"I'd rather be seen on my bicycle than on a park run" - Quote from the dark side

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Pet Peeves While Running


We all have some pet peeves, but do you have some that haunts you while running? I have two that really irritate me.

One: Small stones that get stuck in the soles of my shoes.

Our streets here in Johannesburg have millions and millions of these little buggers.


They have the nasty habit of getting stuck in the soles of my Nike Pegasus running shoes. Unfortunately these shoes have a perfect place for them to get stuck in.


The tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…of the stone hitting the road while running drives me insane!

Two: Smokers!


I hate smokers! They are the most selfish creatures that walk our planet. I know this is more of a general pet peeve, but while running it drives me crazy even more! I don’t want to smell someone’s cigarette smoke while running. It is awful and really irritates me.

On early fresh air morning runs this pet peeve is even worse. I can tell you in which homes smokers live and when a car drives by with a smoker inside I get very irritated. I smell that smoke for the next kilometer or more. I can still handle the exhaust fumes from the cars, but cigarette smoke never!

That’s my two main pet peeves while running. What’s yours?

Happy training everyone!

18 comments:

TR said...

oooh I've never dealt with the stones issue, but thinking about it - yep, that would get old fast!

I used to really, really dislike traffic lights!! haha! Messing up my flow! I'm more calm now when I hit them :D

Kate Geisen said...

My trail shoes have rips in them, so little rocks can be a huge irritation. When I run on our paved trails, I *really* hate it when bikes pass without calling on your left of signaling that they're there.

Tina @GottaRunNow said...

I don't like those two pet peeves either. One that I used to have a lot of trouble with, when I lived in the country, was loose dogs that chased me down the road. At my new house, I haven't had that kind of trouble, though, so I'm a happy runner!

Big Daddy Diesel said...

I agree with your 2 and I dislike people running 3-4 wide, taking up the whole path with no room to pass them, loose dogs, not nodding or saying hi on a path. Music soooo loud that I hear it... over my own.

KovasP said...

I don't like when runners are in the streets if parkways or sidewalks are available to them -- dangerous for them and the drivers.

One Crazy Penguin said...

I can deal with the stones, but I am with you on the smokers! I hate it at all times and places. The worst is going to a bar or restaurant that allows smoking and then having all of your clothes and hair smell like smoke :(

Lauren said...

I have lots of pet peeves. I hate it when I see litter on the trails, especially beer trash. Smokers on the trail really bother me, not so much because the smoke irritates me, but because I'm afraid they are going to start a forest fire. I also really hate seeing cigarette butts on the trail. My biggest pet peeve however are cyclists who race by runners and hikers without even slowing down. :(

it's all about pace said...

I can deal with rocks and smokers... rude drivers and dogs are my bane

misszippy said...

Curious--are there many smokers there? I feel like depending on where you live in the U.S., you don't see many smokers any more (thankfully).

My pet peeve--other runners who don't return a greeting out there!

Mike said...

My pet peeve while running?...Hmmm
How about cars that don't give you any room on the road and see how close they can get to you.

Char said...

Totally agree on both of those annoyances. My shoe likes to hold bigger rocks so it doesn't happen so often but I feel like I'm tap dancing with all the noise it makes.

And smokers! Selfish and stupid. There's no cure for either of those.

XLMIC said...

Ha!!!! TOTALLY!!! The tick tick tick drives me NUTS!!!

ajh said...

I dislike a stone IN my shoe more. What pet peeves do I have? Injuries! Is that really a pet peeve? Probably not but is on my mind right now!

Average Woman Runner said...

I just had a stone tapping issue yesterday! Smoking is an all-the-time issue of mine. I don't encounter it much back home since they are banned from public places but while on vacation here in the French West Indies, I'm reminded of how much other people smoke. These French folks are lighting up everywhere, all the time, including when their small children are sitting on their laps! Blech!

Karien P. said...

It really ticks me off when I pass another runner head on and they don't greet me back or even smile or nod. We runners are usually such a friendly bunch, but here in Bloem it appears as if the younger generation didn't get that note - they pretend that they don't see you and just run on! Grrrrr.... :)

Michael said...

Oh, I hate it when those stones get in your shoes too. Drives me crazy the noise it makes, I have to stop and pry them out.

At first I thought you meant smokers who were running with a cigaratte, I was going to say that doesn't happen in the US...well it probably has, but I've never seen it.

I just hate people in races who pay no attention and stop right in front of you.

Paul said...

Hmm. Good question.

I would say litterbugs bug me a lot.

The other thing would be lazy dog owners that have 7 meters of lease out and don't reel it in when they see you coming! A recipe for getting tripped.

Smokers would bug me too, but here in California there aren't many..we make them go to Nevada to smoke ;)

Jill said...

Oh man, this really made me think!! I have to agree with BDD on the 5 abreast runners that you have to weave around.

I run the "trails" near where I live and it's a lot of pea gravel - those buggers always get stuck in my shoes. We also have little thistles that get stuck in your shoes, and clothes. No fun.

What a great post...fun things to think about, even if the things aren't fun to manage! :)