To talk to this girl

[Oysterbabe]

I’ve been walking the same route to work for about a year and inevitably see a lot of the same people every day. What they may or may not know is that I am secretly racing them. There is one girl in particular who is usually walking up my road as I leave the house. She’s pretty fast and sometimes she overtakes me and sometimes I stay ahead of her. We’ve never made eye contact or spoken but I feel sure that knows that we’re racing and I’m sure she purposely swishes her ponytail at me as she’s overtaking. She wears very cloppy shoes so I can usually hear her approaching from behind even when I have my headphones on.

I’m 23 weeks pregnant now and getting a bit slower as my hip has been giving me a bit of bother. She wins most days and this is just going to get worse. This morning I set off down the road and straightaway could hear clop clop clop so I upped the pace a bit, determined to at least beat her to the traffic lights at the bottom of the hill. It was going pretty well as her clops got a bit faster too but weren’t getting any louder so I thought I was holding her. Upped the pace a bit more to the point where I had a bit of a light sweat on and still no sign of her overtaking. Made it to the lights first (yes!) and risked a glance back over my shoulder and saw that no one was there. Was a bit puzzled by this until I started walking again, heard the clop clop clop and realised that my keys had been knocking against my phone in my bag when I walked and this was what I had been hearing.

While finishing my walk to work at a rather more leisurely pace I started thinking about how I’m probably slightly mad. Do other people secretly race to work? Would it be unreasonable if next time I smiled at my swishy haired opponent and maybe said good morning? Would this be breaking some kind of commuter grand prix rule? To be honest she doesn’t look very friendly but maybe she’s just focused on the race.

[biscuitbadger]

Once when I was swimming I secretly raced the man in the next lane. Except I got a bit carried away when I beat him on a length and might have said a triumphant 'ha!' by mistake. He looked unimpressed. I don't think he was playing.

[Shannith]

My people. I do this too, with I would like to say quite professional horse racing commentary. On my walk to the tube in London I encorporated me (the horse) jumping the cracks in the pavement.

I also had a non secret race with someone who worked for me. We both got on the Nothan Line and had a choice to change onto either the Picadilly or Bakerloo lines.

I maintained the Picadilly route was faster. He disagreed. And so th daily racing began. FIr about a year. I still maintain I won more often than not. On many occasions we'd arrive at the same time and it would be a fight to get into prime position in the lift and out of the door first with the victor doing a winner dance.

We were both directors of the business.

When I got pregnant I started losing, so we agreed a new race of competitive Metro/ES crossword filling. ONe did one clue, passed the paper over, next person did the next clue and so on until my stop where we counted the scores and celebrated, called the other a loser with the actions and everything.

We were both in very professional jobs, suited and booted.

I was 35, he was 40.

IT has been mentioned to me before that I am quite competitive. No idea what they are talking about 😀

[JensenAcklesUndercrackers]

I race the neighbours on the school run, we don't get on so its even better when I beat them. Thought it was just me, relieved to hear I'm not alone in my craziness though

[OneForTheDitch]

[Shockers]

Ah... I loved this thread!

Congratulations on the occupant of that big pram OP!

[Ninarina]

Oh and congrats on the baby!

[Cloudspider]

I love this game too op. I have added challenges, chatting bloke and dog of doom. Chatting bloke I have to pass with just a good morning. Best days he already has a victim to talk at and I get 100 points. Bad days a short chat and no points for me. Dog of doom lives in a back to front house where the garden faces the road, he's a sneaky little fecker. I have to go stealth mode to pass with out him barking at me. He usually wins as can smell my perfum I assume. So I have upped the stakes and gone super stealth the wind was in my favour and as I passed said boo the look on his face 1000 points to me. I bet he gets me on Monday and laughs. I'm then always beaten by fast man in tight trousers but woman in silly shoes is no competition.

[Ninarina]

This is the cutest thing I've read on Mumsnet. Made me laugh. I want to be your friend

[YouCanShoveYourOtherGranny]

Welcome back! This thread is such a delight - and it makes me so happy to find others like me. I race everyone, everywhere. They don't expect it from me - I may look like just another middle aged fat lady, but boy, am I determined! I suss out the exact spot to stand in to be first on the train or the bus, to cross the street, to get in (or out) the door. First down the stairs, and out of the parking lot. Somehow, everyone around me knows, and perhaps just lets me win? Or maybe it is the evil eye - I noticed one poor unsuspecting fellow commuter had gone quite pale as she tried to get on before me last week. Guess I should pay attention to what my face is doing as I'm getting ready to win....

[Scousegeordie]

This is the best thread ever!!! Glad your back in training OP!

[TheEmmaDilemma]

She's back. This has had me truly pissing myself laughing.

I do this all the time. With commentary.

[standingonlego]

Fitness fanatics both !

[Curiousrugbymum]

I have a colleague who met her DP through a protracted period of mutual racing on a shared multi stage (train/walk/tube/walk) London commute

[DipsyLaLa22]

Good luck!

[MoonlightandMusic]

Welcome back to the game indeed!

[TwentyCups]

Nice to hear from you OP! Glad to see you are still racing

[Oysterbabe]

I'm returning to work after maternity leave in about 6 weeks so will be resuming my racing. I walked the route today as I needed something in town. There was a man walking too and he was winning because I was pushing the heavy pram. Then he made a big mistake. There are two ways you can go to take you to the same place. He chose the shorter one but has a busy road with a complicated traffic light sequence. The longer route is faster 9/10. When I got into town I looked over my shoulder and he was behind me. I'm back in the game!

[3luckystars]

I don't race but I definitely am aware of other people timings.
We live about 2 minutes from the school. A neighbour across the road is so effing smug that she is on her way BACK a from the school while everyone else is walking towards it. I thought I was ok about it but on Monday I saw her children out walking to school when I was just getting up out of bed and I started jumping up and down like rumplestilskin.

[jp0303]

Oyster you are right up my street, thanks for the giggles.

I remember being about 13 and my Mum being really busy in the kitchen and going batshit crazy at me to stop wittering on and distracting her. At the time I had been telling her about how I race people who are walking ahead of me when I'm on my own to help me to get to places on time and giving her my tally of how many people I'd beaten that day!

[SocksRock]

I race people in the gym who are on the machines either side of me. Normally who can be the next to a certain number of calories or kilometres. I'm sure they don't know they are being raced...

[anothernumberone]

OP you are an evil genius. I like the cut of your jib.

[Oysterbabe]

Normally she wears cloppy shoes.

[Lweji]

It's unusual for this girl, according to the op.