An error in judgment

Ah, vacation.  That time when I can run when I feel like it, no pressure to be back in time to get ready for work, or in time to wind down for bed.  When I can look out the window at 2:30 in the afternoon and think, “the weather is perfect for running!” and actually go because I am not stuck at work.

It’s like a free pass, really.  Well, almost.  You see, I went for a run the other day with this mindset of reckless abandon, and it turned out to be a bit of an error in judgment on my part.  The fancy to run struck at about 7:30 in the evening.  I don’t normally run in the evening, and I had been planning a rest day. But I saw that the weather was just right, and that the next day, when I had planned to run again, they were predicting heat and humidity, two of my mortal enemies.  So I took my time in getting ready and headed out ad about 8:00 pm.

I started out from home and as I got to the edge of town I had a quick look around and thought, the light is so nice, everything is golden, I have plenty of time to get back before it gets dark.  That is precisely where the error occurred.  I headed out of town on an 80-kph road.

From there it all happened rather suddenly.  The sun dipped lower on the horizon, and suddenly, it got quite dusk-like.  I thought, uh-oh, maybe I should turn around early.  So I kept running until I got a clear spot in traffic and started to head back towards town.  By this time I calculated I had about 3K before I was back safely within town limits and sidewalks resumed.

In that 3 K it got quite dark.  Now, if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you have probably guessed that I am a bit of a stickler for safety.  I have reflective clothing, blinking lights, and very anal standards about where, when and how to run.  And I was, during those 3K, in violation of just about all but about one of them (I was still on the correct side of the road, facing traffic, you see).  So I hugged the edge of the shoulder tightly and watched every oncoming vehicle for some subtle sign to indicate whether or not they had seen me, prepared to jump into the ditch if necessary.

To all of the drivers that passed me that night and muttered “idiot” under your breath – you’re absolutely right.  And to the drivers who didn’t, I’m sure it was only because you didn’t see me.

This was a good reminder for me to be aware of safety and surroundings at all times – even when I am on vacation.