Outrunning the elderly...

9.8 miles

1 hour 20 minutes
6pm 75 degrees

As I set out for a run today, I ran past an apartment building that was selling a wide variety of tropical plants on their front yard. Intrigued, I had to stop, jog back to get Nicki, and ended up with an awesome philodendron selloum, which I chose not to run with, but instead pick up after.

On the run, only 2-3 miles in, running at a steady and slow pace, I started passing a guy who was struggling. He was moving along at a decent clip, but just slow enough that I had to pass him on the path. He was older, sweating like crazy, red in the face, and panting like a dog without the wagging tongue. As I started to pass him, only going slightly faster than him, I began to realize that he was speeding up to match my pace. I could hear his footsteps behind me speed up a bit and his breathing speed up even more. This irked me. "Why, old man, would you try and keep up with someone half your age who is just starting a run, when you are clearly well into yours? Are you so proud as to risk your health to prove that you can keep up with a random other runner?" Because I didn't say this out loud, he didn't answer, and instead kept my pace. I sped up. He matched it. After 5 minutes or so of being sure this guy couldn't keep this up, I started to get wierded out: was this guy in some sort of midlife crisis mode that might inspire him to murder me if he couldn't run as fast as me? Aren't most older people homicidal? I sped up to a speed that was more appropriate for sprint training and kept it until I was confident that if I looked back, old man murder wouldn't be within striking distance with a sniper rifle.

The rest of the run went fine and I was not assassinated. Hope you enjoyed my crappy photoshop capabilities.

I know I've put this post up well after the fact, but I need to say thanks to everyone for donating. And thanks for doing it so fast. My little thermometer went up to deadly fever heights within days of a stupid email request for help. I'm stunned! I'll get to some well deserved thank you's very soon. But consider this a preliminary.

THANK YOU!!!

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