Walkers and runners

[Mossdog]

More rant about walkers. Part 1

Today, with the sun beckoning and a favourable forecast for all of the day, I headed back over to Orton to run the race route I'd recced last week, confident I would improve my time now I knew the route well (so no stopping to check the map) and as I'd clocked a few better lines previously.

On the level run towards the monument, you're are in open limestone fells, and there's a clear quad track to the monument. Seeing a couple of walkers ahead (some 50 metres or so), I moved over into one of the parallel trod furrows to avoid them. They saw me - I saw them. All good. Except that in the final few metres of our closing distance, they both decided to step into 'my' furrow, causing me to have to leap into the other line. I don't think they were being mischievous or awkward. Rather, it was as if some mind numbing discombobulation came over them.

Once past, and as I neared the turn off the tract to the monument, the very same happened with a single walker and his dog! Resisting the urge to view this as some conspiratorial vendetta against me personally, I could only reframe it, as I ran onwards and downwards, as the irresistible draw of my magnetic personality and naturally sunny disposition. Like I'm surrounded by a zone of proximal auratic attraction, that unconsciously lures admiring walkers, and their dogs, in. After all, what else could it be!

Whatever, despite my most definitely running considerably faster than last week, my watch concluded otherwise, with a 2 plus minutes slower overall time! Sometimes the Gods conspire to mock even our most modest efforts (or should I blame the walkers?).

[Mossdog]

Thank you most kindly Mr Moderator, Sir