I don't think I'm a misanthrope at heart, but there were just way, way too many people in the park today. I guess it was my own fault for not getting out there and running first thing in the morning when the slow walkers and oblivious tourists are either still in bed or stuffing their faces at brunch. But I woke up so stuffy headed and sneezy, I had to stay in bed at least long enough for my pseudoephedrine and ibuprofen to kick in and then I was almost done with that Girl with the Pearl Earring book, so I had to linger long enough to finish that up and then I had to eat something...so it ended up being noon before I finally headed out for my run. I'd decided to postpone the 15 miler until tomorrow, but once I was up and out there it seemed better to just get it over with. My breathing was okay and I wasn't planning on pushing the pace, so since it was such a pretty day, it made sense to make it a mental exercise as well and just push on through.
The worst part came when I ventured down to the lower half of the park to do a full park drive circle and the hordes of meandering walkers and bikers threatened to shut down the flow of aerobic traffic. There was at least one time that a large, genetically connected contingent of people just waanndeerred across the running lane as if no one else was using the roads today. I felt a wave of obstinate ire rise in me and I refused to slow down at all as my path intersected with that of the familial crowd. Remarkably, I passed right through, like a jet through a cloud. I surely must have brushed one or two of them, but there was nothing like an actual impact. My other big pet peeve was the people who laid their bikes down in the pedestrian lane so they could sit on the curb and take a rest, but I'm not sure any of them spoke English, so I didn't bother pointing out their breathtaking rudeness.
Who knows, maybe my preoccupation with the hectic conditions distracted me from my own physical discomfort, but the 2+ hours seemed to pass fairly quickly. I gave the ice-bath routine a shot when I got home by sitting in a tub of extremely cold tap water and judging from the shock that gave to my system, I'm not overly anxious to add any actual ice to the mix next time. Freezing cold water on warm, tired muscles produces an exquisite sort of pain that involves measured breaths and mind over matter, but it really does become bearable in just a few minutes. I suffered resolutely for about a quarter of an hour before dragging my numb and tingling limbs back in to bed. Just another example of why I wonder if this is really and truly a healthy lifestyle.