Neighborhood running, dodging cars

This week was a neighborhood running kind of week.  There's an art to neighborhood running.  Run on the left, of course, facing traffic.  Wear plenty of reflective, high visibility clothes.

All the visibility in the world doesn't mean that drivers of cars and trucks will necessarily see you.  Here's the way to tell.  If the car or truck has not pulled over at least to the middle of the road at least 25 yards away from you, and there's no traffic behind you, they're texting or on the phone.  Step off into the yard and get out of the way.  Don't even try to play chicken with a car or truck.  You'll lose every time.

However, most of the time, cars do pull over.  Sometimes, they'll pull over all the way into the right lane just to give you extra room.  To these kind and respectful drivers, I always give them a "thank you wave."  That's good running karma!

If you run early in the mornings in the dark, not many folks are out on the streets in the neighborhood.  Except for.... newspaper carriers.  Here you have a driver that doesn't think anything else exists outside their front seat.  You know that they're definitely pre-occupied with rolling papers and trying to drive at the same time.  They-are-not-to-be-trusted!  Just go ahead and step off the street into a yard when you see car lights weaving to various sides of the street and throwing papers!

The best thing about running in the neighborhood is that at the end of the course is probably your own driveway.  Waiting for you is a great shower, a hot cup of coffee and the newspaper to relax while reading, knowing that you've done your exercise job for the day!

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner