running etiquette Archives - Run The Long Road Coaching

8/10/11
7 miles easy / 1:05 / 9:17 avg pace

Thanks for your comments on my running etiquette post. The verdict? Those guys were in the wrong and total creepers!

I had to double-check which week I was recapping. It’s all starting to mush together towards the end.

MON: 7 at marathon pace
TUE: 8 speed
WED: 8 easy
THU: REST!
FRI: 15 long
SAT: 5 easy
SUN: 10 tempo

53 miles for the week and 6 days of running (normal for me is 5 days per week). I figured I’d give it a shot but I really prefer 2 rest days.

I was looking over an old post I wrote at the beginning of this training cycle, where I laid out my plans for changing things up and doing things different. Overall I’m doing pretty good:

increase overall mileage — CHECK
switching between hill repeats and track workouts — decided against this since I need the speed work to BQ and my long runs are plenty hilly.
trail running — CHECK. Every tempo run has been done on a trail.
long runs (do some at LSD and some at MP) — CHECK. Thanks to the humidity, the choice as to which runs were LSD was made for me 🙂
cross-train (yoga and strength train) — FAIL! I haven’t been to a single yoga class yet and I went to 1 strength training class.

Somehow, I always imagined that running alone could transform my body into this…

(via)

I’m delusional but I can dream, right? I know it takes a steady dose of strength training (and good genes) to look like Kara. So yesterday I did an at-home, completely made-up, 20 minutes of ST. And it only confirmed that I need to go back to a class. Baby steps, right?

Unrelated question of the day: what do you use to track your runs? Daily Mile, etc? I’m thinking of ditching my excel spreadsheet for something more high tech!

8/9/11
7 miles speedwork
*1000m, 2000m, 1000m, 1000m – all done at 10K pace (7:30-7:40) with less than 400m rest interval. I loved doing intervals at 10K pace. What a treat compared to 5K pace! My breathing felt smooth and controlled.

When you go out for a run, do you generally keep a respectable distance between you and the runner in front of you? I always do and treat it like I would driving – I don’t generally drive up someone’s ass so why would I run up someone’s ass? I thought this was plain and simple running etiquette but I’m not so sure after this weekend. (Note: I’m not talking races, just training runs).

Situation 1 (Friday’s long run)
I was on my first mile and I could hear feet slapping and breath sounds coming closer. I was expecting the sounds to pass me but they just hung around…for awhile. I immediately start to get annoyed for 2 reasons: (1) if I can hear you breathing, you are way too close and either need to pass me or back off; (2) I start to get a little nervous when it’s a male and I’m running by myself – you should never run that close to a female running alone! I finally decided to slow down and let him pass. Thankfully he diverged onto another part of the trail.

Situation 2 (Sunday’s ugly tempo run)
There was a guy ahead of me for a few miles (I was keeping my distance behind him). He started to slow down and I decided to pass him. As I pass him he speeds up (errrrr!), as I slow down he slows down. I dig deep (remember the run was ugly) and pick up the pace to try to get rid of him. Not surprisingly, he keeps up with me. THEN he tells me that he is not being creepy, it’s just that I’m keeping a good pace for him!! I shoot him a weak smile and try to ignore him. I “paced him” for another mile until he took off in another direction. He was being creepy in my book.

So what gives? Did both these guys break running etiquette? I think so.

Do you keep a respectable distance behind other runners?

Lehigh Valley Marathon: Week 10 Recap

Running Etiquette