One of the most common questions I get asked by new runners is: ‘What exactly do I do on a race day?’
Which is fair enough. I remember posting pretty much the same question on various web forums before my first FLM. So if you more experienced runners will excuse me for a minute, I’ll try [...]
Subscribe- Snow 1 – Me 0As I lay there trying to catch a breath and working on my epitaph, an old dear who I had passed 20 seconds earlier came scurrying through the dunes, having heard me hitting the ground from around 50 yards away. Naturally, she was quite concerned, but quickly realised that the awful cracking sound we had both heard was me shattering a 2 inch-thick plate of ic […]
- Happy New Year from SouthportThen, of course, they sent me the picture you see above, which was taken from a local website, proving that my 'follow the tyre tracks' theory may have the odd flaw in it somewhere along the line.
- Gear Review: The North Face Multisport SocksSuffice it to say that the combination of Merino wool and polypropylene creates the kind of comfort usually associated with mink-lined slippers: and while I like to think of myself as the rugged, manly, outdoorsy type, I for one could get used to such cissified levels of comfort from my running socks.
- In praise of the mighty Buff. Every runner needs one…Just for once, here's a product that is even better than the good-natured and fairly silly in-store video says it is. And I'm a copywriter for goodness sake. But I still spent the whole week of that holiday thinking (and probably speaking aloud) such old hat American ad-clichés as 'I don't know how I ever managed without one!' and […]
- Gear Review: Polar RS800CX Run Heart Rate MonitorIt will even allow you to view your actual heart rate, as well as that heart rate expressed as a percentage of your maximum heart rate while you're running. And don't even get me started on the number of ways it offers you to evaluate your performance once you've gotten home, had a shower, and put the fabric chest strap from the HRM in the was […]
- Shoe Review: North Face Hedgehog GTX XCRWhether you're heading out for a hike or a serious trail run, I simply can't recommend the North Face Hedgehog GTX XCRs highly enough. While at a little North of £70, they're not cheap, they seem like immense value for money when you factor in the Gore-Tex lining and awesomely comfortable ride.
- Dyslexic nymphomaniac seeks socks…But I want to write about socks tonight and dammit, I'm going to. And that's because I've had three emails this week on the subject. Not to mention all of the disbelieving conversations I've had with my good lady wife that started with: "So you need another £10 pair of socks because...?"
- Beetroot Juice for Runners: Yes it Works!!!Worst of all, however are the, er, the, personal side-effects. I am now weeing magenta in the morning and delicate pink at day's end. And, well, let's just say that the juice does not simply effect its egress from one's frontal orifice and leave it at that shall we? It's certainly not for the faint-hearted.
- Gear Review: RunKeeper for iPhone 3GWhile none of the other running apps I've tried on the iPhone really cut the mustard, RunKeeper seems to do exactly what it says on the tin.
- Is Beetroot Juice the sports drink we’ve all been waiting for?I've already been drinking the stuff for a few days, and there's been no sign of any improvement yet, unless you count being able to wee in a delicate shade of pink as one of nature's miracles. But hey, it's early days. And what's the worst that could happen...
- So how did you enjoy your run, Monsieur Sarkozy?My question though, is why is it always politicians this happens to? Most people my age remember U.S. President Jimmy Carter flaking out while running. I'm fairly sure that Bill Clinton did the same thing. And I have a sneaking suspicion that Tony Blair had a similar heart problem going on.
- Running in a heatwave. Ideas anyone?Regular readers will know that running in the heat really isn't my speciality. I can acquire sunburn simply by watching Ice Cold In Alex on the telly and develop heatstroke from standing too close to the toaster. Little surprise then that I find running in anything over 18 degrees uncomfortable, and anything over 23 degrees to be borderline suicidal.
- It’s hot. It’s damned hot. And maybe we’d all better get used to it…Now, before getting to the serious business of sharing my findings on acclimatisation training, there is just one thing I'd like to share with you, for no reason other than that I'm plainly a very bad person. And it is this: according to the American Medical Association: "Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS) can affect seemingly healthy athletes even […]
- Gear Review: Garmin Forerunner 405CX (Part Two)Another fancy training technique that has always seemed like far too much trouble is 'running at 75% of maximum heart rate' which is, by all accounts, the optimum fat burning zone. Yes, I know. Seems like an incredibly nerdy thing to aim for, doesn't it? But not if you've got a Garmin 405CX.
- Shoe Review: Asics Gel Cumulus 11So despite it being 28 degrees and completely windless, I put something mellow onto the iPod (But Seriously Folks by Joe Walsh, if you're interested. A soft rock classic album, with lyrics that are just right for Summer running), set my Garmin 405CX to 'dawdle' mode, with clear instructions to keep my heart rate below 160bpm, and headed out to […]
- Gear Review: Garmin Forerunner 405CX – (Part One)Having recently rubbished the abilities of the iPhone 3G as a GPS-enabled training tool, I was delighted when the brand new Garmin Forerunner 405CX finally showed up here at Jelly Baby Towers; the first one that was dispatched to me having, somewhat ironically, become lost in the post...
- Shoe Review: Saucony Grid Jazz X TR Trail Running ShoeAnd as the dulcet tones of 'Hello Central, get me Doctor Jazz' burst into my earphones, a ray of sunlight appeared through the clouds and the lack of road cushioning suddenly ceased to matter, as the stable, sure-footed, neutral ride began to take my feet and ankles to their happy place.
- I’m not paranoid. Someone’s watching my runs from space…Right now I'm dejected, but at least fully-informed for the first time in many years. And I can console myself with the additional knowledge that Ming the Merciless is no longer looking down at me from Mongo and saying: "What planet is that guy on?"
- Gear Review: Polaroid Medal 9239A Running SunglassesAnd so, as someone who can overheat in a snowstorm and develop sunburn beneath a 60 Watt light bulb, I have begun preparations for my Summer running a little earlier than usual this year. A process that began with the retirement of my gaudy, mirrored skiing shades, and the acquisition of some serious running eyewear, in the shape of some new Polaroid Medal r […]
- Dear Richard, please could you fix it for me to get a place in the VLM?And look, Mr Branson. Or may I call you Richard? On you, the beard looks good. Your cameo in Casino Royale? Stellar. Your trains? Like a Swiss watch. Space Ship One? The stuff of dreams. Virgin Money? Astonishingly good APR. The abseiling thing? Just jolly bad luck and not funny at all.
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