Speedwalking

Last night I had a good and funny run. Dancing Physicist decided he would speedwalk instead of running. After a stop-and-go start from campus over the river, I jogged moderately and he speedwalked almost up to the I-5 bridge. Then my ears started getting cold and I knew I would have a splitting headache shortly if I didn't immediately stop. He kept going. I walked. I sarcastically called out that he should tell me where he was headed so I could follow after I lost sight of him. "Over the bridge and back to campus," he called back. Not really wanting to walk back by myself, I held my hood over my ears and ran to catch up with him, but running without arms free is really awkward. As he strode ahead again, I scoured my mind and body for any way I might cover my ears adequately. Being out for a run I had none of my usual accoutrements with me, but by pure luck I was still wearing a small ribbon from Day of Silence that was made with a safety pin. I fastened my hood tightly around my head and caught up. Again I jogged moderately and he speedwalked. Then I felt myself needing to push harder. "Are you speeding up?" I asked incredulously, because it already surprised me that he could reach this speed without beginning to jog. "Yes," he said. I continued to match him until I was at just about my maximum sustainable speed. That continued up to about a block before campus. Then he left me behind and still he was only speedwalking. I pushed on maintaining the best speed I could and when he kept going in a straight line past where I expected, I informed him that I was crossing the street here and walking when I got to the other side. Ten meters ahead of me, he made to cross the street as well. We negotiated Franklin, emerged onto campus in the cluster of research laboratories, and walked back to his dorm. When I stood still in the warm inside air, I found I was dripping.