Living in southern California, I’ve learned o tolerate traffic fairly well. But…one of my pet peeves is when someone decides to zoom around me and then pull in front of me, slowing down in the process, so that I then have to apply my brakes. Unfortunately, this happens on a fairly regular basis. I try to not let it get to me, but there are times I lose that battle.
Being a runner who competes in large races of 28,000-126,000 participants each, I’ve learned how to cope with large numbers of individuals around me as I’m pushing my body hard to achieve my personal goals. There are certain unspoken rules of courtesy when running. One is, slower runners stay to the right while faster ones pass on the left, announcing they’re doing so in the process. Another, one would never dream of passing someone only to cut in front of them and then go slower like the annoying vehicles I encounter on the freeways.
On my mountain run today, I came across quite possibly one of the most annoying individuals I’ve encountered while hiking or running. He was walking with his girlfriend and talking at such a volume that despite my having my headphones on and music playing, I could hear his every word as he tried to “impress” her with how he’d basically fried enough of his brain cells while drinking in the past as to have finally “cooked” the one responsible for making him want to drink.
Oh, brother, does he think this impresses the poor woman?
The woman gave a nervous giggle. Wasn’t much else she could do.
I hurried past them, wanting to create distance between them so I wouldn’t have to listen to more of the man puffing out his chest and “impressing” his intended. Though I’d opted to walk the trail today while fighting off the remnants of a head cold, I was still able to pass the couple with ease. A good eight of a mile spanned between us, me finally unable to hear the man’s obnoxious tales as he tried to sound impressive to the woman.
But then, I became aware that the man’s voice was getting closer…and closer…until…he and the woman were right beside me.
Oh, goody, annoying company!
Then, the man and woman did the unthinkable, they cut right in front of me, stopped jogging and made me almost crash into the back of them, me moving at a faster pace.
Really? Really now?!
I brushed of their rudeness and passed to their left, continuing to walk my pace. Creating instant distance between us, I thought I was in the clear as I heard the man’s voice fade away. But I was wrong…oh, so wrong. When about another eight of a mile had gaped between us, I again heard the man’s voice growing closer.
Great…just great!
Once again, the man and his girlfriend did the same maneuver, passing me then stepping in front of me as they stopped jogging, causing me to almost collide with them.
What the…? Are they looking to be rear-ended by a hiker?
Annoyed but managing to mask that fact, I passed the couple to their left and continued walking. Again, I forced blissful distance between us. But…when I heard the man’s voice growing closer for the third time, I decided enough was enough and began running, knowing the couple would never be able to keep up with me since I cranked up my speed to six-minute miles.
My body, still trying to recover from the last bits of my head cold, wasn’t too thrilled with being pushed so hard, but I cared not, figuring that I was either going to outrun the annoying man or go off on him for his blatant and repeated rudeness.
I finished the final mile and a half of my run without ever seeing or, thankfully, hearing the man or his girlfriend again.
Yay!
I must admit, this is the first time I’ve ever encountered that kind of individual while running or hiking. It makes me wonder. If he’s that obnoxious while running, I shudder to think how he drives.
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