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Walking Backwards (Retropedaling; Reverse Walking / Running)

augustverango

Gone But Not Forgotten
(ACCOUNT RETIRED)
Joined
Aug 12, 2001
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There used to be an old bloke who'd quite regularly ride his bike into Blackpool town centre and spontaneously run backwards into various shops! Me and my mates thought he was great! Sadly haven't seen him in years though...

I did briefly consider taking up the post of 'backwards shop runner' myself, but it just wouldn't have been quite the same. Perhaps I'll end up doing it anyway, one day. :rolleyes:
 
There used to be a bloke who walked around Glasgow city centre backwards. I haven't seen him in years, though.
 
To revive the original question - yes, I did see a man who was walking backwards two-three nights ago but I don't know who he was. He was an elderly Chinese man. Most of us tried walking / running backwards as kids but maybe that man couldn't stop? :rolleyes: Or is it just one of the tai chi exercises?
 
Bump ...

Man aims to break record running Boston Marathon backward
A California runner is training to break a Guinness World Record by running the entirely of the Boston Marathon while facing backward.

Loren Zitomersky, an experienced runner, said he is planning to run all 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon while facing backward in order to raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. ...

SOURCE: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/0.../?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=7
 
There used to be a bloke who walked around Glasgow city centre backwards. I haven't seen him in years, though.

I remember that guy. The rumour was that he'd taken some dodgy acid which had damaged his brain and left him only able to walk backwards. Lived in Bishopbriggs, I think.

I used to wonder how he got out of bed.
 
I remember that guy. The rumour was that he'd taken some dodgy acid which had damaged his brain and left him only able to walk backwards. Lived in Bishopbriggs, I think.

I used to wonder how he got out of bed.

That's more background than I have ever heard in about 30 years! Also, if he lived in Bishopbriggs how did he get on the bus/train to get into central Glasgow? So many questions.
 
This well-researched article at Ultrarunning History:

https://ultrarunninghistory.com/walking-backwards/

... provides a historical review of people famed for walking backwards for long distances (e.g., as publicity stunts).

Attempts to walk backwards for ultra-distances has taken place for more than two centuries. Why? One backwards walker once said, “With the whole world going backwards, maybe the only way to see it is to turn around.” Obviously, such attempts caused a stir of attention. Common comments heard around these individuals were, “What is that fool doing?” and “When did he get out of the asylum?” In recent years some have actually encouraged the practice as a way to burn more calories, sharpen senses, train your peripheral vision, and improve balance. But walking backwards for hundreds and thousands of miles is simply bizarre. Let’s first take a look at the very early history of walking backwards for ultra-distances and then examine the stories of attempts to walk backwards across America and around the world.

A podcast is accessible at the webpage linked above, and the review is also available as a YouTube video:

 
In the 1970's someone I knew was involved in a serious car accident involving a brain injury. In a coma for many months when he came round he could only walk backwards - it was some weeks before he learned to walk normally.
 
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