Suicide Ninja Runners

Ok, I just don't get it.  Perhaps some of you wise forumers on here can enlighten me as to why some runners do this. image

I notice a trend with some runners when out on the bigger main roads to run on the road, on the left hand side, slowing traffic down etc, instead of on the perfectly good, wide and otherwise quiet footpaths right next to them.  Why would someone do this?

Last week, whilst in the car, we past a girl out running, head to toe in black doing just this on the main road going into the city just after dark.  Ninja?  Suicidal?  Some new training thing that I'm not aware of?  Perhaps running with the fear of getting run over helps them run faster.... I dunno. image

Comments

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    a lot of newbie runners haven't quite grasped that if it's dark outside, wearing "fashionable black" clothing isn't very intelligent.

    One guy i asked about this said that he's safe because he runs on pavements.

    Must have found the longest stretch of continuous pavement in the world then!

  • Around here the roads have much better surfaces and are better lit than the pavements alongside them.
  • Same as Intermanaut plus on some pavements around my way the camber is appalling.  I don't slow traffic down and I'm always visible.

  • I quite often run in the road when apparently the footpath will do. Trouble is said footpath is extremely cambered due to people loving having their cars parked right up next to their houses, also potholed, covered in shit.

    I figure that if car drivers think it's perfectly normal to drive over pavements at breakneck speed to get on their drives and friends witness a child having their legs broken, or park their 4x4s on the pavement with all four wheels on said pavement and force pedestrians into the road, then every now and then i'm going run in the road and not be bullied off.

    I like bright clothes though, difficult to NOT buy pink if you're a woman, but tights etc tend to be black when actually the bottom half should be the brightest because the legs are the main moving parts that are most likely to catch a driver's eye.
  • Just for the record, most ninjas don't have death wishes imageimage
  • Little Ninja wrote (see)
    Just for the record, most ninjas don't have death wishes imageimage


    Lol, that's good to know.

    Thing is, I run along these roads (only on the paths).  They are along a dual carriageway (which these suicide ninjas choose to run on).  Paths are level, no cars parked on them, plenty of room to pass others etc.

    Then again, maybe they have spotted me in my hi vis, huffing and puffing along the paths and don't want to bump into THAT in the dark. image

  • I quite often run in the road even the middle of the road but I do run at 5am and I do wear refeltive non black clothing. Running on the roads is so much smoother than (as others have said) the fecking payment with all the dropped curbs and pot hole that aren't lit up like the road is.

    But I do agree with the OP there are too many peeps who run head to toe in black. My running kit is so non colour matching that I would think most drivers (if I do see any) would veere away from the badly dressed nutterimage

  • Hog-mouseHog-mouse ✭✭✭

    Agree that the road is generally a far better surface to run on. I do risk going a over t on some of the pavements due to there strange cambering. Dropping down at every driveway, odd cambers, pot holes not being fixed. The road is far more consistant.

    As for running all in black, can't explain except that most running clothes come in various shades of black. I do tend to run in white at night, even if I do look like a tennis player gone wrong.

  • Im not sure I 100% see the problem running in black...your going a little faster than people walking but noone will call up all the people walking home and tell them they are wrong for wearing a black coat, black work trousers and black shoes. Yes its prob safer to be more visable but walkers in the majority get on just fine as do joggers.

  • Bandicoot_ wrote (see)

    Im not sure I 100% see the problem running in black...your going a little faster than people walking but noone will call up all the people walking home and tell them they are wrong for wearing a black coat, black work trousers and black shoes. Yes its prob safer to be more visable but walkers in the majority get on just fine as do joggers.

    Yeah, but dress completely in black after dark, back to the traffic running along a busy dual carriage way?  That's just asking for trouble imho, lol.
  • I think it's called "Natural Selection".
  • Rob Cooper 9 wrote (see)
    I think it's called "Natural Selection".
    image  You're proably right!
  • If you are running in the road because pavement is non-existant or rubbish, it should be facing on coming traffic and wearing a reflective, and if possible should get yourself on the pavement when you see a car.  don't trust cars at all and don't give them any excuse to flatten me.

  • Hog-mouseHog-mouse ✭✭✭
    Evie May wrote (see)
    Bandicoot_ wrote (see)

    Im not sure I 100% see the problem running in black...your going a little faster than people walking but noone will call up all the people walking home and tell them they are wrong for wearing a black coat, black work trousers and black shoes. Yes its prob safer to be more visable but walkers in the majority get on just fine as do joggers.

    Yeah, but dress completely in black after dark, back to the traffic running along a busy dual carriage way?  That's just asking for trouble imho, lol.
    Walkers don't get on fine. That's why there have been numerous campaigns over the years to try and encourage everyone to wear bright or light clothing at night or in poor visability.
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