Can you run for a bus or train?

I can't: I'm as ungainly as anyone, out of breath in a few steps, and my joints hurt.

Comments

  • get to the station early then.
  • Depends what I'm wearing on my feet.
  • Yes not in flip flops.
  • maybe not, but ... at least I ccCAN run a bath





















    sometimes, you know






    on a good day!
  • I once got applauded by a bus load of people for my persistence in running for a bus. I'd been standing at a bus stop for a while, and suddenly realised the road was closed so the bus wouldn't be coming up it (don't ask why it took so long to realise - there might have been alcohol involved). I got to the end of the road as the bus sailed past. I gestured frantically when it stopped at the lights but it refused to let me on. So I ran after it. It was in the city centre so it stopped at lights a fair few times, each time refusing to open the doors. Finally it got to the next stop and I got on.
  • personally, i make it a habit never to run for any type of transport. if i have a train to catch ill make sure ive got enough time, if its a bus, i know there'll be another one, its never worth running for, making meself all sweaty and flustered for wherever it is i need to get to.
  • Well there is a race called race the train :0
  • It's shoe dependant for me. Being a short@rse, I have a thing about heels. Love them, the taller the better. I've got some that are so high I can barely walk to the end of the road in them; running would be impossible!
  • What about a 55 second duathlon (run/bike/run) to catch a train you were on in the first place?

    http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~craigm/challenge.shtml
  • Chris.52Chris.52 ✭✭✭
    I suppose I usually spend an hour preparing myself mentally and physically to run, then start extremely slowly before accelerating to fairly slow. But running to catch the train is always a late decision and demands instant speed.

    My approach to trains is that if I'm on the platform before the train has arrived, I'm wasting time. In the afternoon I need to leave the office within a minute of the end of the day to catch the best train home.

  • Can't quite call it running, but I tottered on high heels to catch the train the other day.
  • You've gotta love a mad sprint through town, dodging old ladies and chavs, whacking unknowing businessmen round the head with bags, an almighty sweat when arriving at the train station... It's like being Indiana Jones...

    I may need to get out more.
  • NessieNessie ✭✭✭
    I'm too posh for public transport.



















    [collapses in heap, laughing uncontrollably]
  • I cant walk down the stairs in the morning without warming up. I would pull a calf muscle minimum if I had to take off in a hurry for any reason.
  • M.ister WM.ister W ✭✭✭
    People tend not to sit next to me if I've had to run for the train!
  • I ran all the way home behind a bus once and with great joy explained to my wife that I had saved the bus fare,her repy was you should have ran behind a taxi and saved more.
  • popsiderpopsider ✭✭✭
    Yes - quite often run for something if I'm a bit late - the other week ran a couple of miles to the football as the traffic was bad and didn't want to miss kick off. I think if you don't feel self conscious about running in non-running kit it's easy.
  • Tom.Tom. ✭✭✭
    This thread had remindered me of somthing I'd forgotton.

    Back in the early 60s when I was in school we used to finish at 3:50. The normal school bus to home was at 4:25. However there was a service bus that left at 3:55, from the centre of town well over half a mile from school. Each night me and a mate used to dash out of class, leg it back to the form room, grab our satchels and sprint down into town dodging cars, bikes and pedestrians - our success rate was about 75% - but boy were we fit!
  • Chris.52Chris.52 ✭✭✭
    My ideal journey home once involved changing from a train which arrived at one side of Clapham Junction at 16:38 to one that left from the other side at 16:38. I was very rarely successful but I often tried. I was younger then.
  • Reminds me of when I was a teenager in Manchester. My sis and I went shopping and got to the bus stop in time to see the bus just pulling away. Knowing it had 2 sets of traffic lights and a big corner before it arrived at the next stop, we raced it!

    Caught it too, by jumping over a barrier at the bus station! There's no way I'd be able to repeat this now. Not least because the bus station is now a "luxury apartment" development!
  • Last year I ran 2 miles for a train wearing crocs shoes and carrying a 15k rucsack. Hardly 'SAS' I know, but I arrived in time for the train, feeling mildly pleased with myself.
  • I didn't take up running til I was 52, and can't remember actually doing any sport at school. But I've always run for the bus and usually caught it. Wearing any combination of short skirts, long skirts, jeans, high heels, plimsolls, sandals, trainers, hats, bags and trailing scarves - though not all at once - I have sprinted for the bus. If I see the bus I run for it, it's almost a Pavlovian reaction.

    Perhaps this explains why I now find I can manage a passable 100 metres but after two years running I'm still struggling to get a decent 5k time.
  • I posted this before somewhere.

    Was in training for an Ironman, so running was pretty decent. On the way back to Gallions Reach from Central London at 2.30am. I hadn't been drinking, so decided I'd just run along the route the bus took, and if one came as I got to a bus stop, bonus.

    I was near St Pauls and a bus passed me. There was a stop about 200m in front. Bus stopped, I got beside the front doors, knocked on them, bus driver glanced at me and pulled away.

    'You B*STRD!' I thought. Still, I just carried on running because I'd planned to run the whole way back regardless.

    Anyway, the lights at the crossroads in front were green, and there was no traffic behind me, so I quickly sprinted to get across the junction and then I notice the bus in front of me indicating to pull into the next bus stop. 'Right, you're mine you li'l t*sser!' I thought and sprinted the 200m for the bus.

    Got there when the back doors were open but the front ones shut. I jumped on just as the bus driver was shutting them. The following dialogue:

    Bus driver: Oi!
    Garr: Sorry, coming through, excuse me.
    Garr (to the driver): Hi yes?
    Bus driver: These are the front doors, those are the back. You get on here and off there.
    Garr: Well you ignored me last time when I knocked on these so I thought I'd just get on the back.
    Bus driver: You're already on the bus. Do you have a ticket.
    Garr: Yes I do actually [reaching into pocket]
    Driver begins to pull away.
    Garr begins walking back down the bus.
    Bus driver: Oi, where's your ticket?
    Garr: Oh, you started to pull away so I thought I'd better stand behind the line.
    Bus driver: Right, get off!
    Garr: What?!! Why?!
    Bus driver: We're not meant to let people on when there are more than 20 standing.
    [Garr takes a quick glance around the bus at the 10 people standing]
    Garr: Ok, shall I do a quick count for you? 1, 2, 3, .... does that include upstairs?
    [bus driver shuts up and starts driving]
    Garr: I'll go and take a seat.

    Got a small round of applause and plenty of 'Good on ya mate''s out of that!

    Quite enjoyable being able to get face-to-face for a change with a bus driver who tried to leave me behind. I'm sure there have been lots of times other people have wanted to be able to have words with the driver that ignored them.
  • When I was about 14 or so, I raced a bus with my friend from cross country - about 2 1/2 miles from school to the town centre (there was someone on the bus watching us). We were somewhat disadvantaged by our school uniforms, inappropriate shoes and bags, but we still beat the bus! (thanks, traffic lights!)

  • as a teenager I was always late getting up, so ended up running to catch my train to school every morning carrying my satchel full of books and homework. Coming home again, we had to change platforms for a connection and sprinting down the stairs, along the bottom, up the other stairs we would just make it, otherwise have to wait for the next train. When I left school and started working - guess what? I still had to run for the train every morning, now in skirts and high heels, still made it most days.
  • when i went to see the london marathon in april i was running so late that when i left the house i had ten minutes to get to the train station in what usually takes at least 20 mins to walk (its about a mile away). made it though, with about 3 or 4 mins to spare. got on the train out of breath sweaty and red faced. looked like i had just ran the marathon not only 1 mile. try not to leave the house too late anymore after that.
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