Thank you random stranger

The Rook

This may have been done before, and apologies if it has, but along the lines of this story http://rwdaily.runnersworld.com/2012/10/thank-you-random-stranger-at-the-start-of-my-race.html I thought it might be nice to hear about random acts of kindness from strangers that you've experienced while training/racing...

My one goes back a few years when I was out running early one Saturday morning in the middle of nowhere in the Wicklow mountains and it started raining, and I mean RAINING very very heavily. I was struggling a bit but knew I had to get the run done and then a car pulled up beside me and an elderly lady wound down her window and asked if I wanted a lift anywhere! I thanked her but said no and she drove off, but it just put me in such a good mood to think that such a person would willingly take a complete stranger into her car just because it was raining. I basically flew the rest of the trip back to my car as a result! So I say thank you old lady who reminded me of my mum!

TRR

Had a bad fall a few years back and was in a heap. Knee ballooned up and was sitting on the side of the road in agony. Guy pulled over in bad traffic and gave me a lift home. I was in the horrors so never asked him his name. Very nice chap and he didn't run himself

ThePiedPiper

The one that sticks in my head is at the end of the DCM 2005. I was panned out on the ground, and I think I was on the verge of either falling asleep or fainting, but certainly I couldn't get off the ground. A 60-70 year old lady took a look at me, went away for a couple of minutes and came back and handed me 2 cans of Fanta. I don't know where she got them, I don't think I properly thanked her, but I still am grateful for that 7 years later.

kit3

I had the opposite recently. Was running down Chesterfield road in the park and passed a woman who was walking. A bit further on a tripped, fell flat out and banged my face on the ground (grass luckily). Lay there flat out for about 10 seconds - was badly shaken. Managed to sit up with blood pouring from my nose as she walked past. Looked at me as if I had crawled out from under something and went on her merry way ! would have waved her on if she had stopped but was not impressed !

walshb

That was a very brave/stupid elderly lady stopping in the middle of nowhere to pick up a strange man.

TFBubendorfer

walshb wrote: »

That was a very brave/stupid elderly lady stopping in the middle of nowhere to pick up a strange man.

Some of us have a body build that ensures that even old ladies can easily overpower us in a fight ...

walshb

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Some of us have a body build that ensures that even old ladies can easily overpower us in a fight ...

Yes, and add to that that the runner was probably knackered.:)

The Rook

walshb wrote: »

That was a very brave/stupid elderly lady stopping in the middle of nowhere to pick up a strange man.

I'm not THAT strange!!

No I honestly don't think the potential dangers entered her head... I think it was just that she saw me in an apocaplyptic rainstorm and thought she could help..... which she did, just not in the way that she thought she would.

walshb

The Rook wrote: »

I'm not THAT strange!!

No I honestly don't think the potential dangers entered her head... I think it was just that she saw me in an apocaplyptic rainstorm and thought she could help..... which she did, just not in the way that she thought she would.

I thought someone would react to the 'strange' description. Should have used the word "random."

Anyway, very nice of her, but if she was my mother or granny I would have given her a telling off. Not for stopping to pick me up!:)

lway

A big thank you to the lady who finished after me in the National Half Marathon this year. As I walked the final hill into Athenry you caught up with me and yelled at me not to stop now, we ran the final bit together until I sprinted for the line, finishing less than 30 seconds below my goal time.

I clapped you home and shook your hand and thanked you but feel that even that wasn't thanks enough for your help. So for helping me achieve my goal a huge thank you.

just-joe

Recently I have been running straight after work, and head out towards the sea. There is a woman who must be upwards of 70 years old, maybe even 80 she looks so old but still lively, who stands outside her door watching the world go by. When she sees me run past every time she claps and cheers me, and says "ganbare!", which is Japanese, in English it means "keep going!!"

Thanks so much old lady you give me power to keep going! Amazing!

Seanie_H

Myself and a friend were on a run up Barnaslingan Lane after a few days of heavy rain. There was a huge pool at the t-junction and blocking our way up towards the lead mine path. A friendly driver pulled up in her jeep, told us to hop in and carried us across the puddle.

It was a 10-15 m wide pool, too deep to cross and without the lift we were off route and probably a couple of km extra without the lift.

Hoping for similar assistance after the 35km at the DCM on Monday maybe.

ThisRegard

Seriously Seanie ? Too deep for what, getting your socks wet ? You need to HTFU

Slow_Runner

During the Fingal 10K my wife had to pull up with a tight hamstring. In a bit of pain and distress with the stewards not taking any notice a woman stopped and let my wife use her phone to ring me to go get her - very decent and renews my faith in people - hope I won't ned the same help myself on Monday:D

RacoonQueen

I've been offered favours.

Does that count?

Condatis

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I've been offered favours.

Does that count?

Only if you return the favour.

Seanie_H

ThisRegard wrote: »

Seriously Seanie ? Too deep for what, getting your socks wet ? You need to HTFU

Woe woe woe..... I'm pretty tough. It's just that I don't like on mud on lovely white runners.

eliwallach

Seanie_H wrote: »

Woe woe woe..... I'm pretty tough. It's just that I don't like on mud on lovely white runners.

Sorry Seanie, you prob are tough but it ain't coming across in that there post

Murph_D

I'm grateful to any other runners who smile or wave as I pass by in the opposite direction. This is quite a rare thing in Dublin these days, in my limited experience.