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Close Call on the Bridge

Started by MICHAELSPAPPY, April 18, 2018, 07:49:29 am

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MICHAELSPAPPY

April 18, 2018, 07:49:29 am Last Edit: April 18, 2018, 08:05:42 am by MICHAELSPAPPY
My family moved from Booneville to Alma before my sophomore year, and I did not participate in athletics while I was there. However, after one school year, we moved back to Booneville. I immediately began running to try to get back into shape. Coach entered several of us in a couple of cross-country races that season, but nothing very notable came of it. At that time Booneville did not have cross-country as a letter sport. (I am not sure about now.)

When track season finally came, I was more than ready for it, since it had been almost two years since I had run competitively on a track. Early in the season, Coach sent all the runners out on a jaunt south on Highway 23. We were to go to the spot where the access road to the old State Sanitorium facility left the main road, then return. It was a fairly easy run, and we had a good time on it.

Between the kink in Highway 23 there by the post office and the left turn toward the Sanitorium there is a long straight stretch, which made up most of the distance of the run. On the return trip, we were running on the left-hand (west) side of the road facing the traffic, as we should. However, as we came across the bridge, Robbie Pace was running down on the pavement, while the rest of us were up on the walkway of the bridge. No problem, because he could jump up with us if we met anyone.

However, at one point Robbie suddenly yelled and jumped up with us. A woman in a car had pulled out to pass, and just as she did so, she saw Robbie in the lefthand lane. He had just happened to glance back as she pulled out, and narrowly avoided what might have been a fatal accident by jumping up to the walkway. The woman swerved to avoid the accident, then fishtailed for a pretty good distance as she also tried to avoid going over the steep bank that lies on either side of the road along that stretch.

No harm was done - barely. But our adrenaline was pumping so hard after that experience that we scarcely noticed the rest of the way home. No fatigue after that run! As I recall, Coach did not send us on that particular route again.

beach bum

I think anyone who has ever been a runner in their life at any point makes the story resonate with us.... We always have our head on a swivel with traffic and the crazy drivers out there. I am so glad most cities of 75K or more with forward thinking leaders already have or are implementing trail systems. I know in NWA now you can be a runner and not really have to step on the road. When in Colorado Springs I could get around the whole city either on paved or dirt trails. I miss those uncountable natural surface trails

RATTLER43

Resonates is the perfect word.  But is it because of close calls or that we all remember that one guy running in the highway?!!

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