bignoseduglyguy

Hitting the road

As hinted at in a post or two over the last few weeks, I have recently taken up running again - seriously, this time. I say running to accentuate the difference between what I am trying to do now and activities like jogging, wheezing, staggering and sweating, all of which I have periodically indulged in individually and collectively over the years. The cynics around me (and out there, no doubt) maintain that this is all part of a mid-life crisis that, having reached forty this year, I am now desperately trying to reclaim my youth and virility like a pale imitation of Lester Burnham. Be that as it may, I am enjoying the experience more than I have ever done before and I hope to maintain the interest so I can improve my fitness and boost my health. I seem to have made good progress so far as I seem to be sleeping a little better, paying more attention to what I eat and how much and feeling a little more energised despite working long days with 4 hour commutes.

In the first few weeks, I used some old training shoes and running kit that I had buried in a drawer and got out every other day, following a training schedule drawn up by Mike Gratton, winner of the '83 London Marathon. This beginner's schedule, amongst others, can be found on the website for the Chris Brasher Memorial 10K run, which takes place in June and seems to be a sensible target to aim for. Having got some kilometres under my belt, I began to notice that my old shoes were no really up to the task and were not providing the support and cushioning needed. With a little rainy day money in my pocket and a marathon-running friend's advice in my ears, yesterday saw me standing outside The London Marathon Shop as they opened the doors at midday. Once inside, my needs were attended to by Gary, who couldn't have been more helpful and patient in helping me choose the right shoes and in offering straight advice on a number of other things like an ultralight shell jacket and two-layer socks. It is not often that one can command the undivided attention of a knowledgable retail manager/sales person for an hour in a West End store but that is what I got. What is more, I was guided with sensible advice about what my budget could purchase (last season's version versus this; entry-level shoe versus a mid range one), rather than just being pointed at the most expensive stock and given a jargon-packed lecture (as I had ensured briefly from hyperactive sales assistant in a store that should know better the day before). I left the store with less rainy day money but clutching new shorts, socks, shirt, shell and a shiny pair of Asics GEL Nimbus Vs.

Just in case my fellow geek friends read this and think that I have completely renounced the world of pasty white skin, carpal tunnel syndrome and junk food diets, I should point out that running has also opened up a new world of gadgets like the watch/heart rate monitor I picked up yesterday and some software I have loaded. I am logging my runs with Runner's Log both on my XP box and my Palm T3, recording all necessary details so that I can measure my progress. In order to to calculate the distances I am running, I am using the excellent AccuRoute to do so from readily available maps from a variety of sources on the internet.

This morning, being a Bank Holiday Monday here in the UK, it was pissing with rain when I set out for a short run but, even in these far from ideal conditions, the new shoes made it a pleasure to run and the shell kept the rain out without letting me cook inside. As for keeping to the program and making running part of my daily routine, only time will tell but I hope I can because I feel the need to raise my game health and fitness wise - especially as I enjoy my food. If this means I having a mid-life crisis, then that's OK by me.