Be safe... be seen

The local running community was shocked and saddened this week to learn of the senseless and tragic death of Emmanuel Formosa from Mosta, knocked down by a car while out on a Sunday training run. The hearts and prayers of all runners go out to his wife and children at this time.

One initial reaction (after offering a heartfelt prayer for the deceased) might be to be more attentive, perhaps wear a reflective vest in order to increase our visibility, but in truth, this terrible tragedy occurred in broad daylight when visibility was not a problem.

We have all seen drivers conversing on mobile phones, or (worse) sending SMSs while driving and supposedly in full control of their vehicle.

One lesson we must learn from this tragedy is that as runners we cannot and must not trust drivers to be aware of our presence on the roads.

I know we all believe such a thing could never happen to us, but all the evidence shows us that (sadly) it can happen to anyone at any time.

We must take steps, because Malta has one of the highest traffic densities in the world.

Every driver in Malta is in a hurry, so whether because of speeding, or using a mobile phone or any other reason, we must never blindly believe that the driver knows we are there.

If there is a pavement, we must run on it, and if there is no pavement and we are forced to run on the road itself, we must ensure we never run on the side of the road that allows the traffic to come up and pass us from behind.

At all times we must run towards the oncoming traffic, and always be alert so that if for any reason the driver does not see us, at least we will see them and hopefully get enough time to take appropriate evasive action if required.

10km race

At key points in the months between November and February, I like to recommend certain races to check how your training preparation for the marathon is going.

One is the pre-Xmas M2S, which at near Half Marathon distance offers each runner a good gauge of their endurance capacity. It allows each one of us to ask and answer the question, can I last the distance?

Another race I annually recommend is the Attard 10km, which will be held on February 10. At just two weeks before the Half Marathon, it allows each runner a final check on his/her preparation.

The race is excellently organised by Attard AC and with the final two miles from Ta' Qali to Attard square being predominantly downhill, the route tends to result in fast times, which are always a welcome boost to a runner's morale.

Contact Attard AC or the Attard Local Council for application details.

One run too far

As I write (on Thursday evening) the weather outside is wild and wintry. I recently met several runners complaining of colds and flu symptoms.

Wrap up well (beanie, gloves, tights) and if need be actually postpone your training run if the weather is really foul.

As it gets closer and closer to race day, it becomes more and more wise to protect the fitness you've already got, instead of rashly reaching for one more long run which might just cause you to catch a cold or infection and end up missing the race entirely.

Finally, I hope you've sent in your entry form by now, because it certainly looks like we are due for another record-breaking year!

More next week. Be safe.

johnwalsh42195@yahoo.it