Christmas holiday run # 1

Although I have been running 3 or 4 times a week lately, I have been really looking forward to this run today.  Why?  It is the first day of my Christmas holiday and I'm planning to run each day until I return to work on 2nd January.

So the start of the Christmas holiday makes this run a little symbolic I suppose and significant for some other reasons.

Reason 1

Today is the shortest day for us here in England, I believe.  The Winter Solstice here in the northern hemisphere is when the sun, at midday, is at it's lowest point through the year.  It rises a little later and sets a little earlier than yesterday.  We're just at that point where the Earth will start to move towards those balmy longer days.  Although a part of me loathes the winter for all it's darkness, coldness and bleakness, there is a certain beauty in it and for that reason I like it.  That's not to say I don't like the summer - I do - it's much nicer but as winters go, this is okay.  So there's a novel and significant aspect of the run today.

Reason 2

I am feeling very stressed because of work.  I cannot tell you the details suffice to say I am feeling very frustrated and stressed out.  Running is a wonderful antidote and I am sure it will help over the next few days.  Those endorphins will be kicking in, my mind will be filing all those meetings away, along with those reports, papers and other things to where they belong.

Reason 3

The run started at 3.15pm and lasted about an hour.  It started with me saying it was a jog around the block (about 1km) but it ended up being my on-road hilly run of 6.5 miles.  I loved it.   I couldn't stop!  My running form was a little stiff to start with but towards the end I was much more relaxed and I was going a good deal faster.  All those after-work runs paying off.

I think running a little and often is very helpful; even a 10 minute run is better than nothing and it helps keep you supple.  Besides, a 10 minute run will be fuelled by 100 calories, maybe a few more or less depending on the usual factors.

Reason 4

I just needed to do it. My normal run is either 6.5 or 7.5 miles including a bit of huff and puff up one or two hills.  I feel in good shape for a longer run either tomorrow or Sunday.  The kids will be told they can go to bed any time they wish now they are on their school holidays  The small print is that we have breakfast together every morning at 8.30am so they must be able to wake up and be down for that.  Gives me time for a pre-breakfast run, he he he.

Reason 5

There are a few blog posts in my mind as usual and this time I'm hoping to actually sit down and write them.  Amongst these are some comment on rising obesity levels throughout the country, yet again.  Also I have been commissioned by Healthspan to review some health food supplements which I'm currently taking and will be blogging about those soon.  Running helps me work through these and other things I need to write about.

Should Christians be vegetarians?

Rev William Cowherd

This is a picture of Rev. William Cowherd who was an English priest and preached the message of vegetarian living being virtuous.

He believed eating meat was sinful as every living creature was inhabited by God.  This was about 200 years ago when society was very different with much poverty and illness caused by poor diets and ignorance.  Many people could not afford choice cuts of meat and used to eat offal instead.

Cowherd followed the teachings of Swedish theologian Emanuel Swedenborg which brought him into some conflict with the (then) English church and the remainder of his ministry was characterised by being controversial.  And yet he was followed and respected by a significant number and he somehow managed to remain a wealthy person.  He was also a philanthropist and had an effect on his successor in Manchester, Joseph Brotherton, who went on to form the Vegetarian Society in 1847. 

So, should Christians be vegetarians?

If you take on board the teachings of the Reverend William Cowherd, you certainly should but I don't think he's right about his reasoning.  If God was in every living creature, does that apply to fruit and vegetables as He also created them?  No of course not, these things were created for us to enjoy and be sustained by.

Christians should lead lives that are honouring to God.  Often I am reminded by a sermon I heard many years ago which urged people to ask "what would Jesus do?" in any situation where there was a choice to be made.  In our society today we have a huge industrial approach to farming where animals are bred, reared and slaughtered on a virtual production line.  They are often mistreated in inhumane ways.  They are pumped with all kinds of growth hormones and antibiotics in order to maximise efficiency.

In spite of the progress in efficient farming practices, we still have people starving in the world.  After all it is said one billion survive on under a dollar a day. Count those who live on two dollars a day and you have three billion people - many malnourished and involved in producing food for the developed world (ironically this is true).

Nowhere in the Bible does it advise us to be vegetarian; nowhere does it command us in the 21st Century to not eat meat. Indeed the Bible gives us some clues about the diets in Biblical times (including meat, fish etc) but we mustn't get side-tracked into this kind of argument because it distracts us away from what the whole message of the Bible (i.e the good news of the gospel).

So for me, it's simply a matter of personal choice.  This is based on a troubled conscience about the way society behaves and also because I believe I have a healthier diet because I take the trouble to make sure I get everything I need from a wide variety of foods.  I try not to be gluttonous, that clearly does not honour God.  

And me?

My main argument is this.  Being vegetarian does not define me as a Christian, it is not my duty as a Christian   However, it is right for me and I believe it is right for a whole load of reasons.  Yes I think we should all think about reducing the amount of land devoted to meat production (or even the production of Soya for animal feed), lead healthier lives, cut back on the terrible effects of obesity in the UK, USA and other places.  That is the main reason but also because there is such a rich and varied supply of non-meat products to meet our nutritional needs.

What about you?

Any thoughts on this?  If you're a Christian, what do you think?  Perhaps you're a committed vegetarian or meat-eater - all views welcome, just leave a comment below.

Review - Yaktrax Walker

Yaktrax are brilliant and just like having 4WD feet.  Exactly what we need when we have this icy, snowy weather, if you can find them.  I'll tell you about that in a moment but first of all please let me tell you a little more about them.

Description

There is a simple coiled spring which grips ice and snow.  The makers claim it is a unique spikeless design and the spring is coiled around a stretchy polyelastomer frame that easily fits onto shoes, boots or trainers. The spring seems reasonably substantial and is made from a abrasion resistant wire; this could be useful as you could be walking around on salty gritty surfaces in urban areas.  As the black frame is flexible it is easy to pull them on and off a variety of shoes sizes.

If you're concerned about aesthetics, you should not worry too much.  First of all they aren't too noticeable and besides  if you are out and about in snowy, icy conditions, are you going to worry about wearing anything except practical clothing and footwear?

Performance

They seems to work well.  Like all brilliant ideas, they are simple and straight forward.  While they have only started to appear in the Home Counties over the last couple of years, other areas may find there is a wider and more sophisticated selection available.

They are easy to pull on and off.  They do give extra grip on snow and ice but especially with compacted snow.  It is, arguably, compacted snow which is the most difficult to walk on.  Apart from providing extra grip, they provide that extra confidence, which is helpful some people.

In day to day use. it is worth remembering you have them on!  They could damage some flooring (i.e. laminate floors).  I would recommend you take them off when driving a car or riding a bike, although it does perhaps depend on the pedal design a bit.

The big problem

I've already said these are good.  The problem is that they can be easily lost.  On this point I could elaborate further but best not to!.  

We can report these are good for walking and running and worth the investment of £10 to £15.  Might even be worth looking out for a bargain price once the worst of the winter has gone?  

Almost naked and running in Trafalgar Square!

We had to go into London today and after our appointment at LAMDA we found ourselves strolling through Trafalgar Square when there was a bit of a rumpus.

"Oooo look at those runners Doug" said Rachel

"No no don't look Rachel" but it was too late, he had gone past.

And then a few more, all in their bright red skimpy Speedos and little else.  Flippin' 'eck I thought, I'm not gonna run through here wearing only those.  It's December.  Talk about temperatures and brass monkeys.  Still, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. "Don't look Rachel but again I was too late".

Mind you, dressed like that you'd have to run around just to keep warm, although it has to be said we do seem to lose quite a bit of heat through out heads and at least they were wearing the latest in Santa's thermal running gear.

No, no way, you wouldn't catch me doing that.  I know I'm a committed runner and I'm planning to run everyday over Christmas but not like that.  Call me a prude if you will, see if I care.  Turns out it's a flash mob called Santacon and has been gaining in popularity over recent years, helped by social media.

Why a tough run is good for me

I went for yet another run after work today, third time this week.  Really needed it and I must admit I skipped off early, feeling a tad guilty but I'm sure it all balances out in the end.

I covered the same ground as I did earlier in the week with my colleague Chris, except I went about a mile further and got back to the office in under an hour.  Felt quite pleased about that as I wasn't aiming for a brisk run.  The actual run is of little consequence really but what was important was the weather conditions.

The weather was horrible.  By that I mean it was cold, getting dark, about 5C, wet with a complete mixture of drizzle and a squally shower in blustery rain.  I was in an urban environment and mostly on cycle paths but I wished I was running somewhere else for a bit.  In my mind's eye I was in the Black Mountains for a while: that was good.

I know this might sound crazy but I wanted the weather to be horrible - almost to raise the game, give myself a tough run and have my face pelted with sleet and get really exhausted.  It wasn't that bad but I wanted it to be.  I had serious things to work through in my mind; dealing with work anxieties and rising above those issues.

Then I remembered from some other runs I have done some time ago.  Running in difficult conditions can have a magical effect - the challenge, the discomfort, the aching legs, cold hands, the miles completed and the miles to come - but it really works.  Although you hate it at the time, there's just something about it afterwards that you savour, something to make you feel good about yourself.  You get that sense of achievement.  Don't care what happens because I can handle it.  Thank God for running, for helping me keep things in perspective, for helping me to eave work at work and not bring it home in my mind.

So I wanted the weather to be horrible, to give myself an unpleasant, tough run in order to maybe test myself or prove I could handle anything like that?  Makes sense to me.  Does this make any sense to you?

You know when it's cold.....

In my last post I mentioned how much I am looking forward to Christmas and the opportunity to run every day.  Not that I have to wait until then, of course.

Last weekend I stayed with my parents on the coast and enjoyed a pre-breakfast run up and down the sea front - about 3 or 4 miles each day.  Easy enough and a delight to do. So far this week is going:

Monday - Difficult day at work, all day meeting involving about 25 of us, squeezed somewhat into a smallish room.  We all felt a bit claustrophobic towards the end of the day.  Could not wait to jump into my car and drive home.  No matter how much I did need a run, home and family had to take priority.
Tuesday - Finance Committee meeting in the afternoon.  Fairly straight forward although there was one spot where I could feel myself nodding off, but no disrespect to my colleague who was giving the low-down on next year's budget.  You know the feeling where your eyes roll up and then you jerk yourself awake?  Yes that happened to me and I was aware the CEO was looking over in my direction, gave me a sympathetic smile.  Not a brilliant move on my part.  I had two items on the agenda and these were okay (and thankfully stayed awake for myself!).  The Chair gave us (as officers) two tins of sweets and a Christmas card.  I asked if we were required to declare this gift in the hospitality register but we decided the gift was of nominal value and greatly appreciated.

I dutifully scoffed some of the jelly babies, afterall one has to be setting a good example, and then changed to go off for a run.

You know it's cold when you get back and see frozen moisture in your hair.  I imagine this is from frozen breath.

Wednesday - My colleague Chris had previously suggested an after-office run and at 5.00pm our computers were duly turned off and off we went to change.  There we were dressed almost identically in black tights, running shoes, bright yellow jackets and black hats.

It was suggested by the PAs that we looked a couple of likely lads off to "to do a job" or a "pair of high lighter pens".

We did about 6 miles and almost got lost (but just once).  As the temperature was around freezing once again there was a frosty edge to my hat.  I thoroughly enjoyed that and I'm slowly starting to see the area of running with other people differently now.  I quite enjoy it and it certainly helps me through that 25 minute "wall".  Should explain, when I run I struggle for just a few minutes at around the 25 minute mark, all to do with fuelling my muscles.  After a sluggish few minutes it sometimes feel as if I am releasing the handbrake and going on with a burst of energy.  Running with someone else evens that out.

So there we are, a few recent chilly runs, frosty hair and highlighter pens.  Still can't wait for Christmas!

My 2012 Christmas Challenge

Why not run every day?

This year my Christmas holiday starts on Friday 21st December, which is also the Winter Solstice (longest night, shortest daylight) and I'm setting myself a challenge.

I'm going to have a run EVERY day until I return to work on Tuesday 2nd January 2013.  I can't wait!  It's one of the reasons I'm really looking forward to Christmas.  This is why.....

• It is a brilliant way to forget all about work.  Work is bugging me quite a lot at present and I need to get it all sorted out in my mind, plus blowing away a few worries and bits of stress
• I am sure my calorie intake will go up a bit over Christmas - those mince pies, Christmas puddings and so on.  Can't afford to let my weight increase and running uses up about 700 or 800 calories an hour and that gives a little more room for treats
• A chance to do some training, other than simply going for a run.  I will do some shorter runs involving some intervals (running as fast as I can for a minute or two and then jogging for a minute and repeating a few times).  
• A chance to do my favourite kind of run - the long run.  Knowing that my weekend runs over the last few months have only been 7 or 8 miles, I will do a couple of 10 mile runs.  This will be at a slow pace, maybe around a 9 minute/mile pace.(Just corrected - see comment below)  I know we should only increase our long run mileage by a mile a week and I hope I can manage this again.
• Christmas time is also a nice family time.  I love my family "to the moon and back and more besides" but sometimes it seems to work best to have a little solitude mixed in with all the excitement
• It is a great way of rounding off the year, reflecting on the things that have happened, all the things I have to be grateful for.  Also a chance to get the new year off to a good start.
• Although I like the summer best of all, I think there is a certain beauty in our quiet, sometimes dull, English countryside when everything is resting and sitting it out until Spring time
• I have signed up once again for the MK Marathon which is on 6th May 2013 - the training starts
• Finally, it is a great thing to do because, well because, because it is there to be done

Having said all that, I do hope there is nothing untoward that will foil my plan (trips, falls, blizzards etc).

So what about you?  Will you accept a challenge to do something like running every day?  Perhaps the challenge could be to start running in the first place - if you do, take it easy, don't over do it - build up slowly.

Quick December update

Very sorry for not blogging very much lately - usual work pressures.  Plus I think it's fair to say I've not been running or cycling as much as I would like, or need.  Here's the briefest of updates:

Running

Yep I've had a few runs after work over the last month or two, normally once or twice a week.  I hate running in the dark but at least there's a good network of cycle paths which helps a great deal.  Last Saturday I had an icy run during the day time and did one of may favourite hilly routes that I've not done for several months.  Takes about 1 hr 15 mins so maybe around 8.5 miles.  Absolutely LOVED IT!  Felt so good afterwards and my legs were tingling with delight for the rest of the day.

Cycling

Again not too much and as you may have already spotted I have switched all-things-cycling over to the cycle hub where you can read about the indignity of having our bikes locked at our church with a lock that was jammed!  I have thoroughly enjoyed a couple of early Sunday morning rides with my friend Jeremy and I'm getting to grips with an indoor turbo trainer where just 30 minutes pedalling away in the dining room is enough to work up a good sweat.  Less good for anyone trying to use the dining room at the same time, I suppose.

Christmas hols are coming....

Yesterday Rachel and I had booked time off work so we could spend some time plotting and planning a few things (really great thing to do!).   We both enjoyed it.  Amongst those things are some forthcoming blog posts and rambles about food supplements, testing out energy bars, book reviews and most importantly running EVERY day over Christmas.

It is that last point - running every day over Christmas - I am really looking forward to.  I pretty much did that last year and it was very worthwhile.  I'll be doing a mixture of short brisk runs, some 45 minute interval runs (combination of sprinting and jogging) and best of all, some longer 90 minute runs out into the counrtyside.

Christmas is, most of all a special time of year for a number of reasons.  First and foremost, we celebrate Christmas because of Jesus being born into the World.  The delight of our children, the promise of presents, some lovely food (another reason to run every day), the cosiness of the winter and time with family and friends.  

So there we are.  Much to look forward to and some serious blogging to be done.

On line help for new runners

Here's a couple of things that might help if you're thinking of becoming a runner.  Yes you!  You know who you are and I really want you to enjoy the benefits of this wonderful life giving sport.  So, following on from my recent post Gadgets for Runners I'm thinking these might be useful for you.

Couch to 5k

This is an on-line resource to help people get fit through running.  Although it's not that old it has tremendous growth and large numbers have, quite literally, taken those first steps of getting out there in their trainers for a brisk walk.  One really good feature is a friendly pod cast coach in the form of Laura.  Laura keeps people motivated and eases people through different sessions as they gradually make it to a 5k non-stop run in 9 weeks.

Added to that there is a forum where, it seems, there is a lot of support between the C25Kers as they share there experiences, ask questions and generally entertain on-lookers.

So if you're reading this on-line and you have an ipod, smart phone or some other gizmo like that, you and Laura can get going together.  I'll make it even easier for you; just click here for the link!

Map my run

This is something for runners at all different levels; there's something for everyone there.  Having said that I think if you're going to use C25k to get you started, this is a natural follow on.  

Again it's one of those resources where I think it's fair to say "you'll get out of it depends on how much you put in" (parents - how often do we find ourselves saying that to our children?).  I digress.  Map my Run will work best if you have a GPS devise you can link up with the site, so it literally will map your runs but I think you could do it manually.  There are some other good-lookin' resources there such as keeping track on your nutrition as well as the miles you pound.  And then, there's the on-line community right there for you and with the option of being able to connect with other people in your area.

Related:

Top tips for new runners

Top tips for intermediate runners

The sheer joy of an early morning run