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July 06, 2005
Tired Legs
As I expected they would my legs felt a little tired and beat up from yesterday's long run. But for some reason I felt compelled to get 11 miles in anyway. I started from work, which is a great little psychological trick I play on myself. It's about 2 miles from work to my usual starting/ending point, so I end up having to run out a mile less than I would were I to start from home. For some reason that makes the distance seem shorter. I think it's something about not having to venture as far from home.
With about 3 and a half miles left, I saw a guy not too far ahead who looked as if he was working pretty hard... then he stopped and started walking. And as I drew closer I could JUST TELL. It was partly the way he was dressed (he was wearing one of those tank tops with the super large arm holes) and partly the fact that he was short and partly intangbiles like the way he carried himself. But I could just tell that he was one of those guys who would have trouble letting a woman run by him. And sure enough, after I passed him I heard behind me the pitter-patter of pursuing feet. I was just not in the mood to play cat-and-mouse games for the next however many miles so I decided to nip it in the bud and stealthily took off (well, as far as what I was doing on my weary legs could be called "taking off"). He lasted for about 50 feet then I stopped hearing him behind me. It's amazing the accuracy with which I am able to predict when coming on a guy from behind whether he is going to let me pass unchallenged. The mindset that leads a guy to suddenly pick up his pace when he's being passed by a woman, then slow down again when she's safely behind him, then pick up again when she catches him again, then slow down again, then pick up again... then suddenly turn off or stop to fix an imaginary shoelace is something I will never understand. I mean, unless I were a total moron, it would be safe to assume that I KNEW you were running at a slower pace than I since I caught up to you. Ok, I'll stop. I really shouldn't let it bother me... but it's just SUCH a pet peeve of mine.
Posted by alweiss at July 6, 2005 08:50 PM
Comments
First, welcome!! Those guys who never let a girl pass them are soooo annoying!!! I hate it in races where everytime you come up on them they surge, slow down, you stay steady and pass them again and again until they just can't muster another surge. I want to say, look, I'm gonna pass you, run your own race and let me go!!!
Blondie
Posted by: Blondie at July 7, 2005 08:33 AM
Glad you smoked him. Guy's egos can be incredibly fragile and delusional. It's not like he gave much of a fight. You should have slowed, let him catch you, turn to him and said, "I just ran 8 miles." Then sped off.
Posted by: Scott at July 7, 2005 09:42 AM
All I can picture is this guy stuggling to catch up to you..."pant, pant...Hey, Miss....gasp,pant...there's a...gasp, gasp...hor...gasp...horn...pant,pant...hornet...on your neck...gasp pant faint..." as he falls to ground far behind you, while you and your new hitchiker go cruising on far out of earshot. :D
Posted by: Jon in Michigan at July 8, 2005 12:24 PM
That's awesome, you rule!!
Posted by: SmartRunner at July 8, 2005 01:40 PM