Joggers

[jan19]

Its that time of year

I should expect it by now - I've been cycling long enough - yet every spring I'm caught out by the number of joggers on the shared pedestrian/cycle path I use for my quick weekend spin.

Loads of them. Lost count of how many I saw today. Many not sure which side of the path they should go, looking a bit bemused until I make a definate move to one side or the other. Some giving me a quick smile, others so intent on what they are doing they barely see me. Some look lean, mean and fighting fit, but most look like they're desperately trying to get those last few miles in....

Yes, the London marathon is coming up. I appreciate that people from all over the country train for marathons, but for us here the big one is in April. Lots of local people join, and I'm always amused at the increase in "jogger traffic" in March and April.

I do feel for them this year though. Its been so desperately cold they've hardly been about and they're going to find it tough on the big day.

Come May, I'll have the shared path to myself again.....

Jan

[Audax67]

Cycle track denizens are of various species. We get the joggers, certainly, but we also have to weave round pyramids of horse-poop and, early on Sunday afternoons, strung-out groups of the Invasive Species walking off some of their lunchtime plonk before driving back over the border. They get shirty when one wakes them up with a nice loud ting on the bell. Worst, though, now that it's nominally spring, is that motorcyclists who only insure their bikes from April to October will soon be returning to the normal roads in herds. Thanks to the cold (poor darlings) they haven't appeared in numbers just yet, but a wee bit later on there'll not be a café empty of them or a stretch of mountain road free of fumes and racket.

[Edwards]

Jan I know what you mean about the Joggers, living near a University they are around here mostly on the canal towpath, a real problem for everybody else. The serious lot in their gangs seem to expect everybody else to get out of their way and will also suddenly jump into the road in front of anything else.
At least I do not live in the posh bit so do not get too many, at one time the only people we saw running around here had a hood up and were up to no good.
Now we seem to getting some of the serious Joggers in their kit in a gang for safety in the bad place.

At least your numbers will drop soon, ours only do so when the University shuts for the summer.

[661-Pete]

It's the ones that overtake me on my bike, that bother me....

[reohn2]

On a joggers forum somewhere.................

[kwackers]

It's the ones that overtake me on my bike, that bother me....

I overtake quite a few.

I was running along the road yesterday and as I ran past a guy walkin the other way he remarked "it's a pavement not a running track!"
Perhaps this is the start of 'jogger hate'

On the other side of the coin, running down (pavmentless) country lanes when there's a pelaton coming the other way can be fraught. Not from the guys at the front (they're usually on the ball) but the ones at the back are usually head down and so intent on the wheel in front they don't see you (or hear the front guys shout) until they're almost on top of you.

Near me there's been a huge increase in joggers and cyclists over the past few years. All in all a good thing I think...

[661-Pete]

Not from the guys at the front (they're usually on the ball) but the ones at the back are usually head down and so intent on the wheel in front they don't see you (or hear the front guys shout) until they're almost on top of you.

Those are the sort of guys upon whom one might wish an extra-deep pothole
Or perhaps - even better - a road-kill badger or fox. Particularly if it's been there some days in warm weather, and is in a somewhat 'fragrant' state and breeding its own eco-system...

[Mark1978]

In London it's April but here in the North East it's September when everyone is trying to get some training in for the Great North Run.

[Mr. Viking]

I always feel sorry for joggers because I have tried it and it really is a miserable pastime

[kwackers]

I always feel sorry for joggers because I have tried it and it really is a miserable pastime

You need to be fit to enjoy it, bit like cycling but more so since you can't drop gears and take it easy...