A Bit of Kindness

I was not going to run in Santa Barbara on Sunday. It would have made 5 days on the road this week and it just wasn't a great idea.

Really, that was the plan. I only brought my very light (BRIGHT RED) racing shoes and but there were a pair of shorts and a long sleeve pullover in my suitcase. I put them on just to see how they looked. I lookled at myself in the full legth mirror in the hotel room. The reflection was of an aging male version of Dorothy in Oz wearing the ruby red slippers. The weather outside promised rain but it was nowhere near that and the wind was mild so I decided just to go out for a walk-jog.

That didn't last long. I crossed the street in front of out hotel and headed down the walking path along the Ocean running at pace that was just on this side of any leg discomfort. I headed east (The beach runs East to West or vice-versa). The street people were out in force (they always are). I kept running at a very easy effort until I passed the beach volley ball area (girls and women in bikini's) and kept going around a lake towards a nature preserve. Eventually, everytime I take this route, I run into the same sign.

"Thank you for your kindness"

It leads onto to some short marsh land trails and it was there, having to go really bad (REALLY BAD) that I left some kindness off in the bushes. I don't believe that is what they had in mind but based on the toilet paper remnants, I was not the only one who had been kind recently.

On my way back a young, slender girl runner whipped by me, stopped off at one of the restrooms, came back out and passed me again (OH, HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN!). Then she stopped for drink at a water fountain and passed me a second time. At that moment of extreme humilation I suddenly saw Kelly, who was from my running club coming the other way so we stopped a chatted. She was visiting an aunt. My wife and I were on a hit and run mini vacation. We were both almost at end of our respective runs so no company there for either of us. So we just talked for about 5-10 minutes and then I jogged back to the hotel.

I was out for more than 50 minutes with no HRM which actually was sort of nice. I had a stop watch on but only so I would have a rough idea of when to turn back.