hardset nipples wrote:
Right, if you're mentally strong enough then this sort of thing never phases you. You recognize the situation, adapt, and roll on, not giving it any further thought. Athletes are there to get the job done, wannabes look around for problems and excuses so they can play the victim card and blame others.
Its more than just mentally able to stave disruptions off; its also about public responsibility. Even if some disruptive behaviour on the track does not directly affect yr training session, its still necessary for you to speak up or take action to eradicate poor track etiquette. You owe it to the ignorant/callous/selfish people to set them on the proper course as a fellow user of the facility.
Its like when u r driving yr car to work on a one way street and suddenly u see another vehicle moving in the opposite direction with total disregard. Are u primarily concerned about whether u will be late for work due to that dangerous driver? Or is the greater concern about SAFETY?
If u see people abusing track etiquette and choose to look the other way, regardless of whether u r directly affected or not, YOU ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM. That is what apathy does to society: it condones harmful/inconsiderate behaviour for expediency's sake. You are allowing danger and disruption continued and unbridled free access to a public facility, emphasis on PUBLIC meaning the track is a SHARED facility and so every one's actions must take into consideration the rights and privileges of others, and for this is happen a recognisable CODE OF BEHAVIOUR HAS TO BE ENFORCED AND OBSERVED BY ALL USERS.
If, as athletes, we r just there to "get the job done" and close one eye to poor behaviour, what does that say about us then? That athletes are totally self-centred, self-absorbed and couldn't care less about others as long as THEIR training can go on? Besides, how long can u put off disruptive behaviour at the track? Will u wait till the big one hits, when u r physically injured by a ball of bicycle or chit-chatter, before u take action?
As runners, we owe it both to ourselves and to the sport, as well as the general safety of others, to put our foot down on lousy track etiqette.
You can argue that if a track is overcrowded just head out for fartlek, or run on a measured road/trail. Altho those r feasible, but one must remember that the track is there PRIMARILY for runners to do fast training using an accurately measured course. Its there in the first place so that u don't have to measure someplace out yourself! If anyone shd be heading out of the track due to overcrowding, it shd be those people who repeatedly violate proper track etiquette, and not the runners themselves! This is not victim mentality and deferring blame, but fully justified behaviour!
I suspect runners who do not confront when needed are just purely intimidated. You need to put yr foot down. This does not mean being rude or using abusive language or threats, but to firmly yet respectfully address the issue to the disruptors, letting them know how one is to conduct themselves when using a track. If the proper authorities will not do it, then we have to! To accuse runners of being whiners on this issue is to totally miss the whole point.