Stood Up!

Today I drove up to Derry, NH (40 minutes north) to do a long run with a guy I met at the Busa Bushwhack, a 9 mile trail race I did in November. I spoke to "New Friend" Thom for awhile both before and after the race and he couldn't stop talking about the Boston Prep 16 Miler in Derry, NH in January. Somehow he'd come to the conclusion that I was not only going to do this race, but train for it with him. "New Friend" Thom lived on the course, and he continued to pester me over email to come up and run the course with him. For about 20 emails I waffled and made excuses until I suggested that Angry come up with me. I figured I could kill 3 birds with 1 stone: keep my promise of running the Derry course with "New Friend" Thom, spend some time with Angry, and have Angry protect me from sketchy guys who invite you to another state to run alone in isolated areas in the dead of winter. (Let's be fair, nothing about Thom was sketchy, but the situation put me a bit on edge). I said something in the email about wondering how we would all keep together given our different paces. Thom seemed to be offended that I suggested I bring Angry along and wrote, "I'm not worried about pace, I'm not going to ditch you. Listen, if you don't want to come, just say so". Well, if there's any way of convincing me of doing something, then call me out on my lies. I'll do anything not to be called a liar when I'm lying. "I'll be in Derry on Saturday morning at 7:50," I promised.

I was feeling imposed on by "New Friend" Thom for his friendliness, and when I realized that the office Christmas party was the night before our run I got even more miffed (because clearly, this was his fault). When they didn't have any acceptable vegetarian options at the Christmas party and all I had for dinner was asparagus, again this was Thom's fault. What an imposition! And when I missed the 9:40 train and had to wait another hour I began thinking, How dare he! And when my mom woke me up by calling me from within the house at midnight to see if I was home, this was clearly all Thom's fault.

But, stubborn as hell and true to my word, I got up at 6:00 anyway and drove up to Derry. Thom hadn't mentioned a meeting place, so I'd written 2 days before and said I'd just show up wherever the race's directions led to unless he told me otherwise. "New Friend" Thom did not write back to tell me anything different, so I pulled into a vacant elementary school parking lot at a few minutes before the meeting time. And in that parking lot I stayed, all by myself, for another 20 minutes. I'd been stood up! Now I've been ditched before when I can't keep up, but STOOD UP?! And by someone that I'd exchanged no fewer than TWENTY emails with! After everything he'd put me through yesterday with the trains and the asparagus?! This was too much! What the fuck?!

I wished I were a guy so I could pee FUCK YOU in the snow, maybe that would make me feel better. Furious and with a bladder that was already about to burst I turned around and went back home. The roads were nearly deserted (it was still a god-awful early hour of the morning) and I zoned out, wallowing in my frustration and trying to dream up a long run rout in the snow for when I got home. I was in the left lane, and just happened to look to my right and THERE WAS A NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE TROOPER GLARING AT ME! Not only that, the cop was yelling something and making exaggerated hand gestures, but his flashers weren't on so I'm not sure what he was doing. I looked quickly at my speedometer, but I was going under the speed limit. I looked around, and there were no places to get into the next lane, so I couldn't imagine that he was angry because I was traveling in the passing lane. I was wearing headphones, but he didn't know they were on and I had my lie all set for if he asked me. (No way, officer, I just forgot to pull them out of my ears before I started driving. I've been listening to the radio, sir). I was even wearing my seatbelt, but he was still over there making gestures and yelling something through his closed window. I gave him a whaaat? face, slowed down and moved over a lane. Then he passed me, pulled onto the median strip, and crossed to the other side. And then 2 seconds later I was back in Massachusetts. I was actually disappointed he didn't pull me over, 1) because I was curious about what the hell he was yelling at me for, and 2) because I was already feeling righteous and looking for a fight.


I got home without incident, and went out for a long-ish run (13.3 miles). The run itself was rather uneventful. I was only attacked by 1 dog. I didn't slip on any ice or get threatened by any more cops. I had no Shot Blocks or Sport Beans, but I used the poor man's alternative, orange slices, which seemed to do a pretty good job at offsetting my skimpy dinner the night before. I ran low on Gatorade, but bought more. My iPod batteries held out. I got home and my butt was killing me, but I had no other real aches and pains. And the best part: I maintained a pace of UNDER 9:30 per mile, THROUGH SNOW (some of which was deeper than in the picture)! That's good for me since my fair weather long run pace tends to hover closer to 10:00/mile. So I feel better now.