Track Rules: Walk Tall (In the appropriate lane)

To keep the peace of the track, faster runners should use the inside lanes, and slow walkers should use the outside lanes. Pretty simple, right?

Hahaha.

Instead, people decide randomly. People walking by themselves seem to scatter to whichever lane their heart desires. No matter whether they are strolling or speed walking, they could be anywhere. Not only that, they change lanes! Apparently, it is very hard to remember how many times they have been around the track, so they have to switch lanes every time around to keep tally.

I'm going to remind you again that I'm not racing around the track at a breakneck pace. I keep to the third or fourth lane (closer to the inside, but not close enough that I'll get in a faster runner's way). Each time I go to the track I am determined to be able to stay in my lane the whole time. Instead, I'm almost constantly having to run around people as the mosey around. I'll actually make sure and pick a lane that no one is using, but by the time I've done a half mile, someone is ahead of me IN MY LANE. What are you doing in lane four? You can see that I've been running in this lane for several laps. There is at least one lane NO ONE IS USING! GO THERE! WALK OVER THERE!

I just took a moment to calm down. Sorry about all the capitals. I got carried away.

Do you understand my frustration though? I'm running at a steady nine to ten minute mile pace, in one lane, for about 30 minutes. I pick a lane that no one else is using. Yet, people seem determined to ignore me and wander over into my lane. Then they walk. Slowly. So, even at my not-so-fast pace, I catch up to them and have to move around them and then back into my lane. Unless I switch to the other empty lane. Sometimes I do that, only to have another couple people decide to walk in that new lane.

Can I clarify here that most of these times there are only about ten people on the track. Eight of these people are walking. One guy is running in lane one. Then there's me. Why are so many people moving into my lane?! Leave me and my lane alone! I would like to just run without any obstacles. Is that such a big deal?

Please walkers. Pick one lane from lanes five, six, seven, or eight. Walk in that lane. Stay in the lane until you are done with your walk. It's not difficult. If you're having trouble counting your number of laps, just find some other creative way to remember. Is it that hard to count in your head? Stay out of my lane.