Although I enjoy running immensely, it no doubt comes with some annoyances. Today’s post talks about my irritation at being interrupted (or forced to pause) while running, especially since I track my speed, pace, time and endurance every session.
Here’s a list of the common three reasons (that annoy me the most) as to why I had to pause my run on several occasions.
1. Inconsiderate runners and park users
For every week of running, I have encountered at least one inconsiderate park user.
Inconsiderate jogger: On the last kilometre of my 6 kilometre run, I increased my pace significantly and overtook a jogger – with no intention of racing him. Moments later the jogger decided to speed past me but couldn’t sustain the momentum. He abruptly halted right in front of me panting and I had less than a second to avoid colliding right into him.
If you are going to stop your run (exhausted or not), always move to the side and take a quick glance behind to make sure you aren’t blocking cyclists and fellow joggers. Signal the person behind you if it’s in the evening. Trust me that a runner’s reaction is greatly diminished after a tiring session, combined with darkening skies, you are just waiting for an accident to happen by stopping abruptly in the middle of the lane.
Inconsiderate couple: I once had to slow down and jog on the spot because of a couple who were holding hands blocking the entire park lane.
Inconsiderate parents: Similarly, there was a kid riding his kick scooter, deliberately moving zig-zag on the shared park lane, effectively blocking all runners and cyclists. His parents said and did nothing until they saw the line of us trying to get through.
This is an accident waiting to happen. There are runners and cyclists who exert themselves. Within 15 minutes, our capacity to react is diminished (except to swear). Maybe that’s why I’ve heard older joggers swearing crazily when they encounter inconsiderate park users; your primal response just gets fired up when you’re too exhausted to think. Haha.
Not much that I can do about inconsiderate people other than to grit my teeth or shout some sense into them. Reprimanding someone during my run would extend the interruption and take too much energy though.
2. Receiving calls when running
My phone is a necessity for my runs for three reasons: (1) receiving emergency calls, (2) tracking my distance and speed via GPS and (3) music. While I can ignore the calls while running, my playlist unfortunately pauses during which. And so do I.
Admittedly, I might be too reliant on music to drown the voices telling me to give up.
3. Doing laces and having them come undone
As runners and joggers, the pre-run ritual (other than warming up) is tying your shoe laces and ensuring a snug fit. I don’t know about you, but I find it a chore. I usually tie them tight on the first day of the month and stuff my feet into my shoes for subsequent runs.
So, earlier this month, I was speeding through my first half of the kilometre and had to stop due to my laces getting undone. By the time I had them retied, I lost momentum and extended my recorded running pace on my tracking app.
Possible Solution?
Remembering an army friend who used a device similar to Lock Laces (look at illustration) when we were taking our military fitness test last month, I felt a tad irritated at myself for having made him wait while I retied my laces. He was done with his laces within 10 seconds by tightening the elastic and locking them in place with Lock Laces.
I intend to get a pair to avoid the hassle of tying my laces and risk having them come undone. Using Lock Laces certainly beats retying my laces every running session or stuffing my feet into an overly tight pair of running shoes. Yes, I know that I’m being lazy but with my goal to embark on basic parkour and train for obstacle cource racing, these laces will certainly not get caught on any obstacles. So, if I were to fall I can’t use ‘untied laces’ as an excuse…
If you would like to get your own Lock Laces, please get them through Way Of Ninja to show your support for us.
What are some interruptions you’ve experienced while running?
I have shared the common three reasons that interrupt my running, which annoys me immensely. Let me know some of your running peeves and how you’ve dealt with them in the comments section (or Twitter/Google+). You can also use this opportunity to rant about your experiences.
