Are we doing our part?

Few days ago, I stumbled upon a video on  Facebook. What that video does is to  reminds me of a struggle I face everyday which I've come to realize for a few months now. As a runner and as as a driver on the road, we are paradoxically, 2 side of the same coin.

On the Driver side of the coin, we are often seen to be in a rush, driving with excessive speed, being discourteous to other road users, double parking, queue jumping, and etc, etc, etc. The list does go on, but we all know what those lists contain. We break the rules and law when others are not watching, and even more so now a days, when it's convenient for us.

On the Runner side of the coin, We tend to feel that runners/pedestrians have the right of way.This is even more so when there's a Zebra Crossing. There are times we can be so anal about this that we put ourselves at risk of being mowed down by the drivers on the road. We become discourteous to the drivers, staring at them like they're the most hateful thing in this world. as well as by being a "PITA" pedestrians too.

There WILL be a few readers out there that may have the though "I'm free to do whatever I want" going through their mind now. That's completely Ok, and normal. Freedom is our God given right as everyone would say, argue, fight, and die for. But with the word "Freedom" comes another word that a lot of us conveniently forget. I do apologize for being philosophical and some of you guys may get upset by what I have to say, but do remember that this are my thoughts and opinion only and you may agree or disagree freely.

Responsibility

“Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.”

― Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life

As the quote above says, With Freedom comes Responsibility. A lot of us have enjoyed our freedom of speech, freedom of choice and Freedom in general to the extend that we forget that with THAT freedom comes responsibilities that's associated with it. You are FREE to drive your car, but  you are also responsible for not just maintaining your own safety, but the safety of other road users. You are also FREE to run on the road, BUT, you are also responsible for making sure that you run on the right side of the road so that you can see incoming vehicles, as well as to take all necessary precaution to ensure that you are as safe as possible.

A lot of time, we push the responsibility to others. Classic Example: I'm a pedestrian crossing the road, the driver should be aware and wary of pedestrians. Or; Reversing out of a parking and expecting the pedestrians to keep clear just because you can't see everywhere or going slowly. What happen to the responsibility part? It is as if, like what Eleanor Roosevelt said, "For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.” Can you imagine a bunch of kids or children running in the street and driving on the road?

Part of growing up has always been to take on more and more responsibilities. It's a part of the journey of life itself. A lot of us "grown ups" think that we're matured and responsible enough as it is, Is that really true? Being "grown up" does not always equate to being matured. How many of us have really matured to the extent that we see beyond the immediate event and the surface? How many of us have matured to the extent that we dare to conduct a self-evaluation and to say yes, I'm doing this wrongly, I need to change?

The Challenge

This post is not about putting any sort of faults on the drivers or the pedestrians. This post is all about giving you a wake up. We are ALL Road Users, be you a runner or a driver. Most of us that follow this blog are both. The challenge I'm putting up to readers here is this. Be aware of what's going on on the road, be it when you're driving, or when you're running. Make positive changes that can impact other road users on the road.

For the past 2 months or so, I've been consciously trying to change the way I drive. It's a hard habit to break. This is especially true when faced with the likes of queue jumpers and rude drivers. I have to constantly remind myself that it's not worth it to drive angrily or drive excessively fast. I try to slow down and give way to other drivers that are struggling to cross the road or merge into the traffic. I especially try to change lane when there's a pedestrian on the road. If I can't change lane, I'll slow down and move further away so as to give them that extra buffer zone of safety.

It's not always successful, I'll admit, but I believe that with perseverance and determination, I'll definitely be able to break this habit off and be a more responsible driver on the road. One chant that helps me along whenever I'm struggling  is "Just breathe" One day at a time, one moment at a time, one breath at a time :)" This is especially helpful if you're running late. There's no point for you to drive like an F1 driver when you're running late. No matter how fast you drive, you'll still be late. Might as well drive carefully and reach your destination in a better mental state than what the rush will do to you.

Remember, just because you use the road, doesn't mean you own it. Respect everyone who uses it, be it pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, or car drivers. All of us can do something to make the road a safer place. We may think it's ok to break the law, but you are still morally responsible for your action.

“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

Running Dos and Don'ts in Malaysia

You know what? Every time we go to a race, we are always faced with the same inevitable problems of runners doing whatever they want. I don't know whether this is due to ignorance, lack of information, lack of education or lack of the grey matter, but I hope this post can help to address this issue. I plan to append to this post and compile some sort of a booklet that hopefully I can pass on to organizers to print out to pass to runners. Who knows, maybe I can get DBKL to print out some simple guideline in the park as well.

Running Etiquette:

1. Do run a maximum of 2 abreast. Share the running path with other runners. They're not made exclusively just for you.

2. If  you are running with others, please remember that you are only as fast as your slowest running partner.

3. In most park you will notice that runners tend to go in 1 direction. There are however times where people may run in the opposite direction. If that's the case, just do the logical thing and keep to the left just like how you would drive. I'm not too sure whether left-hand drive country will keep to the right or not. This will be interesting to find out, especially for runners traveling to other countries.

4. If you run on the road, do run AGAINST the flow of traffic. It is safer as you will be able to see cars approaching you and take evasive measures in case the driver is not paying attention to his/her driving. If in doubt of whether the driver sees you, always assume that he/she didn't.

5. Don't run or walk in the middle of the track. Keep to the left to facilitate overtaking runners.

6. At the same time, runners overtaking should alert walkers or slower runners that they're being passed. Don't assume they are aware of their surrounding. A simple "Coming through", "Excuse Me", or "On you right" is good enough.

7. Acknowledge other runners as well as drivers who take extra care to ensure your safety. It's always nice to be acknowledged, especially drivers. We don't just want to promote the sport of running, but also to promote running in a positive manner.

Racing Etiquette:

1. Do line up appropriately. If you plan to walk/run or go slow, line up further back in the start corral. This help to control traffic on the route and there's less jostling about for everyone. Just because you line up further in front does not mean that you will finish the race faster. It is fine to ask fellow participants their targeted finishing time to know if you're in the right spot.

2. Ever get pissed off with snobbish runners shouting at you to "Keep left"? Well guess what, that runner is trying to help you by teaching you that the right etiquette for going slow is to keep left. Just like driving, don't hog the fast lane if you're one of the below:
a. Slow runner.
b. Walker.
c. Couple/Dating on the run.
d. Cam-whoring or SelCa-ing
e. High on something.

3. Don't ever, ever pull an abrupt stop during a race. You run the risk of causing an accident to runners behind you. If you need to stop, move left and check to make sure you're out of the traffic flow before stopping. This include stopping all of a sudden to tie your shoe lace in the middle of the route. Please, please, please move to the left and out of traffic flow or refer to online resources on How to tie your shoe lace correctly.

4. Don't cut in front of runners all of a sudden. Same issue will result as above. If you need to pass or cut across, do indicate and check for other runners behind you. If someone is wearing earphone in front of you, and they are blocking, gently touch their elbow or shoulder to alert them of  your presence as you pass them.

5. Please please please, don't hog the water station. I've never ever used the Water Station in any of the run I've participated. You know why? Coz I got traumatized during my first race. It's like a herd of parched Wildebeest stampeding to a watering hole.

Luckily there's no crocodile for us runners.

Do try to go in slow, take the cup and continue moving along instead of stopping to take a drink. If you DO need to stop to take a drink, move further up and out of the traffic flow so as not to cause a congestion. Or do like me, BYOW (Bring Your Own Water). You won't be caught in situation where you need water and there's none.

6. Do throw your cups into the designated bin or mash it up and carry it along with you. Some people say that it's OK to throw the cups on the road as long as it's close to the volunteer station. I don't see why we can't carry/pocket something that doesn't weight much back to the finish line or till we find a rubbish bin to dispose of instead of endangering the lives of the volunteer who has to clean up after you.

7. Watch where you throw your waste. We're not Michael Jordan and even then, there's such a thing called Interception. Smacking a fellow runner in the face with your waste is bad form.

8. If you need to perform the Snot Rocket/Farmer's Blow, do make sure there's no one behind you. It would help if you could move aside and ensure that no one is in the "shotgun" zone when you perform this task.

9. Do not blast your earphone until you can't hear what's going on. We all love music, but you ARE in a race and safety of other runners as well as yourself IS paramount. If you want to listen to music, do keep one earbud off so you can hear runners and marshals calling out warnings as well as any approaching vehicles.

10. Listen to Traffic Controller's instruction. When asked to give way for cars, stop and let the cars through. We don't own the road, we share them, so respect other road user's right as well.

11. Always thank the volunteers. Without them, the race may not happen. Even if you're running the race of your life, or you're all spent and out of breathe, a simple nod, thumbs up, or gesture will go a long way to make the volunteer's day.

12. We rarely see supporters here in Malaysia, but I make it a point to say "Thank You" to any supporter is see. These people come out to cheer you on in their own time with their own expenses. The least they deserve is a Thank you from you.

13. Do continue moving after you've crossed the Finish line. There are other runners coming through. As always, get out of the traffic flow before slowing.

14. Don't cut course or run out of course. You're only cheating yourself.