Running, Corona Virus and Social Distancing

Stark

adrian522 wrote: »

Possibly, but I'll leave it up to the experts to make that judgement, there are huge mental as well as physical benefits to getting outside the house for some exercise.

+1

I do a lot of indoor training. Pilates, gymnastic rings, weights etc. But nothing clears the head and stops me sliding into depression like getting out for a run.

robinph

kenmm wrote: »

Some people who are running are being d!cks. Every time I have taken my exercise, whether its a walk or whatever, I've witnessed runners getting close to people, particularly at pinch points like bridges etc. Normally you dont want to have to stop start when running, but in these times you must (to let someone on a bridge finish crossing it, to wait for traffic while someone else is using the pavement ahead etc). I don't see nearly enough runners (or even people walking in the city) doing this.

It is on those of us here to show extreme levels of social distancing and letting people through pinch points and run on the road where even slightly narrow. It is even more required when meeting other runners, there are a load of new people out there running and it's on us to show them these extreme distancing procedures as we can spot the points more often before they happen. They they will hopefully do the same to other walkers that they encounter on their runs through parks, whilst we head off to do the boring laps around a deserted carpark.

It is all pretty much completely useless as far as preventing transmission is concerned, but it is very important to ensure that more extreme regulations are not brought in.

Cyclists were a very visible "menace" on the roads to car drivers stuck in a jam and needing someone to blame for their problems. Runners have now taken that mantle and are very visible to the walkers out there and we need to be extreme in our nicety despite how little different it would make to actual transmission.

average_runner

The Bishop Basher wrote: »

Why ? Because you don't like hearing an alternative view ?

Running is fine if it's practiced within the guidelines. The problem at the moment is it's near impossible to run on the path while maintaining the correct distance as the footpaths are rammed with families out walking.

Some people have found alternative routes, others have stopped running all together but the remainder are continuing as normal and running close to people on the footpaths which is both ignorant and dangerous just now.

Which bit if this do you take issue with ?

Are you suggesting that runners be given an exception to the distance rule ?

How is it near impossible to run on the footpaths? Every one doesn't walk at the same speed or the same direction and they are able to overtake safely?

ligerdub

Gotta love the way some people take the opportunity to execute a bit of social power.....or at least try to.

Shame tactics are all the rage these days, perhaps no better example than the vigilante behaviour of some during the coronavirus shutdown. I find it odd that so many people want to increase restrictions to the absolute max.

There's a bit of social currency I suppose. The sort of people who go to the park to take photos and put them up on social media......complaining about the amount of people in the park! Gotta show people you care.

If this virus was as infectious as some on here suggest then nobody would be allowed go anywhere, and we'd all be mandated to exist in silos.....perhaps locked in cells for months on end. Bullet point: it isn't!

The chances of passing on a virus while running past somebody and several feet away, for the grand total of less than 2 seconds must be miniscule. Even if that person were reasonably close by, for arguments sake let's say on the edge of arms reach I'd be very surprised if this represented much of a risk to either party. That's not to say I'd encourage anything other than the recommended limit, but I think people need to get off their high horses on this one.

Chivito550

stockshares wrote: »

That's fair enough but if that area is frequented by others closer by then the person is causing a problem and not preventing one.

Where I go there are very few people about, and the paths are about 3m wide so in the rare times when you do encounter somebody it is easy to stay away from them. I've been down this area before COVID-19 and it's always been fairly quiet. I guess there just isn't that many houses nearby, unlike my local park which is surrounded by houses.

I'm a sprinter, so the training is different. I just need a stretch no longer than 300m (usually 150m will be enough). Where I go to train now, I can train without having to worry about encountering many people. I can actually focus on my session. If I were to use the local park, I'd be stuck with 1.5m wide paths and with a heavy flow of walkers, kids, dogs, runners. I actually wouldn't feel comfortable training in this kind of environment as I'd always be looking over my shoulder. I could use the grass but the grass is not football pitch grass, it's uneven terrain which is not very suitable for sprinting.

Common sense is important. The town I live in feels very busy with people walking around today. The park is right in the centre of the town. Contrary to what you might think, I'm actually very uncomfortable being around people right now, hence why I drive to where there are very few. I'm looking out for my own health as much as others, while still being able to train and keep the spirits up as a result.

Trampas

The people moaning about runners running on footpaths. What do you do when you come across walkers. Is there a stand off until one person/group cross the road?

The vast majority of runners know the rules and will obey them. Walkers can be a free for all but children will do what children do and can’t be asked to keep 2m gap as that concept doesn’t register with them

tom1ie

ligerdub wrote: »

Gotta love the way some people take the opportunity to execute a bit of social power.....or at least try to.

Shame tactics are all the rage these days, perhaps no better example than the vigilante behaviour of some during the coronavirus shutdown. I find it odd that so many people want to increase restrictions to the absolute max.

There's a bit of social currency I suppose. The sort of people who go to the park to take photos and put them up on social media......complaining about the amount of people in the park! Gotta show people you care.

If this virus was as infectious as some on here suggest then nobody would be allowed go anywhere, and we'd all be mandated to exist in silos.....perhaps locked in cells for months on end. Bullet point: it isn't!

The chances of passing on a virus while running past somebody and several feet away, for the grand total of less than 2 seconds must be miniscule. Even if that person were reasonably close by, for arguments sake let's say on the edge of arms reach I'd be very surprised if this represented much of a risk to either party. That's not to say I'd encourage anything other than the recommended limit, but I think people need to get off their high horses on this one.

sure its only the flu :rolleyes:

how do you know this to be the case?
The chances of passing on a virus while running past somebody and several feet away, for the grand total of less than 2 seconds must be miniscule.

tom1ie

Chivito550 wrote: »

Where I go there are very few people about, and the paths are about 3m wide so in the rare times when you do encounter somebody it is easy to stay away from them. I've been down this area before COVID-19 and it's always been fairly quiet. I guess there just isn't that many houses nearby, unlike my local park which is surrounded by houses.

I'm a sprinter, so the training is different. I just need a stretch no longer than 300m (usually 150m will be enough). Where I go to train now, I can train without having to worry about encountering many people. I can actually focus on my session. If I were to use the local park, I'd be stuck with 1.5m wide paths and with a heavy flow of walkers, kids, dogs, runners. I actually wouldn't feel comfortable training in this kind of environment as I'd always be looking over my shoulder. I could use the grass but the grass is not football pitch grass, it's uneven terrain which is not very suitable for sprinting.

Common sense is important. The town I live in feels very busy with people walking around today. The park is right in the centre of the town. Contrary to what you might think, I'm actually very uncomfortable being around people right now, hence why I drive to where there are very few. I'm looking out for my own health as much as others, while still being able to train and keep the spirits up as a result.

the 2km restriction is from your home?

Melanchthon

Trampas wrote: »

The people moaning about runners running on footpaths. What do you do when you come across walkers. Is there a stand off until one person/group cross the road?

The vast majority of runners know the rules and will obey them. Walkers can be a free for all but children will do what children do and can’t be asked to keep 2m gap as that concept doesn’t register with them

It's because with people out walking this happens

hmmm wrote: »

When you're walking, most people are having this little dance where people are trying to stay out of each others way. We've time to do this. There's a lot of "will I move on to the road or will they" in my area. There's also the few gob****es who are oblivious to the world, and will pass a foot from you.

With runners and joggers there's less time and just a small bit more stressful. I suggest that joggers could help public perceptions by making very clear moves early on to indicate that they are going to move out of the way.

Where I am is busy and there is a lot of people clearly not obeying social distancing however it's usually not so hard to avoid those people, the less considerate joggers/runners however you don't have time to do this, also the pace issue means you can't moderate pace to avoid them and due to higher pace one bad runner interacts with a lot more people than a cluster of bad walkers. Add to this the deeper faster breathing and greater amount of droplets I don't see why people shouldn't be annoyed about a significant amount of runners.

Personally I would like on running/jogging to be banned in urban areas between say 9-6, I also think they should actually be enforcing the social distancing rules for other groups, runners aren't the only group clearly being a nuisance but it's like cycling, most cyclists are grand most wear either hi-vis and/or lights at night and obey traffic lights but there is a significant minority that are an absolute pain, getting defensive about people being annoyed at it doesn't change the public's perception.

tom1ie

Melanchthon wrote: »

It's because with people out walking this happens



Where I am is busy and there is a lot of people clearly not obeying social distancing however it's usually not so hard to avoid those people, the less considerate joggers/runners however you don't have time to do this, also the pace issue means you can't moderate pace to avoid them and due to higher pace one bad runner interacts with a lot more people than a cluster of bad walkers. Add to this the deeper faster breathing and greater amount of droplets I don't see why people shouldn't be annoyed about a significant amount of runners.

Personally I would like on running/jogging to be banned in urban areas between say 9-6, I also think they should actually be enforcing the social distancing rules for other groups, runners aren't the only group clearly being a nuisance but it's like cycling, most cyclists are grand most wear either hi-vis and/or lights at night and obey traffic lights but there is a significant minority that are an absolute pain, getting defensive about people being annoyed at it doesn't change the public's perception.

couldn't agree more, people getting defensive when there's clearly a compromise here but they are getting outraged at the idea that they should have their daily regime impacted for the greater good.

Laineyfrecks

I have went to comment here many times but decided against it many times!
To say that runners don't want their daily regime distrupted in any way given the current climate is completely ridiculous. There are restrictions in place that we all must follow and therefore already disrupting our routines. Before these restrictions most runners wouldn't train within a 2km radius of their homes for all runs therefore they have changed their routines and rightly so! Also a lot of runners myself included are trying to get out early or later in the evenings to avoid as many people as possible if that suits their routine at home. Even before this pandemic i would never expect people walking to just move out of my way & especially those with prams & children! I have always tried to make a move early enough on, to the grass or road whichever it may be. I have never spit whilst running by somebody, i don't heavily breathe on someone's shoulder...common sense & respect for each other is what's needed mostly at a time like this. Like everyone else at the moment homelife & our working situations are all over the place, there's so much uncertainty and a lot more pressures mentally to deal with all this! Working from home, trying to homeschool our children whilst rationalizing their fears...it's all a lot to take on. I really think people need to be a bit kinder to each other because at the moment exercising is allowed outside so until that changes i for one will continue my running alone & responsibly!

tom1ie

Laineyfrecks wrote: »

I have went to comment here many times but decided against it many times!
To say that runners don't want their daily regime distrupted in any way given the current climate is completely ridiculous. There are restrictions in place that we all must follow and therefore already disrupting our routines. Before these restrictions most runners wouldn't train within a 2km radius of their homes for all runs therefore they have changed their routines and rightly so! Also a lot of runners myself included are trying to get out early or later in the evenings to avoid as many people as possible if that suits their routine at home. Even before this pandemic i would never expect people walking to just move out of my way & especially those with prams & children! I have always tried to make a move early enough on, to the grass or road whichever it may be. I have never spit whilst running by somebody, i don't heavily breathe on someone's shoulder...common sense & respect for each other is what's needed mostly at a time like this. Like everyone else at the moment homelife & our working situations are all over the place, there's so much uncertainty and a lot more pressures mentally to deal with all this! Working from home, trying to homeschool our children whilst rationalizing their fears...it's all a lot to take on. I really think people need to be a bit kinder to each other because at the moment exercising is allowed outside so until that changes i for one will continue my running alone & responsibly!

sorry i didn't mean all runners just some who seem to get very upset over the idea that training indoors or out the back garden (if one was available) might be a better idea.

RacoonQueen

tom1ie wrote: »

the 2km restriction is from your home?

He's a sprinter. 1km to start is a long run, he'd be wrecked. :pac:

RacoonQueen

John_Rambo wrote: »

Same here, but some people don't...



So, to keep up social distancing I am trying to avoid joggers who want to stick to the path.

Not what I was getting at, as you well know. There is an awful common trend with the kind of threads you participate in in this forum John_Rambo. Out of the small number of threads you have participated in on Athletics, this is the third walker -v- runner thread you have posted in on this forum. The mods are well aware of those who appear to be setting out to antagonise the forum regulars, just so you know.

MY BAD

I've noticed in the media that runners or joggers as some of them refer us to are getting a lot of bad press. I guess someone as to be the boogey man

OOnegative

I’ve only met one runner who was a w@nker in my time running and he certainly wasn’t from these parts. Runners who have a half ounce of knowledge of running will make way for people, move over for the family with children whatever you so called experts who wandered in from other forums want to think. Runners regardless of what ye think are decent people, they are mannerly and courteous.

The faith of Covid won’t be down to weather to John or Mary ran past dripping of sweat and looking like a mess. Look at all the gatherings of people in parks since the weather picked up, these are the problems. I seen a WhatsApp video from Sheriff Street yesterday of easy 100 people plus gathered celebrating the good weather or whatever.

Go educate these fools, cause from what I’ve seen on Strava and read here, runners are not the issue of flattening the curve to help Covid turn the corner. The only idiotic thing going on here is non forum regulars spouting absolute tripe like there buddy Gemma O Doherty the other day.

sideswipe

I think people just need to get used to this. Social distancing is not going away until a vaccine is found in 12 to 18 months. There maybe relaxing of restrictions and further lockdowns but the truth is none of us know. But to suggest banning people from running until Covid-19 is ‘over’ doesn’t make much sense. I could however see some restrictions in terms of area or time of day.
Now.... I’m off for my run, all you anti-runner types who only discovered outdoors in the last few weeks have had plenty of time to get out today. Get back on yer couch;)

Chivito550

tom1ie wrote: »

Training at home would be better as it would nip this clash in the bud and still allow people to train.
Everyone’s happy.

I wouldn't be happy. We live in a small one bed apartment with no back garden. And hanging out of doors doing pull ups? Now, of all times, is not the time to be breaking sh1t in the gaf.

manonboard

adrian522 wrote: »

Possibly, but I'll leave it up to the experts to make that judgement, there are huge mental as well as physical benefits to getting outside the house for some exercise.

I wouldn't be ok staying in my home all the time. Its been 6+ weeks plus for me.
My daily run is keeping me sane. If i miss a day or two, im getting far more moody, claustrophobic. I Live in a pretty small place. One room for everything.

I take your point, but its a necessity for some to get out.

manonboard

Chivito550 wrote: »

I wouldn't be happy. We live in a small one bed apartment with no back garden. And hanging out of doors doing pull ups? Now, of all times, is not the time to be breaking sh1t in the gaf.

lol, i bought a in door pull up bar today

Sam Hain

manonboard wrote: »

I wouldn't be ok staying in my home all the time. Its been 6+ weeks plus for me.
My daily run is keeping me sane. If i miss a day or two, im getting far more moody, claustrophobic. I Live in a pretty small place. One room for everything.

I take your point, but its a necessity for some to get out.

I agree with what you say about keeping you sane etc. But it is not a necessity no more than tightrope walking.

Chivito550

Sam Hain wrote: »

I agree with what you say about keeping you sane etc. But it is not a necessity no more than tightrope walking.

Drinking beer is not a necessity yet the government classifies off-licence as essential services.

Melanchthon

Chivito550 wrote: »

Drinking beer is not a necessity yet the government classifies off-licence as essential services.

You want a load of alco's drying out (which can kill if unsupervised) or drinking meths at a time the health system is already under strain

yosser hughes

average_runner wrote: »

Yes :D:D:D

I think the whole thing went over your head

It really didn't but never mind.
I have to laugh at the how seriously some people take themselves and have the cheek to put themselves high up on some hierarchy of runners:D
The self regard these people have is hilarious

ligerdub

tom1ie wrote: »

sure its only the flu :rolleyes:

Quality rebuttal there. My point was that it wasn't this all-infecting illness it has been made out to be. Stupid little retorts like that is no argument at all.

Take the example of the notable cruise ship case, a great example of a confined space where avoiding close quarters with others for extended periods of time is almost impossible. A perfect storm for something to spread.
The infection rate (note.....INFECTION rate) was 1 in 6 people.

tom1ie wrote: »

how do you know this to be the case?
The chances of passing on a virus while running past somebody and several feet away, for the grand total of less than 2 seconds must be miniscule.

If it's not a hugely infectious virus within close environments for a reasonable length of time, then it stands to reason that a brief, almost non-existent length of time spent outdoors, not even that near the other person is not much of a threat.

Perhaps a better question would be how do you think that it IS the case.

Like I say, it's no skin off anyone's nose to keep the distance from people, and it's one I adhere to. However, this social shaming crap is ridiculous, and is all too common these days, particularly for non faux pas.

tom1ie

OOnegative wrote: »

I’ve only met one runner who was a w@nker in my time running and he certainly wasn’t from these parts. Runners who have a half ounce of knowledge of running will make way for people, move over for the family with children whatever you so called experts who wandered in from other forums want to think. Runners regardless of what ye think are decent people, they are mannerly and courteous.

The faith of Covid won’t be down to weather to John or Mary ran past dripping of sweat and looking like a mess. Look at all the gatherings of people in parks since the weather picked up, these are the problems. I seen a WhatsApp video from Sheriff Street yesterday of easy 100 people plus gathered celebrating the good weather or whatever.

Go educate these fools, cause from what I’ve seen on Strava and read here, runners are not the issue of flattening the curve to help Covid turn the corner. The only idiotic thing going on here is non forum regulars spouting absolute tripe like there buddy Gemma O Doherty the other day.

Wow. Just wow

tom1ie

Chivito550 wrote: »

I wouldn't be happy. We live in a small one bed apartment with no back garden. And hanging out of doors doing pull ups? Now, of all times, is not the time to be breaking sh1t in the gaf.

Pop a newspaper beer mats or playing cards under the non hinge side of the door. That supports your weight

Chivito550

Melanchthon wrote: »

You want a load of alco's drying out (which can kill if unsupervised) or drinking meths at a time the health system is already under strain

Ditto mental health issues if you remove running.

Your move.

tom1ie

ligerdub wrote: »

Quality rebuttal there. My point was that it wasn't this all-infecting illness it has been made out to be. Stupid little retorts like that is no argument at all.

Take the example of the notable cruise ship case, a great example of a confined space where avoiding close quarters with others for extended periods of time is almost impossible. A perfect storm for something to spread.
The infection rate (note.....INFECTION rate) was 1 in 6 people.



If it's not a hugely infectious virus within close environments for a reasonable length of time, then it stands to reason that a brief, almost non-existent length of time spent outdoors, not even that near the other person is not much of a threat.

Perhaps a better question would be how do you think that it IS the case.

Like I say, it's no skin off anyone's nose to keep the distance from people, and it's one I adhere to. However, this social shaming crap is ridiculous, and is all too common these days, particularly for non faux pas.

So the front line doctors and nurses getting infected and dying would argue your point about it not being a highly infectious virus in a close environment.

By the way I’d like to say I actually do run (5k) maybe twice a week aswell as body weight workouts and hiit sessions, but since this “half lockdown” I’ve stopped running as I want to reduce my interaction with the public as ya know there’s a pandemic on.

tom1ie

Chivito550 wrote: »

Ditto mental health issues if you remove running.

Your move.

Ah stop now will ya. So if ya can’t run your gonna have a physical reaction and get sick?
Really?