Saturday, November 3, 2012

I Think I Found My Bear

I had my best run yet tonight.  It was on the verge of fun.  There is a football game or something at the Rose Bowl today (meaning the track there is closed), so I had to map a route around where we live.  My goals in making the route were to go uphill first and to avoid as many traffic lights as possible.  When I was thinking about where would be best, I was planning on going in the afternoon.  Somethings happened and I wasn't able to go until it was about 7pm and dark.  I considered changing my route due to this, but decided that it was still early enough that the sketchy parts should be fine.

When I got back, a neighbor saw me and asked where I ran.  When I told her the first thing she asked was, "Did you see any drug deals?"  I thought about it for a second and answered, "Maybe."

I don't think I really saw any drug deals, but it was a more interesting run than around the Rose Bowl.  I felt like I had people cheering for me.  Once a man called through his car window, "andale andale!"  The people in the "sketchy" neighborhood were so friendly.  The women and children greeted me with smiles (they could have been laughing at me).  The drivers pulling into the drive through liquor store waved me in front of them so I wouldn't have to wait.  The people smoking at the bus stops politely held their cigarettes as far away from me as possible.  The man on the bike said encouragingly and heavily accented, "run, run, run!"  I wasn't afraid.  I was encouraged.  I felt happy.

At one point I was running up a street that had several apartment complexes on it.  I found myself in the middle of a spread out group of five guys in hoodies.  My first reaction was fear, but reason kicked in right away.  I instantly thought of Trayvon Martin.  If I learned anything from that drama, it was that fear is more dangerous than a hoodie.  So, I continued on without fear, but I did run faster.
This is Eleanor as a chubby toddler (and me and Matt).


Stats:

I missed a turn and my run was almost a mile shorter than I had planned.

Distance: 2.41 miles
Duration: 29:38 min:sec
Average Pace: 12:18 min/mile (woohoo! best yet by far)
Average Speed: 4.88 mph

1 comment:

  1. You're really doing it! Keep it up!!

    When I was taking walks around Pasadena, I really liked Green Street; if you start from Los Robles and Green, and then turn right, eventually you're in quiet residential neighborhoods with little traffic.

    If you're like me and get lost, you can get a couple extra miles in, too.

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