On training safety

Some time ago I wrote a post about my motivation to participate in a half- marathon. Having spent some time training hard, I started thinking what was it that I learned from sport. So today would like to draw your attention to several well- known and often neglected facts about sports and human anatomy. I will describe some of the most common mistakes and will try to give practical advice to help you through the long training period. I will be focusing on sports that are relatively common, safe and do not require enormous investments- cycling, jogging and going to the gym.

First and foremost, safety. It is important to understand that every type of sport can be dangerous- you can be seriously hurt or even killed. Also bear in mind we do sports to improve our general fitness and thus the quality of our lives. It is good to take things seriously, but you are (most likely) not a professional sportsman. Different rules apply to you, and it is definitely not worth taking any risks. Remember, the key to being safe is being prepared. So what can you do?
Some general safety remarks

Pick your training spot carefully. As a general rule, do not exercise outside after dark, especially in the wild or in the dangerous neighbourhoods (this applies to men as well).

Find someone who shares your passion for sport- two people are less likely to get attacked. Humans are not the only threat- wild animals are unpredictable and quite common in some parts of the world. Having a partner will help you make some new friends and stay motivated.

Respect the environment- your local park of the forest next to your town is not a bin.

If you go out of town, always have a mobile phone with you. In case something goes wrong it can (quite literally) be a life-saver.

If your activity takes a long time (e.g. a cycling trip) make sure you have enough water and something sweet in case you suddenly feel unwell. Alternatively, some cash would also help if there are shops along the way.

Respect others around you. In the gym, keep conversations down and have a towel at all times. On the road, do not endanger others with your behaviour but do not expect them to do the same for you. Always assume everyone is an idiot- the less trust you have in people, the less likely you are to be injured because of someone else's mistake.

Do not save money when it comes to equipment. If you want to make the most out your time, buy proper clothing and footwear. I used to experience the typical teenage joint pain until I bought a pair of good shoes and I can run pain-free now. You do not need to go over the top- purchasing high-end hydraulic brakes does not make a lot of sense if you only cycle to work.

Some cycling- specific remarks:

Cycling is different than running in the sense that it requires equipment other than your own body. Unlike your leg, a bike cannot tell if it is damaged, so it your responsibility to regularly check if everything is in working order. Pay special attention to to the brakes and wheels- a badly balance rim will affect the handling and if may result in a close encounter with the road.

Do not tinker with your bike if you do not know what you are doing. Should you need a repair seek professional advice.

Dirty bikes play dirty tricks- the best way to inspect a bike is to clean it thoroughly. Do not forget to oil the chain after cleaning.

Whenever you go out for a long trip (not within walking distances from the nearest train station), take a spare tube with you, especially if you have a road bike. Tools are also a good idea- a small all-in-one kit will only cost you a couple of pounds and can be invaluable in case something breaks down.

HELMET!!! I have been mowed down by a car and I guarantee a brain concussion is not the most pleasurable of experiences.

Do not overestimate your own abilities. Chicks can't tell the different between braking before the corner and braking right after you feel you are losing control. I learned this the hard way when I crashed my bike at 60 km/h on a mountain road, almost fell into a precipice, forced my dad to jump off his bike to avoid running me over, and forced a truck driver to almost drive into the precipice himself to avoid running me over. My dad broke his arm, and I had a close look at the inside of my knee. We had to keep cycling because our mobiles had no reception and we could not call anyone. In the hospital they put me next to a dying lady, and I was in pain for months. It has been 5 years now, my scar won't go away and my dad's elbow still won't extend. The moral: there is a place and time for extreme sports, and it is certainly not on open roads. If you want to take risks, take them on your own.

In conclusion- be sensible, plan things in advance, take care of yourself and do not endanger others.
Next time- having prepared everything, how to go about the actual workout.

***

Today, if Mr Cooper doesn't mind, I'd like to add another category- the proficient user who sticks to a hard-to-use program and takes pride in it. Take Linux users- yes, it is safer, faster, more stable than Windows, but it is complicated even for those who happen to have used a computer before. Even nowadays, with all that effort being put into making Linux* user-friendly, I still feel many people are scared by the very word Terminal. And this is the point- “noobs” should be kept away, and the society of enthusiasts should be closed to outsiders. You make friends with other geeks, get involved in the Vim vs Nano vs Emacs debates, and show off to every girl you see by saying “Step back, let the pro handle this”. The arguments are almost religious, while in reality none of the aforementioned products is clearly superior than the rest. None of the text editors will write a report for you, and in a the large majority of cases Windows (I can't believe I am saying this, but even Vista) will do the job just as good as any other operating system.
Being a part of this group for about an year now (I know, it is not a lot), I admit I regret getting rid of XP. It was horrible, but I never had to install tons and tons of different drivers to get above 800x600, sound is great, battery time was better than in Ubuntu 8.04 (!!!), and most importantly- games just work. No emulators, no tweaking, no swearing- they just work, and you can shoot as many bad guys as you like. Linux can't do that/

* Mac users, you are great, OS X is great, please do not flood my mailbox with angry comments.