On your marks, get set, RUN!

Running is one of the easiest ways to stay in shape regardless of where you are. You only need a pair of running shoes, comfortable clothing and you’re good to go.

However, the time, the route and the weather can get in the way, and being out of your comfort zone can be a motivation killer.  This is why we thought of a few tips to improve your running routine as well as some advice for when you are travelling.

Getting started

a)    Be consistent. There’s no point in making excuses, grumbling and complaining about the rain, the sun, the wind, your shoe, you get the picture (there’s even an entire book full of excuses). No matter where you are, there will be a way to workout. You just need to want it badly enough and not tire yourself out on the first day.

b)   Start small.  Having a reasonable goal is essential. Calculate how much you can run in the time you have and keep that in mind, do not push yourself too hard. The first step is to start running, don’t get intimidated by how long or how far you ‘should run’. Any amount of running that fits in your schedule is what matters. Maybe it’s only a quick 25 minute run during your lunch hour, it still counts.

c)    Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Having the right footwear to run is essential and ensures that you do not injure yourself in any way. Go to a specialist-running store and buy something that they recommend, this way you can’t go wrong. Your clothes should let you move freely and not weigh you down. There’s nothing worse than the feeling that you’re suffocating inside your hoodie, deciding it’s too warm, and then tying it around your waist and having to rearrange it every few metres.

d)   Hydrate yourself. Make sure you drink enough water or even a sports drink if that’s what you prefer. It’s recommended to start drinking water an hour before you start to run as well as after, and have only tiny sips during your workout.

When you travel

a)    You can easily plan your schedule and routes by checking any of these websites- Map My Runor Run the Planet. It will only take a few moments, and you’ll feel more comfortable knowing you won’t get lost.

b)   Ask your Hotel staff if they know running routes, or have a hotel gym. Chances are, someone has already asked the same question and they will be able to give you recommendations of which routes to take and which ones to avoid.

c)    Run on a treadmill if you can’t do outdoors running- we don’t want you red nosed and bleary eyed on some street in Moscow in December. Although this is not as exciting as going out and exploring the area, it can still be entertaining and even productive if you watch the news while you run.

d)   Run in the morning, because if you’re in a new city, it clears up the rest of your day to not only do your work, but also to enjoy your stay.

We hope that you feel more inspired towards taking up running. Our tips provide a cursory view into how you can run, but there are lots of blogs with more tips, ideas and inspiration. One of our favourite ones is Sore Limbs, written by a former smoker turned hard core runner providing details of his training, reviews of running shoes, and marathon insights.

From Down Time by Thistle - http://blog.thistle.com/ 

Silverstone Marathon 2011

My second Silverstone and to anyone who wants to have a go at a half marathon then this is the one. It only cost £15.00 to enter, it is as flat as can be, very easy to get to and loads of free parking, because of the time of year you are pretty much guaranteed cold weather which in my opinion is good.


I long for the opportunity to run this with someone, anyone want to join me in 2012


I completed this year in 1h.48mins

Feet...

Without feet the world would be a better place, here is why

All the parts of our body’s play a vital role in our everyday lives but feet do not, let’s explore this. How would life be without feet? Ok, no feet just stumps at the end of our legs, let’s call them hooves. If we had hooves our legs would look and work very differently to how they do now, knees would be inverted and our leg muscles would be like that of say a horse, because of this we would be able to run further and faster, this is obvious, have you ever seen a cheetah with feet, therefore if we can run faster and further transport would only be needed for say longer journeys and picking up shopping, other than that we would run everywhere, it would be natural would it not!. Our bodies would have developed the ability to cope with running, our clothes would all be different. If we run we do not use cars, they would exist but we would not need as many therefore not polluting the planet as much this in turn would mean no ozone problems.

On average one pair of shoes lasts 14 months and we have 2 pairs per 14 months, we live an average of 74 years that’s 126 pairs of shoes (men only here) at say £55.00 per pair means we save £6930.00

If our legs are like that of a horse then we do not need trousers, did you know 1 in 1.6million people kill themselves whilst putting on their trousers.

In short, we would be able to run marathons all the time, we would be fitter and therefore live longer our planet would be safe and better off and all this just because of our feet.

Evolution has got us to where we are today but if God was our inventor I reckon he got the feet wrong - what do you think

Why Do I Run?

Because I have to believe even if they don’t

Because knowing I gave everything means everything

Because I had to try, again

Because it’s more than just a line on the road

And we are more than just finishers

Because when I do

There is always the chance

To be extraordinary

Because I can


Why do you Run?

Ella: The stillborn baby brought back to life after being frozen

A stillborn baby was brought back to life after ‘bleeding to death’ in the womb and then escaped brain damage when doctors froze her body for three days.

Ella Claxton was delivered after the placenta had ruptured and become detached. Her mother Rachel’s cervix, was only 3cm dilated instead of the normal 10cm.

Doctors worked for 25 minutes to revive her before they detected a heartbeat. But they feared her brain would be damaged because she was starved of oxygen during the birth.

Ella was taken to another hospital for cutting-edge treatment in which her body temperature was lowered to below the level at which hypothermia occurs, to ease the swelling on her brain.

Her mother, who is now campaigning for the technology to be more widely available on the NHS, said: ‘She’s our little miracle and every day she gives us new hope.’

Ella was born nine months ago at Peterborough District Hospital. Yesterday, Ms Claxton said: ‘The midwife was crying, my partner Jason was crying and no one could tell me what was going on.

‘I begged them to tell me what was happening but I already knew she was dead because it had been so long and I still hadn’t heard her cry.

‘Then, after what seemed like an eternity, I heard someone say, “She’s with us”. I couldn’t believe it.’

However, doctors told the couple Ella would need to go to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge to receive the ‘freezing’ treatment.

There, she was wrapped in a cooling blanket to bring her temperature down from a normal 37C to 33.5C.

Her father, Jason Anderson, 33, said: ‘I laid my hand on her head and she was ice-cold to the touch.’

After three days, her temperature was returned to normal; she was allowed home eight days later. Ella still needs physiotherapy but her brain function is normal.

Ms Claxton said: ‘So far, she’s gone from strength to strength.’

To all those who get in my way

To those wonderful mums in rows of three locked in conversation oblivious of me. To those friendly smokers out on a stroll who manage to leave their plumes of smoke for me to choke. To the groups of dog walkers chatting on corners whilst dogs run amuck in the muck. To the teenagers on bikes and little ones on trikes. The day dreamers and dream makers, strollers, joggers and runners. To everyone who is out, without you my running would be bland, dull and definitely non eventful.

So I bid you adieu today and look forward to seeing you tomorrow.