Mud Glorious Mud!

My running shoes are filthy. Not just splashed with brown splodges or a bit worn-looking, but absolutely, soil-sodden, grime-caked, mud-encrusted, filthy. Chunks of earth as big as golf balls are clinging to the outside. Normally I quite like the just-ran-through-a-cow-field look, but it's been causing me a bit of a problem lately as I am spending a lot of time travelling, and hence having to cart around these crusty clodhoppers without contaminating the rest of my clothes or scaring my relatives/hosts when I leave them in their porch.

I have found the only solution is to carry a good supply of plastic bags to wipe stuff off with and to wrap everything in (and hey, it's re-using those bags). When I was staying in a posh (ish) hotel once I carried my muddy running shoes out to the front entrance in a plastic bag, put them on outside and hid the bag in a convenient bush before my run, then when I got back put my shoes in the bag again and walked through the lobby into the lift in my socks to avoid tracking mud across the hotel. This was probably unnecessarily cautious behaviour for a hotel guest (I am also the type of guest who tidies their own bed and always hangs towels on the rail), but it demonstrates the usefulness of packing plastic bags in your suitcase!

For actually cleaning shoes whilst on the move I have found cheap face wipes to work brilliantly for making runners more presentable, as well as for wiping legs, arms and clothing. In fact, don't tell anyone, but I have also used these to clean someone's bath after I took a shower in it following a muddy run; in short these are a true essential for any girlie runners!

Running etiquette

Had a slightly odd conversation with a running friend today (let's call her R). We were agonising over whether to still do a group run we'd planned on friday or cancel it as another of our friends can't do it. R was worried that she would feel left out, especially since we were all going out together straight afterwards, which got me thinking- can training with someone else mean you are cheating on your running buddy?

I've known someone else (lets call her M) who became used to a running with one person and they always did the same route because M thought the other person liked their routine and didn't want to try running further, or faster, or anywhere different. One day M saw her running buddy with another woman, jogging in another part of town on a weekday morning when M thought she was busy doing something else. She felt like her buddy had gone behind her back, though they had never said they were 'exclusive'!

Running relationships can be quite complicated. When I used to run regularly with someone I would sometimes feel miffed if they went without me, even though they were faster and it was obvious they would need to train alone sometimes. People are usually going to have different training needs and different goals, so why do we find it upsetting sometimes to be left behind? Is it our natural competitiveness, that makes us think our buddy is trying to be better than us if they go running without us? Or is it possibly because it makes us feel like we've missed a training session, which makes us feel guilty, even if it wasn't in our schedule? Perhaps it's only women runners who experience this- I wonder if men do too? It's interesting that not even running is immune from our social complexities!

Excuses, excuses...

Curse this cold weather! This morning was, again, so icy that our car resembled an iceburg looming out of the mist. I took three steps outside before almost sliding off the pavement and into the road and hopping back inside to rethink my training plans for today. I ended up going for a swim instead of running which means I haven't done a proper run for a whole week. I like to think that swimming is a good substitute, but I know it's hardly the same as putting in the miles on your feet. The pool is certainly a lot more inviting in this weather than the hard ground and frosty parks though, and swimming is better than doing nothing.

I love swimming, and would do it much more if it didn't leave me with huge deep rings around my eyes afterwards. I know this sounds like a ridiculous excuse, but it is quite a serious problem! I have tried many different styles of goggle, and even masks or half-face jobbies, but every design leaves me with purple lines on my face that last for a couple of hours. This means I can't really swim before work or any event where I might meet other people, and definitely not before a night out. The other problem I used to have with swimming is that I get a severe case of lane-rage when there are other swimmers blocking the fast lane. Really the pool is just not a good place for my neurotic tendencies.

I said I 'used' to have this problem, and I think living here in North Devon may have helped combat this condition, as we have a great leisure centre here with a huge pool and a very well-behaved population of swimmers. It is a joy to see people obeying the lane signs! Of course, it probably helps that the pool is big enough to always have several lanes on the go, and it's never been that busy when I've been so there is no real need for people to crowd the lanes. In fact, I would go so far as to say the leisure centre here is one of my favourite things about living here (controversial!). It's not a very attractive building, but compared to my former gyms in London, it's clean, quiet, well-equipped, spacious, and it's star attraction is the pool. Now, if I can just solve the eye-ring problem, I might make use of it more!

Becoming a running bore

Oh dear, it's happened; I fear I have become a bore, over-thinking about my sport and over-talking about it to my suffering family. Reading this blog it may seem obvious that I already was one, but until last night I was fairly confident (perhaps delusional) that I was still on the right side of the fine line between hobby and obsession, now I think I am a 5m negative-split over it. I was telling my husband all about the minutiae of the different marathon training plans I had been studying when his attention for my running stories reached it's limit and he exploded, crying out "Argh! Why does it matter? Just pick one!"

Suddenly, my recent social life seemed to flash before my eyes and I realised how much I have been thinking about or talking about running. Running has been hovering in the background at parties and family events and entering into conversations with friends, parents, and complete strangers. My best friend and I have even arranged a run as part of a big Christmas get-together we've been looking forward to for ages, and planning since October!

What is most worrying about this is that I'm not even running very much at the moment. What will I be like when I reach the peak of marathon training again and have to plan eating, sleeping and even TV-watching around running? My poor husband!

Marathon training take 2

This time of year goes so quickly, and I can't believe it's already time to start getting real about my training for London 2009. I've been trawling through free marathon schedules online, and I'm amazed at the variation between them. I sort of assumed there were only a few ways you could prepare your body for covering 26 miles, but there are plans based around 6/7 runs a week, ones with 4-5, ones with cross-training, and the mileage increase varies hugely from a mile a week to 4 or 5 (which seems to me to be asking for trouble). Some plans seem to suggest running only 18 miles prior to the race, others to incorporate a full 26 mile practice run!

For Athens I followed a plan from the 'Smartcoach' tool on the Runner's World website, and the strange thing was that it instructed you to do only 3 runs a week, plus cross training. I chose this because I had suffered a knee injury earlier in the year and didn't want to re-injure it, and I found the 3 runs idea to work well in terms of preventing recurrance, but it sort of made me feel like I wasn't taking my marathon training very seriously. Now I feel ready for something a bit more intense, a bit more 'marathon runner-ish'.

At the moment my ideal schedule would be 4/5 times a week, with cross training instead of the other runs, as I don't want to push my luck (and my knee ligaments) after 6 months of only thrice weekly runs, but I haven't found the perfect one yet. The idea of starting a new schedule is appealing though: I can't wait to start ticking off the miles again and watching the distance climb! I just hope I can keep that enthusiasm going over long, dark runs in the dreariest months of the year....

Cold Weather Hints

The day after my extra-icy run (which I wrote about in my last post) I opened this months copy of Runner's World magazine and saw a feature on running in cold weather. Besides all the obvious suggestions (5 of the 10 tips listed were about dressing appropriately and adding extra layers, well duh!) there was a real gem of an idea, which would have helped me last week. The suggestion was planning early morning or frosty runs along bus routes, as these are usually well gritted and the grit often spills on to the pavement.

This is a very practical point, and may even lead you to discover new routes as buses may wind around town in ways you haven't considered and maps of bus routes are available from the council or online.

Brrrr!

I had a very unsatisfying run this evening. It was freezing outside and the pavements were glistening with ice so I had to try and run mostly in the middle of the road where the cars were keeping the tarmac warm. This wasn't ideal as it was rush hour and it was dark, so I had to keep hoping back onto the pavement. I couple of times I nearly slipped and I found myself running really slowly and delicately, picking up my feet in an exaggerated way. If it is possible to run gingerly, that's what I was doing. It made the run very unsatisfying as I never built up enough speed to feel I was working my lungs and getting my legs moving properly, and I ended up cutting short the last loop as I was bored of worrying about skidding across the road on my butt. A short, unsatisfying run today is definitely better than broken bones for Christmas!

What do runners do who live in really icy countries like Finland and er, Iceland? I guess they must run on treadmills a lot during the winter, or maybe they wear trail shoes all the time, if their grip works better on slippery frozen surfaces. Perhaps they have special ice-proof trainers, or attachments for their regular shoes, like snow chains for their car tyres. Either way, I hope it warms up here soon, although with snow forecast across much of England for this week that doesn't seem likely.

Running through life in my hometown

I grew up in a village near Winchester, and for the past few years my parents and siblings have lived in the city itself so I regularly return to this lovely part of Hampshire. When I go for a run here I'm reminded of University holidays and how I would always notice the difference in the air from chilly Edinburgh where every icy breath would burn your lungs. I also feel nostalgic for the paths around my old village where I first began running, and where if I close my eyes I could still trace every step of every road in my mind.

I remember I used to run a loop that was just one mile and went through a cow field. If there were cows in the middle of the field I would walk across so as not to scare the animals, and then I'd climb to the top of the gate at the other side to pause for a while and look at the view across the fields and where I could almost see into the house of a boy I knew. I remember another route that I was running once when I stumbled on a rickety bridge and gouged my hand on a rusty nail. I was 3 or 4 miles from home, feeling woozy from being winded and covered in blood. That is probably still my most dramatic run!

Being at home is making me look back at my life as a runner, and I realise with surprise that I've been doing some form of casual jogging/running for almost ten years, starting in my mid-teens (though I'm not including school cross-country as I didn't do that for enjoyment!). But what I don't remember is what made me go out for a run the very first time. I've always enjoyed exercise and occasionally did running or beep tests with my swimming club, but I can't for the life of me remember the first time I decided to lace up my PE shoes and go for a jog at home, without anyone telling me what to do.

I can however, pinpoint the moment when running became less of a casual thing and I began to think of myself as a runner, as this happened during my fourth year at Uni when I was training for the Great North Run. This event coincided with a period of life where I was feeling more 'grown-up' (i.e. drinking less!) and was also helping to run the cheerleading squad at Edinburgh, so was having a lot of fun but also working really hard and running seemed to help hold everything together. At this time I loved going for a run when I was visiting home and could run for miles on silent muddy footpaths thinking about my revision, or just lazily practising dance routines in my head whilst jogging along.

Now when I'm running at home the things I used to do when running sometimes come back to me, like a smell can conjure memories of a particular person. I suppose the same would happen walking around or sitting in an old friend's house, but it is often only when running that I get time to just daydream and let the memories flow, and feeling nostalgic for old runs really makes me feel like a proper runner!

Festive Running

It’s that time of year when celebrations and family events, along with the limited daylight hours and regular hangovers mean running is squeezed out of your schedule. For me the festive season always starts a bit earlier than usual because my (American) family celebrate Thanksgiving at the end of November (I am writing this from my mum’s house as we wait for everyone else to gather together and for someone to pick up the forgotten cranberry sauce).

Thanksgiving is quickly followed by my birthday and then suddenly there are only three weeks until Christmas and the nights are filled with office parties, friend and family gatherings, card writing and last-minute shopping. What makes things slightly more complicated this year is that we now live a good three-four hour drive away from parents, friends and in-laws so, like we have done this week, tend to stay for a few days or a long weekend each time we go visit. Of course, I usually take my running shoes with me, but families have a way of planning things for you and when you aren’t in control of where you are going or when/what you are eating there isn’t time to fit in a good run and you have to grab ‘spare miles’ where you can. Having said that, for the last few years I have managed to run on both my birthday and Christmas day and they’ve become one of the best things about those days, as well as some of my favourite runs. On Christmas day runs there is no-one else on the roads and I usually put some jingly music on and whatever new running gear I have received. My birthday runs are usually more reflective occasions, where I find myself thinking about the past year and what I want to achieve in the next one.

Back to Thanksgiving and I have just stumbed on an opportunity to run: we still have no cranberry sauce so a trip to the supermarket is needed and I’ve suggested it is perfect running distance. Running back again with a jar of cranberries in my hand will bring a whole new meaning to festive running!

Visibility

Tonight at the running club (North Devon Road Runners) I saw a great piece of kit for winter running. Someone was wearing a beanie with a flashing light at the back and reflective shapes at the front. As well as looking cosy and offering improved safety, I thought this hat offered a solution to a problem you would never dream existed- that of appearing like a 'headless torso' which so many runners suffer from at night time due to wearing reflective jackets or vests but covering their heads with dark-coloured hats. This high-vis hat shows that there is a head on top after all!

However when I got home (and defrosted, gawd was it cold out there tonight!) I tried to look for this hat to paste a picture of it into my blog and couldn't find one. The nearest I could find was a reflective cap by Brooks (http://www.brooksrunning.com/prod.php?p=280020) which had the same flashing idea and would solve the visibility problem but would lack the warmth of the beanie. Next week I will have to speed up my running and chase down the hat wearer to find out their source. Will keep you informed....

Marathon Recovery

It's been 10 days now since the marathon and I still haven't quite worked out the right approach to getting back into training. I've been reading around the subject but there is a lot of conflicting advice out there. I decided to just go with how my body feels and started easing into gently exercise last week. The first three days I did nothing and was exhausted from all the traveling on top of the race, but on the fourth day I went to the gym and did some light cycling. On Saturday I went for a swim and did about a mile, which felt great, then on Sunday I tried a 5 mile run. This went fine so I went along to the local running club on Tuesday night and was met with quite a few horrified faces! People weren't sure if I should be running yet, and more than one person mentioned hearing an old rule about resting a day for each mile following a hard run (so 26 days after a marathon!).

But I can't see how this can be correct: if I rested for a whole month I would put on weight, lose fitness and most of all go stir-crazy! It would be hard to resist putting on my running shoes, and hard to get going again to begin training for the next event. Of course I'm not going to rush things, but I'm going to keep running, sticking to small distances and fun, relaxed outings until after my birthday in early December. Then it will be 20 weeks until London so I will begin increasing my base milage again and work out which training plan to use to try and be at my best for April. I'm already so excited!

Looking back

Today I went for a very easy run, along one of the first routes I did when arriving in Devon a few months ago. It is a nice route, which takes in some of the town and part of the Tarka Trail along the Taw estuary before skirting around a park and arriving at a nice village on the outskirts of town. Running it again with no set agenda or time in mind I was just freely enjoying the scenery and was able to think about how much I'd learned about this area of North Devon through my running over the past few months. I now know the town quite well, perhaps even better then some other areas I've lived in for much longer, because I have studied different routes and footpaths and experimented with different route planning techniques.

I felt really happy today as I ran too. I had the feeling that everything had slotted into place, and after several months of my running being controlled by a training schedule it was nice to be able to just relax and think about where I was running rather than how. I even had one of those weird sensations where you feel nostalgic for something you are currently experiencing rather than something you are looking back on as I thought about how perfect the environment around me was for running. I guess it was some part of my subconscious reminding me to make the most of the conditions in this area and to continue to appreciate them even when I become accustomed to running around here and the routes become second nature.

Running Podcasts (Plodcasts?)

The Running Lounge, a running blog network I follow has this week launched a podcast all about running (http://blog.runnerslounge.com/files/episode1.mp3). The first episode is basically an interview with the creators of the Lounge, but in the future they plan to publish more of the reader-led discussions which fill their site with inspirational running chat.

The news of this podcast got me thinking about listening to podcasts whilst out running. I have actually tried this before. Once when I had a long, lonely run ahead of me and was bored of my music I decided to download some podcasts from radio 4, thinking some stimulating discussion or some comedy would make the time pass quickly. But it turned out this approach didn't work for me at all. It could have been the talk-heavy nature of the podcasts I chose, but I found the slow rhythm of the voices lulled me into a dull plod, and because each episode was only around 25 minutes long, having to stop and select the next one on my ipod was irritating and made the 90 minute run seem much longer. Perhaps running with podcasts would work for those people who like to workout in front of the Simpsons at the gym, but I would rather run to uplifting music or with nothing. Mostly I am quite happy drifting into my own dreamworld as I run and don't feel the need to be doing something else at the same time.

The exception could be running-centric podcasts, as I can imagine listening to other runners might be quite motivating. It could be like having a running pal who never expects you to break your breathing pattern to join in the conversation. Either way, I enjoyed listening to the Lounge podcast whilst making tea, and will keep listening out for their recordings and other running podcasts as they are yet another way to feel part of the ever-growing community of runners.

The scoop on Athens

So now I’m awake enough to remember, and to coordinate my fingers with my brain, here’s my summary of the Athens Marathon:

The course follows the legend which began the event of marathon racing. The greek messenger Pheidippides is said to have ran 25 miles from the battlefield near the town of Marathon to Athens, bringing news of victory over the Persians. He then collapsed and died, but that wasn’t part of our race plan for the 2008 event. However it is a notoriously tough route- the difficulty is something the organisers boast of in the race programme, and there were few fun-runners, and no-one dressed in an animal suit or pantomine horse. Even at the registration you could tell these were serious runners, wiry and tanned.

The race seemed very well organised. We runners were taken by coach from Athens to the stadium in Marathon at 7am, and there were plenty of toilets and buses for storing bags at the start. By the time the race kicked off at 9 it was already almost 20oC, and we’d already seen the whole route, albeit backwards and from 5 feet above the pavement.

Marathon is a small town, and the first steps were incredibly inspiring, surrounded by history and beautiful scenery. Along the side were orange groves, rustic cottages, and fruit stalls, occasionally broken up by a petrol station closed for Sunday. Now and then there would be locals to wave us on, having brought out stools to sit on by the roadside and gathered their whole families for the occasion.

The first 18K was undulating, but the trouble really started after that, with a continuous uphill climb for the next 10. It was sometime during this period that many apparently seasoned runners slowed to a walk, and we saw a brave soul dressed as a centurion collapsed by the side of the road, his armour practically steaming. We’d also entered the outskirts of Athens and were running on the very straight, multiple-lane, main road into the city. At times running along such a wide, ‘cityish’ road littered with drinks bottles and dust but without any traffic gave me the feeling of being in a disaster movie, a feeling magnified by the red, agonised faces of everyone around.

After this epic hill, the rest of the route sloped gently (mostly) downwards and the little clusters of supporters grew more frequent and more enthusiastic, even for the stragglers like us. There were markers every km until the 41st. I’m not sure if this was intentional but I liked the wait, as in waiting for the 41 sign to appear, it was a really nice surprise to suddenly see the finish in sight and know we were actually approaching 42. The end itself was spectacular, running down a leafy avenue, past saluting guards in traditional Greek costume and turning a corner to see the magnificent stadium underneath the shadow of huge olympic rings. I thought I might be crying or crawling in to the line, but the atmosphere gave me a second wind and we managed a strong finish. WooHoo!

Runners' Return!

Just walked in and hobbled up the stairs after the epic journey which was the Athens Classic Marathon. The adventure started last Wednesday, with the car-bus-plane-bus rigmarole which took us to the legendary city on Thursday morning, and finished half an hour ago with the reverse, done at a somewhat slower, stiffer pace courtesy of the small diversion on Sunday to run 26.2 miles in the Greek sunshine.

What can I say about it? It was tough, really tough, and hot, really hot. But I got round and could not stop smiling for the last 500m. And running into the Panathinaikon stadium was everything you could hope for in a marathon finish: exciting, inspiring, beautiful, emotional, well-organised, dramatic... and downhill!

I will write a proper account of the race when I have recuperated a bit more (i.e. drank more tea- I'm surprised I got round without a good British cuppa in the morning) and have fully digested everything that happened. Right now, I am pleased just to have experienced it, and want to shout out to everyone "I DID IT!!!"

5 good things about winter running

As the nights draw ever darker and I get buried deeper under increasing layers of clothing it is time to cheer up by reminding myself of all the good things about running in the winter.
1. There's no need to worry about smothering yourself in suncream which you then sweat off anyway- your red cheeks come from a healthy glow, instead of a cancer-causing, wrinkle-forming toasting.
2. There is nothing like the quiet stillness of an early morning run in the winter, when you have the world to yourself . And extra smug-points from being the only one defying the temptation to stay snuggled in bed.
3. A run gets you warmed up for the rest of the day, saving on energy costs.
4. You get to dig out the reflective running gear for a cool 80s look. And you can wear whatever other rubbish you like along with it as no one can see you properly anyway. Winter runs are one of the only times you can wear a balaclava around a city, and not be mistaken for a comic book bank robber.
5. Steaming mugs of hot chocolate are brilliant recovery drinks containing all the essential ingredients: milk for protein, cocoa fors antioxidants and vitamins and minerals, its low in fat (provided you skip the whipped cream), and to top it off research has shown that chocolate releases endorphins simillar to a 'runner's high' so you get a double-buzz and feel even better for continuing to run despite the weather.

Naked advertising

Recently I have noticed a bare-faced trend in sports gear adverts. I am referring of course to the numerous naked athletes that are gracing the pages of running magazines, selling anything from sports drinks to trainers.

I admit they are effective advertising if that means attracting attention. The first time I saw one I did a double-take; is that really Greg Tait's perfect bottom I can see? The next one I wondered if I should cover up whilst reading Runner's World on the train, after all, with a naked woman taking up most of the opposing page fellow passengers might wonder if the 'go longer' article might really be about something else...

But mostly what I think when I see these adverts is, would I really want to train naked or to feel as if I am? There are certain bits that need to be supported and held in by clothing and I don't think comfort or performance would be improved by letting it all hang loose. Also, I worry about Rebecca Romero's comfort, perched on that pointy saddle in the buff. And mustn't there have been some serious photo-shopping in Tait's picture or the direction and force of motion would have caused another part of his anatomy to be leaping about? This is all so distracting I don't remember the point of the advert, or this post.

Battling the elements is half the fun- isnt it?

A lot of fuss has been kicked up in the media this week after the Original Mountain Marathon in the Lake District was cancelled several hours into the race because of adverse weather. The race organisers are being critcised for letting the race start in the first place, but I think this is completely misjudging the spirit of such events. Fell runners who sign up for the race are experienced mountaineers and are expecting to withstand the tough conditions of a two-day outdoor race in the unpredictable British weather, carrying all their own camping equipment and food, and climbing some 2500m in the process. I've always believed that one of the personality traits which trail runners and endurance runners share is an element of masochism, and surviving against extreme challenges is one of the biggest sources of satisfaction. Of course when things get ridiculous (as in the pictures we've now seen of racers up to the waist in muddy water) events will be stopped, but who can blame the organisers and competitors for being optimistic and giving it a shot? What worries me about all the fuss is that it would be really sad if organisers were too scared to run extreme events for fear of criticism and attracting the health and safety police. If this event is classed as too dangerous, where would the line be drawn? What about ultramarathons across exposed moors? At some point shouldn't it be accepted that individuals are responsible for their own actions and it is up to them to choose whether to take part or not, not the organisers?

The big one!

Eek! I've found out that I have got a place in the 2009 London Marathon. I'm thrilled, but also slightly apprehensive that I haven't managed Athens yet. Still, at least this means I'll have a second chance to fine-tune my training.

Recently my marathon training has veered off-track as I had a bad cold which turned into flu, which I then made worse by attempting a casual 8 miles when I thought I was better, so I'm worried that my preparation for Athen's has been less than ideal. With less than two weeks until the big day now I've decided the most important thing is to get well as soon as possible, so am taking it easy as much as possible, and am chugging down lemon and ginger tea whilst eating oranges for vitamin C. Finger's crossed I'll be back in my trainers soon.

Runner's immunity

My training has been suffering this week, as I have come down with a stinker of a cold. The only thing doing any running is my nose (groan, terrible joke I know)! I am blaming a trip to Glasgow in the middle of the week, which not only involved a sudden change in temperature (it's chilly up there), but also meant getting up at 4am for a flight. And I could be right to blame my current state on this trip. Tradititional marathon wisdom says you should avoid germ-filled environments (e.g. in this case planes, I'm not suggesting Glasgow itself is a source of germs!) and be sure to get extra sleep in the build up to the race.

I remember reading a Runner's World article earlier this year which suggested there is a maximum running time and when you are training above this limit your immunity is weakened, especially in the hours following your run. The time for average runners was 90 minutes, but I guess this would vary depending on your levels of fitness and what length of run constitutes a strain for your body. The article suggested that when you are training at high levels, over your strain-inducing time, you should avoid situations which increase your exposure to germs and be careful about washing your hands, getting plenty of sleep, and getting the right nutrition. Unfortunately it's not always possible to wrap yourself in cotton wool before a race, especially when work requires you to travel and it's hard enough to fit in the hours of training. I just hope that missing one long run and taking a few days off isn't going to have too much of an effect on my ability to complete the marathon. Only two weeks to go now!

Bust-a-move

If you are one of those runners who feels naked without your headphones, the best music for running to sparks an interesting debate. A website called JogTunes attempts to make the choice for you by providing suggestions which match your running pace to the beats of certain songs. You calculate your pace in steps per minute and the site will come up with lists of matched tunes and instructions on how to download them from iTunes. You can also get ready-made playlists based on your pace over a certain estimated distance, so the music will accompany you at a matched pace throughout your workout.

However I have discovered that people's tastes vary hugely, and I'm not sure that the music you find most motivating or that you most enjoy running to is anything to do with the pace. My hubby's choice for long runs is the mellow, slightly-trippy Icelandic group Sigur Ros, which I guess is either a philosophical choice, or just plain bizarre. And Paula Radcliffe is said to prefer to train to Angels by Robbie Williams, which wouldn't meet the fast-pace=good workout music ethos of most gyms.

My personal best-running-track-ever is Molly's Chambers by the King's of Leon. I don't often run with music, but when I feel in need of a soundtrack to my exploring this is the perfect song to put a spring in my step. Although I do sometimes feel the desire to stop running and shake my booty when it comes on!

Marathon Reads

I've been reading about the history of the marathon in an entertaining book by John Bryant (the London Marathon: the History of the Greatest Race on Earth) and am feeling inspired. I would really recommend it as a fact-filled book that still manages to be fun and uplifting- perfect light reading for crawling into bed with knackered limbs after training.

I picked up this book as part of my research for a short guide to marathons I was working on for the website Bookshelf Boyfriend. The completed article can now be seen here: http://www.bookshelfboyfriend.com/articles.php?article_id=266

Hazardous activities abroad

When travelling to take part in a marathon in another country, insurance for the trip is perhaps one of the last things you think about. The training plan was put into action months ago and the footwear has been carefully considered, but insurance is often one of those last-minute things you remember, along with currency and locating your passport under piles of bills.

I just discovered that our annual multi-trip travel insurance specifically states it does not cover long-distance or marathon running, and yet does include elephant rides, shooting (rifles), rugby, and motorcycling. An interesting choice of potentially hazardous activities which I would have thought placed at least as high as running in the injury stakes. It is also interesting that in the policy I eventually bought, they specify 'amateur' runners only are covered- surely you are more likely to get injured if you are an amateur not less, as you are more likely to be inadequately prepared, suffering from existing medical conditions, or attempting your first race, and are without the benefit of a professional support team watching over you. As a professional you will have careful monitoring of your training and health on the day, and possibly will have spent time training in the race conditions beforehand whereas amateurs may be forced to go from chilly britain to running under intense sun within a short time frame, making dehydration and fatigue more likely and raising the risk of injury. Of course, these factors which affect performance and health should be considered by any runners attempting a race abroad, but I find it interesting what insurance companies classify as risk.

It is also notable how many companies go to the trouble of mentioning in their policy odd sports such as tug-o-war and hurling. Are there really many people who travel overseas to take part in a tug-o-war? And if so, where are they going, because that sure sounds like a fun holiday!

Expedition: failed

I have not been very consistent in my posts this last week because I have been away for work again, and this time I was trying to limit the size of my luggage so that I could carry it on the train, which meant my running shoes won priority over my laptop. A colleague expressed surprise that I had bought my running gear (plus spares, and a swimsuit, but they didn't know that!) to a conference and I explained that my trainers are always the first thing to go in my suitcase, no matter where I'm headed. I now have a bit of a reputation as an exercise-addict, but nevermind, I can't hide in the closet forever!

Anyway, I was hoping to do a bit of running whilst I was away, giving those trainers a change of scenery and making more notes for my running explorer's map. Unfortunately for this week's trip I was in Stansted, which is not the most exotic of places, and the hotel was literally at the airport so I was not expecting to come across too many exciting sights, but in the end I failed to even leave the hotel. The only morning I could have got away for an early-morning run it was so foggy outside I could barely see the road, and I could not find any roads or paths around the hotel that led anywhere other than the car park or the tunnel to the airport terminal. I had a sudden ridiculous image of myself stumbling out onto the runway and being startled by a boeing 747 bearing down on me out of the mist, so I gave up and returned to the hotel gym instead.

Actually the gym was very nice. Should anyone ever find themselves with a few hours to kill at Stansted there would be worse ways to spend them than in the clean surroundings of the Radisson SAS health club, and it would certainly be better for your health than hanging around the airport cafes. But I feel I have failed as a running explorer for this week, and can't wait to get back out there in the outside world, to do some 'real' running.

Long run strategies

This week's long run was 20 miles and after speaking to an experienced marathoner (with an age-group winner title under his belt) we decided to try running 4 loops of a five mile route, allowing us to return to the car for drinks/discarding clothing as necessary. I have not tried this method of training before, as I usually prefer to run to a place and find reaching a destination a certain distance away more satisfying than weaving around one place to clock up the correct distance. But I found this strategy a nice change, and would definitely do it again to achieve a large number of miles.
As well as providing some confidence because you are never too far away from your base should you get injured or feel unable to continue, the best thing about this method is that you can drive to a favourite part of a route and just do that section. We drove to a car park at Fremington and ran a loop along the coastal path and back through quiet villages with good pavements, thus getting the benefits of running this great route whilst avoiding having to run up the sharp hills that would otherwise have got in the way of running in this direction and made a 20-miler considerably harder.

More on TV please

I watched the Great North Run on TV this weekend, and all I could think of was an event miles away from Newcastle, and wish the BBC would extend it's eye, tentacle like, and show us some of the other amazing achievements going on across the country. As I was listening to presenters hyping the efforts of Lee from the Apprentice in the GNR, two of my good friends were slogging away on 26 miles of scenic trails on the Clarendon way marathon, along with 300 other people running their own challenge. This route runs over the gorgeous countryside between Winchester and Salisbury, and would have produced some very picturesque scenes on film, compared to the housing estates around Newcastle and South Shields.

Now I have done the GNR before, and think it is possibly my favourite UK running event. There is something about the crowd and the build-up to the start which creates an electricity and a togetherness I have not felt anywhere else, and I would definitely recommend it to new runners as well as seasoned pavement pounders who think they have done it all. But I wish there was more coverage of the amateur sports events happening up and down the country every weekend. Everyone knows about the London marathon and the GNR, but how exciting would it be to see glimpses of the London to Brighton bike ride, or watch people scrambling through the mud in the Salomon Turbo X? How inspiring to be able to watch 'ordinary' people doing crazy things like the 24 hour track race or the Thames path 50 mile ultra-marathon. Because these things happen every weekend, we just don't get to see them.

Route mapping tools part 3

For the past week or so I have been testing the route mapper on Realbuzz.com for planning runs. The tool used on this site is called Map Your Passion, which is a term I haven't quite got my head around yet. Although I love running this does not sound like a run planner, so I googled the term and discovered it is also the name of an advertising campaign for Campari where people can plot their favourite things, their lovers or their experiences on a world map. Now I cannot get this image out of my head whenever I visit the running map your passion and it doesn't seem quite right.

Anyway, the actual mapping tool is good- quite basic in comparison to mapmyrun.com, but functional and easy to use. You have to register with Realbuzz in order to use it, which may put some people off and means it takes a little longer to get on with the task because you have to log in each time.

The route can be planned on a choice of maps (satellite, street map etc) which includes terrain and therefore allows you to work out where the hills are and the climb involved. Realbuzz also boasts that you can add markers to maps to 'highlight your favourites, whether it's a restaurant you'll never forget or the best hotel or hostel you've ever stayed in', and it would be great for these purposes, but as you cannot add markers at the time you actually create a route so it is not ideal for creating certain points on a run or brick (e.g. cycle then run) training route.

All together Map Your Passion was a decent route planner, but I have been slightly spoiled by using mapmyrun, and found this tool not quite so comprehensive for runners or easy to use. For one thing this site became increasingly slow to load each new point as the route got longer, and as the longest run I used it for was 10 miles, this could become really annoying as your distance increases.

Marks out of 5: 3.5

Running shoe bargains

I have just been introduced to this great site called ransacker, which compares running shoe prices to give you the best deal in the UK. It just so happens that my shoes are coming to the end of their running life and I was thinking about ordering another pair so I could break them in before the marathon, when I came across this brilliant idea. So instead of wasting hours looking at different shoe suppliers for the best price, worrying that I'm being ripped off and then getting too bored and just ordering from the site with the nicest page design (I seriously do this sometimes and it's bad for my wallet I'm sure), this time it took me five minutes to order my new Mizuno waves for a price £20 less than I paid for my last pair. Result!

I am not the sort of girl who loves shopping and believes in retail therapy, but waiting for a neat new pair of running shoes to arrive makes me quite excited. And new shoes are a great excuse to go out for a run.

The site also gives you an opportunity to donate to the children's charity Sparks by buying running gear- which makes a feel-good purchase feel even better.

Westward Ho!

I rest happy tonight, as I have found a perfect run-to-the-sea route. Because I was still in Ireland at the weekend I postponed my long run until today, so I could be back in Devon and resume my search for a great route leading to the sea. There is something within me that keeps wanting to run towards the coast; in my imagination I am running along a quiet road and the air begins to feel heavy with salt, I round a corner or reach the top of a summit to suddenly see the foamy water straight in front, beckoning and driving me to keep going towards it.

Today I discovered this near-perfect scene occurs when you are running into Westward Ho! The only town in Britain with an exclamation mark! (And I can't think there can be many elsewhere in the world...?)

To complete my 18 miles, I drove to a pretty little fishing village called Instow (shown in pic) and then ran further along the coast to Westward Ho! where the beach-sighting happened that made my day. It was a hard run because it was exceptionally windy today, and the decision to wear a men's waterproof jacket didn't help as it filled with air like a sail when I went up or down hills, but the wind also leant the waves some extra power and the sight and sound of their crashing as I ran along the quay made it an enjoyable run.

Investing in your feet

At the beginning of this year I had a foot and gait analysis at ProFeet in London. It was very expensive, at almost £120, but that included an intense consultation that lasted 90 minutes and custom engineered insoles. I went to the shop because I'd been having knee pain over christmas after I increased my mileage, and I think it was worth paying out for as the pain has not returned when I upped my long runs again, and the shoes I purchased following their advice are the most comfortable I've ever had. Also, it was nice to have so much attention and individualised advice, and watching the videos of me running when they were played back was really interesting- just to know what my running style looks like! I couldn't really see a difference in the different shoes they tried me in, despite the 'technician' man slowing in down and drawing fancy things on the screen, but it sure sounded like he knew what was going on.

ProFeet also do ski boot fitting, which would be great to prevent blistering and pain. Their shops are only in London at present, but the website is www.profeet.co.uk and is worth checking out for advice on footwear.

Dublin leaves more (much more) to explore

I’m in Dublin for work and have been itching to get away for a good run all week. Unfortunately I was let down. It might have been because I still had a crick in my neck from sleeping on the plane, and a headache from too much coffee and too little sleep, but it was not a satisfying run and I felt somewhat let down. I had expected Dublin to be a prime running-exploring location.

It started off well; I spied lots of other runners out on the streets, always reassuring in unknown territory, and many of them seemed to be heading in the direction I’d chosen towards the coast. However I quickly found that the route I’d planned back at the hotel (on walkjogrun.com) was actually a traintrack- which had shown up on the map as a road. So I ran along the main road that hugged the train track, but where I had been expecting to run along the sea, from the road the view was blocked by a high fence.

Somehow, as much as I tried, I couldn’t work out how to still roughly follow the route I’d designed to loop back to the hotel. Again, rather than being Dublin’s fault, this could have been because my brain was addled from swimming against science and polite conversation for the past few days, but the roads that had name signs (which were few) seemed to have different names to what they were on the map, and the road signs were very few and far between so I couldn’t aim for landmarks. I was a bit lost.

I ended up tracking bus stops for the aircoach which I knew stopped outside the hotel, hoping I was going in the right direction to take me back, rather than to the airport.

What I found most dispiriting was that the area I was lost in was totally uninspiring - a mix of flats, office blocks and functional-looking hotels, with wide, busy roads that were tricky to cross. Hopefully it was just the area I strayed into today and tomorrow I’ll find my way to the lovely Dublin I’ve heard so much about.

Running Fuel

After today's 18 mile effort (and believe me it really felt like an effort after a weekend of partying!), I decided a treat was in order. This was partly brought on by all the hedgerows laden with blackberries that I passed on my run, which after about 12 miles set my mouth watering.

I've been collecting recipes from Runner's World for a while because I like their idea of healthy versions of classic dishes. However last time their recipes were put to the test was in what my friend Kate and I now refer to as the banana cake disaster. It's probably best left at that...

But I decided to give them another chance and tonight I made a Runner's Crumble, which turned out to be much more successful. The recipe uses oats and honey to reduce the amount of sugar and traditional butter/flour topping needed and only took about 30 mins to prepare and cook.

The picture does not do it justice, so you'll have to take me at my word when I say it was delicious. (Note the use of past tense- Gareth and I ate the whole thing in one sitting!)

Going further and further....

At my cousin's wedding this weekend I found myself sitting next to a guy who was preparing to cycle in an 80 mile time-trial the next day. It struck me that a few years ago, discussing long distance training with a stranger at a wedding would have singled you out as an oddbod, a hardnut with a perverse streak. But these days it seems everywhere you go there are 'normal' people working towards challenges that are harder, further, and riskier. Every social gathering I attend has at least one person who is working towards a marathon (and either not their first or one involving a bit of a twist such as an unusual location or added challenge), or involved in another physical feat such as ultra triathlons, mountain climbing or sailing round the world. Next weekend in the UK alone the Runners World event directory and Time Outdoors.com list 7 running or cycling endurance events that are long distances, from 26.2m marathons to 110m epics.

It's not enough these days to be aiming to complete a local 5k or a charity walk- now you have to be doing a moonlit 26 miles in snowdonia dressed as a banana. And it often seems like it's not the actual event that is the driving force behind the desire to go further and do more impressive things, but the training. The therapeutic and meditative aspect of exercising for long periods acts as a valid 'time out' from everyday lives and work. To get away on your own for hours at a time, and to schedule your life around a commitment that is only to yourself would be considered selfish if for instance, you said you were aiming to watch all 7 series of the West Wing back-to-back tomorrow so couldn't join friends for dinner. But the same single-mindedness is acceptable to society if you have the excuse that you are 'training'.
Thank goodness!!

Using Mapmyrun.com to plan routes

Mapmyrun.com is part of a group of online mapping tools with other branches such as mapmyhike, mapmyride, and mapmytri. I have been using it for a few days now and I am surprised that more people are not aware of it. I for one had not come across this site until it was recommended to me by Iain from the North Devon Triathletes, someone who seems to find time to be online as much as me, as well as doing crazy amounts of training (cheers Iain!).

And having explored the site I can now see how it would be perfect for mapping routes incorporating more than one activity such as for Tri's, as you can mark specific points on the route to change to cycling or something else. This ability to add markers to the route is my favourite aspect of using mapmyrun, despite my previous raving about being able to see the elevation/terrain. The topographical maps are brilliant, but being able to add your own markers wherever you like is a great feature and allows you to really personalise your runs, or to quickly look at points other people have noted on their routes. There is a decent range of markers to choose from, including essentials like toilets and parking places, and some thoughtful additions like dog warnings and good areas for stretching/warm up. If there isn't a suitable marker you can annotate the route with pop-out comment boxes.

Apart from the marking facility, there are several other really great features. The map area you see on screen is bigger than other tools I've used, and the mileage you're clocking up is displayed in the top right corner as you go along. You can also jump to any other location in the world by typing it in, a big improvement on the zoom out-zoom in again method on other sites. Another fab idea is a printable cue sheet which will automatically tell you on the ground directions for your planned route. (e.g. along the road to swanson st, turn right, straight for 200m etc)

Like other tools you can choose from a selection of views (satellite, street map, hybrid) as well as the extra ones showing topography etc, and you can upload routes from your Garmin device/pedometer. But the unique features of this site have raised it head and shoulders above the other tools I've tried so far, and I'm upset to be moving on to test a different one next week.

Marks out of 5: a big shiny 5!

My embarrassing running secret

I have a secret fear. I'm ashamed to admit it, but in the spirit that a problem shared is a problem halved I'm just going to come out with it.

My fear is one that raises its head at this time of year when evening runs start to last into the darkening night and the flourescent sports clothing emerges from the bottom of the wardrobe. It nags at my thoughts when I start to lose sight of the path beneath my feet in the growing dusk.

And here lies the problem; if it's late evening, it's been damp weather, and I can't see my feet, there is a good chance I will land my foot down on a slug. Even writing it makes me shudder!

I have run at night time through deserted parks in Edinburgh, thuggish-looking housing estates in Glasgow, and noisy parts of North London, but now I'm running on footpaths in the wet and warm (ish) countryside I am scared to go out in the dark. It's pathetic I know.

I'm fine with getting muddy; I've nothing against accidentally sinking my running shoes in big puddles or cow pats. But that squelching pop of a slug underfoot is something I can't stand. Luckily, I usually run in the morning or late afternoon, when the slugs are not out in full force. Otherwise I tend to try and stick to well-lit paths or have to deal with running while gritting my teeth and crossing my fingers. I'd be interested to know if there are any other runners out there who feel squeamish about slugs, or have any other silly running fears. I tried to google running and slugs and discovered lots of information on a computer accessory called a 'slug' (as if having a mouse, an apple and a dongle wasn't silly enough), but nothing to do with one of the slime sacks meeting your running shoes on a dark night, so perhaps it's only me.....

The competition's really hotting up!

on my run today I found myself dodging through a fairground. One of the routes I commonly take out of town was in the process of being blocked off with rides and stuffed-animal stalls, so I'll have to avoid that path for a few days. It looked like it would become a surprisingly big fair for this small town and I suppose the music and lights could add a bit of excitement to a run, but going through the grounds today it already smelt like petrol and burgers, and that was just from the workers caravans so I doubt it will be very pleasant when the fair is actually open.

This week the internet route planner I am testing is mapmyrun.com. I am going to trial it for a few days before writing my review, but so far I am really impressed and think this could be a contender for the crown. You don't need to register or sign in to use the route plotter so if you just wanted to quickly check a route, say, at work, there is minimal time-wasting. Also, and here is a big, gold-star worthy bonus, there appear to be altitude lines and terrain type as display options. This sounds very promising!

But my news of the day is really this: Following my (admittedly harsh) criticism of Sanoodi last week, a nice chap from the Sanoodi team (a sanoodidude if you will) has got in touch with me to let me know they are working on some of the issues I mentioned. It sounds like they are planning to fix the problems with the site and I am really looking forward to re-visiting it in a few weeks to see if I can re-instate it as my mapping site of choice.

It was very nice to hear that my comments were valuable- perhaps this blog will do some good after all!

Online Route Planners: Test 1

This week I have been testing the route planner on Fetch Everyone, an online resource and community for runners (www.fetcheveryone.com).
When I first started looking at Fetch Everyone (from now on I’ll shorten to FE), I experienced a slight sinking feeling. It just looked too damn good, and so I began to regret choosing it as the very first route-planning tool to review.

Fortunately for my blog, but unfortunately for the FE folks, I did eventually find a few niggles which prevent it from quite becoming the perfect route planning tool, and therefore allow my quest to continue.

FE is a huge site, with over 17000 members and a wealth of services from forums, photo galleries and blogs to training plans and logs. Everything on the site is free, although you can do very little without registering, which means you also need to log in to use the route planner. However, once you are logged in the ‘measure route’ tool is conveniently sited at the top of a drop down menu of tasks, showing they know what runners are likely to want to do when visiting the site quickly.

The tool itself uses googlemaps and offers the same map/satellite/hybrid views that I’ve seen on other google-powered sites. My personal bugbear with googlemaps is that they do not show places of interest or useful amenities that you would find on your average paper map or A-Z. As well as meaning you can’t choose routes which may run right past historical or interesting sights, you cannot plan your route based on nearby petrol stations or public toilets (a problem long-distance runners will understand). Another major drawback to using only googlemaps to plan your run is that you cannot see altitude or elevation.

But if you are not bothered by unexpected hills or points of interest and just want to know distance this is a neat way to do it, and there are a few things which make FE an improvement on other tools that also use google. Number 1 there are clear instructions at the top of the page telling you how to use the tool. This sounds obvious but there are other sites (Sanoodi for one- see my previous rant) that leave you in the dark meaning wasted time faffing around when you coud be out running. There is also a clever button to press to quickly create a ‘there and back’ course without retracing your steps.

To plot your route you simply type in the postcode of your starting place and then double click to draw a marker at points along your route. Again, it is such a simple thing but the double click mechanism means you don’t accidentally plot a marker way off course when trying to move the screen up or down.

FE allows you to save your past routes and annotate them with descriptions (thanks to the lack of elevation guidance my description of my latest route now reads “VERY LONG HILL. ONLY DO IF FEELING MENTAL!!”). The tool also remembers your original location so the map is zoomed in to your start place whenever you subsequently visit the site. However this means it is not very easy to plan routes for other areas you might visit and I could only test routes in other towns or countries by zooming way out and zooming in a bit at a time to find the right place, which is rather awkward.

One of the best features of Sanoodi was being able to look at other peoples runs for ideas. FE also has this feature, but there were not nearly so many routes in my area as there were on Sanoodi and it is not possible to compare them by distance so FE rates slightly lower on this facility.

Marks out of 5: 3.5

Route planning internet tools

Whilst I still think an Ordnance Survey map or A-Z is the best tool a running explorer can have, there are times when you don't have access to a map (or don't want to invest in a map because you will only be in the area a short while), and want to plan a route. I occassionally used to use Sanoodi after reading about them in Runner's World, and found this was particulary good for stealing ideas from other peoples routes they had saved on the site. This week however, I have found that Sanoodi has changed and I can't seem to create new routes anymore. I can create a series of dots, but they don't link up and thus it doesn't tell me the distance. The site also seems really slow now and won't allow you to view other people's routes near you at the same time as creating your own. This has annoyed me greatly. Grrr!

I am a lazy and impatient computer user and am likely to give up if a website is too tricky to use or starts behaving in an irritating manner. So I might well hear from someone smarter than me that the revamped look is actually much easier, fancier, blah blah blah and I'm being a doofus, but that is not really the point. They have turned me off now by confusing me and I just don't think there is any excuse these days for a poorly designed website, since there is such an abundance of free and easy-to-use sites. Especially when the original site, although admittedly a little austere looking, seemed to possess all the right functions before the change. Double Grrr!

So I have decided to test out alternative route planning sites, a different one each week, and rate them according to how useful they are for running explorers. First up: Fetch Everyone (FE).

Cycling is fun too!

This evening I went for a bike ride, and scouted out a few new running routes. Cycling can be a really useful way of doing a bit of road reconnoissance before you run, and confirming whether that loop on the map which kinda looks like a path is really more of an impenetrable tunnel through thornbushes. Cycling is like collecting free miles- if I was running and discovered I couldn't get through a path I'd planned or had to stop and walk/jump around a swamp I would be annoyed. When you are training for a marathon every mile of every run counts and often the speed at which you do it too, so if you are cut short you feel cheated, or if you get lost and run many more miles than expected you worry about overtiring and not being able to complete that long session you have planned for the next day.
So on my bike I finally discovered how the different directions of the Tarka Trail meet up near the train station, and to take a nose-peg if I'm running in the direction of Bishops Tawton. The Fragrance de la farmyard was particularly strong tonight.

Bishops Tawton is a lovely village and my ride there revealed some classic exploring finds. First up was a field full of the cutest little ponies in the whole world; about two foot high and toy-like, but they weren't the slightest bit interested in me as I wooshed past. Unlike the next animals I encountered-the huge cows pressing up against the fence all turned their big heads to towards me as I approached. Perhaps they were playing the who-dealt-the-smell game (eww I smell it too, who was that?! Certainly not me!) and my timely appearance gave them somewhere to lay the blame.

I also came across a line-dancing class- incongruous disco music blaring from a quaint-looking church hall and flashes of middle-aged men shaking their butts. A row of white-haired women sat outside taking a moments rest from their efforts, on a bench that was practically in the graveyard. I love this kind of glimpse of the unexpected side of village life, and I never would have noticed it if I'd been in a car as I wouldn't have heard the music drawing my attention over the road to look.

Later on as I arrived back in town I heard another surprising sound which made me take a detour to investigate- the rhythm of steel drums was reverberating around the town fountain. As I rode past I saw there was a whole army of drummers, grooving away in hot pink outfits, whilst a more traditional-looking marching band stood to the side, evidently waiting their turn. Amazing! The beats brought a huge smile to my face and whirled my legs into a fast finish all the way home.

Sea-seeking

Today I ran a 16 mile route towards the coast. It was my third attempt at finding a good, run-able path to the nearest beach at Saunton. I say attempt, because I am still looking. Todays route took me along the lovely Tarka Trail to Braunton, where the path joined the main road and I ran along the pavement which was wide (shared with cycles) and scenic. Until the pavement suddenly ran out, merging into a soft verge with very overgrown grass and intruding hedges. I had to run along the road itself, far from ideal when it was barely wide enough for the traffic causing queues to build up behind me whilst waiting to overtake.
I hate being the cause of annoyance to drivers, and the roads were not particularly quiet this afternoon so I couldn't really relax and enjoy the run, and after excitedly anticipating catching a glimpse of the sea-proper (as compared to the estuary), I ended up itching to turn around and get back to the trail. So the search for the perfect coastal run continues.
To attain perfection, the run should be:
*Not too hilly, although some high points are good if they provide a good view.
*Light on traffic, or on good pavements.
*Involving few busy road crossings or roundabouts.
*Able to fit into part of a loop, rather than out-and-back along the same route.

Why I don't use GPS running gadgets

Sure, I could invest in a Garmin forerunner watch or other SatNav device. I could even borrow my husbands super-techno phone. But for me these fancy systems cannot replace good old-fashioned mapping and there is nothing like plotting a path with pencil and string (or these days with lines on-screen), and setting off knowing you are heading to a new destination or passing a particular landmark. Without looking at a map, you could easily run past wonderful and unique sights, oblivious to routes which would have taken you past them and added amusement or interest to your run.

One of my favourite runs used to take me past Jane Austen's house in Winchester, something I would not have known to look out for if I hadn't studied a street map.

I have given in to technology in one way- for christmas I was given a Nike Plus gadget which plugs into my ipod and tells me how far or how fast I have run. I quite like running with it, hearing a voice encouraging me every km and watching my distances accumulate on my pc afterwards is quite satisfying. But I will never stop using maps completely.

One evening recently I set out for a short run thinking I would just see where my feet took me, relying on my Nike Plus to tell me when I had completed my goal of 4 miles. After about a mile, I took a turn down a convenient road which seemed to be going in the right direction for a homewards loop, and abruptly found I was facing the steepest hill I've seen since San Francisco. I didn't want to turn around so launched myself at the slope thinking it would soon be easier. A whole mile of climbing later, when my thighs were burning and I was barely moving forwards with each step, I had to admit defeat and go back. Relying on technology that simply tells you how far you are going means you don't know where to avoid running, whether it is because of steep hills, heavy traffic, or poorly-lit or otherwise unsafe areas.

Of course a map can't tell you where the dodgy areas of town are either, it is only through exploring that these things can be worked out and your own personal preferred routes discovered.

In the beginning...

Recently I have found myself starting a new life in a new town, in a completely different part of the country. I am also training for the Athens marathon and am facing the challenge of running 16-20 mile routes in unknown territory. I am an explorer in muddy running trainers, getting to know my new surroundings and its natives by pounding the pavements and trails. (Just a warning, my mind does tend to wander in fanciful ways after around the 10 mile mark!)

My exploring has led me to re-discover an old love of maps. A love which started when my dad used to read me Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons books; with wonderful maps of the children's adventures bracketing the stories ('Here Roger twisted his ankle'; 'Here they tickled trout'), Ransome always plotted just enough information to allow the geography to build up in your imagination. I longed to chart my own landscapes with personal stories and memories.

My inner geek likes to pore over maps of new places and look at all the funny names (near to me now are Diddies and Patchole), but better still is to draw a new route on a map, lace up my shoes and set off to see the names and places come to life. I could walk - but I love running, and it gets you there faster!

So I am the running explorer and this will be my expedition log.