Recovery Run & A Dust Up Afterwards [Entered 7/27]

Today started as a really fun outing with Brad, Jan, Alex, Emily, Shannon (and Teek) and me. We toured the standard 7 mile loop at a nice easy pace, stopping a couple times for water. Lots of fun conversation and we accomplished exactly what we should have for such a run. We even did striders afterwards, 6 of them, and I was happy with the way my legs felt. 7 miles at 9:40/mile pace including water stop time. That should have been the whole story.

However, I guess we did drift to three wide running on the biggest part of the trail along Auditorium Shores. There was plenty of room to go around us, but we did get to three wide. That was the only time all run long that we were anything other than two wide. That having been said, we had no issues with oncoming runners, and heard no requests from behind us to give room. Being extreme veteran consumers of the trail and roads, we are very aware of, and courteous to, our fellow runners. I've never bitched and moaned at people on Saturdays when I'm finishing up a fast finish long run, and I get stuck behind a big clump of walkers or people with strollers filling up the trail. I just wait a bit, and scoot around when I get a chance. No big deal. We're not being paid to run, so what is a minor delay, after all?

Having said all that, I was surprised when we got to the water stop at Auditorium Shores, and a guy decided to get all over us about blocking the trail. Now, again, he was ahead of us, so he got around us just fine, and never said anything at the time he went by, whenever that may have been. Anyway, it just hit the wrong note with me, and in a rare flash of temper, I barked back a little that we weren't blocking anything. He barked back, and at that point, I felt my blood boiling. I knew I had to get away, because on these rare instances, I can get nasty. I know it's hard to believe, for those who know me. So, as Brad was doing the right thing by saying, "Okay, thanks for letting us know. We'll try and be more aware of it in the future," I was walking away.

I don't know what the guy's problem was, but he just kept on and on, desperate, I guess, to get the last word. Finally, we all just got away from him, and I suppose he went on and enjoyed the rest of his miserable day. It took me almost 10 minutes to get my temper down, which is maybe a record for length of temper explosion for me.

Geez. That incident messed up my whole day, though. As I've told Alex, I saw at least four instances of crazy driving the rest of the day, darting right in front of me. Bad karma. I hope for better days to come.