I just saw a bloke in the gym wearing one of those No Fear T–shirts which said “Fear is in the eye of the beholder (don’t let it be you)”. I know that the whole No Fear concept is pretty stupid at the best of times, but isn’t this another level when it comes to total nonsense? Beauty is in the eye of the beer–holder, that much is certainly true.

Labels: training

Running Shoes

As a result of having my gym bag nicked a couple of weeks ago, I had to invest in a new pair of running shoes. Because they didn’t have my usual Brooks Glycerin in my size at Runners’ Need, they put me up on the treadmill, assessed my gait (mild over–pronation) and sold me a pair of Saucony ProGrid Omni 6. They look quite nice and are superficially comfortable, but having put 50–odd miles on them now, I must say that I am not getting along with them at all. Every time I go out for a run I come back without skin on the soles of my feet. I had thought that it might be a wearing–in issue, but it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Never had this problem with the Brooks, either. I think that I might have to put the Sauconys down to experience and go looking for another pair of Glycerins.

Update 28/10/07: Just got back from doing 12 miles or so and am pleased to report that my feet are fine. These shoes obviously just take longer than most to wear in.

Labels: training

Stick to Hyde Park

I’ve been away on a work conference in Eastbourne for the last couple of days. The conference was fine, as these things go, but one evening after the sessions, I thought it would be a good idea to clear my head by taking a quick jog and visiting the famous Beachy Head. Big mistake. I got up as far as the famous suicide drop without incident, on a pleasantly warm Autumn evening. But then the sun went down like a brick in a swimming pool. Living in central London, I had forgotten that it actually gets dark at night in some places. Apparently, where this phenomenon occurs, the transition from light to dark happens quite quickly. Who knew!? How dangerous!

Anyway, this left me running backwards and forwards in the blackness trying to find the path back to Eastbourne without inadvertently plummeting off the edge of the cliff. It was getting quite scary. Also, the headline would have been bad: — “Conference so dire that delegate leaps from Beachy Head”. In the end, after running halfway back to Eastbourne along what I had thought was the path only for it to disappear into featureless scrub dropping off towards the sea, I decided that I’d had enough and struck out inland in the direction of a light, eventually happening upon a pub, from which I called for a taxi.

Labels: training

Training

Blah blah, trying to get fit for the New Year. As well as giving up booze for the month of January, I shall mostly be following this basic fitness programme of my own devising for general all–round fitness. For historical reasons, it is known as the “Lensfield programme” and it’s guaranteed to make you as fit as a boatie.

Labels: training