TeamAlzheimers.org - RUNNING ETIQUETTE

Thought of the Day From My Daily Calendar

At long last, I was ready to run. For years, I’d toyed with the idea of running as a good way to get some exercise, but now I’d actually gone out and bought a spiffy running outfit. I’d even asked my husband, Gene, to help me pick out proper running shoes. Hoping that I looked the part, I stepped outside and smelled the morning air…

To my surprise, I saw other people-neighbors of ours and even strangers-running the route I intended to take. Now I faced a dilemma: How do I greet a fellow runner? Is there some kind of special runner’s language I need to learn? I decided that a simple “hi” would do.

Before long, somewhat short of breath, I called out my first cheerful “hi” to two women I knew slightly. “Morning!” they both sang out in perfect unison. The next person I passed spoke to me first. “Morning,” he said. Sure now that “Morning” was the appropriate greeting for runners, I shouted it to the next one I met. “Hi!” she called back, smiling. Undaunted, I tried again, this time with a man and his golden retriever. “Morning,” I said, hopefully but a bit less enthusiastically. “Gonna be a hot one today,” he announced, like the local TV weatherman.

It took me a while, but I finally discovered there’s no rhyme or reason to what runners say to each other. Now I just say whatever I feel like saying or simply smile or wave. The words aren’t important; it’s the act of communicating that counts.

That bit of information has carried over into my prayer life. Sometimes I become self-conscious about what I’m saying to God. Then I remember my morning run and leave the words to Him.

Happy Running!