Guy Who Just Took Up Running Still Has That New Runner Smell
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istockphoto.com
A local man who took up running just weeks ago still has that “new runner smell,” Dumb Runner has learned.
Michael Pompeo, 38, took his first ever run late last month, sources said—and immediately attracted the attention of fellow runners. At first, he said, he wasn’t sure why.
“I’d be out for a couple of easy miles,” said Pompeo in a phone interview, “and other runners would start passing me but then slow down to run near me for a while. And they’d be breathing real deep.”
Eventually, Pompeo said, he asked someone what was going on.
“This woman ran up behind me, going pretty fast, and after she passed me she actually came back to jog along with me for a while, just sniffing the air,” he said. “I said, Is something wrong? And she said, No, no… I just love that new runner smell.”
Weeks later, Pompeo said, he still has that smell, though he himself can’t detect it.
“People still remark on it, or just run near me and smile and breathe in real deep,” he said. “It’s nice, I guess, and I figure it won’t last, because other runners I meet don’t smell so good.”
For the time being, Pompeo concluded, “I’m just glad to be bringing a bit of happiness to people’s lives.”
