begin running

Runners itch relief

beginrunning — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:12:51 +0000

It may be embarrassing, but how many runners haven’t suffered from a touch of monkey butt now and again? Even if you managed to escape that then you’ve probably endured the irritation of running induced chaffing or sweat rash. As these are quite “personal” afflictions I was a bit surprised to get an email [...]

Adidas Supernova Sequence in use

beginrunning — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:47:05 +0000

After a couple of months and a few miles I’m happy with a pair of Adidas Supernova Sequence. They’re quite a narrow fit which suit my feet and wore in nicely after a week or two. Although the firmness under the arch was a bit strange at first it seems to have softened [...]

Middle age men live longer when they exercise

beginrunning — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:11:00 +0000

Now that’s not only good news but a useful motivator on those days I just can’t get going. According to a study from Uppsala University published in the BMJ, men in their 50’s who increase their amount of exercise live up to 2.5 years longer than those that remain sedentary. The purpose of the [...]

Brooks Infinity 2 or Adidas Supernova Sequence ?

beginrunning — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:19:02 +0000

It’s been a while since I bought a pair of running shoes so I was looking forward to seeing what was new for overpronators. As I’ve been happy with a hefty pair of Brooks motion control shoes for some time now, their latest models were top of my list to try out. When I last bough [...]

Retiring old Brooks shoes

beginrunning — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:27:51 +0000

It’s time to retire my old Brooks running shoes. While they’ve been great I’ve probably done too many miles in them and need to find a replacement. They’re a hefty, older style motion control shoe and I was fitted by the someone watching me run down the road to asses my gait! They were [...]

Good stretching and bad stretching before running

beginrunning — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:43:31 +0000

Although we often hear that it’s bad to stretch before running or exercising, we don’t hear that dynamic stretching as part of a warm up is a good idea. There’s been some coverage of a recent study from the University of Nevada showing how static stretching before exercise may be bad for performance. Although this study [...]

Running to save a cormorant

beginrunning — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:30:36 +0000

This was the first easy run after a few days off. As I headed down the hill through the park I noticed a few people staring at a large bird sitting on the ground so I decided to stop and see if it was OK. As we watched from a distance I hoped the bird [...]

Running – even late starters slow aging process

beginrunning — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:54:01 +0000

According to the results of a long term study by Stanford, running in middle and older ages helps to counteract some of the effects of aging and help prolong active lifespan. The study, begun in 1984, also addressed concerns that running may harm older people over both the short and long term. It tracked a [...]

224 pound runner trains for Olympic Marathon

beginrunning — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:25:17 +0000

This is a truly inspirational story of a British runner weighing 16 stone (224 pounds), who decided to train for the marathon at the Beijing Olympics! Alex Vero originally started running to lose weight and found that he enjoyed it. He describes himself as a “heavy-drinking, asthmatic, smoking slob” in the beginning and embarked on [...]

Runners high driven by endorphins

beginrunning — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:59:14 +0000

It appears that the runners high really does exist and is caused by the release of endorphins. A study by researchers from Munich and University of Bonn used a PET scan to show that specific areas of the brain indicated an increase in endorphins in subjects jogging for two hours. Lots of people have [...]

Misery of the middle aged runner

beginrunning — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:54:29 +0000

I was trying to find an excuse why I shouldn’t go out and run today when I came across this story of the 77 year old runner Greg Prom. What’s so inspiring is that he started running in his mid forties and now, at 77 years of age, has run in over 400 races. There’s a whole [...]

Fun with flat feet, skinny legs and painful patellas

beginrunning — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:48:43 +0000

When I started running I was expecting a few aches and pains. I’d been fitted with the best shoes for my feet and embarked on an easy plan that wouldn’t finish me off before really getting started. Everything went well for a while but when I reached the point of doing regular 40 minute runs, [...]

Which type of running shoe for which type of foot

beginrunning — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:11:10 +0000

When I decided to begin running I thought I could just go and buy a cheap pair of trainers and get started. Following this route could have ended up being a painful choice, especially with my feet. The correct choice of shoe is not just important for comfort but also to avoid injury. Running shoes are [...]

How to calculate running times for various distances

beginrunning — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:46:24 +0000

The following method is a rough guide to calculating how much time it will take to run a particular distance. This popular method, known as the 4 second rule, gives an idea of the sort of times a runner might achieve in a race. It is useful for anyone whose been following the easy running [...]

Are cheap running shoes as good as expensive ones

beginrunning — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 11:42:13 +0000

Don’t buy cheap running shoes – get the best shoes you can afford. This is one of the most often heard pieces of advice, the idea being that expensive shoes will be better engineered, better fitting, better manufactured and more effective at preventing injury. A recent study compared cheap running shoes with some of [...]

Where to run

beginrunning — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:02:00 +0000

If your just beginning to run then it’s worth spending some time choosing a training route. It’s important to find somewhere safe, in an area you feel comfortable. As a beginner balance and mobility are often restricted and this should be taken into account when choosing a location. Running technique and concentration suffer when tired, [...]

Easy start running plan – Run for 30 minutes in just 10 weeks

beginrunning — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:23:18 +0000

This is the running plan I used after giving up smoking. Although it looks easy I found that I was getting breathless quite quickly. The trick is to start slowly, stick to the plan and keep at it. If you have a break don’t give up, just go back a stage or two and you’ll [...]