August 09, 2020

The Most Awkward Walk Ever



I've been wanting to actively try to work on my Cookies Summer Challenge list now that I'm in the habit of walking twice a day. Yesterday, I had to get a couple of things from Lowe's for last finishes on the garage, so I decided to stop at the state park and do my walk there before heading to Lowe's. 

As far as the list goes, I chose to do the "scenic walk" where I go slowly, pay attention to my surroundings, and just truly enjoy nature--taking some scenic photos along the way. 

Speed was not an issue; I didn't even stop my watch when I stopped to take photos or anything like that. There is a random set of stairs that you can climb to get a good view from high up, I guess.

I even walked up there and decided to take a panoramic photo. I never take panoramic photos, but during the "scenic walk", I thought it'd be a good idea.

I held up my phone and balanced the little arrow on the white line to get the panoramic pic, and then I climbed down the stairs and continued walking. I stopped to look at the photo a little bit later, and I realized it wasn't panoramic. I had no idea what I did wrong! I stopped to test it out at another spot, and it turns out I never pressed the button to start the panoramic photo. *sigh*

I didn't want to go back to the lookout, so maybe I'll do it another time. It wasn't anything super special to see anyway, though. Here is the "test one"...

I continued to take some more photos along the way. I was walking a three-mile loop. The state park wasn't very busy--I came across about three people going on the opposite direction on the trail up to the halfway point. Whenever I run or walk there, I only see a few people on the path.




That arrow is pointing to a long that for the most fraction of a second, I thought was an alligator. BAHAHA. I watched WAY too many episodes of Billy the Exterminator and maybe Naked and Afraid. (I know there are no alligators here, but in my daydreaming mode, it startled me for a second).

So here is where the awkward part comes in...

...after about 1.75 miles, I saw a couple of women walking toward me. I was just about to say, "Good morning!" as we passed each other when they apparently decided that was their turn-around point. They were literally about 15 feet away from me when they turned around. And they happened to be walking the same pace I was (maybe a little slower, but I didn't want to rush ahead of them and then have them walking right behind me).

It was SO AWKWARD. For a little over a mile, they were just steps ahead of me. Why on earth would they have turned around when they did? Didn't that make them feel awkward knowing that I was practically right on their heels? I tried walking slower, but it just felt TOO slow (about a 22:00 minute mile). And I didn't want to stop and wait a while, because hey, it's my exercise time, too.

I had headphones on and was listening to my audiobook, but they were chatting--knowing I was right behind them. I even cleared my throat a couple of times to remind them that they may want to hold the private conversations for another time. 

Finally, I just gave up on my "serene" walk, and I started playing Best Fiends on my phone while I was walking! We were going slow enough and I was trying my best to fall back--but it seemed like the slower I went, the slower they went, too.

I've been running/walking regularly for 10 years now, and this is something I've never encountered. If I've ever been at my turn-around point and someone is there, then I just go farther before turning around to make sure there is some distance so that I'm not super close to them. If I had been running yesterday, it'd be no problem to just pass them and then get a good distance ahead. But they clearly saw that I was walking. 

It was just odd to me. 

But! I got to check off my scenic walk for the first couple of miles at least.

This morning, I did my sunrise walk. Duck woke me up at 5:45 by trying to fit his entire face into my nostril, and I was debating whether to get up or try to fall back asleep. I remembered that I still hadn't done my sunrise walk, so I checked what time sunrise was (I have an app on my phone that tells me the sunrise/sunset times). Sunrise was at 6:35, so to check this item off my list, I had to start my walk before 6:35 and end it after.

I got dressed and headed out at around 6:20. I wish I'd been able to get to the lake a little faster to take a picture right at 6:35, but I ended up getting there at 6:41. 

I made some serious progress on the garage today (hanging the rest of the trim, priming and painting the trim and door, and priming and painting some boards that I'm going to place where the flood vents are. I already made some screens on frames for each flood vent, so we can open them when it's hot outside and get even more airflow in there. It'll make more sense when I post pictures. I'm really hoping it'll all be completely done by next weekend!

9 comments:

  1. Looks like a beautiful park!

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    1. It's pretty, but it's gorgeous in the fall when the leaves change colors. The trees hang over the path and all of the different colors are just amazing!

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  2. I had an experience where two ladies were walking slower than I was so I sped up a bit and passed them - with plenty of room before I moved back over. Well, within a minute they both sped up and passed me and moved back over just in front of me. I think they were trying to send me a message that nobody moves in front of them. It was totally awkward especially since they then slowed back down. I actually turned around and started walking in the opposite direction.

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    1. That is so awkward! Coming across people in general has never really been a problem for me--I either pass them or they pass me and everything is cool. This particular walk though was just so weird. I'd never seen anyone do that before. I would have felt very awkward being one of those women who turned around right in front of me. When I'm walking with a friend, we like to keep a distance from people so we can have a "real" conversation.

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  3. I love your photos, you have a good eye for a relaxing scene! One comment on the "turn around folks" - I'm trying to use the Serenity Prayer to help me through... grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can...
    You have lots of gifts, Katie!

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    1. I love the serenity prayer! Thankfully, I found the whole situation kind of humorous. It was just so weird that I chose to look at the irony. Here I was, out for my deliberately serene walk--going slowly in order to enjoy the nature--and then that happened. Haha!

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  4. Those "random stairs" are used by builders who are trying to sell custom built homes on lots they own so the potential buyer can imagine the view from the second story of their home. With the walkers, why didn't you just break into a jog and get far ahead of them and then continue your walk????

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