July 28

Distance: 3 Miles
Song of the run: Stand - R.E.M.

Run Notes:
Short run since it is a weight lifting day. The roads are quiet and empty early in the morning. The cool air is refreshing after a hot night. Unfortunately it doesn't last long. By the first mile it had gotten hot and sticky and the cars began their journeys to work.

Summer morning run
Sluggish, sweaty, heavy legs
Lily pond, geese...done!

The Art of Running in the Road
A friend and I were having lunch when she spotted a runner out on the street. She knows I run, so she looked at me and asked "Why do people do that?" I explained that running on asphalt is easier on the feet than concrete since it offers a softer surface. It also allows better foot control and a more even terrain. She said she had always just thought the runners were out on the road because they were crazy. Well, maybe we are a little crazy but there is a real zen to running on the streets and living to tell the tale.

Run Facing Oncoming Traffic
Most drivers don't realize the more they look at you as you are coming their way the more their car veers towards you. Usually, they come to at the last moment and jerk the car the other direction but you can't always depend on that. The last time I ran in the same direction of traffic, a car went by so close I could have reached in and changed the radio station as their side view mirror brushed my jersey. Since then I've made it a practise to run facing traffic so I can jump out of the way if the car gets so close I can see the whites of their eyes.

Always Have an Exit Strategy
Surprisingly most drivers hate to move over for runners. They will move widely out of the way for abandoned cars, cats, and squirrels but for some reason they do not want to yield the road to a human being. Okay, an abandoned car is an immovable object; cats and squirrels are cute, but you'd think as a fellow homosapien they'd give you a bit more leeway. Elderly drivers, the ones who drive 20 mph at all times but never stop at signs or lights, are the most reluctant to move around a runner. School buses are the the second biggest villains in this scenario. They are great at avoiding small children but that instinct in those drivers does not seem to transfer over to adults. I understand when there is traffic in both lanes but when there is not another car in sight you would think they could go around you. In all fairness, there are many who will give you a wide arc and you should appreciate their consideration of your well being, but you learn to never assume it. Hence, it pays to know the route you run, stay as far over as you can and be willing to dive over guard rails if need be to avoid being hit.

Have A Thick Skin
Morning is my favorite time of day to run. During the summer you can avoid the heat and during the school year the buses. Morning is also the time when wildlife is most active. I have seen geese, deer, wild turkeys, turtles, and hedgehogs on my runs. These sightings make it worthwhile to haul my ass out of bed in the wee hours of the morn. One day, when the sky was a beautiful aqua and the air was cool, I was at the end of great eight miler going along making up a poem in my head as I passed the supply ponds. I had just seen the first signets of the season and life seemed wonderful. There were some cars backed up at the street light and as I passed one of them a man yelled "Bitch!" Well the poem immediately evaporated from my head and was replace by shock and then a nasty comeback. He was mad because he had to slow down a bit while I passed even though he had plenty of room to go by. This event led me to discern the following: most people seem to be angry during their early commutes. Maybe they are not morning people or they are running late but I've had people yell, honk, flip me off, and throw things at me. You learn to take into account the source of these actions and take it in stride (pun intended). If you take it too personally it will ruin your run.


You are sharing the road which can be a dangerous place for runners and drivers. You need to be aware at all times of the traffic and be just as courteous to drivers as you want them to be to you. Don't assume they see you, give them the right of way, and don't be rude. The streets may seem a harsh world. However it's one with a softer and more even terrain for my feet. I may be bit crazy for running in the road but it is my bit of daily enlightenment. I'll be out there again tomorrow.