New Runners on 'Your' Regular Runs/Jogs?
If you run around one place after a while you start to recognise the 'regulars'. After the marathon, it seems we've suddenly got a couple of new runners but I'm wondering how long they'll last. Do you notice new people running where you do, and do you notice their running styles, etc?
I live in the middle of nowhere. No pavements and, if I want to run straight from out my own house without driving to a village or town first, I only have one real choice of route. It's a circuit, and 2.5 miles exactly. Again, as we live in the middle of nowhere, we tend to notice if anyone goes past our house on foot - as it's so rare.
I started running last summer. Previous to that I was a keen dog walker anyway and noticed that no-one else walked or ran 'my' circuit. Very rare to even see another dog walker, either. Anyway, in the past year there's been me - this particular cyclist I see a lot - a certain woman who rides her horses - and more recently, a very fit looking woman, early 20s, who looks like a really competent runner and I since read in the paper, ran the marathon t'other week. In the past week or so - since the marathon and probably inspired by it - I've seen a new pair of runners on our circuit, think I've seen them three times already, which in itself is something.
What interests me is this. They both look unfit, although going at a fair pace. The man runs slightly ahead of the woman. Every time I pass them, she looks about to die. Really like she shouldn't be running. She's really obviously a beginner (I think he is too - looking at their running styles, the fact they look unfit, don't have the sort of running clothes other runners have, and - I noticed last time - the woman is running in trainers, not proper running shoes.) Each time I've seen them he's been setting this unrealistic pace (not that he's going very fast but he's always precisely the same distance ahead of her, and she really looks like she'd be better off doing interval training to start off with - but there's no sign of them ever walking). The last time I passed them, she looked like she was about to expire. What worries me is he seems to be bullying her. He's not a trainer - obviously the hubby as he looks like he'd be mroe at home with a few cans of lager in front of the telly... Setting a pace she can't keep up with, and just has this really nasty, bullying air about him. He has the proper running shoes, she doesn't, so she must be in agony.
Obviously there's nowt I can do, but I so want to trip this man up, every time he runs past! Do you notice the 'new' runners that pop up where you run? Do you find yourself noticing their running style and whether they have good running shoes, or not? And how fast they're going?
Interestingly, the really competent looking runner I see, plus the horse lady always say hello and don't seem threatened when they pass me, but these new people avoid all eye contact and don't even say 'hello'.
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