Leaving on a Jet Plane

Time: 71:51
Distance: 10.26
Pace: 7:00
Map

It was an early 6:30 am start for the run with Dave Nightingale this morning. Last night he arrived from Zap Fitness which is a post-collegiate training group based out of Blowing Rock, NC. My former teammate Brendan O'Keefe used to run for the group. I was only looking for about 40 minutes but Dave was potentially doing some up-tempo stuff. We couldn't really see very well for the first 20-25 minutes of the run because the sun was still dreaming.

My first confrontational experience in Charlotte occurred on the run when we were just about to enter Freedom Park. I geeked out biker who was probably commuting to work felt the need to be an ass. I respect that he was riding a bike to work but that's where it stopped. As he slowly slipped by on our right he voiced that "there is a sidewalk just over there," which was his passive way of saying "get on the sidewalk!"

I told him that I find it rather nice to run in the street to which he replied, "It's illegal to run in the road."

Yup, that it is. I'm a huge rebel for running in the road. Especially when most of the suburban population is just waking up and there are no cars out.

I couldn't pass up, "It's also illegal to be a dick." Definitely not one of my better moments but this guy was ruining a perfectly good run by meddling in the tempo of it.

He mouthed something back but I couldn't hear it because I was too busy recommending that he should arrest the entire group of 8 that just ran up Princeton road. It was perfect timing on their part to run only a few wheels turn in front of this grumpy morning commuter. He was not being a good Samaritan for all those who were asleep in bed when he decided not to detain those 8 early morning joggers.

The remaining part of the run was better. The sun came out, the stars drifted off and the douchenozzle bikers made it to work.