One of the unfair things about being a female is you must always be conscious about your safety. It is not enough to just keep an eye out for shady characters in dark parking lots. As a female runner I was advised early on by one of my running mentors Lynda that when you are on a run assume 2 things: One that every car on the road will hit you and two that everyone you meet on your run has the potential to hurt you. Cheerful thought right, any females reading this want to take up running now?
Lynda taught me it is a good idea to, at random times, think “If someone pulls up in a car and tries to kidnap me right now where can I run to be safe?” So when I started running I was always vigilant about who was around me, how fast/slow is this car coming up to me, where the next house I can run to for safety, etc. She even taught me to cross the street if someone “strange” approached even if you were on a well lit side walk. Her philosophy was “Do you care about that man’s feelings if you cross the street or do you want to be safe?” Good point.
So here I am, determined to get back into shape. Beach volleyball was killing every muscle in my body, especially my glutes and hamstrings so I just needed to diligently keep running because the 20 week time clock has started ticking on my marathon training program and I am already behind.
I set out to do 8 miles today despite the major thunderstorm warnings and a menacing gray sky. I ran along Jean Klock Park and started to get a little nervous as I saw the spectacular lightning show coming my way over the lake. Ok, must run faster. By the time I got halfway to Tiscornia Park (of course the farthest distance from my house) the thunderstorm was on top of me soaking me instantly. As I was trying to dodge raindrops and lightning strikes I sprinted for cover into the women’s bathroom at the park. Along the way I nervously noticed at least 8 cars of fishermen, who had taken cover in their vehicles, watch me enter the bathroom.
-Major Dilemma-
I was safe from the storm, but isolated in the bathroom…It took me approximately 3 minutes to use the toilet and make the decision that I’d much rather trust God would protect me from the lighting than to trust these men in the parking lot. So after saying a huge prayer I sprinted out of the bathroom and took the most covered route home. On the plus side I did make great time.
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