8.68mi - 1:05'07"

Fun memories from today's run:

1. It's so windy, I actually had a competitive race with a plastic bag for about 25 meters. I won.
2. I was a little short on podcasts today, so I went back to Audible.com. I have to embarrassedly admit that I think Bob Newhart is funny.

A little more on the runners out there:

Most of the folks I see out there running are very young women. Early in the day, they usually run alone, serious, focused. After classes and in the evening, there are the pairs and small gaggles. They look like the most fun. They're running, but chatting and laughing all at once. They sometimes tick me off because they won't make room when we meet.

There actually aren't usually that many guys out there, or maybe I'm running at times when they aren't. The ones I do see are the athletes, or at least they want people to think they are. I should say that I see the women power runners too, but the guys seem to be showing off more. They run with strides that no one could mistake for a casual runner. Is it an alpha-male thing? Are they puffing up because they see another male on their running route? Who knows. They never smile, even when running in groups.

The most interesting runners are the couples. I always think it's sweet when I see couples running. They'll chat and look happy. Even if they aren't romantically together, it always seems that they're kind of like they're simply a pair. It just so happens that they're running right now. They could just as easily been watching TV or anything else. Very cozy and friendly-like. They almost always smile as we pass.

I still see a lot of what I'm guessing are New Year's Resolution runners out there. It's really cool to see them. They usually have brand new running gear - iPods and shiny workout gear. They're also usually having a bit of trouble.

Today, I passed one really big guy who was doing the standard thing you do when you haven't run in a long time. He was jogging for a little while and then walking for a little while. I glanced at his face as I passed him. He looked determined, but maybe a little embarrassed to be passed by short little stumpy me. I created a whole world around him as I finished off my last loop.

In my mind, he was a football player in high school. Good, but not good enough to get a scholarship. He got into USU, but just barely. He was actually a little surprised himself. His first year was a whirlwind of parties and craziness, and he just barely held onto passing grades, except for that one bio class.

He's picking it all up now though. He swore he was going to get serious and get back to his playing weight and bring his grades back up. He had all of his old workout gear, but right now, he's wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt to hide the extra weight. He's embarrassed, but at least he's back moving again. So now he's up early on a Saturday morning running the long trail while his buddies are sleeping it off. It's probably better that way anyway.

He didn't smile at me, but maybe he will in a few weeks.