Respect for Runners
Last week I gave a persuasive argument in my public speaking class, and afterwards, a couple people came up to me and told me that I should write my next column on the same subject. So, here we go with an abridged version.
I propose there should be a law protecting runners, bicyclists and pedestrians from irresponsible motorists and disrespectful pedestrians entitled the “Run, Forrest Run” law.
The purpose of this law will be to create a safe environment for runners and bikers from people who take the idea of innocent heckling too far and endanger the health and lives of runners and bikers, along with providing athletes with a sufficient practice and training facility.
First, there is danger on the roads, and there should be a form of protection for athletes training on the roads. In a study done in 2002, about 5,000 pedestrians were killed by motorists, and another 71,000 were injured. That’s 76,000 people in one year who were either killed or injured because of reckless motorists.
As a runner myself, I thought I had heard/seen it all. I have heard the “Run, Forrest Run” remarks, I have heard the honks from cars driving by and I’ve had a car drive within an inch of me while I’m running. But when I got to college I found out about stories that shocked even me. According to some accounts from letsrun.com, stories range from runners being hit by two different cars on the same run to having passengers in a car spray a runner with a fire extinguisher full of water.
What kinds of people do these types of things? Someone is simply trying to train for a sport they love, so they can perform at their highest level, and some inconsiderate passerby feels the need to spray them with water from a fire extinguisher. As you can see, runners tend to face dangers on the roads, and so there needs to be some form of protection.
Next, we must address the issue of a training facility for runners and bikers. One question that I often hear is, “Why can’t runners just run on the track or on a treadmill?” Here’s why. In order to be competitive at the collegiate level, distance runners must go on long runs around 14 miles or so. To do that on a 400-meter track would mean the athlete would run 56 laps, which equals hip flexor, IT band and ankle problems, among many other possible injuries.
As for the treadmill, to run for that long of a period of time on two and a half by five foot belt moving at 10-12 mph, if you lose concentration for one second, you go flying, just like what happened to me three weeks ago at the sports complex. So, it turns out that in order to protect themselves from unnecessary physical injuries, runners must resort to running on the roads.
These are just two of the reasons why the “Run, Forrest Run” law should be enacted, but if people could simply exercise some patience, consideration and respect for their fellow man, maybe we wouldn’t need this discussion. Unfortunately, not everyone exhibits these characteristics. Therefore, the “Run, Forrest Run” law is designed to protect runners, to give them an adequate place to train and to allow runners, fellow pedestrians and motorists to be like “peas and carrots.”