Lessons learned!

[Whydothis]

This morning's run was my worst so far - and my own fault! My favourite route includes a loop through a small plantation, and I really enjoy being under the trees and hearing the birdsong. This morning I enjoyed it a bit too much, and stopped looking where I was putting my feet - and ended up flat on my front. Luckily, I have no injuries, other than my pride and some mud. I ran a bit further, but did cut it a bit short.

Today was the day when I had forgotten to charge my phone overnight - which made me think. Supposing I had broken a leg or hurt something so I couldn't get myself home? Supposing my phone had been completely flat? (Runkeeper is quite thirsty for battery)

So lesson number 1 - always keep an eye on the path, even when the surroundings are beautiful.

Lesson number 2 - never go out running alone with "just enough" phone battery.

[SJ60]

Gosh! I’m glad you’re okay and not hurt. Great to have a run full of natural sounds though 👍

[MontyMooDog Graduate]

Good advice there. Luckily no harm done..👍

[Cp1965 Graduate]

Strangely I have just posted in the "Bridge to 10k" forum on this very topic! I was distracted by a young swan, whom I've watched grow from a ball of fluff to adolescence, take flight this morning and put my foot in a hole! Sore ankle, hopefully no damage, but lesson learned.

[Whydothis Graduate]

I have just read your post - strange we should both do it on the same day. I hope the ankle is ok. The swan sounds exciting - a better excuse than mine!

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate]

Absolutely! Yep, I always say "stop to gawp" every time I've been paying too much attention to my surroundings and not the trail I've had a fall. None bad thankfully, just reminders to respect the trails!

I'm usually out for quite a while so try to make sure I have a fully charged phone. If you run nearby home you could consider a tracker tag or sharing your location with a loved one via Google maps or on a family tracker like life360. 👍🏻

[Whydothis Graduate in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

I live alone, and there is no-one I would want to be able to track me!

What I do have on my phone is What3words, which was recommended to me by my son. It enables anybody with the same app, including the emergency services, to find you if you tell them the three words your phone gives you to identify your exact location, to the nearest 3 metres. I walk for a couple of hours on non-running days, very often alone, so I feel it is important to do everything possible to be safe.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to Whydothis]

It's a useful app. I would still consider sharing location with your son, he's not going to watch your every move but at least he'd know where to start looking if you say knocked yourself out. Think about where you keep your phone too, as if you fell and smashed it, it might not be much use. A good old fashioned whistle can be handy and you can get really tiny ones now. 👍🏻

Also you can turn sharing off and on really easily so maybe only do it for running?

[Whydothis Graduate in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

I do accept the sense in this. However, it is only in the last year that I have been able to persuade my 87 year old mother to wear a tracking device - perhaps I have inherited the independent/awkward streak!

In any case my most local son and daughter in law are at work full time, and are unlikely to notice I am not around until they would have spoken to me, which tends to be a couple of times a week! I just need to be more careful, always carry the phone, and rely on emergency services!

You are right about a whistle. The daft thing is that the rucksack I use on full day walks, with other people, has a built-in whistle, but the smaller one I might take on a short walk doesn't. I will get myself one to share between that bag and my running belt (or even push the boat out and get two!)

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to Whydothis]

It prompted me to order another, as I have one built in to a vest, but not in my more used one, so a useful reminder all round! You could also consider a personal alarm which if you were hurt you could set off, they're so annoying, I'm sure someone would come to investigate 👍🏻

[Whydothis Graduate in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

That's an idea, thank you. Mind you, I have no intention of making a habit of falling over!

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to Whydothis]

Me neither, although I have had 3 falls this year, thankfully none serious!

[Whydothis Graduate in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

3 falls might put me off running!

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to Whydothis]

naw, I wasn't following my own "stop to gawp" rule, caught a root each time. Grazes from one, just bruises and hurt pride from the others. I was just glad they were fairly soft landings, no rocks or stones. 😁

[nowster Graduate in reply to Whydothis]

Don't rely on what3words to get you out of trouble. Its algorithm is secret and proprietary and you need to be online to decode it.

What you might not know is that any smartphone made recently automatically sends your GPS coordinates to the emergency services when you make a 999 (or 112) call.

[Whydothis Graduate in reply to nowster]

I had been told that the emergency services like what3words and find it useful.

I didn't know that the phone sends location info automatically - that is comforting

[nowster Graduate in reply to Whydothis]

I'm not sure how much of that is advertising. Also I wonder how much w3w is charging them for what is a commercial service.

[Whydothis Graduate in reply to nowster]

I don't know. But I do know that w3w was recommended to a farmer friend by the local police, and I have just received a local Police rural crime newsletter where they have included the w3w logo. This leads to my feeling that having it installed can't do any harm.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to nowster]

I wouldn't rely on this either. I rang 999 recently for a fire... they didn't know where I was neither was w3w particularly useful either given where I was 🤷‍♀️

[acountrycabbage Graduate]

Brilliant advice. Hope you’ve recovered from your ordeal!

I’ve just started using the Pacer app and am comforted that you can share your running start time, live-location and battery life during a run with up to 3 contacts. Don’t know how much it drains your battery doing so though..! #catch22 😄