Slow Down

I suppose I should just slow down. After my Father's Day 10K on Sunday, I ran 6.7 miles on Tuesday, Longfellow-Charles-Smoots double loop at lunch, just under 6:50 pace. Then again on Wednesday, just over 6:50 pace. Rest Thursday, some shin tenderness. Then again today. Actually today, more like 6.2, low 7:00s, I bonked, ran outta gas, dying in the heat and humidity; downpour 30 minutes after. Each run was better than the next, which is to say, they got worse, these (near) summer lunchtime runs are brutal. I see other, faster bloggers, logging mid/high 7:00 pace, or slower, runs. I feel like I'm slacking if I'm not sub-7:00, most/all of the time. Too fast in the heat, slow down, feel groovy.

So one day, Tuesday I think it was, I got yelled at. Running north on Smoots Bridge, on the right sidewalk, approaching an older woman walking the same direction I was running, not quite enough room to pass on her right, so I plan on going to the left. But I see two bikers coming toward us, anticipate we'd meet right as we'd all be passing the woman. But I judge that the width of the sidewalk is sufficient for all of us. And it is, I say "on your left" for the woman, we all pass by, bikers don't swerve, I don't swerve, everything's steady. But, the front biker yells "Whoa! Hey! WATCH OUT!", like all angry and all (I'm pretty sure he wasn't addressing the woman.)

I don't *think* I did anything wrong. There was enough room, no swerving, I think he just thought I'd hang back and let them pass with a nice wide margin. In retrospect, wtf? First, don't real bikers bike on the street, not the sidewalk? And not on the sidewalk on the wrong side of the street? And shouldn't faster moving people yield to and look out for slower moving people? Idunno, maybe I committed some faux pas, but it remains a mystery to me. Whatever. Curious.

I'll probably sound like a jerk and, and if I had any readers I'd get some negative comments, but bikers sort of bug me. Like skiers, with their prideful equipment and fancy (ridiculous looking) outfits. I don't get the whole scene. The biker yelling "WATCH OUT" to the lowely runner, like he owns the road, no, I mean the sidewalk, sort of personified the asshole biker stereotype perched nearly unconsciously in the back of my mind.