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Runtime Error: Old Man

 I've noticed that I've been getting old lately.

One sign is that if I am shopping with my wife, and she loses me (on purpose, i imagine), I stand around confused like an old man in Walmart.

Another sign is that the thing I want to talk about most is how poorly people drive.

For the last year, thanks in part to our crazy winter and living in awesome locations on the "right side" of the river, I've been able to commute to work by bicycle about 4 out of 5 days per week. On top of that, I spend a considerable amount of time running, walking, etc. and I've been able to witness a lot of this poor driving from the unique perspective of someone not in another multiple-ton vehicle.

No joke, cars no longer stop at red lights, or stop signs, and if we as a society are willing to disregard such simple rules and regulations then I think I have finally given up all hope. (The other signs of a lawless society that leave me feeling existential are a Kentuck vs. Kansas final, and a certified crack addict winning the Ronde van Vlaanderen.)

I am one of the rare cyclists that DO stop for signals. At least for the length of time that allows me survey the situation and then race myself a half block ahead of these cell-phone-yapping yahoos in their killer Prius'. Every light. Every single effing one, I see it turn red, and the next car blows through it. At least at 5 of 7 lights I encounter on my way to work, ever single day, every single week.

Worse is blowing a stop sign.

Which brings me to todays run.

13 miles at Marathon Pace, 2 weeks of training to go, and the first nice bit of "tapering" I've got going on. It was hard to figure how to dress today and I ended up a little warm with a long-sleeved tech shirt with a mock-turtle neck and gloves.

With 2 miles to go I was running along a major road and using a cross walk when a car blew a stop sign and pretty much had to skid to stop from hitting me. I slowed down and gave the international "whassup?" sign




and then pointed at the stop sign (the big red thing with something like 5 or 6 sides and the word STOP printed in white). I can understand a mistake and a slight wave from the driver would have made me feel all warm and fuzzy and kicked my last 2 miles into gear.

But, instead, I got the double bird, two (not one, two) middle fingers from behind the steering wheel from this lovely middle-aged, hybrid-vehicle-driving Cambridgian.

Thanks lady!

Also, if you didn't hear, I am totally famous and you can read about it here:

http://nbcityjournal.com/archives/4364

And if you don't read it I can give you a synopsis: I am awesome, and you should support my training by making a donation to this great cause by going here and clicking the big effing DONATE button on the right side of the screen (thanks to all of you who have done so so far! there's a gift in it for you, I just have to figure out which one to give you):

http://www.crowdrise.com/crosol

And also, I was in the same gym class as Tebucky Jones.

Thanks for reading, two weeks to go till go, tell me what to wear on the 16th and here's my data from today:

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about time for a taper				get outta my way

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