This morning I was running on flat single track and encountered two mountain bikers coming the other way. The mountain bikers, contrary to the International Mountain Bicycling Association's Rules of the Trail decided not to yield and road straight at me. As a former bike messenger, mountain biker, roadie and track cyclist, this type of behavior annoys me, but I've come to expect it.
The question then becomes do you continue running straight at them as I did, or do you yield? As the two riders came an inch from hitting me, along with their unleashed dog in an area where no dogs are allowed (I own two dogs), I opened my mouth, as I generally do, and told them, "you are supposed to yield to runners." No response came back, but I then spent the next few miles reflecting on my behavior.
At the time, I was wearing my San Elijo Hills Running Club singlet and therefore representing the club. As I continued to run, I mulled over what the club should represent: outlaw runners or courteous runners?
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| Luke, one of my two dogs. |
Although it pained me, I came to the conclusion that members of the club should strive to be courteous runners. If 40 year old rookie mountain bikers won't yield the trail, step aside, let them pass and live to run another day.
San Elijo Hills Running Club
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