Run on the left, Ride on the right

I had a really great run this morning. It has been a few weeks since I’ve felt this good. Maybe that is because it is Friday. Maybe it is because I took an extra day off. Whatever it is, hopefully it will continue.

One thing that struck me today while running was that I saw two other runners this morning that were running on the right side of the road. While the roads in the morning don’t have a lot of traffic, running on the right side of the road is not very safe. Maybe I’m speaking from my 25+ years of running experience, but when running you need to be facing any traffic. Therefore, you run on the left side of the road.

I remember when I was younger and listened to music when I ran. (Remember those big, bulky Walkman cassette players? I knew when the batteries were running low when my jogging motion made the speed of the cassette tape slow and then speed up.) The roads around my house were 2 lane roads with speed limits up to 40 mph (which means people would normally be going 45-50). I was running on the right side of the road with my headphones jacked up and I almost got my elbow taken off by a car approaching from behind. It ended up that one of my “peers” was trying to scare me by seeing how close he could blow by me without hitting me. Really cool, let me tell you. Ever since then, I have run on the left side of the road.

As far as riding a bike, a bicycle is considered a vehicle on the road and is given the same rights as a car. While some motorists don’t understand that, you should ride on the right side of the road. Get a side mirror if you want to be able to see what is behind you. You can buy a side mirror that mounts to your helmet or your bike, whichever you prefer.

So anyways, whichever is your preference, biking or running, be safe out there and enjoy your passion.

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