Running Not Jogging

Ok, I admit – I wear glasses. Usually. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Anybody who knows me just from running though, wouldn’t notice this as I always wear contact lenses when run.

There are some practical reasons eg rain and glare from headlights, but the main reason is I find it way more comfortable to run in contacts than glasses. Office work, reading and using a computer though is a different matter entirely – glasses all the way.

I have though about getting my eyes zapped by a laser to remove the need (along with half of my eyeball) to wear glasses or lenses, but have never quite been too bothered.

Running on Thursday night things changed. I was in a rush to get to the group training session and threw my lenses in and then started running only to find that in my left eye there felt to be a lump of coal in my eye. Now obviously with 10 other people running I couldn’t ask them to stop and I didn’t want to get left behind, so for the whole run I concentrated on blinking a lot.

I really didn’t enjoy the run at all – I was just thinking how nice it would be not to have to worry about these horrid things I keep putting in my eyes!

So I’ve decided – I’m gonna save up, do my research and get them zapped. SO now I’ve thought about it, said it now I just need to do it….

Cheers

Andrew

PS – Any of you guys had it done? – any advice?

Sundays are great aren’t they?

I went out for a run at 7.30 am this morning with my new running partner Phil (who needs to learn to slow down!), for an 8 miler on the footpaths around Harrogate and Knaresborough. Had a bit of trouble with the Garmin Forerunner 405, first of all not picking up the satellites for the first half mile which is always annoying. Then the rain made the screen keep jumping around towards the end, and finally, just as I got home the battery ran out completely – fortunately the details were saved!

Then we saw the outlaws off after they had been here all week (no comment on that in case these words are read ) – it was a shame to see them go….

Then we all (wife and 3 kids) went off to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Even though it was raining that horrible fine rain that just sits in the air, we had a great time.

Favourite sculptures were those of the bronzes by Elisabeth Frink. My favourite of which being the tall “Running Man”. The photo doesn’t so it justice For some reason, the kids (especially my girls (10 & 8)) found the sculpture very funny and were in hysterics.

Got home and had pizza for tea and played lego with Max (3) before putting the kids to bed and relaxing for the remainder of the evening.

Here’s to another great week next week…….

Garmin Forerunner 310XT Review

You all know Garmin right? THE market leader in portable GPS devices for athletes (runners / cyclists / swimmers / triathletes).  Late last year they released their latest and greatest version of the watch sized product, the Garmin Forerunner 310XT.

It is widely seen as not simply an upgrade in previous models, but a step change. It seems like they have looked closely at all of their other products and how people use them, taken a load of feedback and given it to the design boffins who have gone back to the lab and created a masterpiece.

From what it records to how it displays it, the 310XT is superb. Ok, enough of the superlatives, what does it actually do?

Major Improvements of the Garmin Forerunner 310XT (over previous versions)

1. Higher sensitivity GPS and HotFix satellite prediction means it picks up the satellites faster and works better in built up areas and in trees.
   1. ie you’re not pointing your hand at the sky for 5 minutes at the start of a session to try and get a signal (or at least not as often!)
2. Fantastic display and display options – customisable and clearer
   1. If you’re anything like me, not being able to put what you want on the screen is very annoying.
3. Large easy push buttons
   1. You don’t have to look down to see what you are doing – you can keep focussed on where your feet are landing.
4. Vibrating alerts – know how you’re doing by touch alone (rather than just sound alerts)

Seen enough already? Amazon have a great deal on the moment – just press the button below to go to the Garmin Forerunner 310XT page.

As with most of the previous watches, setup is simple and you can pretty much start using it straight away, although to get most efficient use of the battery you should give it a full charge first! There’s a great battery meter that lets you know how much power is left in it so you can work out how long it will last for on the current charge. Garmin claim that the battery will last for 20 hours on a single charge!

You can get a heart rate monitor or footpod as accessories, or you can synch it up with most monitors on the market pretty simply. And as previous versions, it wirelessly hooks up to the PC and then uploads your data to Garmin Connect for you to have a play around with!

The major change for me is in the display. The 310XT allows you to customize the display with 4 data fields of your choice and also swap between multiple preset screens so you can have everything you want to see. And what can you see? Well, power, speed, distance, calories, elevation (heart rate if applicable).

One final thing is the vibrating alerts. These can be setup for distance, heart rate zones etc and just like the beep, the watch will also vibrate. This is especially great when you are listening to music or otherwise distracted and miss a mile marker or something – you now get a second prod!

Anyone out there using one and got any comments? Leave them below.

Cheers

Andrew

PS – want to see what the Garmin Forerunner 310XT looks like on Amazon – click the big red button!

Garmin Forerunner 310XT Full Feature List:

Like a lot of people I’ve spoken to over the last couple of weeks in the UK, the enforced rest period due to cold, snowy weather has been a problem. Now I know compared to other countries the weather we are talking about in the UK is practically tropical, but the fact is we are not used to it so it causes a problem.

Anyway the weather wasn’t the point of the post. The question is, when you have had a forced (or otherwise) break from running, how long does it take you to get back into it?

Looking back at my diary (or more precisely Garmin Connect) I had 4-5 weeks off starting mid December.  I didn’t really do anything apart from 2 runs on the treadmill in mid January.  I have now been back training 3 times a week for 2 weeks and it is really hard!

The run I went on at the weekend was about 7.40 miling for 6 miles. A bit faster than I would normally go on a training run, but still a good minute slower than 10k race pace, so it should have been easy – I was panting like a hot dog!!

I’ve also noticed that the last 2 club runs I’ve been on have been a lot slower than usual, running at 9 + minute miling for 7-8 miles, so everyone seems to be in the same position (I don’t take the lead in these runs and we usually run 8 minute miling, which usually feels steady).

I’m hoping that this, the third week of getting back into things will be much easier and I will start to get some form back.

So the question is, how long does it take you guys to get back into running after only 4-6 weeks off?  This is the first time I have used this survey tool, so I’d appreciate your feedback on how it works or could be better – when I have the rsults I will publish them here.

I’ve just agreed to go running with a neighbour I’ve kind of known for some time, but never yet gone out running with. We got chatting today and started talking about some of the routes we do. Now he seems to go out out only about once a week and does cycling and other stuff too (whereas I just run), so I guess he must be pretty fit.

We are going on his usual run which he says is 7 miles – that’s ok, just getting back into things after the forced Christmas break. And then he says he does it in 46 minutes, which is about 6.30 miling – fast than my 10k race pace!!

I’m just hoping that he has the distance wrong, otherwise my steady weekend jaunt is going to turn into a time trial!

I’ll let you know how it goes……

BodyBugg Product Review

What is BodyBugg?

BodyBugg is a device that is worn all day (like you would wear a watch) and all night too if you wish. Its primary aim is to measure the number of calories you burn throughout the day (at a rate of 92% accuracy if you believe the BodyBugg website). So, unlike the usual way of doing this kind of thing which is via a pedometer (counting the number of steps you take per day), this nifty little gadget calculates how many calories are used doing everything from writing a blog post, to sleeping, from cleaning your teeth to running the 100m in the Olympics (although I’ve never actually seen Mr Bolt wearing one!).

In the UK, the BodyBugg is branded as the Ki-Fit – but they are exactly the same as far as I can tell.

As I mentioned above, the BodyBugg can track calorie burn, physical activity and steps (like a pedometer) and also, which you don’t see too often it can monitor your sleep in terms of duration and effectiveness.

This is important especially if you are trying to lose weight. We all know that the only way to lose weight is to have a calorie deficit ie more calories are used than are consumed. Food consumed (ie what you eat), when done properly can give quite an accurate picture of your calorific intake.  Now, with the BodyBugg you are able to compare this with the total calories used in a day. This can be incredibly motivational, especially if you there is a big gap and it should encourage you to eat less (or better!) and / or exercise more.

How does the BodyBugg work?

The BodyBugg uses an accelerometer (technology used in the iPhone), a kind of pedometer and various sensors that connect with your skin to measure temperature and something called galvanic skin response (GSR - explained by wikipedia much better than I could do it!).

Data is then uploaded to a website, in much the same way Garmin do it for their GPS watches. The website is the control panel for all of your targets and analysis.

Part of this software allows you to do your food diary as well, which is great as it allows you to keep a log of what you have eaten and they have a huge database of foods on there.

How much does the BodyBugg cost?

As always, prices vary, so it is always worth checking for updates.

Amazon
have the best deal and you can see it on their site by clicking here.
In the US right now, the price starts at $179.99 for the kit. You will then need to subscribe to the web analysis tool at a cost of between $6.95 per month to $12.95 per month, depending upon which package you choose. You don’t have to do this straight away though as the first month is free.

Although you can buy direct from the manufacturer, the Amazon package appears to be better value – and you all know Amazon right?

Disadvantages of the BodyBugg

1. Cost. Compared to something like the Garmin where the cost is simply in the hardware (eg the watch), the BodyBugg does have a paid for subscription model to get to the online analysis tool.
2. No wireless updates – getting the data from the device to the computer with a wire – that is so last decade
3. Addiction – be prepared to be very addicted:)

Cheers
Andrew

PS – Any of you guys used it and got any comments? Maybe you got it for Christmas and have been using it since? I wonder how many


Amazon
wishlists it is on?

Overview of Treadmill Running

Many runners and non runners alike will use treadmills as either an alternative to running outside altogether, or as an addition to their training. In this short series of post I discuss the various merits of running on a treadmill, and why people do it along with some of the advantages and disadvantages that come with this kind of training.

Many people have strong opinions about treadmills – I would love to hear them if you would care to comment below!

Advantages of Running on a Treadmill

Bad weather

One of the main reasons many runners give for using treadmills is to get some miles in when the weather is bad for days / weeks at a time. Over in the UK recently for example we had the “worse winter in 30 years” (doesn’t that seem to be said every year!) and I couldn’t get out onto the road for 3-4 weeks.

I decided to get down to the gym and get some running in and that was when I started thinking about this article.

Safe

On cold dark winter nights there is no question that being inside in a warm friendly gym is much safer, from both vehicles and other people! For the lone runner this is especially true. My wife certainly wouldn’t go out running on her own at night and we live in a pretty safe and well lit area.

Returning from injury / time off

In the past I have used treadmills to gently get back into running after time off through injury (or more often through prolonged periods of laziness;)). It is nice to know that you can stop at any time and not have to worry about turning back still having a few miles to get home.

One thing I would say though is that it is very easy to crank up the speed on a treadmill just to get a feel for running fast – avoid this at all costs when just getting back into running otherwise you’ll set yourself back. Speed up gradually overtime and you will see the improvements.

Interval work / Speedwork

I love using the treadmill for interval work and it is one of the aspects of treadmill running that I find mentally easier than outdoor running. It does break the monotony and boredom of running on a treadmill, and has the added benefit for those of you a little vain:) of making you look like a really fast runner!

I usually do this over about 5-10km and run the first km as a steady warm up and then do a pyramid of increasingly fast intervals of anywhere between 1 and 4 minutes, turning the speed right down again at the end and jogging recover for 1-3 minutes.

One of the key things about interval training whether on the treadmill or outside, is to be always thinking about the last rep – this should be just as fast as the first one.  This is a lot harder than you might imagine for those of you who haven’t done it before. The first couple of reps generally feel easy, you are running well within yourself and it is very tempting to crank up the speed. Just remember that last rep though – if you get the speed right the last rep should be tough, but at the same speed.

Some words of warning when running fast on a treadmill -

1. build up slowly
2. wear the safety cord if possible in case you do fall off
3. concentrate on the treadmill
4. concentrate on your style

Steady pace

I find it really hard (mentally) to run the whole distance at the same pace. As discussed above, I like to throw in speed sessions on the treadmill to break things up a bit. Having said that though, if you can switch off (maybe by watching tv) and just run at a steady pace, it is a good way to get the miles in if you can’t get outside.

Just remember though (and we will come onto this in the disadvantages of running on a treadmill), the speed the treadmill says is generally only relative to that treadmill.  As you will find, running on different models and even different machines can be very different unless they have been carefully (and regularly) calibrated, and even then the experience of different models can be worlds apart.

Heart Rate Training

I don’t do this myself anymore, but back in the day when I had a heart rate monitor, linking it up to the treadmill was a great experience – you really do listen to your body. The whole training session is geared around how you feel, it will automatically speed up and slow down, incline and decline depending on your heart rate.

Summary

In summary then, the treadmill, for most people is used as a great alternative and addition to running outdoors. It is a supplement to a normal training regime.  There are plenty of benefits to running on a treadmill as discussed above, and in future posts we will look at some of the disadvantages and then some specific treadmill sessions.

Ki-Fit Product Review

So the first question – what is the Ki-Fit?

It is described as a multi-sensor weight loss management system having a measuring device which lives on your arm (rather like a heart-rate monitor), a display meter (like  a watch with no strap!) which can be mounted on a wristband (like a watch) or on your belt!  The system also comes with some software for analysing the results.

In the US the Ki-Fit is known as the BodyBugg and there is a separate post about that here.

The Ki-Fit can track calorie burn, physical activity and steps (like a pedometer) and also (which is a bit unique), it can monitor your sleep in terms of duration and effectiveness.  It can therefore show you how many calories you use in a day, in total, as it not only measures this when you are active, but also when you are inactive eg whilst writing a blog post!

The data is then uploaded to software sat on your PC, for further analysis.  It is from here where you can set targets in most of the areas of data collection eg hours of exercise, number of steps, weight loss etc.

As part of the software there is a function to enter exactly what you have eaten and it has a very extensive database of foods from which you can pick, or manually enter what you have eaten yourself, giving you a thorough overview of your nutritional intake as well as a comparison with the number of calories being burnt when exercising.

How much does the Ki-Fit cost?

As always, prices vary, so it is always worth checking for updates.

Amazon
have the best deal and you can see it on their site by clicking here.
In the UK right now, the price starts at £149.99 for the kit and then a subscription for £45 (3 months), £71.46 (6 months) or 188.95 for (12 months).
You can buy direct from the kifit site, but the price is about £20 more – and you all know Amazon right?

In the US the system is called

BodyBugg
and I will be writing a similar post to this shortly as there are some differences.

Disadvantages of the Ki-Fit

1. Cost. Now compared to something like the Garmin where the cost is simply in the kit, the ki-fit has a rather expensive subscription model to access the online analysis tool. I can see why (from their business model) they have done it, but it does add up over time.
2. No wireless updates – maybe this will come in later models. Plugging something in is so last decade
3. Addiction – if you are like me and love to see minute by minute changes in things, I can see that this little gadget will become very addictive – maybe one reason not to buy it!

Cheers
Andrew

PS – Any of you guys used it and got any comments? Maybe you got it for Christmas and have been using it since? I wonder how many


Amazon
wishlists it is on?

At last, I’ve been able to get outside running. It has been nearly 4 weeks since I have been able to go running on the road, mainly due to the snow and ice.

It’s still a bit icy in places but on the whole it has now cleared up.

Last night we did intervals round the stray in Harrogate and I took it a bit easy at first as I was still sore from the run on Monday (5 miles) and because I haven’t run for so long.

I actually felt really strong and relaxed, so towards the end of the session was working a bit harder. It all feels really promising as I thought with 5 weeks off it was going to be really hard:( but it wasn’t:)

Still, I’m not going to be doing the brass monkey on Sunday – a half marathon at this stage would be daft. It’s a shame as it is so over subscribed and a popular race, but there’s always next year.

Hope you guys have managed to get out running this week after the forced hibernation…..

I have had the Saucony ProGrid Omni 7 Running Trainers now for the last couple of years, having replaced them about 3 times.

I love them – they have been long wearing, light and cushioning. I have run about 25 miles per week in them and they have been great on the road for both long runs and interval work. And now I would highly recommend them.

There is now the Saucony ProGrid Omni 8 Running Shoe available – but is it worth the extra  premium for being a new shoe? For me no – I’ll stick with this one and have in fact just ordered a new pair.

From the Saucony website, the technical blurb reads as below- and it is a rather technical breakdown. What it means for me is that as I said above, it is a comfy show, good in the dry and wet, for races and training and at this price is a bargain!

The shoe is also designed for the moderate over pronator – which is about 70% of the running population. So chances are this will be a good shoe for you – you will just need to check with your local running store about your pronation if you don’t already know.

If you are interested in buying this shoe, or looking more closely at it – press the following button to go on over to Amazon, or click on the widget.

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