Spectacles: A fairly trivial matter compared to... - Couch to 5K

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Spectacles

Zev1963 profile image
Zev1963Graduate
36 Replies

A fairly trivial matter compared to all of the other posts on here, but do any of you fellow runners wear glasses?

I wear glasses nearly all the time, and I can just about see well enough to read large print without them if I squint. So I can read Mr Garmin without them, pretty much because I already know what his menu items say, so can guess what he's telling me.

Anyway, I've become increasingly irritated by having to keep pushing them back up my nose while running. They are pretty much as light as they can be with my prescription, I've paid for the lightest frames and lenses that my prescription will allow.

Soooo, yesterday evening I decided to run without them. I'm not quite Mr McGoo, I can see generally what is around me, but not much in detail. In the end I felt it to be a great success, once I got used to not being able to see too well, I kind of got used to it.

I seem to be running more and more naked :) No mp3 player for the last two weeks, and now no glasses. :)

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Zev1963 profile image
Zev1963
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36 Replies

good post Zev :D have never thought of running with out specs as my sight is really bad without everything would be a blur ,might try it just walking though see how I go :D think I would feel unsafe , we will see or not :D

Zev1963 profile image
Zev1963Graduate in reply to

Thanks Rob. Take care now, I dont want to be the inspiration for some dreadful accident !

One of my collegues has macullar degenration, he finds it difficult to recognise folk standing a few feet away, yet he still cycles, and goes skiing. So I guess there are ways and means.

Contact lenses might be better for running, but I really dont fancy poking things into my eyes, and then trying to get them back out again.

in reply to Zev1963

Don't worry Zev I will be very careful :) I used to wear contacts many years ago , changed daily you really didn't know they were in. I am pretty sure you can get a free trial to see how you go :D

in reply to Zev1963

Contact lenses have come on leaps and bounds over the years. I love mine and hate having to wear my glasses now, and I don't think I would like to run in my specs! You get surprisingly adept at poking them in and taking them out again. Depending on how active you are in your non-running life it might be worth the free trial as Slow_Rob suggests.

I've never been brave enough to consider laser eye surgery though, that's taking it too far for my liking :D

useitorloseit profile image
useitorloseitGraduate in reply to

I had laser eye surgery in 2012 and it CHANGED MY LIFE!!! Bloody expensive though. I had to get the interest free credit and it took 2 years to pay off. Well worth it though.

Steve_L profile image
Steve_LGraduate

I wear glasses for reading. First few runs of C25K I was running in a jogging hoodie that had pockets, so I stashed them there. After a while I started leaving them at home. I can read the Garmin (just) but just hope I don't end up in a situation where I need to read while running (can't really read texts etc on my phone).

5kOrBust profile image
5kOrBustGraduate

I wear specs as I'm short sighted. Don't (yet) need them to read (my Nike+ app screen etc.) but needed for anything at a distance. They seem to stay on ok, I don't have to adjust them whilst I'm running, (probably because I've got a fat head!) ;)

Zev1963 profile image
Zev1963Graduate in reply to 5kOrBust

I have a fat head too, but that doesnt seem to help ;)

carerof profile image
carerofGraduate in reply to 5kOrBust

Lol.!!!!

Dunder2004 profile image
Dunder2004Graduate

I wear my glasses when running without any 'slippage' problems.

Heavy rain is more of a problem for me and I have been thinking about disposable contact lenses.

useitorloseit profile image
useitorloseitGraduate

I've seen sportsmen and women with glasses which have a strap around the back?

Zev1963 profile image
Zev1963Graduate in reply to useitorloseit

ummmm like swimming goggles :D

Tomas profile image
TomasGraduate

Many moons ago in the army I had a pair of glasses with rubber rings at the ends of the arms. To wear them you wrapped the rubber rings around the ears. They were pretty uncomfortable to wear, but no matter how much you jumped about they stayed exactly where they were.

Now I run using normal glasses. It's a pain when it rains, but apart from that I don't mind.

Zev1963 profile image
Zev1963Graduate

Perhaps pince-nez might stay in place better :D

PrincessStef profile image
PrincessStefGraduate

I am supposed to wear my glasses most of the time, it is now a legal requirement for me to use them whilst driving so I use them then, but I don't wear them much other than that unless I want to see something like a film or the theatre. However I have considered wearing them while I run as I can't tell who is coming towards me until they are quite close and I find myself staring at them. This can be embarrassing if you think you recognise someone then they turn out to be a stranger :). I have also been surprised by a number of small dogs as the path I run on is light coloured so little dogs like shitzu's etc seem to hide on it and surprise me.

I have also been thinking about Sun Glasses (just a dream really in North Wales :))

Zev1963 profile image
Zev1963Graduate in reply to PrincessStef

That sounds good in a way, it causes you to be friendly with everyone you meet ( with the possible exception of the tiny dog which you boot into the long grass ) :D

50NotOut profile image
50NotOutGraduate

I run in my glasses (and sunglasses if required). I use the podcasts, so don't need to read anything or else I'd have to take my reading glasses too!

I couldn't run without them - I'd feel too vulnerable. I need to be able to see who and what is around me. For most of my route I run on the road, which I share with motorbikes, a few cars, pedestrians, bicycles, groups of gawking tourists and the occasional horse and cart. (Seriously.)

Also, where I live the surface I run on is pretty uneven and I'd probably end up twisting an ankle if I couldn't spot the potholes. That's if I didn't trip over the donkey. lol

carerof profile image
carerofGraduate in reply to 50NotOut

snap!!! i couldn't go anywhere without my specs, like you i would probably break my neck!!!!

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate

I wear my specs when I run. If I run without them, when I look down , the ground seems a long way away.

I am short sighted in one eye and long sighted in the other , I have been told . I always knew I was wonky :-)

When it rains , I wear a baseball cap, job done ! :-)

Tried contact lenses but couldn't get the hang of 'em . Had a trial but the optician thought they were not suitable for me as my eyes get dry .

PrincessStef profile image
PrincessStefGraduate in reply to poppypug

I am long sighted in one eye and short sighted in the other. But this means that I can squint with one eye and see things far away and squint with the other and see things closer :)

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate in reply to PrincessStef

Ha ha ! At least we've got a decent pair between us , or should that be we havent ? :-D xxx

PrincessStef profile image
PrincessStefGraduate in reply to poppypug

Maybe we could take it in turns having the good pair :)

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate in reply to PrincessStef

Ha ha , we could do a rota :-) xxx

Zev1963 profile image
Zev1963Graduate in reply to PrincessStef

That sounds almost like a superpower :D

misswobble profile image
misswobbleGraduate

LOL!

I park my specs on my head when I run. It takes practice but I've sussed it now. I did lose a pair however. Mind you they were only a quid from Ye Olde Cheapo Shoppe.

I can't see my Garmin without them, so when I need to look at it I have to just pull the glasses down and then push them back up again. A faff but there we are. We have to suffer for our art

folkieboater profile image
folkieboaterGraduate

I wear glasses all the time. Although I can see adequately without them, especially distance (I've always worn them to keep my lazy eye straight) the only thing I wouldn't wear them for is swimming. Don't have any slippage problems and really don't notice they are there.

Never fancied contacts, just not my thing. Definitely wouldn't consider surgery, of the people I know the results have ranged from no difference to being registered blind! Not a risk I'm willing to take!

Zev1963 profile image
Zev1963Graduate in reply to folkieboater

oooo Folkieboater, I've just seen your boat photo, do you live in the boat, it looks wonderful :)

folkieboater profile image
folkieboaterGraduate in reply to Zev1963

Yes, that's home, these last few nice days have reminded us that it's soon time to set off on our travels... It's a great way of life, just need a little lottery win so we don't have to work!!

Bazza1234 profile image
Bazza1234Graduate

I have two pairs - one is a very trendy very expensive carbon fibre straight arms - pretty well useless for running. The other is a n old fashioned Mr Magoo type which wrap right around my ears -- they stay on much better!! :)

My biggest problem is perspiration on the lenses

helcl profile image
helclGraduate

I recommend these amazon.co.uk/Sunglasses-Gla... I bought some for hubby and have tried them myself a few times

rmnsuk profile image
rmnsukGraduate

My eyes are terrible. I've worn glasses since I was 10. I can just about walk without them, but running, driving and reading would be impossible. The only time I take them off is on the treadmill. I found a gadget that means I can wear them anywhere except underwater.

for example...

ebay.co.uk/itm/3-pairs-Mult...

Temple hooks. They are awkward to put on and take off, but they work. I've worn glasses on 6 parkruns now and haven't had a problem at all. They work with sunglasses too.

folkieboater profile image
folkieboaterGraduate in reply to rmnsuk

I feel a purchase coming on... Thanks for the link..

Mysticalmaid profile image
MysticalmaidGraduate

I bent the arms down a little behind the ears, this was back in 2013, sounds like they aren't fitting quite right. How quickly will you see dangers without them? I'm very short sighted so everything is blurry within a foot from my face.

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate

I have odd eyes too :D so I wear a bi-focal contact lens in my good eye so I can see my Garmin and see where I'm going at the same time! However, sun is an issue at the moment (hooray!) so I was considering sunglasses but because I get so hot and sweaty I would be forever pushing the glasses back up my nose. I do have a sun visor but have only worn it a couple of times partly because of embarrassment :D and partly because it wasn't very comfortable. The difficulties of running!

Zev1963 profile image
Zev1963Graduate in reply to Anniemurph

I had to look up bifocal contact lenses on the internet, I thought you were pulling our legs :)

That is rather facinating, there are so many different kinds. My glasses are graduated bifocal. I had no idea that bifocal contact lenses exist :)

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate in reply to Zev1963

Ha ha, no leg pulling, honest! They are a bit weird, but they work :)

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