Posts Tagged ‘running safety’

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Peculiar Product Test #4: Ronhill Vizion Long Sleeve Shirt

October 21, 2009

I’d never really given much thought to high-vis wear when I did the occassional short run after work (back before uni). In fact, I was usually wearing all black. One day I was driving down a reasonably lit main road and wouldn’t have seen the runner about to cross in front of me had it not been for the reflective straps around his ankles. From then on, I had a little more time for anything that’ll make you stand out.

I’ve had this shirt a while now and, running in it on Saturday evening, I decided that it should get a little write-up of it’s own. You may have seen it in my Gear section but the photo doesn’t really do it justice. You can have a look at the Pro-Direct page to see the proper fit, but you won’t get an idea of the proper colour unless you actually see it first hand.

It’s the same bright yellow as the high-vis vests that construction or road-workers wear. It really shows up at dusk, when everything else is starting to look a bit dimmer the yellow of this shirt is still as bright as the sun as it is in the day. It has a few reflective logos on the back but they’re not particularly big. I’m hoping that these, combined with the reflective strips on my capris and trainers, will be enough should anyone not see the rather bright, migraine-inducing colour of the shirt.

While a good fit length ways, the shirt is a bit short in the arms for me (but then again, I do have long arms), and the exceptionally light technical fabric is obviously more designed for warm summer evenings than cold October ones. While these shortcomings may seem few, I had hoped for a little more substance from £27 worth of shirt. If I decide to go further afield and outside of the city I’m going to think about getting extra reflective straps, and the shirt won’t be enough on it’s own if it gets much colder. All in all, a good product to have but, even though it’s a long sleeve, it it may not suit all conditions.

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New Shoes!

September 18, 2009

Running shoes are supposed to last a good 500 miles and then need changing. My Nike Motos have done at least 600-700 miles in the last couple of years and, while the soles are still intact, they’re as flat as pancakes. Earlier this year I told myself that I would buy new shoes when I had a full time job, but unfortunately that didn’t happen as quickly as I would have hoped. Luckily, my dad took pity on me and gave me some cash for new shoes.

After the battering my toes got from the Lichfield 10k, and then the sliding about my feet were doing last Tuesday on the track, I decided enough was enough, and on that Tuesday afternoon I drove over to Sutton Runner. I’ve always had neutral shoes and, even though I haven’t had massive problems, I decided to have a look at the video gait analysis to make sure they were right. As it turns out, my right foot was a little bit off (I suspected I was kicking off at a funny angle, but the video showed I was landing at one as well) and so I tried on a couple of pairs of asics before deciding on the Nimbus 11s.

asics Gel Nimbus 11

asics Gel Nimbus 11

They’re a neutral shoe but with a really stable base. I tried them on and got back on the treadmill. The stability in the sole made a huge difference and I could see from 20 seconds of video that my foot was landing straighter.

I had also decided to go up half a size due to my aforementioned battered toes, but they didn’t have them in stock. I was just about to pull out of the car park when the sales guy came running out to tell me he’d found a pair, so back in I went, tried these new ones on and I was sold (or rather, the shoes were). I also picked up another pair of the X-Socks, since I’ve decided I quite like them.

I was going to wait until after the Great Capital Run but decided there was no reason to put my toes through more torture (one of my toenails was looking rather bad) and so started wearing them from last Wednesday, when I did a 4.3km run to break them in. The cushioning around the heel is immense, and very comfortable. My next run was significantly longer and I managed to get a blister and make my toenail even worse. I was slightly worried that, having worn them for less than 20kms I was going to have to get something else, but I’ve since worn them in a bit more and they seem to be getting better. They did fine for the Great Capital Run at the weekend and I’m hoping that taking a few extra days off this week will help my toe get a bit better.

All in all, I’m pretty happy with them. I must give a mention to the staff at Sutton Runner. The guy I spoke to definitely knew his stuff, was very helpful, and even gave me 10% off! If anyone in the West Midlands needs shoes I’d recommend them.

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Last Week: w/c 15th June

June 22, 2009

My Monday posts are likely to get a bit technical, now that I’m trying to work on my 10k times I’m paying more attention to how fast I am throughout my run. Feel free to do what Scribs does and just ignore all the numbers :-)

Monday: I wanted to know just how much of an effect my slow attempt at the hills in Sutton Park had on my 10k time so I took Charlie the Garmin. I started off well, at tempo pace, running the first 3 kms in 6’05″ (warm up), 5’48″ and 5’46″. I did the next 3 kms at base pace and still managed to get to the half way point at 30’29″. I thought I was going to be able to keep it up for the full 10k but I got a stitch at the 7th km and ran a 7’00″ and a 7’39″ km, bringing my final time to 64’42″. Still pleased that it was 3 minutes quicker than before though.

Tuesday: I was determined to do better than Monday, so I headed out for another 10k. Started with a strong 3k again, then slowed down a bit to attempt to maintain something around the 6’10″ mark (thank you virtual training man) but was let down again by my 7th and 8th km (6’54″ and 6’37″). Still, I did better than yesterday, managing to get home for 62’17″! Very happy!

Thursday: Cold and wet today (of course, it starts raining the second I step outside) meant that I had fleeting feeling in my fingers and toes and an excess of snot (thanks to raynauds and asthma respectively). I had already decided on a leisurely 5k but decided to try a negative split in an attempt to get used to a faster pace. I made it home in 29’29″, which I’m reasonably pleased with (for a training session that was planned whilst doing it anyway!)

Friday: I fully intended to do a 10k at base pace today but my legs were sluggish and heavy and I found myself jogging instead of running. I decided that if I wasn’t going to maintain a decent pace then I would at least put some effort into the distance and so managed 12k in 78’07″.

Sunday: Ally and I went back to Sutton Park and did the same route as last time. Knowing that I could push myself more than last time I set out with the intention of letting myself speed up on the downhills to compensate for the slow uphills. I made it to 5k in a little over half an hour and then to 6k in a little over 36 minutes. I decided to give it everything I had and try to break the hour mark. I got to 9.1km at 55 minutes and still some hills to go but I really went for it and managed to get to 10k in 59’50″. I now know that I can do it, so it’s just a case of repeating that in 3 weeks time!

Total Run: 47km

Gym buddy Baines

Gym buddy Baines


Good news all round this week – I feel like I’m really getting somewhere with my 10k times. Unfortunately we also have some bad news. Claire, my little ginger journo, has left the Green House for pastures new (or old, she’s moved back in with her parents). I’ve lived with Claire for three years but it’s only really been this year that we’ve been proper gym buddies, I’ll miss you Baines! You can keep track of her happenings on her blog.

It’s also worth noting that this week is the last chance to buy a RoadID whereby 10% goes towards my sponsorship goal. If you buy a RoadID through this blog after this week then the 10% will go towards whichever charity I run for next year. If you’d like to buy one (and I think they’re a great idea, especially if you run on your own) then please click the button on the right hand side of the page. Thanks.

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Last Week: w/c 8th June

June 15, 2009

Monday: I had decided that one week of being ill was enough and I was going to go do something. I went to the gym with Claire as I was still a bit unsteady (strange vertigo dizziness all week) and thought it safer than trying a run. I did 6km (28 minutes) on the exercise bike to start with and then 2km of easy intervals on the treadmill. Probably shouldn’t have done the running at the end but it felt good to get the blood going!

Wednesday: I wanted to try another run, though after the rather wobbly 2k on Monday I was under strict orders from Coach Ally to use the treadmill instead of going outside. Probably just as well. I had intended to do 7k but in the end left it at 5 (30’30″).

Thursday: I had already said that I would go back to the gym with Claire, and I was still unsure as to how far I could run, so it seemed the sensible option. As it happened, both treadmills were taken when we got there so I entertained myself on the ergo and the exercise bike until one was free. I did my first km at tempo pace but got horrible stabbing pains in my abdomen, much like I did a few months ago, and so had to stop at 1.3k. Defeated, I did another km on the bike and then a pretty massive weights session. I was still tiring quicker so I might not have been completely over this illness. Well done to Baines though, who is now up to 3-1 intervals on the treadmill (3 mins running to 1 min walking).

Friday: Had arranged to do a 10k in Sutton Park with Ally and stayed over at his on the Thursday night to get to the park at a reasonable hour the next morning. It was a great day for it, nice and sunny but not too hot. I actually managed the distance, which was good, in 67 minutes. I used the Garmin so I know it’s pretty accurate. It’s not quite as quick as I would have liked but it felt good so I’m happy with it.

Saturday: Decided I needed a day off from running. Went to archery in the morning (as well as Friday evening) and got back into the swing of things. Competition on Sunday morning so I needed the practice!

Sunday: Didn’t get back from the archery competition until 3pm, but decided to join Scribs on his ‘challenge’ mile. As it happens we did a 5k in 32’45″. Scribs’ ridiculous pace kept me from falling back into my 10k pace (thanks Scribs), though we had a few walking breaks as he isn’t used to exercise the distance.

Total Run: 23.3km

This week I signed up for a place in the 2010 Bupa London 10,000, which takes place on 31st May. I’ve put my estimated time as 55 minutes, so I have nearly a year to get it down to that! I’ve also signed up for a smaller event – the Lichfield 10k – on 6th September this year. I put my estimated time as 1 hour, and I know there’s a good hill in it, but it looks like it could be fun.

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Last Week: w/c 1st June

June 8, 2009

Monday: Thinking one rest day after that 16k hill run last week was enough was obviously a mistake. The 10k I did with Ally was good but my legs were still aching so I decided to take Monday off as well. Being back in Shelton I decided to go to the gym and do an upper body weights session – which ended up quite short due to the sheer number of people in there, the heat, and me getting bored easily when I do weights :-) By the time I had showered and changed I wasn’t feeling well and as you know from Friday’s post it all went downhill from there.

Tuesday: Still ill but felt good enough in the afternoon for a stroll around the barefoot trail in Trentham as per last Wednesday’s post.

The rest of the week was spent indoors not doing a whole lot. I know I have to be patient but I really want to go out for a run or a cycle – anything. There’s only so much of this staying couped up inside that I can do!

Total Run: 0km

I know I haven’t mentioned my progress on my goal to shift some weight of late. Being ill meant that I lost a fair amount in a very short period of time but I don’t think it counts! I’ve been trying to keep my calorie intake up during the week but it’ll probably be a fortnight or so before I can give you a proper idea of how I’m doing.

A reminder to anyone out there that runs/jogs/cycles alone, ID can be essential in the case of an accident. Buy a RoadID (I have one) by clicking on the button in the right hand column and 10% of the sale price will go towards my sponsorship goal.

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Not Running

June 5, 2009

You might have picked up from my last blog post/facebook/twitter/general whining that I’m not well at the moment. Thoughtful friends and family members have offered 2 diagnoses of swine flu, 2 of regular flu, one man-flu, one unknown virus and one t-virus (thanks Scribs).

Either way, I haven’t been running. Which kinda puts a dampener on my training as well as my blog. I’m seeing this as an elongated rest day, letting my quads fully recover from last week, my knee get rid of that niggling twinge and generally taking a break so I don’t get stuck in a rut or bored with my training. I’ve been writing bits of blog posts when I feel like it, and reading the latest Runner’s World magazine (why is it that the Underround sounds horrible but I’m raring to try a tower run??) as well as the two non-running related books I have on the go at the moment.

I realise that illnesses and injuries happen (the latter more than the former when it comes to my running!) and that’s why training for an event has to have a little extra room in the timetable department. To be honest I thought the urge to exercise would have got to me by now like it usually does when I’ve got an injury and can’t run for a week, but I assume that my complete inability to walk in a straight line at the moment has put a stop to the idea of running. When I’m feeling better I’ll have to remember to give it a few days before getting back into the swing of things, just to be on the safe side, but needless to say my blog posts might run a little dry for a while! :-)

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Music

May 22, 2009

A bit of an old debate when it comes to running. I’ve never really had the discussion with anyone else because I don’t know anyone else that runs on a regular basis, so I’m going to skip the ‘to music or not to music’ bit and just move on to what I listen to.

You probably already know I listen to music because I have the Nike + sports kit for my iPod. I have a 2nd generation Nano (in shiny blue) and Sennheiser MX75 headphones. Having gone through a myriad of headphones in the past I’ve found that these are the only ones that will actually stay in.

As far as music goes, I tend to listen to something with a good beat. Over 50% of my running playlist is by The Prodigy. As it happens I usually have a moment of guilt at a certain point of my run down the canal path. If I’m running south then I get to the edge of the city after 3kms and am suddenly in the quiet, away from roads and people, though all I can hear is Keith reverberating around in my head. As if it’s somehow disrespectful to the quiet of nature to still be listening to my electronic punk rock :-)

I can run without music, there was a time when the sounds of my laboured breathing would put me off my pace, but I find it much easier now. I think it’s more a case of having something to listen to, to keep me occupied and motivated. The Nike+ system has a ‘power song’ which you can start by pressing the big centre button on the iPod. Mine is currently set to Voodoo People (Pendulum Mix) by The Prodigy, and I used to find that just having it play would make me run that bit faster, though I’ve had it for a while and it isn’t giving me the motivation that it used to. I’m finding that Run With The Wolves, from the new Prodigy album is giving me that extra push now (which I usually save the last km).

So, my playlist as it stands:

No Good (Start the Dance) – Prodigy
Skylight – Overseer
Omen (Extended) – Prodigy
Hard Wax – Manchild
Invaders Must Die – Prodigy
Leave You Far Behind – Lunatic Calm
Weapons of Mad Distortion – The Crystal Method
Thunder – Prodigy
Ready, Steady, Go – Oakenfold
Breathe – Prodigy
Keep Hope Alive – The Crystal Method
Run With The Wolves – Prodigy
Spybreak! (Short One) – Propellerheads
Firestarter – Prodigy
Voodoo People (Pendulum Mix) – Prodigy

This will get me through about 65 minutes, but I don’t really like starting again from the beginning. I’ve had ‘No Good’ as the first song on my playlist for so long it’s quite intrinsicly linked with the start of my run and hearing it after 65 minutes would just make me think I have to do it all over again. Weird? Yeah, a little bit.

Another favourite is Drive by The Crystal Method. It’s one of the mixes in the Nike+ Original Run series and I like it for a slightly more relaxed run. However, it’s only 45 minutes long and so I tend to keep it for the runs I know won’t take longer than that. There are about 4 or 5 of these ‘continuous mixes’ that Nike have released so if you want something that’ll keep you going, I suggest checking them out on itunes.

So what about you guys? What music do you listen to when you work out?

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The almost-but-not-quite essential piece of running kit.

April 8, 2009

I am, of course, talking about trainers. Inspired by this blog post by Blogger the Jogger back in February, I have decided that today’s discussion shall be on footwear. Cue at least 50% of readers deciding that going to check Facebook/Twitter/e-mail will be a better way to spend their time :-)

Still with me? Excellent. Now, when most girls talk about shoes you don’t really envision a pair of asics gel 3000s or Nike Air Victorys, but for me buying new running shoes it much more exciting than some designer heels. The right pair of trainers can make all the difference to a run. Not only does running become easier (honest), but you prevent injury and a new pair of trainers are great for motivation. Needless to say, you’ll also look good.

The reason I say a pair is not quite essential is because of the supposed increase in barefoot running. A tremendous amount of pressure goes through your joints when you run, this being one of the reasons that most running shoes are so well cushioned. However, barefoot runners argue that this encourages you to hit the ground harder, and the bone jarring vibrations of each footfall become a self-fulfilling prophecy. A smattering of papers and studies boast increased output and lower chance of ankle injury, while any community of barefoot runners seem to prefer the fact that you can feel the ground beneath you and experience running the way that nature intended.

In the spirit of dedication to the post I have decided to sample the world of barefoot running… or maybe barefoot jogging… or just walking quickly whilst attempting to avoid getting anything sharp stuck in the bottom of my foot. Either way, look out for future posts as I embark on, what I assume will be, a rather painful journey.

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RoadID

March 18, 2009

Running outdoors, as I do for two thirds of the year, I am often without money, phone or ID. Probably not the best of ideas I know, but all the time I’m not going very far (and let’s face it, there isn’t a whole lot of room in running shorts to start carrying things) I don’t bother. In January 2008 I saw the RoadID in a magazine and I decided to check out the website.

Last summer (and the few outdoor runs I’ve done so far this year) I could be seen sporting the Wrist ID Original; a nylon and velcro wrist band with a stainless steel plate (sounds heavy but only weighs 0.1 ounce). The steel plate is laser engraved with my name, that I have asthma, my blood type, that I’m an organ donor, my mum’s and brother’s phone number and a motto. You have 6 lines of text and can ask for pretty much anything to be engraved on there. For $20 (around £15 nowadays but only a tenner at the time) that’s not bad.

So OK, ID isn’t really going to make running out on my own any safer in itself, but short of wearing kevlar and carrying mace (I live in Shelton after all) there isn’t a whole lot that can easily be done. ID means that, should something happen, my medical info and contact phone numbers are there. Which is better than nothing.

It’s light and comfortable, comes in different colours and even has a reflective strip for increased visibility. If you’re interested but wristbands aren’t your thing, fear not. RoadID do ankle band versions, dog tags, and one that straps onto the laces of your trainers.

If you want to buy a RoadID, for yourself or for a friend or relative, then please click on the RoadID button on this page (below and in the right hand side bar). That way, 10% of the cost of the ID gets back to me and I donate it to the charity I’m running for. Thanks.

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