Are you talking to me?

I was running the other day, when something happened that I didn't expect.

The trail where I run after work is a sidewalk-like trail surrounded by woods and along the river. It's not a loop, so I have to run out and then turn around at my halfway point and come back. It's frequented by bikers mostly, but I also pass runners and some dog walkers. On nice days there are a lot of people out there, but sometimes it can be quite deserted where I don't pass anyone for miles.

Last summer they found a woman's body not far from the parking lot where I park to go run on the trail. That, along with the news a few years back of the woman who was killed on the Silver Comet Trail while riding her bike, has made me slightly paranoid when I run. I am always on high alert. When I bring Alan with me in the jogger, I have a baseball bat in the basket under the stroller.

A few weeks ago, I was running on a nice day. I was at a point on the trail where I was passing several people. Typically when I pass people, I'll smile and sometimes say "hi." On this particular day, I smiled as a biker passed by. He seemed to be slowing down and turning around. I figured he had reached his turnaround point, and I kept on going, expecting him to pass by me going my direction. Then I heard "Hey, wait!"

I slowed down and turned around. He had dismounted his bike and was taking his helmet off. Immediately, my guard went up. I sized him up. He was not much taller than me, so I figured I could take him - or at least run fast enough away that he might not catch me if it came down to it.

He smiled and said, "I wanted to get your number." I wish I had a camera so I could playback the look of shock on my face. That was not at all what I expected.

I have fairly low self-esteem. Especially since I had Alan, I don't think very highly of myself. I'm getting older, and while I have finally gotten back down to my pre-pregnancy weight and fitness, I don't really see myself like I used to. In college, guys would do double takes all the time and hit on me. But I haven't had that happen in years.

I looked behind me to make sure he was talking to me. There was no one behind me. I looked back at him, smiled and let out a little chuckle. "Oh, I'm married," I responded. "Thanks though." I turned back around and kept running.

As short and silly as that interaction was, it really made me feel good. I'm happily married, and Rob will say nice things to me all the time...but he's my husband - he sorta has to. It's the same way with family. They can say nice things about you or to you, but it doesn't seem to have as much of an effect as if someone who has no vested interest in your life say something nice about you or the way you look.