To the woman I see on Rt 4 in MA

Thank you for this post, it made my day, and I commend you for your kindness to this woman. Next time honk your horn to get her attention so she sees your sign of encouragement.

I'm a 65 yo guy that's been working on improving myself for the past several years. I've come a long way, and have a long way to go to get to where I want to be. It hasn't been easy.

Made a decision this summer to run a 5k. The race is this coming weekend, September 14th. This will be my first. Started running on my own late June. I would be one of those folks on the running trail looking like I was in pain because I was and am, but I've kept at it thanks to comments such as yours from people I passed by, and the examples set by others on MFP.

Almost everyone out there, runners, walkers, etc., would say "hi" or good morning or something, and I give them a greeting as well. Many times it was difficult to say "hi" or "Good Morning" or "thank you" when they made room for me on the trail while I was panting and gasping for air.

The nicest thing I heard was from an elderly lady I never seen before, who first stepped off the trail to let me pass when she heard my heavy breathing and sound of my footsteps, and then said, "looking good!!" as I went by. That little comment meant so much and brought tears to my eyes. An ounce of encouragement, a kind word, or simply giving way when they heard the sound of footsteps and heavy breathing means so VERY much.

Keep giving the positive strokes OP, folks like that woman, and myself need them and appreciate them. It's part of what keeps us going.

This post in incredibly powerful. Too often those of us in the beginning of our journey struggle with perception...we fear the sideways glances, and the way we look when we're struggling to run a 20 minute mile on a road along some roadrunner type, or the fear that some jerk is going to moo at us as we ride our bike past them (this has actually happened to me)...but then there's this. The fact that we're out there, doing it, just like this lady, determined to get through it at any cost, that makes us more powerful than anything else. I applaud this woman, and I applaud you for helping me realize that when I'm out there, slow, painful, struggling, there is someone, somewhere cheering me on

This made me teary eyed while reading....there is something incredibly powerful about this woman who can inspire others to be more than they are just because she's riding a bike. I wish I were her. God luv ya for not only noticing, but for silently cheering her on, and for making her an anonymous hero :drinker:

Folks, thank you for enjoying my post.

I am a security manager at a DoD contractor and I understand "OPSEC". For those of you that are creeped out by my post, I offer you a few things:

1. RT 4 in MA in the area I speak of has HUNDREDS of cyclists a day on it. A good number of them are biking to and from work.
2. I never say the time. I say "my commute", morning and evening are pretty vague.
3. RT 4 in MA is regularly patrolled by PD, and is a high traffic alternate to RT 3.

I'm very sorry for the ones that are "creeped out" by my post, perhaps you have issues of your own to deal with. There was no malicious intent to my post. I have seen this cyclist/runner consistently for the last 5 months, and she is doing something that a lot of people don't.

SHE IS NOT GIVING UP.

And that was the point. The moral of the story. She motivates me to be better, nothing more.