Stay alert, avoid sprint finishes and try walking for once: how to be a pandemic savvy jogger
At the start of this pandemic “pavement wars” erupted all over the country, with tensions bubbling up between runners and those on their permitted daily walk. Both sides jostled for space on pavements while anxious about infection and both sides thought it was the other that was getting in the way.
After 20 years of running, I have noticed pedestrians becoming more suspicious and even hostile towards runners who are in danger of leapfrogging cyclists to become the country’s most hated exercisers. And jogging in the coronavirus era needs new guidelines so runners and walkers can enjoy their daily exercise harmoniously and safely. Here’s how…
Don’t whizz past people
Runners sometimes scare pedestrians by shooting past them without warning. One moment someone’s having a gentle walk in a park, lost in their thoughts – the next, a panting pacer whizzes past them.
While the runner can see ahead to the walker, it can be very unsettling for the walker to suddenly have a runner in full flow appear behind them; during a pandemic it’s even scarier. You can avoid freaking walkers out by either gently calling out to let them know you’re coming or giving them as wide a berth as possible as you pass.
Go wider than 2m if you can
If you run past someone with the nationally recommended two metre distance, there is little chance of you infecting one another; particularly as you are moving quickly. The particles of the virus, or aerosols, will be dispersed by fresh air. That said, if you can choose a route for your run where it’s easy to keep well over two metres distance then that will make you even safer (and help reassure the walkers).
Question who you’re running past
Just because you know the risk of infection is small if you keep your distance, that doesn’t mean everyone else does. Consider how an unvaccinated older person, or somebody with an underlying health condition, may feel when a breathless, sweaty human being pants towards them during a global health crisis. It’s not just the elderly who worry. When I was out walking recently a heavy breathing runner brushed past me. For days afterwards I wondered if I could have caught Covid from them.
Remember you’re immune suppressed after a hard run
Running boosts your immunity in the long-term but the strain of longer and harder runs can temporarily suppress immune function. Immune cells decrease to below normal levels, sometimes by as much as 50 per cent for some hours, before leveling off at normal levels.
So the hours after a long run are probably not the time to brave the supermarket. You may even like to wind in the long runs completely until the world is safe. Either way, make sure that you regularly boost your immunity with healthy foods and drinks and vitamins.
Don’t spit or snot
Increasing numbers of runners seem to have adopted that footballers’ habit of regularly spitting out saliva or firing jets of mucus out of their noses mid-exercise. I’m amazed by how many lumps of gob I still see on pavements. This is an unpleasant habit at the best of times but during a pandemic it’s completely unacceptable. Covid-19 is spread by respiratory droplets, so spraying around little pools of the bodily fluids that carry Covid really isn’t cool, even if you don’t see anybody on your run. Cut it out.
Don’t run if you have any Covid symptoms
The old theory that you can “run off” an illness has always been questionable. When that illness might be Covid-19, it’s unforgivable. So if you’ve got a temperature, a cough, or any other symptoms, please leave your running shoes by the door.
Take a mask
There is no need to wear a mask during a jog unless you are running on a densely busy route but it is worth taking one in your pocket or running belt, in case of an accident or if you decide to stop in a shop for a drink.
Don’t zone out
One of the joys of running is that it lets you switch off. As you dash along, you can forget about life’s worries and stresses. It brings you a natural high and long runs can even send you into a meditative and hypnotic state. As runners we should cherish all of that but we should also stay reasonably alert. If we switch off too much we could collide with another person, which is the last thing anyone wants right now. Or we could slip on ice or trip on a tree trunk, potentially getting a serious injury and adding unnecessary strain to the NHS right when it doesn’t need it.
Don’t sprint unnecessarily
There’s a time and a place for a dramatic sprint finish at the end of your 10k run. Crowded pavements during a pandemic are not them. It can be nice to finish with a flourish but you’re not Mo Farah and this isn’t 2012. So maybe hold back the theatrics for quieter times. A simple, straightforward run shouldn’t impact on other people. The more jazz hands you add to it the more issues you can create.
Go at a sensible time
Your local park and high street will be busy at midday on a Saturday, but quiet at 7am on a Monday. If you schedule your runs for quieter times then a lot of the problems addressed in this list won’t come up.
Try being a walker for once
Of course runners and walkers are not two distinct species. Runners also walk sometimes. During the pandemic I’ve learned a lot from watching other runners while I’m walking. What are they doing that’s considerate? What are they doing that’s annoying? It can be quite eye opening.
Run alone
We take deeper breaths as we run so spending a prolonged period of time in the close vicinity or slipstream of another runner is dangerous right now, particularly as asymptomatic transmission remains a concern. Current lockdown rules prohibit running with more than one person from other households but even once the rules are relaxed, ask yourself if company on your run is worth the increased risk. Also, running as a group you are more likely to be an inconvenience to other pavement users.
Take these tips forward
Most of these guidelines will still be good ideas when the pandemic eases and hopefully ends. Why not keep being a considerate runner long into the future?
Running: Cheaper Than Therapy by Chas Newkey-Burden (Bloomsbury). Buy now for £12.99 at books.telegraph.co.uk or call 0844 871 1514
