rhinoceros

most of the time i run, the world fades out a bit. not my senses, they are heightened if anything--not quite to superhero status, just more sensitive. smells, good or bad, are more potent; lights and darks are more vivid; pain is reduced; and it seems like i can separate sounds into different, distinguishable levels and categories. but thinking...thinking is something i sacrifice. and logic (not a big loss for me there). and formulating ideas. sometimes they come to me in streams of words, sometimes in jumbled images. and sometimes...rhinoceros.

today was one of those. i was at a decent pace, with two chicks running towards me on the same side of the road. as we approached one another, she yelled "why are you running so fast?"

i suddenly had this image of a story i read probably three or four years ago. two kenyans were two kilometers into a fifteen kilometer run. one of the two passed the other at an incredible pace for being just into the race. the slower man called up to his opponent and asked "why so fast?" to which the man turned and pointed behind them in response. the curious kenyan turned and saw a charging rhinoceros closing the gap between them. he immediately took off with all he had, and the rhino eventually abandoned his pursuit.

so i responed "rhinoceros." she stopped with a curious expression on her face. i stopped wondering why the hell i just said that.
she said "what?"
and i said "it's a short run today."
"oh, i thought you said rhinoceros."
"i did." you idiot. continuing with my run, i left her there, pondering of that ridiculous outburst. i was over it. i turned to look back and she and her companion had also resumed their morning run. but she too was looking back at me, smiling. it wasn't a 'who's that creepy rhino guy' smile, just a normal smile. as if she knew the story well or had just read it herself. or she didn't care. she was cute though, maybe i'll see her again.