double yellow
went for a 13 miler this afternoon here in oak hill, a circumnavigate of just about the entire neighborhood. most of the run takes place on 2-lane back roads (old bee caves, thomas springs, circle drive), where there's hardly any traffic, hardly any disturbances, and hardly any curb.
"run into traffic." it's been preached to me 1000 times, and i've probably preached it to others 1000 times more. so sure enough, about 95% of my run today was spent running on the left hand side of the road. once in a while you have to run on the right-hand side due to traffic or a blind turn, but one usually falls immediately back to the left as soon as the opportunity rises to head back to the proper side.
often, i feel a little 5-step sprint kick in whenever i have to transfer back over to the left-hand side, as if i'm being chased in a game of tag, and this side of the road is "free." often if i hear traffic coming up on me, or worse yet, slowing down for me, i usually throw my right hand around in a wheelhouse, waving the car to pass. "what's the problem? the yellow is to my right, they're on the right-hand side of the road... just get going!"
i look down at the double yellow to my right and think "i'm fine. i'm safe. odds are very much in my favor that i'm going to see well in advance any car that approaches my space with enough time to react." there is safety in the double yellow, when you're positioned appropriately relative to it.
do you know what security that yellow line actually offers? absolutely no security at all. it is nothing more than reflective tape that sits about 1/8" up off of the asphalt that it is adhered to. yes, the double yellow is representative of a much stronger measure of security--the laws that are drilled into the minds of every abiding driver--but if your security is resting on the mind of an individual, then your security is susceptible to the weaknesses of mind as well. of which there are many. i sincerely doubt that any strip of tape is going to keep even the smallest vehicle from slipping over to your side of the road and barreling your backside over, whether by accident or intent.
most all of our entire lives are spent running to the right of the double yellow. we revolve around these lines: the economy will treat us right in the long run, doctors will be able to heal our ailments, people in your life will always be there. none of these are double-walled gold-brick barriers carrying the guarantee we will be allowed to finish our course. all of these are nothing more than tape on the ground, whose only presented security exists in their representation of what we were taught to believe.
and in spite of the double yellow, how many smashed guard rails do you see on your daily commute? and that's just representative of those elements of our world that understand what the double yellow means to begin with... that's not to mention the fact that a majority of our world (for example, territorial dogs whose owners have a penchant for leaving the driveway gate open) doesn't even understand the significance of the double yellow to begin with.
base your personal foundation on running itself, not on the pithy chartreuse that lies to the side of your feet. nonetheless, stay to the left... there's nothing wrong with hedging your bets out on the streets of the unpredictable.
"run into traffic." it's been preached to me 1000 times, and i've probably preached it to others 1000 times more. so sure enough, about 95% of my run today was spent running on the left hand side of the road. once in a while you have to run on the right-hand side due to traffic or a blind turn, but one usually falls immediately back to the left as soon as the opportunity rises to head back to the proper side.
often, i feel a little 5-step sprint kick in whenever i have to transfer back over to the left-hand side, as if i'm being chased in a game of tag, and this side of the road is "free." often if i hear traffic coming up on me, or worse yet, slowing down for me, i usually throw my right hand around in a wheelhouse, waving the car to pass. "what's the problem? the yellow is to my right, they're on the right-hand side of the road... just get going!"
i look down at the double yellow to my right and think "i'm fine. i'm safe. odds are very much in my favor that i'm going to see well in advance any car that approaches my space with enough time to react." there is safety in the double yellow, when you're positioned appropriately relative to it.
do you know what security that yellow line actually offers? absolutely no security at all. it is nothing more than reflective tape that sits about 1/8" up off of the asphalt that it is adhered to. yes, the double yellow is representative of a much stronger measure of security--the laws that are drilled into the minds of every abiding driver--but if your security is resting on the mind of an individual, then your security is susceptible to the weaknesses of mind as well. of which there are many. i sincerely doubt that any strip of tape is going to keep even the smallest vehicle from slipping over to your side of the road and barreling your backside over, whether by accident or intent.
most all of our entire lives are spent running to the right of the double yellow. we revolve around these lines: the economy will treat us right in the long run, doctors will be able to heal our ailments, people in your life will always be there. none of these are double-walled gold-brick barriers carrying the guarantee we will be allowed to finish our course. all of these are nothing more than tape on the ground, whose only presented security exists in their representation of what we were taught to believe.
and in spite of the double yellow, how many smashed guard rails do you see on your daily commute? and that's just representative of those elements of our world that understand what the double yellow means to begin with... that's not to mention the fact that a majority of our world (for example, territorial dogs whose owners have a penchant for leaving the driveway gate open) doesn't even understand the significance of the double yellow to begin with.
base your personal foundation on running itself, not on the pithy chartreuse that lies to the side of your feet. nonetheless, stay to the left... there's nothing wrong with hedging your bets out on the streets of the unpredictable.
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