SHUNNING RUNNING

A GOOD TIME

shunningrunning — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 20:50:21 +0000

Here, have a happy summer picture – because I’ve started running again!!

Yes, today in a London sizzling at 30°C the mood suddenly took me, and I blasted off to the gym to restart the running!

I’ve left it for far too long and sat far too much on my chair in front of my computer and am becoming all curled up and gnarled and tree-stump-like. I decided I hadn’t shown my new ASICS a good time for a long time. They wanted to go out. They wanted to go places. So I showed them a good time. Oh yes. I did an hour’s run/walk on the treadmill to ease into a new phase of the charade, dabbled slightly in a few machines downstairs (bit of outer thigh work) and walked home.

Summer job done!

JANATHON BLACKOUT…

shunningrunning — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:08:48 +0000

I’ve just not got going on Janathon properly.

Work has been hectic, daylight has been scarce and Janathon has suffered. I think I’m going to have to withdraw and appear again for Juneathon…

Keep up the good work, Janathoners. You are better joggers than me!

HALF-JANATHON

shunningrunning — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:24:00 +0000

On Saturday, Janathon reared its little wintery head and I ran in the park. I’m just such a contender in this thing…!

The most exciting part was using the Nike GPS app for the first time. Much better as it allows you to view your progress as you run, gives you voice feedback, lets you skip tracks (while keeping the screen otherwise locked) and provides graphic proof of what a less than mediocre runner you are.

Distance: 4.42 km

Location: Greenwich Park

Conditions: Muddy, windy

JANATHON DESIGN FLAW

shunningrunning — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 10:39:36 +0000

Unfortunately, I have discovered a quite serious design flaw in Janathon…

Janathon doesn’t seem to include enough daylight hours. Once the picking up and dropping off of various parts of the Entourage has taken place, once the Labrador has been walked, once an itsy bitsy bit of work has been squeezed into all the mundane stuff and the final Christmas guests have been packed off back to Moscow – plonk! – the sun disappears and the park keepers close the doors to the Janathonarena and… oh no…

I realise now that Juneathon was mostly conducted at around 5-6 pm when things had been done and a breather was needed. Hmmm.

Perhaps now that the gym has reopened, the treadmill will have to replace those balmy summer evenings of dogjog and ankle pain…

HIGH VIZ BIZ

shunningrunning — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:22:38 +0000

OK, OK, a work crisis came between me and Janathon yesterday. ‘Work crisis? It was Sunday!’ I hear you sceptics, non-believers and infidels cry. Well, such is the fate of the freelancer that due to various dull password, server and applications problems + an ice hockey match, there was simply no daylight left and all I could do was trot over to Decathlon and do some Janathoning there in the shape of buying one of those blindingly zoing-in-your-face greenish-yellow-flourescent jackets to compensate.

So, of course, this afternoon when I did go out, I got all those knowing looks. ‘Yeah, we know what you got for Christmas and your pathetic attempt at keeping to some limply made New Year’s resolution is about as convincing as your taste in jackets…’ Ah well. Little do they know that although it may be a charade, there’s a certain requirement for it to be a well-equipped and sartorially ‘on-message’ charade.

Distance: 3.63 km

Conditions: Dusk, overcast

Location: Greenwich Park

GENTLE JANATHON

shunningrunning — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 14:21:11 +0000

So – the running charade bursts back onto the scene in 2011 with a gentle 25-minute effort in Greenwich Park.

Having learnt the lessons of Juneathon the hard way, I’ve changed tactic for the winter charade. Instead of attempting long(ish), decent runs every day, I will try to go for 25-30 minutes and pace myself to avoid the old ankle-conking-out-halfway-through syndrome that so marred Juneathon. So let’s see how this brilliant and quite, quite novel way of thinking goes…

Distance: 3.17 km

Conditions: Fine drizzle

JANATHON SIGN-UP

shunningrunning — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:44:32 +0000

Oops! Oh no! I went and pressed that big, shiny YES-DO-SIGN-ME-UP button over at Janathon! And there doesn’t seem to be any Back button or Undo function or anything. Gawd. Sort yourself out, Janathon!

THE RUNNING RE-LAUNCH

shunningrunning — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:17:54 +0000

So – summer turned to autumn and autumn to winter – with sporadic running activity interspersed with the sheer on-going nail-biting drama of the Nike+ sensor not being able to connect with iPod or iPhone. Many a pathetic run was lost to the records of humanity.

But now – new sensors ablaze – things are about to burst back onto the scene. Two runs already this week and an e-mail message urging me to sign up for Janathon. Yes! Now there is not just one, but two, chances to cripple myself annually!

http://www.janathon.com/

I’m still thinking about it…

THE RE-RE-RUN

shunningrunning — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:49:28 +0000

Finally headed out for the first time since the collapse of Juneathon and the sprained ankle to restart the old 13-week programme – again. I’m becoming a cliche, a formula, an old chestnut. The Labrador came along despite the 25 degrees at 8 pm. The park was chocca with footballs and picnics and people just lolling around reluctant to admit that the weekend was, in fact, over. Ha, corporate slaves. The office bully awaits. Now get out of my way.

Yes, coz I’m on a mission. I have to crack this sucker. And a combo of Greenwich Park, ‘Stomp’ and sheer free-spirit will power is going to launch me on my way.

We’re back!

JUNEATHON – DAY 30 – DEGREE

shunningrunning — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:46:45 +0000

So – we reach the end. And although interrupted for a while on the exercise front, and the blogging was towards the end, I’ve written (on average) about 250 words a day. That’s 7500 words in total which in anyone’s book is a long essay – perhaps even a small dissertation.

Just call me Dr. Juneathon.