It feels good to be fast

I went runner-nerdy today. It wasn’t even 5 p.m. yet but I left the house with my new headlamp secured tightly around my fleece ear-warmer-type- headband. Within minutes I had it turned on.

I thought the clunky light would hold me back. It would be “too heavy.” It would make me run slower. It would annoy me. Not really.

It actually made me feel safe. (That’s the main reason I invested in one took an extra one my dad had purchased in a two-set from Costco). I swear one or two drivers stopped to let me cross the road because my prominent light was shining into their faces. (When other runners came running toward me, I felt kind of bad that the light was shining in their faces. I wish there were some sort of dimming feature. Hello, headlamp designers, are you guys listening??)

But, in all seriousness. Whenever I see a biker/cyclist out on the road after 4 p.m. or before 8 a.m. without any type of light feature attached to their person or bike, I think (or say aloud with whoever is with me,) “God, they are so  stupid! Do they want to get hit by a car?” No, they do not want to. And, me, being a runner, do not want to (get hit by a car) either.

Today I ran my fastest time to Green Lake, around Green Lake and back home from Green Lake than any other time — and a few of those other times I was actually trying for a fast time. I came home and stopped my watch at the same corner I always stop it for all my runs. I looked down at my watch and the headlamp light shined onto the numbers — I didn’t even need to press the watch backlight button! — 40:00. I ran 40 minutes flat (OK, and some mili seconds). All previous times, I would clock in somewhere between 43 and 45 minutes.

It feels good to be fast.

It feels good to be fast running with a headlamp.

It feels good to be fast running with a headlamp being safe.

(OK, I’ll stop now).

In the dark of the night, even you can be intimidating

I’ve never thought of myself as an intimidating person. I’m not hostile, mean or aggressive — usually. I’m not tall and therefore cannot tower over others.

If it’s nighttime and you’re in all black “following” a stranger, anyone can seem intimidating.

I got off the bus at about 8:20 p.m. and had to walk five or so blocks down the street to my parents’ house. I needed to pickup my passport. Two other people also got off at the same stop and headed in the same direction. I stopped briefly to take the photo below of the Olympics off in the distance being surrounded by darkness after a nice Seattle sunset.

After I snapped the photo, I quickly headed down the street to the house. It was cold so I was walking quickly. But, quickly I caught up to the two other bus riders. I was walking right behind them but because of the narrow sidewalk, could not pass them. The woman took a right onto a side street after two blocks, she said “bye” to the man.

Now I was following right behind the man. I slowed down my pace so I would not be right behind him and tried to place my footsteps to be in sync with his so my steps would not scare him. (This is not creepy, it’s logical!) I was pretty sure he already knew I was right behind him though …

The three, four minutes of following him seemed like an hour of “stalking.” I wanted to say something like, “Don’t worry, I’m not stalking you, it just looks like I am following you but really this is the same way to my house.” I opted not to because in my head it sounded like something that a person up to no good would say to her prey.

Twice he turned to look to the side but I knew he was trying to see if I was still right behind him. A block before I would turn off the main street we were walking down to my parents’ street, he crossed the street and continued walking on the other side.

Pretty sure he did that because I was scaring him. I can be intimidating even if I am a 24-year-old female following you home — in the darkness of night.

The dark night ended with a ticket at the Bainbridge ferry terminal.

At least no one stalked me to my car. I walk pretty quickly after all.