Thank you for responding and adding more context. I’m still confused and a fair bit more suspect of the causal association.
I think it’s reasonable to say policy changes around Omicron limited your exercise options. It seems clear from your comment that you’re persistent in exercising consistently. (Props for that! I know it can be challenging.)
My confusion, possibly influenced by locale and my own exercise impulses: I don’t understand how running would be safer than cycling in icy conditions. I’m in a hilly section of a hilly city, and I’ve fallen at least half a dozen times through this winter just walking my dog, so admittedly that’s part of my risk assessment. But I’m similarly cautious about level surfaces when they’re icy, and I’ve injured myself on them too. I’ve biked on level surfaces in winter storms on narrowish road bike tires, and for me the risk feels about the same. None of this means your risk assessment should be different!
But where the causal relationship doesn’t add up to me:
> so I had no choice but to go running
Yeah you did. Obviously you would prefer a different form of exercise, and it’s a shame that wasn’t available. But closing pools didn’t dictate you run. It didn’t even directly lead to that choice, as you say you would have biked if it weren’t so icy.
While both of those are lower knee impact activities, this:
> but I thought it got better
Is a common factor in re-injury. And it can happen swimming and cycling too. The likely reality is that your healing was going well enough that you pushed too hard, too soon. It happens! And probably your choice of a higher impact exercise exacerbated that.
But attributing that to covid restrictions feels… like it disconnects your own risk assessment and your own reaction to signs your body wasn’t ready for the exercise you chose.
I want to be clear, I’m not judging that! But I’m coming from a place of experience where I’ve compounded harm to myself because I wanted circumstances to be better faster than they were improving.
So, I was looking for a drop-in replacement for swimming (~3-~4km per day, so ~60-90 minutes plus commute) that could be done:
• outside
• by myself
• in the winter (~-10°C)
• without needing access to any (locked down) facility
• or significant investment in equipment
• or additional time
• that isn't mind-numbingly boring
• and that would yield a similar metabolic effect.
"No choice" is shorthand for "I don't feel like plumbing the depths of all possible forms of exercise to come up with a suitable match under these constraints so I'll just pick running."
Genuinely interested in any alternatives that satisfy those criteria because I bet they'd be creative.
As for the ice, I bought a decent pair of trail shoes that seemed to work fine.
eyelidlessness|4 years ago
I think it’s reasonable to say policy changes around Omicron limited your exercise options. It seems clear from your comment that you’re persistent in exercising consistently. (Props for that! I know it can be challenging.)
My confusion, possibly influenced by locale and my own exercise impulses: I don’t understand how running would be safer than cycling in icy conditions. I’m in a hilly section of a hilly city, and I’ve fallen at least half a dozen times through this winter just walking my dog, so admittedly that’s part of my risk assessment. But I’m similarly cautious about level surfaces when they’re icy, and I’ve injured myself on them too. I’ve biked on level surfaces in winter storms on narrowish road bike tires, and for me the risk feels about the same. None of this means your risk assessment should be different!
But where the causal relationship doesn’t add up to me:
> so I had no choice but to go running
Yeah you did. Obviously you would prefer a different form of exercise, and it’s a shame that wasn’t available. But closing pools didn’t dictate you run. It didn’t even directly lead to that choice, as you say you would have biked if it weren’t so icy.
While both of those are lower knee impact activities, this:
> but I thought it got better
Is a common factor in re-injury. And it can happen swimming and cycling too. The likely reality is that your healing was going well enough that you pushed too hard, too soon. It happens! And probably your choice of a higher impact exercise exacerbated that.
But attributing that to covid restrictions feels… like it disconnects your own risk assessment and your own reaction to signs your body wasn’t ready for the exercise you chose.
I want to be clear, I’m not judging that! But I’m coming from a place of experience where I’ve compounded harm to myself because I wanted circumstances to be better faster than they were improving.
dorian|4 years ago
• outside
• by myself
• in the winter (~-10°C)
• without needing access to any (locked down) facility
• or significant investment in equipment
• or additional time
• that isn't mind-numbingly boring
• and that would yield a similar metabolic effect.
"No choice" is shorthand for "I don't feel like plumbing the depths of all possible forms of exercise to come up with a suitable match under these constraints so I'll just pick running."
Genuinely interested in any alternatives that satisfy those criteria because I bet they'd be creative.
As for the ice, I bought a decent pair of trail shoes that seemed to work fine.