When: Saturday–Mid-Morning- 3/31/2018
Weather: Very nice spring morning, breezy and low 70’s, made it to 80’s in afternoon
Observations/Thought
What an absolutely stunning day today! I was able to get up early and get some things done before walking. When I did get out for my walk, it was still slightly crisp with a breeze. If you tried really hard you could have sweated, but it was so nearly perfect, it was hard.
- The previously described weather made “big striding” fun. I just stretched it out. The downside with taking the big strides is the Health app on my iPhone may count my strides correctly, but it doesn’t capture the distance accurately. So, I just know how many steps I take and I have to guesstimate my actual mileage off of experience and some gut.
- The 5 1/2 miler: I am used to seeing this guy walk in the early mid-morning. He is a regular. He has his headphones on listening to “something”. (Were it me, it would be a podcast, I think.) When I saw him today, I had to ask a very sincere question, “I thought you moved.” He replied that he did not. I was apparently confused by his appearance resembling a neighbor I was pretty sure had moved. Trying to recover, I asked him how far he walks on his near-daily walk. He replied, “I walk about 5 1/2 miles every day. I like beer and pizza too much.” I won’t judge his motives but will applaud his commitment.
- The wrong siders: As I was coming up on the final long stretch before coming back to my neighborhood, I saw a couple walking their dogs ahead of me. They were, as you may have guessed, walking on the wrong side (the left side) of the sidewalk. I witnessed a runner and a bicyclist modifying their path to accommodate these folks. As they neared the end of the long, straight stretch, the husband stepping into the correct lane while his wife stayed in the wrong lane. My only theory was he wanted to make sure he was visible if a bike came around the corner quickly. His presence in the correct lane would caution a bicyclist from running over his wife. It was just past the right-hand turn that I passed them. Both of their dogs were chihuahua sized dogs. The husband’s dog was leaving an unclaimed present while his owner looked at the sign detailing the trail. As I weaved my way through them to maintain my pace, I realized they were definitely an Asian couple. They began talking, and I would guess they were Chinese. I will not accuse them of being spies after only seeing them once. But, they certainly seemed a little quirky. I will be watching.
Walking Down Life's Road With Andy 