Second chance

I took Virtual Partner on another run yesterday, and I’m not sure it’s gonna work out. After VP ended it so abruptly on our very first run together, I'll admit, my feelings were hurt, but after thinking about it, I could sort of see it from his side, like maybe the people at Amazon suggested I was faster or younger or ran more or something; maybe it was disappointing to be a mail order VP and end up here.  I felt a little sorry for him, so I decided to give it a second chance.

I turned off all of the alerts except VP, which I thought was courteous, showing him that he had my undivided attention. About a half mile into our run, a little pop-up appeared: “Are you inside a building?”

I wanted to say, sheesh, pay attention, VP, we’re on a run in the woods, I thought this what you wanted? If it were up to me, I'd be taking a nap right now, but I'm not, I'm out here running with you.  I don't say any of that, because I'm trying to be flexible and understanding, so I stopped, and clicked the little, “No” box.  I noticed that VP hadn’t been logging our distance, but again, trying to be patient for the sake of the relationship, I said nothing. We all have our days, and none of us really need to have our faults pointed out.

I resume running, and another little pop-up comes up, “Have you travelled several hundred miles since you last turned this on?”

I really don’t like to talk while I run, and was thinking, what’s with all the questions, VP?, but then I realize that he seems pretty insecure. Like, is he wondering why we haven’t been running together in a week, and hoping it's because I was called out of town on important business?  I’m thinking, Um, hello, VP, you broke up with me, remember? But that sort of comment never goes anywhere good, so I kept my mouth shut and clicked the “no” box. 

We jogged along together for a while in silence, but it was a heavier silence than is comfortable, with me wondering what VP was going to ask next, and secretly hoping it would be something light, like a comment on the salmonberry that’s flowering, or the break in the rain. I don't want to seem too shallow, but I just want to keep it light, and I was afraid that VP would have a bunch more questions about where this is all going.

After a while, VP commented, “The trail has been located.” I was thinking, whatever, VP. Act like you saved the day, if you must, sure. Pretend I was lost until you came along. But again, I kept my mouth shut and we jogged along in silence for a while, until VP announced that he was 368 feet ahead of me. That was just irritating.  First off, we were at the part where I have to cross the stream on a log that’s a little precarious; I don’t know how VP crosses, he probably just wades right through the middle, releasing sediments and giving no thought to fish downstream. And secondly, it just seems boastful and inappropriate, doesn't it?  First to run on ahead, and then yell back, “I’m way ahead of you!” That just seems weird to me.

I know, it’s bad form to blog about this sort of thing, but let it be known that I am not breaking up with my iPod for VP.