I first met the Running Man of Berkeley last year, at Sinead's Tea Party. It was my 'shadow day,' when I followed Chris, Rosanna and Sinead to classes, went to Lothlorien's 'Naked Sushi Night,' met Toast at Blake's and decided I wanted to go to Berkeley.
Anyway the Running Man's name is Jay... He's an old-ish Indian guy who runs through campus a lot. You pretty much never see him not running - he just keeps going. He did stop for our tea party that day, though.
Anyway I ran into him on Monday on my way to the gym. He asked me if I was one of those girls from the Tea Party... [I was really surprised that he actually remembered me from that many months ago.] I said yes and he asked me if I've been getting enough chances to workout... Apparently I had told him that I like a variety of forms of exercise. I said yeah, there is plenty of opportunity but it can be hard sometimes to find the time. He asked if I would go running with him... Kind of awkward - I didn't know anything about him but it felt surprisingly un-creepy. I asked where and when he usually runs. He said he is open to running 24 hrs a day and he normally starts at Cafe Strada [a block from my dorm] and goes to the Free Speech Cafe [lower side of campus] and back, and then does several laps like that. That's an entirely populated and familiar route, so I figured it would be fine. I've been wanting a workout buddy anyway. I told him I can't run during the day - I'm pale and get sun-stroked really easily. I thought about when I would actually be free and told him I would meet him at 5pm Thursday at Cafe Strada.
I didn't tell anybody, which I found kind of odd. Then again there are a lot of things that I just never feel like telling anyone. So Thursday rolled around and I went to Cafe Strada. I was absolutely exhausted and if I had had a way to contact Jay I would have told him I was too tired. But if I hadn't shown up I would have felt really bad about ditching him. I wasn't totally sure he would show up though either, but I had that all planned out - there was a class at the gym I would have gone to if he hadn't shown up. But he did.
We ran from the cafe to Piedmont and back 3 times, which he said was about 0.6 miles. It was really uphill so I said no more past three. He has the most hilarious up-and-down method of running; kind of made me want to start giggling whenever he got ahead of me. We did one circuit through campus, and I felt really odd - a student running with the Running Man who most people probably think is crazy. Luckily I didn't run into anyone I know...
After that lap he told me that that was a good 'initiation.' Not sure exactly what I've been initiated into but he wants to turn me into the "Running Girl" of Berkeley - which is something I am not actually open to becoming, but it's nice of him. Apparently he is an ex-heavy smoker and believes that running has saved his life, which it likely has. He says it is now his entire image: when he walks around, people stop him to ask why he is not running. I was pretty exhausted - the run was not long - less than 2 miles - but it was a lot more uphill than I am used to. He said I would feel fantastic in a couple of hours, which is often the case with running.
According to the number of laps he told me he runs each day, he must run about 6 miles daily. Why does he still have such a belly on him? I don't get it.
Running has become his meditation, I think. He says that nothing awakens the body like running does, and it must make him genuinely happy or he would not devote so much of his time to it. He did not exactly give me advice or try to teach me a life lesson, but it felt like that was what he was getting at. The Running Man of Berkeley may not be exactly profound, but he has certainly mastered the spiritual side of running. Maybe I just like guys with Indian accents trying to sound all wise. Kind of odd, yes, but hey - it's what I grew up with. :D
