Road Running Convert

Have you ever been driving down a roadway, with a perfectly good sidewalk two feet away, and had to avoid a runner who insists on running in your lane? This used to annoy the snot out of me, and I would imagine reasons for the seemingly irrational behavior. They didn't want those walking on the sidewalk to slow them down. They wanted to stay away from dogs, which scared them. It was harder to calculate precise mileage when the sidewalks meandered differently than the road. They wanted us all to get a close-up look at their killer abs in their bright pink little running bra thing.

Well, surprise of my lifetime, I began running about a year and a half ago. It was pathetic at first, but I've worked hard and now proudly call myself a runner. Somewhere along the way, it became crystal clear why all those people insist on running on the road. It's all about the knees. The asphalt of the road is significantly softer than the concrete of the sidewalk. Each step you take running puts about six times your body weight of force on your knees. And since I already have inflammation issues with my knees, it only makes sense to run on the softest and most porous surface I can. After learning how painful it is after a 4-mile run on sidewalks versus the same distance on roads, I became a road running convert.

With that said, I adhere to certain personal rules when running on the roadway, and I wish other runners would, too. First, when I plan my routes, I try to stay mainly on neighborhood roads and limit the busier ones. But when I am on a busy road, I tough it out and run on the sidewalk for that stretch. Also, when I am on a road and a car approaches, I usually jump onto the sidewalk until the car passes. It also seems like giving a little wave to drivers to thank them for not plowing over me (especially on roads without sidewalks) goes a long way as they usually - but not always - smile and wave back.

So, should you find yourself tempted to scream out the window at a runner to "get off the road" - as someone did to me this morning - I hope you will at least understand why they are on the road in the first place. Despite our best efforts to exercise and be healthy now, our knees need some special tender loving care to still operate decently in our later years.


Marine Corps Half Marathon in Jacksonville, October 2010

(sorry it's blurry)