'blockers' - people who interrupt who when you are running (Read 1305 times)

Pick up trucks aren't so bad for me, I get really nervous about any type of cargo van.

I'm with you on the cargo van. I think I've read too many spy novels.

I once spent an entire summer being called "Shat Boy" for reasons best not discussed on a public forum.

Too funny. Would it be wrong to use this as a sig?

Nope. In fact, it just might be my next sig, but feel free to claim it as your own.

Hehe. I totally planned on giving you full credit.

One of best things about moving to New Zealand has been not having to put this kind of crap anymore. The UK was awful for it – mostly just gangs of teenagers giving me hassle but I’ve been sworn at, spat at and had cans thrown at me over the 4 years I’ve been running. You still get the odd thoughtless person but actual hassle is much rarer here.

I found it just as bad in NZ. In the UK, at least you get a lot of pavement. Having said that, I'm an extremely uptight runner and if someone beeps their horn at me I'm liable to give them the bird. Has been a problem once or twice when it was my mother.

I have a neighbor who does this. He's interrupted me the last 3 times I saw him. The last time, I politely waved and was running by thinking: He's letting me go. He's really doing it. I can't believe he didn't say anything to me [100 feet under my shoes] Uh....Stacy? crap... I turn around, muster up a smile, jog back, and jog in place to clarify my intent to stay moving. Uh...do you like gospel music? Not any more!!! It's always something with him.

Wow, those are some fine experiences! I try to run in the AMS to avoid any interaction with the natives and aliens alike. I live in a small town with lots of retired people who are lonely and roam the streets, looking for a lengthy chat. Not only do they eat up my time, they tend to be repetative in nature. I try to be patient and hope that when I'm dotty and chatty the youngens will be polite to me. I also tend to run into problems when I run past my church, as it usually leads to a conversation with another member or one of the pastors. (Church is located on the one road that can be used for long runs, and I do my long runs on Sunday AMs...usually going out just before the early service is starting and returning when the second is in session) I've been tempted to run through the sanctuary a time or two on my return leg to say that I'd been to a recent service and grab my communion. I'm sure most of the old timers would object but I think the pastors would get a kick out of it. I've also gotten a lot of people coming through the town trying to get back to the freeway, nearest gas station, golf course, etc. Those bug me the most as the town is small enough that if they would just drive randomly for another minutes, they would find what they were looking for.

Some of the trails I run on are very popular and in the last five years the mountain bikers have gotten really bad. They insist that runners and walkers should know to "stay to the right" and other mountain biking rules. One guy really gave me a hard time about how "you runners need to learn to share the trail". Whatever. Not all are bad, of course, just a few of the 'posers'. It cracks me up that they need $3k worth of bike to conquer a barely rutted, flat trail. In any park there are usually 10x more trails available to runners and hikers so I've just made a point to use those instead.