~In which LBTEPA's best self does not appear~
Last Saturday I was on my way back along the trail working my way through 30km when a couple of perky types breezed past me. I knew one of them vaguely from the tri club and the post office (I live in a small town) but not the other one. They were moving well faster than me of course, everyone does but I was feeling ok so there was a bit of "Hi!" "Hi!" and I thought nothing of it.
About an hour later, near the end of the trail, the two women breezed past again. "Hi!" said I again. I'm known for my originality. Keep going! said the one I didn't know.
There was a pause as I took this in.
Keep going???Keep going??? I left home at 5.30am! GGGRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!! thought I, but said nothing, only waved (breezily). It seemed the thing to do.
Not long afterward I reached the end of the trail where the two breezy types had stopped (ha!) and were stretching. It happened that it was time for one of my walk breaks so I stopped as well, and said
Nice day for it
Yes, it's good to be finished isn't it?
I'm still 5km from home, but I'm looking forward to getting there (see? Still breezy. Not aggressive At All)
Oh! How far have you done?
Umm, I'm running at the Gold Coast in five weeks so I'm doing some long ones now (see? Not showing off At All)
Are you going up for the marathon?
Yes
Are you doing your first full marathon up there?
Umm, no, this'll be my fourth now
(thinks: bwahahahaha, I'll give YOU keep going!).
(notes faintly startled looks, feels extremely smug)
How about you guys?
We're training for a half marathon next weekend!
Oh, are you doing Traralgon? Wow! That'll be great! Have fun!
(thinks: aww, your first half, how sweet).
Better get this finished now, bye!
Bye!
Please note: LBTEPA's Evil Twin has been coaxed back into her cage with tea and toasted sandwiches. Indiscriminate mental rantings at perfectly nice encouraging strangers have now ceased and normal blog service will resume shortly.
More anon, comrades!
6 comments:
I can relate! Out riding, people pass me and say encouraging things since I am fat and they think I'm a newbie. What they don't know is I may already have 25 miles done that morning and they are just hitting the trail. But, I hold my tongue.
I hate when people assume I'm a beginner. Your not-best self is very witty and I think it's good of her to appear and remind people not to make assumptions.
I agree with Jen, your non-best self has some real zingers! Love your work, rockstar :)
Arrgghh I hate being told to "keep going". It's bossy and not nice. If people want to be encouraging they should say thing "Rowr... hot legs!"
I have a job for you ... bear with me on this.
I hate it when I have doen a hard trail run or such (50/80/100kms) and the next morning I head to St.Kilda for a slow (there is no other way) recovery run. Lots of people pass me as they jog about and at times like that I wish I had a tee shirt that said something like....
" I ran xx kms yesterday ... what the f*ck did you do ?"
Take care
Eat Em
PS: Make yourself a tee shirt :-)
I like a good old-skool high five, that offends nobody.
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