Cross country can be a lonely sport. John ran down an empty forest path he had been exploring when his loneliness was disturbed by familiar gasps and heaves. Another runner came from a sideways path. She was a short, cute brunette with a shapely frame. A sports bra turned the motherly body into an athletic one, but her hips stood out as did her rear as she ran. John was single, and she was attractive, but he had a trail to run and neither seemed to have enough air to speak.
The woman gave him a sidelong glance before turning to keep her eyes on the trail. John was an athlete with very little bodyfat, but shorter than average. He was almost the same height as the woman. John knew this stretch of road and realized that they might be awkwardly running next to each other for the next mile if they both kept their pace. As much as he hated to not see her shapely body, he sped up his pace to overshoot her.
He had only gone a few meters ahead when he saw her speed up in response. Her body jigged with extra force. They never made eye contact, but he knew what kind of woman she was now. He sped up his pace to something less sustainable, and then she did too. Suddenly they weren't jogging anymore. He tried not to imagine her tits bouncing from the full sprint as he dashed forward. He didn't dare look back. He could see her in his peripheral vision, gaining, then losing ground as the trail turned left and right. Suddenly he saw a fork in the road and pushed everything into his sprint. They were two runners pushing themselves to their limits, and he felt his heart on fire from the excursion, but he wasn't going to give up, and neither was she. He sneaked a glimpse to his side to see the woman pushing herself to the extreme her arms pumped herself forward and he saw a flash of metal. A wedding ring glimmered on her hand.
They dashed different ways in the fork and drifted apart. John looked back and saw her doing the same. They kept running, but slowed their pace. John didn't know who had won. His lungs burned and his blood was hot against the cold air. His lungs pumped like a car exhaust. That had been a rush. He still felt the tingle of fear that came from the sprint, the feeling of adventure. The disappointment, or perhaps even romance with a married woman.
Not that he had time for that. He barely had enough time to jog in the morning. The next day he felt eager to get back on the trail. He was more sore than usuall from the mile long sprint, but he wanted to see that woman again, whoever she was. Even if it was just as a friend. He took off and tried to time his visit to that trail exactly as he had before. Unfortunately, the woman was nowhere to be found. His heart beat slow on the run. It was a long trail. Was she ahead of him? Behind him? Or maybe she had found another trail to keep herself alone. Maybe that was what she wanted. He could understand that.
Then he heard rapid footsteps crash past him as she took the lead. Her hair shook with every beat of her shoes on the dirt. She had started late but she gaining the lead. He smiled and picked up the pace to follow behind her. He didn't want to lose, but he didn't want to lose sight of her. She was panting and sweating already. He ran to overtake her and found her already losing strength. He again saw the ring on her finger flash in the morning sun. She fought valiantly, but once again he matched her pace. Their wills were even when they finally hit the fork and split. Again, victory was uncertain. Both had gone even faster and harder than the day before, but neither was superior.
She had chosen to run with him again. And she would probably do that same the next day. They had kindred spirits, and they both knew this despite never exchanging a single word or knowing anything about each other. They were two shooting stars going in the same direction, and they both enjoyed the company.
The third day John woke up and hour early. It was still dark out when he started his run. This wasn't to get a head start on the woman. It was so he could wait for her. So they could make it fair. He wanted them to finally settle things. When he made it to the path he found her already waiting there. Her chest was heaving. She had just arrived. They exchanged no words. John paused to look at her. Then they looked at the road ahead together. Then they both started at the same time at a full sprint.
Neither would be able to keep up the pace, but neither wanted to slow down for anything. John had never been so tired in all his life. Sweat poured from his skin as he fought against the air and ground. He had no idea where the woman was, but she was not winning just yet. He did not dare look back. At any moment she might burst ahead. He felt a wall of agony push against his body, telling him to slow down or pass out. He crashed through it and felt a second wind pull him forward with even more speed. His heart stepped up another gear and his body hardened with power and ferocity. He felt a burning sensation all across his body as the final fork was in view. He couldn't afford to slow down. He sped up. He dashed forward without restraint and once he hit the fork he let the train of his body finally slow and chug down to a heaving, sweating stop. The gasoline in his blood continued to burn through all the wind in his lungs as he turned and saw the woman behind him by several hundred meters. He sighed in relief and laughed at himself. There hadn't been any need to push himself like that. His legs were shaking. He'd be sore all week.
