Where has the first half of 2015 gone? I know it is gone but I cannot believe the year is half over. This also means I am only three months out from getting a year closer to an age group change. Ha!

Today, while I look over my goals for the year and see how I’m doing, I am going to leave you with a preview of what to look for in July. First, the tale.

I live in a fairly rural – not “my neighbor is miles away” type of rural but the “there are spots for a good half mile where no one lives” type of rural – area. I’m lucky the roads have center lines. In most spots they do not have lines for shoulder edge of the road – those white lines we runners run along. In many places, the roads do not have shoulders. There are guide lines and rails in most locations.

I set off today to get my run in before the storm that now looks like is about to hit came. Weather here, while not usually of the tornadic variety, can get rather severe. It changes quickly in the spring and summer so I always go out with my eye to the sky. I was planning a 45 minute run. I ran out 20 minutes and turned around as the sky was getting an ominous look to it. I was approaching the road leading up the hill to the hermitage on my way home when a white utility van pulled out of the road. The driver barely slowed at the intersection with the road which is, in itself, a bit odd as the intersection is not clear in both directions. Then, the van pulls off to the side of the road on the wrong side. This set off warning bells in my head. I slowed my pace. I hit pause on my mp3 player so I could be more aware of sounds around me. I don’t care what my overall pace on a run is as long as I am safe. A car passed. The van turned its flashers on and then off and then made a three point turn. Still on the side of the road I am running on, but now facing me, the driver’s door opens. I really freaked about now. Another car was coming, this one towards me, so I waited patiently, waved to the passing car like I knew them and crossed to be running with traffic. The driver of the van was standing on the side of the road I should be running on with a dog on a leash. Yes, he may have only needed to let the dog use the woods but there were no houses near by and I didn’t want an encounter with a stranger in a place where it would be a half mile sprint to get to houses. The man and the dog went into the woods. I ran past the van and then crossed back to be running against traffic. I could hear, with no music, the dog breaking branches in the woods. I just ran a bit faster.

The lesson learned is be aware of your surroundings. Most likely this person was not a threat to me but I did not put myself in harm’s way, either. I crossed the road so I was not on the van’s side. I paused my music so I could hear outdoor noises better. I took control as much as I could and just kept going so that I was back to where there were houses and people.

I’ve run a lot of places where people say things to me like “I can’t believe you ran there” but I never run where I do not feel safe.

Now on to what you can expect out of the blog this month.

• I have two new release book reviews coming up this month, both with associated giveaways.
• I will review my 2015 goals and see how I am coming with these.
• Goal review also means the distinct possibility of re-setting them to be more achievable.
• I’m in a summer tea swap so will be writing about that here.
• I’m going to race a this month – if only this Saturday – and will recap the race.
• My man friend  – Seriously, is someone over 50 a boy? If so, not sure I want to date him. – is on vacation for a week so we are going to do some vacay type things. Look for photos and ideas for day trips here locally.
• I’m looking at a local fall half marathon and will detail a training plan here.
• I’ll be following the Tour de France as I love that bike race.

For my friends north of the border:

How do you stay safe when you run? Have you ever had a driver or a pedestrian give you the creeps as you were running? What are you up to this first month of the second half of 2015?