I'm blind!!!!!!

You would think after returning to my normal running routine after a weekend in Paris that there would be nothing interesting to blog about. Especially since I planned a basic routine 2 lap effort around my "home" course on Lacul Titan - surely it would be a ho-hum experience today. Of course you would be wrong!

I should've saw this coming.

Even before I left the states I was aware that many older Europeans have this problem. Yet, once again, I totally ignored the warning signs. As I headed under the bridge during my first lake lap everything seemed ok. It was warm today with temps in the low 70's, and as I expected, the sun worshippers were laying out at their usual spot on a raised embankment near the bridge. Everything seemed ok.

Then, on the second lap - it happened! I came out from under the bridge, rounded a sharp curve...and there he was standing proudly on the bank of Lacul Titan. Yep, you guessed it - A 50 something year old man wearing nothing but a speedo.

Somehow I stayed on my feet and remained on the path. Do they realize the kind of hazard they cause? At least the guy was in pretty good shape (did I actually think that?) but that's not the point. I just don't get it. This is a conservative culture here in Romania. Heck, the older men here hardly ever wear shorts. But as soon as they get near water, they go from long pants to speedos. Amazing.

Romanian Polar Bears?

Oh well. Besides speedo-man, the other weird sight on today's run was people swimming in that nasty pond water that can't be much more than 60-65 degrees. There was ice on it less than 2 months ago! Thankfully, I only had to see speedo man one more time, and it was from the opposite side of the Lake. Him and his speedo was last seen sliding into the nasty freezing pond water.