Roy Whittle

As we are now in the middle of winter, just past the shortest day (21st December) and with the coldest weather probably yet to arrive it is probably a good time to refresh our knowledge on how to avoid the effects of the cold when out on a run and what to do if you or someone else is suspected of showing signs.

The official term is Hypothermia. This is when the body loses more heat than it can generate, usually when body temperature drops below 35 degrees (normal temperature is 37 degrees) and it can be lethal if not acted upon quickly.

Symptoms of hypothermia include:

• shivering
• pale, cold and dry skin – skin and lips may turn blue or grey (on black or brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet)
• slurred speech
• slow breathing
• tiredness or confusion

Now is the time to act: Get help from anyone you can in the vicinity or call 999 or 112. Put on extra layers. Eat or drink something sweet. Move to a sheltered position if possible. If you are helping a casualty, make sure you protect yourself from the cold by putting your own layers on.

Making sure you wear or take the correct amount of clothing with you is important and the type of run you are doing has an impact on this choice.

If your route choice is a short local run around the housing estates on roads & footpaths then you may decide that just the clothing you are wearing will be adequate as you are only a short hobble from home in the event of a twisted ankle etc.

If for example your run is up into the hills, several miles from home then it would be sensible to consider taking extra kit (see FRA kit advice below) as well as letting someone know your route and expected arrival home time as a twisted ankle out in the hills might cause you to cool down rapidly thus increasing the risk of hypothermia.

Some good advice produced by the FRA and Mountain Rescue is linked below:

The FRA (Fell runners association) have produced a simple guide aimed at runners, the link is here.

Often Hypothermia is linked to not wearing or carrying the correct kit for the conditions which is why the FRA insist on minimum kit requirements for entry into their sponsored races, the minimum kit link is here.

What to do in the event of an emergency (general guidance) here.

Buxton Mountain Rescue hill safety advice here.