Personal Fitness

[Robin_D]

Ok, I know that this is a trivial subject for the marshals forum (eh Col!)

Do any of you think that fitness is important for marshalling? I'm not talking about assault courses, but surely a basic standard of fitness to carry a fire extinguisher or climb over armco.

What are your views?

[Col_Rugby]

PPPFFFFFF !!!!!!

Fitness. Trivial to me??? Those that have met me will certainly know that fitness is extrememly high in my thoughts.................And that is where I intend on keeping them.

[SouthportFC Fan]

Certainly for incident marshals, there should be a certain level of personal fitness, but it only needs to be a level that is similar to being relatively healthy generally.

You've just got to be fit enough to get to an incident, deal with it and be able to communicate as well. It's up to the individual if he/she feels their level of fitness needs to be higher than that.

it could also be argued that if your level of fitness is less than that, then perhaps you need to improve it as you could become a casualty yourself.

[Robin_D]

Should there be an optional fitness training day then? How to carry a bottle whilst trotting, the correct way to climb over barriers, cycling or running.

[SouthportFC Fan]

Maybe some advice about exercise, diet, etc., if enough people feel a need for it, but how to carry a bottle is normally covered in the fire training.

If you're worried about your fitness, go and see your GP. Most practices now run a 'health check' clinic and they'll be able to advise you.

[M Greenslade]

If I ever have the thought to do exercise, I normally lay down until the thought passes!!!

Bladders

[Ty Nicholson]

Most major meeting sign-on sheets include a clause to the effect that by signing on you confirm that you are not suffering for any illness or medical condition that precludes you from executing your normal (and signed-on for) duties.

Following major abdominal surgery early last I made both the Chief Marshals and Rescue Crew Chiefs aware of my condition. Both for the safety of myself and fellow team members.

Was I thrown a tin cup and a bell?....no. Chief Marshals assigned me to Flag or Oberservers duties and Rescue Crews accepted me as a 3rd or 4th Man on the unit (i.e. a licensed crew member over and above the MSA governed meeting requirements.

If in doubt about your personal fitness or health in general, declare it to the organisers. You owe not only to yourself but your fellow team members.

a now fully recovered
Ty

[M Greenslade]

Ty - Where's me T-Shirt - Bladders!!!!!

[Ty Nicholson]

Still to be done I'm afraid. Rescue training, etc has taken up a lot of weekends. This weekend's free, failing that 2nd & 3rd weekends in Feb. Look at it this way, it'll have less wear & tear than if you've have got it before Xmas

[Dean Watson]

is it not that as we get older and less fit we take up different disiplines ie flag the observer then inside

[RCMADD]

i have just started going to the gym to get ready for the season

however the best way to carry a bottle accross the gravel and over tyre walls is

LET SOMEONE ELSE DO IT lol

[mark_l]

"put It Down And Step Away From The Pork Pie!"

[haystacks]

Well said RCMADD,Exercise is the bane of the lazing classes.
Me being one of them.

[Dave Brand]

If you're fit enough to walk to the shops & back (assuming you have shops relatively nearby!) I think you're fit enough to marshal.

You don't need to be able to run long distances - how many times have you heard at training days & in IO/post chief briefings: 'don't run to incidents'? I would surmise that more marshal injuries have been the result, directly or indirectly, of running than by any other single cause.

If you have problems climbing over Armco, tyre walls, etc., let it be known at sign on - it should be possible to allocate you to a post where these activities are not required. Please don't arrive on post & say you can't do this, that & the other!

Please also bear in mind that there are certain medical conditions which do not prevent you doing the job but which could under certain circumstances cause problems. For example, you may be diabetic, you may be allergic to bee stings, etc. You MUST let the post chief, IO & the marshal your are partnered with know of any such conditions, so that if a problem does arise appropriate action can be taken.

As for my personal fitness, I'm probably fitter now than I ever have been, which doesn't say much for my past levels of fitness. The only school athletics record I hold is that I'm the only person in the history of the school never to enter for the school cross-country or any sports day event - an impressive record when you consider that the school was founded in 1604!

[numbersix]

Dave, I don't seem to remember being given any choice re cross country in my school. Was your school approved?

[ascarracinguk]

with the size of the gravel trap down at the old hairpin, it does help firstly if your fit, and secondly if your light, cos ull either run out of steam half way accross or sink LOL.....talkin of which im on a diet at the moment, spent 2 hours on a bloody rowing machine today, im nackered!

[TFHarv]

Originally Posted by Robin_D

Should there be an optional fitness training day then? How to carry a bottle whilst trotting, the correct way to climb over barriers, cycling or running.

I thought this had already been demonstrated Here or have I read it wrong

I dont consider myself to be overly FIT but I feel fit enough unless I needed to rescue everyone from a total line up carnage incident then I would most probably be some what out of breath after a few cars but if your fit enough to drag someone from a vehicle to safety then to me thats fit enough. If you are not fit enough to perform your duties then as said you should inform the chiefs as its not only your own safety your endangering.

I don't think a marshal needs to take time out to do the gym every week tho general I can exert myself without passing out or collapsing should see most people through a season without problem ( I guess I may change that view after a full season though )

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by numbersix

Was your school approved?

Au contraire! It seemed to meet with extreme disapproval everywhere we went; 'worst-behaved grammar school in L******shire' was a title we did our best to uphold!

(Note how, to save the blushes of the better-behaved of my erstwhile schoolmates, I didn't actually type 'Lincolnshire'...oops, the cat just jumped out of the bag!)

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by TFHarv

I dont consider myself to be overly FIT but I feel fit enough unless I needed to rescue everyone from a total line up carnage incident then I would most probably be some what out of breath after a few cars but if your fit enough to drag someone from a vehicle to safety then to me thats fit enough.

If you go around dragging people out of cars it doesn't matter how fit you are, you won't be able to sit down for a week after the kicking your butt will receive!

[Clive]

maybe we should run round the circuit before the cars come out to play?

[Robin_D]

I've been considering it Clive.

Obviously one of the great things about marshalling, is the fact that it is open to anyone. I was just wondering if people did keep fit for it or use it to keep fit.

I think if anyone knows me they should know I am a sprightly big bugger.

[Justin Moran]

Im using it as an excuse to get fit, or at least try. Failing that Im looking to do flagging anyway cos I aint gettin any younger and the knees arent what they used to be!

(not that Flaggies are unfit or old or unable to run. Just me!)

[Hepatic]

there's only one type of jogging i'm interested in, and thats horizontal!!

i do cycle to work every day tho. all 3 mins worth of it

[RCMADD]

Originally Posted by Clive

maybe we should run round the circuit before the cars come out to play?

you can run i will sit in the tractor and watch

[TFHarv]

Maybe we should tow the drivers round on the parade lap to show them how its done and we could get a comprtition going worlds strongest marshal post

Oh and i only ment dragging drivers out of a car if they were in danger and it was necessary not jumping them on the way round

Although that guy in the karts last year almost got clotheslined for driving dangerously through the gravel trap and marshals race control took care of him afterwards tho