SportsShoes Blog

Hey how about this for a dandy shoe and sock combo…..

Pretty ghastly huh?

Well yes I’d agree but never mind what they look like, they both work a treat.

The shoes are Nike’s new Zoom Skylon and I had second thoughts about buying them, not just because I thought everyone would take the p*** out of me because of the colour but also as they hardly have any rubber on the outsole and I thought they’d wear out in a flash. However I’ve had them a couple of months now and done quite a few road miles in them and I have to say nobody has laughed at them - in fact I’ve had some admiring glances from my running pals!! More importantly, my worry about wear appears to be unfounded. The rubber that does exist on the outsole is perfectly positioned to take all the major impact so where the spongy phylon hits the floor it’s only acting as a support rather than having to resist abrasion.

I use neutral shoes so these have no medial support. They feel very well cushioned without being at all squidgy. I reckon the best thing you can say about a shoe is that you never think about it when you wear it - they just do what they’re supposed to do.

The real reason I bought them was because they’re so light - I wanted to elliminate any excuses so when I come home last I know it’s all down to me and not my equipment!!!

So far these shoes have been perfect - perhaps the best road shoes I’ve ever had.

As for the socks - wow they’re crazy aren’t they? I think the designers at Thorlo must have been having a laugh. Either that or their purchasing people got a great deal on some hideous coloured cloth!!! These are their brand new Experia running socks designed to offer protection exactly where it’s needed and very little in between.

I’ve used them on a good few road runs now and think they’re fine. They fit very well and again you don’t notice them when you’re running. I’ve not done long distance in them (only up to 10 miles) but I’ve not had a hint of a blister or any rubbing. As you may know I’m a bit of a Thorlo fan but my summary of these is that whilst they are as good as other running socks I’ve used they’re not really any better. I’d still use Thorlo Trail for anything extreme but will continue to use these for road training and dog jogging.

I had a reasonable run today at Shepherds Skyline although I didn’t feel that great until the last couple of miles.

I came in 27th out of 360 starters so not too bad I guess although on a good day I would like to think I could have been a minute or so quicker.

Results here : http://www.todharriers.co.uk/shepherds_skyline/skylineres2008.htm

Tuesday speed session went OK - warm up, a few strides then 12 x 1min efforts in hideous weather - the meat feast pizza that followed made up for it though!

Wednesday - can’t remember what I did!!! Sign of age I guess but I think next year for the 1st time I’m going to keep a training diary.

Thursday - busy day - dog walk, bike to work, bike home, 1 hour hard with Harriers, walk dog - that’s not a bad day’s training is it - all fitted neatly around family and work.

Friday - nowt but 2 dog walks

Saturday - took the dog out then took my eldest son to cricket practise - he was training at Benton Park school with 3 Yorkshire team players. As a none crickiter myself I didn’t recognise their faces or names but they seemed like very nice chaps and Max really enjoyed it. Whilst he was playing I went for an hour on my singlespeed over Otley Chevin and found a bunch of trails in Chevin Forest Park - must explore further. On my way back I also found a really smart BMX track at Yeadon tarn - I had a quick ride round on my Kona MTB but oh to be 14 again on my Pirahna with Cro-mo aero forks and Skyway Tuff2 wheels (sorry just reminiscing for a sec).

This afternoon, the good lady and the kids have gone to the Cubs Gang Show - thankfully I got the job of looking after the dog so we went for a big walk over the moors. She loved it and must have done at least twice the distance I did so she’s now fast asleep - here’s a pic of KIMM on the wiley windy moors.

We’re going to an 80s night tonight - it’ll be either hillarious or dreadful - can’t decide which. Got my bleached 501s, denim jacket, white Tshirt and Ray-Bans at the ready - bring it on!!!

Zoomed to work on the singlespeed yesterday - it’s amazing how great it feels to be out in the cold and wet if you’re geared up for it.

Right now it’s blowing a gale and raining outside and it’s only the fact that I know there’ll be a bunch of other nutters on the training field in half an hour that’s stopping me tucking into my meat feast pizza right now!!!

An hour of pain laden speed session awaits - best go dig out my spikes.

Oh and here’s a shot of me in my official blogging jacket….

Had a reasonable run Saturday at Shepherds Skyline although didn’t feel that great until the last couple of miles.

I came in 27th out of 360 starters so not too bad I guess although on a good day I would like to think I could have been a minute or so quicker.

Results here : http://www.todharriers.co.uk/shepherds_skyline/skylineres2008.htm

Me and my Bingley team mates James Senior and Andy Jebb ran out to Stoodly Pike together jostling for position all the way. On the descent off the pike James came past me and I thought that would be the last I’d see of him. On the climb back up from London Road Andy Jebb blew us both away with a very strong climb over terrible conditions. I caught James at the top of the climb - he was having an even worse day than me - and pushed on past him knowing I’d have to try and get some distance between us if I was to hold him off on the descent.

As I summited the climb I actually started to feel better and really started to work hard on the long descent back to the finish. I could see Andy in the distance but I knew I’d let him get too far in front for me to have a chance of catching him.

I passed a few guys in the last mile as I threw caution to the wind over the technical sections and dug deep for a really quick sprint finish to overhaul a Calder runner with 5 yards to go.

A wash down with a garden hose in the pub car park followed by a cheeky pint of Taylor’s Landlord and some Lancashire hot-pot finished off the race in true Yorkshire/Lancashire style.

Sunday morning after my 40 minute dog walk I had a nice steady hour’s jog around St Ives and ended up at my son’s footy match – they lost 3-2 but it was good game despite the conditions – after the game me and KIMM (the dog) jogged home where we both had a well earned bath (not together!!)

Just about managed to shake off my cold - or perhaps I should say blow it out. I think I’ve been leaving a silvery trail around all my training runs this week.

Did an hour on the road bike Saturday - bit windy. Then 3 hours out with my dog Sunday. Monday rest, Tuesday I ran with both my kids at Bingley Harriers - my 8 year old did his first pack run and really enjoyed it (that’ll be both of them beating me soon then!!). Wednesday did 40 mins quite hard on the road and Thursday again ran on the road for an hour. Friday I biked to work and back. It was heaving down this morning for both my dog walk and my bike in to work so I’d been p**s wet through twice before 8.30am!!!

Tomorrow it’s the Shepherd’s Skyline Race near Todmordon - it’s a quick 6 mile fell race that goes out to Stoodly Pike and back. I’ve done this race a few times and I always feel it signals the end of the year is coming. I can’t believe it’s a year since I was there - where does time go?  

There’s quite a group of us from the Harriers going for run out so it should be a interesting day.

I know they say that you can’t catch a cold by being out in bad weather but it’s spooky that after spending six and half hours in the driving wind and rain last Saturday I seem to have caught a cold!!

Anyway, this week I’ve held off hard training but using the training adage ‘if it’s in the head go ahead if it’s in the chest give it a rest’ I’ve continued to train all week.

After the OMM last weekend I had a rest Monday (although obvioulsy walked the dog twice). Tuesday I did a speed session (at slightly reduced effort) - it was so cold on the grass on Tuesday that after running through a soggy bit of the field, ice formed on the top of my spikes!!. Wednesday I did a 50 minute road run whilst my son Ben played footy and Thursday I went on a steady pack run with the Harriers (followed by a nice pint of medicinal Guinness). Friday I biked to work and back on my singlespeed and today (it feels like the peak of my cold) I’m probably going to limit my exercise to just a few hours of dog walking.

Haven’t decided on my next race yet but there’s a few coming up so it won’t be long before I’m on the start line again.

Watch this space……

Well this is a novelty - the races I do are usually so obscure that nobody has ever heard of them let alone got any idea what actually goes on.

But this weekend fell running made a spectacular job of grabbing the headlines.

Unfortunately, the media did its usual job of blowing things out of proportion and many of the reports of lost / missing runners were grossly irresponsible. Anyway, if you’re interested in the negative side of the event you can read the papers and believe the news stories - if you want the truth here it is.

One thing the reporters got right was that the weather was a tad on the damp side, in fact they were (un)comfortably the worst conditions I have ever been out in for a sustained period of time. To me this only added to the sense of adventure and made a tough event even more challenging.

When Jamie and I struggled up to CP9 of the A class after battling for about 2 hours into a rain laden 40 mph headwind and were told the event had been cancelled I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What I can say is that we were still going strong and I’m confident we would have finished the event.

Up to that point our nav had been pretty much bang on and our pace was reasonable over the very tough ground.

My kit performed perfectly - Walsh PB trainers - Thorlo Socks - speedos (only time I wear em - honest!!) - Nike Leggings - Hummel Base layer - Karimor base layer - North Face windproof gilet - Lowe Alpine waterproof shell - buff - hat - and for my hands, some of my kids’ gloves that cost 50p from Primark!!! Honest that’s what I used and they were fab…..

Once we were told the event was over, we made our way back through Buttermere to the barn that you probably saw on telly - it was an amazing site and the atmosphere was great - around 400 runners all brewing up, cooking and bedding down in a massive brand new cattle shed. One team even bagged the bucket of a dumper truck that was parked in there and kipped in it all night.

This morning around 7am, news came through that the roads were now clear and there was access back to and away from the start area. We (me, Jamie and my other Bingley Harriers pals Robin and Steve) made a wise decision to skip breakfast, get packed and jog the 5 miles back over Honister pass to the start so we could get the car out of the wet field and away before the other 2000 runners tried to do the same. It was a master stroke and although we need 5 pushing as I steered the car along a very swampy field we made it out of the field before the real tractor pulling fun started.

It was only when we got going back and started to listen to the news and pick up mobile signals that we realised there’d been such a media ’storm’.

Don’t let the images put you off the hills - take comfort in the fact that over 2000 people ventured into the mountains yesterday and everyone of them got back to safety with just one suffering an injury and a few other treated for hypothermia.

There’s a big debate raging about whether the event should have been cancelled before the start (mostly it has to be said fuelled by folk who weren’t there) - for what it’s worth I think the organisers were right to let it go ahead (and cancel it when they did) - everyone in the race knew the risks they were taking, had read the weather forecasts and were prepared for 36 tough hours in the mountains. Of course I have sympathy for the rescue services that were called out (but that’s why they’re there) and for the worried relatives at home but in all honesty, this was a fantastically organised and superbly controlled event that has left us all with great memories and more tales to tell of exciting hours in our amazing countryside - bring on next year I say!!

See http://www.theomm.com/pages/OMM_resultsandreporting.html for loads more….

Been resting up this week in prep for this weekend’s epic and enjoying as much real food and sleep as possible as I certainly won’t be getting much of either on Saturday / Sunday.

We’re going up Friday night ready for our 8.35am start Saturday morning. In the OMM you only find out where you’re going on the start line when they give you your map - then it’s a race around 6 - 8 checkpoints across 40 ish kilometers of real off piste mountain terrain to the overnight camp. We then camp and eat using the equiment / food on our backs before being given another map and heading off again Sunday morning for another 30ish k via another 6 - 8 checkpoints back to the start / finish area - all against the clock.

It’s a really interesting and tough challenge and unlike an ordinary fell race you also have to plan your equipment, food and route choices VERY carefully.

The weather forecast for the weekend around Borrowdale is for high winds and lots of rain - just what you need for camping in the lakes!! I’m not too bothered about bad weather as I’ll gear up accordingly but the only time I don’t want rain is when we’re packing up Sunday morning - there’s nothing worse then getting you and all your gear wet and cold before you even get going.

My partner Jamie is coming round tomorrow to finalise the kit / food strategy - we’ll be aiming for pack weights of around 5-6kg each on day one including tent, sleeping bags, food, cooking equipment and clothing.

The real key to success in a Mountain Marathon is good navigation skills - we made a howling mistake in 2006 which we don’t want to do again this year so we’ll be taking a little more time over the map reading to save a lot of time on the hills.

If you’re interested, full details of the event can be found here : http://www.theomm.com/event/aboutTheEvent

Full report to follow on Monday……

My final position for the Langdale race last Saturday was 33rd in 2 hours 35 mins - I’m pretty pleased with my run and my position and it’s boosted my confidence for the OMM next week which will be accross very similar terrain.

Since Langdale I’ve done an hour on the road bike Sunday, a ride to work and back Monday a speed session on Tuesday (8 x 1min 50 sec laps), 50 mins on the road Wednesday, rest Thursday and ride to work and back today. I put a short loop in on the way home tonight up some big hills on the singlespeed - wow it’s tough. I’m going to stick with it through the winter to see if I can develop some biking leg strength.

Just come back from The National Media Museum where we were invited to the opening of the 50th Anniversary Blue Peter exhibition. My eldest son is a Blue Peter badge winner (how cool’s that!!) so he got us an invite - I met Biddy Baxter (editor of Blue Peter for 28 years). Max was interviewed and he’s just been on Look North and News at 10!!!!

Just 1 week to the OMM (Original Mountain Marathon) - can’t wait. Got the food this week - pot noodles, super noodles, cup-a-soups and snickers bars hmm nice!!

Finally I must say a big hello to my good buddy Ade in the Isle of Man - an avid reader of the blog - hope it’s inspiring you to get out and explore that fantastic island of yours.