A warm Tuesday evening and approaching the end of a 23-mile run home from work - a good evening's work nearly done. Lots of people are out and about enjoying a fine summer's evening. Many of the pubs I've passed on route are busy - might get a chance for a Guinness myself later.
Just to the East of Dartford I notice 4 young ladies (I guess aged around 16 or 17) hovering around outside of an off licence. As I go to side step them they notice me and step aside - I give a nod of thanks. After trotting on by I suddenly became aware of giggling and the scampering of feet approaching rapidly from behind. Glanced over my shoulder and before I could increase my pace was suddenly slapped across the left buttock by one of these "young ladies" and simultaneously had my right buttock groped by one of the others. Outrageous! Was so shocked I must have leapt three feet in the air.
Am going back again next week!
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Comments
Running past it that is, not groping your buttocks!! :-)
i have had the occasional 'hello'
and 'shame you're married' (for you maybe i thought)
and a 'will you go out with my mate'
it's just what comes from being young, fit, aspirational and sweaty (occasionally muddy too)
Elite Ironman, Ultra Trail Runner
Personally I think you were asking for it on several levels.
1. Running around in revealing lycra,on a hot day before impressionable young ladies
2. Not having the ability to kick run away from them.
3. running 23 miles in yesterdays heat.
4. I'm green with envy (over both the fact you can run 23 miles and still get your bum slapped)
I feel sorry for you Tessa, it's sad when you feel that you must run in twos these days. I rarely get abuse when I run on my own, yet if there's two or more of us, we attract them like poo attracts flies! If you lived near me, I'd assist you - if only so I get to chuck kids off bikes, ha ha!
I'm feeling rather old all of a sudden - I'm a s*dd*ng veteran runner for goodness sake, my club colleagues are more likely to think of me as being a miserable old git as opposed to some kind of "gigolo". Apart from having my lack of pace so cruelly exposed I shouldn't be having my arse groped and slapped in broad daylight by shameless young women - it's just not on.
(Itchy, if you're interested - it was beyond the top of the East Hill [what a b*st*rd that was at 18 miles], place called Stone.)
If you run around Birmingham/Sedgley or Wolverhampton - let me know!!!
Promise not to push any more kids off their bikes. !!
Tend to feel though that if we react to the yobbos in an abusive way we're just stooping to their level - no sense in that. Best to preserve one's own dignity (sticks and stones and all that).
My last night's incident was actually quite innocent and very funny - me leaping up in the air at the shock of being groped and then chasing them with my squirty drinks bottle (them running off shrieking with laughter), big grins all round. Has given me (and them) something to talk about - subject closed now.
Hope we all continue to enjoy our running without too many hinderances or adverse experiences - running is difficult enough!