every time, even though I should know this hill like the back of my hand. I love hiking in the mist. It's like being in a cloud. Everything looks different. Is there ever a place that you can see anytime you close your eyes?

I know I shouldn't hike alone, but there were plenty of people on Teapot Sunday afternoon and it didn't even rain. As I started up the trail, I noticed a woman behind me and thought that she was one of the regulars. She always hikes alone. She caught up and passed me, moving very fast. From the amount of grey in her ponytail, I guessed she must be about my age. She was faster than Betsy, who kills me every time. I tried to keep up to her and found myself doing the kind of breathing I do when I'm hiking with Betsy. Both of us passed groups of younger people, which is not at all unusual. I tried to keep the woman in sight, but lost her half-way up the hill. When I got to the top, she was starting down. There's no way to know how long she stayed at the top, but she was definitely faster than me.
The question is: why don't I get any faster? I seem to have reached my maximum. Why is Betsy always faster than me? Is it inevitably downhill on the downhill side of the hill?