Afraid of the dark
Marathon training is ramp-ing up-
my training schedule is riddled with mileage goals and running regimens geared to boost my confidence, make me stronger- and ready me for my first marathon.
But lately I've fallen far short of my goals here and there-
Am I burned out?
Intimidated by the work?
Lazy?
Well, sure- if I'm perfectly honest, these stumbling locks exists-
But today, it boils down to one thing:
I'm afraid of the dark.
Don't get me wrong- I was born an only child, I relish running solo-
Even enjoy the quiet of a midnight sky and sunrise-
But today this run had me uneasy for the 3rd time in a month of red-eye runs.
Still dusk, I choose to hit Lion's Wilderness, trusting the sun will greet me as I get into the heart of this trail.
It did.
And so did the nicest 'clean-cut' guy and his dog.
I was surprised to run into anyone on the trail.
But did my usual cheery "hello!"
The puppy was what I call a 'worthless' dog.
You know, the kind that belongs in a teeny bopper girl's purse
Really little and yappy
Almost yelling at me, this puppy lunged and barked.
The guy said something about how his puppy just loved people.
I found that a bit hard to believe, given this fiendish thing was yelling at me to leave.
Something didn't jive.
Maybe it was the fact that they were out before 6am
Or that this guy was wearing khakis, a blue collared polo, and dress shoes in a wilderness park
And his dog had a matching blue bandanna tied around it's neck.
Or that there really was no way that dog could have even walked that trail.
I ran really well out of the park that day.
I know he probably was walking his dog before work
Oh, wait... it was Saturday.
Yeah, it was like some Alice in Wonderland weird dream... Nothing made sense.
The next week I skipped the park.
Week after, I'd forgotten all about the incident, and found myself running my Saturday run on the wilderness trail again.
Round the corner in the heart of the park,
I did not say hello
Did not acknowledge him.
Ran.
No more wilderness park for me by myself.
I'm ticked I feel this way
It's probably nothing
But know solo runs here are out.
Then today,
I'm parking in my 'usual' early morning parking lot 4:30am
"That's weird", I think to myself.
I watch them park
Wait for whoever it is in the car to get out.
They don't
I can't sit forever here-
So I get out, and begin my run
And now the other car's door opens.
Really?????
And then they yell something to me... like-
"Hey nice car!"
Ummmm it's a Jeep liberty 'mom mobile'-
Nothing uber nice here.....
I turn right around-
beat feet it back to said 'nice car'
And drive.
I'm mad
Very mad
Ticked
Angry
I drive to the fitness center and run the treadmill-
Brace myself for the trauma that is that dreaded machine
No trauma happened.
I was running.
I was happy
No one would tell me not to run
Not today
Later that day I head back to the parking lot with the creepy car
It's still there.
Which most likely means whoever 'cat called' me,
Worked at the office where I had parked,
Probably thought I was someone they knew....yadda yadda
I snap a licence plate pic
Send it to my brother-in-law who is a Sargent in our city's PD to run it....
But above all
my training schedule is riddled with mileage goals and running regimens geared to boost my confidence, make me stronger- and ready me for my first marathon.
But lately I've fallen far short of my goals here and there-
Am I burned out?
Intimidated by the work?
Lazy?
Well, sure- if I'm perfectly honest, these stumbling locks exists-
But today, it boils down to one thing:
I'm afraid of the dark.
Don't get me wrong- I was born an only child, I relish running solo-
Even enjoy the quiet of a midnight sky and sunrise-
But today this run had me uneasy for the 3rd time in a month of red-eye runs.
- The first time I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end was about 4 weeks before this run.
Still dusk, I choose to hit Lion's Wilderness, trusting the sun will greet me as I get into the heart of this trail.
It did.
And so did the nicest 'clean-cut' guy and his dog.
I was surprised to run into anyone on the trail.
But did my usual cheery "hello!"
The puppy was what I call a 'worthless' dog.
You know, the kind that belongs in a teeny bopper girl's purse
Really little and yappy
Almost yelling at me, this puppy lunged and barked.
The guy said something about how his puppy just loved people.
I found that a bit hard to believe, given this fiendish thing was yelling at me to leave.
Something didn't jive.
Maybe it was the fact that they were out before 6am
Or that this guy was wearing khakis, a blue collared polo, and dress shoes in a wilderness park
And his dog had a matching blue bandanna tied around it's neck.
Or that there really was no way that dog could have even walked that trail.
I ran really well out of the park that day.
I know he probably was walking his dog before work
Oh, wait... it was Saturday.
Yeah, it was like some Alice in Wonderland weird dream... Nothing made sense.
The next week I skipped the park.
Week after, I'd forgotten all about the incident, and found myself running my Saturday run on the wilderness trail again.
Round the corner in the heart of the park,
- There he was again.
I did not say hello
Did not acknowledge him.
Ran.
No more wilderness park for me by myself.
I'm ticked I feel this way
It's probably nothing
But know solo runs here are out.
Then today,
I'm parking in my 'usual' early morning parking lot 4:30am
- And another car drives in to park too.
"That's weird", I think to myself.
I watch them park
Wait for whoever it is in the car to get out.
They don't
I can't sit forever here-
So I get out, and begin my run
And now the other car's door opens.
Really?????
And then they yell something to me... like-
"Hey nice car!"
Ummmm it's a Jeep liberty 'mom mobile'-
Nothing uber nice here.....
I turn right around-
beat feet it back to said 'nice car'
And drive.
I'm mad
Very mad
Ticked
Angry
I drive to the fitness center and run the treadmill-
Brace myself for the trauma that is that dreaded machine
No trauma happened.
I was running.
I was happy
No one would tell me not to run
Not today
Later that day I head back to the parking lot with the creepy car
It's still there.
Which most likely means whoever 'cat called' me,
Worked at the office where I had parked,
Probably thought I was someone they knew....yadda yadda
I snap a licence plate pic
Send it to my brother-in-law who is a Sargent in our city's PD to run it....
Run it
Run it
Run it
Why thank you-
I do believe I will.
If it doesn't seem right
Get out
Change up your routine
Don't be predictable
But above all
Run it.......
And
Stay safe
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