Why runners should appreciate cyclists

In addition to the whole tri thing, runners should feel a kind of kinship with cyclists, our fellow endurance athletes. After all, who else knows what happens when you eat too many gels? Come to think, who else eats gels that look like snot and taste worse? Unfortunately, many runners never get past the whole but-he-tried-to-run-me-over thing.

Runners never tire of complaining that cyclists "deliberately" speed up, for example, upon approaching the Columbus Circle entrance to Central Park, ignoring the fact that the approach is a decline and if you were rolling down a hill, you probably would, well, speed up ... gravity and all.

The key, really, is learning the rules of the road. Here are a few:

1. When running on a cycling path (yes, this is permissible since pedestrian paths are often solid concrete while bike paths are constructed of the much softer and foot-friendly asphalt), hug the right side (except on the Central Park loop and the reservoir loop in which case it's the left side), allowing faster runners and all cyclists to easily pass you.

2. If you must wear head phones, listen to the music at a low volume and be alert for bells, whistles, gear changes (that crinkly noise) or someone yelling "passing," "on your left" or just "left." If you hear any of these, do not stop to look -- make like Pavlov's dog and just automatically move right, out of the way.

3. If you're running on the road, i.e., with cars, run *against* traffic. Ostensibly this is so that you can see the cars coming towards you (and hopefully have at least a few seconds to get out of the way if someone is out of control). Ladies -- the added benefit of running against traffic is that you don't have drivers scoping out your derrieres. When you have the driver of an 18-wheeler honking behind you, you'll know why this is important.

4. If you do have the right of way, and the cyclist(s) is not paying attention, yell "Heads up," preferably at least one bike length from the cyclist so they have time / room to react.

5. Always look both ways before crossing a cycling path / road.

In exchange, you will discover:

1. Cyclists follow rules. After all, when you can reach out and touch someone while riding wheels the size of my finger, you tend to be a little more careful about things like rules. Thus, cyclists ride in the proper lanes. They know signals (voice and hand). They use signals (voice and hand).

2. Cyclists know when they're wrong. This morning for example, running along Hudson Terrace in Englewood, I snapped an annoyed "Heads up!" to an oblivious cyclist. Rather than responding with something along the order of "F- you," he instead mustered a cheerful, "Morning!" I almost felt guilty for my impatience.

3. Cyclists make way for others. This may seem hard to believe, but I've had riders at the heads of pelotons signal to other riders to move aside for me.

You will also discover that the loneliness of the long-distance runner is not quite so lonely when you have cyclists whizzing by (or giving you a thumbs up as the case might be).

P.S. Tourists are not cyclists. Have fun with them.