Passing that dude at Rancho San Antonio made me think of all the times I’ve managed to pass people in a race.
It’s a weird feeling to pass someone during a race, especially if you are very close in velocity. It isn’t like driving a car where you press on the gas and you zoom up behind someone and then you pass them by. Visually, the other car grows in your eyes and then whooshes by and then shrinks behind you.
Since there isn’t this acceleration for humans, the visual effect is much different for me. In fact, it’s much slower.
I pull up behind someone. I usually think I’m faster than him, but can’t tell for sure. I seem to be gaining, but his speed is often shifting as well, so sometimes I gain and sometimes I lose ground. But generally I maintain speed and have confidence that my constant speed is better than surging and wasting energy by accelerating. There is time left in the race and I can slowly overtake this guy. But visually, it seems as though I am barely gaining at all.
That is…until I get about 2-3 feet away. For some reason, as soon as I get to that distance, and still running at constant speed, the guy I’m passing seems to pause, and then rush up all of a sudden. I seem to accelerate and pass him in a flash.
It’s weird. But what a rush to pass someone during a race.