Archive for Running
February 24, 2010 at 9:21 pm · Filed under Equipment, Running, Shoes
I was offered some lovely Mizuno running shoes to try out last week but they were pink so I looked around to find an unsuspecting victim and spotted a non-runner beside me.
The non-runner has been known to run on occasion but the occasions are brief and of the sprint and die variety. She was a bit reluctant to try the proper thing especially when I mentioned treadmills and 30 minutes but you can’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
I didn’t quite grasp the degree of reluctance but there was a heavy thread of edginess present as we gathered our gear and prepared for the gym. I thought I was being rather helpful but I got my head bitten off when I asked if she’d ever been on a treadmill before.
Stroppy with a capital S doesn’t even come close.
We arrived at the gym and I could sense we only had one breathing person left in the car. Recognizing a severe case of gym related anxiety I offered up a reassuring slap on the back and got myself growled at again. We almost cleared the car when we spotted our neighbour entering the parking area. You don’t want to bump into your neighbour on your first day at the gym, wearing spanking brand new, bright pink trainers, so we made a dash for it and arrived at our treadmills sweating but safe.
It’s quite difficult explaining the use of a treadmill to someone who clearly wants to get the whole thing over and done with. In the end we switched it on and decided to learn on the fly, with the suggestion that she followed my pace until she got the hang of things and wanted to up the pace. A few minutes in I noticed a funny side to side action from the treadmill beside me so thought it prudent to point out the emergency red button which she immediately pounded and we got to start all over again.
I few more minutes later, amongst much huffing and puffing I suggested she take on some water but the bottle was sitting just out of reach on the floor. Apparently my non-runner had been expecting a non-running break for refreshments. I passed my bottle over and watched the next incident unfold. Lynn dropped the bottle top and started to bend down to pick it up before sensing the relentless drag of the track beneath her. She managed to right herself and pick up the pace barely millimeters before tippling over the edge.
I have to say it was one of my more enjoyable running experiences, positively entertaining. Of course this wasn’t just about the conversion of a non-runner, it was also about the shoes. I shouted above her grumbles about stitches and being tired and wanting to stop and asked her about the shoes – “How are the Mizuno Wave shoes?”
It was quite amazing, her face brightened, the beetroot tinge seemed to leave her face and she actually smiled. “They’re very comfortable….no they really are”.
I wasn’t doubting her, they did look comfortable. They are very light and still seem to have a heavily cushioned sole. Even the pink bits weren’t so noticeable when they were worn with jogging trousers. I’ll go for a pair of these when my Asics have worn out, they are cheaper than the Kayanos I wear but seem to offer a similar fit.
The satisfaction must have lingered because she’s already suggested she join me for my training run tomorrow.
Popularity: 1% [?]
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Tags: Mizuno Wave running shoes treadmill
February 4, 2010 at 11:14 pm · Filed under Running
I fell off the treadmill today.
Or at least I stumbled and found myself being propped up by my neighbouring runner.
It was reasonably embarrassing.
I picked the machine directly in front of a bank of tv’s and was happily listening to my audio book, glancing from one flickering screen to another when one of them started screening virtual horse racing.
It turned out to be an animated version of the Dubai International, showing Frankie Dettori way back in the field, the fact that his image kept flashing and he was leaving a trail of light made me think something important was going to happen.
I was urging that horse on, “come on no 2!” and moving closer and closer to the screen until my shoe started squealing and I squawked and tripped. My neighbour pushed me upright and kept me in motion.
Turns out that horse racing seems to be the perfect accompaniment to treadmill running. I wacked the pace up and didn’t notice the pain until Alexandros had crossed the line, winning in an amazing show of determination.
Maybe I should get a treadmill installed in the local bookies.
Popularity: 1% [?]
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Tags: horses, treadmill
January 26, 2010 at 11:18 pm · Filed under Books, Equipment, Running
Two mile runs seem to be the new black (@JogBlog) and my latest spree of treadmill couplets must make me positively gothic.
I’ve slipped to beginner runner status again but I’m gradually pulling back and feel happy to be putting in some mileage even if its slow and single figured. The ballot results for the Great North Run will be revealed in a couple of weeks and as my name is in there I’m going to have to start a proper program soon enough. I might even start running outside again which will result in an investment in another GPS gadget and blog posts littered with pretty maps.
Still, I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m scheduled for another 3.1km trog on the treadmill tonight and GPS is just a little bit over the top and besides, if I can wait til September I might get to try out this new toy from Timex.
Despite being practically a non-runner at the moment (and therefore a poor blogger), I am still regularly asked to review or promote running related stuffs on the blog. The latest request was to publicise the first UK running festival, which looks really quite exciting.
It’s called “Love Life Love Running” and is a weekend event aimed at runners and their families. It takes place in the grounds of Cannock Chase over the weekend of the 24th/25th of July 2010. There are two main events: a standard 10k held on Saturday and a rather intriguing 6-hour challenge on Sunday.
I’m particularly drawn to the 6-hour challenge event which is a relay based around a 7km course and can be run by teams of 2, 4 or 6. It suggests on the event website that you can make this as challenging as you like but I haven’t seen the rules so can’t imagine what this means, I’m presuming motorised bikes are ruled out.
As a family oriented event there are obviously events aimed at the kids as well, such as the mini zoom – a 60m course where speed is of the essence. Not my cup of tea at all but there’s a certificate available for every finisher so I could be persuaded.
Anyway, if you struggle to find the time to sneak off to running events it’s well worth taking a look. You can sell it as a family getaway!
Also this week I was sent a copy of the Ultimate Guide to Marathon Running to review.
It’s a large format, magazine style book covering everything from goals, nutrition, motivation, training, technique and so much more. I’m really quite impressed with it and for the price I think it’s amazing value.
I recently canceled my subscription to Runners World mag, not because I was disillusioned with it, but I wasn’t running a lot at the time and after a 3 year subscription I was beginning to notice that the same things would come round too regularly. The content of the Ultimate Guide to Marathon Running magbook is such that you can save yourself an annual subscription to A N Other running mag but still get your fix of motivational tidbits and of course it is solely focused on the marathon distance and event itself.
It has a good training section, discussing various aspects such as interval training and the long slow run but the final 12 week recommended schedules are a bit thin on the ground. There are only 3 schedules illustrated, a 4hrs + (or get round), 3hrs 30 mins or a sub 2hrs 55mins. Personally I think there’s a huge difference between a 4hr marathon time and a get me round time but I suppose schedules are very personal things, there are stacks freely available on the web and it doesn’t detract from what is otherwise an incredibly useful guide to the marathon.
CREDIT: The Ultimate Guide to Marathon Running is available now on the magazine newsstand from WH Smith, Sainsbury, magbooks.com and amazon.co.uk for only £7.99
As I don’t have a marathon on the horizon and my planned half is quite some time away I thought it would be the perfect giveaway for one of my real running readers. Just leave me a comment telling me why you deserve the magbook more than me and I’ll post the book off to the one that makes me smile. You can be cruel but if you hurt my feelings you won’t win.
On an unrelated note, I will just take this opportunity to plug my latest obsession – warriorwoman can now be found masquerading as Big Betty, riding and writing about the new Triumph Bonneville.
If I’m not on here writing about running then I’m probably on whatapalaver discussing the trials and tribulations of motorbike commuting.
Popularity: 1% [?]
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Tags: GPS, marathon, running festival
May 4, 2009 at 9:00 pm · Filed under Event, Running
Suzan and Carol the two founder members of the Surrey Housewives Set (SHS) have been relentlessly running the Bushy Park 5k time trial over the last 2.5 years and this Saturday they finally reached the 100 runs milestone.
500 kilometres ticked off (each) by the grim determination to get out of bed at the crack of dawn almost every Saturday. Pushing themselves through just about the worst running distance ever invented.
I think I’ve been equally relentless in my avoidance of these painful little runs recently but I dragged the non-runner out of bed this Saturday so we could celebrate the grand achievement from the side lines.
I don’t think I’ve won over a convert to the cause, the whole event was rather a strange spectacle, 450 runners turning up at 8:55 to run around the park and then shoot off again after about 30 minutes of painful sweating. You really could be forgiven for wondering why anyone would do it, from our vantage point at the 4k mark, no one appeared to be enjoying themselves and there were quite a few concerning retching noises from within the pack.
Of course runners, know why they do it and even though I was glad I didn’t pack my running shoes, part of me hankered after that smug post run satisfaction and now I’m half tempted to set the alarm early for the occasional Saturday to come.
After a quick congratulatory pat on the back I felt the swarm of the sweaty crowd and shot off out of the car park.
When the photos came out I wasn’t all that popular with the NR who discovered she’d been dragged from her sleep to attend the strange event and then yanked away just as the champagne and buns made an appearance.
Popularity: 21% [?]
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Tags: BPTT, bushy park, ParkRun, SHS, Surrey Housewives
March 11, 2009 at 8:52 pm · Filed under Commuting, Running
The new accessible job arrived and sucked away all my handy exercise avoidance excuses…..time to resurrect the running commute.
My first attempt was an unwelcome struggle, my head was in a seriously moany place and my feet were doing that teenage scuffing thing. I made it past two commons lurching in a stop go fashion and finally quit at Somerfield in order to replenish the Stella supplies.
Today’s run was a bit more exciting, I’d heard a rumour that the non runner may be catching the 5:18 train. Thereby giving me approximately 25 minutes to hot foot it down the high street and nonchalently drape my sweating being across the bonnet of her car to ensure a lift half the way home.
Needless to say I made it. Amazing what you can pull out of the bag for an easy ride.
I got an iPhone recently which has proved mighty useful for navigating me through some commutimg crises but will unfortunately result in a decline in photo quality for my blog.
I’ve been checking out the promisingly named “50 Awesome iPhone Apps for Runners” blog post, they don’t all have very good reviews on iTunes but I may check a few out. High on my list will be True Weight – 3 months of idleness has not done me any sartorial favours and I need to get back in control.
In the spirit of
1. getting back into the swing of things
2. jumping in at the deep end, and
3. acquiring more t-shirts
I’ve signed myself up for an assortment of events.
First on the list is the London to Brighton bike ride which has been on my wishlist for some time.
Then it’s time for a re-run of the British London 5k which promises to be particularly exciting – at least in terms of the location of it’s post race champagne reception. Stay tuned.
Finally (at least for now), I’ve gone and signed myself up the scary Great North Swim. I’m hoping to be able to finish it without the asthma attack this time, which probably means a little more training…
Popularity: 27% [?]
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Tags: commute, Running, Stella
March 2, 2009 at 11:37 am · Filed under Equipment, Running, Shoes
I think I may have suggested a little while back, in a pub somewhere no doubt, that I would put happiness to one side and actually start running again in March. The arrival of the month also coincided quite nicely with the delivery of a damn fine pair of running shoes, so the pressure was building.
These are the Salomon XA Pro GTXs and are a very desirable pair of trail running/adventure madness style shoes. They require rather beefy terrain so yesterday I bundled the non-runner and the mountain bike into the car and headed off to my favourite off road haunt – Swinley Forest in Bracknell.
The non-runner vowed to stick with me on the bike as I led the way on foot through the undergrowth. With an evil glint in my eye I hit an immediate right turn out of the car park and headed up and across the bracken to the forest proper. It was steep, strewn with stump hazards and ruts and altogether pretty tough going. My lungs were burning and I wanted to quit but the expletives exiting my loved one’s mouth made it all the worthwhile and I kept heading up until I thought she was going to quit on me and head back to the cafe.
Respite from laughter was required so we took a short flat section for a breather before heading off in search of shoe testing swamps and hills.
The shoes are very impressive. They’re extraordinarily light, in fact I suspected the box may have been empty when I picked it off my doorstep, but I still felt very supported by them. They have a good cushioned sole a very simple and effective lace system. I really like them a lot actually and as I’ve they’ve got a gore tex lining, my feet stayed dry even after a bit of light puddle action.
They are fortunately very grippy as well.
I took the lead on one particularly exciting stretch of singletrack before realising that I didn’t really stand much chance of staying ahead of a carreering lunatic on a bike. I upped the pace and started squealing like an out of control rhino on a snowboard. Legs were ticking over at a rare ole pace but my body was still in the lead. I expected my chin to reach the forest floor just moments before the chasing bike nipped at my heels and left me with broad tread marks along my flattened body.
At the first sign of an escape route, I threw myself off to the side, to roll gently in a bank of soft mud, only to spot the non-runner, half way back up the slope, hands clenched tightly over both brakes, bouncing ever so tentatively and non-threateningly downwards on locked wheels.
I muddied my shoes for nothing…..
Popularity: 29% [?]
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Tags: review, salomon xa pro gtx, Shoes, Swinley Forest
December 24, 2008 at 3:08 pm · Filed under Running
The non-runner dragged me out on another run this Saturday, and I mean literally dragged. I clung on to her belt for dear life as she tried to master pace setting on the bike. It’s obviously fairly tricky cycling at my running pace and more practice is clearly required. I’m pretty sure that we hit the giddy heights of 8 minute miles on some of the down hill sections. I couldn’t verify it on the garmin as any downward glances were destined to lead to messy “running shoe – in – bike spoke – acrobatics”.
It gave my lungs an unaccustomed workout though and my legs couldn’t believe what was happening to them.
By Monday the legs were moaning in that positively satisfying, muscle torn way. Every time I had to stand up I’d feel a rush of self-satisfaction and accept another Quality Street, safe in the knowledge that I jolly well deserved it.
That got me thinking today. How much better would Christmas feel if I dragged myself up on Chrimble morn to feel the achy thighs of a self-righteous, long distance, runner? I could hobble down stairs and start on the nuts from the crack of dawn and not even feel a hint of guilt at my festive excesses. Excellent plan. So I headed out this morning for quickish pootle along the river to M&S to buy nuts. At 2 miles it perhaps doesn’t count as a long distance run but I’m hoping I did it fast enough for my legs to ache and provide the necessary sacrifice for bone-fide excess offsetting.
Popularity: 31% [?]
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Tags: christmas, Garmin, non-runner, Richmond Park
December 8, 2008 at 6:03 pm · Filed under Running
I got accused of mis-selling myself this morning. It seems that I have a record of portraying myself as an active sort who is known to occasionally entertain with stories of puddle running, cold water immersion and wholesale slug annihilation, but who now seems to have turned into a bit of a lazy good for nothing. Albeit a grinning, happy, good for nothing.
Despite managing to accidentally close off my last post to feedback, the most tenacious of my readers still managed to get through and post astute comments, some of which could be paraphrased as: “stop enjoying yourself and get running again!” So with a definite theme emerging from the outside world it seemed like the time had come to re-acquaint myself with myself, and that means running, gardening and blogging.
The non-runner valiantly offered (actually under duress so it may not count as valiant) to become a cyclist for the afternoon and drag me around the river for 4.5 miles until we arrived at the allotment – in time for garlic planting. It must have been exactly 3 weeks since my last run and that was only a titchy one so I was desperately in need of dragging.
Running is so tough, I can’t imagine why anyone would do it really.
Popularity: 28% [?]
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Tags: allotment, Bone Idle, non-runner
November 17, 2008 at 2:01 pm · Filed under Running
Running. Don’t you just love it?
I woke this morning with one of those huge grins that point blank refuses to go away and look just a tiny bit less smug with itself. Wandering down to the station I had to work hard to keep my feet in some kind of order as they were threatening to leap into the air for a spate of heel clicking frivolities.
When Amy MacDonald came on the iPod I couldn’t resist any more and had to run – I didn’t get too far, the platform was crowded and my rucksac was loaded with heavy study texts. The moment I got home though, I dropped the extraneous trammel and headed down to the river to release my joy with a sprint through the drizzle.
Sprint being the operative word.
Either it’s good for me to run on smiles or else someone has been slipping me performance enhancers. I broke my 3 year record for the two bridge river route and it’s my second zippy run of the week. I may have to attempt a time trial again if this keeps up.
Popularity: 22% [?]
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November 8, 2008 at 8:18 pm · Filed under Rambling, Running
I struggled with the running concept again this morning. I was awake from 4am thinking that I might just go out any minute and take in my required 10 mile pootle but I was still flouncing around at 11am throwing anti-running strops on the living room floor.
The new non-runner in my life has taken to questioning my strange obsession with this odd masochistic feature of my life and as a result I’ve found myself slightly bemused by the whole thing as well. I really and truly did not want to run today but at the same time I knew I had to, ought to and should go running!
What’s that about, when did I develop this addiction and do I need to go into rehab?
Sometimes I really want to run just out of the sheer pleasure of bounding around but I think I mostly run to escape myself. It’s much worse at the moment because I’m in the middle of exam stress and so am supposed to sit around on my arse all day studying. It doesn’t take much of that to make me want to run from my own company. I used to be able to sit around just fine without driving myself nuts but this exercise malarky seems to have given me boundless energy and without an outlet it turns me into a serious irritant!
I left the house knowing that a 10 miler was on my schedule but under the circumstances (I’ve no idea what they were) I’d settle for 8. In fact it was actually quite clear that I was open to negotiation and my baseline requirement was that I at least started running and I needed to get as far as Marks and Spencers for biscuits. Not a good start to a long run – I anticipated my inner whiner would kick in at the 1 mile turn off for M&S.
As it happens I seemed to be enjoying myself. I positively bounced past the first turn off point and then it started to pour down again. Rain is such a joy on a run, I love it. It makes me feel cool, committed and vaguely but satisfyingly ridiculous. I got to run past miserable walkers, huddled under the cover of trees, splashing through the puddles and calling out “light weights!”
Why is it that only runners smile in the rain?
I started to remember how great I feel when I run – you can continue forever and ever, meditating on the joys of your life and composing literary masterpieces (or even mediocre blog posts). When you finish you feel so goddamn smug that you can relax on the after affects for at least 3 days. I’m going to have such a productive revision day tomorrow!
The sun decided to put in an appearance over Twickenham Bridge and removed my perverse enjoyment so I turned round and headed back. I did nip into M&S but with my new found runners self-righteousness, I settled for grapes instead of ginger nuts.
8.5 miles – 1hr 46 mins.
Popularity: 24% [?]
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Tags: non-runner, why?
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The non-runner has been known to run on occasion but the occasions are brief and of the sprint and die variety. She was a bit reluctant to try the proper thing especially when I mentioned treadmills and 30 minutes but you can’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
