We had another Saturday night snowfall which meant one thing - Sunday long run misery slugging
through the sidewalks. Unfortunately, by the time I was out for my run, the trucks were sanding and
clearing the streets, so you had most sidewalks with 4 to 6 inches of new snow, covered by a few
layers of road slurry that was washed up from the streets as the graders swooped by.
Sidewalks were impassable. So, it was an exercise of taking your life into your hands and
heading out on the roads. Against traffic, with my yellow vest, to at least get some ability to
run properly.
I'm amazed - we're a small bedroom community, quiet Sunday morning (I was running at 8, Church isn't
even until 10), limited traffic, but most who were out seemed offended I was on the road. Two lanes
each way, and I'm at the outer edge and I still get the dirty looks (or the finger in one case) and
yelling out the window to get on the sidewalk. These are people who are coming at me on a straight
road with no one in front or behind them as far as you can see! They've probably had me in their
sights for 45 seconds!
More than once I worried about someone just deciding to edge into me because they were [censored] I
was on their road. I was careful, always looking ahead, and when rounding corners where I couldn't
be seen, I hugged the very edge and even walked in the mush to avoid the risk. Didn't matter.
I'm not this mad when I'm a driver. Are you?
--
Lorne Sundby