Word to wise on bike trails: onyerleft!

2 men on a mission hope to spread courtesy, safety

 

Steve Lutz and Dave Kuhlmann are men on a mission who think they can change the world with three little words, which they actually have turned into just one little word to make it even easier for everybody.

Onyerleft.

That's "on your left," short for "passing on your left," for those who don't recognize the lingo.

It's a basic item of etiquette they believe is too often missing on recreation paths in the Chicago area.

Some of you think of these as bike trails, and others as walking paths, and therein lies the problem.

Throw in the joggers and the roller bladers and the families out for a summer stroll with the kids or the dog, and you've got conflicting uses, tons of them, with no well-defined rules of the road to resolve the conflicts.

And that's where the "onyerleft" campaign comes in.

If nothing else, Lutz and Kuhlmann say, a lot of potential problems could be solved if folks just took a moment to politely announce their presence by calling out "onyerleft" before passing -- on the left.

Lutz and Kuhlmann came to the conclusion that something needed to be done after years of running and biking on the Illinois Prairie Path, the 61-mile recreational jewel that runs from Maywood to Wheaton with branches to Elgin and Aurora. As they started to bring their own families along, they noticed it was getting dangerous out there.

"People just have no clue about any etiquette about what to say or do," said Lutz, 44, of Glen Ellyn.

It's the same story if you're on the Chicago lakefront path or, as my wife and I were Sunday, on the path through Busse Woods.

We had a great time biking. I couldn't believe how good Busse Woods looked, better than I could remember seeing it. The trash picked up. The bathrooms in working order. Lots of smiling faces. If the Forest Preserve could keep all its properties in that condition, it wouldn't need any silly ad campaign to prop up the commander in chief.

But the trail was crowded, and that always creates a certain amount of tension. On top of your basic congestion created by the sheer numbers, you've got your cyclists in the nifty outfits who think they're training for the Tour de France as they zip past unannounced at top speed, as well as couples cluelessly riding side by side while yakking without any recognition that there are two lanes and they're using both of them.

Throw in the folks walking on the left because they truly don't know any better, and it can get a little tense out there.

While I'd like to see somebody develop a simple code of courtesy that could be posted on signs at all the area bike paths, I agree that calling out "onyerleft" is a great place to start.

"What we found is that people appreciate it," Lutz said.

What I've found is that some do and some don't, but either way, they know you're there -- assuming they can hear you through the music coming through their ear buds.

Actually, maybe the best place to start is with the basic recognition that everybody has the right to be out there -- from the fastest to the slowest -- as long as they take into account the safety of others.

That means facing the fact the speedsters might have to slow it down some during peak usage periods or that the slowpokes should walk or ride single file when someone is trying to pass -- whether oncoming or travelling in the same direction.

"Everybody should know that you don't own the path yourself," Lutz said. "It's safety first out there. It isn't your own private playground. It's for everybody to enjoy."

Lutz and Kuhlmann, who work as phone clerks at the Chicago Board of Trade, have pitched their onyerleft campaign to the Chicago Park District and put it on T-shirts to advance their cause. They've also started a Web site to try to sell onyerleft gear, which doesn't float my boat, but I can't blame them for trying.

I'm not trying to tell you this is the most important cause in the world, but I'd like to think if we got more people to follow their lead, our little part of it would be safer and happier.

 

It seems as the challenge of staying afloat in this economic environment has grown
harder this year so has the challenge to shake off the winter pounds I'd
accumulated and get back on track with my running  this summer.
The economy, the weather and family issues have all posed unique
challenges this year.

For the last several months I've been doing my favorite afternoon training run
were I jump off the train home a few stops early and run home. My favorite
run is from Elmhurst to my home in Lombard about 6 miles away. Having
been an accomplished runner for several years I've used this training
run to help get myself into running shape.
For whatever reason or reasons this year has been noticeably more
difficult than past years.There has been much more on my mind;
work, family, the delayed onset of Chicago's summer if at all,  my aging body's
aches and pains......It seems like everything has been just a little more challenging this year....
which got me to thinking.....'quagmire'.....'quagmire'     is the term that kept
creeping into my head during my runs home.

A "Quagmire" according to Webster's is defined as 'a patch of soft miry ground
that gives way underfoot.' So far my training this year has been like running in a
quagmire....like .. running in soft wet sand uphill.....making little progress.....
There is one specific mile during my Elmhurst to Lombard run I refer to
as the "Quagmire mile"  or the "Quagmile"  if you will allow me to create my own terminology.
The "quagmile' Iies between Elmhurst and Lombard 1/2 way thru my 6 mile route home.
Once I traverse the bridge spanning route 83 and Salt Creek I leave the serene prarie of Elmhurst behind, 

 I find myself next to the old Ovaltine factory in
Villa Park, (the village that lies between Elmhurst and Lombard.)....The
Prarie Path here, although lovely in it's own right, opens up to a wide
sundrenched thouroughfare between two noisy boulevards.
Still very scenic, this mile long stretch has far fewer shade trees
much more direct sun and is actually a slight uphill climb. I also
suspect the mile markers between 7 and 8 must be at least 1.1 miles apart
because even in my best running shape I struggle to post decent
interval times on it.  I know that I don't need to keep interval times
for this segment but if I can do well on this stretch I can do well anywhere else...So most
of the last 3 years I've been running home from the train, this mile,
The "Quagmile, " has been my personal bugaboo.....Even after running this
mile over and over I'm still surprised each and every time just how
difficult it is!
As I mentioned previously I have been struggling quite a bit this year
to get on track and just this past Thursday I took on the quagmile yet
again.
Only recently have I started interval training again by which I keep my
time for a certain distance run after run and try and lower my time
 from workout to workout....This technique has worked very well for me
in the past and not only motivates me to run faster but consequently gets me
into terrific running shape.
On Thurday's run I took my usual route, letting myself find a rhythm for
the first 3 miles and then challenging myself for the last 3 by keeping
my interval time.   I have been keeping track of these interval times
for the last 3 weeks knowing the first few weeks would be
fairly pathetic by my standards....but the last 3 or 4 runs things have
begun to click, and a little, just a little of the old speed I knew
before has been showing  up.....

Thursday was warm but not hot, with overcast skies, a good day to tackle
not only the 3 mile interval distance but the dreaded "quagmile" as well....
I hopped off the train in Elmhurst as usual and began my trek. The
first 2 miles I spent wending my way through  beautiful tree lined streets
with huge stately homes lining the route.....I turn right through a
bicycle shop parking lot and cut thru a small opening in the trees to a pathway of
dirt and rock running parallel to restored prarie surrounded by shoulder high grasses and
wildflowers.  If this stretch lasted for 10 miles I could easily run it without registering another
thought  but it only goes for about 3/4 of a mile before I cross  the
Salt Creek Bridge into Villa Park. The first 1/10 of the 'quagmile'  belies
what lay ahead....There is a lovely corridor lined by massive shade trees
before the gradual incline and withering sun take over....Once I leave the much
appreciated shade behind and hit the wide open  I feel as though I'm
running in oatmeal or at best  very soft sand!  It never fails! It may
be partly psychological but I know running slightly uphill in the bright sun
while trying to lower my interval time also takes a toll.

This particular day there was also a brisk 30 mile an hour west wind
blowing directly in my face....all 3 of these elements combined to make me feel
as if I was standing still,  my arms and legs punching the air like a bug on it's back to no
avail.
Altough I knew I was,  it felt as I was making little or no forward progress!!!
I pushed on, it seemed to last forever....the last 1/10 of the quagmile
thankfully crests and  ends on a gentle decline to  mile marker.....7.....only here do I
feel some relief and power come back to my stride......I glance at my watch
8:45!!!!!  just short of a 9 minute mile.....a really lousy mile time
for me at any distance!!!  Disappointed yet determined I put my head
down, take  adeep breath and push forward..........still 2 miles to go....the mental
challenge  now is to regroup and push the last 2 miles to lower that interval
time.....thankfully the corridor narrows again and the path goes back
through shaded forest stretches again....somehow, I feel  my old stride
return!!!  I push hard the last two miles concentrating on my stride
and breathing....
Although it was tough and physically draining, I found the energy to
lower my time by a full minute from only two days prior!!!    25:24 .  An average
of 8:28 per mile!!   This is not my final goal.  I'd like to knock the
time to under 21:00 minutes for the 3 miles. But it was a huge gain for
me especially after pushing thru the dreaded quagmile!!   I had shaken off
the poor 8:45 mile and rebound to run much better times for the last 2
miles!!!   What I'm trying to say here is 'when life gives you
"quagmiles"  don't give up and keep pushing through it until you can
find your stride once again' ..This gives me the strength to keep
pushing through the quagmile that 2009 has been so far!!!

I realize through  personal determination and focusing on the positives
in my life most notably, the love of my family and friends, I  will find my
stride in 2009 after all and if not this year then certainly in 2010!!!
Stay well, keep running, and I will see you out on the pathways!!!

Dave. 

If you have thoughts or comments on this or any other blog on onyerleft.com   contact me;   dave@onyerleft.com  

Postscript; The morning after I initially posted this blog I ran 6 miles using the last 3 as an interval session,

I was somehow able to shave 2 full minutes off my previous best for the year!!!!!

I've been to Telluride, Colorado twice now. I now understand what John Denver was all worked up about! (Pure luck about the last name huh?)  As my experienced neighbor, who hails from Colorado,  says everytime I mention it; "Telluride? Heck,  we used to call it 'To hell you ride'!"  I never knew how right he could be! Both times I have trekked to Telluride, (7 hours from Denver by car) I encountered nasty delays puncuated by multiple plane rides both commercial and of the puddle jumper variety, rented cars, hitched rides,  and this time finally arriving by gondola!  The goal is to experience the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.   I'm not a huge Bluegrass music fan per se, but, great music will win you over regardless of the genre. It's very hard to capture Colorado's beauty in words but I'll try....Telluride is largely known as one of the best ski communities our country has to offer. It is also possibly one of the most jaw droppingly scenic places I have ever been. Almost completely surrounded by mountains, the town itself lies below the ski runs on the valley floor. Known as a "box canyon" you get the idea once you reach the music festival grounds. The majestic slopes surround and envelop the entire town. This time I rode the gondola from Mountain Village, aptly named, and was at a loss for words as we started down the impossibly steep slope toward the town of Telluride itself. The quaint 19th century bulidings neatly lined up below like tiny toys, it felt as though we were floating like a feather into this bucolic valley.  Once at the valley floor we followed the sounds of Bluegrass music twittering away from the festival grounds.

The Festival itself runs for four days every June usually around the summer solstice, another reason to celebrate.  The organizers, who run a very tidy ship, limit the ticket sales to 10,000 'festiverians ' as we are called.  This leaves plenty of reasonable space for every ticket holder, although the jockeying for tarp space is an exact science according to most!  Sitting in the warm sun, drink in hand, banjo, fiddle and mandolin music chirping away, I can't help gaping at the mountains and cascading waterfalls all around us and have a warm feeling rush over me of how special this place truly is!  Eastward up and into the canyon above is Bridal Veil Falls. Quite visible from the valley floor.  

I can't really say enough about the festival itself; Four full days of fantastic music, amazing weather (both good and bad) great food and the most charming and relaxed people you'll ever meet. The group we hang out with include one of my best friends Brian from Chicago and his sister Eileen, a Telluride resident and our hostess. The group is rounded out by Eileen's numerous good spirited friends. Our group sets up "camp" early in the day usually enlisting a "volunteer" to line up at the unholy hour of 5:30 a.m. to compete for the aforementioned tarp space. Once base camp is established  the sunshade erected and "provisions procured, we spend the entire day soaking in the sights, sounds and sunshine. During my first trip to Telluride, Brian related how the group took a hike up to the falls and how magnificent it was.

Sitting in a camp chair on Sunday morning, brilliant sunshine beating down on the last day of the Festival, I felt compelled to take that hike to Bridal Veil Falls! Bolstered by two strong cups of coffee and the gorgeous weather,  I set out. I headed out of the festival grounds Eastward down Colorado street toward the trail.  One lesson you learn when at elevation (Telluride sits at 8,750 ft.) is to be wary of the oxygen level or lack thereof.  There is considerably less. The lesson is to pace yourself! I felt this during the last trip here on just a short hike up the "Marmot" ski run. This hike was to be an unforgiving undulating 5 mile jaunt.  So I grabbed what I figured to be an adequate amount of water, 24oz. which proved to be too little, and started my ascent. I did make it back okay but was quite parched as I returned. 

The hike starts out paralleling the San Miguel river hurtling downhill,  primarily made up from the Winter snow melt. I quickly traversed a few residential lots on the river and passed through the shared grounds of a still active silver mine. Once past the mining operation,  the trail take a more serious tilt to higher climbs. On some stretches the inclines near 30 degrees! After the first of which my heart was ready to pound through my chest. I'm not in top flight physical condition but my 7 mile runs at home hardly incapacitate me for the rest of the day! I was very impressed by the incline here!  Having made a few water/catch my breath stops and traversing some meltwater rivulets, I was now leaving the twangy sounds of the Festival behind and could now see and hear the roar of the falls and the downward rushing creek it formed. I could also see the 2 1/2 story house nestled atop Bridal Veil. Yes,  somebody built a home up here atop the falls! How they got all the materials in place is enough to think about let alone living there! What a scene! 

Saying 'Hi' to a few other hikers and occasionally making way for a passing jeep, I pushed my way toward the falls. from here the trail reverts to a series of 'switchbacks' as most elevated trails do hugging the canyon walls and resulting in amazing views of the valley below. After about 90 minutes of solid hiking I was at the base of Bridal Veil. the water fall itself which must be 100 feet high results in a fantastic "Veil" of floating icy mist which felt so good to stand in after such an arduous trek! I took a good long look back down into the valley below and marveled at the lush beauty of it. It looked and felt as though I could take wing and just glide back down to the Festival. No gondola here though. Hard to properly describe the amazing scenery! That's why I highly recommend making your way here if you are able. Truly stunning to see!  Having enjoyed quite the experience, and short rest, I took a couple more minutes to soak it all in as well as the last of my water, I then started my way back down. After 90 minutes of careful twists and turns I made it back to our base camp with quite the tale to tell to the group over a frosty Fat Tire ale.....after a huge bottle of water first!   See ya on the pathways, Dave.

 
  In this super high tech day and age I did a very retro thing yesterday; I bought a new cd. I've had an ipod for a couple of years now and don't even know where our huge rack of cds has gone. Everything has been downloaded to our itunes account and onto our ipods. Any new music we buy we do online. But as I stood waiting for coffee yesterday I spotted the new Dave Matthews Band (DMB) cd and scooped it up. One of my favorite bands of all time. I've listened to it several times already having loaded onto my ipod and gone for two runs since I bought it. The focus of this week' s blog was simply going to be about instituting a more varied workout instead of just focusing on one activity, running. Usually I do some lifting and mostly go for runs all summer long. My goal for my workouts this summer is to lift weights, run and mix in at least one swim and one bike ride into the mix as to avoid wearing out my knees by September as I've done the last two years. Simply put, I was going to preach balance in all things athletic. But listening to the Dave Matthew's song got me thinking along a deeper vein. 
 
  The song that really got to me is called "Funny The Way It Is." I know I was on a pretty intense endorphine rush as the lyrics of the song got me thinking......(from this point forward the blog may slip into 'Jerry Maguire' mode ala the movie starring Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr., meaning it may sound like a personal mission statement. but, that's how Jerry truly found himself)...........I realized what I have been striving for all along is not only achieving balance in my athletic endeavors but in my personal life as well. If I can establish balance in all phases of my life, work, working out, onyerleft, my family and friends as well as my spiritual life I will be a much happier and productive person. 
 
 I am not a religious person but I do consider myself to be spiritual and try to have respect for all people and living things. I strive to live by the 'golden rule' "do unto others as you would have them do to you." But, my goal going forward is to also find ways to enrich the lives of others thereby enriching my own. In the song by Dave Matthews,  he sings about how 'it's funny' that while one child walks a great distance just to go to school while  another, elsewhere in the world is dropping out....while one man and his family are having a day in the park another's home is burning to the ground. I believe he is remarking on how many different things are all going on at once, how interconnected we all are without realizing it and to appreciate the day and the love you have around you. Like I said, endorphine rush!!! Anyway it just got me into a deeper vein of thought and has inspired me to move forward and try to do some good. I challenge everyone who reads this to adopt the same approach; We are all here for a 'limited time' not knowing how long that is, let's take time to really appreciate the good in our lives and pay it forward (to borrow another phrase)    My wife once asked me why I was running so much. My reply was, "because I believe it will take me places." And today it certainly did.         See ya on the pathways, Dave. 
 
Postnote; Best of Luck to Lisa Rorer and her group of 12 as they tackle the 140 mile two day Madison to Chicago relay for Special Olympics!!!! 

    For the last three years I have been enjoying a new way to fit my running workout into my daily routine. Every day before work I catch the earliest commuter train downtown and head straight for the health club. I squeeze in a quick twenty minute cardio lifting program, shower, and hustle across the city to the trading floor at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. After work I head back to the health club,  toss my running clothes on, leave my work clothes in my gym locker,  and dash for the train.

        I live in Lombard, which is in the Western suburbs of Chicago. The method I came up with is to simply get off the train a few stops early and run home. This works out really well as once I'm off the train I have to complete the distance home and since nobody ever seems to offer a ride, I run. It also eliminates having to motivate myself to run later in the day which many times would be all too easy to talk myself out of.  I have several distance options; Villa Park is 4 miles, Elmhurst is 6, Berkeley is 7.5 and Bellwood is about a 10 mile run. This has worked out very well as a way to "change up" my running routine. I'll try and do the "home stretch" run as I call it 2-3 times a week throughout most of the year, Winter excluded. The really nice part of this routine is the Illinois Prarie Path, which is accessable from all these drop off spots. A reclaimed railroad route, the I.P.P. is made of crushed limestone gravel and wends it's way for miles lined by trees and through woods, prarie and suburban neighborhoods. Since moving to Lombard in 1996 It has become one my all time favorite places to run not only for my 'home stretch'  runs but also for runs West of Lombard into Glen Ellyn, Wheaton and far beyond. There is not a more peaceful, serene setting to run in that I know. The Prarie path made running the distances I run possible due to the aforementioned reasons!

All this leads me to part two of this blog; while enjoying one of the most beautiful weather day runs  we have had in quite some time, the reason that OnYerLeft exists was very clearly illustrated for me.(not for the first or last time I'm sure.)  I jumped off the train and began my run in Elmhurst and was enjoying the start of a 6 mile venture home. I had already run South from the station through the bucolic Elmhurst neighborhoods and joined the Prarie Path at the bridge which traverses Salt Creek. I was about 30 yard behind two women runners when a cyclist  pulling his child in a bike trailer came up from behind all three of us. It always seems to me that humans must have a gravitational pull towards each other because one can run for miles and not see another pathway user, but sudddenly three or four groups of people, runners, bikers and walkers will intersect each other all at once.
        This is what happened today; the two women runners were running side by side taking up most of the space the path had to offer. I was closing behind them and coming towards all three of us down the hill was another runner. Human gravity. The man on the bike coming from behind us was not sure how to approach the situation, said nothing as he passed me, all too closely and then tried to pass between the two women! BAD idea to say the least. Upon catching a glimpse of the man on the bike in her periphery, the woman on the left skittered into the path of the oncoming runner. Luckily they avoided a collision. The woman on the right though not in any danger was startled off the path into the grass!  'Bike Man' finally  realizing the ruckus he caused,  gave a weak smile and a wave,  and peddled over the bridge out of sight! Nobody was injured but it was very close. Upon passing the two women I gently called out "OnYerLeft' and remarked on how glad I was nobody was injured. They expressed their dismay to me on how few people know what to do in these situations. I agreed wholeheartedly and told them about onyerleft.com  Later in the run I had stopped for water and the two women passed me when another cyclist tried to pass all three of us again on the right side through the grass!! 

 This is our mission. At OnYerLeft.com we are here to spread the message of community, safety and communication on all pathways. Urban and suburban alike. In this day and age too many of us have become fearful of saying "hello' to each other especially during exercise. Sometimes actually resulting in injury to athletes and casual pathway users.  My fervent wish is to make calling out "OnYerLeft" not only a way to alert those around you on the pathways of your presence, but a way to say "Hey, how are you today?"  and maybe meet some new friends in the process. I have met some of my best friends while running. I hope you'll join our OnYerLeft community and help spread the word and maybe make some new friends as well.   "OnYerLeft!"  the new black in athletics???  See ya on the pathways, Dave.

“You ever break 40 before?” the runner to my right asked. “No” was my short reply. Short because I was just crossing the 6 mile mark in the 10k race. The time on the clock read 38:30. I was pushing hard, trying my best to set a new “P.R.” (personal record) of under 40 minutes for the distance; 10 kilometers or 6.2 miles. The 6 mile part was easy, it was the last .2 that was the hardest! As anyone who has run a 10k before knows the last stretch, equivelant to 440meters or 1 lap on a standard high school track, is the hardest especially when you are shooting for a P.R. I had trained fairly hard all spring as well as the previous running season and now I felt I could pull it off.

I wasn’t your typical runner; a former high school offensive lineman on the football team, I was bigger than most “runners” and had taken up the sport to help lose weight and to challenge myself again. After my wife and I had moved to Lombard in 1996 near the Illinois Prarie Path I began to run more and more finding the pathways the perfect setting to log my miles. I started with 2 and 3 mile runs and before I knew it was competing in 5 and 10k races on a regular basis eventually working my way up to the Chicago Marathon.

Running became my new passion and I did fairly well. I finished in the top 10% of my age group in most races and even took home a few 3rd place medals. Not bad for a former “big guy.” Running was a much different sports culture than I had been exposed to previously. Although my friends and I, most notably, fellow OnYerLeft founder, Steve Lutz, founded traing groups where we would meet to train together, come race day, it was pretty much every runner for himself. Unlike the team sports I had played in high school there was a sense that everyone in a race was out to beat the other guy. At least this is what I had experienced until that one 10k at the aforementioned 6 mile mark.

“No” I had responded to the other runner’s question. Partly from lack of breath and partly due to the shock he was actually speaking to me. I was curious, “Why have you ever broken 40?” I returned. He took a second to catch a breath, “No, let’s go for it!” I felt a surprising resurgence!

“O.K’, Let’s do it!” For that last .2 of a mile, doesn’t sound very far, but remember we had already run pretty much as fast as we could for 6 miles, we paced each other along each trying to help the other achieve something neither had been able to do thus far. The early June day was sunny and warm about 80 degrees. Not bad weather, but a little warm for setting a P.R. We sprinted the 440 meters to the finish, arms and legs pumping like mad, trying to keep up with each other, passing other runners. As we neared the finisher’s corral the clock seemed to click ahead two seconds at a time, in a perverse opposite to that clock on the classroom wall that always seemed to go backwards before the bell rang! 39;52, 39:54, 39:56.…..

As we crossed the finish line gasping for breath, muscles screaming and sweat pouring off our foreheads like rainwater, we looked at the clock 40:09 was the official time!!!! Missed it by nine seconds!! We gave each other a high five and said , “Thanks” and my new friend melted into the crowd of finishers amassed just past the finish line just as quickly as he had appeared. Although my P.R. would have to wait another week, I felt exhilerated. I hadn’t realized the possibility of working with my competitor to get ahead in such a seemingly individual sport.

This “ Cooperation in competition” is a cornerstone of OnYerLeft.com. We believe running and sport in general does not have to be solely for individual glory, but rather a way to build a community of athletes, while sometimes competing against each other, working in tandem to help each other attain their personal bests! We hope you enjoy your experience with our OnYerLeft community and achieve your “personal bests” in sport and life!  See ya on the pathways!  Dave.

"OnYerLeft!"    I had heard the phrase thousands of times before as I immersed myself into running and training for marathons. As I crossed trained riding my bike, I learned to call out, "OnYerLeft!" as I passed runners, walkers and other riders. As I have mentioned before I was a transformed offensive lineman turned runner.

As I ran more and more and began to look and feel more like a runner it became second nature to use the phrase to practice safety and courtesy on the pathways. I had been running for leisure and competing in 5 and 10k's 10 mile, 1/2 and eventually full marathons for about 12 years when suddenly my wife and I became parents. Talk about a change of focus! My daughter became the center of our whole world and my running fell by the wayside.

My daughter had been born in the Fall and by the following Spring of 2004 as she became bigger as I had, I decided to get back in the swing of things. We purchased a baby jogger and I set out to try and regain my old form.  This posed a few changes; for anyone who has ever run while pushing a child, they will tell you, get used to going MUCH slower!  I had just missed qualifying for the Boston marathon in 2001, not the fastest runner in the world but I had run a 40 minute 10k which roughly translated to 6:30 miles. Now I was much heavier than I was before, a small reversion to my "football" body, and I was pushing my daughter, who although a delight, proved heavier than I thought.

As we set out on regular 4 mile runs between Lombard and Glen Ellyn, our pace was much slower than it was before, not to mention the lack of the ability to swing my arms with my stride, quite difficult. The thing I noticed the most was, as I was fairly fast before and passed most runners, now,  I passed nobody and felt like that rusty  clunker on the freeway in the far right lane!   I heard, "OnYerLeft!" more often than I had ever before and it hit me;  THAT needs to be on a shirt! I excitedlly told my wife who was also excited and pushed me to pursue the idea.

The following Monday on the trading floor I threw the idea to my very good friend and running buddy, Steve Lutz.  Without a moment's hesitation Steve said, "I'm in, Let's do it!"  OnYerLeft.com was born. We had no idea what we were doing and only had an interesting concept. the following Spring in April 2005 Steve and I launched our venture, OnYerLeft.com    Now almost exactly 4 years later, mistakes made, lessons learned, new faces,friends and their expertise mixed in we proudly launch version 2 of OnYerLeft.com

Thanks for visiting our site and joining our community.  We hope you enjoy your experience with us and help to spread the message of community through competition, where we can all achieve or personal bests!   I'll see ya on the pathways! Dave