Friday, July 15, 2005

The hazards of running

Jason and I went for a nice, relaxing 4-mile run last night. It was very humid and thunderheads were rolling in. Sweat ran down my face, dripping off me. That usually never happens. What is this wet, salty fluid? I got into my groove and enjoyed my shuffle mix. I was tranced out as we neared the end. I could see the car in the distance. Either Jason was feeling speedy or I was feeling sluggish. Either way, he was about 20 yards in front of me. I look up, and I see him sprawled atop a bicyclist on the ground! Both of them laid there groaning for a minute before they staggered to their feet. I sprinted over. Jason and a cyclist had collided (luckily they landed in the grass off the path).
The cyclist was a big guy, and, for a moment, I was afraid he was going to kick Jason's ass. However, he was very nice. His bike was okay--except for the seat cover being knocked off and the chain falling off the gear. The big guy didn't fare quite so well. He said he was fine and hobbled away to lick his wounds. He then began walking his bike. At first, I thought it was because his bike was damaged but it became apparent that his leg was obviously sprained as he limped gingerly away. We offered him a ride to his car but he refused. What else could we do?
Jason was a bit luckier. Except for some nasty cuts and scrapes on his arms and legs, he seemed okay. He went home to nurse his wounds with ice, ibuprofen, and neosporin. Hopefully, he'll be okay for the triathlon tomorrow. Poor guy.

Moral? Runners--Look over your shoulder carefully before turning when running. Cyclists--Announce your presence to others before you pass them by saying "On the left!" And finally--accidents happen. Don't make it worse by getting angry (thankfully, in this case, everyone was very courteous.)

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