Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Sun amid the storms
Saturday morning we decided we should try for a quick bike ride. We'd had two solid weeks of rain and threatening-rain, and Jill had heard that the morning was our best chance of decent weather. So we saddled up and headed over to circle Bald Eagle Lake.
It turned out there was a race in progress around the lake. I don't know what race it was, or whether it was super-competitive or just a "run" to raise money or what. But for most of our tour around the lake, we were riding against the stream and watched the racers plod by. We had already missed the front-runners, but had plenty of opportunity to see lots of runners.
Even in the front group one person had dropped to a walk. Throughout, we could see evidence of the strain. Faces were grim or slack with exhaustion. People were panting, struggling, or stoically pressing on. Occasionally another was walking.
Then, in the middle of the final third of the runners, one young woman smiled broadly and said, "Hi," separately, to each of us.
Was she some super-fit runner who just wasn't pushing herself? Does she just not notice physical tiredness as much as other people? I don't know, but she certainly stood out amidst her companions.
So anyone who did whatever race/run that was: congratulations on doing a hard thing. And smiley, whoever you were, thanks for the cheer on a gloomy day.
It turned out there was a race in progress around the lake. I don't know what race it was, or whether it was super-competitive or just a "run" to raise money or what. But for most of our tour around the lake, we were riding against the stream and watched the racers plod by. We had already missed the front-runners, but had plenty of opportunity to see lots of runners.
Even in the front group one person had dropped to a walk. Throughout, we could see evidence of the strain. Faces were grim or slack with exhaustion. People were panting, struggling, or stoically pressing on. Occasionally another was walking.
Then, in the middle of the final third of the runners, one young woman smiled broadly and said, "Hi," separately, to each of us.
Was she some super-fit runner who just wasn't pushing herself? Does she just not notice physical tiredness as much as other people? I don't know, but she certainly stood out amidst her companions.
So anyone who did whatever race/run that was: congratulations on doing a hard thing. And smiley, whoever you were, thanks for the cheer on a gloomy day.
