Shouted at by strangers

Normally I get a little totally creeped out when I'm out running and people yell from passing cars. Often the shouts are incoherent, but some I've heard recently (true story) include:

"Yee haw!"
and
"Hey baby, want a ride?"

(Um... really? You can't be serious.)

I live near a busy(ish) road. For the life of me, I do not understand why drivers on this road yell at runners on the adjoining sidewalk. Occasionally (very rarely) I also get a wave, and I think: "Oh, that person must have confused me for a neighbor."

But really, nothing ruins the cadence of a good morning run like being shouted at by strangers. Except maybe stepping in dog poo. That can ruin a run, too.

Yes, I jump every time a crazy motorist shouts out the window. No, teenager-in-your-dad's-car, it's not funny. (And why aren't you in school? It's 9am on a weekday!)

But today was different.

Today I was running hill repeats on one of the few hills in the state of Florida. (Note: My definition of "hill" has eroded greatly since moving here.) A local fitness boot camp group was wrapping up their workout in a nearby park. From the top of the hill, I could see boot-campers heading back to their cars. I finished the sprint I was on, trotted back down the hill, and started all over again.

As I was hauling ass huffing and puffing my way up the hill again, one of the boot camp women slowed her truck, rolled down her window, and shouted:

"You're doing great! Keep it up!"

Now that's some shouting I could hear every day.