Nick Cohen on Walking in Britain

[Wowbagger]

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/06/odds-against-nation-of-walkers

Splendid article there.

[mrcharly-YHT]

I thought so too. Nice bit of balance about risks.

[Jaded]

Just pop them in some hi-vis. Sorted.

[Dibdib]

I enjoyed the "do what your mother told you" diet!

[Jaded]

I enjoyed the "do what your mother told you" diet!

Are you sure you didn't have just one bit of cake? 

[Dibdib]

I didn't have just one bit of cake...





...I had three

[walney]

Excellent article. One of the arguments I use when the tired " we pay road taxes" line is trotted out is we are all pedestrians but do we pay a pedestrian taxes for all the infrastructure for put in place for us.   

[Cudzoziemiec]

Just pop them in some hi-vis. Sorted.

You're late, it's already compulsory. (for people walking along roads out of urban areas, at night, in Poland - aren't we happy to see Eastern Europe leading the way in road safety for a change?) Add this to the motorway hard-shoulder laws in France and elsewhere and it will quite likely be here soon.

[sojournermike]

Good article, although he implies that there were 4 pedestrian deaths in one day in Cumbria, when they were actually motorcyclists and car passengers.

A couple of things have irritated me lately:

1. The Sheffield Half Marathon, which was cancelled because there was no water for mile 6. I presume this is some insurance requirement and that we clearly cannot run more than 3 miles without water and maintain safe hydration levels... Frankly, most of the runners should be able to run the full event without water at this time of year and at close to their typical road half marathon pace. I struggle to see how a single missing water station creates a health risk, and surely anyone participating does so at tehir own risk in any case?

2. I received an email inviting me to run the karrimor trail race on Latrigg Fell. Cost entry was £25, or around £4 per mile! It promised a safe course and a good introduction to trail running. For crying out loud, can we not get ourselves out of bed and have a run off road without the safety police pursuing us. What happened to £1.50 to cover the cost of tea and cakes and 20p for club funds - oh, I forgot, it's become an industry.


end of rant

Mike

[sojournermike]

OK, just a bit more

http://www.greattrailchallenge.org/TheChallenge/Default.aspx

includes:

Safety

Off road running means heading out into the great outdoors and routes often include trails, hills and uneven surfaces so make sure you stay safe during training. Watch out for mountain bikers approaching from all directions and be aware of your surroundings – especially if you are running with music.

Lots of people join a running club or run with a friend, rather than running alone. If you do run alone make sure you always tell a friend or family member where you will be running. If you’re not familiar with an area, take a map, a mobile phone and the telephone number of the local mountain rescue service with you in case of an emergency. If you train in the evening, it’s a good idea to wear reflective clothing so that you’re easily visible.


I have been known, on a regular basis, to leave the mobile behind in order to have some space. And wearing hivis despoils the views for others.

[mcshroom]

Where's the compass and whistle?

[hellymedic]

Where's the compass and whistle?

In a little blue bag in my 'travel sundries' bag.

[ian]

Good article, although he implies that there were 4 pedestrian deaths in one day in Cumbria, when they were actually motorcyclists and car passengers.

A couple of things have irritated me lately:

1. The Sheffield Half Marathon, which was cancelled because there was no water for mile 6. I presume this is some insurance requirement and that we clearly cannot run more than 3 miles without water and maintain safe hydration levels... Frankly, most of the runners should be able to run the full event without water at this time of year and at close to their typical road half marathon pace. I struggle to see how a single missing water station creates a health risk, and surely anyone participating does so at tehir own risk in any case?

2. I received an email inviting me to run the karrimor trail race on Latrigg Fell. Cost entry was £25, or around £4 per mile! It promised a safe course and a good introduction to trail running. For crying out loud, can we not get ourselves out of bed and have a run off road without the safety police pursuing us. What happened to £1.50 to cover the cost of tea and cakes and 20p for club funds - oh, I forgot, it's become an industry.


end of rant

Mike

Because someone will trip or suffer some other malady and make a claim against the organisers. The organisers therefore need appropriate liability insurance, or risk being bankrupted by a claim. The policy will stipulate a negation of any obvious source of risk, or they're not going to pay out.

Anyway, people can't cross the street these days without paying heed to their vital hydration needs by clutching a bottle of water. I know people who won't get the train to work unless they have water. Like you're going to fatally dehydrate sitting on the train? They have to carry water everywhere. It's most bizarre.

[Bledlow]

Good article, although he implies that there were 4 pedestrian deaths in one day in Cumbria, when they were actually motorcyclists and car passengers.

A couple of things have irritated me lately:

1. The Sheffield Half Marathon, which was cancelled because there was no water for mile 6. I presume this is some insurance requirement and that we clearly cannot run more than 3 miles without water and maintain safe hydration levels... Frankly, most of the runners should be able to run the full event without water at this time of year and at close to their typical road half marathon pace. I struggle to see how a single missing water station creates a health risk, and surely anyone participating does so at tehir own risk in any case?

2. I received an email inviting me to run the karrimor trail race on Latrigg Fell. Cost entry was £25, or around £4 per mile! It promised a safe course and a good introduction to trail running. For crying out loud, can we not get ourselves out of bed and have a run off road without the safety police pursuing us. What happened to £1.50 to cover the cost of tea and cakes and 20p for club funds - oh, I forgot, it's become an industry.


end of rant

Mike

+1.

The Sheffield half-marathon was ridiculous - & 80% of the runners thought so. Doctors kept popping up on TV & radio afterwards saying it was silly.

[The French Tandem]

Anyway, people can't cross the street these days without paying heed to their vital hydration needs by clutching a bottle of water. I know people who won't get the train to work unless they have water. Like you're going to fatally dehydrate sitting on the train? They have to carry water everywhere. It's most bizarre.

Bizarre? No, it's only marketing. The people you are talking about don't drink tap water. They drink "special" water only.

[Jaded]

Doesn't it stem from something about the brain not functioning properly if dehydrated.

Schools and businesses installed water cooler sand allowed kids to drink all the time.

Then the science was disproved, but it was too late.

[walney]

 This is an excellent article about the dehydration/hydration issue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24464774

[Cudzoziemiec]

Primary schools supply each child their own water bottle with their name on it and they seem to be allowed to drink from them in the middle of lessons. This is why today's children are so much brainier than their parents. It's only tap water though - I expect frieze cools get mineralised spring water enriched with vital vitamins and flavoured with essence of essential superfoods to make them even more cleverest.

[ian]

Anyway, people can't cross the street these days without paying heed to their vital hydration needs by clutching a bottle of water. I know people who won't get the train to work unless they have water. Like you're going to fatally dehydrate sitting on the train? They have to carry water everywhere. It's most bizarre.

Bizarre? No, it's only marketing. The people you are talking about don't drink tap water. They drink "special" water only.

Oh I know, I was commenting on the appearance of constantly pausing everyday activities to sip water as though the moment they stop they'll crumble to the ground like an Egyptian mummy who's foolishly opted to try out power plate pilates. Our mothership bristles with water dispensers and a hot/cold filtered water system. Dehydration is evidently the silent killer of the chronically deskbound. No one can drink tap water. No, we have to waste time and energy hauling huge bottles of health-giving water around on the back of fume-belching lorries, rather than use the perfectly ingenious underground distribution mechanism we already have. FFS, we're shipping water from Fuji. One can only hope they save money on transporting this by concentrating it beforehand.

Drink when you're thirsty. Unless it's beer. Or coffee.

Simple rules for good health that don't require a book: eat plenty of veg and fruit, eat three meals a day, avoid snacking in between, do some proper exercise daily, and break the rules every now and again for cake and beer. Taking a sip of water every five minutes, avoiding food group x, fasting every other day, and categorising vacuuming as exercise on the other hand.

[mattc]

This is an excellent article about the dehydration/hydration issue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24464774

That's good stuff 

I think there's truth in:

Doesn't it stem from something about the brain not functioning properly if dehydrated.

Schools and businesses installed water cooler sand allowed kids to drink all the time.

Then the science was disproved, but it was too late.

[My bold]

... but IIRC the research defined "dehydrated" as really very dehydrated. Only drinking 3 cups this morning is not in this category!

Ian:
totally agree about the bottled water thing. Shipping it half round the planet AND making all those bottles from fossil fuels ... 

(deviating to the Sheffield Half-Mara snafu; couldn't they have just filled some cups from local taps?!? )

[mcshroom]

That's what a lot of locals did actually do. From the reports in the local press, the company that supplied the bowser had switched to payment up-front since the previous year, and the organising team had missed this. Therefore no payment, no bowsers.