On the same note, whenever I meet someone new and find out that they run, I am quite certain that they'll want to go for a run with me. Because, who doesn't love running with friends?!
As I was prepping for this work trip to North Carolina, I knew that I wanted to run the trails again, but I was also aware that it would be much more enjoyable and not so horror movie creepy if I wasn't solo. My husband had mentioned a couple of the teachers that liked to run, so I emailed them prior to the trip to see if they were interested in running after work one day. I got one to bite (and she'd never been trail running before, so it was even more super duper exciting!), and we set a running date.
However, the day before my trip, she text me and said she was going to have to bail because she was feeling really overwhelmed about work. I, of course, responded with a friendly, "A nice run in the woods sounds like a perfect stress reliever to me. (insert winking face even though I wasn't kidding at all)." She responded with a "Haha...." and some other stuff about it being so far from work and blah blah blah (just kidding, Hillary!!!). Luckily, I wasn't having it and eventually talked her back into the run. (My husband convinced me at this point that she probably just really didn't want to run with me and had regretted committing to it in the first place, but I honestly didn't care. I NEEDED a running buddy!)
So, today after work we figured out traveling logistics, and met up for our 40 minute drive to the beautiful wooded trails of Lillington, North Carolina. Upon arriving, I decided to ask her what pace she normally runs. Her response: around a 6:30 mile.
Let that set in for a minute.
WHAT?!?!?
I actually laughed out loud, and said I didn't run anywhere close to that and I was hoping to be around a 10 minute mile on these trails, because they're challenging! Hahahaha! This is what I get for being so pushy! I should have just let her off the hook!
We started off at a nice easy pace and chatted nonstop. Then, about 3/4 of a mile in, a GIANT snake slithered in front of us (honestly the biggest snake I've ever seen besides at the zoo). I stopped and screamed like a school girl, while Hillary jumped over it and continued to run away as fast as she could. Suddenly every stick looked like a snake, and I noted that it was very useful information to know that in a scary situation, I will freeze and scream. Nice. Kendra.
Luckily, we didn't see anymore snakes, and Hillary even wanted to walk on some of the hills (thank God because I was dying). It ended up being a perfect 5 mile run through the woods after a long, stressful work day. The conversation flowed easily, and it was like we had known each other for years, instead of weeks.
Most of the people I've ever run with have had this quality. I haven't figured out if it's that running makes communicating easier, or if it's just that runners really do all share some kind of special weirdness, which makes us all get along (at least while we're on the run...). Either way, it really does make me think that I could definitely be friends with all those women I see running around my house. Hahaha!
Lesson learned: Be as pushy as you need to be to get people to run with you. It's totally worth it!
Sparkle.Pounce.Run Together.
-Kendra
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