Montane featherlite marathon jacket review

Here's an early first few impressions of a jacket I recently bought.  To be honest I'm a little disappointed in the jacket and in myself for buying it.  I bought it on impulse: something I only very rarely do.  I was after a lightweight dual purpose jacket I could use for running and use on the bike.

Plus points:

• really bright day-glow yellow, with a reflective trim
• just £45 (and perhaps this is where the problem lies)
• complete with a really useful stuff sack which is well made and has a useful Velcro strap
• nice slim fit but as it is not cycle specific the tail doesn't come down too far
• the elasticated sleeves are long enough for cycling
• very light; the label says <150g / 5oz for the medium size

So what am I about to whine about?  Well, it doesn't seem very breathable.  One day I rode to work and worked hard keeping up a brisk pace and I was wearing a cotton polo shirt underneath.  The sweat was "significant" and once again I'm thankful to have an office for myself.  On thinking the polo short caused the problem, I wore a couple of thin wicking layers and the problem persisted, although less so.  Perhaps I'm asking too much of a basic jacket? On a practical note, there's not one pocket.

These are my first impressions and I haven't even used it for running so I might need to update it later.  I'm not impressed, I wish I'd done some research and got something better.

Related:
My cycling in the rain guide

Running through the mist

Autumn mist on a nearby trail

I had a short, gentle run this morning and, for once, had the good sense to take my camera.  I just love these early morning mists where everything looks so quiet, peaceful and mysterious.

Work is on my mind a lot again, perhaps because I have not been running since last weekend.  I have some big questions in my mind which I am trying to work through - should I take a career break, or a career change or maybe I'm where I am "meant to be"?  This morning's run was too short to work through these questions but it did loosen up my muscles for a longer run tomorrow morning - as usual I'll be running at daybreak with even fewer people around on a Sunday.

Running is a brilliant time for reflecting on things and longer more intense runs are sometimes inspirational for me.  Maybe that's what I need for tomorrow.  Nevertheless running is proving good for me physically and mentally - and I know there's a certain dependency going on.  Being addicted to running or cycling doesn't seem to be such a bad thing, compared to other addictions that spring to mind.  It sets me up for the day very well.

Just as a brief change of subject and to wrap this post up, I was both amused and a little worried as I came across some cattle unexpectedly this morning.  I think we surprised each other and thankfully they were too cold to get too worried about me, so I took a photograph and ran for it!

Oh, one more thing.  At the time of writing my Blogger template is using one of the new dynamic views.  I have mixed feelings about this and might switch back to the old one but I really want to know what my readers think.  For me it is showing the real number of page views with 200-300 hundred a day, which is significant up on the old template.  Please leave me a comment if possible.  Thanks, Doug.

Do you like the new Dynamic Blog Template?

As you can I decided to try out Blogger's Dynamic Blog Template - I thought it was worth a try but I've got some mixed feelings about it.

Apart from Adsense all the gadgets have disappeared.  I really miss my list of running and cycling blog links, plus I know they benefited from some traffic via Ramblings of Doug.  I quite like the way it works in switching between the different views.

A couple of positive things - page views have quadrupled today (shot up from about 45 a day up to 200+) which apparently is more accurate.  Secondly, I can always switch back if so desired.

Please leave me a comment - I'd love to hear from you on this.

Late November - I have abandoned the Dynamic Template.  Although it showed I was getting over 7,000 page views a month, it just didn't look like the blog I wanted.  No gadgets, no easy links to other blogs, so I've gone back to a conventional template (still playing with colours though!).  This template's stats indicate a lower readership for some reason.


Comments gratefully received.

Autumn cycle ride in the Cotswolds

I have been looking forward to today's ride for several weeks; always nice to have something like this in my diary, an excellent anti-stress measure.  Meeting up in Burford with my good friend Wallie, in the middle of the Cotswold Hills is ideal as we arrive from different directions having driven about the same distance.

We had a very pleasant and easy-going ride of just over 30 miles.  Planning the route was easy - circular tour, tail wind for the last part, avoid main roads and avoiding hills (tricky in the Cotswold HILLS, Wallie).  And so we were off, ambling down country lanes.  We did all the usual "catching up" concerning work, family, holidays and so on. While all the chatting and gentle pedalling was taking place, we realised it was the ideal time to see the autumn colours, just as the leaves were starting to fall.  At least I've got some in colour, as I am getting the black & white bug again.

When you know someone as a good friend for three decades, you can sometimes think alike.  Just as I was remembering our last ride together (click here) and the puncture I had, Wallie asked if I was planning to have another puncture today.  Naturally I said no, with a reminder that we're not superstitious!

Thankfully the roads we chose we quiet with only the occasional car, tractor or van.  Even better we saw the occasional cyclist - each friendly enough as we passed each other.

Another lovely cycle ride Wallie, thank you.  No punctures, not even an infamous "short cut" or anything to detract from the lovely quiet autumnal  day.  Perhaps my only regret was it went by too quickly but at least we'll have a chance once again next year.

Brooks Vapor 9 - early days review

Brooks Vapor 9 running shoes; about £75

I got a pair of these new running shoes a couple of weeks ago as my Saucony's are wearing out (I like the idea of overlapping to extend their life).  My first impressions, based on just one run were fantastic.  Now a few more runs, I'm not so sure....

They seem to have settled down a bit now but they're still okay.  A couple of observations which might be useful to bear in mind:

• Size: when I got them the shop recommended going up half a UK size.  This proved right for me.
• Grip:  I noticed when running on damp tarmac the grip is much less than it should be.  My feet were almost slipping from under me!  Could be some surface finish needs to get worn off.

January 2012 - stop press!

I have just clocked the Ethical Consumer Guide and seen Brooks have the worst rating - so I won't be buying these ever again unless they improve drastically.  Saucony, who I have previously commented on for doing well with supply chain ethics are my first choice.

Cycle Seven - a birthday blog

Earlier this year I found the Cycle Seven blog:

http://cycleseven.org/cycling-blog-birthday

Today is their second birthday and please do visit their blog and have a look around.  They'll take you on gentle ambles or maybe a more ambitious trek, plus showing a bit of cycle maintenance.  There's also a nice bit of banter in the comments from time to time.

One of the things I like about it is with it being so down-to-earth; it's not pretentious in any way.  The Cycle Seven group are simply a group of cyclists who enjoy a bit of blogging.  They all seem to live in different areas but have all met up having got to know each other through their blog.

Hey, if you like the look of their blog and enjoy cycling yourself, why not offer to be one of their guest bloggers? Food for thought....?

Happy birthday Cycle Seven!

The Surly Slob

Firstly my apologies to regular readers for not posting anything new for almost a week but I have a few posts "up my sleeve".  No, the title is not a reference to myself hopefully but to a driver I encountered this morning on my ride in to work.

For a while now I have had in mind putting together some groups of drivers, based on my cycling experience but progressed no further until now. Probably a huge amount of stereotyping to come.   Here goes.

The Surly Slob

Imagine the scene.  A narrow country lane, room only for one vehicle at a time along a 300 yard stretch.  Coming towards me was a refuse lorry complete with lots of flashing lights.  I stopped and pulled in just off the road into a convenient passing place.  The truck drove up towards me and stopped in order to empty a wheely bin and it was at this point I clocked the driver.

He was slumped against the door as he pulled up, looking as if he having a doze and driving on a kind of auto-pilot.  He just didn't seem to move or even notice I was there, so as he was stationary and there was a space I made a move to ride passed him.  In doing so I smiled at him but he didn't react at all although he must have seen me.  There he was, slumped against the door, one hand on the steering wheel, motionless and staring into the far distance.  Was he "on something"?  Was he miffed at his colleagues or me as a cyclist wanting to share the road?  Was he feeling superior in some way?  Perhaps a team leader and being cool about it?  Perhaps demoted and taking umbrage?  Whatever was going on, he was not happy:  He was surly.

He is not alone.  He reminded me of those drivers who feel easily wronged when they get held up through someone else's mistake.  They show their indignation by slumping in their seat with a hand draped over the top of the steering wheel, maybe visibly sighing to convey their impatience and annoyance.  Some might think they'll be drumming their fingers on the dashboard for everyone to see but no, they're too lazy for that.  Another feature are the shades in an attempt to look cool.  Nobody is impressed by this nowadays.  Grow up.

So what kind of car do they drive besides refuse trucks?  

As they're wannabee climbers in their world - so maybe older and affordable German executive cars.  If they ride a bike almost certainly it will have started life as a cheap mountain bike, probably flat-packed from a supermarket and be the wrong size.  Naturally it will have suspension front and back, lots of gears and have had little use.

How can a cyclist manage them?

Don't antagonise as you don't know what's running through their mind or completely know how they'll react; move on, leave them and try not to feel offended.  The chances are nothing would happen, they'll remain slumped until they get a chance to move on.

And you?  Have you encountered the Surly Slob?

How to grow sprouts

Dried seeds, ready for sprouting

A while back I was having a read of Dr Gillian McKeith's book "You are what you eat" and I was impressed by the page on "What are Sprouts?".  If you have a copy of the book, it is on page 211.

McKeith talks about sprouts as being a real superfood with all kinds of benefits, so I just had to find out more, including how to grow them.

Firstly it was easy to buy some in Holland & Barrett - a well known health food chain in the UK.  Many independent whole food suppliers will stock these and probably many other kinds.  This is a mixture of Mung beans, Chick peas and Green lentils.

At 2 days

All you need to do is wash out an old jam jar and find a piece of muslin cloth.  I had to resort to raiding the garage for a soft car polishing cloth, without too much dried up polish on.  I rinsed out the jar and then tipped about 2cm of seeds in and rinsed a couple more times.  Stretch the muslin cloth over the top and hold it in place with a rubber band.  Then simply leave it in a dark place (I chose the airing cupboard) and forget it.  No don't forget it!  You need to rinse it out at least once a day (keeps it moist and clear from any mould).

I remember feeling quite excited when some of the seeds started to swell and sprout - and relieved as I am not known for my gardening skills, strangely enough.

Ready at 4 to 5 days

Then after about 4 or 5 days they'll be ready to eat.  At this stage it's best to keep them in a refrigerator to maintain them as they are.

They can be scoffed as they are (raw), or perhaps in a salad or a sandwich or perhaps used as an ingredient in cooking them in a Runner's Curry . Of course, to get the real benefit, they should be very fresh and raw.  Simple as that.

Taste-wise, they're filling and don't slip down without a good chew which all helps their digestion to release the wonderful enzymes.  Of course seeds like Alfalfa are much smaller and much easier to eat.

It's worth remembering what the benefits are with these sprouted seeds and to know what all the fuss is from those whole-food healthy types.  Here I go back to Dr Gillian McKeith's book.  Each sprouted seed is a concentration of proteins, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, fibre and enzymes in the most easily digestible form.

The pack I got from Holland & Barrett is an organic sprouting mix which contains the above mixture and a separate bag of Alfalfa seeds.  Weight for weight these foods must surely rank among the best for their nutritional value and I'm really pleased I've grown them.  Makes a change from buying those sprouted packs in Sainbury's for a costly amount.  Still cheaper than meat and they must be better for us.

Oh, before I forget, the seeds are Just Wholefoods, Cirencester, England. and worth checking out for other healthy things.

I would be really interested to hear how other people get on with growing sprouts.  What kinds do you grow?  Any comments about their healthy properties?

How often, how far, how fast?

How often should I cycle?  How far do I need to cycle to stay fit?  How fast should I cycle?  All good questions for anyone taking up cycling but today's question is how often should I cycle [to stay fit]?

With the pressures of work and the daylight getting so short, I've not had the chance to get out and ride my bike over the last week or two.  I really miss it.  And then yesterday there was a "window" late in the afternoon when I could just escape for an hour.  It was a wonderful ride; no where new or anything like that but still a wonderful ride which culminated in the awe-inspiring view (just had to stop and take this photograph).  A chance just to reflect on things as well as huff and puff up a couple of short hills.

After the short steep hills, there is a longer more steady climb, perhaps about a mile.  It wasn't too steep, I could maintain 10mph quite easily but I could feel some muscles telling me they weren't used to this and what was I up to!  That took me by surprise - just how easily some muscle strength and tone could be lost.  Also a reminder that running does not automatically improve my cycling!

I'm thinking that I need to have a decent ride (i.e. 20 miles plus) at least once a week at weekends, if I've not cycled to work at least once in the week.  This will help my muscles stay "in tune" for cycling and it helps mentally in terms of the opportunity for reflection, pondering and mulling things over.  I'd hate the thought of starting from scratch again.

Mind you, I wouldn't want you to think I'm taking things too easy as I've been out running this week, including 8 miles this morning.  I set out just before sunrise and just as I got to the top of the nearest small hill 15 minutes later, I could see the sun just coming up above the horizon.  I ran on autopilot watching it rise above the distant horizon and I felt truly blessed; I was very thankful for such an uplifting sight.

So, just to conclude, memo to self etc.  Make sure you get out at least once a week for a bike ride; covering 20 miles or more.  Don't even think about ice, snow or other reasons, just make sure you get those miles in.