It was a misfire at the starting gate, where Mariah and El Guapo met at one fountain in Coliseum Square and Mulligan and I met at the other. Not knowing there were other PAX, each set of runners took off — in opposite directions around the Loop, each equally miffed wondering why the other group hadn’t shown up this morning. Clearly, more planning and consistency is needed at Stifler’s.
In the great and unequivocal way that all loops work, both sets of runners finally met at the midway point, despite running in different directions. Having unified, the now whole PAX took off at a pace that only Mariah’s dog scoffed at.
After El Guapo demonstrated his Frogger skills by dodging traffic, I learned my lesson in humility as I took a huge spill while making fun of the aforementioned near-pancake of a runner. I executed an absolutely awful tuck, roll, and mumble excuse (a classic TRME) move that would have made no one in my family proud.
Thankfully, the PAX was kind and only made fun of me for the next 6 blocks or so.
We wrapped up with a commitment to future Thursday AM runs, gave Mariah’s now tired pup a few pats, then dispersed back into the Gloom.
The beauty of a loop! Glad we didn’t go the same direction as SwampCock and Mulligan we’re flying (saying we met at the mid point is generous). We forgot to name my pup, but he’ll be back next week.