Are Runners Allergic to Sidewalks?

[WoodenSunshine]

I'm driving home yesterday on a decently, well trafficked road. At least, it's as well trafficked as a small town road can be. It's raining, grey and getting close to sunset. This is also a road that has maybe, MAYBE six inch of shoulder, maybe.

So, mister runner in grey, why the HECK are you running on the "shoulder"?! There is a perfectly lovely sidewalk with a perfectly sculpted lady running right on it. Why can't you run next to her on the sidewalk?

Are you allergic to the sidewalk or just really uncaring about your life? I was behind you for long enough that you should have noticed the car with it's lights on behind you especially since you weren't wearing headphones. Sir, if you're going to run on the street you should be more aware of your surroundings. I would appreciate not giving me that nasty glare again because I had to pass you. You're on my turf and you're lucky I wasn't feeling particularly evil. I wanted to keep following behind you and beep.

[csquared]

And he was on the wrong side of the road.

[WoodenSunshine]

Are you supposed to run against the flow of traffic?

[Kheldarson]

Pedestrians (including runners) are to go against the flow of traffic when in the road. So if he'd have been in the sidewalk, this wouldn't matter.

As for being allergic...he was being an idiot, but it may be that the concrete of the sidewalk bothers his legs more than the asphalt of the road.

Still doesn't make him less of a dumb bunny though.

[WoodenSunshine]

He was most certainly running with the traffic. On the road. Where there's a very tiny shoulder. He's dang lucky he didn't get hit.

[LillFilly]

I would think the shoulder would be in much poorer condition than the sidewalk.

Probably just in his own little world thinking "I have a right to do ANYTHING I want."

Reminds me of people who walk down THE MIDDLE of the isles in the parking lot. I make a point to stay on my side, you know being a proper and polite driver, and just crreeeeepppp along behind them until they notice the flashing light on the security truck and jump to one side or another.

Though I had one guy argue that he could walk wherever he wants because 'he pays taxes!' Really? He's one of the Owners of my mall!? Wow, I didn't know one of them was a Mark Twain Look-Alike!

[KiaKat]

Asphalt is much easier on the legs than concrete. There's more give, it's softer, and it doesn't tend to pit quite as badly, or randomly shift so suddenly there's a six-inch cliff in the middle of your run.

Personally, I go out to the Conservancy to do my running. Multiple terrains, multiple routes, and no cars.

[WoodenSunshine]

That makes sense. I can definitely name other streets close by that have shoulders that are larger and safer to run on, if they want asphalt.

[Slayer]

Maybe trying to impress that perfectly sculpted lady? lol

Either way, completely idiot.

[WoodenSunshine]

He's lucky he didn't become a pancake, to be honest. There are a lot of people who fly on that street.

[KiaKat]

When I was a teenager, I lived in a town where there was a lack of sidewalks, and the only good X-C trail was too far away for me to get to without driving - and I hated having to spend more time in the car than necessary. So I ran the roads. Being a small town with a lot of little roads, there were a lot of drivers that went too quickly down roads that were, frankly, not *quite* large enough to be two-way.

I learned to listen for cars and step off into the dirt. It didn't always work, sometimes I got cars pissed off at me, but mostly it was a good thing.

HOWEVER.

If there had been safer roads, or an off-road trail, I would have taken that instead. It pisses me off when runners think that just because they're all exposed to the elements, they get the automatic right-of-way. WE are using THEIR space, it's up to us to yield when there's a car coming.

[Kogarashi]

And as for the "walk/run against traffic," I believe it's so that the pedestrian/jogger can see the traffic coming and be able to react. Last I checked, humans still don't have eyes in the backs of their heads (not even moms), so the runner was just being an idiot.

[Spork4pedro]

I've NEVER understood why people choose to run on asphalt. I know that it has less give but the streets (at least where I live) are tilted somewhat to allow for drainage which can mess up your knees too.

[KiaKat]

An uneven surface will mess up your joints less than a surface with no spring or give to it. Sidewalks have got to be the worst surface I've ever run on, and if I have no alternative to road, then I'll run on the asphalt rather than the sidewalk.

Personally, I prefer trail running. Dirt, mud, grass, and even roots are more preferable to anything having to do with road running.

[Kheldarson]

I've NEVER understood why people choose to run on asphalt. I know that it has less give but the streets (at least where I live) are tilted somewhat to allow for drainage which can mess up your knees too.

Your joints can react better to the tilt than to an unforgiving surface.

When you walk, you get even force feedback, pound for pound, back to your joints. So, say you're 170 lbs, that's 170 lbs going to your joints when walking.

Running, you can get up to 4x your weight back in pressure. So the less force a surface absorbs, the more's going to be coming back to you. So in the case of our 170 lb person, that's 680 lbs going to their joints! Even if the road's uneven that still might be 170 lbs less than running on a concrete sidewalk.