Have you ever taken the shuttle bus to the start of a run?
Riding the shuttle bus to the starting line of a run can prove to be quite amusing. It’s a plethora of enthusiastic runners full of anticipation and excitement. The awkwardness of sitting next to a random stranger is short lived. One of you says the first thing to the other and, bam!, the silence is broken. For the duration of the ride the conversation is run-a-muck with dialog of previous runs, family members, children and training. The shuttle bus could be considered a contrast for The Who’s Magic Bus song with the subject of “baby” being replaced with “run”.
You step up on the bus and it is filled with chatter, faces that are adorned with smiles, and heads that are decorated with headbands and ponytails. The chance you will find an empty seat is pretty much slim to none. You are forced to share a seat with a random stranger. Suddenly you are feeling more like an awkward elementary student sitting next to a kid who just might be the nerd of the 5th grade class than a confidence half marathon runner.
So you scan the faces until you find that one lucky person whose eyes lock with yours in an unspoken invitation to share a seat. You meander your way over to the vacant spot and smile politely at the person sitting next to the window. You sit down and there starts the conversation that will carry you thru to the starting line.
When you arrive at the destination you wish each other luck, and part ways. Chances are, you will never see that person again nor remember most of the conversation due to the adrenaline that suddenly enters your body as you meet up with the rest of your group. And then your nervous bladder kicks in and the line to the porta-potties exceeds the time till the start of the race. But that’s a whole nother blog .
Running the 541 