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What are you doing with my phone?

elie

Last year, in Elie (Fife) I was walking on the cliffs above the town when I came across an iPhone lying against a post. My first thought was “I’ve found an Iphone. I can sell it and make a few hundred pounds!”  Thankfully, my second thought was “someone has lost an iPhone. How do I get it back to them?”

I picked the phone up and looked through the contact list for a “home” or a “mum” who I could phone and inform that their partner or son had lost a phone. Unfortunately there wasn’t any obvious names.

As I wondered what to do next a man ran up the path to the top of the cliff. He took one look at me and said “For F*&Ks sake!! What are you doing with my phone??”

I replied that I thought it had been lost as no-one was present. I was looking to return it to whoever it belonged to.

He continued to swear profusely and eventually explained that he’d set the phone up to record his attempt at running up the cliff. The run was “famous” and he was going to post his best time to a hill running forum.

Personally I wouldn’t leave my £600 phone out where anyone could walk of with it!

Since that day I’d always wanted to try the run. Luckily, this weekend, I was up tin Elie. I ran the route and I can honestly say it isn’t worth videoing! It was short and not that difficult. I think his friends should thank me because if he had videod it, I bet he would have bored them with it again and again and again….

 

 

Iain

What’s the point of a plan?

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This is an interesting perspective on training.  http://www.samiinkinen.com/post/11347268687/hawaii-ironman-secrets

I think it mainly applies to people who are already quite fit but I do agree with some of the points.

  1. No brick sessions. I never do them. I know I’m tired after biking so training isn’t going to change that. Some people claim “It helps you train your body to move after the bike” What do you think I do after biking? Lie in my bed for the rest of the day? I’ll walk, have other commitments and continue with the rest of my day so I think my body gets plenty of practice of moving after biking without a brick session.
  2. Shorter distance exercises when training for long distance. When training for the Iron man swim I swam mostly 1.5KM  (30min) a day. I rarely if ever swam an hour and less often for more than an hour BUT I did swim allot (3/4 times a week) so my weekly swim distance was the equivalent of two long sessions. I swam the iron man swim in a good time and I didn’t feel tired.
  3.  1 long bike ride and 1 long run a week. I think this is essential part of training. I’m not too bothered by what I do during the week (as long as I bike commute to work and get a couple of runs in) but I like to get these two sessions done.

The key message is don’t follow a plan for the sake of following a plan. Question everything you do and then alter it so it fits into the way you work/think.

PS – this week I didn’t manage to get a long run in but I did climb a hill instead. Even the best laid plans can be thrown out. Never be a slave to a plan!

 

 

Iain

Should I speed up or slow down?

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I ran towards a cross road. My plan was to reach it and turn left back along a path towards home BUT coming from the right path was a group of 6 runners.

We were going to reach the crossroad at the same time.

At this point I had to decide:

a) Do I speed up and get to the crossroad first? The problem was that there’s a mile until the next opportunity to change direction. I’d have to keep ahead of them for all that time. I’m competitive about most things so there was no way I’d let them overtake me!

B) Do I slow down and let them go ahead and therefore avoid the shame of getting overtaken?

I quickly sized them up. They all had good gear on, they looked to be running within themselves. I decided it was safer just to drop in behind them.

I soon realised the problem this presented. As I ran for a mile about 10 metres behind the group we passed a number of dog walkers. Each walker looked at me with pity! They assumed I had been dropped by the group and was trying to catch up!!!

I wanted to shout at each of them

“I’m not with them!”

Instead I dropped off from behind them as soon as another path appeared.

 

Iain, Race Report

Kirkintilloch 12.5KM – 14th February – 01:03:01 (Iain)

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“C’MON IAIN!! You can kick this blog’s ass!”

“Iain! You’re an amazing blogger!”

“Don’t let yourself down Iain!”

If, whilst writing,  I said those things out loud most people would consider me a weirdo. Especially if I was in a room full of other people.

Yesterday I did the Kirkintilloch 12.5KM race. I’ve done the 10K race previously so I assumed it would be the same but with 2.5KM added on. I was wrong. This meant that

a) I expected to start at a primary school. I didn’t realise there was more than one in Kirkintilloch. The races don’t start at the same one. I did wonder why the first school I drove too was very quiet.

b) I expected a flat fast course but it was hilly and slow.

c) I expected a selection of cakes and biscuits at the end of the race as that what I received last time. Instead I got a banana! I was looking forward to cake.

The weather was cold but sunny. There was a number of patches of Ice on the route so I had to be careful on some downhill sections. I had no expectations for the race so treated it as training jog. I therefore chatted to Andrew for the first 10K. When we got to a hill I heard him breathing heavily. I decided to make a break for the win. I picked the correct moment as he didn’t have the legs to keep up the pace  and I was able to hold him off until the finish.

He beat me last time so I was determined to get a win here!

During the last 2.5Km I ran next to a guy called Steve. I know that’s his name because he kept talking to himself.

“”C’MON STEVE!! You can kick this course’s ass!”

“STEVE! You’re an amazing runner!”

You get the idea! This would be fine if he wasn’t wearing headphones!

it didn’t seem to help his performance as he conked out on a hill towards the end. Maybe if he’d spent less energy shouting at himself he’d have had some left to finish the race.

So if you feel like talking to yourself whilst running amongst strangers at least take your headphones out. Its only polite. You wouldn’t keep them in if someone else was trying to talk to you! So treat yourself with the same respect 🙂

Untitled

Iain

With the correct technique you can tackle anyone (Iain)

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“With the correct technique you can tackle anyone!”

This was the last thing a rugby coach told me before I tackled a guy twice my size and weight. I bounced off him, hit my head on the ground and ended up with concussion. I never played rugby ever again and it left me with a lifelong distrust of coach’s!

Sidenote: Afterwards Andrew told me that people with concussion die eight hours after it occurs. I stayed up late that night watching the clock tick down to my impending death! Jools Holland was on TV and I my “death” was going to occur half way through the show which really annoyed me as the band I liked was due to play last!

The coach was correct, I could tackle anyone but he forgot to mention that sometimes I will fail no matter how good my technique is.

When doing events I look back at this and thank the coach for unintentionally giving my a good perspective on events and challenges. Yes, I can train hard, yes I can have the right technique but that doesn’t mean I’ll succeed.

Years ago, I climbed Kilimanjaro…actually I got 9/10ths of the way up. I stopped as I’d had enough. I’d reached my summit! When people asked afterwards whether I was disappointed not to get to the top I’d reply:

“No, the walk up was a boring queue of people trudging up a path but when I went down by myself it was amazing! I had the whole mountain to myself and got excellent views of the sun rising over africa.”

So the lesson is – I don’t worry about whether I succeed or fail. I just worry about whether I enjoyed trying because sometimes failing offers up much better experiences!

Iain

Feb 5th – Who’s that weirdo? (Iain)

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“Have you seen that weirdo who comes in and reads a paper whilst sitting on a bike?”

I was listening to a personal trainer at my gym speak to another.

“Oh yeah. He comes in at lunchtime and sits there pedalling and reading! Does he not know a gym is for training?” Replied the other.

Unfortunately, I’m the weirdo who would reads a paper!

It happened when I worked in Edinburgh. The highlight of my working day was to pop out at lunchtime to the gym but rather than sit bored on an exercise bike staring at a wall I’d read the complimentary Daily Mail that the gym provided.

It helped to pass the time during a very boring working day.

The other reason why I did it – I was training for a marathon and would run in the evening so I didn’t want to kill my legs at lunchtime.

So I’m not a weirdo. I’m just making the best use of my time by learning and exercising.

Which leads me to the reason I write this. The strangest things I’ve seen in the gym

  • Today, I jogged next to a women who was wearing a big grey hoody jumper with the hoody up. Which is OK if you’re outside and its cold but we’re inside on a running machine in a very warm gym!
  • A man sitting naked cross-legged on a bench cutting his toenails. Not a care in the world as his nails ping’d this way and that!
  • A man doing ballet on gym mats. It would have been beautiful and graceful if he wasn’t wearing a see through leotard. The gym made him get changed
  • A man singing Cher’s hit song “Believe” a the top of his voice as he did his weights. For a big guy he could really hit the high notes well!
  • A squad of cheerleaders working out….actually that one was pretty good.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen?

 

 

 

 

Iain, Race Report

Jan 24 – Nigel Barge 10k (Iain)

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barge

How long after getting a new pair of trainers do I wait before I wear them in the rain?

I delay as much as possible. My new pair will initially be used only in the gym, then they might be used on a nice day whilst running on on cocrete before finally, 3 months later, being used offroad.

Which is why Nigel Barge 10 was a dilema for most runners. It rained heavily the night before and part of the course had puddles so big I couldn’t jump over them. Do I sacrcifice time or the cleanlieness of my trainers?

I decided to run straight through the first puddle. The fear of getting wet and dirty is much worse than actually getting wet and dirty. After that I ran happily through every pddle and muddy path. My trainers now look terrible but at least i don’t feel like I cheated my performace on the run. On a side note – why do trainers never look as good as before a run no matter how many times I put them in the washing machine?

The race itself was two hilly laps of a course that won’t win any prizes for scenery. It was twice past the rubbish dump, a car wash and an industrial estate. Andrew beat me which was surprise as I can’t remember the last time he beat me!

We’d both done a 90 minute bike ride the day before. He’d gone outdoors on a course where half of it is downhill. I’d done a spin class and a stationary bike. I think the running result proves my 90 minutes were harder than his. After all, it can’t be because he was better than me. Can it?

The fourth discipline of triathalon is lying. Lying to ourselves about results and lying to ourselves about training. Of course I ran 10km even though my watch said it was only 9.8km and of course Andrew beat me because I trained harder than him…

Iain

Jan 24 (Iain) – Insanity Is doing the same thing over and over again

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The “genius” Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Week after week I play squash and every single time I lose.

Am I insane? Am I doing the same thing again and again?

I don’t think so.

I’m a much better squash player now than when I started playing. I can see shots and angles of return that were previously unavailable to me.

I can vary my shot depending on whether I want to use pace or skill.

I can move around the court so that I’m always in the correct position to anticipate the next move.

Yet, I still lose week after week.

And this doesn’t bother me.

For me – winning is irrelevant. It only matters that I enjoyed the game and that I pushed myself to my limit.

So when I sign up for a challenge I don’t look at whether I’ll win, whether I’ll get a PB or whether I’ll succeed. I ask myself whether I’ll enjoy it.

My `A` race for the year is the Long Course Weekend. I saw it on TV and it looked fun. I have no idea how difficult or easy the course is. It doesn’t matter. I know I’ll enjoy visiting a part of the country I’ve never been to before.

Einstein famously never wore socks. He didn’t see the point when shoes were more than adequate at doing the same job. I disagree with him as I forgot my spare socks last week and ripped my feet to shreds in the afternoon trying to walk sock-less in leather shoes.

Maybe he wasn’t such a genius after-all.

 

Iain

Jan 17th (Iain) – SPRIIIIIIIINNNNNNTTTTT!

I once had a job interview where I was asked “what type of manager do you like?”

I wanted to say “one who lets me do as little as possible!” but instead replied “One who I’m scared of. I perform better when someone is shouting at me than one someone is being very nice.”

I remembered this whilst doing a Spin Class. The normal instructor was away. She’s a nice girl who gives very clear and easy to follow instructions. I enjoy her class and always get a good workout.

This week a man turned up. He was shaven headed, covered in tattoo’s and looked like he’d just left prison. Not the type of man who be released from prison but the type of man who would broken out!

He took one look at us and immediately shouted “Level 19 and a cadence of 100!”

This was going to be hard. The girl normally says “Level 12 but take it at your own pace”

“Level 20!” F**k – I’d only just got used to level 19

“LEVEL 21! I’ll Know if you’re slacking!” How does he know? Can he tell that sometime I put my hand over the switch to turn it up but only pretend to move it?

“LEVEL 22!!!” There’s sweat everywhere. In my eyes, matting my hair and dripping on the floor. I hope my bike floats as the pool of sweat is going to be deep.

“LEVEL 23!!!” I’m dying.

“LEVEL 24!!!” The man next to me can no longer turn his pedals. I can barely move mine. This can’t get any harder

“NOW SPRINT!!!!” It got harder.

At the end of the class I hated the instructor but he did make me work harder and better than I ever have in any other class.

So for Norseman I will adopt the shout at Andrew approach! “SPRIIIIIIIIINNNNTTTT!”

Iain

Jan 14th (Iain) – Snowmegeddon!

“SNOW-MEGEDDON! SCOTLAND TO BE HIT BY -15C SNOW STORMS!”

If I paid attention to the weather forecast then I’d never leave the house. Todays ride was one of the best of the winter. Not too chilly, sunshine and no wind!

Strangely the canal had frozen over but the canal path hadn’t.

I wonder why that was?