Spin off: Choosing the safest running route

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, did you post a "WWYD - Call police or not?" type question after the guy asked you about the running tights? There was one maybe a year or two ago about an incident / encounter on a trail in the Arlington area. As I recall, it gave that poster a creepy vibe and she was curious about notifying police with information about the encounter, even though "nothing" happened.

I remember that story too...

[Anonymous]

14:46 - I don't. This is mostly on non-busy neighborhood roads during off-hours like at 11:00 in the morning on a Tuesday. I'm running the same direction as bike traffic, and I'm as far to the right as possible, or in the parking lane. I'm listening/watching for bikes and staying to the right. I wouldn't do this if there were more cyclists on these particular roads. If it's a busy road with lots of car traffic (like George Mason below Lee), I'm on the sidewalk. Sidewalks in this area are not maintained well, and I've wiped out at least a dozen times, which has a couple of times resulted in bleeding and major bruising. The roads are a lot smoother.

As for the running tights guy, it was winter and he was wearing the wind pants you wear to the gym that are not very aerodynamic, along with a running shirt and running shoes. He was a youngish guy and I'm not sure if he realized that his question (are those good for running?)could be taken as kind of weird coming from a stranger. What I didn't tell him was that I had on two pairs of tights layered - I figured I'd have the element of surprise on my side if sh*t went down. He ran alongside me for maybe a half mile (4 minutes or so) and then since my pace was faster, he peeled off and let me run on. It was a little odd, but probably harmless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:46 - I don't. This is mostly on non-busy neighborhood roads during off-hours like at 11:00 in the morning on a Tuesday. I'm running the same direction as bike traffic, and I'm as far to the right as possible, or in the parking lane. I'm listening/watching for bikes and staying to the right. I wouldn't do this if there were more cyclists on these particular roads. If it's a busy road with lots of car traffic (like George Mason below Lee), I'm on the sidewalk. Sidewalks in this area are not maintained well, and I've wiped out at least a dozen times, which has a couple of times resulted in bleeding and major bruising. The roads are a lot smoother.

Ok. While it is still technically illegal (both because you cannot legally be in the road/bike lane there with a sidewalk available, and you are going in the reverse direction of where you would be going if there were no sidewalk available and it was legal) as a cyclist (even one aspires to be a PAL) I certainly understand there are technically illegal but not unsafe things we all do.

I do hope you support advocacy for more bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

I was always taught to walk AGAINST traffic, if you need to walk in the road (or bike lane), so you can see oncoming traffic, and oncoming traffic (whether bike or car) can see you.

Occasionally I will run in the bike lane during parts of my runs (for maybe a block or two), but I run in the opposite direction so I can move foresee a cyclist and move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As for the running tights guy, it was winter and he was wearing the wind pants you wear to the gym that are not very aerodynamic, along with a running shirt and running shoes. He was a youngish guy and I'm not sure if he realized that his question (are those good for running?)could be taken as kind of weird coming from a stranger. What I didn't tell him was that I had on two pairs of tights layered - I figured I'd have the element of surprise on my side if sh*t went down. He ran alongside me for maybe a half mile (4 minutes or so) and then since my pace was faster, he peeled off and let me run on. It was a little odd, but probably harmless.

The incident I was thinking of was basically runner (DCUM poster) wearing a specific brand of running pants, guy approached and started asking question about the pants. it weirded the runner out, giving her a creepy vibe. Something that seemed unsettling to her, as I recall, was that he was zeroing in on the brand. She said (here, DCUM) that it was something special. I believe that poster said it was on the Bluemont Trail in Arlington, but I'm only guessing at that. (Maybe Four-Mile Trail instead of Bluemont?)

The "ran with me about half a mile" then peeled off part you said does sound familiar to the story. I tried searching both here and in Off Topic, but couldn't find anything.