Every morning when I run, I see an older man running and he totally inspired me to write this blog. But not in a good way.
Real quick, just in case this is your first time here, I’m a marathon runner and a father of three. My middle child, 6-year-old Jack, is severely autistic and I’m attempting to run 60 marathons this year to raise money and awareness for a great charity I’m a part of called Train 4 Autism. So far, I’m accomplishing my goals and I’ve completed 15 of the 60 races.
Anyways, back to the man I see running who inspires me. He does so because he runs in the street. I’m sure he subscribes to the theory that the asphalt is better for your knees than the concrete of the sidewalk. But you know what’s even worse for your knees than concrete? Cars!
Some people may have no option if they live in rural areas and there may not be sidewalks to run on. I have a spot where I run that’s about 1/4 of a mile and I have no choice but to run in a wide bike lane. During that stretch, I pay attention like it’s a matter of life or death, because it is. But I know a lot of folks willingly run solely in the street or bike lane because they think the asphalt is better for them.
Everything I’ve ever read says that the “asphalt is safer than concrete” theory is a myth. It’s probably brought to you by the same sedentary doctors who say that running will make your knees go bad. Funny, I have friends with more than 150 marathons to their credit whose knees are doing just fine.
I ran 3,850 miles in 2008 and the vast majority of those (3,500+) were on sidewalks. The only knee problem I’ve ever had is a slight case of tendinitis, which was caused by weakness in my glutes. Last summer, I had x-rays taken of my knees and the doctor told me they looked perfectly normal for a 34-year-old.
A lot of folks who run in the street justify it by saying they run facing traffic and they pay close attention to the cars coming at them. But all it takes is one split second — a driver veering outside of their lane to avoid a wreck or not paying close enough attention and failing to properly negotiate a curve. Or maybe the sun is at your back, but its in the eyes of the oncoming driver.
Some running friends of mine lost a friend two years ago when she was hit by a car while running in the bike lane. It was that one split second that made all the difference and there’s no take-backs. As I mentioned, I have a portion on some of my runs that exposes me in a fairly wide bike lane for about 1/4 of a mile. I pay extremely close attention when I run along that stretch and traffic is very light when I’m there. Still, I’m always prepared to jump in the ditch on the side if a car gets anywhere near me.
It’s fairly easy for me to pay attention and focus, because it’s only for 1/4 of a mile, about two minutes. If it was a longer stretch, though, there’s no way I wouldn’t zone out. If you’re running long runs in the street, you’re going to lose focus at times no matter how hard you try to pay attention. If you’re doing a short run, not that asphalt saves you, but do you think it’s going to make that much difference? Yesterday, I saw a teenager running in the concrete gutter at the edge of the street. Really, what’s the point of that?
Aside from running in the street, that man I see every day inspired me to write this for another reason. He runs in the street listening to music on headphones! I’m not one to ever get into an iPod vs. no iPod debate. I don’t listen to music when I run, but that’s my choice and I don’t care what anybody else does.
Listening to music when you run will distract you from your surroundings, and if you do that when you’re running on the sidewalk, the consequences aren’t that big if you are at least aware enough to avoid danger. You might get startled if somebody passes you, but that’s about it. However, if you have the earbuds in while you’re running in the street, you’re begging for trouble. That’s like the running equivalent of drinking and driving — you’re sapping yourself of awareness while placing yourself in a dangerous situation.
The third thing the man does that freaks me out is he runs with traffic. We already know he can’t hear cars coming. He can’t see them coming, either. He does this when it’s dark outside, so maybe his logic is that he’ll see headlights coming. But it’s only going to take one car driving with its lights off to cause an avoidable fatality.
So, this guy commits three no-nos I’m really hoping you avoid. Running with traffic is not smart at all. Running with earphones while running in the street is not particularly smart, either. But all of this danger can be avoided if you just refrain from running in the street!
I get a fair amount of people who tell me I inspire them. If you’re included in that group, and you run in the street, please be inspired by the fact that I run all my miles on the sidewalk and I’m doing fine! The true danger is the cars, not the concrete. Be smart and be safe — I want to hear how your run went from you, not from a tragic newspaper article!