Still not sure who the guy is. Last time this happened, someone commented that they thought it was the CC track/xc coach, but I don't think this is the case. I believe it's a janitor who is on some kind of weird power trip. I saw him as I entered the track, and I said good morning but he didn't say a word. About 200 meters later he started yelling at me to get off the track. As I came back around, I really thought he was going to assault me as he was holding a small broom/shovel thing like a baseball bat and approaching me aggressively and yelling about getting off the track. I suggested he call law enforcement and went on another lap, and you could almost hear his blood pressure shoot through the roof. I ran one more lap and then left, not wanting to escalate this weird situation any further. I said "have a nice day, sir" to him as I was leaving, and he may have had a heart attack at that.
Not sure what was going on there. As far as I know, I was doing nothing illegal. I was running in lane eight, obeying the only posted rule on the track that says runners need to stay in the outside lanes. I was not getting in anybody's way, as I was the only person out there. I just can't figure out why this guy would get so mad over something so simple. Am I in the wrong because I am not a CC student and I'm using their track? Tony, you're probably CC's most famous track/xc alum, could you add any insight to this situation?
Anywho, ended up joining up with the Sunrise Striders. 3 x 8 minutes hard on the Santa Fe trail, 4 minutes RBI, then 6 hill repeats up the FAC driveway. 10 miles total, 1:28.
5 comments:
Ha! This is classic. Did he have blonde-ish hair and a moustache? I'm pretty sure it's this Grounds dude named Darrold who has had a fascist grip on the track/soccer-fields down there for a few years now.
His main cause is not letting any of the CURRENT CC XC/Track runners run barefoot around the turf and/or soccer field grass to the north, claiming that they are causing "goat paths" with their bare feet.
From stories I have heard he is truly irrational and unpleasant in his tyrannical interactions with runners, CC athletes or not. I only crossed paths with him a couple of times a couple of years ago (no longer a student) while doing some barefootin' and he treated me with the same misplaced sense of power and irritability...it is very easy to have it escalate from idyllic morning jog to near-fisticuffs with that dude.
Unfortunately, I have no solution, seeing as he treats the student-runners the same way.
He had a hat on and I didn't get a good look at him, but from your description that's definitely the guy! As I was leaving he was yelling about the "dangerous conditions" on the track due to the half an inch of snow that fell last night.
The same guy (I think) did yell at me when I was doing plyo, on the edge of the turf, after speed workout. I told him I was an exchange student and kept rambling in Hindi until he started walking towards me. I told him 'I new here. no want trouble.' and moved to the soccer field area to finish my workout.
I am sorry that you couldn't finish your workout. At least, it was good to see that you still have your speed from NOLA. Rick and I couldn't catch you on those 8 min repeats today.
I am sure you will do great at Salida. Good luck there.
Cut him some slack. If your name was Darrold, you'd be in a crabby mood too.
If I ever make it back to your part of the States, let's do a beer mile there.
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