An especially weird running experience
I go on long runs once a week, currently running 15 milers, down from the 18 I was doing a couple of weeks ago. When I go out, there's usually plenty to keep me busy, traffic, people, hills, and...the run itself, which can be pretty tough! But for some reason my long run today was quite the adventure. I started out as usual, from the track going down Mayflower, a nice hilly road. For the first 2.5 miles everything was normal, although I did notice a lot more traffic then usual. Then, I ran across a 4 way intersection, one of many I'd go through over the course of the run. All the sudden a car came from nowhere and I kind of cut it off. It was completly my fault, but I didn't even see it coming. Another car witnessed it, and slowed down to talk to me while I ran. He rolled down his window and started explaining to me why it was wrong to cut cars off. I listened politely, thinking "Whatever" in my mind. Good thing I didn't say it outloud, like I usually would do. But I figured he's in a car and I'm running. He's got the advantage. I let it slide. I continued on and then at about 4.5 miles I run by a woman sitting on her front porch. She was 30ish and she started screaming when I passed by! "Oh my Lord! Whooo Whooo! Thats what I'm talking 'bout!". I was running shirtless and obviously she liked it! It scared me a little bit at first. But thats something I've noticed during my runs, when I go shirtless. Not to be cocky or anything, but whenever I run without a shirt, I seem to get all kinds of reactions from the girls I pass. It's kind of funny actually. When I wear a shirt, not so many comments, but without a shirt, a ton of yells and stuff. And it happens every run. Today, over the course of the 15 miles, I got probably 15-20 yells, from girls I run by on the sidewalk, or from cars. But it's usually not from 30ish women on a front porch! Oh well, I ran by and continued on. The course I was running was a pretty busy area, some right down 501, and other parts with 4 lane roads. I made it up to my 7 mile turnaround (I do my 15th mile on the track when I get back) and right as I was turning around, I ran by this woman on the sidewalk, who glared at me and said quite clearly, "Jerk", as I turned around. I was actually speechless. Normally, I'd spit a comment or reply right back, but I was caught completly off guard. Didn't even see the comment coming. And she didn't have a reason in the world to say it. Oh well, by the time I'd thought about it, I was already another 1/2 mile away. On my return trip, covering the same course, except backwards, I had just as much fun! First, at 8 miles, I passed this old woman on the sidewalk. I was running from behind her, so she probably didn't see me, and her hearing must have been bad because I don't think she heard me either. When I ran by her, she literally jumped off the sidewalk onto the grass next to it! Interesting. She must have felt kind of stupid to see me run by! I'm guessing she thought I was going to rob her or something (I wasn't in the best neighborhood at the time!). My next excitement would come only a mile later at 9 miles. I was running through a 4 way intersection (sound familiar?) and I was going straight but traffic was going across the intersection. I saw a break in traffic and knew I could easily make it across if I continued my regular pace. So thats what I attempted to do. But as soon as I started across the intersection (on a cross walk none the less!) the car coming towards me actually hit the gas. Hard! And attempted to hit me! I had to completly sprint across the road to avoid the collision, and am %100 sure that had I kept my regular pace, she would have hit me. I think she figured she had the right of way (she probably did) and because of that, it wouldn' t be her fault. Luckily there were a lot of other cars and people in the vicinity who witnessed it and they would have been able to testify on my behalf. The car actually clipped my backfoot as I ran by it! Thats how close. Then only about a 1/2 mile later, I ran by a carload of girls from Liberty. It was Allyson and some of her roomates! They had come to try and find me while running, and I was really glad to see them. It meant a lot to me that they would spend the time to look for me (Thanks Ally!). They also threw a bottle of water to me (It was a pretty warm day, about 75-80 degrees?). But I didn't see it coming, and it nearly hit me! It was okay though, even though they almost killed me! Then everything was fine until 11 miles. There, I was back on Mayflower rd., and I was running by a woman getting her mail from her mailbox. She was about 70-75 years old, and she must have thought I was going to rob her to (whats with these old ladies thinking I'm a criminal?) because as soon as I ran by, she threw her hands in the air, and said "I'm just getting the mail, I have no money!". What?!! That wasn't really in my plans! I stopped (which probably scared her even more!), but I just wanted to tell her I was just a runner and I would never do something like that. But the last 4 miles of my run went smoothly and I had no other "incidents". Well...now you know how my long runs go each week! Wow!