As I was running my 5 miles today, I noticed the weird behavior that people exhibit while they are walking along the trail. Most folks are quite friendly and will acknowledge you by saying hello or waving. But others are almost anti-social. I should say that I ALWAYS wave to everyone whether they return it or not.
Now, it's pretty rare that someone else is running on the trail at the same time I am. So when I see another runner, I always wave. Some return my wave, other don't. The ones that don't are mostly folks who are really concentrating on running so I usually don't pay too much attention to them. But, the walkers are a completely different story. I've had people not wave, not say hello.....I even had a woman get over in the grass to avoid me. I don't think I look menacing or anything so it kind of weirds me out when people do that sort of stuff.
What is your weirdest trail moment?
Weight:160lbs
Exercise:Jason running 5 miles, Steph running 3 miles, Winnie waddling 1 mile.
Weather:Little warm, 78 degrees. Sunny.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Trail Behavior
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3 comments:
My issue with people on a trail or on a sidewalk is people not even making eye contact. It seems that people who are doing the same thing you're doing - training for something big - are the ones who acknowledge you. 75% of the people are usually nice. But I passed by a woman the other day at least three times on the trails I was on and she NEVER looked my way. Who do these people think they are to not give an index finger wave, a tip of the had, a half way smile, an out-of-breath hello? We're all out there for the same reason, and we're not sitting around like everyone else eating donuts for breakfast. I've avoided blogging about this myself because I would then look like the ass! I'd be going off like I am now. I like your tone better! (By the way, I posted a response to your comment on the Garmin. I hope it helps ... and I hope it justifies getting one! My tone in writing often comes out wrong, so don't take it the wrong way!)
Society is not a friendly as it once was. It seems more anti-social not than when I was growing up. But anyway, the strangest thing that has happened on trails was my comedy of errors where a lens popped out of glasses and twisted my ankle.
Aside from the raving homeless folks and once when we went past two guys who looked like tag-team serial killers, I've only had good experiences on the rail-trail. There were people who would just nod instead of waving back, but most people waved.
In fact, we had a regular group of, well, cheerleaders. There were the middle aged biking housewives, the doggie people, and then my favorite, the guy on the recumbent bike. We saw this guy all the time out there, long runs and short. He did two things that earn him the gold star in the social human book. One was when my training partner sprained an ankle, he stopped and offered to let her or me ride his bike back for help, or to go himself. Second, on the day we were doing, hmm, I think it was 18 but it might have been 20, he and a friend were way out on the trail, at mile 19 (we always started at the 11 mile marker) and they were taking a break, drinking water and snacking. When we came up to pass by them, they held up their hands and high fived and cheered us as we went by. We were so touched that they really understood what a Big Deal it was for us to be out that far.
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