I knew I had to go.
I was really surprised, because that man seemed simply out of place.
Usually I can only see mothers with kids, old people walking, or
people running in the park.

From Krista's site, maybe.:-)
The fact is that I like to spend calories (I stll have so many stored)
and weight lifting does not spend calories.

I feel angry with that man because he did not let me exercise :-)

I'll get something from Krista's site.

What annoys me, is that on Sunday there will be a major family
celebration (we are celebrating the birth of a nephew).
I wanted to be in a very good shape.
Of course I am still in a better shape than 3 months ago, but I wanted
other people to notice.
(My husband is already :-)

I wouldn't take the comments personally Paul.  It's probably difficult being
a scary looking guy, but as a woman I can tell you that it pays to err on
the side of caution.  When you're out running you're in a vulnerable
position.  Estella noticed someone that appeared out of place in an area
that she is used to and made what I feel is a wise decision.  If I was out
running on a trail and saw someone that didn't look like they belonged
there, I'd also avoid them.  There's no guarantee that I won't someday run
into some freak in running attire out on the trail but you can't avoid every
bad situation that life has in store for you.

Sadly while *you* are not harmful, there are plenty of people out there who
are.  I've been robbed at gunpoint on a city street and was nearly assaulted
on another occasion (in a public area).  Nowadays I live in a rural area
with more property crime than personal crime.  The biggest threat to my
safety while running is coming across an overly friendly loose dog, a pack
of bear hunting hounds, or a bear. :)

Remember that Estella is also not a native English speaker and her word
choices may not be as precise as you're used to.

Jenn

Estella is not a native English speaker.  I interpreted what she said about
not liking the look of his face to mean she didn't like his facial
expressions/demeanor and body language.  She said, IIRC, that he looked
wrong for being in the park.  He may not have been dressed in the workout or
casual clothes that a person there to walk or run would wear.  I may be
wrong but all of us women folk have to depend on our instincts to keep us
safe.  I agree that her anger is a bit misplaced.  She opted for safety and
did not choose to risk finding out whether the guy was a real threat.
Therefore, she shouldn't be mad at him for her choice.  She should be glad
that she's able to exercise another day.

Tonia
221/190/130

Uhm. Why am I pretty sure I would not consider you a danger if I met
you somewhere?
That man had an evil look in his eyes.
I cannot explain you why, but I felt he was out of place in the park
and that he was NOT exercising.
I felt SCARED to be alone in the park with him, so I left.
As a seller, I am actually used to judging people at first look.
It is part of my job.
Even in my job, I sometimes had the same feeling, and at least twice
in three years I preferred to lose a business instead of dealing with
some people.
---
I bought the newspaper today because I saw that in the first page
there was the news of a woman robbed of her car, money and telephone
by a 35 yo man.
I live in a small town in Italy and these news are unsual.
There was no description of the man, but this happened in the area
near the park two hours later my failed exercising.
I could scan the news if someone wants.