Runners...please enlighten me

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farmgirlsuz
farmgirlsuz Posts: 351 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Can someone explain to me WHY people chose to run in the street when there is a perfectly good sidewalk available?

A couple years ago I was a pretty avid runner- I would go for 3-6 mile runs before work 3 to 4 days a week. Then my schedule changed and early morning runs are no longer an option. Even during that time I never ran in the street as long as a sidewalk was available...I valued my life too much.

Fast forward two years and now it seems like every jogger has taken to the streets AND they do it wearing all black in the early morning hours before daylight! Do they have a death wish?

I can't tell you how many times I catch a glimpse of movement only to realize it is some jogger wearing black running down the middle of the street!

Why do they do this???
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Replies

  • MandyMason7
    MandyMason7 Posts: 185 Member
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    I don't have a logical answer for you, when I run I wear lightly colored shirts and I always use the sidewalk. The only time I go out into the street is if part of the sidewalk is blocked off.
  • Mercedespony
    Mercedespony Posts: 162 Member
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    I don't like running on the curb cuts/curb ramps. It changes my rhythm and pace.
    Of course, I'm not an early bird so the sun is shining when I lace up.
  • mjrkearney
    mjrkearney Posts: 408 Member
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    Assuming the street is asphalt and not pour-in-place concrete, it's easier on the joints. Also, they tend to take better care of the streets so you're less likely to get random changes in elevation/ slope and trip hazards.
  • tavenne323
    tavenne323 Posts: 332 Member
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    I run on the street because the sidewalk stops sometimes and becomes someone yard...then starts again. I actually prefer running on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are flat. Roads are slightly angled to help with water run off. If you always run in the street you are more prone to injury (aside from getting hit by a car).

    I do run on the left side of the road and run during the day. Sometimes I'm out at dusk, in which case I wear a headlamp on my head...and one facing backwards on my arm.
  • OMG_Twinkies
    OMG_Twinkies Posts: 215 Member
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    The surface is more consistent. Ain't nobody got time for sidewalk fluctuations, holes, crevices, tree roots breaking the surface (major problem in my area). I run in the street, facing traffic. BUT I always wear bright clothing and have my reflectors. Plus…I rarely run at night/early A.M.
  • Raasy
    Raasy Posts: 972 Member
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    They say that running on asphalt is easier on the joints than running on the sidewalk. Asphalt is softer than concrete.
    And as far as running down the center of the road, that is where the road is more level, if you run on the side of the street next to the side walk, it tends to be sloped for drainage.

    I am a fairly new runner but I can attest that trying to run in the street next to the sidewalk is hard on the knees and ankles, one leg tends to take a harder brunt on the landing. I personally like running better on the sidewalk but even that can be hard as some sidewalks in my area are even slopped for drainage.

    However running in the dark with dark clothing on is never a good idea, I always where lighter clothing so I can be seen.
  • LimeGreenFwooper
    LimeGreenFwooper Posts: 11 Member
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    When I was in a running clinic a few years ago, they said it was better for your joints to run on asphalt instead of concrete. I would run on the sidewalk when running alone because I felt awkward running on the street when I wasn't in a big group but, like mercedespony, I didn't like running on the curb cuts/ramps.

    As for wearing all black at night/dawn/dusk... no clue. Guess those people have a death wish.
  • soleimana
    soleimana Posts: 6
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    We don't have sidewalks on all the streets I run. The neighborhoods are also quiet enough that I could run down a street for a block or two in the middle of the road. I run conscientiously -- I am observant and I take note of cars that could come and are coming.

    Most of the trouble I've had with sharing the street with cars comes from drivers who are going far too fast and trying to squeak by me while another car is coming head-on. I've never been hit or almost-hit, though!

    Also, the asphalt feels better on my joints than the sidewalks do, so there's that.
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
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    i don't like sidewalks, too many ups and downs.

    I run in the streets basically because my area doesn't have many people driving around so i'm pretty safe lol. Just keep aware of your surroundings
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I agree with the others. I tend to run in the street sometimes because asphalt feels softer than concrete. I run in the middle to avoid the slope. I had knee surgery about a year and a half ago, and I have plantar fasciitis. The slope really aggravates those.
  • Axe34
    Axe34 Posts: 37 Member
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    I find concrete much harder on my joints than asphalt.

    Also, sidewalks stop and start and you lose running rhythm when you're constantly going up and down curbs at intersections.

    That being said, I always run facing traffic so I can see what's coming. I run in the middle of the oncoming lane where it's more level and move over when traffic's approaching. Running on the side of a graded road can wreak havoc with your IT bands. I know this from experience.

    I also always wear reflective material on my shoes, clothing and wrist and ankle straps when it's dark/overcast/raining.

    And I give a little wave to each and every vehicle that moves over as a way of saying, 'Thanks, I appreciate it" to the driver. I must have waved a hundred times during my last 20K in the rain. =D
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    In some ways running on the sidewalk is more dangerous than running on the street. The sidewalks are more often than not uneven, and never fixed when they start to crack and stuff. That creates a very dangerous field for a runner as those imperfections alone can cause injury. The asphalt is slightly easier on the knees than concrete. And is usually clear of overhangs, tree limbs, etc...

    If I take off from my house and run, then I run on the street. But, I have a flashing braclet and a flashing shoe light to let driver's know I am there, and I go into traffic.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    Asphalt is easier on the joints, sidewalks can be very uneven and dangerous.

    I always wear white/reflective gear and blinky lights in the dark though.
  • gourmetgal77
    gourmetgal77 Posts: 73 Member
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    This exactly....
    Assuming the street is asphalt and not pour-in-place concrete, it's easier on the joints. Also, they tend to take better care of the streets so you're less likely to get random changes in elevation/ slope and trip hazards.
  • PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot
    PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot Posts: 596 Member
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    Most roads have better base layers than sidewalks, and generally are much less uneven due to heaving/settling than the sidewalk.
  • magurski
    magurski Posts: 45 Member
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    Like so many others, I prefer the street because it's easier on my body. I always try to have contrasting colors and something reflective on (arm band, shoes, clothing accents, etc). I also primarily against traffic, but I run in my neighborhood, which is often fairly sleepy. Unlike most, though, I run by the curb, and never really noticed the slope differences.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    1) Roads are made of asphalt, sidewalks concrete. Concrete is harder than asphalt.
    2) Sidewalks sometimes suck! Lots of cracks and uneven joints, tree roots, big weeds in the cracks, etc. I spend lots of time looking down just so I don't trip.
    3) Non-running pedestrians. Strollers, dogs, etc.
    4) Sidewalks have oddly angled/spouting ramps for driveways and stuff.
    5) I live on a military base and they are notorious for unfinished sidewalks (not enough money in the contract to join it)
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
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    I run on the street or trail because the side walk is uneven, ends sometimes and turns into grass, goes up and down for driveways...etc. The asphalt as also sofrt on my joints, If i run on streets I do it in a residential neighborhood not a high traffic one.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    I never run out in the middle of the road. I run a lot of trails that are ridiculously uneven, so having a safe sidewalk to run on is much prefered to me, no matter how crappy it may be.
    beats getting run over anyday
  • blackNBUK
    blackNBUK Posts: 58 Member
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    To be honest running on the road never even occurred to me. I started running on trails and have stuck there pretty much all the time since. In comparison to the trails, the sidewalks around here are completely fine.

    However maybe we just take better care of the sidewalks in the UK as I can't remember seeing anyone else running in the road either.

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