Essential Running

Asics Paris Marathon advertising poster on Boulevard de Rochechouart

2015-04-10T08:32:00.000+01:00

I visited Paris this week and just a few days before the big Paris Marathon you could already see signs of preparation for this weekend's big Paris Marathon event.

Asics are one of the main Paris Marathon sponsors and have various advertising poster sites displaying their Asics Paris Marathon posters - I found this one on the Boulevard de Rochechouart between Anvers and Barbes-Rochechouart / Gare du Nord:

Asics Paris Marathon poster

Nice image and the slogan is 'Paris - it's a big race. Go run it' / 'Paris Est Une Grande Course. Courez' - Maybe I will one day! :-)

London's Top 3 best runs - from Daily Telegraph and Vitality

2015-02-03T20:40:00.000+00:00

Vitality Health seem to have taken over a huge proportion of Britain's major runs this year and to go along with this Vitality have published a special Britain's Best Runs Vitality supplement with the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Britain's Best Runs - Daily Telegraph / Vitality

The Daily Telegraph / Vitality 'Britain's Best Runs' supplement features run from around the UK - including three that are in / close to London. Information on each of the top London running routes is below:

1) The Thames Seven Bridges, central London

Start: Vauxhall Bridge, South Side
Finish: Tower Bridge, North Side

Distance: 10 miles

"The 'seven bridges' route, from Vauxhall to Tower Bridge, makes for a medium-length, versatile run that tourists and Londoners alike will adore."

London - Thames 7 Bridges running route

- Bridge 1 - from Vauxhall train station, run down Albert Embankment then cross Lambeth Bridge.
- Bridge 2 - run down Millbank and cross at Westminster.
- Bridge 3 - after a quick visit to the South bank, time to come back North, this time crossing Waterloo Bridge
- Bride 4 - Next, take the Victoria Embankment to Blackfriars Bridge and cross the river, going to the South side once more,
- Bridge 5 - run along the bank to Southwark Bridge and cross it
- Bridge 6 - then run along the road to London Bridge and cross the river again
- Bridge 7 - run the final stretch along to Tower Bridge, then cross Tower Bridge and finish!

This route and the bridges give you some great opportunities to sight see too. On your way around this Thames Seven Bridges route you will pass the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the London Eye, Temple, Tate Modern, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Mayor's office, HMS Belfast and many more... (and mornings will be quieter with fewer tourists to run around!)

2) Richmond Park, South West London

Start: Pembroke Lodge car park and follow the Tamsin Trail route in either direction

Finish: Pembroke Lodge cafe

Distance: 7.35 miles

Richmond Park running route map

Daily Telegraph / Vitality - Richmond Park running route

Richmond Park is the largest of the London Royal Parks, with 2500 acres of land to run around in. It is easy to navigate though and the Tamsin Trail that goes around the park is signposted from any of the entrances or car parks. There are also options to cut across the park too. A beautiful place to run!

3) Ashridge National Trust Estate, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire

Start and Finish: The Ashridge Estate visitor centre at Bridgewater monument. Green 'Boundary Trail' circular signs mark the route.

Distance: 16 miles for the Boundary trail (though there are lots of options for deviations and alternative routes)

Ashridge Estate - running route map

Ashridge Estate - running

Set in the Chiltern Hills, Ashridge is a 5000 acre estate that has a huge variety of landscapes - from oak forests to heaths to commons and chalk fields, all populated by a variety of animals ranging from butterflies to deer - a beautiful part of Britain and an amazing place to run.

The National Trust give free access to Ashridge and the Boundary Trail follows a 16 mile route alongside the perimeter fence. There are lots of things to look at on the way round + the enchanted forest trail will entertain family (with you or while you are running elsewhere...!)

The Daily Telegraph 'Britain's Best Running Routes' supplement was a nice supplement with some useful information - I recommend exploring these routes further!!!! (I'll try and photoblog the Thames 7 Bridges run in another post shortly.)

...and if you try any of these, leave a comment to let me know how you got on!

Watford Half Marathon 2015 - my review!

2015-02-01T23:02:00.000+00:00

I have been trying to do the Watford Half Marathon for a while now.

- in 2012 the Watford Half Marathon was cancelled because of heavy snow
- in 2013 I signed up but then couldn't run because of clash with a family event
- in 2014 I was ill and could barely get out of bed, let alone run a half marathon
- in 2015 - all systems go!

Reportedly one of the hilliest and one of the hardest half marathon's in the country, I was actually looking forward to running the Watford Harriers organised Watford Half Marathon 2015! After checking the weather (repeatedly) in the week leading up to the race, it turned out to be cold and windy, but no rain or snow. So headed for the Cassiobury Park start.

Watford Half Marathon start

The start was fairly simple, lining up at the top of Cassiobury Park and then heading off down the big paths towards the canal and the centre of the park. By this time the sun had started to break through and I was already starting to get hot (note to self - again - under no circumstances wear a running jacket whilst doing a half marathon!!!)

We broke out of the park for a bit of street running, with support at various points cheering us on, before emerging into the grounds of the Grove Hotel. This part of the course was beautiful as we headed through and around the Grove golf course and grounds - but it was undulating and unbelievably hilly... Down slopes, up slopes, through the tree lined roads and winding lanes, the course was spectacular and great fun with nice camaraderie as everyone gave each other encouraging words to help with the various uphill efforts!

Then back to the park for a big finish under the trees and a banner before heading into the finish area to receive a medal, a goody bag and a free Watford Half Marathon 'technical' t-shirt. Not a PB, but I was pleased with my time of 1:47.53 and enjoyed the race immensely.

After a hot drink and some food (found in the well put together race village) I headed back to the car and photographed the remains of the start as it waited to be packed up and taken away - a fitting end to a good day!

Thank you Watford Half Marathon and I hope to see you again.

Dubai Running - Jumeirah Beach 10km running route!

2015-01-22T23:26:00.000+00:00

I visited Dubai in January for work and was able to do some running while I was there, running in the pleasant January temperature rather than trying to run in the extreme heat of the summer months! I landed in torrential rain and lightning though which was a bit of a surprise (765 road accidents in just 8 hours), but it was spectacular like this image of Dubai lightning striking the Burj Khalifa:

...but this post is about Dubai running though, not Dubai weather, so back to the details of my Dubai running route!

I stayed in a business hotel (Media Rotana) near the Dubai Media City. This was a nice hotel, but from an early morning running perspective it was complicated as it was surrounded by big, uncrossable roads - not the sort of thing to go running on... So I did my research and found out about one of the best places to run in Dubai - Jumeirah Beach - then got up early and took a taxi to the Dubai beachfront.

My Dubai running route - Jumeirah Beach

I got dropped off at Kite Beach and headed up the beach side running track towards Jumeirah Beach Park. My out route was away from the Burj Al Arab hotel and towards the city skyline:

Dubai Running - towards Jumeirah Beach Park and the Dubai skyline

Dubai Running - Dubai skyline seen from Jumeirah Beach Park car park

Then at the Jumeirah Beach Park car park I turned round and headed back along the beach running track to the end near the Burj Al Arab:

Dubai Running - track back towards the Burj Al-Arab

Dubai Running - near the end of the track, approaching the Burj Al Arab

And when I say 'beach side running track' I mean that this was all on a perfect, rubberised, springy / bouncy running track that runs all along the top of the beach with boardwalk on one side and concrete path on the other!

Dubai Running track at Jumeirah Beach

Dubai running - beachside running track

The Jumeirah Beach running track follows the beach sometimes deviating off of it to go round a particular property / boat store etc but it continues and keeps going from one end to the other - a fabulous place to run and a place that has given me a great memory of my Dubai running!

Other points that I thought you might like to know:

- I couldn't tell from the map when I was trying to research a route so was pleasantly surprised to find that the nice green, beachside, bouncy path stretches out for a total length of around 6km.

- There weren't many places to stop to buy drinks on this route, but there are a couple of cafes at Kite Beach if you need a rest or a drink

- I wasn't sure what I should be wearing but there was a mix - people dressed in US / European type running gear as well as some people who were more conservatively dressed (I was in tshirt and shorts and it was fine)

- There was then no trouble getting a taxi back to the hotel as I found one waiting in the car park at the Burj Al Arab end of the track! (Then it was quickly back to the hotel for a shower and breakfast and into the office to start the day.) I don't know what this would be like in the hotter months, but this was a great Dubai running route and a great way to start a day.

Let me know in the comments if this was helpful or leave a comment to tell people where you run or what you have done in Dubai!

Holiday Inn Running #restandrun - Adidas / IHG competition

2015-01-03T23:56:00.003+00:00

I like running when I am abroad and often manage to squeeze some running time into my schedule when I am away. With limited time it is often hard to know where to go and what to see though.

Some hotels I have stayed in have given out a running specific map (thank you Westin Hotel Warsaw and Admiral Hotel Copenhagen), but normally it's a combination of standard tourist map and pot luck...

I was therefore interested to see that Holiday Inn are working with Adidas to embrace this 'training whilst travelling' idea and I was intrigued by their new campaign - 'share #restandrun and win.'

Holiday Inn share #restandrun with Adidas

The mechanic is simple - share your route on your GPS running app* using the hashtag #restandrun and you could win an Adidas prize + 50,000 IHG points. From February 2015, Holiday Inn will then "showcase the most original and interesting routes on a dedicated website, to help hotel guests run more creatively on their travels and make sure they get the most out of their running experience."

[*most of the major running apps but not NikePlus.]

Find out more on the competition website: http://runningroutes.holidayinn.com/

Enjoy!

Asics 'Outrun the sun' - a series of 4 films on YouTube

2014-11-18T00:01:00.000+00:00

Asics have released an interesting documentary split into 4 parts that have been simultaneously released onto YouTube.

Called 'Outrun The Sun', the Asics Running films detail the efforts of a team of runners on the longest day of the year as they aimed to 'Outrun The Sun' around Mont Blanc.

The challenge was to finish the 152km mountain terrain route between sunrise and sunset. The route climbs 8450 metres over the course of the day and travels through France, Italy and Switzerland.

Enjoy all four of the Asics 'Outrun The Sun' films below...

Asics 'Outrun The Sun' part one:

Asics 'Outrun The Sun' part two:

Asics 'Outrun The Sun' part three:

Asics 'Outrun The Sun' part four:

Enjoy!

#RaceTheTube - can a runner beat a London underground train in a race?

2014-09-18T21:33:00.001+01:00

A video that seems to be getting a lot of coverage today is a video that shows one man racing against a London underground tube train. The 'Sprint' version of the #racethetube film on YouTube sees a runner racing 390 metres from Mansion House station to Cannon Street station as he attempts to 'race the tube.'

Another YouTube film in the #racethetube series sees another man running from Moorgate station to St. James Park in an attempt to race the tube in an endurance version of #racethetube!

Very silly and probably not particularly safe, but the way they have filmed it makes for entertaining YouTube content. Not something I'll be trying, I'll stick to trying to #racethebus...

Hong Kong running - Kowloon waterfront promenade

2014-08-07T20:00:00.000+01:00

31C and 86% humidity, a perfect day for running! I'm staying in Kowloon in Hong Kong and thought I would try to do some more running sightseeing. It's hot, but I was hoping that if I took it slow then it might be OK.

I had seen people describe Hong Kong Kowloon waterfront as a good place to run so I thought I would head there, have a look and hope to find something interesting. I left my hotel and walked down Nathan Road towards the Kowloon waterfront. I was going to run this bit, but there were Hong Kong shoppers everywhere and my Nike GPS watch wasn't connecting to a satellite. So I walked to the Kowloon waterfront by the Space museum.

My beginning was the Avenue of Stars. It's the Hong Kong equivalent of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Avenue of Stars gives an amazing view of the Hong Kong Island skyline, but it was absolutely packed with people taking photos and selfies of the impressive sites on the other side of Hong Kong harbour.

AView of Hong Kong skyline from Avenue of Stars

The Kowloon promenade extends all along the harbour and as crowds thin out it becomes a great place to run with more great views of the Hong Kong island skyline:

More Hong Kong skyline

Kowloon promenade looking back towards Avenue of Stars

The Kowloon promenade is officially known as Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade as it winds it's way alongside the harbour.

Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade

Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade bridge

Ramp down from Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade to Hung Hom Promenade

The Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade continues by going up onto a bridge then comes down again and becomes the Hung Hom Promenade - remaining a great place to run along the water.

Hung Hom Promenade

Hung Hom Promenade + Hong Kong Harbour running

Promenade map

So the Kowloon side of Hong Kong is a great place for running (if you can out up with the humidity and the heat.) The harbour side running path goes from Nathan Road and the Hong Kong Space Center along the (busy) Avenue Of Stars and then all the way round onto Hung Hom Promenade, past all the ferry terminals, past the fisherman and finishing up at a brick wall by a luxury apartment block.

Good fun and recommended!

Running in Warsaw, Poland - city centre, riverside and stadium running route

2014-07-01T23:28:00.000+01:00

Today I'm in Poland. I have meetings starting early tomorrow so I arrived late this afternoon and have the chance for an evening, sightseeing run around Warsaw. I don't really know much about Warsaw as I've never been before, but on check-in the front desk of my hotel provided me with a Westin Running map (sponsored by New Balance.) So whilst others are watching Switzerland v Argentina, I am out running the streets and bridges of Warsaw in Poland!

Westin Hotel Warsaw running map

The New Balance Warsaw running map gave me a good start, sending me off towards the park and around the Warsaw old town. I then extended my Warsaw run by running alongside the river, over the Swietokrzyski bridge to the national stadium, coming back over the Poniatowskiego Bridge and then retracing my early steps to finish back at my hotel.

My Warsaw running route

It was a really nice run. Running in Warsaw has a lot to look at and good, flat paths. It was especially nice to get to see the Warsaw stadium (Poland's national stadium) as there is a wide path around it, marked out every 100m - it was great feeling to run around the stadium with other runners and roller bladers!

I took some photos on my Warsaw run, these are the Warsaw sights I saw:

Fountain in Ogrod Saski park

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Warsaw)

Teatr Wielki in Warsaw

Old Town Square, Warsaw

Warsaw Old Town entrance

Świętokrzyski bridge (Warsaw)

Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw

Track around the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland

View of the Stadion Narodowy

Warsaw sunset

I enjoyed running in Warsaw and recommend it!

Göteborgsvarvet 2014 - great day again!

2014-05-24T00:17:00.001+01:00

I decided to double up and run Göteborgsvarvet (the Gothenburg Half Marathon in Sweden) for the second year running. Göteborgsvarvet is the world's largest half marathon and this year set another new record - something like 64,000 runners registered with 47,000 finishing the 2014 race!

Göteborgsvarvet 2014 start

Last year the weather was crazy, 28C with sun, hail, thunder and wind across the course of the race. This year it was still hot, but more like 20C and it was a bit easier to complete the course.

One of the best things about running in Sweden is that the races tend to be on a Saturday afternoon rather than early Sunday morning as they tend to be in the UK. This means that the whole town stops and in good weather everyone is on the streets cheering and encouraging the runners. There were bands all along the route and crowds all the way round. In Majorna there were speakers hanging out of windows, by the TV station in Lindholmen it was lots of fun and there were so many people watching on Avenyn it was great!

Göteborgsvarvet map

After finishing on the athletics track in Slottskogen we were given a Kex chocolate bar, a banana and a quality medal quickly followed by the speedy publication of results on the göteborgsvarvet website.

A great day, by far my favourite of the half marathons I have done and I think I'll be back next year... (just maybe add a few more toilets for the ladies!)

Registration for next year opens on June 1st 2014.

Review: Asics Gel-Arctic 4 WR shoes - winter running on snow and ice!

2013-12-30T13:37:00.002+00:00

I have just been running in the North of Sweden and to make it possible I bought myself a pair of Asics Gel-Arctic Winter Running shoes. [Asics Arctics are not easy to find if you live in the UK, but I managed to buy a pair from a German site called lauf-bar - http://www.lauf-bar.de.]

At this time of year there are about 4 hours of daylight each day in the area of Sweden that I was in. It's possible to run outside of these hours as the town roads have street lights but it's obviously harder to go off the beaten track in the dark and you also miss out on some spectacular scenery if you do! Luckily it wasn't too cold this year and I was running in temperatures between 2C and -8C - nothing that running coat, winter tights and hat & gloves couldn't handle!

The Swedish roads I was running on were like this:

Beautiful, ice covered roads (not much snow this year), stretching through the Swedish forest or around the odd lake! It took a little while to get used to the Gel-Arctic shoes but after 15 minutes I was well into my stride and had a number of amazing runs over the Christmas period.

So the Asics Gel-Arctics look like this. Good looking shoes in black, yellow and grey with leather toe cover and Asics logo right on the front.

Asics Gel-Arctic 4

So what makes these Asics shoes so good for Winter Running then? Well, the key thing with the Asics Gel-Arctics is on the sole - metal spikes amongst the standard plastic / rubber traditional grip. The spikes aren't sharp like track spikes though, they are more like small metal posts that dig into / grip the ice. They can also be screwed in and out like football boot studs.

Asics Gel-Arctic 4 spikes

These shoes have been great and I can't wait to wear them in the snow and on the ice again. They kept feet dry and warm - the only thing I have learnt (the hard way) is that whilst Asics Gel-Arctic winter running shoes do exactly what you want them to do when you are running, you need to dry them off when you get home - if you don't the metal posts can go a bit rusty (as mine have!)

Anyway, Asics Gel-Arctic shoes are well worth the investment if you can find them and you want to run around in cold places!

Chicago running - the amazing Lakefront trail (LFT)

2013-11-07T12:33:00.000+00:00

I was in Chicago this week and went for a run on the Lakefront Trail parallel to North Lake Shore Drive. A beautiful and memorable place to run!

The Chicago Lakefront trail is a wide concrete path which runners, cyclists and pedestrians share with lanes marked accordingly. The Lakefront Trail runs alongside Chicago's North Lake Shore Drive and South Lake Shore Drive covering a full 18 miles / 29km with mile markers adorning the route. The Chicago LFT is open 24 hours, though the parks and beaches it passes close at 11pm.

The part of the trail I covered started at my downtown hotel, then headed to Navy Pier and then up the Lakefront Trail past Ohio Street Beach and Oak Beach up to North Avenue Beach.

This amazing Chicago running route therefore went past parkland and sandy beach with waves and Lake Michigan on one side and the Chicago skyline on the other. Next time I'll do the whole 18 miles!

Chicago Lakefront trail at Lincoln Park

Chicago Lakefront Trail alongside North Lake Shore Drive

Chicago Lakefront Trail towards North Beach

Chicago Lakefront trail at Oak Street Beach

Chicago Lakefront Trail mile marker

Chicago Skyline from the LFT

Chicago Lakefront trail at North Beach

Chicago Lakefront Trail running towards Navy Pier

Nike Flash Pack winter running - 3D promo video

2013-10-20T23:46:00.001+01:00

Love the look of the new Nike Flash range - particularly the all over reflective Nike Flash jacket. Think the new Nike Flash running clothing would be great for night running (especially on dark winter evenings), but it's not cheap...

There is a slick promo video on YouTube advertising the new Nike Flash range. See what you think of the new Nike Flash products in the promo video here - it's even available in 3D!

I'm tempted...!

Nike We Run San Francisco

2013-10-17T05:55:00.000+01:00

Saw this in San Francisco - Nike illuminated sign that simply says 'We Run.' Think it was for the San Francisco women's marathon, thought I should photograph and post it here - cool, huh?

Nike We Run San Francisco sign

San Francisco running - Embarcadero to Fort Mason and the Golden Gate Bridge

2013-10-15T21:54:00.000+01:00

Very excited, I've ended up in San Francisco with work! I was last here in the year 2000, but this time I decided to bring my running shoes with me. The only challenge is timing. Each day we will be leaving the hotel at around 7am, so if I want to run I'm going to have to be up early...(though with my jetlag I'm not sure that will be too hard!)

Staying in a beautiful hotel (the Clift) near Union Square, so I plotted a route that would take me to the water. I wanted to run to the Golden Gate Bridge, but it looked too far so instead I worked out a route along the Embarcadero, past Fishermans Wharf for a view of Alcatraz and then onto Fort Mason for a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, before returning up and over the enormous Russian Hill.

My San Francisco running route came to around 9km. NikePlus recorded my San Francisco running like this:

my San Francisco running route

I took a camera with me and stopped to record various San Francisco sights as I went along:

Part one - through the downtown office district

View of the Bay Bridge from the Embarcadero

San Francisco Ferry Building

San Francisco - Transamerica Pyramid (seen from Embarcadero)

Aquatic Cove

Aquatic Cove and Alcatraz

Alcatraz Island

Golden Gate Bridge directions

View of the Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Mason

The way back - Hyde St, up and over Russian Hill

Perfect temperature and great fun. I particularly enjoyed running along the Embarcadero as there were so many other runners on the beautiful, flat, wide path alongside the water enjoying the amazing views. Hill back was a bit extreme but what a great way to start a day!

NSPCC Milton Keynes Half Marathon 2013 [photos, route map and my report]

2013-07-07T22:16:00.000+01:00

I ran another half marathon today, this time heading to Milton Keynes to run the NSPCC Milton Keynes Half Marathon 2013.

The first thing to say is that it was obviously hot hot hot today! Temperatures were up to 28C which made running difficult at times, but fortunately there was a fair bit of shade in the end and some water stations on the course too. There were also supporters all the way round (many with water pistols / sprays - thank you) and there was a nice, friendly atmosphere. Official timekeepers Race Timing Systems recorded 1129 finishers and temperatures ranging from 22.8C to 28C!

Here is the NSPCC Milton Keynes Half Marathon route 2013:

NSPCC Milton Keynes Half Marathon route 2013

The Half Marathon started at The Webber Independent School who allowed their grounds and facilities to be used for this event. As a result, there were changing rooms, proper toilets (as well as portable toilets in the grounds), massages in the gym and I believe the cafeteria was being used too. From here the Half Marathon course then followed paths and roads around the lakes, wooded areas and canal of this area of Milton Keynes, before returning to the school field for the finish.

The route provided pleasant running (though some of the bumpy paths didn't help my legs at times) and almost the entire run was on tarmac (the exception being the finish on the school field.) At the finish there was a medal, a banana, water and a cereal bar (+ a flyer for the Maidenhead half marathon on September 6th.) There was then a great service where you could enter your race number into a computer and get an instant receipt showing your gun time, chip time and finishing position. (The chips were really good too - just a paper loop on your shoe laces, no return needed.)

Other notable parts of the day were the high energy warm up, enthusiastic commentator on the PA and jazz band on stage at the finish. What should have been a difficult run in the end became an enjoyable morning - thank you!

Some of my photos from the NSPCC Milton Keynes Half Marathon 2013:

NSPCC Milton Keynes Half Marathon 2013 - waiting to start

NSPCC Milton Keynes Half Marathon 2013 - start

NSPCC Milton Keynes Half Marathon 2013 - finish line

NSPCC Milton Keynes Half Marathon 2013 - jazz band at the finish

and finally, here is the NSPCC Milton Keynes Half Marathon 2013 medal - maybe not my favourite half marathon medal to look at, but I feel like I earnt it today...

NSPCC Milton Keynes Half Marathon 2013 medal

Good job, see you next year!

Review: Nike+ Sportwatch GPS running watch

2013-07-02T00:11:00.000+01:00

For the last year I have been using my mobile phone to track my running, using a GPS powered app to map my route and speed in real time. I have been using the Adidas Micoach app (see here), but I have now invested in a GPS watch and, as it's Tuesday reviewsday I thought I would tell you about it!

Nike+ Sportwatch GPS

From the many available GPS running watch options I decided on the Nike+ Sportwatch GPS powered by TomTom. I bought the Nike+ Sportwatch GPS on it's own, I didn't buy the Nike+ Sportwatch GPS with additional shoe sensor. The shoe sensor enables Nike+ to keep tracking your activity even if you are indoors / out of range of a GPS satellite. (Strangely the watch with shoe sensor was £20 more, whereas the shoe sensor on its own is £16 - you save money by buying them separately!)

So the watch. Short version is that I love it and it is transforming my running - pushing me harder and making me faster. I have also enjoyed using Nike+ too.

Here are some reasons why:

1) The Nike GPS Sport watch is easy to use. There are just 3 buttons and the operation is simple. Blue button takes you to menu, up and down buttons scroll through menu, blue button selects and starts. The 'history' option shows previous runs and it's then possible to see the different 'records' that you have achieved - if you use the PC software to set 'laps' the GPS watch will show you an in run summary of each lap including time, distance and speed. (While running I have it set to show me the total distance I have run and then on rotation at the top of the screen it has 'Time elapsed' and 'Average pace.')

'Clock' and 'Stopwatch' complete the available options. The screen can also be black letters on white screen or white letters on black screen (select 'inverted screen' as an option on the PC software for the GPS watch.) There is also a backlight which is triggered by tapping the screen of the GPS watch.

Nike+ Sportwatch GPS menu screen

Nike+ Sportwatch GPS - one of the record screens

Nike+ Sportwatch GPS - stopwatch screen

2) The Nike+ Sportwatch GPS is water resistant and seems to be unaffected by sweat or even light rain. The Nike GPS watch is not listed as waterproof, but the solid casing seems to be able to withstand everything that has been thrown at it so far.

3) Battery life. The Nike GPS running watch seems to do OK on battery life too. I was getting frustrated with never having enough battery on my phone - all the different things my phone gets used for would invariably mean that it didn't have sufficient battery at the end of the day to be able to track my run. Having a separate device (the GPS watch) takes away that issue! It's designed to sit on your wrist and measure you run and that's it. I have found that the Nike running watch can do about 3 hours of running and a couple of days functioning as a normal watch before it needs charging.

4) The strap and built in USB connector. The Nike GPS watch has a chunky plastic / rubber feel strap. The non-buckle end of the strap also has a connector built into it. Just fold open the end, plug it into the computer and the Nike running watch uploads your latest runs and then syncs with Nike+.

Nike+ Sportwatch GPS

5) Packaging! The Nike+ Sportwatch GPS looks great and is a funky watch, but the box and packaging are also cool too. The box just has an optional USB cable (though I haven't used this yet as I plug the watch straight into the computer), brief instructions and the watch. Nice way of presenting a nice bit of technology:

Nike+ Sportwatch GPS

And the other thing you will want to know - it seems to pick up the GPS signal quickly at the start of a run, I've never normally had to wait longer than just a few seconds.

So, I love my watch, it's pushing me to run faster - and one of these days I may even buy myself a Nike+ shoe sensor too :-)

Gore Air 2.0 running t-shirt (from the Sweatshop sale!)

2013-06-25T22:13:00.000+01:00

I have tried a number of different brands' running shirts and have found the Gore Air 2.0 shirts amongst the best. The full recommended retail price (£40) makes them expensive, but if you look around they can sometimes turn up with reductions in the sales.

Case in point, today I found a single Gore Air 2.0 running tshirt in the Sweatshop sale. It was the only Gore shirt that they had in store and it was in my size too:

Gore Air 2.0 running shirt - black (front)

Gore Air 2.0 running shirt - black (back)

These Gore shirts don't rub in the way that traditional polyester based running wear tends to end up doing. The Gore Air 2.0 shirts have mesh down the back and under the sleeves (the white bits) and the bulk of the material seems to have very high wicking quality - taking sweat away from the body.

I highly recommend - especially if you can get them for 50% off - £20 is better than £40!

Sweatshop sale is on - discounts on Puma, ASICS, Adidas and more!

2013-06-22T23:50:00.000+01:00

Sweatshop emailed me today to let me know that their sale is on and Sweatshop sent me a sale leaflet in the post too. The Sweatshop Sale is due to run for 5 weeks and there are discounted items across the range of Mens and Womens branded clothing.

Sweatshop Summer Sale has started!

There are also special offers in each week of the Sweatshop sale:

Weeks 1 & 2 (22nd June - 4th July) - HALF PRICE Adidas Supernova Sequence 5, reduced to £45 (RRP £90)
Weeks 1 & 2 (22nd June - 4th July) - HALF PRICE Adidas Supernova Glide 5, reduced to £47.50 (RRP £95)
Week 3 (5th July - 11th July) - HALF PRICE Men's Adidas Response apparel - shirt and shorts - £11.50 each (RRP £23)S
Week 4 (12th July - 18th July) - HALF PRICE All Sunwise sunglasses - save up to £39 (RRP £16.99 to £77.99)
Week 4 (12th July - 18th July) - HALF PRICE New Balance MR/WR870, reduced to £42.50 (RRP £85)
Week 5 (19th July - 28th July) - HALF PRICE Skins A200 mens short tight, reduced to £22.50 (RRP £45) and HALF PRICE Skins A200 Women's Capri, reduced to £30 (RRP £60)
Weeks 1-5 (22nd June - 28th July) HALF PRICE Soleus GPS watch, reduced to £49.50 (RRP £99)

Some great offers above, but I couldn't wait - I've already bought myself a new Nike T-shirt and a pair of half price Puma shorts...

Nike Sublimated mens running shirt - reduced from £24 to £18

Puma mens Essential running shorts - reduced from £18 to £9

Hope you find something too - let me know in the comments if you do!

The 4 minute mile - inspirational running in Maida Vale!

2013-06-16T22:30:00.000+01:00

We went to Maida Vale recreation ground today in West London. Maida Vale is a well known residential area of London and is the venue for the famous BBC Maida Vale studios. I didn't realise until today that it is also has a running claim to fame too...

The Maida Vale recreation ground (also known as 'Paddington Rec') is where Roger Bannister trained before he broke the 4 minute mile barrier. The 6 lane synthetic track has been renovated in recent years and is a great resource for runners - especially as it has lockers, facilities and appeared to be free for anyone to use (please correct me if I'm wrong!)

[I believe Maida Vale running track is used by the Serpentine Running club - details here: http://www.serpentine.org.uk/pages/location_paddington.html]

There are a couple of inspirational plaques on the wall of the building next to Maida Vale running track and they tell the story of how Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute mile:

Roger Bannister plaque commerating the first sub-4 minute mile

Roger Bannister plaque Maida Vale

"On the current site of the village green between 1951 and 1954, Sir Roger Bannister, Sir Christopher Chataway and Chris Brasher CBE trained prior to Sir Roger breaking the one mile running record on 6th May 1954.

One of the most challenging barriers in sport, the four minute target had stood for so long that Bannister's great rival, the Australian John Landy, said that he was beginning to think it was impossible.

The attempt by the 25 year old medical student from Oxford University was many weeks in the planning, and when the wind dropped just before the start of the race on the cinder track at Oxford University Athletics Ground he sensed his moment had arrived. It was agreed that Bannister's running mates, Chris Brasher and Christopher Chataway, would lead the first three laps and that Bannister would take over on the final lap. The plan worked perfectly. Bannister, who was only able to train for an hour each day because of his studies at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, ran the last lap in 59 seconds, crossing the line in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds beating the previous best of 4 minutes 1.3 seconds set by Gunder Hägge in 1945."

A great place to run!

Review: Sony headphones - perfect for running!

2013-06-11T20:57:00.000+01:00

I thought I should feature my headphones on this week's 'Tuesday reviewsday' running post. I have tried a number of different types of headphone for running and have found these Sony MDR-EX50 headphones to be by far the best for me.

I have tried more expensive headphones but they fall out of my ears. I have tried over ear headphones but find them uncomfortable. I have even found headphones with a control on the lead problematic as they seem to get weighed down and fall out too.

The Sony headphones below, the Sony MDR EX50 headphones, however, have no 'extras', they are just lightweight, sit well in your ear and have a perfect length lead. They also have a nice bass sound too. The perfect running headphones - and cheaper than most of the headphone options out there!

Sony MDR EX50LP headphones

NB the photo above shows chrome Sony headphones. These Sony MDR-EX50 headphones are available in white, black or chrome and are currently selling at a greatly reduced price at currys.co.uk - stock up while they have them!

Currys website showing prices for Sony MDR EX50 in ear headphones

Do you use headphones when you run and, if you do, what headphones do you use?
Leave a comment below!

St Albans Half Marathon - 9th June 2013

2013-06-09T00:19:00.000+01:00

I was excited to learn of the St Albans Half Marathon as it's a city I ran in a lot when I was younger - particularly in and around Verulamium Park (with nice lake and bits of old Roman wall included!) Other route highlights for the St Albans Half Marathon include Batchwood golf club and nightclub (scene of many misplaced drives and many more misplaced drinks...) and a start and finish under the gaze of St Albans cathedral. [official website for the st albans half marathon 2013 is here]

Here is the full route map for the St Albans Half Marathon 2013:

St Albans Half Marathon 2013 course route map

The weather looks great and for the first time all 3500 places for the half marathon have sold out (the 5km run is apparently also full.) I was signed up but unfortunately I am now not able to take part. I have given up my place, so hope someone else now gets the chance to run.

The St Albans Half Marathon 2013 starts at 10am, so I might try and get some pictures if I can get up and get there in time - if not I shall follow it on Twitter and definitely run it next year. Comments welcome here too!

Good luck all, enjoy the day.

Happy National Running Day

2013-06-05T19:11:00.000+01:00

Today is national running day!

ASICS produced this image to wish people 'Happy National Running Day' and published it on their Facebook Page. I thought it was nicely done - I'll be out running today, will you?

Asics Happy National Running Day!

Needles XC Half Marathon 2013, Isle Of Wight, UK

2013-06-02T20:30:00.000+01:00

It's been over 25 years since I did any off-road / trail / cross-country running so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from today's Needles XC half marathon on the Isle of Wight.

The Needles XC half marathon course was almost entirely off-road (with sand beach, stone paths, steps, fields and hills all included) and, as the name suggests, the course for the Needles XC half marathon was on the Needles (west) side of the Isle of Wight:

Needles XC Half Marathon 2013 course map / course route

What the route map doesn't really show though is the altitude and climb involved... My micoach mapping showed a climb of 513m climbed along the way:

This half marathon was great fun though. I was obviously pleased to finish in less than 2 hours and compared to my last event (where there were over 45,000 finishers), the Needles XC Half Marathon was intimate and really friendly. It took some effort to get there (nearly 7 hours of driving, return ferry journey and 2 taxis) - but the Needles XC Half Marathon was worth the effort - the weather was beautiful and you don't get views like this during a city run:

Running down to the Needles during the Needles XC Half Marathon 2013

Great fun and thank you to everyone at the West Wight Sports centre who was involved in organising - from the marshalls who were showing the way and holding open gates to the man with the megaphone who commentated on my finish!

[We even got a medal AND a nice t-shirt too!]

2013 Needles XC Half Marathon finisher t-shirt

Zurich City Running - round the lake and up the hill!

2013-05-29T21:00:00.000+01:00

I have ended up in Zurich today with work. Full day tomorrow so have had to fly in this evening so that we can start at 930am tomorrow. I thought I might have some spare time this evening so decided to bring my running shoes on the off chance that I might be able to run around a bit of the lake...

The weather forecast was for heavy rain all day and all evening, but mid-afternoon it changed. A nice evening with a sunset was great for running in, even though I had the wrong clothes (as usual!) Something amazing happened today though - after running around the lake for around 3.5km I saw a group of runners congregating around a lakeside snack hut and so I stopped to ask who they were. They told me that they were the Zurich City Running club about to set off on an hour long run around the city and I was welcome to join in!

[Zurich City Running meet at various points around the city through the week. On Wednesday's they meet at Hafen Enge kiosk by the lake at 1900 and go for a hour long run with 2 groups - 1 group does around 6 min/km and the second group does around 7min/km - I have found the Zurich City Running website now, it's here: http://www.cityrunning.ch/lauftreffs/]

Our running guide Martina led a group of around 12 of us through Zurich, retracing some of my previous steps, then off up one of the hills of Zurich and back again. I used my Adidas Micoach running app on my phone and this is what it showed afterwards:

Zurich micoach running route map

We started at Hafen Enge (kiosk) by the lake and then headed into the city centre and up through the Zurich university district before coming back. The bit around the lake was obviously flat, but one of the hills in the Zurich university district was crazy - following the path next to the hill train, going up past stops at Rigiblick, Goldauerstrasse and Hadlaubstrasse!

Zurich Running - path by the hill train

Zurich City running - under bridge lakeside path

Zurich lakeside running

Zurich lakeside running - view from next to Hafen Enge (kiosk)

So Zurich was a nice place to run and I really appreciated the Zurich City Running club allowing me to join them for their Wednesday evening running - vielen dank!