ikilledit

10. Where do you run: treadmill, street, track, trail? And why do you prefer running there?

Road, grass, & trail. I’m not an indoor running person. I think running on a treadmill would drive me mad. I enjoy the pavement too much. The changing scenery, the animals, the sounds, the smells, the surprises that await you as you turn the corner. It’s not all sunsets and deer crossings. I’ve been the subject of racial slurs and I’ve stepped in shit from time to time. But I never know what I’ll find when I take the next step and that’s why I enjoy running outdoors. 

I don’t think that I have a particularly disagreeable face/appearance but I routinely receive dirty looks from people when I run in the evening, usually from drivers. Maybe this stems from ignorance on their part with respect to pedestrian rules/social codes. Or maybe they just hate me. Either way….some things to remember drivers/sentient vehicles:

• Cyclists have to go WITH traffic and obey the regular rules of the road. 
• Runners/pedestrians go AGAINST traffic. There’s a reason for this: you can see me, I can see you. I don’t have to worry about a car running me over from behind and you as a driver do not have to worry about not being able to call attention to a pedestrian who has his back facing you as you approach.
• I always move aside when a vehicle approaches. I would appreciate the same courtesy. I recognize that sometimes you do not have the space to do so with oncoming traffic, but if you do have the space… please give me some room to breathe. 
• Also: remember that I’m someone’s son/brother/partner in the same way that you are. You wouldn’t treat a family/friend who you knew was on the road with such aggression.