Running & the Woo-Hoo Factor

OH BAAABY! Wooo-Hooooo! Ah-oouh! Those are just a few of the remarks heard from passing vehicles as I trot along on the sidewalk lately... Not to mention some whistling and other remarks not suitable for young ears - usually referring to anatomical features of disproportional representation. Perhaps the tried and true "Run Forrest, Run!" is losing it's grip on passing motorists - I don't hear it much these days. Has Forrest Gump aged to the point that the younger generations won't quote it? These types of societal changes are the types of things I think about while I'm out running...

It's been amazingly nice, weather wise, here in Nebraska this winter and that has resulted in a lot of motorists driving around with their windows down...which means us outdoor fitness warriors have been receiving a lot more compliments from those passing motorists. Usually summer is prime time for fitness folk to don skimpier athletic clothing and take to the sidewalks and trails to show off toned bodies and slender figures - we know the motorists appreciate our healthy efforts from their verbal suggestions and long stares. However, the unseasonably warm temperatures lately have allowed us to stay out in force and so the Woo-Hoo Factor, as I call it, has been reaffirmed for an extended period of time. Let me explain:

The Woo-Hoo Factor is just as it sounds. Motorists, typically but not limited to members of the opposite sex, often signal their nearby presence with an audible announcement. This announcement is usually made from within a darkened vehicle interior as viewed through a tinted window, however there are also those brave souls who like to project their upper body out of the window and wave their limbs in what appears to be an uncontrollable manner; all-the-while screaming with excitement as though they may have just won the lottery.

I have great appreciation for these people. They keep my seemingly boring fitness routine interesting. If anything, I have something to think about for a few minutes and if I'm lucky I will run another mile without passing much thought about the distance - mostly just the remarkably strange manner in which I was just complemented.

Now that I think about it, perhaps I don't miss Forrest Gump so much after all. It's time for a new movie to take the spotlight of runner lore and become the new quotable quotient...the Woo-Hoo Factor could use some new terms of endearment.

Until again

-=Nolan=-