Omaha Runner

My most interesting running story of this marathon training happened a couple weekends ago, when I was in Omaha visiting John's sister Annie. It was bitterly cold and windy and everything was covered in snow (this is all a big deal for me now that I live in Arkansas) but I still was adamant about doing my 14 miles...so Annie helped map out a 7-mile loop that I could do twice, so I wouldn't get too lost. John decided to come along for the first 7 miles and bail, so after the first loop I had no company and was feeling a little sluggish. I stopped to walk in this park for a minute to eat my gu and drink some (half-frozen) water and this guy comes up behind me, he's in his 30's or 40's, all bundled up and running like me, and he starts making small talk. I kind of started running really slow (not like I was already going that fast) figuring he'd take off, but he just stepped in with my pace and started running with me and chatting. Any other day I might have thought this was weird or have been annoyed, but hey, I was in an city I didn't know, I was tired and slipping around on the snow, and as it turned out I was pretty happy for the distraction. So basically this running-nerd guy ran with me happily for about 5 miles, talking my ear off about all the marathons he'd done, plus ultra-marathons, cyclists he'd dated, thoughts about the midwest, how he'd qualified for the Boston Marathon three times but never run it because he thought it was too expensive and mainstream (haha, I wasn't offended...and he knew I was running it), and asking me questions on occasion. Seriously, he was a godsend. And about a mile before I was back at Annie's house he said goodbye and took off in his own direction.

I love runners.