Filed under: British Military Fitness, running, running gear | Tags: British Military Fitness, fartlek, leggings, seasons
Despite the significantly cooler temperatures and fading daylight, I’ve made it to British Military Fitness twice this week – on Monday and this evening. I couldn’t believe the difference between this week, and when I last went about four weeks ago: it was as dark at the start as it had been at the end of the class before.
But despite this slightly depressing trend, training outside does make you appreciate the changing seasons more than you would if your gaze sinply drifted away from inside the gym while slogging away on the treadmill. And, without trying to compete with Mr Highway Kind’s much more eloquent and philosophical musings, I like that. I fully appreciate the excitement and sense of something better to come in spring; I adore the long, warm evenings in the summer months, sweating out all the stresses of the day; I like jumping around in damp, autumn leaves; and I even get a thrill out of the looks on my colleagues’ faces when I head out of the stuffy, centrally heated office in my BMF kit for a class in the middle of winter.
In fact, I haven’t been to the gym in such a long time that I’m thinking of giving up my membership.
Both today’s session, and Monday’s session were taken by Dan. And Dan’s got some new moves…
Exhibit 1: the “tripwire” – while jogging along, Dan shouts “TRIPWIRE” and we all have to jump in the air, legs tucked underneath ourselves
Exhibit 2: the “grenade” – when Dan shouts “GRENADE” we all dive to the ground, hands over heads
Exhibit 3: the “firing of one’s partner across the grass” – where one person lays down on their back, legs bent and in the air. The second person leans back with their bum against the first person’s feet. #1 bends their legs, then straightens them – firing #2 up into the air. Most amusing, though I do think it could be improved by introducing an element of long-jump -style competition, as I’m pretty convinced long-limbed Stu might be able to fire Leigh right across the road outside the park.
Exhibit 4: the “fartlek” – possibly a contender for my least favourite exercise and one most like to make me vomit. Involves the line of lamp posts down the middle of the park – you start running at 50% of maximum ability, increase to 75% at the second lamp post, then 100% at the third, back to 50%, then 75% and 100%. After a 30-second break – you repeat the exercise…and so on. It’s HORRIBLE. Even worse than the hill runs. But it has to be good for you, right?
Oooh, and in fashion news, it would seem that lycra is the new black. Three of the chaps turned up in snug little leggings on Monday – and spent the entire class fretting about them falling down, being draughty and having a general feeling of tightness. You’ll get use to them lads – much more practical than baggies in the winter. 
Filed under: running gear
I was told off by a number of my fellow BMF-ers last night over our monthly pint of shandy for not blogging much lately. In my defence, I was away for a few days last week, and prior to that hadn’t been doing very much what with the back/bottom/hip niggle. Thanks to my dedication to my stretching regime the osteopath, that seems to be on the mend – and I’ve done a couple of runs.
The first was two Saturdays ago when – after an afternoon of drinking and an evening of Singstar at a friend’s approximately five miles away – I decided it wasn’t wise to drive home. So we left the car there, got a cab home at the extortionate cost of £15, and ran over to get the car the following morning. It wasn’t the most pleasant of runs – along fairly busy roads, some of which did not have pavements. It was also a bit on the warm side. We got there, and my friend’s two-year-old stared at me for a moment and said quite matter-of-factly: “Oh, you’re all sweaty.” Thanks for that Ellie. Phil actually looked considerably more damp, but no similar judgement was made.
Monday was my first day off work and I decided to head out for a river run – down to Dinton Pastures, round the top lake and back for the normal 5-mile(ish) route. I completed this in 47:53, which I think might be a PB. This may have been because I barely saw a soul while I was out, and was consequently a bit scared. But it’s probably because it’s a route I normally do with Phil – not on my own. One thing I’ve realised lately is that we actually run faster when we run apart, perhaps because we both use music when on our tods.
Which reminds me of another thing I need to do, and that’s sort out my offer from the lovely man at AudioFuel to download some running-specific tracks according to your desired beats per minute. My lack of time, not his inclination to help, has held things up so far…
Filed under: British Military Fitness, running gear | Tags: Big Ears, British Military Fitness, kitlist, winter
This may be an odd subject for a blog during August, but bear with me. I was thinking back to the cold, dark nights of midwinter for three reasons during a British Military Fitness class this evening. Firstly, I was talking to a fellow BMF-er who’s been coming for a few months, who was asking what the class is like in the winter; secondly, I was talking to someone else who was attending their second session after coming along for the first time on Monday, so I was thinking back to My First Time; and thirdly, Hayley the instructor said we’d done “really well tonight, considering the weather isn’t great”.
Sorry? It was still 21ºC when I got in the car afterwards. And I was wearing a vest. That was soaked with sweat. Granted, there were a few mossies doing that erratic flying thing they do when they sniff sweat and blood, but it was still infinitely more pleasurable than BMF on a dark December night. So, for those who have yet to experience this delightful scenario, I’m publishing my winter kitlist.
British Military Fitness in winter – what to bring with you:
- A sense of humour. Seriously. You need a good one in order to do press-ups when it’s snowing and leopard-crawl in torrential rain.
- Grippy shoes. I fell over several times during my first few classes on slippy wet grass, but I’m confident my Inov8 shoes will see me through the winter months.
- Black socks – if, like me, you’re rather fussy about whites being white. Mine are USA Pro ones.
- Running tights – a must if you want to avoid the ankle-flapping caused by jogging bottoms becoming soaking wet.
- A close-fitting and (listen up ladies) longer-length top – ideally one that’s fleecy on the inside. You really want a warm layer, with no draughts around the midriff area. Mine’s a Craft one.
- Lightweight jacket – to keep out the wind. An old running one is ideal. Don’t be tempted to invest in anything too pretty or expensive.
- Gloves – to protect your hands and retain some circulation in your fingers. It’s surprising how painful it is doing press-ups on frozen ground.
- Hat – to keep your extremities warm. Particularly if your Dad is nicknamed Big Ears and you didn’ take after your Mum.
- A seat cover for the car, to stop it from getting covered in mud when you clamber back into it after the class. About a tenner from Halfords – for something along the lines of this.
Brrr – makes me shiver just thinking about it. Having written this, I’m going to appreciate every single summer class a whole lot more.
Filed under: British Military Fitness, running, running gear | Tags: British Military Fitness, Fitness Footwear, Inov8 Roclite 295, off-road, running shoes
Inov8 Roclite 295 (source: Fitness Footwear)
Firstly, an apology: to the lovely Adam Smith at Fitness Footwear, who approached me some time ago to see if I would review a pair of shoes that I got to keep afterwards. Let’s just say it was considerably cooler when he asked me, so my review is extremely tardy. However, that has given me time to give them a proper road-test. So here’s my review…
I’ve had mixed experiences when buying running shoes in various stores in the past. I have quite wide feet, and shoes that are too tight can be immensely uncomfortable. But, last year, I found a pair of Saucony road running shoes that I’m really happy with, and wasn’t inclined to waste my Fitness Footwear opportunity on another pair of road shoes that may or may not fit.
Added to that, I’ve been doing a few more off-road races lately, and noticed other competitors wearing specialist off-road shoes – generally lighter weight with less cushioning and bigger tread on the soles. Though I’d come across the likes of Salomon – notable for their extensive sponsorship of various off-road races around the country – I didn’t really have a clue where to start looking for the right off-road shoes. I asked Adam for his advice, and he suggested I try the Inov8 brand. Completely unknown to me, but apparently quite good for people with generously proportioned plates of meat.
I ordered a pair of the Inov8 Roclite 295s from the site – based more or less on what they looked like (I’m not a big fan of flourescent yellow) and waited for them to arrive. Sure enough, they appeared within a couple of days – great service from Fitness Footwear.
My pair (source: me)
They felt quite lightweight with a much deeper tread than normal running shoes – as expected – in fact, slightly more like walking shoes (I normally buy Merrells) than running shoes. I’d ordered a size 7 (my normal shoe size is a 6/6.5 and I wear size 7.5 Sauconys to run in), but they felt quite large when I put them on. Certainly they were wide enough, but they actually felt longer than necessary for my feet. Nonetheless, I had nothing to lose by giving them a go and it is true that your feet swell once you get going.
My first run in them was a 4.5-mile loop from West Hampstead up and around Hampstead Heath and back. And they felt terrible on the road – like running on planks – a bit like when your running shoes need replacing. The cushioning is absolutely non-existent and my feet felt like they were slopping around inside the shoes. But, then something happened when I got off the road and onto the woodland paths on the outskirts of the Heath: suddenly my feet felt super-grippy on the gravelly and sandy surface.
My next excursion was to a British Military Fitness class… and one of my class-mates was wearing an identical pair. More to the point, he was a man. Turns out the Inov8s are unisex shoes. Hmmm, surely men and women have different anatomies and therefore different requirements? Anyway, I carried on regardless, and found – once again – that the Roclites came into their own on grass. Their grippiness gives you confidence on slippy grass, particularly on inclines and descents, of which there are plenty in the average BMF class!
A subsequent class in very wet conditions confirmed their ability to deal with damp as well as uneven or rough terrain. However, my feet did get very wet indeed – the lightweight uppers are not in the slightest bit waterproof.
I haven’t done much in the way of off-road racing over the past few months, so I haven’t tested them in a race situation. But I would only use them if the race was entirely off-road rather than a mix of road/off-road terrain, and wouldn’t attempt a long run at all; 10k is about their limit because of the lack of cushioning. But the shoes have become my default British Military Fitness footwear of choice – and are standing up to the beating they get twice a week much better than my normal shoes, which were destroyed within the first six months. Even the fit has improved over time with a small amount of adjustment in the laces department. Just tonight, I was reminded of the edge they give on grass: as my class-mates gingerly picked their way down a steep bit of the park, a bit frightened of slipping, I hurled myself down the hill with complete confidence.
I wouldn’t suggest readers use any online store to buy running shoes for the first time – I think it’s vital to get face-to-face advice from an experienced runner who can help find the right fit. For that, my store of choice is Runner’s World in Eastcote – hands-down the best guys to talk to. I’ve had poor experiences everywhere else.
But, if you’re buying a second pair of the same brand/model, or want to try out some off-roaders where fit is less crucial, then Fitness Footwear’s Inov8 range is a great place to start.
Filed under: Barmouth-Yarmouth bike ride, cycling, running, running gear | Tags: Barmouth-Yarmouth, cycling, running
Saturday was a beautiful morning, so I set off from my flat at 8.30am and added around six and a half miles to the six that I’d done at the gym the previous evening. That total is not far off the distance I need to do next weekend, but unfortunately I won’t be able to get eight hours’ kip halfway round the Reading Half Marathon course.
Despite the pressure of next weekend’s race, I really enjoyed my run along the River Loddon, around Dinton Pastures and back home via Stanlake. The area around the river in particular is looking very different to just a few weeks ago, with the first bursts of spring blossom and green buds to make the landscape look more interesting. I even spotted a heron, serenely watching the river – no doubt looking for his breakfast.
After running various errands, seeing some friends and loading the bike onto the back of my car – must do a review of the spectacularly well designed Saris Bones bike rack at some point – I travelled up to my folks in time for a gin and tonic, a few glasses of wine and a curry. Ideal preparation for a bike ride the following day…
So on Sunday, Dad and I deserted Mum on Mother’s Day and met three of Dad’s old git friends in Harpenden and rode to the Ashridge Estate. In my honour, they selected a particularly hilly route – up and down all the way. I’m actually less of a fan of the downhills (particularly those that end at the T-junction of a busy road) than the uphills. After beans on toast and a big mug of tea for the bargainous price of £3 at the cafe on the estate, we rode back again – along a more sedate route. Total mileage: 41 miles; average speed: 14.5mph.
On the way, the veteran cyclists gave me some advice on the Barmouth-Yarmouth ride. I’m still not entirely sure what cadence is, but I get the idea that – on a day-long ride – you should maintain a lower gear (or “twiddle”) to avoid your legs being knackered by lunchtime. They also suggested riding at an average speed of 12 or 13mph, rather than trying to do 14 or 15. As for food and drink, the general consensus seems to be “eat little and often” and drink loads of energy drink.
I have to say, I felt ok after the 40 miles – ready for another little break, but able to continue if required. I think if we break down the days into 20-30 mile chunks with decent breaks between them, I can handle the idea of doing 75-100 miles in a day.
What I haven’t got the hang of is what to wear… In the past, I’ve had a tendency to wear roughly the same amount of clothing as on a run, and found myself getting very cold on the bike. Sunday was also a few degrees cooler and much windier than the previous day. As such, I piled on the layers on Sunday morning, putting a pair of running tights under my padded cycle shorts; and a windproof softshell jacket over the top of a wicking running-type top.
I was boiling in no time, but seriously cooled down when we stopped at Ashridge for breakfast and was freezing for a good portion of the ride back home again. In addition – and not to put too finer point on it – the seams on my running tights caused a bit of a rash in my nether regions. Quite obviously, they weren’t designed for sitting on a saddle.
So, top of my shopping list is a pair of long padded tights – I can’t imagine it being warm enough for shorts in North Wales at Easter. Still none the wiser as to what to wear on my top half – maybe a thin thermal layer (GREAT opportunity to go Icebreaker shopping – yippee) and some kind of a windproof jacket that’s not quite as thick as my North Face softshell one. Then what if it rains? It’s been chucking it down here this afternoon despite the warm and sunny spring day on Saturday. Any tips gratefully received.
Jolly well done to The Red Bucket, JogBlog, Iliketocount and Running Matters for donning their running shoes over the past couple of days. I failed miserably, which was a shame given the nice new Nike running top and Gore gilet that Father Christmas bought me. Instead I was at home scoffing everything my Mum put in front of me: roast beef, yorkshire puddings, proper roast potatoes in goose fat, one brussel sprout (she makes me eat one every year), Christmas pudding, lemon cheesecake, mince pies, cheese, sausage rolls…then on Boxing Day, prawns, tuna pie, ham, salad, more potatos (mashed and jacket), tiramisu, more Christmas pudding and lemon cheesecake, and several of those round Lindt chocolates in the red wrapper. I don’t think playing Jenga with my cousin’s five year-old really counts as calorie-burning activity.
In my defence, I’m still recovering from a cold and cough, and I did walk a bit – a couple of miles on Chrismas Day afternoon and four or five miles yesterday morning. But nothing that you could call strenuous. Ah well, I’m happy – it’s lovely to spend Christmas with my family and feel relaxed away from work. I’m lucky enough to have another few days off before going back on 2 January. Maybe I’ll get a little run in between now and then…
Happy new year.
Filed under: 10k, British Military Fitness, Bupa Great Capital Run, Nike Human Race, food, gym, nike+ sportband, running, running gear | Tags: 10k challenge, British Military Fitness, Bupa Great Capital Run, Nike Human, running
I pretty much run at one speed: 10k/6 miles per hour, whether I’m running 5k or a half marathon. I’m a great pacer at that speed and can slow down other people if they set off too fast, or speed them up if they’re lagging. But that’s been my speed for the eight or so years that I’ve been running reasonably regularly, and I’m not exactly progressing. It hasn’t bothered me much in the past, but seeing the likes of my little brother doing a 40-odd minute 10k with apparent ease only months after taking up running makes me think I should push myself a bit more.
Doing British Military Fitness classes is starting to take me out of my comfort zone, making me sprint and do hill reps that I wouldn’t normally bother with. I’m already noticing a bit of difference when running, and am definitely capable of tackling hills with a bit more gusto than previously.
So one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to get my 10k time down during the course of the year. I’m aiming for around the 50-minute mark, but I haven’t got a clue how feasible that is. I’m going to use the gym to gauge my progress, because I can accurately measure the distance. (The Nike+ Sportband really isn’t that accurate. Maybe I should have asked Father Christmas for a GPS thingy).
I do try to get into the habit of writing down my times, but don’t always remember. Here’s a few:
20 July – 57:35 (Bupa Great Capital Run)
31 August – 60:14 (Nike Human Race)
13 September – 60:00 (gym)
30 September – 56:02 (gym)
today – 55:24 (gym)
The times over the past couple of months do indicate I’m going in the right direction, but there is clearly some way to go. This morning’s effort was hard work, especially around the hip flexors/top of my quads – perhaps I can do some work on stretching those out more. I had a long hot shower at the gym but, by the the time I got home, I felt weak and shivery. I don’t feel unwell in any other respect, despite the germs flying around my office, so I guess I just needed some food. I walloped down a power smoothie (banana, Skippy peanut butter, yoghurt, milk) followed by scrambled eggs on toast, and am feeling much better now. 
Filed under: British Military Fitness, running gear | Tags: British Military Fitness, running gear, St Albans
I’m off to my home town, St Albans, tonight – and plan to do a British Military Fitness class with my little brother and his local group tomorrow morning. I’ve bought a new pair of Salomon running tights especially. It’s due to be a bit parky.
Anyway, our parents have just informed us that they intend to come and watch the class. My brother are I are approaching 30 and 32 years of age respectively.
Is it rather sweet that they still take such an interest in our sporting pursuits?
Or just a bit embarrassing?
Filed under: Bupa Great Capital Run, St Albans half marathon, nike+ sportband, running, running gear | Tags: nike+ sportband, running, running gear
Judging by the number of hits I’m getting on my previous post on the subject of calibrating the Nike+ Sportband, there are a few other people out there struggling to make theirs work.
The weird thing is, after calibrating it once and being convinced it was nowhere near accurate, I’ve worn it for a couple of accurately measured races and discovered that it’s actually not far off the pace. It measured 12.56 miles for at the St Albans half marathon, and 5.86 miles for the Bupa Great Capital10k. I haven’t re-calibrated it at all.
So, my advice is, try calibrating it over a short distance – then wear it for a couple of longer runs that are accurately measured, and see what it says. Maybe I was just having an off day and thought I’d gone further than I actually had…
Filed under: gym, running, running gear, spinning | Tags: headphones, running, sennheiser
Last week was a disaster for exercise. I had a tough week at work, felt completely knackered, didn’t go to bed early enough and failed to get up early to get to the gym Monday right through to Saturday. (I was also a grumpy cow at work which I am sure is related, because I know that exercise affects my general mood and wellbeing). Managed a fairly pathetic 4-miler in the pouring rain at The Look Out on Sunday and that was it.
This week, I have made a concerted effort to get back into the swing of things again. After a long day trip for a meeting in Paris on Monday (sounds glamorous, but was just exhausting), I must admit I did sleep in on Tuesday. Anyway, dragged myself out of bed for spinning yesterday, had an early night and toddled off to the gym this morning for a treadmill run complete with iPod and new-ish headphones.
I’ve struggled to find a decent pair of headphones for a while. I used to have a fairly robust pair of over-the-ear style ones but lost them and couldn’t remember the name of the manufacturer to get a replacement pair. Then I bought a pair of Philips headphones that looked similar in shape but were made of a flimsy white rubber material – arguably more comfortable but just kept bouncing away from my ears so I ended up with an atrocious tinny sound. They were about 35 quid, so not exactly cheap.
I did some research before making another problematic purchase, and read a few complimentary reviews and blogs about Sennheiser. The company makes a range of headphones designed for sports use. I plumped for the neckband model PMX70.
Nice headphones, vile colour
I’ve used them a few times now, and I’m already a convert. The neckband style looks a bit strange but works very well – although if you have long hair that you wear in a ponytail, you need to secure it into a some kind of bun affair to stop it banging against the band and distorting the sound. Once you have that sorted, the sound is excellent – a nice lot of bass and plenty of volume for noisy gyms and busy roads.
The Sennheisers don’t channel sweat into your eardrums like other styles, and I’m led to believe by other users that they last longer than the average 12 months or so even if you are a very sweaty runner like me.
So, what don’t I like about them? Well, they’re a little tight (or maybe I just have a big head) so I can’t imagine running for a couple of hours in them without feeling a bit uncomfortable by the end of the run. But I hope they’ll loosen up with more use.
And obviously the colour is utterly hideous (there are no other colours available). I can’t help thinking Sennheiser has missed a trick there given the range of colours the iPod Shuffle and Nano come in. The green/grey combo would really only go nicely with the green Shuffle, or maybe the silver one at a push. What it definitely doesn’t go with is my pretty little lilac Shuffle that perches nice and neatly on my right hip…with a stonking great attention-seeking green wire sticking out of the top of it.
Anyway – on balance – a good buy. And available at the bargainous price of £14.99 from Amazon.
