Exposing myself and flashing when I run

I have exposed myself (by accident) once when running. Ill tell you why and how this happened later in this post, but for now I want to talk about the other type of exposure and flashing.....Taking digital photographs. I should warn you in advance, by very nature of the subject matter this post has a lot of photos in............cue the boring slide show...........

Lee - keen amateur underwater photographer and short bloke

Snap Happy

I really enjoy taking photos. My wall in my kitchen is a testament to this. I particularly like the challenge of taking good underwater photos with my camera when I go diving. There is far more skill required than above water, getting the light levels right, colour balance so that everything doesnt look blue, diving very carefully so as not to stir up debris and affect the 'viz', positioning strobes so you dont get back scatter .....the list goes on and on. To me there is a joy in taking the time over a pic and really 'nailing it' like a pro.

The above jet ski pic is and example of a shot that I am pleased with. I spent ages getting all the settings right, I was floating in the middle of lake in a drysuit and lifejacket, Id manually adjusted the colours for just red, briefed the guys in the jetski as to what sort of pic i could get for them etc etc. this photo is not photoshopped. This is exactly as it was taken. Im very pleased with it.......... BUT.....and this is the big BUT.....it took ages to get perfect (and for those of you with £4000 Digital SLRs it was done with a compact camera). I reckon I took over 100 photos to get 7 worth posting on facebook.


So Whats this got to do with Running ?

I also like to take pics when I'm running.......but....when I'm running my heart rate is well up and my clothing is chosen for hard exercise, if I stop for more than a few seconds I get cold and it affects my 'rhythm'. The challenge with taking running pics is 'nailing it' in 5 seconds or less....with a phone camera (which I also listen to music on when running). Camera phones are good for pictures , but have less features and settings than most cheap digital compact cameras. They are more of a challenge to get a decent picture with.

Dr Stephanie Evans on the Wreck of the Dunraven in the Red Sea

The above pic is an example of an underwater pic I took that encompasses the spirit of a running pic. My wife was on the other side of the wreck of the Dunraven in the Red Sea. She didnt know I was taking the pic, I had less than 5 seconds to take that pic as she was framed in the gap in the wreck. I got the pic because I was prepared when the moment arose. Its for this reason I love this photo.

Pictures and the Greensand Way

Having been 'aware' of the area around the greensand way for the last year or more I can tell you it's very rightly named an area of outstanding natural beauty, I love to run in this area and it's great to share with others in a 'twitpic'

Greensand Way by Hambledon Church at Harvest

All of the rest of the pics in this post are taken running with my phone. All done in less than 5 seconds, none of them photoshopped.

Bluebells in Busbridge Woods

I also like to go running in any country I go to. Ive taken pics whilst running in Spain, Egypt and Poland recently.

Beehives in Guardamar Spain

How Far?!

The routes I run locally that all start in my back garden are a mix up of various paths but generally I run one particular 'loop' about once per week. What is amazing is that the changing of the seasons and times of day and weather can give me such varied results.

Tree in the Mist near Hambledon on the Greensand Way

Given that I run a lot of the time before I go to work I often catch sunrises in the early morning in winter that most people miss as they brush their teeth, yawn and get dressed. Running off road takes you to places a lot of people dont see, there is no car or train access.

Winter Sunrise Vann Hill overlooking the Greensand Way

A different Winter Sunrise from Vann Hill overlooking the Greensand Way

Winter Sunrise from Hascombe Hill

Even things as 'mundane' as the rain or fog can massively change the landscape overnight and reveal new patterns in the paths or terrain.This is also true when Autumn makes the leaves fall and hides paths (sometimes causing me to get lost even on paths Im very familiar with )

View on path from Busbridge Lakes in Autumn

Path near Busbridge Woods washed clear of leaves by overnight rain

Hascombe Hill Mist

The Greensand Way Run is going to provide me with hundreds of opportunities to take some stunning pictures and it is one of the many things I am looking forward to. Ill be armed with my trusty compact camera but I bet some of the best pics will be the 5 second pics because my phone is always close to hand.

How I once got Frostbite on my Penis

Now that Ive finished boring you with my slideshow we can get to the reason you are really reading this post. In the winter when I run early it is dark and it is cold. On one very dark and cold morning It was frosty and about minus 5 celcius outside. I was short of running leggings as they were in the wash so I elected for a pair of excellent double warm merino wool helly hansen longjohns.

Even with 2 layers on my legs in the winter in sub zero temps i can get what I have dubbed CRP or Cold Running Penis.


On this fateful morning whilst out running in non standard running kit the action of my running caused my willy to accidentally pop out through the convenient fly in the longjohns (something running leggings dont have for a reason). As it was very cold I didnt notice....for almost all of the run. I put the cold sensation down to CRP. Amazingly no one was out walking their dogs that morning. The shock and horror as I looked down and saw the little fella staring back at me was every mans nightmare, the effect of the cold was serious and I had lost all feeling in my little guy and he felt ice cold on the return to my house. I was reluctant to 'put my hands on him and rub him warm' in case a one year potential prison term for exposure became a 5 year prison term for 'wanking in public'.

The searing terrible pain when I thawed him out in the shower was something Ill never forget. I can still remember it now.

I have never run with just longjohn thermals on again.