fairweatherrunner

running blog

Monthly Archives: May 2012


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Workplay fleetfoot II running bag

How do you carry everything for long runs?

Up until now I’ve always travelled light on my runs taking the minimum (just a key sometimes) and I stuff what I do take with me down my sports bra. A big ask for the poor garment which is already struggling with keeping everything still against forces of gravity! Also keys and coins are cold and I did learn my lesson that iPods don’t like to be warm and wet having killed a nano a few years ago!

Anyway, during Janathon, while training for half marathons this spring, I realised that I had to find a better way to carry some of the stuff I needed for increasing long runs. At one stage I had my gloves in my bra (with key, tissue and emergency fiver) and the combination of iPhone in the back pocket of my tights and my hat in the waistband was making the tights fall down! All hard to cope with while also trying to carry a bottle of water in one hand and run at the same time!

So when I was offered one of Workplay’s light weight female fit running bags to review I jumped at the chance. I will be starting marathon training in July and want to start experimenting with gels on long runs in preparation. Now where to shove them as well as everything else?

I have not got on too well with waist packs in the past finding all they do is bounce, wiggle up and down and not actually hold much. But I had seen an advert for Workplay’s waist bags which are designed to fit on your hips and was curious.

So for a Sunday long run recently I loaded up the Fleetfoot (keys, iPhone, tissue, gel, money, water bottle) for a full trial and set off to run 10 miles.

I have to admit that at first I thought oh dear… maybe I have to go back and take it off. I was feeling a bit self-conscious un-used to carrying much and I was fiddling with it round my waist and it was bouncing a bit. But a test is a test so I carried on to give it more time.

I’m glad I did because after a mile or so as I settled into my run it settled down on my hips, into the small of my back and became more comfortable. As my run went on I noticed it less and less, apart from each time I pulled it round to retrieve my water. Top tip. Don’t fiddle! I realised that I didn’t have to constantly push it down and tighten it. When left well alone it settled comfortably on my hips as I ran and didn’t bounce so I was able to run practically unaware of it.

Another top tip is to watch the video from Workplay bags to see all its features. The bags have useful separate compartments to keep items such keys, money, iPods or credit cards separate and the video shows how it holds a water bottle or running jacket which would have taken me a few outings to work out if I hadn’t known!

I’ve used it a few more times and the more I run with it the more I like it, even fully loaded with a water bottle.

A well planned, thought out bag with some great attention to detail and some important small touches such as a flap to thread your headphones through and a loop to keep the end of the strap when tightened tucked in is elastic so its easy to thread back on the move.

So I’ve got the bag, found the gels and now I’ve just got to do the long runs!

But first I’ve got to survive Juneathon!


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Bupa London 10K

It was hot, blooming hot!

On Sunday I met up in Green Park with my good friend Kirsten (returning to racing after injury) and with Alma and Louise.  We met in the pleasant surroundings of Green Park and while we pinned on numbers and attached timing chips I realised how hot it really was.  It might have been a much better idea to stay there sitting on the grass for a chat and a picnic!

As usual for this race it was really well organised, plenty of loos and very organised baggage drop so it only took a few minutes to get ready before heading to the start.  The course had been changed this year to reflect the Olympic Marathon course starting on the Mall.  A very slick start and all waves were moved forward very promptly to get the start cleared for the elite runners to finish at the same point!  It was a busy race and there was a bit of weaving to keep up pace and having to wait to pass people and some elbow bashing at narrower points but there was a good atmosphere and lots of noisy spectators cheering us along.  As my 5th running of this race it was a nice change to run it in reverse!

Kirsten who has suffered with an injuries recently told me to go ahead at the start as she had promised her Physio to walk if her legs were tight.  However she caught up with me not long after 1Km and we ran the rest of the race together.  As I predicted, injury or no injury, Kirsten has one pace (quite quick which she can carry on for miles and miles!) and it was me who was the weak-link suggesting in a few places where the heat was really getting to me that we ease off a bit! Having a good steady pace maker helped me maintain a reasonable pace and I’m sure that left to my own devices I would have been far slower. I really struggled in the heat and almost stopped to walk just before the 9k point but managed to force myself on having got so far.  So I was happy to scrape in under 55 mins at 54.53.  My slowest 10K for a long while but by far the hottest, the reported temperature was 28 degrees!

The highlight was just before 3km when the front group of the mens race passed us on the other side of the road on their return leg and we all shouted encouragement to Mo Farrah to continue his winning streak  My olympic athletics experience! Who needs tickets?  We also saw the stands in place at Horse Guards Parade for the volleyball and crossed the finish line where the olympic marathon will in front of a crowd of spectators.

A great day,  finished with lunch out for Kirsten’s birthday with her partner and my family.  I have signed up for a sixth Bupa London 10K in 2013 when I hope to break my ‘getting slower and slower’ streak!


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New Shoes

it’s that time of year again….

time for Juneathon!

Have you signed up yet?

So in anticipation of running 100 plus miles in June I finally got myself organised for a decent running shoe fitting and some custom orthoics. I went to Profeet where I could get advice on new running shoes as well as get some custom-made orthotics.

Its been a while since I last went to a running shoe shop for a proper fitting. I’ve been buying my shoes on the internet and have been nervous about going to a shop because I’m totally wedded to my Saucony Kinvaras and have been afraid that any advice would be to return to something a little more supportive (heavy,stiff and horrid!) for pronation, flat feet…

Old Shoes

Fortunately I needn’t have worried. I’m running fine in my Kinvaras (with a bit of added support from insoles), and as I prefer lighter minimalist style shoes there is no reason not to continue to run in them even up to marathon distance.

My hour session included giving details about my running and injury history (with a cup of tea), being filmed running in my current shoes and then barefoot on the treadmill. Then a couple of barefoot runs over a pressure pad. Next was an examination of my feet and ankles to check flexibility and range of motion before impressions of my feet were made to make custom orthotics taking into account where I needed support.

The feedback was; I have normal arches, very mobile toes (my left big toe has joined my glutes in being characterised as lazy and is not engaging to give me a good toe off! Only those bits?). I pronate slightly when barefoot but was fine in my current shoes with insoles, my Achilles niggles could stem from tight calves because as a midfoot striker my calf muscles take a lot of strain. I need to continue to work on hip and glute strength for hip stability. I was given some suggested exercises to strengthen my calves, hips and glutes and encouraged to make sure good stretching and foam rolling were part of my routine.

Instead of buying a new pair of Kinvaras I decided to try other minimalist running shoes while I got the chance and was recommended the Brooks Green Silence. They felt really light and were good to run in on the treadmill.

New Shoes

So I settled on these as a change. They are a slightly wider fit which suits me and are cheaper than the Kinvaras, a big benefit knowing that one downside of minimalist shoes is they wear out quicker!

I’ve worn them in round the house, to BMF for a few sprints and for 2 longer runs this weekend. With orthotics they fit very well and are very comfortable. My only issue was getting the asymmetric lacing right at first but once sorted after 3 stops yesterday all was well.

So far so good. All set for Juneathon!


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Under Armour ColdBlack T shirt

When Under Armour asked if I’d like to wear test one of their new ColdBlack Training T-shirts I was quite excited when I read about it because I dislike being over warm when running and racing and these new shirts claim…

  • Revolutionary technology that actually reflects the sun’s heat
  • Reflects IR and heat rays
  • Minimum UPF 30+ to block UV-A and UV-B rays
  • Dark colors act like light colors and don’t get hot

Under Armour were on to a winner with me right from the start because the Women’s shirt is a semi fitted feminine cut with a scoop neck which is very flattering (especially for those of us with boobs!). So whether it delivers on keeping me cool or not I’m likely to wear it because I really like it. The material is very light and soft, slightly stretchy, ever so slightly see through and comfortable to wear.

The only problem is that since I’ve had it the weather in the UK has been less than fair and to start with I wondered if would ever be able to try it out in anything but pouring rain.

I have worn it constantly since I got it (3 British Military Fitness classes, 3 runs and a parkrun) and it has washed and dried well and was even not too smelly for a sneaky run dragged from the floor a second day!

For BMF classes we wear bibs and I often get too hot in a double layer once we warm up. The ColdBlack shirt feels very light and is better than other tops as an under layer but obviously unable to reflect heat when covered. I found it was warm enough for the cold start of a class but was no cooler in very humid conditions than any other lightweight top. I does however dry very quickly and once soaked to the skin from rain or lying on wet grass my top half (in this) became less chilled as we cooled down than my lower half.

When out running I felt cool wearing it, even on a surprise sunny evening at tempo pace when my body felt much cooler than my legs in Capri pants (both black). I also wore it for parkrun this weekend and racing in it I felt as free as in a singlet but with the added benefit of a little more coverage on my shoulders to keep warm at the start (and it will protect from the sun if we ever get any!)

On balance a very good comfortable, flattering light weight technical T-shirt. I felt cool wearing it on runs but need to continue to test it in hotter, sunnier conditions (anything over 20 degrees would be nice!) to know if it fully lives up to its claims.

Link to men’s product page..

http://www.underarmour.com/shop/uk/en/pid1231685?cid=SM|blog|ColdBlack


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Saved by the Llama

Viceathon (one mile run for each glass of wine in April) came to an end and I finished like most participants with debt (10 miles) carried over into May. However it was still a success!  I ran 67 miles in April, a period when I was feeling very unmotivated, distracted, busy and weary which is at least double what I might have run.  It also made me think about how much I drink when I had to own up to every glass of wine.  A useful exercise.

Now we come to the Llama.  Somehow or other during Viceathon and many conversations on Facebook it came about that salvation (and the erasing of all debts) could happen if we could report that we’d seen a Llama whilst out on a run!  So I was very glad to discover this fine Llama while running on the Isle of Wight at the weekend!

It’s just as well because I had begun to notice, and worry about, a recurrence of my hip/glute niggles towards the end of the month on a long run.  I have probably run a few too many ‘junk’ miles just for the sake of it (a glass of wine or two) and have neglected my exercises, stretches and sessions with my foam roller!

So my approach for the rest of my training for the Bupa London 10K in a couple of weeks is to train smarter.  Rather than bashing out the miles I’m now combining BMF classes (where there are plenty of opportunities for short sprints) with shorter more focussed runs with race pace intervals.  I will still do a longish run each week.  I’m using the 10K training plans from Bupa Running as a guide, using the structure of the intermediate one, running 4 days a week so I take 3 important rest days but am using the long run distances from the advanced plan because I am already running that sort of mileage.

I’ve found the regular injury Q &As on the Bupa Running Facebook page very interesting and a useful reminder of my need to stretch and do my exercises as well as getting some useful tips and alternative stretches from replies to questions.  Advice I have received is the importance of getting a Podiatrist gait assessment for my pronation issues, and not just self-treating with insoles from the internet. I’ve run 600 miles in the ‘temporary’ insoles I got last summer from the physio…oops! And all my niggles are coming back.

So please feel free to kick me if I don’t report that I’ve got that sorted out before Juneathon starts because otherwise running every day will mean there’s a high chance I will end up injured again and then spend the summer feeling sorry for myself and blogging about nothing but my woes and running injuries…Zzzz.

You have been warned!

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