run

In addition to my recent bicycling expeditions, I thought it would be good try try a spot of running as a way to help get me to the point where "the hill" nearby seemed less of a cycling effort than it does at present. Not that I can't do it, but the last half hill seems more effort than it really should be.

So, I decided that the best way to do this was to set myself some goals, so that the whole thing has some point and structure. I won't embarrass myself by saying what the goals are; perhaps by the time I set the next wave they will start to sound semi respectable.

At this stage, I'm eschewing the latest running gear and simply finding old T shirts and similar, and the trainers that I use for cycling seem perfectly adequate, even if they do have a bit of paint on them.

I looked around the web for a place to stash timings and so forth and found the nike site that lots of people use. I duly signed up (free) and found that the little gadget to put in shoes seems to be a part of the way that times and suchlike get tracked. As I've already got an iPod, I thought I'd give this basic telemetry a go, and so I acquired one of the tiny transmitters. It sends radio bleeps to the iPod and the iPod records the times as well as saying encouraging things over the (ahem) running music.

Oops. Of course, it is supposed to only work with Nike shoes and special Nike+ shoes at that. Well by good luck my trainers are Nike, but they don't have the little place to put the special pace transmitter.

Duck Tape.

Yes, I discovered that a small amount of Duck tape on the tongue of one of the trainers was a very simple way to secure the transmitter, whilst limbering up for the undoubtedly sporting prices of the special running shoes.

So today, in a spare moment or two (okay or three or four), I assembled the clothes, shoes, iPod and gadget and made my first run. Not spectacular, but I can say that I ran 4.95miles and burned 825 calories without damage (according to the iPod).

And then, joy joy, the replacement pedal for the bicycle had already arrived, so I zinged a few miles on the bicycle, mainly to see whether the new pedals (I had to buy a pair) would work without falling off.

The pictures are from today's central London route in Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and the Serpentine with more at the point where my pace slowed(!) I think they show Central London has some nice green bits quite well.

So far so good.