Did you ever encounter a stranger that tried race you on a training run?

I have been on both sides. A couple of examples:

- Running an 8-mile loop, running on a sidewalk along a busy road, probably 6:30ish pace at about 6mi. Homeless guy walking up ahead - bare feet, long ragged pants and flannel shirt, long scraggly/dirty hair. I pass, and hear him start running behind me, in the grass along the sidewalk. He stays a couple yards behind me, but keeps going. I am a little nervous/apprehensive about his intentions, and I pick it up a little, maybe 6:20 pace. He hangs right there, not really breathing hard either. It becomes obvious he is not intending anything bad, just wants to prove a point, because he doesn't get any closer, just stays right there. So now I'm curious, and want to test him a bit. I pick it up some more, maybe 6:10 pace. He sticks right there. Hmmm... We stay that way for almost a mile, by which time I am thoroughly impressed. He stops at the intersection where I turn off.

- My wedding day, we're driving around in the car with champagne (sp?) on the way to the reception, doing the honking-the-horn and decorated cars thing. See a guy out running, so we pull in a parking lot and I get out and run with him for maybe a quarter-to-half mile, introduce myself and ask about his running, offer him a swig from the bottle, he takes it and congratulates me, I tell him have a good run.

That was Gabe Jennings...

I screwed up my tempo run yesterday. I was at an outdoor 400m dirt track, and there was another dude there who seemed to be working hard, doing repeat 800's or miles or something. I couldn't tell how fast he was going because he was kind of old, but he looked like he was moving. My friend and I stepped onto the track after he passed, and just from having him in front of me I started running at his pace. I wasn't trying to race him, he was just there. My first lap was 10 seconds faster than I wanted, but it didn't feel so bad, and the lap after was only 2 seconds slower. Then I started to slow down for real, and I knew I'd screwed up bigtime. I had to stop after a couple miles, jog around a bit, and start again -- decided to turn it into 2x3miles rather than screw up completely. Doh.

I was out for an eaaaaaasy run one day and was probably trotting along at 8:00 pace when this girl decides she is going to show me up. I let her go for the moment, but screamed past her 3 miles later. hahahahaha dumb bitch!

training run in gtown with one of my boyz that was a hoya. we were cracking 6min or so caught up to some guy and he hung with us for a good 15min. I was kinda impressed with the dude actually.

I once was on a run at night with a headlamp on. It was pitch black out and as I was running along, I had a weird sense that something was running along the side of me. I glanced down with my headlamp and discovered a skunk was pacing me down the trail. My adrenaline kicked into hyperdrive and I sprinted off as fast as I could.........

Happens several times a week. Pain in the ass. I'm learning to ignore it, but it's f***ed many a recovery run for me.

College aged guys are always trying to race me. I guess their fragile egos can't handle being passed by a woman. Usually I speed up and drop them easily- they wouldn't be running as slow as I do if they were any good to begin with.

Probably some people have thought I was obnoxious doing a fartlek or 800s on the trail, because they'd be running at a consistant pace, I'd blow by them, and then they'd pass me while I jogged recovery, and a few minutes later I'd sprint by again.

I've had plenty of people try to race me and show me no respect. They clearly know you're faster but still try to pass you. I'm not lighting fast, but I have run 14:12 for 5k so it's rare that you encounter anyone on a run who can put down a decent pace. One time I was even passed by a highschool girl who had to be doing 6:30's because I was moping around at 6:50ish. crazy stuff..

Anyway, the reason why I posted about respect was because one time I was on a long slow run around 5pm. Upahead of me was a train that was about to merge into the trail I was on. As I got closer I see a vary fit looking dude running at a decent pace with running shorts on. From a ways back, you could def tell that this dude was a real runner and not a daily jogger. I wasn't going hard and only hitting about 6:45 miles but I found myself catching him rather quickly. As I got closer I saw the tatoo on his right arm. Right away I knew it was Alan Webb. I pulled up next to him and said whats up Alan and then dropped way back. I didn't want him to think that I was trying to show off or race. He must have been recovering from something because he wasn't running faster than 7min pace.

anyway, I ran home and called all my running friends...pretty cool day.

Not running, but on the bike. This middle-aged hippy guy on a twenty year old ten speed wearing a flannel shirt and nylon widpants races all the cyclists who pass along a stretch of state highway near the hippy farm. It's about midpoint along a relativley long stretch (a few miles) of a moderate uphill section. He exits the hippy farm, rides along for a quarter mile or so and then turns around back the hippy farm smiling his toothless grin.

that is supposed to read "trail" and "very" my bad...

Tell me if I was being one of these asshole racers.

A couple days ago I was running a track workout. Pretty fast stuff, lots of 300s 200's and sub 28pace. Just as I finished my workout some other runner flew by me and because I don't have anyone to train with, and I have not seen anyone else on this particular track run that fast before, I took off after him for one lap which was 62. I appologized to him afterward. He didn't seem upset as he smiled afterward. I didn't try to race him, just got in pace behind him. If that allowed?

Wow!! You people have problems.

Getting upset because some random person thinks they beat you on a training run?!?!

Talk about inferiority complexes!!!

You all must have some small penises.

dgdgdg wrote:

Tell me if I was being one of these asshole racers...

I think some people are being overly sensitive on here. Certainly there are some stories of people being jerks, but I feel there are more stories on here of people just getting passed on an easy run and taking it personally. Just because someone blows past you and then stops 100 meters down the trail doesn't mean much. Like one poster said, they could be doing a fartlek or intervals, or any number of things.

This is great!

A couple of years back, two of my friends had just finished NCAA's where they had become all-americans (they are very good runners still). So naturally, they are pretty high on themselves and rightly so. They go out for a run and are coming up quickly on a pretty tall skinny guy running along and they drop the pace. As they breeze by the guy, they look back and realize that it is Alan Culpepper who is just about to run at USATF's. They looked at each other and said "oh god damnit" in the most embarassed of tones. I love hearing them tell that story.

Nice story!

I was on the comeback trail after having not run for a couple of months due to injury. I was cruising along at an 8 min/mile clip when some runs up next to me, gives me a smirk, shakes his head in seeming disgust and takes off at a 7 min pace. I kick it into gear, get next to him and ask him why he did what he did. He looks me up and down and says "It's on, punk!' and roars off at a 5 minute pace. Well, I can't hang with that. I detoured off the road, and cut across the golf course to get back to my truck ASAP. Hopped in and went looking for the smart ass bastard. Well, to my luck, there he is headed right toward me, and not a car in sight for a mile in either direction. I floored it and drove straight at his useless ass. His eyes opened a mile wide and he jumped to the side to avoid being hit, but it was no good. I had anticipated his move and adjusted to slam him head on at 85 mph. Ka-Blooey! I've never seen a body fly that far after my truck has done its work, and it's done a lot of work in its day. I then rolled to the do-it-yourself carwash, cleaned my truck and then went out for 17 of the most satisfying bottles of beer I've ever had in one sitting.

probably the post of the month... that is an excellent story

Nice story, but I dont believe it.