Track Lane Hogs / Human Hurdles

This is the difference between your thread and the swim thread. Actual rules.

Wheee who wins $20 for me posting on Page 1??
  

Meh. Totally different. I've never had a problem on the track, ever. If someone's dirt slow on the track, there is always room to blow by them, even if they're 4 abreast walkers. When you pass them for the 3rd time at sub 6 min/mile to their walk, they'll get the message quick that you're there to train, and invariably keep to the side.

Different in a pool - there's no avoiding that slowster who's doing the dog paddle in the fast lane with 2 other people ready to swim literally twice as fast stuck behind.

What bothers me the most on our HS track is the people who blatantly ignore the "No Dogs on the Track" signs! They don't even carry baggies! Fortunately I have never seen any turds on the track....maybe they figure the geese do it so my dog can too!!

As far as the pool goes....I'm going to try swimming at 1am when I get off work! I pass by the pool on my way home.

How do you all ever enjoy your workouts?  I don't goive a rats arse what someone else does.....I'm there for me.  I try to follow rules/suggestions, but I don't care at all if you don't.  In fact, I get so into what I'm doing I can't possibly imagine even noticing who was following the "rules" and who wasn't.

Still......rage on!!!!

Until you step in a surprise...

We've got 3 dogs....what, exactly, would a surprise be??

I have a dog, yet stepping in dog poop on a track would still be a surprise to me.  Maybe you need to potty trying your dogs a little better if stepping in poop is a norm in your house.

Yeah ... I see this like I saw the swim question. It really isn't going to impact my workout to any significant degree if I have to go wide for a few strides while passing people who are in the wrong lane. And I'm a huge track geek. Do I wish everyone would follow the rules? Yes ... I do. I'm a bit of a rule follower. But I've learned that I can't control how other people behave. I can only control how I respond to their behavior.

I think it's great that you tried to educate the older couple. And it sounds like you did so in a very respectful manner. But it takes two people to dialogue ... and if the other one isn't there, you've done all you can.

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Dogs. I'm a HUGE dog person. We've been involved in large breed rescue for some time. Hence, my screen name. Off leash dogs are a significant pet peeve (ha!) of mine ... especially in public arenas. Many people have very legitimate fears of dogs. These people have every right to use the public parks (and tracks) that I have ... without the worry of having that fear engaged. Encountering people who feel leash laws do not pertain to them is a significant trigger for me and I have to work very hard at approaching the manner in the true spirit of dialogue. Additionally, regardless of how well trained the dog is, it's a significant risk for the dog.

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My high school track has a similar sign and a "no dogs" sign.  Yet everytime I go there are people walking 4 and 5 abreast usually with a dog.  Last year they brought in some aluminum bleachers so on one side only 2 lanes are usuable.  The football field is inside the track so they moved in visitors bleachers.  I thought after football season they would move the bleachers but they haven't.  So I guess there won't be any track meets at that venue.  There is also a sign for "no bicycles", but people come to walk and bring their young children and allow them to ride their bikes.  Now that is scary.  What is wierd is that there are all these signs up and yet there are like 10 people there breaking rules and one day there was a pair of sisters using sidewalk chalk clearly out of the way of everyone.  They were sitting in an alcove off the track and a school official told them they couldn't use the chalk.  At the same time this was going on there was a bike and at least 2 dogs on the track and nothing was said. 

jami     

Yeah, but can you define the difference between slow jogging and slow running?

mine as well, as do most, and we alternate days of clockwise/counterclockwise. What cracks me up is when people go on the track the opposite way, when people are already walking/running the "direction of the day". this is the only time i open my pie hole when running.

One day when I was deployed I was trying to run intervals around the track.   Timed stuff based on an actual quarter mile.

A whole unit of Army guys was literally LAYING DOWN in the first two lanes to do situps.  I definitely spoke to their supervisor after I had to leap over them a few times.

The only exception I could see to the OP's original thing...I mean, if am actually doing timed quarter miles or something for a training session, I kind of like to use the inside lane so it's an accurate measurement!  But I guess if I always used the same track I could adjust the intervals to use the outside lanes.

People without track etiquette do tick me off too.  I have enough situation awareness to move over 99% of the time if someone faster comes up behind me.  There's always that ONE person that quietly sneaks up behind me that I don't know is there (and no, I don't do track workouts with headphones in so I woudl normally hear them coming).

Yes, the reason most tracks have either signs or barriers on the first lane or two is to avoid premature wear to the surface there.  Ignoring that request is disrespectful and basically tantamount to vandalism.

The old lady's problem in your case was that she understood that 6 laps in the inside lane is 1.5 miles.  She wanted 1.5 miles and didn't know how far to walk in lane 6 to equal 1.5 miles.  A very helpful 'sign' for local authorities to put up is a conversion chart that will indicate distance in the outer lanes too.  Such as: LANE 6: 1 mile = 3.7 laps.

When I'm doing 400, 800 or 1600meter repeats I want to know exactly where to start and finish when in lane 3 or 4...So I'm going to have to do my homework.

I can now afford to buy you a few rounds Lisa

I took it as she changes lanes each lap so that "counts" her laps for her.

I've tried running at my kids school track and it is dangerous. People start/stop at random intervals. This is why I'm fortunate to have the college track near me. You need ID to use it, and there is always an armed college security guard stationed there who enjoys enforcing rules, loudly.

There are only two issues:

1. The college track team blowing past me at warp speed.

2. When the field hockey team is practicing you have to dodge errant balls.

maybe one of them didn't smell so fresh so the other was keeping her space