The Runners We Pass on the West Side Highway

I saw you 
Running 
Tall posture, fast cadence, moderate speed
The waistband water bottles on your hips told me you ran distance
Yet your worn out shoes
And workout shorts 
On this New York chilly winter told me more

You had a faded tan that I noticed when your shorts swayed 
And I called it: He must be an ultra runner. 

Leaner body type and long beard checked the boxes of the stereotype
I was several meters behind you when I saw you first
But by the time I noticed these details, I was practically to your left
Running passed 

I didn’t think about you again 
It was onto my next 
I observe people when I run 
It’s a beauty of running the West Side Highway
I got to my mile 4 marker and looped around to run back

I think deeply when I run 
I recognize patterns and put thoughts in categories 
I reflect 
And that’s what I was doing when

You saw me
Running 
Balanced form, fluid strides, steady breath
I wonder if you could tell that I, too, ran distance 
If my worn out shoes
And no gloves
On this New York chilly winter told you more 

You were several meters in front of me when I saw you merge into my lane
Running towards me 
When you extended your left arm and high-fived me
Then, running passed

Written February 2020