Runners are, by nature, quirky people. We like to wear certain shoes, run certain mileage/routes, start a race in exactly the same way. Some of us have to wear a certain fuel belt, some of us have to ALWAYS have tissues, some won’t consider racing without their lucky socks. But, of course, every single runner is different.

I don’t have a lot of running quirks, but I can tell you that I almost always have my thumbs up in running photos. I think it’s my way of keeping my hands loose, but it makes me look like a total dork in marathon photos.

I asked other area runners: What’s your quirky running habit(clothes, mileage, routes, form, etc.)?

I suppose there are those that think running barefoot is “quirky,” but I’m trying to change that! — Tom Madura

My wife seems to think that my running habit in general is quirky ….. LOL …. psssh…. silly non-runners. —Anonymous

I have to put my right running shoe on first. That way, my runs start on the “right foot”. I also believe that when I shuffle the songs on my iPod the first one sends me a message about the day. When Pink sings “Perfect” or the Indigo Girls sing “Closer to Fine” the message is clear. However Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar” is a little more cryptic. — Rhonda Berlin

Clothes – must match; mileage –depends on the route; routes – Andy Nowak and I have names for our running routes (they are funny); Form — just don’t look silly. —Eric Ellis

I run to a minute. So if I get to my house at 35:13, I go another 47 seconds so that it is 36:00. If I am getting tired and I know my house is coming, I’ll push harder so I can finish in that minute, but I like it to be minutes :00. — Greg Cooper

I give snarly looks to drivers to roll their cars past the stop sign into the crosswalk, forcing me to run around them. — Mike Caggeso

I have about sixteen…..which one should I fess up to? — Eloise