Random People Racing Me

"Hi, I'm from Utah. Let me tell you about my prophet, Warren Jeffs....."

dean moriarty wrote:

a bushy beard, North Face shoes, and long Michigan State shorts

I have an APB out on this guy. In fact I already have a suspect in mind, but I'm waiting on some fact checking before I release the information.

Ahhhhhh,

Love the story. There is nothing more awkward than that moment where you are running just a little bit faster than somebody and you just start to pass them. When they turn and look at you... that kills me. I hate it.

It wasn't me that you passed, however, although I don't really have any way to prove it. You'll just have to take my anonymous word for it.

Dean-

It wasn't me but the situation you initially described happened yesterday. At the end of my semi-long run, I decided to tack on 2 more miles at an easier pace. Right before I hit the first mile marker, there was a guy coming from the opposite direction. I ran that mile in 7:15. When I turned around at the mile marker, I kept the same pace and I started to catch up to him. He was about 10 yards ahead and noticed that I was behind him. At that point, he clearly decided to pick it up the pace as he started to distance himself. I figured that he just did that so I won't pass him, so of course, I picked up the pace. I ran the last mile in 6:41 and I didn't pick up any ground on him.

I completely understand your initial post but in the situation that happened yesterday, maybe other other runner and I just mistakenly annoyed each other.

Must have been someone on letsrun...

Flathill Runner,

I see what you're saying there... that's a case of mistaken intentions. You were identified as a challenger when really you were doing an out-and-back.

However, for me, when there is a landmark (mile marker, bridge, etc) where people turn around for an out-and-back, I figure they aren't turning around just to race me.

However, when someone is coming in the opposite direction, looks me up and down, and then TURNS around as soon as we pass... that's the kind of tomfoolery I can't tolerate.

Ah, the plot thickens. He looked you up AND down before challenging you. Maybe he thought, "I can finally beat a skinny dude!"

Next time you run, have a fake restraining order tucked into your shorts and hand it to him.

I agree - drop his ass. He'll think twice next time.

Ahhhhh, I hear you dude.

Sometimes when I'm going unbearably slow - like around 5:45 pace - I have all these people trying to race me and I just want to say to them, "Hey, I'm not working out here. I'm just going for a leisurely 12 miler to loosen up my legs for my 20 miler later today."

I'm not even fast, I don't know why they want to race.

Dean, That was me that did it to you. And I will keep dogging you until you learn some respect for me. You think you can just steal my girlfriend and there won't be consequences. You see Letsrunners, I am no random guy to Dean. He had just never seen me before the intial incident. A few weeks ago I caught him coming out of a bar with my now Ex- girlfirnd. So let the record state this was not random and I will do it again.

The worst for me though is progression runs. Sometimes I'll go out for one and someone tacks along when I'm starting out at 8 to 7 minute miles; of course, I'll pick it up gradually but after a certain point. It sucks 'cause you always leave them with the impression that you're trying to drop them when you actually just doing what you set out to do.

I probably shouldn't care but I hate dicks who do it on purpose.

I've had this happen to me. I keep my pace. Then without warning I stop on a dime and start off in the opposite direction. The key is to do it incredibly quickly. Go from your training pace to zero in an instant and be off in the other direction in another.

A couple of times I've had the pleasure of hearing the guy stop and then start off after me, then stop when (presumably) he realizes what a ridiculous competitive ass he's being.

this marks the third time in a month there has been a link on the front page to something involving someone from our tiny little hometown. good stuff.

Hey, I try.

In the realm of things that can happen to me in a run, this is the one I worry about the least!

Once in a while as I pass a guy he picks it up. 10 years ago my buddy and I were in pretty good (31min 10K) shape and we passed a guy who looked like a boxer. He tried to stay with us. It took 2 miles and dropping the pace down to close to 5min miles to drop him.

IT happens to everyone.

I have another buddy who was a 3:51 miler and was doing about to run pan am games. He was doing loops of a park in town and some joe blow guy tried to go with him! Joe must have got quite the surprise when he put down the hammer.

Of much more concern to me are a) bad car drivers and b) loose dogs

Maybe they have just reached their turn around point and you are paranoid schizophrenic. Maybe they are just running and you are racing them?

Dean you could always hit him with that immortal line from one of last year's threads "Hey big fella, wanna touch dicks."

dean moriarty and others...

Some of your responses to this thread are strange to me.

I guess we just have a very different view of humanity or something.

You seem to be extremely threatened by the presence of other human beings who just want to run alongside you. This is very strange. If someone wants to run with you, let them.

Strike up a conversation, see what they are all about.

Sometimes the best things in life come from chance and random meetings. I owe my entire career to a random conversation in 1993 when some guy told me, "I saw there is an opening for a mathematician at IGT."

MAYEROFF wrote:

dean moriarty and others...

Some of your responses to this thread are strange to me.

I guess we just have a very different view of humanity or something.

I think it's fair to say that most of humanity has a different view of humanity than you do, Jason

You seem to be extremely threatened by the presence of other human beings who just want to run alongside you. This is very strange. If someone wants to run with you, let them.

They don't want to "run alongside him". They want to race him. Get it?