Being Followed and an example of my Healthy Paranoia

Today I ran past three rivers, several types of birds, in a marsh, towards the bluffs, and over a few wooden bridges. The town I live in is filled with nature at its finest. I had thought about running this course on my own before but just never got around to it. I have a difficult time getting in the car to drive to run when I have an almost equally beautiful run out my front door.

Okay I’m a bit sidetracked already from my title. This post isn’t about my town’s beauty. More about the fear of being followed, which I like to refer to as one of my healthy paranoias. What a good friend of mine sums up in a less crazy sounding term as “being Jewish”.

So, there I was running while listening to music in one ear. Not because of my healthy paranoia, but because the right earphone doesn’t work. I’d get a new pair, but this is already my second pair with the same problem. Hmm, what’s wrong with my right ear? Anyway, I consider myself pretty good at being aware of my surroundings when I’m out walking alone or in a new place. Running is different than walking though as I’m sure you’ve experienced in your own life. For one thing it’s more difficult to turn around often.

At my halfway point I turned around just past a wooden bridge when a woman, who was also running, about my age starting talking to me. Now when I say my age what I really mean is she was somewhere between 30-45. To my surprise she says, “I’ve been following you and thought this would turn into a loop.” I said, “No, it’s not, I’m doing two miles out and two miles back.” For a moment I was creeped out, but then I focused my mind back on running. Well, almost.

At first I thought I really don’t think I could run any faster right now if someone was chasing me. An old joke I would say when I wasn’t a runner – I’d only run if someone was chasing me. Now, I was tired from running and couldn’t imagine my 11:00 minute per mile pace saving my life in any situation let alone from another runner. I should mention she was very friendly and there was nothing in her appearance or tone of voice that should have sparked these thoughts. After a short distance my thoughts changed to, “I’m so glad I know there’s someone, particularly a woman about my age, following me in case something happens to me as I’m running through this T-A-L-L marsh grass, she’d help me.”

At the end of my run I saw her across the park in the distance and I did want to talk with her and find out her story, but my legs were begging me to not stop walking, especially since they were going in the direction of the bathroom.

What a great run! Now if only I could do this more often; running that is and brief non-creepy encounters with strangers.