Obstacles in Running

It's a beautiful afternoon, 70 degrees; I just return home from work. Walk in the door, change clothes, grab my dog, Avery, and start my daily run. Even when I am tired and not feeling terribly motivated, nothing feels better once my feet hit the pavement and I am out enjoying my afternoon solace. Looking down, I see Avery, loyally jogging right by my side.

Look to my left, there is old Mr. White, smiling fondly (a little too fondly) and waving as he does everyday. I smile and wave back as I approach the end of the block.

The first obstacle in running, automobiles. I just started, and now everything has to come to a screeching halt...I stop, frustrated, and must remind myself the cars are bigger and faster, do not try to outwit them.

I wait for the two clunkers to pass, jogging in place. Once the street is clear, Avery and I cross. But I trip doing it, bringing us to obstacle number two, your own self. Flying forward to catch myself, I wonder how often runners are clumsy enough to trip over their own feet. Avery looks back at me confused about the entire ruckus, but we keep running and somehow make it safely to the other side.

Downhill, for now. My neighborhood is quite hilly, so while I get a break at the beginning of my session, I definitely pay for it later. All the advice about introducing hills into your daily run to get more out of your workout is not a problem in my case. This won’t count as an obstacle, I just consider it extra training.

As we pace ourselves downward, obstacle number three appears before us -- people on the sidewalk. Up ahead, an older man is getting out of his car, Avery and I break for the street to avoid him and not get in his way. He waves, and I wave back. While we were fortunate to see him far enough ahead, making it easy to maneuver, this impediment can often be more problematic. Most houses in the neighborhood have fences; a runner must constantly be on the watch for an individual opening their gate to exit onto the sidewalk. If seen too late, quite the accident could occur.

I come to the end of the block and take a right, running past a house under construction…and construction workers; obstacle number four, the peanut gallery. They scream out at me as I go by, what is it about a woman running (or walking, for that matter) that requires commentary? Avery decides this is an excellent time to use the restroom. The workers decide to remark on this too as we stop down for his needed break. I do my neighborly duty to scoop and deposit in the nearest trash, trying to ignore the wisecracks directed at us. We start our run again.

Playing children constitute obstacle number five. A few blocks down, or up I should say, we come across children playing catch on the sidewalk. Avery and I cross the street to avoid them and the aerial ball, the children shout out to Avery, wanting to pet the “cute dog.” I smile and we continue on our way.

Obstacle number 6: other dogs. As Avery and I turn another corner, we see up ahead two dogs in a fenced front yard. As we draw closer, the tykes make it clear they are not happy we are running alongside their property. Avery, being a tough, boisterous, 20 pound mutt; decides to answer back, slowing us both down. I then am forced to drag my no-longer-running dog to the end of the block as I try to tune out the incessant noise. Crossing the street, Avery collects himself and we get back in stride. But obstacle number six is not over yet. In front of us is a small woman with a large dog…not sure who is walking whom. The dog, or horse I might say, spots Avery and decides to approach us. The woman decides this is not a good idea and moves to cross the street. But they both weigh about the same, so an embattled tug-of-war begins. I choose not to take any chances so Avery and I cross the street instead. Looking relieved the lady waves as we continue on.

Other people running supplies obstacle number seven. With this, there are two kinds. The most common, the fellow runner. As Avery and I approach her, it seems best for the two of us to go around by side-winding through the street. This way, there is no chance I go on one side, Avery on another, and she ends up on her back. But soon after we pass the runner, we come across the less likely example, people running for a different reason. In this case, a small boy is scrambling away from his mother, trying to avoid punishment for whatever wrong he committed. He races right for us, Mom close on his heels. Instead of anticipating which way he will go, Avery and I stop to let him (and her) scurry by.

As we come to the end of our run, we walk the rest of the way home to cool down. All the same obstacles are present, but at a slower speed, decisions do not need to be made as quickly. This, I muse, is one of the great secrets in running. It isn’t just about negotiating your pace, breathing, and body (though these are huge factors); it is also about maneuvering in the world around you. You not only feel strong and accomplished when you finish your run, but also more alert – what felt like mush before, now feels agile and able-bodied. The act of running provides both my body and mind with exercise, and both perform better in return. The rest of my day is markedly improved because of these precious minutes.

Learning how to be quick on your feet doesn’t just mean how fast your legs can move.