People Watching

I like to people watch when I run.  Most people think it is crazy that I do not listen to music when I run.  I view running as my me time—my time to leave my worries behind.  I see music as a distraction.  I have some of my most clear thoughts when I run—thoughts about life, where I want my life to go, what is important to me, and sometimes I see some really funny stuff too. 

I see of the funniest stuff when I run.  Tonight, I did my usual Thursday evening run at the local high school track.  My friend could not make it, so I went alone.  This was the most crowded the track has been for me this year.  When I went Tuesday evening, I saw an unusual older couple.  Just like on Tuesday, the older couple and I got to the track at the same time.  Just like Tuesday, they got out of their car and immediately started jogging, while still in the parking lot.  They stopped at the top of the curve and stretched.  They lined up at the starting line, and then ran the curve of the track hard.  Once they hit the straight, the women turned around and slowly walked back to where they had started.  She was walking against traffic.  The man kept running hard.  They met up again and did the same drill over and over.  I kept on with my own run, all while witnessing this.  Why, I thought, were they doing this?  Why would he run the whole track hard, while she would stop about a quarter ways around, and then slowly walk back to the start?  Why bother starting together?  These are some of the crazy thing I think about when I am running.

Another interesting thing I saw on the track tonight was a family walking very slowly, but carrying back packs.   These were not your typical high school kid backpacks—these were real hiking back packs, only empty.  Were they planning a big hiking trip?  Were they starting out slowly with less weight and distance?  I wonder where they are going.  I bet there real hike won’t be anything like walking on this cushy track that is so forgiving and flat.  These are some of the crazy things I think about when running.

In the middle of the track, there was a pee wee boys football team practicing.  Once they were done running, they boys ran the track.  Boy did that make me feel slow!  There was also what looked like a mother and daughter walking.  The daughter looked to be about my age.  Is this how they get in there quality time?  The last family I saw while running was a young father with two little boys, I would say around the age of four and six.  The father was really good with them.  They would run some and then walk some.  Was the dad getting them started in sports early?  Was he teaching them an active lifestyle early?  These are some of the crazy things I think about when running.

Now do you see why I don’t listen to music when I run?  There are so many interesting things going on all around me, why give that all up to listen to music.  I know most people that listen to music while running enjoy the music as a distraction.  I don’t need a distraction when all of this is going on around me.

Do you people watch when you run?  What are some interesting things you have seen when you run?

A dream is a wish…

--Amy