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The perils of street running

The perils of street running

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Most runners live in large urban areas. And while it’s convenient for grabbing a quick meal or doing the groceries, it makes life dangerous for people who love the sport.

Street running has been around since the 1960s when the athletics movement really got going and became something ordinary people did. Runners would hop on and off the sidewalk, in and out of parked cars, and around slow-moving pedestrians. 

But from the start, it was clear that all was not well with the practice. Some people loved it because it let them create elaborate routes, both on-street and off, but there were downsides, too. 

In this post, we take a look at some of the perils of street running and why you’re much better off doing laps of the park if you live in an urban area. Read on to learn more. 

High volumes of air pollution

The amount of air pollution in urban areas is bad for non-runners. But it is particularly troublesome for those who run regularly. Running causes people to breathe more deeply which then opens up more areas of the lungs to damage. 

Right now, diesel fumes are the biggest issue. Despite efforts to tax them into oblivion, there are still many cars on the road running on this fuel. And things don’t look set to change for at least a decade, probably longer. 

Diesel is particularly harmful because of the small particles it contains. When these interact with alveolar lung cells, it causes DNA mutations that then lead to conditions like emphysema, lung cancer, and COPD. The number of runners with these conditions is rising, thanks to polluted city runs. 

There’s also the general soreness and throat issues that city pollution causes. Inactive people remain unaffected. But runners tend to take the brunt of it, thanks to the rate at which they breathe. Heavy breathing thins the protective mucosal layer in the back of the throat, causing pain in the short term. Regular city air is not harmless. 

Traffic concerns

Besides air pollution, street runners also have to deal with traffic concerns. Running through a city is an unusual activity, something that tech geeks might call a “corner case.” It’s not a normal part of life, so when someone does it, it can catch other people off guard.

For this reason, runners are at a higher risk of getting involved in accidents. Pedestrians, for instance, don’t expect runners to come up quickly from the side or behind them. Therefore, many step out in front of runners’ paths when they cross the…

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