Runners' smile

My first long run taught me a few things.

There is a pecking order for who one ackowledges on a run. And let me explain to you that I am a natural extrovert. The success of my day can directly relate to the number of other huming beans I manage to connect with on that day. So it's very odd for me to pass someone without smiling widely and probably saying hi as our ships pass in the night.

But all that changes on a run. After all, a girl's got to breathe, right?

Pedestrians only get a nod - and only if they move out of the way AND give me an encouraging or sypathetic look. I can tell the difference by the way between a sympathetic look and a patronising one so don't think you can put one over on me.

Cyclists get nothing. No eye contact. And certainly no nod. They have wheels. And yet insist they are exercising as they whizz past. Pah! Shmexercise. Arse to the cyclists.

Runners - now, here it gets tricky. I have developed the need to establish contact with other runners as they approach. I feel the need to engage in a silent, all knowing connection that transcends words. The connection must be eye contact - and it is followed by Runners' smile.

Runners' smile is different in many ways from normal smile. It is characterised by its ability to only spread half the distance of a normal smile, may sometimes be accompanied by a small amount of dribble, and is extremely fleeting. Whereas a normal smile travels up the face and brings the eye wrinkles into play, Runners' smile only affects the lips. Even the most deeply dimpled of people (and I include myself in that group) will find that the smile only ever activates lips - no dimples and no cheeks.

I like to think that my Runners' smile says: "Hi! I'm a bright and breezy runner just like you!" or "Yeah - I'm on mile 14 of my 18 mile run today. It's my second long run in a week" or, frankly, "Aren't we just bloody ACE!"

However, on reflection, I am concerned that my Runners' smile merely says this:

"Hi. I'm new and clearly  in pain. I can only afford to smile this much, because breathing is more precious to me than you are right now"

On a more practical note - lower right calf in bits today, looking forward to my physio appt on weds. I will hit the gym tomorrow but only play on bikes, x trainers or rowers. Muscles has re-jigged my plan so I do 3 runs a week, sticking with the 5 miler as my long run for the next few weeks and no treadmill running in between so my legs get a bit of a break.

Happy smiling. And if you were the runner with the overly perky pony tail who reciprocated on Sunday with a bright smile and "Hi - you ok?" - remember, no-one likes a show off.