Short Stories: How I Ran into my 'Oppoganger'

Or, more precisely, how she almost ran into me.

I just managed to run a steady 2 miles (2.07 to be exact), for the first time ever, this time last year being the first time I ran a mile in my life (I know it's not fast progress, but I didn't run during autumn, winter or our very crappy UK spring). My new route also has a beastly hill that I defeated. Go me!

At the end of my run I always have a brisk walk around the block as my cooldown exercise. I still had my music on really loud so I didn't hear the other runner coming up from behind me, so my heart jumped a little bit when they brushed past me and (literally) jogged on.

As I glanced up, I swear everything went in slow motion for a few seconds.

Because, readers, running ahead of me was what I can only accurately describe as my 'oppoganger': (opposite doppelganger).

She and I were both of the same height, both had very long, wavy hair, and both had our hair tied up in a regular 3-strand braid, running all the way down to our waists and tailing behind us in the wind like streamers.

However, my figure is of the 1940s hourglass kind, hers was the Nordic slender kind; my skin is porcelain pale, while hers was beach-bronzed; my hair is a very dark brown, whereas hers was a peroxide white blonde. Finally, I was wearing a modest but sleek black jogging outfit, while she was wearing neon hotpants and a crop top.

Huh.

I shook myself out of my reverie and suddenly felt defensive, because I was only walking while she was running on. 'I just ran two miles!!' I silently shouted after her.

~Fin~

Mean Ice Cream Man

I went out for my first run since autumn last year today because the weather is finally catching on that it's spring. It was challenging- not because I'm out of practice (I found other ways to keep fit during the long winter)- but because there were so many other people out enjoying the sorely missed sun. My self confidence has fallen a bit, hiding under all the winter layers, so the real challenge was getting out there in all my Lycra glory. I needn't have worried though, because as soon as I took my first step, I felt awesome- I hadn't realised how much I'd missed running.

The biggest challenge was not chasing after the ice cream van like a rabid greyhound after a hare.

It was a reasonably hot and sunny day to be out running, and I was quite red in the face and obviously baking a little bit. Just as I came to the tough uphill part of my run, an ice cream van drove past- and started to drive really slowly just ahead of me. At first I thought he was looking for a place to pull up, and it dawned on me that he didn't even have the jaunty ice cream van music playing.

Then I realised he was trolling me.

I saw his stupid grinning face in his wing mirror and considered scowling back at him, but decided to act nonchalant. Even so, the horrible bastard continued to trail just ahead of me all the way up the hill, until we both came to the top and he sped off, laughing.

I hope he gets lemon sorbet in his eyes.

~Fin~