Wednesday, April 12, 2006

The San Francisco Dodgers

They come out after the rain. And stand in the middle of the sidewalks. Gazing upwards. Peering down - often at a map. Or staring straight ahead, waving, hugging, and smiling. Sometimes, you'll even find them in the middle of the street. (When that street is Lombard.) Squinting through a view finder, attempting to capture a snap of magic.

Oh, tourists. You transcend on San Francisco and actually pay $5 to ride the cable cars. And because you think it's going to be hot and sunny here, with it being California and all, you keep all those shops in Chinatown that sell San Francisco sweatshirts in business. Without you guys, I don't even what to think about how expensive this city would really be.

BUT GET OUT OF MY WAY I'M TRYING TO RUN HERE!

Right-left-right-left-SLAM - into a woman who stops to take a picture of Coit Tower without consulting with the masses behind her. Right-left-right-left-WAY RIGHT - around the family posing for a picture outside of Ghiradelli Square. Right-left-right-left-suck in you can fit through this clan of people who are taking their grand old time at Fort Point.

Dodge-her! Dodge-him! Dodge-them!

I sound like I'm complaining. I'm not, though. I love tourists. Their presence validates how awesome my city is. It also funds a lot of public works projects. And not to be underestimated, the presence of tourists guarantees that my running route will be lined with lots of public restrooms.

But I have no idea how many miles I actually ran today. Out and back and 'round and 'round. But I think I kept a pretty fast pace most of the time. No one passed me save three people. Who were taller than me. And male. Not counting the Dodgers, I passed about 20 different runners over the course of my ten miles. And some of them WERE taller than me. And male. I'd say I averaged an 8:30/mile pace.

If that pace isn't accurrate, I will at least thank all of the San Francisco Dodgers for providing me with an excellent, yet unexpected plyometric workout today. I am feeling powerful and strong.

Now Dodgers, go sit down in Boudin and have some sourdough!


7 comments:

Mike said...

Wow- sounds like your run was perfect training for those early miles in a crowded marathon- straight up Dodge City.
Solid pace with all that bobbin-n-weavin!

running42k said...

It's either perfect training for the early miles of a crowded marathon or perfect training for a 49ers running back.

Brooke said...

Yes, but how many times did you get stopped for directions?? That's what bugs me. Sorry if it's rude, but I hate stopping to give directions.

Spikey1 said...

or getting asked for the time!

pookalu said...

you should have gotten points, though, for running into the tourist.

or, ok, avoiding every tourist you run past. i guess that's better.

Cliff said...

U need a shirt that says:

"Running now...so get out of my way"

That's a decent pace.

Habeela said...

Amen to jkrunning. The last time I was in DC for a visit I got stopped for directions 5 times during a run! That's more than when I LIVED there!

Thankfully in NYC, only the area around Times Square is that chaotic.