The fourth in a series of safety discussions by Jane Kayley-Burgess
Winter is coming, whether we like it or not. Pippingford Park was a bit glacial unless you were in the sun or the shelter of the trees. A northerly wind was blowing and the temperature had dropped significantly. So it’s time to get out your long-sleeved thermals but also to read the event details very carefully for mandated clothing.
Wear (or carry) waterproof/warm clothing
Most people, even very fit people, warm up as they run. Many believe in the adage ‘start cold, run fast’. That works provided the weather is constant (no sudden hailstorms), that you can run (no injuries or, as importantly, no injured person to have to stop to deal with) and that the area allows you to navigate on the run (you are not standing around working out where you are, thigh deep in a bog or exhausted from climbing over fallen trees). Overall you need to be able to guarantee the conditions and your ability to finish the course with no interruptions. And which of us can guarantee that?
Organisers are weather obsessed. Many will have three or four weather apps on their phone and will spend the days leading up to an event checking the conditions. The weather impacts the equipment needed, the parking, the turnout and, most of all, the safety of competitors and volunteers on the day before the event for set up and the day of the event.
Organisers are pragmatic and don’t like cancelling events, but neither do they want to have to report a case (or several) of hypothermia to British Orienteering. So if the odds are stacked against them they will try and create a scenario where the event can safely take place. This might include last minute changes to equipment that needs to be carried by orienteers.
Why does it matter if you get a bit cold? Because a ‘bit of cold’ can lead to mild or severe hypothermia where the body’s core temperature drops by just a few degrees. This can happen because you’re tired, not moving as fast as you’d hoped, maybe because you have stopped to help someone, or you are low on sugar. Left unchecked hypothermia can lead to confusion, lack of ability to make decisions and, ultimately, death.
And it’s not just about you, is it? BOF rules mandate that we stop and help if we come across an injured competitor. You might be there a minute or two, or an hour. An injured competitor will mean a report to BOF. By not having suitable clothing, you may also be a victim.
Well, it will never happen to me. But it does. So if the organiser asks you to bring or wear a waterproof jacket with taped seams and a hood, do it. If you’re worried about the extra bulk, the lightest jackets can weigh as little as 75gm. That’s a bit less than half a cup of water. If you’re worried about carrying it, most will fit in a bumbag or a hydration vest (but that’s a whole other topic). And whilst you’re at it, pop a running hat and running gloves in there too.
Whatever you do, DON’T wait until you have done the kit check on the way to the start and stuff your jacket in a tree.
