Category: Running

Oh my word! Those are tough!

Last week (I am so behind with blogging!) Sweatshop were doing hill repeats. I only just got there in time as I left work a bit later than usual, so had to run there a bit faster than usual. Then of course I was filled with joy at the prospect of running up the hill not once, but 6 times.

We jogged gently there, and then were told to run as hard as we could up the hill, then to jog gently back down as the recovery, and repeat.

We do have a route that takes in this hill, but of course we normally only run it once, so 6 times involved a mental battle too.

At first it was OK, but nearing the top the lactic acid builds, the energy disappears from my legs and it just feels so tough. Then running slowly down the hill seemed alien- normally I would try to pick up my pace on the down hill to make up for running slower up it, so I kept having to purposefully slow down.

After 4 goes I was not sure I would finish, but seeing the determined faces of the rest of the group helped to spur me on. It was good doing something where we were all together, although a couple of the speedy ones were finished before my 5th one I think!

After we had all finished we jogged slowly back to the shop- a couple of people managed a sprint finish to the shop, but I didn’t have the energy in my legs for that- it was all left on the hill!

Again, like the speed training, it is something that I would not do on my own- I said to my brother as we jogged back that if I did that by myself I would probably only manage 3 before I gave up- in my head I was thinking “I have had a busy day, I should just take it easy on the run tonight” etc, whereas in fact it was great to properly tire myself out.

Also, my Garmin elevation map had 6 perfect camel humps in the middle- love it!

I had a delicious pot of Booja Booja chocolate “ice-cream” (made with cashews)- this stuff is gorgeous and a perfect way to cool down!

Are you a fan of hills? I don’t mind them in races (so long as they are not too crazy) as I feel I can go up them at a steady pace and then recover and speed up on the downhills.

Now as you may well know, I am not the most fashion conscious person out there. I do like to buy new clothes, but I think I have found styles that suit me, and I don’t tend to try the latest fads.

I was recently made aware of an article that criticised Katherine Jenkins for wearing make-up while she ran a marathon. I mean, talk about ridiculous. (The full article is here, on the Daily Wail, but don’t feel that you have to give it page views). I don’t wear makeup, but I don’t ever wear it, and personally I would not want to wear it while working out as I hate the feeling of my skin being all covered and would imagine marscara would run all over my face. But, if you want to wear it then why not? I mean, I brush my hair before I work out as I have to tie it up- does that mean I am conceited or not putting in enough effort? No, it has absolutely no relevance. Some friends of mine have commented that they would not even go to the shops without makeup on and wish they had my confidence- I don’t think it is confidence really, but I think makeup on me looks sillier than my normal skin, plus I hate how it feels. But I don’t judge people who do wear makeup.

I do quite like to choose nice workout gear as I can end up spending a lot of time in it.

I have found that I like the following:

One- black bottoms. I do not want sweaty patches appearing!

Two- Loose fitting sweat-wicking tops. No cotton for me!

Three- Nice coloured other bits (eg jackets/ headbands)

Four- Comfortable clothing that does not move, chafe or generally slip about. I don’t want to be constantly pulling down tops or pulling up trousers.

The only thing is I chop and change between green, pink and blue accessories, so they don’t really match!

Now, I know you should not choose shoes on how they look (and I don’t) but I keep seeing gorgeous bright running trainers and getting tempted by them.

Sports Shoes have kindly sent me some fitness kit to help me look good while I work out

Seriously, how pretty are the shoes?

Love them! I have only worn them for walking so far but they are super comfy and really light. I don’t want to get them muddy, whereas usually with trainers I feel that they like to get muddy to show they are being used properly. These are too pretty for that!

They sent me some shoes, some long Nike workout trousers, and some Nike capris with a super pink waistband.

I love the long workout trousers, although as I am short they are slightly too long- they are now my official lounge pants (I have never had any before!)- they will also be good if /when I start doing yoga at home again.

The capris are fab- I prefer shorter bottoms as it doesn’t matter if they are cut a bit long. The waistband reminds me a bit of men’s underpants, but it does mean that when running they don’t fall down. I find that some with just elasticated waists can move about a bit, so I tend to go for ones with drawstrings so they can be tightened, but these stayed on my waist. Plus you can’t see the band underneath a t-shirt/ vest. Although the super shiny fabric (seriously, so shiny) meant that my little running belt kept slipping down. They also don’t have a pocket for my mp3 player. I do have pockets in some vests, so it would not be an issue, but I think I might keep these for pump anyway so it would not matter.

Although when I am running a race I tend to wear an old top as new ones get ruined by the safety pins- I know there is no point in trying to look my best for the race photos anyway!

Do you pay attention to clothes when you are working out? I must admit I have seen some rather funky leggings/ tights at pump recently, but I am sticking to my plain dark bottoms at the moment!

Would you/ do you wear make-up when working out (or just ever?)? I really don’t wear make-up at all. I wore mascara for Andy’s brother’s wedding at the weekend, and that was probably the first time in a couple of years, and I hated even that really. It is just not for me!

I was sent these in exchange for my review.

Hey peeps

I hope everyone has had a good week. I had a crazily busy week, hence no posts, and I am going to keep the catch up short.

On Monday I went to have another sports massage on my back and then made some fudge for work when I got home (I was keeping it as a rest day as I had been to parkrun and then ran 8 miles on Sunday morning).

Tuesday I got home late but the weather was gorgeous and I ended up going off on a slightly new route across the fields- just me and the rabbits.

As I started a new card I got a new technical t-shirt from Sweatshop, although I got an old design (the new designs have cool smiley faces).

It was intervals. The guy had a whistle. Yes, it was serious! We ran out to the fields where there is a strip of concrete (an old taxiway as it used to be an airfield) and then we had to run out as hard as we could until the guy blew his whistle (after 1 minute) and then we had to jog back to recover for one minute. We only repeated this 5 times, but my that was enough! I am generally near the back of our runs, and I think I am pretty good at pacing so often I will catch people near the end as they slow down, especially if we go for nearer 4 miles than 3. But as soon as the whistle went I was left in the dust! I just could not move my legs any faster! I didn’t mind, I was just genuinely surprised by how much faster everyone went. I looked at home at my Garmin and I reached 6.01, 6.45, 7.05, 6.54 and 6.58 for the fast sections. The guy from the shop generally stayed with me and encouraged me on while he looked at the time, and I am sure that helped me too.

We had a little cool down jog before I jogged (slowly) home- my legs were so sore after that (and so were my lungs!)- it was a good workout but so tough. I did just under 4 miles in the end (including the run there and home) but I was more tired than from my 5 miles the day before. Next week is hill training- I think the whistle may come out again!

I think this was my breakfast after my 8 miles last Sunday- watermelon, muesli, granola, strawberries, honey munchy seeds and teapigs chocolate tea.

Yesterday was my birthday, so after work I went to the Waffle House (where else eh?) with some friends. Andy texted me during the day to tell me I had to be home by 7, and when I got home we walked up to the uni, where it turned out we had tickets to see Mark Kermode talk about his new book. We love listening to the radio 5 film podcast on Friday evenings, so it was a great surprise and a great evening! But it meant I didn’t open my cards until just before midnight!

Have you tried interval training? I have used the audiofuel podcasts before, but I found it hard to keep in time with the slower sections. I like doing it with a group as I kept going whereas I am sure if I tried that on my own I wouldn’t go as fast, and probably would stop before I should.  I think it is going to be a more regular feature as the shop had a beginners running session on a Tuesday, but now they want to have that on Monday, have a steady Tuesday run and then have extra bits like hill training on a Wednesday.

Hi all, this is a post by Brooklyn Williams:

Why Are You Running in That Cotton T-Shirt? The Benefits of Compression Shorts and Other Advanced Workout Gear

When Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as a registered entrant in 1967, it was a step forward for women’s rights, but not for athletic clothing design. Switzer ran the race in a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants long before technical athletic clothing became the huge industry that it is today. Photos from that race back in 1967 show how much running attire has changed since then. Although the other runners near Switzer wore running shorts instead of sweat pants, they all had long-sleeved sweatshirts on. Today’s athletic attire is more technical in its design with engineering that prioritizes function and comfort.

The overwhelming majority of traditional athletic apparel was made of cotton. This inexpensive, easy to produce fabric has a lot going for it, most notably, the fact that it ‘breathes’, making it more comfortable than other fabrics.

After physical exertion, cotton starts to become uncomfortable, as it absorbs perspiration and becomes more prone to chafing. Clothing begins to feel like an irritating wet towel. Another problem with cotton clothing is that it was not designed specifically for the events it was used in. This may make it suitable for many uses, but it provides no special benefits for any of them.

The lack of aerodynamic efficiency is another problem. Over the course of a 26.2 mile race, the drag on baggy clothing would slow down finishing times significantly. A modest two percent decrease in wind resistance can make a difference of 31 metres in a marathon. Aerodynamic clothing has been used for years by competitive cyclists and world-class sprinters. It is only recently that it has appeared in other sports.

Whether it’s designed for running, football or tennis, modern athletic apparel is made of synthetic fibres that wick away perspiration. Not only does this keep you from feeling like you are wearing a wet rag on hot days, it also helps on cold days. Wearing multiple layers of non-technical clothing may keep you warm on a cold day initially, but after perspiring, few things are more uncomfortable than wearing wet clothing when it’s 30 degrees outside.

Another important benefit of technical athletic clothing is that the material is substantially less prone to chafing. Running a marathon in cotton clothing would cause numerous problems for many runners. Socks made of this material can cause irritation and blisters in the feet. Shirts can cause nipple chafing and bleeding and shorts made of more abrasive materials irritate the legs.

Clothing that is technical in nature is not only designed with comfort in mind, it is also suited for the activity the user participates in. It won’t make a 10 minute-per-mile runner into a Boston qualifier, but it will help improve the user’s overall experience.

Football undershirts are a great example of this evolution. For years, the outer jerseys that football players wore during practice and in games were made of mesh materials that were durable and tear-resistant, but also provided ventilation to allow body heat to escape.

Not nearly as much though went into undershirts these players wore. These were typically cotton t-shirts that may have protected against shoulder pad abrasion, but did little else. Today’s football undershirts are not only made of comfortable synthetics that work well in cold and heat, but also provide built-in padding in areas that regular pads leave unprotected.

Even baseball and softball umpires can benefit from advanced athletic wear. Undergarments are now available with built-in padding to protect against foul balls and errant pitches striking the thigh area.

Compressive apparel has become more popular in recent years, but is there any benefit to wearing it? A 2010 study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology supports that belief. It found that, “The results indicate that compression clothing is an effective recovery strategy following exercise-induced muscle damage.”

Some companies like TommieCopper take the technology of compression shorts another step further. Their copper infused compression shorts are made of a fabric containing copper within the fibres.

One of copper’s strengths is its anti-microbial properties. Copper compounds have been used for years to control fish parasites in aquariums. This same anti-microbial technology inhibits the growth of odour-causing bacteria within the fabric.

Clothing has come a long way since the days when nearly everyone wore cotton t-shirts, socks and sweats. Technology resulted in more comfortable clothing while the rise of competitive sports demanded clothing specific to a sport or activity. No matter how technologically advanced athletic clothing is, it will never replace hard work and training, but at least it will help you recover from it.

What do you think about technical clothing or compression clothing?

I could not bear to wear cotton t-shirts when running and I never understand races that give out cotton t-shirts, unless they are ones you would wear normally (I love my Robin Hood t-shirt). At parkrun it always surprises me the amount of people who wear cotton t-shirts or fleecy jumpers, I just don’t understand it, especially now you can pick up a technical top or vest pretty cheaply. I am not sure on wearing compression gear while I run, but I love compression socks for after a long run.

*Compensation was provided for this post.