Natural enemies of runners

After a week of no running due to a nasty cold, I was itching to get out there again, and reclaim my runner's identity.

So I ran for three consecutive days, instead of every other day. My body spluttered and protested: 'Hey, don't I get a day of rest to recuperate?' but I said grimly: 'You've been getting quite enough rest, thank you!'

Because the kids were home from school, yet again, I was out running earlier than usual. I thought I was safe, because of the school holidays, but there they were: big groups of students riding their bike to school.

'Ah, there goes our future, yearning to enrich themselves with knowledge,' I thought tenderly the first time I came across them. But when the future nearly ran me over, fear for my life replaced tenderness.

Students like to ride their bikes together, taking up a lot of room, which would be alright if they'ld make room for charming runners, such as myself. But I guess that's not cool. And in their defense: they seem to be quite oblivious, one might even say blind, to other people using the bike path.

But yesterday there was this group of students that díd see me. I was relieved, but not for long, because they shouted lots of mean things, like: 'Who's a tomato then?' and 'Running doesn't make you any prettier, does it?'

Suddenly I felt 'being seen' is much overrated.
In future I'ld much rather stay invisible, and in danger of getting run over!