The times, they certainly are a-changing – and we’re all learning to adjust to the new way of life and making changes to how we do things for the time being. For some runners, that means hitting the road instead of the treadmill at the moment and for others it means keeping inside at home and hitting the treadmill (maybe even literally with your lockdown-clenched-stir-crazy fists) instead of the road.
It also means that there are even more joggers out and about than you would usually see as people try to stay active and keep themselves healthy.
There has been a lot of negativity on social media-based running groups about new runners pulling on their trainers and going for a jog – and it’s important to remember to be as supportive of these people as possible and encourage them in their endeavours, as they’re sure to already be feeling anxious and stressed about doing it.
Remember – there’s no place for judgement on the road and we all had to start somewhere. If they continue with their running pursuits after lockdown has been lifted, great. If not, that’s their choice and no one should be shamed for starting to run at any time, but particularly not at the moment. Exercise is essential not just for physical fitness but for mental health and wellbeing, as well – and there’s more than enough to be anxious about right now, wouldn’t you agree?
So if you see someone running and it’s clear they’re new to it, why not shout some words of encouragement at them to help drive them on?
Why not suggest they start doing parkrun when normal life resumes? Why not suggest they join some running groups online to help keep them motivated? It’s hard enough finding motivation as a seasoned runner… imagine what it must be like for a complete beginner, especially at the moment.
When you’re running yourself, it’s important to respect social distancing measures and ensure that you keep at least 2m away from other people at all times. This may mean altering your route a little or running in the road (check for cars first!), but give the people you’re passing or running near a cheery little wave and a hello… smiles and positivity are contagious and you never know who might really need a pick-me-up right now.
In terms of where you choose to run, this is obviously dependent upon where you live. If you’re lucky enough to be out in the countryside and have fields galore as your playground, then by all means make the most of this, you lucky ducks.
But government advice is to stay at home except for daily exercise – and this means that you should be staying as close to home as you can, even on a daily run. It might be tempting to really let go and take yourself miles from home but the advice to stay at home is to help slow the spread of coronavirus to reduce pressure on the NHS.
Did you know that the virus can potentially be transmitted on the soles of your shoes? You may be asymptomatic and not even know you have the virus. You feel fine, so you go for a 20 mile run – but you take the virus with you and leave it behind after you run home, which could easily put other people at risk and transmit the virus somewhere it wasn’t before. Something to bear in mind.
It’s also important to know that the Center for Disease Control says the virus can survive on surfaces that both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected people have touched for up to 17 days, so staying close to home is an absolute must for everyone, runners included.
So think outside the box – find a car park to do laps of near your house. Or run 5k in one direction and then turn around and run 5k back home again. You don’t need to run 20 miles away from your house and then 20 miles back.
Also take care when you’re running and keep your eyes well peeled for obstacles in your path, bumpy bits of road and so on. What the NHS really doesn’t need right now is people showing up in A&E with broken ankles, sprains and twists… this takes healthcare professionals away from people who really need them and also puts you and your family more at risk of the virus because of unnecessary and entirely avoidable hospital admissions.
Remember that it’s not about you – it’s about protecting other people who are more susceptible to coronavirus, people who may not be as strong as you or who are immunocompromised and who won’t be able to fight the disease as well as you can.
So stay running, stay close to home and stay safe… just observe the rules that have been put in place to help protect the wider community at this interesting and challenging time.
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