November 20, 2024 • 18 mins
Ever wonder why prioritizing joy over stats could revolutionize your running routine? Join me, Bridget, as I reveal the Dogs Per Mile mindset, a refreshing lens through which to view your running journey. Let's unlock the unwritten rules of safe running that could significantly enhance your safety and enjoyment. I'll share insights from my own experiences, including essential safety tips like wearing brightly lit vests and the importance of running against traffic to stay visible. These stories and tips aim to empower you to take charge of your safety while adding a dash of joy to every mile.
Courtesy and awareness should be at the forefront when hitting the pavement, especially in public spaces. Whether you're running solo or in a group, understanding considerate running etiquette is key to a harmonious community. In this episode, I'll offer practical advice on how to share space with fellow runners, dogs, and strollers—while keeping noise levels in check and ensuring safe interactions. We'll even touch on how to respectfully handle bathroom breaks during your run. It's all about fostering a respectful running environment that enhances the experience for everyone involved.
Show Notes:
🏃♀️ Safety First: Being Visible
- The importance of being visible to vehicles
- Recommended gear: NOX Gear Tracer 2 light-up vest
- Tips for running in car-heavy areas
- Why reflective gear is essential
🚗 Rules of the Road
- Why you should run against traffic
- Proper crosswalk etiquette
- Making eye contact with drivers
- Navigating areas without sidewalks
👥 Group Running Etiquette
- How to avoid the "wall of runners"
- Proper passing protocol
- Communication tips when passing others
- Group running formation best practices
🎧 Audio Awareness
- Why speaker phone is a no-go
- One earbud out rule
- Bone conducting headphones as an alternative
- Being aware of your surroundings
🐕 Special Considerations
- Yielding to dogs and strollers
- Handling bathroom breaks
- "Pack it in, pack it out" philosophy
- Being mindful of residential areas
🐾 Weekly Dogs Per Mile Breakdown
- This week's stats: 24 miles, 14 dogs
- Official DPM score: 1.7 dogs per mile
- Bonus points for golden retrievers and mini Aussies
Key Takeaways:
- Make yourself as visible as possible to vehicles
- Always run against traffic and use crosswalk signals
- Be courteous when running in groups
- Stay aware of your surroundings
- Share the space with other path users
Resources Mentioned:
HIGH FIVES, RUNNER! 🙌
Before you hit the showers, let's make sure you're part of our running pack:
📱 FOLLOW ALONG
Track my daily dogs per mile count and running adventures:
Instagram: @DogsPerMilePod
TikTok: @DogsPerMilePod
👉🏻 Sign up for my weekly newsletter
🎉 JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Subscribe to never miss an episode
Share your DPM count using #DogsPerMile
Tag me in your run photos - I love celebrating your victories!
💫 WANT MORE?
Email your running questions: dogspermilepod@gmail.com
Until our next run together, remember: every step forward is progress, and every dog you see is bonus motiva
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Hey runners, welcome to the Dogs Per Mile podcast,
your weekly dose of runningreality.
Here we count dogs instead ofminutes and turn running stats
upside down.
I'm Bridget, your host,certified running coach and
creator of the Dogs Per Milemindset.
Here's the thing 13 years ago,I started my running journey,
like many of you, watching thestats on my garment and getting
(00:30):
discouraged when they didn'tmatch what they should be saying
.
That's when I discovered themagic of counting dogs in my run
, because sometimes the bestrunning stat isn't your pace or
distance.
Now, with over 50 halfmarathons, two marathons and
countless training runs under mybelt, I'm here to share a
different approach to running,one that breaks down mental
barriers, eases those pre-runanxieties and yes, includes a
(00:53):
weekly update of my personaldogs per mile count.
Whether you're lacing up forthe first time, getting back
into running after a break,struggling your training with
group fitness classes or chasingyour next PR, you've found your
people.
This is where we take thepressure off and put the joy
back in running, because everyrunner has a place here and
(01:22):
every dog site is worthcelebrating.
Hey everyone, welcome back tothe Dogs Per Mile podcast.
I'm Bridget, and today we'retalking about a topic that is
weirdly near and dear to myheart, but it's kind of how not
to run like an asshole and howto just get those unwritten
rules that new runners don'tknow until you've been running
for a while, and that way youcan be not only safe but more
(01:44):
consider, more considerate andjust.
We're going to talk about sometips and some just things that
you don't know until you makethat mistake.
So first we're going to talkabout kind of safety first,
because that's first andforemost why these kind of
unwritten rules exist is to keepyou safe as a runner.
The biggest thing and this ismy number one tip to every
(02:08):
runner ever is being visible andbeing very well lit.
And just because you can seethe car does not mean they can
see you.
Just because you see them, itmeans nothing, because if you've
ever driven around in yourneighborhood or anywhere else
and seen a runner or a cyclistand they just seem to hop out of
(02:30):
nowhere, they saw you.
You did not see them becausethey probably weren't following
most of these rules.
Basically, the mindset that Iuse when it comes to running is
I want to make it so flippingclear that if they hit me that
it is their fault.
I am as well lit, as reflective, as bright, as visible as
(02:54):
possible, and I'm following allthese rules of the road in order
to make it very clear that Ididn't fuck up, it was you.
So one of the things that I useis I have a very bright light up
vest.
The one that I have is theNoxgear Tracer 2.
It has two little light strapshere, that kind of go around.
It has a little back panel thathas a light up and you can
(03:16):
change different colors.
You can have it flash whenyou're running and it also has
the option to get a little Ironman style front clip that has a
head beam or a front light andthat is peak, peak.
Being well lit, it really makesit very visible to other people
and you're very, very bright.
(03:38):
And also the front light helpsme able to see the front of the
sidewalk, because the sidewalksin my neighborhood are kind of
shit Because a lot of the treeshave pushed up the sidewalks and
they're cracked and they'reraised and there's bumps and
there's this.
So being able to see directlyin front of me really makes me
have a lot better sight.
And you can also go as simple asa reflective vest or just
(04:01):
buying reflective gear.
There's jackets that are madespecifically to be reflective in
nighttime running.
I know I've seen them from allsorts of running brands.
You can google it and find tonsof them and when a car
headlight drives over it itlights up like it's almost like
glowing in the dark.
So that way you're notconstantly lit, but you are lit
(04:21):
when you need to be so minimumif you're running and it's dark
or semi-dark.
I err on the side of caution.
I err on the side of makingthem clearly, clearly wrong.
Just this last week on mynormal run I almost got hit
because somebody decided theywere just going to turn right
through their light, and even Ihad my light up vest, I had my
(04:44):
headlight and I even was waitingfor the crosswalk and it had
turned and they were not lookingat me because most of the cars
in my area aren't looking forpedestrians.
They are.
It's a car heavy city.
So if you live in a very carheavy area suburban areas,
anything like that where they'renot used to pedestrians or
bicyclists it's really importantto be very, very aware.
(05:07):
So one of the other rules of theroad that I see people do all
the time is running on the wrongside of the road and I'm not
talking about the sidewalks,anything like that.
I'm talking about, if yoursidewalks are crappy or there is
no sidewalk, people runningwhere, they're acting like
(05:28):
they're a vehicle on the road,and it's just so important and
so frustrating to see people dothat.
It's so important to runagainst traffic and it seems
silly because that way.
Well, I want them to be able tosee me as they come up over a
hill.
And you're going up that hill,you are able to make eye contact
(05:50):
and you can both move out ofthe way of each other.
So you also have some controlin the situation, because if you
put the entire control in thedriver, things might not end
very well.
So you want to make sure thatyou are able to see them.
You kind of want to think of itlike bikes and cars go one way
and you're going to always gothe opposite, and sometimes you
(06:11):
do need to switch sides, likethere's construction on this
side, and when that sort ofstuff happens you just need to
be extra aware.
Sometimes I'll pause my watchand walk that portion.
That way I can not have to tryto run and not get hit, because
if there's construction, they'realready confused.
Another thing is crosswalks.
I definitely have an opinion onthat.
(06:33):
Where I will actually use thelights, I will pause, I will
push the buttons because I justthink they're there for a reason
.
And again it goes back to Iwant to make it very clear, if
they choose to run their lightor just ignore the crosswalk,
that it's their fault.
And I understand that it islike a real pain in the butt to
slow down.
You're in the.
I understand that it is like areal pain in the butt to slow
down.
(06:53):
You're in the groove andsometimes you're like I really
just think I could just make itthrough this.
And there are times like there'sno one coming.
But then at those times youhave to be looking on all sides.
Don't assume just because youcan't see them or you don't see
headlights doesn't mean theydon't have headlights on, just
because it's a one-way streetthat no one should be coming
down.
If you've lived in a place thathas a lot of one-way streets,
(07:14):
you know that people will hopout of the wrong side.
So really make sure you lookall the ways and make eye
contact with other cars.
So whenever I know that I havea crosswalk in my mind, and when
I'm running through it and Iknow that that car will have a
flashing yellow and they willwant to turn, I'm making my like
direct eye contact.
(07:35):
Like serious, no jokes.
Uh, you're, because I'm runningdefensively.
I'm running like you drive, youdrive defensively.
Now you have to run defensivelyjust to make sure that you are
safe.
And there are times also wherethere are no sidewalks.
Holy, get that.
That.
When I lived in Maine, therewere so many rural areas where
I'm running in a teeny littlebaby shoulder, and so that's
(07:58):
when you really need to makesure you're running on the
correct side of the road, sothat way they see you coming and
you can move.
And so then you need to run inthe shoulder.
So sometimes it means you'renot running directly in the
center lane, You're running tothe left of the solid white line
, or even you might be runningin the little gravel bit and you
may need to go over there.
So just really being aware andjust keeping your senses around
(08:23):
you.
And then, when it comes torunning in a group I mean, I
have a run club, so this issomething that's also really
important to me there's thatwhole wall of runners.
If you've ever been walking on asidewalk or on a trail and you
just see this large group ofrunners that just seems to want
(08:43):
to plow right through you, it'sjust I can think of a bunch of
the groups that run in my areaand they do this You're really
just running like three, four,five abreast, blocking the whole
thing from anyone else comingup behind you, anyone going
forward.
It's just, you just look likean asshole, you look like you're
more important.
This is this.
(09:04):
You own this.
Um, so just be aware of thepath.
Um, you should be less nothaving headphones and if you're
running with a group, runbecause then you cannot hear
people coming behind you orahead of you, you can't hear
cyclists, you can't hearanything like that.
So if you are running in a groupand you need to pass, then you
need to make sure that you areacknowledging other runners,
(09:27):
telling them on your left, onyour right, and one thing when
it comes to saying on your leftor basically announcing your
comings, is, I'd say, like sevento eight out of ten times, if
you say on your left, thatperson is going to jump to their
(09:48):
left because people just getconfused, they get startled.
They're not paying attention.
So you just kind of want to.
I usually announce myselfpretty quickly and then give
them a second to figure it outand then always thank them for
moving.
So it's really a pretty quickon your left.
Thank you and then just keepgoing, whether or not you're a
(10:08):
solo runner or not.
So you want to make sure thatif you are by yourself, you're
announcing it.
If you're a solo runner, ifyou're a group running and
you're all running together andyou're passing someone, get into
a single file line and thenmake your way around the person
announcing yourself and thankingthem.
Just being a freaking niceperson, it's not that hard.
(10:30):
Another thing that goes that Idon't see as often but it still
can be kind of annoying is thosepeople that are not aware of
the sounds or the noise thatthey're making and it's not
you're huffing and puffing andthat you're dying or whatever or
talking or anything like that.
It's the holding their phonewhile running and playing their
(10:51):
music on speaker or having aconversation speaker phone.
It just can be distracting toother runners.
Other runners might not be ableto hear announcements because
they hear you, they hear thatmusic.
So you're really not onlydistracting others, but you're
also could be bothering people'shouses that maybe live there.
(11:13):
Maybe, if you're running earlyin the morning and they're
hearing, they may love yourmusic, but they may not love
your music at 6am in theirbackyard.
Another thing you can do is theone earbud out.
So if you're running and youneed to be super duper aware of
your surroundings, you you'rerunning a city or a really
highly populated area you canput one earbud in versus one and
(11:36):
one out when you're listeningto your music or podcasts or
audiobooks, and it just reallykind of helps you be able to
hear.
Another alternative to this arebone conducting headphones
things like shocks or anythinglike that.
They fit over your head and thesound goes through the bones in
your head and it's very wild,but your ears don't have earbuds
(11:57):
in them and so they can heareverything.
But you still can hear yourmusic and your podcast.
So they're another greatalternative if you absolutely
have to hear your music but youwant to make sure you're able to
hear your surroundings, becauseyou need to be able to keep
yourself safe, but you also needto keep other people safe,
because if you are running andyou don't hear a cyclist behind
you ringing their bell or comingbehind you and you're going
(12:18):
around someone, you can easilycause a crash because you're not
being aware of everythingthat's around you, or if a dog
is out or anything like that.
That's really just important tobe aware of your surroundings.
There are times when you areable to, you know, listen to
your music and zone out and notpay attention to what's going
around you, but there aremoments that you need to be able
to do that.
So you need to also make sureyou're not hogging all of the
(12:43):
space, even if you're a solorunner.
If you're running with a group,so you want to make sure you're
yielding to others, like dogs orstrollers or anything like that
.
So you try to make sure you'reyielding to others, like dogs or
strollers or anything like that.
So you try to move over if youcan.
So you know my two dogs.
My older one nothing bothersher, she's cool with everything,
(13:03):
but the younger one is a littlebit reactive.
So if you know you run by a dogthat's not either trained well
or is reactive or just notpaying attention, you could
startle a dog and create a badexperience.
So you just try to yield,especially if you're running
with a dog.
That's extra, extra important,that you want to make sure you
keep space between other people,so you may have to slow down,
(13:25):
you may need to run on the grassor you may need to kind of wait
to get around them and go backto making yourself known for
people with strollers or kids ordogs.
It's really just important tokind of share the space because
it's a common area.
And, lastly, really just kind oflooking at handling bathroom
(13:46):
breaks on runs.
So they definitely happen.
There's no way around it.
So really my rule of thumb isthinking about areas that you
can use, restrooms that are open, free, that sort of stuff.
So coffee shops, gas stationsare always really great.
I run by my gym a lot and canuse that.
(14:06):
And if a place says that youhave to have a purchase in order
to use the bathroom, just don'tbe a jerk and also make note of
it for later.
And um, as you run more, you'regoing to end up consuming
snacks and gels and things likethat.
So don't just take them andthrow them on the ground, you
(14:27):
know, hold on to them, treat itlike you can't Pack it in, pack
it out, all right.
So welcome to the weekly DogsPer Mile breakdown segment of
the podcast.
So if you're new here, dogs PerMile is a totally scientific
(14:48):
and absolutely ridiculous way oftracking how many dogs you see
on a run, and its point is justto make running fun again.
So let me give you a breakdownof my official dogs per mile
rules.
I count dogs only once per run,so if I see the same dog
multiple times, they only getone point.
Dogs can be anywhere.
They can be walking, they canbe hanging out of a car in a
(15:08):
house window, doesn't matter tome, as long as I see them.
And here's the real trick is ifI spot a breed that I am
particularly fond of.
So if I see a golden retrieveror a mini Aussie, I've given
myself extra bonus pointsbecause they're my rules and I
want to.
This past week I logged 24miles.
I saw 14 dogs, which gives mean official total of 1.7 dogs
(15:31):
per mile.
Well, how many dogs do you seethis week?
All right, runners, let's wrapthis up with a little list on
how not to be an asshole on theroad, because really we all just
want to get our miles in safelyand considerately.
First, up and foremost,visibility is your friend.
Light yourself up like agoddamn Christmas tree.
If you have to Remember mymotto, make it crystal clear
(15:52):
that if someone hits you, it wasdefinitely their fault.
You can rock that reflectivegear, light up vests, headlamps,
whatever it takes.
So here's a quick list of thedefinite do-nots while running.
Don't run with traffic.
Always run against it and makeeye contact with the driver like
you're trying to win a steeringcontest.
Don't be that person thatthinks crosswalk buttons are
(16:19):
optional they're not, just usethem.
Don't be the runner ball whenyou're running with a group
those groups that take up theentire path like they own it.
Nobody likes that group.
And don't blast your music onspeaker, because really no one
wants to hear your playlist at6am, no matter how good it is.
And so now let's move on to thedo's to make you a better part
of this running community.
Keep one earbud out or trythose bone conducting headphones
(16:41):
if you need to have your tunesgoing.
Announce yourself while passingon your left.
Gives people a heads up, butalso make sure you give them a
hot second to process it.
Yield to others, especiallythose with dogs or strollers or
kids.
Plan your bathroom breaksaround using actual bathrooms,
and pack out what you pack in.
Nobody wants to see your gelsor packets on the ground.
(17:03):
So, really, running is awesome,but being considerate while
doing it makes it better foreveryone.
It's really not that hard.
It's just about being aware,being visible and not being a
jerk.
Keep those things in mind andyou'll be that runner that makes
the community better, not thatone that people complain about
in their running groups.
Until next time, keep running,be safe, don't be an asshole out
(17:28):
there.
See you on the next run.
Thanks for sharing another milewith me today.
Before you cool down, here arethree quick ways to stay
connected with our runningcommunity.
First, hit subscribe whereveryou're listening to this right
now.
It's the best way to make sureyou never miss an episode.
(17:49):
Second, if today's show helpedyou or inspired you, please
leave a review.
Your words help other runnersfind their way to our community.
Lastly, want more runningadventures?
Follow at Dogs Per Mile Pod onInstagram, where I share daily
motivation, behind the scenesmoments and plenty of pictures
of my two running coaches, yogiand Maple.
Be sure to tag me in your runphotos and use hashtag Dogs Per
(18:13):
mile to share your own dogspotting stats.
I love celebrating yourvictories, big and small, and
thank you for being a part ofthis journey.
Until our next run together,remember, every step forward is
progress and every dog you seeis bonus motivation.
Keep running, keep smiling andkeep counting those dogs.
Hey runners, welcome to the Dogs Per Mile podcast,
your weekly dose of runningreality.
Here we count dogs instead ofminutes and turn running stats
upside down.
I'm Bridget, your host,certified running coach and
creator of the Dogs Per Milemindset.
Here's the thing 13 years ago,I started my running journey,
like many of you, watching thestats on my garment and getting
(00:30):
discouraged when they didn'tmatch what they should be saying
.
That's when I discovered themagic of counting dogs in my run
, because sometimes the bestrunning stat isn't your pace or
distance.
Now, with over 50 halfmarathons, two marathons and
countless training runs under mybelt, I'm here to share a
different approach to running,one that breaks down mental
barriers, eases those pre-runanxieties and yes, includes a
(00:53):
weekly update of my personaldogs per mile count.
Whether you're lacing up forthe first time, getting back
into running after a break,struggling your training with
group fitness classes or chasingyour next PR, you've found your
people.
This is where we take thepressure off and put the joy
back in running, because everyrunner has a place here and
(01:22):
every dog site is worthcelebrating.
Hey everyone, welcome back tothe Dogs Per Mile podcast.
I'm Bridget, and today we'retalking about a topic that is
weirdly near and dear to myheart, but it's kind of how not
to run like an asshole and howto just get those unwritten
rules that new runners don'tknow until you've been running
for a while, and that way youcan be not only safe but more
(01:44):
consider, more considerate andjust.
We're going to talk about sometips and some just things that
you don't know until you makethat mistake.
So first we're going to talkabout kind of safety first,
because that's first andforemost why these kind of
unwritten rules exist is to keepyou safe as a runner.
The biggest thing and this ismy number one tip to every
(02:08):
runner ever is being visible andbeing very well lit.
And just because you can seethe car does not mean they can
see you.
Just because you see them, itmeans nothing, because if you've
ever driven around in yourneighborhood or anywhere else
and seen a runner or a cyclistand they just seem to hop out of
(02:30):
nowhere, they saw you.
You did not see them becausethey probably weren't following
most of these rules.
Basically, the mindset that Iuse when it comes to running is
I want to make it so flippingclear that if they hit me that
it is their fault.
I am as well lit, as reflective, as bright, as visible as
(02:54):
possible, and I'm following allthese rules of the road in order
to make it very clear that Ididn't fuck up, it was you.
So one of the things that I useis I have a very bright light up
vest.
The one that I have is theNoxgear Tracer 2.
It has two little light strapshere, that kind of go around.
It has a little back panel thathas a light up and you can
(03:16):
change different colors.
You can have it flash whenyou're running and it also has
the option to get a little Ironman style front clip that has a
head beam or a front light andthat is peak, peak.
Being well lit, it really makesit very visible to other people
and you're very, very bright.
(03:38):
And also the front light helpsme able to see the front of the
sidewalk, because the sidewalksin my neighborhood are kind of
shit Because a lot of the treeshave pushed up the sidewalks and
they're cracked and they'reraised and there's bumps and
there's this.
So being able to see directlyin front of me really makes me
have a lot better sight.
And you can also go as simple asa reflective vest or just
(04:01):
buying reflective gear.
There's jackets that are madespecifically to be reflective in
nighttime running.
I know I've seen them from allsorts of running brands.
You can google it and find tonsof them and when a car
headlight drives over it itlights up like it's almost like
glowing in the dark.
So that way you're notconstantly lit, but you are lit
(04:21):
when you need to be so minimumif you're running and it's dark
or semi-dark.
I err on the side of caution.
I err on the side of makingthem clearly, clearly wrong.
Just this last week on mynormal run I almost got hit
because somebody decided theywere just going to turn right
through their light, and even Ihad my light up vest, I had my
(04:44):
headlight and I even was waitingfor the crosswalk and it had
turned and they were not lookingat me because most of the cars
in my area aren't looking forpedestrians.
They are.
It's a car heavy city.
So if you live in a very carheavy area suburban areas,
anything like that where they'renot used to pedestrians or
bicyclists it's really importantto be very, very aware.
(05:07):
So one of the other rules of theroad that I see people do all
the time is running on the wrongside of the road and I'm not
talking about the sidewalks,anything like that.
I'm talking about, if yoursidewalks are crappy or there is
no sidewalk, people runningwhere, they're acting like
(05:28):
they're a vehicle on the road,and it's just so important and
so frustrating to see people dothat.
It's so important to runagainst traffic and it seems
silly because that way.
Well, I want them to be able tosee me as they come up over a
hill.
And you're going up that hill,you are able to make eye contact
(05:50):
and you can both move out ofthe way of each other.
So you also have some controlin the situation, because if you
put the entire control in thedriver, things might not end
very well.
So you want to make sure thatyou are able to see them.
You kind of want to think of itlike bikes and cars go one way
and you're going to always gothe opposite, and sometimes you
(06:11):
do need to switch sides, likethere's construction on this
side, and when that sort ofstuff happens you just need to
be extra aware.
Sometimes I'll pause my watchand walk that portion.
That way I can not have to tryto run and not get hit, because
if there's construction, they'realready confused.
Another thing is crosswalks.
I definitely have an opinion onthat.
(06:33):
Where I will actually use thelights, I will pause, I will
push the buttons because I justthink they're there for a reason
.
And again it goes back to Iwant to make it very clear, if
they choose to run their lightor just ignore the crosswalk,
that it's their fault.
And I understand that it islike a real pain in the butt to
slow down.
You're in the.
I understand that it is like areal pain in the butt to slow
down.
(06:53):
You're in the groove andsometimes you're like I really
just think I could just make itthrough this.
And there are times like there'sno one coming.
But then at those times youhave to be looking on all sides.
Don't assume just because youcan't see them or you don't see
headlights doesn't mean theydon't have headlights on, just
because it's a one-way streetthat no one should be coming
down.
If you've lived in a place thathas a lot of one-way streets,
(07:14):
you know that people will hopout of the wrong side.
So really make sure you lookall the ways and make eye
contact with other cars.
So whenever I know that I havea crosswalk in my mind, and when
I'm running through it and Iknow that that car will have a
flashing yellow and they willwant to turn, I'm making my like
direct eye contact.
(07:35):
Like serious, no jokes.
Uh, you're, because I'm runningdefensively.
I'm running like you drive, youdrive defensively.
Now you have to run defensivelyjust to make sure that you are
safe.
And there are times also wherethere are no sidewalks.
Holy, get that.
That.
When I lived in Maine, therewere so many rural areas where
I'm running in a teeny littlebaby shoulder, and so that's
(07:58):
when you really need to makesure you're running on the
correct side of the road, sothat way they see you coming and
you can move.
And so then you need to run inthe shoulder.
So sometimes it means you'renot running directly in the
center lane, You're running tothe left of the solid white line
, or even you might be runningin the little gravel bit and you
may need to go over there.
So just really being aware andjust keeping your senses around
(08:23):
you.
And then, when it comes torunning in a group I mean, I
have a run club, so this issomething that's also really
important to me there's thatwhole wall of runners.
If you've ever been walking on asidewalk or on a trail and you
just see this large group ofrunners that just seems to want
(08:43):
to plow right through you, it'sjust I can think of a bunch of
the groups that run in my areaand they do this You're really
just running like three, four,five abreast, blocking the whole
thing from anyone else comingup behind you, anyone going
forward.
It's just, you just look likean asshole, you look like you're
more important.
This is this.
(09:04):
You own this.
Um, so just be aware of thepath.
Um, you should be less nothaving headphones and if you're
running with a group, runbecause then you cannot hear
people coming behind you orahead of you, you can't hear
cyclists, you can't hearanything like that.
So if you are running in a groupand you need to pass, then you
need to make sure that you areacknowledging other runners,
(09:27):
telling them on your left, onyour right, and one thing when
it comes to saying on your leftor basically announcing your
comings, is, I'd say, like sevento eight out of ten times, if
you say on your left, thatperson is going to jump to their
(09:48):
left because people just getconfused, they get startled.
They're not paying attention.
So you just kind of want to.
I usually announce myselfpretty quickly and then give
them a second to figure it outand then always thank them for
moving.
So it's really a pretty quickon your left.
Thank you and then just keepgoing, whether or not you're a
(10:08):
solo runner or not.
So you want to make sure thatif you are by yourself, you're
announcing it.
If you're a solo runner, ifyou're a group running and
you're all running together andyou're passing someone, get into
a single file line and thenmake your way around the person
announcing yourself and thankingthem.
Just being a freaking niceperson, it's not that hard.
(10:30):
Another thing that goes that Idon't see as often but it still
can be kind of annoying is thosepeople that are not aware of
the sounds or the noise thatthey're making and it's not
you're huffing and puffing andthat you're dying or whatever or
talking or anything like that.
It's the holding their phonewhile running and playing their
(10:51):
music on speaker or having aconversation speaker phone.
It just can be distracting toother runners.
Other runners might not be ableto hear announcements because
they hear you, they hear thatmusic.
So you're really not onlydistracting others, but you're
also could be bothering people'shouses that maybe live there.
(11:13):
Maybe, if you're running earlyin the morning and they're
hearing, they may love yourmusic, but they may not love
your music at 6am in theirbackyard.
Another thing you can do is theone earbud out.
So if you're running and youneed to be super duper aware of
your surroundings, you you'rerunning a city or a really
highly populated area you canput one earbud in versus one and
(11:36):
one out when you're listeningto your music or podcasts or
audiobooks, and it just reallykind of helps you be able to
hear.
Another alternative to this arebone conducting headphones
things like shocks or anythinglike that.
They fit over your head and thesound goes through the bones in
your head and it's very wild,but your ears don't have earbuds
(11:57):
in them and so they can heareverything.
But you still can hear yourmusic and your podcast.
So they're another greatalternative if you absolutely
have to hear your music but youwant to make sure you're able to
hear your surroundings, becauseyou need to be able to keep
yourself safe, but you also needto keep other people safe,
because if you are running andyou don't hear a cyclist behind
you ringing their bell or comingbehind you and you're going
(12:18):
around someone, you can easilycause a crash because you're not
being aware of everythingthat's around you, or if a dog
is out or anything like that.
That's really just important tobe aware of your surroundings.
There are times when you areable to, you know, listen to
your music and zone out and notpay attention to what's going
around you, but there aremoments that you need to be able
to do that.
So you need to also make sureyou're not hogging all of the
(12:43):
space, even if you're a solorunner.
If you're running with a group,so you want to make sure you're
yielding to others, like dogs orstrollers or anything like that
.
So you try to make sure you'reyielding to others, like dogs or
strollers or anything like that.
So you try to move over if youcan.
So you know my two dogs.
My older one nothing bothersher, she's cool with everything,
(13:03):
but the younger one is a littlebit reactive.
So if you know you run by a dogthat's not either trained well
or is reactive or just notpaying attention, you could
startle a dog and create a badexperience.
So you just try to yield,especially if you're running
with a dog.
That's extra, extra important,that you want to make sure you
keep space between other people,so you may have to slow down,
(13:25):
you may need to run on the grassor you may need to kind of wait
to get around them and go backto making yourself known for
people with strollers or kids ordogs.
It's really just important tokind of share the space because
it's a common area.
And, lastly, really just kind oflooking at handling bathroom
(13:46):
breaks on runs.
So they definitely happen.
There's no way around it.
So really my rule of thumb isthinking about areas that you
can use, restrooms that are open, free, that sort of stuff.
So coffee shops, gas stationsare always really great.
I run by my gym a lot and canuse that.
(14:06):
And if a place says that youhave to have a purchase in order
to use the bathroom, just don'tbe a jerk and also make note of
it for later.
And um, as you run more, you'regoing to end up consuming
snacks and gels and things likethat.
So don't just take them andthrow them on the ground, you
(14:27):
know, hold on to them, treat itlike you can't Pack it in, pack
it out, all right.
So welcome to the weekly DogsPer Mile breakdown segment of
the podcast.
So if you're new here, dogs PerMile is a totally scientific
(14:48):
and absolutely ridiculous way oftracking how many dogs you see
on a run, and its point is justto make running fun again.
So let me give you a breakdownof my official dogs per mile
rules.
I count dogs only once per run,so if I see the same dog
multiple times, they only getone point.
Dogs can be anywhere.
They can be walking, they canbe hanging out of a car in a
(15:08):
house window, doesn't matter tome, as long as I see them.
And here's the real trick is ifI spot a breed that I am
particularly fond of.
So if I see a golden retrieveror a mini Aussie, I've given
myself extra bonus pointsbecause they're my rules and I
want to.
This past week I logged 24miles.
I saw 14 dogs, which gives mean official total of 1.7 dogs
(15:31):
per mile.
Well, how many dogs do you seethis week?
All right, runners, let's wrapthis up with a little list on
how not to be an asshole on theroad, because really we all just
want to get our miles in safelyand considerately.
First, up and foremost,visibility is your friend.
Light yourself up like agoddamn Christmas tree.
If you have to Remember mymotto, make it crystal clear
(15:52):
that if someone hits you, it wasdefinitely their fault.
You can rock that reflectivegear, light up vests, headlamps,
whatever it takes.
So here's a quick list of thedefinite do-nots while running.
Don't run with traffic.
Always run against it and makeeye contact with the driver like
you're trying to win a steeringcontest.
Don't be that person thatthinks crosswalk buttons are
(16:19):
optional they're not, just usethem.
Don't be the runner ball whenyou're running with a group
those groups that take up theentire path like they own it.
Nobody likes that group.
And don't blast your music onspeaker, because really no one
wants to hear your playlist at6am, no matter how good it is.
And so now let's move on to thedo's to make you a better part
of this running community.
Keep one earbud out or trythose bone conducting headphones
(16:41):
if you need to have your tunesgoing.
Announce yourself while passingon your left.
Gives people a heads up, butalso make sure you give them a
hot second to process it.
Yield to others, especiallythose with dogs or strollers or
kids.
Plan your bathroom breaksaround using actual bathrooms,
and pack out what you pack in.
Nobody wants to see your gelsor packets on the ground.
(17:03):
So, really, running is awesome,but being considerate while
doing it makes it better foreveryone.
It's really not that hard.
It's just about being aware,being visible and not being a
jerk.
Keep those things in mind andyou'll be that runner that makes
the community better, not thatone that people complain about
in their running groups.
Until next time, keep running,be safe, don't be an asshole out
(17:28):
there.
See you on the next run.
Thanks for sharing another milewith me today.
Before you cool down, here arethree quick ways to stay
connected with our runningcommunity.
First, hit subscribe whereveryou're listening to this right
now.
It's the best way to make sureyou never miss an episode.
(17:49):
Second, if today's show helpedyou or inspired you, please
leave a review.
Your words help other runnersfind their way to our community.
Lastly, want more runningadventures?
Follow at Dogs Per Mile Pod onInstagram, where I share daily
motivation, behind the scenesmoments and plenty of pictures
of my two running coaches, yogiand Maple.
Be sure to tag me in your runphotos and use hashtag Dogs Per
(18:13):
mile to share your own dogspotting stats.
I love celebrating yourvictories, big and small, and
thank you for being a part ofthis journey.
Until our next run together,remember, every step forward is
progress and every dog you seeis bonus motivation.
Keep running, keep smiling andkeep counting those dogs.
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