Thursday, July 4, 2013

Cranky Runs

I am starting to notice that I can be cranky while running.  When I stop, I am pretty much always in an absurdly good mood, but mid-run, I can think some less than pleasant thoughts about things.  The things that have irked me recently are:

- Someone was walking towards me staring at her cell phone.  I moved to the right to get out of her way.  She proceeded to move right in my way without noticing for even a millisecond that someone was heading right at her.  Of course, I easily moved back to the left, but COME ON! This has happened multiple times, but yesterday I found it particularly irritating.
- I was jogging through a very busy park the other day and a woman stopped me to ask me if I knew where a particular bridge was.  I told her no, that I don't really know the area well.  She kept asking questions about things I knew nothing about.  I was very polite, but inside I was grouchy as heck.  As I said, it was a crowded park. There were tons of other people around who were lounging about or walking casually. Yet, she chose to stop me while I was mid-run.  To ask me questions I clearly didn't know the answer to.  I am so glad she seemed nice, because if she was crabby, I would have been even grumpier about it.
- Frequently, I find that drivers only do "rolling stops" at stop signs, despite the fact that I am running and get to the sign before them.  I always always always let runners cross before I drive.  Not only are these people not following the rules of the road, but they aren't even paying attention to the fact that they almost took someone out.
- When parents are walking with their children and not paying attention to the fact that the kids repeatedly dart out in front of me and everyone else out for a run or a bike ride.  If I run into them, I am going to have to feel guilty about hurting a small child, and I'll twist my ankle.  None of that sounds ideal.

Maybe I need to listen to more soothing music to reduce the crabbiness.

Have you ever felt cranky while out for a run, walk, or bike ride?  
What caused it? What helped?

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