Walkers and runners

When I'm out walking on the local footpaths, I am always aware when there is a runner coming up behind me (from the sound of their breathing or footsteps), and I move to the side of the path to let them pass. So why, when I am running, do walkers ahead of me never seem to be aware of my approach behind them?

On today's run I had to slow to a walk behind a pair of walkers on a narrow section of the footpath up to the Outwoods. But this is not an isolated incident; I am often to be found crashing through the nettles beside a path to overtake walkers who are positioned firmly in the middle of the path.

Interestingly, later on today's run, there was another runner coming towards me on the narrow path returning to the Outwoods from Buck Hill. Before I had a chance to move to the side of the path, she had taken two steps backward to where the path was slightly wider, to let me pass.

This run was my first use of Walshes for a training run in this mud-season. I was more than a minute faster than on the same route last Thursday, in similarly sodden ground conditions.

There are a couple of possibilities, the walkers are wearing those annoying earbud things and not listening to nature, you are a very quiet runner with no heavy breathing. I also see to have the ability to creep up on people whilst running and then make them jump by saying hello.

I tend to force a loud cough which usually causes one of the walkers to glance behind and then drag/push the other/others out of the way.

A single walker gets the bigfella "jump" treatment!

I used to shout, or rather bellow, "BEHIND!", and I'm not quiet.

This sometimes worked, but on a lot of occasions I got a "I didn't hear you", or a "We've got every right to walk/amble two/three/four abreast and block the path" attitude.

On one occasion two of us running together on a logging path, (wide enough for a lorry), on Cannock Chase encountered two women with three dogs each stopped on opposite sides of the path. The dogs were on flexy leads and completely blocking the path. Despite much bellowing, the women made no attempt to clear the path so we ended up hurdling the dogs. We received abuse for this too.

For what it's worth the same thing happens in cycling, with people walking/ambling down single track roads two, three or even four abreast. I have a piercing bell, and I'm not shy about using it. If they don't take action after four pings then I pick up speed and pass them, which on occasions has made them jump pretty wildly.

I used to wish I had a little bike bell when out running. Especially when running on the canal bank.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by noel

I used to wish I had a little bike bell when out running. Especially when running on the canal bank.

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That sounds like a money-spinning-must-have-for-Christmas ('wintermas') idea Noel. Patent it, pitch it to Apple and you'd be quids in. Perhaps incorporate it into an App for their watches, with a variety of downloadable sounds - car horn; klaxon; battle-ship; stampeding herd of cattle; etc.

To lower the tone somewhat, a Scottish lassie and a keen runner I know once explained innocently to us(a group of smutty school-boy minded blokes) how she would typically shout out (in a Scot's Barbara Woodhouse tone) "Runner Coming!". She was bemused as to why we'd roll around in laughter clutching our sides...Still makes me giggle thinking about it :D

More rant about walkers.

Today, with the sun beckoning and a favourable forecast for all of the day, I headed back over to Orton to run the race route I'd recced last week, confident I would improve my time now I knew the route well (so no stopping to check the map) and as I'd clocked a few better lines previously.

On the level run towards the monument, you're are in open limestone fells, and there's a clear quad track to the monument. Seeing a couple of walkers ahead (some 50 metres or so), I moved over into one of the parallel trod furrows to avoid them. They saw me - I saw them. All good. Except that in the final few metres of our closing distance, they both decided to step into 'my' furrow, causing me to have to leap into the other line. I don't think they were being mischievous or awkward. Rather, it was as if some mind numbing discombobulation came over them.

Once past, and as I neared the turn off the tract to the monument, the very same happened with a single walker and his dog! Resisting the urge to view this as some conspiratorial vendetta against me personally, I could only reframe it, as I ran onwards and downwards, as the irresistible draw of my magnetic personality and naturally sunny disposition. Like I'm surrounded by a zone of proximal auratic attraction, that unconsciously lures admiring walkers, and their dogs, in. After all, what else could it be!

Whatever, despite my most definitely running considerably faster than last week, my watch concluded otherwise, with a 2 plus minutes slower overall time! Sometimes the Gods conspire to mock even our most modest efforts (or should I blame the walkers?).

More rant about walkers.

Today, with the sun beckoning and a favourable forecast for all of the day, I headed back over to Orton to run the race route I'd recced last week, confident I would improve my time now I knew the route well (so no stopping to check the map) and as I'd clocked a few better lines previously.

On the level run towards the monument, you're are in open limestone fells, and there's a clear quad track to the monument. Seeing a couple of walkers ahead (some 50 metres or so), I moved over into one of the parallel trod furrows to avoid them. They saw me - I saw them. All good. Except that in the final few metres of our closing distance, they both decided to step into 'my' furrow, causing me to have to leap into the other line. I don't think they were being mischievous or awkward. Rather, it was as if some mind numbing discombobulation came over them.

Once past, and as I neared the turn off the tract to the monument, the very same happened with a single walker and his dog! Resisting the urge to view this as some conspiratorial vendetta against me personally, I could only reframe it, as I ran onwards and downwards, as the irresistible draw of my magnetic personality and naturally sunny disposition. Like I'm surrounded by a zone of proximal auratic attraction, that unconsciously lures admiring walkers, and their dogs, in. After all, what else could it be!

Whatever, despite my most definitely running considerably faster than last week, my watch concluded otherwise, with a 2 plus minutes slower overall time! Sometimes the Gods conspire to mock even our most modest efforts (or should I blame the walkers?).

More rant about walkers.

Today, with the sun beckoning and a favourable forecast for all of the day, I headed back over to Orton to run the race route I'd recced last week, confident I would improve my time now I knew the route well (so no stopping to check the map) and as I'd clocked a few better lines previously.

On the level run towards the monument, you're are in open limestone fells, and there's a clear quad track to the monument. Seeing a couple of walkers ahead (some 50 metres or so), I moved over into one of the parallel trod furrows to avoid them. They saw me - I saw them. All good. Except that in the final few metres of our closing distance, they both decided to step into 'my' furrow, causing me to have to leap into the other line. I don't think they were being mischievous or awkward. Rather, it was as if some mind numbing discombobulation came over them.

Once past, and as I neared the turn off the tract to the monument, the very same happened with a single walker and his dog! Resisting the urge to view this as some conspiratorial vendetta against me personally, I could only reframe it, as I ran onwards and downwards, as the irresistible draw of my magnetic personality and naturally sunny disposition. Like I'm surrounded by a zone of proximal auratic attraction, that unconsciously lures admiring walkers, and their dogs, in. After all, what else could it be!

Whatever, despite my most definitely running considerably faster than last week, my watch concluded otherwise, with a 2 plus minutes slower overall time! Sometimes the Gods conspire to mock even our most modest efforts (or should I blame the walkers?).

Testing testing 1 2 3

More rant about walkers. Part 1

Today, with the sun beckoning and a favourable forecast for all of the day, I headed back over to Orton to run the race route I'd recced last week, confident I would improve my time now I knew the route well (so no stopping to check the map) and as I'd clocked a few better lines previously.

On the level run towards the monument, you're are in open limestone fells, and there's a clear quad track to the monument. Seeing a couple of walkers ahead (some 50 metres or so), I moved over into one of the parallel trod furrows to avoid them. They saw me - I saw them. All good. Except that in the final few metres of our closing distance, they both decided to step into 'my' furrow, causing me to have to leap into the other line. I don't think they were being mischievous or awkward. Rather, it was as if some mind numbing discombobulation came over them.

Once past, and as I neared the turn off the tract to the monument, the very same happened with a single walker and his dog! Resisting the urge to view this as some conspiratorial vendetta against me personally, I could only reframe it, as I ran onwards and downwards, as the irresistible draw of my magnetic personality and naturally sunny disposition. Like I'm surrounded by a zone of proximal auratic attraction, that unconsciously lures admiring walkers, and their dogs, in. After all, what else could it be!

Whatever, despite my most definitely running considerably faster than last week, my watch concluded otherwise, with a 2 plus minutes slower overall time! Sometimes the Gods conspire to mock even our most modest efforts (or should I blame the walkers?).

Thank you most kindly Mr Moderator, Sir :D