Friday night I thought about skipping my Saturday morning 9-miler. Due to what I think is allergies, I had a scratchy throat and some post-nasal something-or-other. So I put out the call on Facebook for running buddies.
Mel had already invited several of us to her running group, but I needed to get my run finished earlier and with the drive and the start-time being later it didn’t work out. But no takers on Facebook either, which meant I’d be on my own.
Instead, I took the thoughts about skipping my long run and twisted them around.
Mr. T and I had a date night planned for Saturday night. Dinner at Maggiano’s and then the KHPB concert. The restaurant has this awesome dish called Rigatoni “D,” and I really wanted to be able to order it. So the run was on. All just so I could eat and drink what I wanted 11 hours later. (I was sad at dinner when I got full faster than I thought I would.) The second thing I did was pretend I felt great.
And, yeah, I felt (and looked) less than stellar when I crawled out of bed at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, but a couple miles into my run, I felt just fine.
I did another out and back x2 on the Cedar River Trail. I went 2.5 miles out (slightly downhill) and 2.5 back (slightly uphill) to the car to drink and GU, then out 2 and back 2 for a total of 9. It was nice not to wear my fuel belt. But I wished I had a buddy.
I was almost back at the car on my first out-and-back when I passed a sketchy dude, strolling along the trail, wearing a grungy backpack and leisurely smoking a cigarette. He was probably harmless, but he did seem to be out of place. I made sure to look him in the face and say “hello” so he knew that I see you; I could describe you to a sketch artist or pick you out in a lineup. He said a genuine, “Good morning.”
Oh man. I’m such a jerk.
There was a whole bunch of runners and bikers just beyond him, and I was jealous that they weren’t running alone. Back at the car, I drank, GU’d and put on some more Burt’s Bees. Then I was off for another out and back.
At about a mile, I saw the sketchy dude up ahead. I kept hoping some other people would approach from the other direction. But no. As I got closer I knew I’d be passing him alone. I was conflicted. I considered turning around and doing a mile out-and-back twice to get to nine miles, but that just seemed a little obvious. I considered simply turning around and going home. I knew I’d regret that. Besides, the dude is probably perfectly harmless.
Instead, I took out my phone out of my shirt pocket and held it. As I approached the man, I opened it up and and pretended to text. I know, lame, but I felt it was better than nothing. I glanced at my watch and an 8:23 pace surprised me. “Good morning again,” I called out as I hauled a$$ and fake texted Mr. T.
Obviously, I can’t hold an 8:23 pace very long, but that mile ended up being a 9:33 average pace. Dude! If only race organizers could strategically place sketchy looking dudes along the race route.
3/27/10 – 9.08 Miles – 1:33:13
Average pace: 10:15
Mile 1: 10:25
Mile 2: 10:22
Mile 3: 10:42
Mile 4: 11:04
Mile 5: 10:17
Mile 6: 10:12
Mile 7: 9:33 (passing the sketchy dude)
Mile 8: 10:04
Mile 9: 9:46 (parking lot in sight)
15 comments
Sketchy dudes suck.If races placed sketchy dudes (for the ladies) and stray pit bulls/rottweilers (for everyone) along the course, we could all have fantastic PRs!
ha ha, that's a thought. You really need to bring some pepper spray with you when you run.
haha! too funny. Strategically placed sketchy dudes all over the race course would definitely get me moving!
I had some sketchy dude yell at me once, “Take a picture, it'll last longer.” How original. He was standing alone at the bridge at the tail end of a very long run…made me pick up a pace I didn't know I could after 20 miles. Ha. Glad it all turned out well! Great run you had, though!!
Ok, you need some mase. Where do we get this stuff, I need some too. Or we could take some Women's Self-Defense classes! Wouldn't that be fun to just karate chop the creepers neck and kick him in the chest and pretent that you have a 6 in heel poking into his sternum…then rub it in and spit on his face…then just say “Got it? Dude?” and run on….Not that I have anger issues or fantasize about about beating up creepers in stilettos while running 18 miles by myself or anything…just was just saying.
I do not blame you one bit. I run on the mississippi river levee and often there are men on the levee at the same spot. Usually, its late morning time. Why are they not at work? I always turn around before I get to them. I don't want to have to pass them twice. Maybe it's lame of me. But better safe than sorry.
I'd second the pepper spray comment, I carry it with me always and when I pass a sketchster I make sure I make it very visible and keep my hand on it. Just make sure you practice with it beforehand, it would really suck to spray yourself lol!ps are you anywhere NEAR Orlando? I could really use some running buddies 😀
Amanda – Well, now that I know how to spit, I could totally do that. Except, why are we running 18 miles in stilletos?Lauren – Sorry, I'm about as far from Orlando as one can get without going into Canada. I'm in Seattle. Have you met Robin from Running Circles Around Turtles?
Awesome job on the run, Kerrie! Way to get it done when you weren't totally feeling in. Too funny about the creepy dude making you pick up the pace. Hey, whatever works!
Good job on the run and I'm pretty sure I'd have been feeling a little bejeebeed myself 🙂
I do the same thing, I totally pre-judge someone and they may not be sketchy at all. But you do never know so it's better to be cautious than not.
ewwww sketchy dudes, personally I hate cars that slow down and park next to the curb just as I'm about to run past, that happened this morning, lucky quite a busy road, but it freaks me out still!Well done on the run, they always feel good no matter how hard it is to get out and do them 🙂
LOL! I do the same thing (run faster) when I pass people on trails, they don't have to be sketchy, it's just something I do subconsciously. I'm weird. lol
Okay, I won't be a mother hen today. I do like the idea of pulling the phone out.Great job on the mileage and pace!
That's actually pretty funny. Although I'm sure it wasn't to you at the time. Let's see, next year you can run the “Sketchy Dude Half Marathon.”