running on country roads

TFBubendorfer

walshb wrote: »

How so?

Because nobody I know would seriously recommend running on a treadmill for any length of time.

walshb wrote: »

BTW, I run at least 30 K a week.

It's all relative of course, but in my book that does indeed fall under "not a lot".

walshb

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Because nobody I know would seriously recommend running on a treadmill for any length of time.
".

Why? Has there been some scientific research done that somehow discredits treadmill running? I am not with you. Is it a danger to your health or something?

I have ran thousands of Ks on the road and on treadmills. I am fairly ok for it.

watercarrier

walshb wrote: »

Why? Has there been some scientific research done that somehow discredits treadmill running? I am not with you. Is it a danger to your health or something?

I have ran thousands of Ks on the road and on treadmills. I am fairly ok for it.

i think it turns you into an argumettitve fooker;)

walshb

watercarrier wrote: »

i think it turns you into an argumettitve fooker;)

Querying someone's response to my post shouldn't be seen as me being argumentative. I'd like to hear why someone thinks that suggesting a treadmill for the purpose of running somehow means that the suggestion must be from someone who doesn't run a lot.

doughef

I already got PM'd by a MOD with a warning because I called somebody a bad word a few posts back..

I accept that and I apologise...:)


but... It seems as if some people think they own running. I bet these are the guys who turn up at races all pumped up and wont talk cause their "in the zone" and think anybody who doesnt talk about running.... THE WHOLE TIME... obviously should not have an opinion...

"dont talk to me... if I come 78th rather than 76th my world is over ";) yawn!

anyway.. I merely pointed out to the OP that if he / she was worried about running on a road to go off road. Considering its only for the Christmas period, its not a huge deal.. It could be a nice change and a different challenge..

But then, I was accused of not doing much running... beacause the same people who own running are obviously mind readers too!

ultrapercy

walshb wrote: »

Querying someone's response to my post shouldn't be seen as me being argumentative. I'd like to hear why someone thinks that suggesting a treadmill for the purpose of running somehow means that the suggestion must be from someone who doesn't run a lot.

I wont answer for Thomas but I suspect his attidude to treadmills is much the same as mine, they are ok if weather is dangerous or your stuck in a hotel on a motor way but any serious mileage on one is a mental chore.

walshb

ultrapercy wrote: »

I wont answer for Thomas but I suspect his attidude to treadmills is much the same as mine, they are ok if weather is dangerous or your stuck in a hotel on a motor way but any serious mileage on one is a mental chore.

Fair enough. I just wasn't sure why the suggestion would lead him to believe that it had to come from someone who doesn't run a lot. Whether I run 30 k or 300 k a week is of little relevance.

As regards the narrow country roads. Well, I wouldn't take the risk on them, so I guess it's treadmill in that situation; unless of course there is a nearby field adequate for running.

robinph

doughef wrote: »

anyway.. I merely pointed out to the OP that if he / she was worried about running on a road to go off road. Considering its only for the Christmas period, its not a huge deal.. It could be a nice change and a different challenge..

I'd be thinking along the same lines for doing something a bit different for a short period. No way I'd be looking to run all the time on a treadmill or around a field, but for a week or so when somewhere different just to keep things ticking over why not.

Otherwise just eat more cake and watch telly.

littlebug

I tend to stick to the narrower than narrow roads ie the ones with the grass growing in the middle as i'd rarely meet a car on them. I avoid the L road when I can unless it's really really early on a Sunday morning when there's no one else out and I wouldn't even think of running on the N road. Dusk/ dark I'm limited to repeats of a short stretch of pavement in the village.
For the sake of enjoying a quiet traffic free run I would frequently drive 7 miles to run the trails in the woods. Well worth the drive IMO.

Ceepo

Oh lord god, I just figured out why us lads in the country can't beat ye boys up in the big shmoke, ha ha.
You know some af the cars even have breaks around here now lol, not all mind!
Also mind the bulls in the field especially if your wearing red

TFBubendorfer

Does anyone actually know of anyone getting seriously hurt on those allegedly dangerous country roads?

The only incident I can remember on top of my head of a runner/jogger getting killed happened last year, and that was in Cork City, not on a country road.

Here on boards I sure read a lot more about runners having encounters with unsavoury characters or getting hurt tripping over dog leads in Dublin parks than people getting injured by cars on country roads.

RoyMcC

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Does anyone actually know of anyone getting seriously hurt on those allegedly dangerous country roads?

The only incident I can remember on top of my head of a runner/jogger getting killed happened last year, and that was in Cork City, not on a country road.

Here on boards I sure read a lot more about runners having encounters with unsavoury characters or getting hurt tripping over dog leads in Dublin parks than people getting injured by cars on country roads.

Fair comment Thomas, but it's a holy wonder. I feel safe on Jersey country roads but it was rare that I found an Irish lane quiet enough that I could relax and enjoy the run.

plodder

Take local advice. If locals are saying it isn't safe to walk, then it's definitely not safe for running either. I run a lot on country roads, but know some bad ones, and it's just not enjoyable and not worth the risk. to be honest, I've found the worst ones can be regional "R" routes. They're often not great quality, with no shoulder, but fast traffic.

Ceepo

Cant say that I have heard of any one, (q someone with example).
and I have trained on may roads from Co Donegal to Cork, and a lot inbetween.
Yes the are some dangers but use common sense and you should be ok

walshb

Common sense or not, when you are on a road that is narrow with no path then you cannot legislate for drivers. All it takes is a clip and you can say bye bye. Sure, run in the day time, wear high viz and run towards the cars, but no matter what you do it will not be near as safe as being on a "protected" footpath.

spurscormac

I think we are (mostly) all adults on here and free to make our own choices on where and when to run.
Go run wherever you want (except on a motorway :eek:), take as many precautions as you deem necessary, use common sense and more than likely you'll be fine.

We don't know when or where something bad might happen, so live your life while you have your health and with some festive cheer allow for the fact we are all entitled to differing opinions.

walshb

spurscormac wrote: »

I think we are (mostly) all adults on here and free to make our own choices on where and when to run.
Go run wherever you want (except on a motorway :eek:), take as many precautions as you deem necessary, use common sense and more than likely you'll be fine.

We don't know when or where something bad might happen, so live your life while you have your health and with some festive cheer allow for the fact we are all entitled to differing opinions.

I think I'd take my chances moreso on a motorway hard shoulder. Am I mad?

rom

walshb wrote: »

I think I'd take my chances moreso on a motorway hard shoulder. Am I mad?

Yes you are. That family up on Galway pushing a buggy with a few kids recently were knocked down in the hard shoulder. If you run somewhere that people don't expect you to be then you are asking for trouble.

RoyMcC

walshb wrote: »

I think I'd take my chances moreso on a motorway hard shoulder. Am I mad?

Large sections of the Longford Mara are run on the N4 & N5. It feels safer but it wouldn't half be a spectacular wipe-out if something went wrong

walshb

rom wrote: »

Yes you are. That family up on Galway pushing a buggy with a few kids recently were knocked down in the hard shoulder. If you run somewhere that people don't expect you to be then you are asking for trouble.

Desperate tragedy that. I wouldn't risk the hard shoulder either.

aburke

rom wrote: »

Yes you are. That family up on Galway pushing a buggy with a few kids recently were knocked down in the hard shoulder. If you run somewhere that people don't expect you to be then you are asking for trouble.

That wasn't on a motorway. It was on the N17 at the edge of a large provincial town.

walshb

aburke wrote: »

That wasn't on a motorway. It was on the N17 at the edge of a large provincial town.

I was thinking that too. It was on a wide road with a small hard shoulder.

rom

Walking/running on a dual carriageway will result in a trip to the cop shop

ciaranmac

rom wrote: »

Yes you are. That family up on Galway pushing a buggy with a few kids recently were knocked down in the hard shoulder. If you run somewhere that people don't expect you to be then you are asking for trouble.

That wasn't a motorway or a dual carriageway, it's a wide main road where people walk and run on the hard shoulder all the time. AFAIK they still don't know how the accident happened.

rom

ciaranmac wrote: »

That wasn't a motorway or a dual carriageway, it's a wide main road where people walk and run on the hard shoulder all the time. AFAIK they still don't know how the accident happened.

I think the guy driving the car had a heart attack or something but sorry that was targeted at walshb re motorways. I know a few people who have got arrested by walking out the south link in Cork.

Ceepo

walshb wrote: »

I think I'd take my chances moreso on a motorway hard shoulder. Am I mad?

Totally mad if you think for would be ok to run in a Motorway hard shoulder. I suspect that the least worst thing that could happen you is that you would be arrested.

Yes running on a pavement/footpath is safer than on an open road, but I / we don't always have the choice,
I live in the middle of the sticks and there is lucky to be roads don't mind footpaths, and I can only run in the eveing time, so for me that means running in the dark on country roads. Yes you are right one touch of a car means serious injury or worse, but if you use proper clothing and use common sense you will be fine.
As I said i dont know or even heard of anyone getting hit while out running, nor do I want do hear it.
It goes without saying if you have an alternative use it, if that a trail or field use them, but I would ask premission first as some gaa clubs dont let people in for insurance reasons, and some farmers are the same.
Oh and some farmers have guns as well:)

Enduro

rom wrote: »

I think the guy driving the car had a heart attack or something but sorry that was targeted at walshb re motorways. I know a few people who have got arrested by walking out the south link in Cork.

Just out of curiosity, is the south ring under motorway rules? Any idea on what grounds they were arrested?

walshb

Ceepo wrote: »

Totally mad if you think for would be ok to run in a Motorway hard shoulder. I suspect that the least worst thing that could happen you is that you would be arrested.

Yes running on a pavement/footpath is safer than on an open road, but I / we don't always have the choice,
I live in the middle of the sticks and there is lucky to be roads don't mind footpaths, and I can only run in the eveing time, so for me that means running in the dark on country roads. Yes you are right one touch of a car means serious injury or worse, but if you use proper clothing and use common sense you will be fine.
As I said i dont know or even heard of anyone getting hit while out running, nor do I want do hear it.
It goes without saying if you have an alternative use it, if that a trail or field use them, but I would ask premission first as some gaa clubs dont let people in for insurance reasons, and some farmers are the same.
Oh and some farmers have guns as well:)

But I wouldn't run on a motorway. I just said that I'd take my chances moreso (if I had to) on a hard shoulder than on a narrow country road. I am talking about safety, not being arrested.

As for common sense? What is this, really? You can be as careful as you like, but you are still far too close to cars to be in safety. As careful as you are you cannot legistalte for the cars.

You take two cars from either direction travelling at 50-80 kph on a narrow road and then add in a runner to the equation. It is pretty dangerous. There is very little space on some these roads for the cars alone. The slightest adjustment needed by a car could see carnage.

rom

Enduro wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, is the south ring under motorway rules? Any idea on what grounds they were arrested?

This was back in the day when a taxi were like hen's teeth but then again I don't think the south ring heading out to the Kinsale road has a hard shoulder even in most parts and them being drunk off their head I think it was a good call on the Garda. No idea what the charge was or if anything came of it but put into the car and brought to the station they were.

Enduro

rom wrote: »

This was back in the day when a taxi were like hen's teeth but then again I don't think the south ring heading out to the Kinsale road has a hard shoulder even in most parts and them being drunk off their head I think it was a good call on the Garda. No idea what the charge was or if anything came of it but put into the car and brought to the station they were.

Ah gotcha. Sounds like the Guards were just looking after the lads then (The Taxi with the blue lights )