Honey, Don't be STUPID!

I woke up yesterday, checked in on IM Wisconsin & Vegas 70.3 and realized it was too early for there to be any real action.  That's what happens when you wake up at 4AM.  So I went for my long run. Running through Waikiki pre-dawn can be a little scary.  And a little entertaining.  My favorite memory is seeing a gal dressed like she was going out (or just coming in as the case was).  Her hair looked good.  Her makeup pretty good.  She had a cute top on.  She was carrying her heels.  She had a beach towel wrapped around her bottom.  Oops.  Someone lost their pants (or skirt) last night.  I really wish I had a camera then.  Then there are all the crazies along the Ala Wai.  They are there 24/7/365.  Mostly entertaining during the day.  If you think running past a passed out druggie is entertaining.  Yet somehow I still felt safe running there before the sun comes up.  Until yesterday.

I made it to the stop light at Kapiolani St without incident.  As I waited for the light to change a woman struck up a conversation with me. She was really frustrated with Sharon.  She rambled and ranted on and on about Sharon doing something to make her white butch friends feel uncomfortable.  The light changed and she kept talking to me.  I told her "I gotta run, I'm gonna be late" and I was off.   I made it a mile down the Ala Wai and I noticed I was gaining on a guy.  He was overweight, but out running so good for him.  He was panting and breathing hard.  He was stomping his feet when he ran.  At one point he looked back and saw me and that's when I stopped gaining on him.  I was close enough I could hear how uncomfortable he was at that pace and I wanted to enjoy my run in peace and quiet and rap and blues tunes on my iPod.  Yeah, I could hear the guy over the Beastie Boys.  So I dropped the pace, going from 8:15/mile to just below 8:00/mile.  And I quickly passed him.  And he hung on.  I didn't want to be responsible for him having a heart attack while trying to run with me, so I dropped the pace some more, 7:30/mile now and ran on, finally shedding him from my trail.

Around Kapiolani Park there were less strange people, until you get to Queens Beach, and then they aren't strange, they are just having sex behind the bushes.  Just past Queens Beach there was a couple running ahead of me.  They seemed to have a nice pace for the two of them.  The guy noticed I was behind him and 'whispered' to the girl, "come on honey, you can run faster than her".  Sounded like a challenge to me.  Though it wasn't, she was slightly overweight and couldn't care less if her boyfriend dropped her trying to stay in front of me.  I passed them and he said "Or I guess you're not.  Sorry honey."  But he tried to stay with me.  I was now starting the threshold part of my run and the guy tried to run with me.  I heard her say "Honey, don't be STUPID!" I tried not to laugh as I looked at him next to me.  He immediately slowed and waited for her.

Back at the Ala Wai, planning on running threshold pace along it.  I hear two guys right behind me.  "Yeah, we can do sports too" one of them says.  They are running hard, or it sounds like it from the slap of their shoes.  I'm pretty good at ignoring someone behind me when I'm running and don't want them to attach to me.  But these guys were insistent.  They started talking smack to me, albeit in a nice way.  "Come on, you can't let two dudes like us chase you down".  Or maybe it wasn't so nice.  I still didn't have the slightest idea what they looked like.  Just that every time I went a little bit faster, so did they.  I could not shake them.  Pretty soon I'm running just about as hard as I can for being almost 2 hours into a long run.  And they are right behind me.  I'm still not acknowledging them.  Just running hard.  I get to the end of the Ala Wai and all I want to do is slow down, but by then the guys were starting to creep me out.  So I turn towards home.  I still have about a mile to go, but I'm also leaving Waikiki.  I  keep running hard.  Finally at the light at Kapiolani I have to stop because it's red.  Or do I?  I make a hard left turn, run across the street where there's a cop car.  They immediately stop and don't cross the street.  I get to the other side and look back.  Two guys, probably drugged out, running in board shorts and rubber slippers.  They didn't look a bit winded.  I don't think I was ever in danger, I think it was all in good fun (in their minds) and there are a ton of jet lagged tourists along the Ala Wai 24/7/365 so it is a safe well lit place to run.

I made my way home as the sun was coming up over the Ko'olau Mountains.  Then plopped my butt down on the couch and pretty much didn't move until both Beth and Charisa crossed the line at IM MOO.  Which is what I was really going to post about, but I got sidetracked.  So that can wait until tomorrow!  Or the next day.

Because I failed at getting any pictures of any of the crazies (next time I do a pre-dawn run in Waikiki i will take a camera) or even the sunrise, here are Moose and Springer.

Is it time for a walk yet?  I love how much he looks grown up,

yet still so much like a puppy!

No way!?!? That's my tail I've been chasing??

MY toy basket.