This past Thanksgiving brings together families, allows us time off from our busy work schedules and brings out the worst attitudes in people at times.
Yes, bad attitudes are sharp at the holiday time. With all of the fun times brings the stress of holiday shopping, holiday letters and holiday expectations. Surely we all have been witness to that parking lot skirmish over a parking spot at the mall or fisticuffs at that great Black Friday sale.
Also with the holidays come shortened days. This poses a problem for runs and rides. Riding on the roads are risky enough with daylight and become a “at your own risk” adventure at night. Running at night is usually a little less dangerous as most roads have sidewalks and streets lights keep sidewalks decently lit.
This Thanksgiving presented a time management problem as my wife was working 3 of the 4 holiday weekend days and I needed to get a long run in. As I headed out Friday night bundled up for a long run, I experienced my first run-ins with Holiday “Cheer”.
Incident #1
It was a standard situation. I was approaching a street on left sidewalk with car coming to intersection turning right. The driver stopped well short as if to say, “you have the right-away” and made eye contact. I guess they were just kidding. As I stepped into the road to run by, they gunned it making the turn, with me on the hood if I wasn’t paying attention.
Incident #2
It was on the same road, on the sidewalk. I was running and minding my own business. There was a decent amount of traffic and someone lays on their horn as they pass me, and I wasn't ready for that. I was rattled. I'm not sure what possessed that driver to do that. I was on the sidewalk, well away from traffic, minding my own business.
Thanks jerk.
Incident #3
As I made a turn onto a more residential street, I was on the sidewalk again. I heard a car and saw lights coming up behind me. I turned to look to see them slow down with the driver side window down. I just stood there and watched to see what they would do. They sped up and rolled up the window. Thanks for going away and not doing something stupid.
Is this the leftovers of the black Friday shoppers? Were they up so early that they had no courtesy or common sense left? Did I have toilet paper sticking out of my pants??
Tomorrow: Top Ten night running do's and don'ts.
Ryan Falkenrath writes the blog falkeetriathlon.blogspot.com, and is a married father of two, owner of three dogs and trying to balance life, work and multisport. Ryan has participated in multisport events since 2001. Ryan is also the Kansas Endurance Sports Examiner and you can read more of his triathlon thoughs HERE. Contact Ryan at: [email protected] or follow him on @TriJayhawkRyan
*All opinions expressed in this story are by the author and are not necessarily those of EMT.
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