Quick update and some coming reviews

Now the school term has started and holiday things fade away, I was hoping my blogging routine might improve.  Life, however, is once again very busy.  Family life is delightful and work is quite a strain right now.

Some might already know my full time job is looking a bit risky after a 23 year career in criminal justice.  This is a huge restructure taking place.  I’m not the only one and over the last few days a number of colleagues have come to either say farewell or to say they’re going soon.  This is bringing out so much camaraderie and I have seen so much support being shown amongst my colleagues it is quite emotional!  I am seeing the best side of people, not the worst.  For myself it is too soon to know how I will fare in this restructure but whatever happens, I will make it right for me.

Back to the world of cycling and some up and coming reviews…..

Firstly I have been testing out some Vertix headsets.  These are an intercom link between cyclists and include a microphone and ear pieces which fit neatly onto a helmet.  After a slightly slow start they are working fine and first impressions are mixed.  I think these will need a fairly detailed review in their own right.

Aldi have kindly sent some samples of their winter range of cycling gear, ahead of the launch on Thursday 24th September.  I have bib tights, a jersey, some lights, arm warmers, leg warmers, electrolyte tablets and some bike cleaner to try out.  Savvy shoppers to get ready!

Probikekit is, for myself, a new supplier and it’s been good getting to know them  They have asked me to review some Osmo products (preload hydration and some active hydration sachets) as well as some High 5 energy gels in a new flavour.

Also coming are some Primal Pantry bars.  I’m pretty excited about these as I remember meeting the producers at the London Bike Show and they’re just my kind of saddle bag food.  I understand I’m getting a mixed box containing a variety of different flavours.

I do enjoy blogging!

Blogging can be very rewarding at times and I do hope to develop things further during the winter months.  It’s a strange feeling knowing that I can be typing away quite happily at home, keeping a kind of “web log” reasoning in mind and yet minutes later someone on the other side of the world could be reading my blog!  Sure I get things to review which is nice.  Yes I get a little income through the affiliate adverts but the most engaging aspect are the people I gradually get to know and this is lovely.

My Ramblings gets translated into Vietnamese!

I've said it before, one of the lovely things about blogging is the interesting interactions with other people.  The most recent example is me being asked if I would allow a blog post to be translated into Vietnamese by a community group of people wanting to share knowledge around the world.  They came across my post about cycling up Kirkstone Pass, in Cumbria, northern England.

To know a little more about this work, click here.
To see the above post in Vietnamese, click here.
To see the original post in English, click here.

What should I eat before the Rock Solid Race?

Some of my friends are doing another obstacle race soon, namely the Rock Solid Race, also known as an Obstacle Course Race (OCR) which is a military type course.  It involves some running, climbing, crawling, pulling, pushing, lugging a log around and so on.  In length it will be 5 - 10k and might take 1 or 2 hours to complete.   In other words it is a good all-round workout needing strength, stamina, agility and some confidence to do those crazy things!

My friend John is always keen to adopt best practice when it comes to these events (and I'm quite impressed by that).  This shows itself in his preparation, training, knowing what to do at the event, what to wear and so on.  He has now specifically asked about nutrition.

First of all, John has volunteered his previous nutrition as:

Breakfast at 7:30am
Cornflakes
Two slices of toast
Cup of tea

Morning snack
Cereal bar

During OCR
Cereal bar

After OCR
Sandwiches x3
Cake

Here are my thoughts:
John is taking part in a demanding OCR and it will be at a time of year when it will be pleasantly warm but not too hot.  I am working on the basis there are no medical problems and this is simply general advice.  I should say John is around 15 years younger than me, slim and looks a good healthy weight.

Hydration starts the day before.  Make sure you drink plenty at least 12 hours before the OCR and this will make sure the body is well hydrated.  Now I am not talking alcohol here (especially as I'm teetotal myself) but instead the usual glass of water, fruit juice or tea etc.

Carbohydrates is an interesting topic.  Many athletes and sporty types talk about carb-loading in the days before an event.  I don't think this is necessary for this event, general fitness and no excessive food is required.  Yesterday I ran a half marathon in 1:45 without drinking or eating anything on-the-go.  If I was going much further I would need rehydrating and taking on a little food.

Breakfast needs to be a normal meal as it is several hours before the event - it's still good to build up a little fuel in the tank here.  I am not a fan of cornflakes as they are often processed and refined foods, laden with sugar and additives. I think John has shop-bought white cotton wool bread, though he has been rumoured to have a slightly healthier "half and half".  I asked John what he puts on his fruit and he replied "Marmalade".

"It's all very well having marmalade but don't think it counts as fruit i.e. one of your five-a-day" I commented.  John looked a little disappointed.  Sorry John.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  I certainly treat it that way and make sure I get a good mixture of different foods i.e. fruit, a glass of smoothie (I like a wide variety) and some gravel.  Gravel, by the way, is what my wife calls my muesli.  I'll tell you another time about what goes into my gravel.

So John, make sure your breakfast is more wholesome, it should include some fruit (perhaps either whole fruit or a smoothie or fruit juice).  Try something like this:

This is a typical breakfast for me.  Smoothie with gravel.  On the gravel you can see there is some chopped up fruit with some yoghurt making this a very healthy meal, full of goodness.

Mid morning snack needs to be something easily digestible and not too heavy going. Have whatever you fancy and ensure your fluids are maintained.  You could try one of those energy drinks I gave you.  There's no point in having something fizzy as this is just short term, quick burn sugar.  Something with some carbohydrate and protein will be okay.  Don't go trying anything new just before a race - if it doesn't "agree" with you you'll be risking blowing the whole event and end up feeling awful.

The race itself!  For the OCR you shouldn't need anything else.  You should be sufficiently fuelled within yourself.

Having learnt myself from making the odd mistake, I can tell you that running with undigested food in my stomach is absolutely horrible.  It is probably the closest I'll ever get to feeling pregnant.  Pregnant with twins no less.

After the race is still important when it comes to your nutrition.  You see, when you run or do any OCR you are putting a lot of strain on your body - muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments all taking some damage.  Repairing this damage needs good quality protein and some antioxidants.  John will remember our friend Nettie posting photos of her bruised knees!  This is an outward sign of the battering our bodies get and clearly needs repairing.

Protein comes in many forms and in many foods, excellent for building muscles etc. Antioxidants help mop up free radicals which are released during exercising and these, if unchecked, can be harmful.  So even something as straightforward as a banana is very good.  You could go one step further and have a fruit juice and a muesli bar.

If you get cramp at all, this could be a sign of running low on some minerals / electrolytes which again bananas or other fruit can help with. High 5 and others often do electrolyte drinks which are good for this.  On the other hand, cram is not fully understood by the medical profession and it can be linked to a number of possible causes.  Linking cramp to a nutritional deficiency does seem plausible.

Wrapping up

• Make sure you include more fruit in your diet before and after the event
• Don't eat too much immediately before the OCR or you will feel bloated (or pregnant!)
• Make sure you are well hydrated
• Make sure your pre event foods include the right mixture of proteins, carbohydrates etc
• Make sure you have some recovery food ready afterwards such as a banana, fruit juice or a commercially made recovery drink

I could waffle on for ages about all kinds of other good foods to eat i.e. making sure we get our Omega 3 and 6, getting the soluble and insoluble fibre mixture right.  The most important thing is to ensure you eat a wide variety of good, wholesome and natural food.  

Enjoy your food, enjoy knowing it is doing you a whole load of good!

Running in Bremen

We have recently returned from Bremen in Germany, having spent some time with a lovely family there.  During our stay we were blessed in achieving the perfect balance between being sight seeing tourists and simply spending time with Torsten, Katharina and their family.

Bremen is in northern Germany.  It has a population of around 750,000 and although inland somewhat, it has a dockland area which is being regenerated and a river which has tidal rise and falls each day.  It is about the 10th largest of German cities and has some green credentials.  These green credentials include a number of traffic free routes around the city and these are brilliant for cyclists, walkers and runners alike.  We were in the northern suburbs and could get right into the city centre through using these routes, which is pretty impressive.

These routes, at least in our neighbourhood, included a number of circular routes and for myself Route 1 was a 4.5 mile loop.  This was almost entirely traffic free, completely flat and very pleasant.

The Routes were generally well signposted with signs normally at alternative junctions.  It was encouraging that cars have to give way to runners and cyclists at intersections with the Routes.

I was pretty surprised at the number of people who smoked in Bremen, although perhaps the percentage is little different across Germany.  Equally I was also surprised to see there were cigarette machines dotted around in various places.

And now, some running

It was on Route 1 where I clocked up the most runs and I absolutely loved these.  They were mostly in the early morning (my most favourite time of day) but there were a couple of spins around Route 1 in the evening.  This was hilarious at times as I had a cycle escort which, for most of the time, helped me achieve a pretty good pace.  Other times, well, let's just say they were having some fun and I pressed ahead!  There were, however, a couple of serious bits:

My youngest daughter (Hannah) is a budding coach and athletic event official.  Every now and again she would come alongside me, make sure I was running at a reasonable pace (i.e. under an 8 minute mile) and yell "SPRINT" and I'd go for it with every ounce of energy I had and aim for a parked car or lamppost ahead, then just a little further.

Route 1 goes past Bremen Prison, in fact it loops around the extensive grounds.  The buildings include old austere Gothic buildings through to more modern buildings at the rear.  The extensions include a new perimeter wall with a couple of interesting murals.

It is this mural which seems to say so much.  It depicts a ribbon along the prison wall being cut by a couple of children.  This then allows the brick wall to fall away leaving a huge hole in the wall.  For those children, you can't help wonder if their Dad is somewhere in that prison.  Why can't they see their Dad?  Why should they serve his sentence as well?  If only it could be that easy to get to their Dad, to feel his arms around them, to hear his voice, his breath, to be lifted up by him.  You look at their faces and you see their pain, their emotion.  The girl looks as if she's having to harden up, after all it's tough when people know your Dad is inside.

In the UK more children are affected by the imprisonment of a parent, compared to those affected by divorce.  This is a deeply troubling statistic which has a profound influence on children, our communities and society as a whole.  

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-prison.  We need prisons to protect us from the harm offenders could inflict on individuals and society.  

Other runners

There were almost none on the Route 1 at all.  In fact there was only one runner on Route 1 that I saw, although its possible there are loads at other times.  And cyclists, yes, there were plenty and mostly riding sit-up-and-beg hybrids.  Some of these had triple chainsets which seems an over-kill in such a flat environment.  However, all was not lost as we had the opportunity to dash down to the Bremen Triathlon after the Sunday morning church service.  

Clearly there is a healthy and vibrant triathlon scene in Bremen with a sizeable club, judging by their stand being flocked with wannabes like myself (yes I picked up a leaflet!).  I did feel for the competitors as it was such a hot day.  I guess what surprised me was the huge variety of those taking part and this was reflected in their choice of bicycles.

Yes there were a good number of time trial bikes and other road bikes which were adapted of a triathlon.  Some were incredibly expensive, carbon fibre Dura Ace equipped machines.  Others included some nice hybrids, some questionable hybrids, a handful of mountain bikes and at least one Bike Shaped Object.  Perhaps the nicest were some lovingly looked after bikes from the 1980s.  Some were almost original with their groupsets intact and others which had been updated with contemporary components.

As I mentioned above there didn't seem to be many runners out there in Bremen. I looked on Google and found No apathy allowed which is a nice personal blog, written by an American ex-pat living in Bremen for the last few years.  Amongst other things, she's a runner. That's cool and please do check out her blog. 

Overall this was a wonderful holiday with my family, staying with a lovely and lively family in Bremen.   As a rule, I seldom have much desire to return to places I've already been to, on the strength of there being so many other new places to explore. And yet more and more, I find myself wanting to return and re-live some holidays where we know there is so much more to explore, see and experience. We also love meeting new people and becoming friends.

At Bremen Triathlon with my eldest daughter

1,000 mile update

I have mentioned once twice before that I am aiming to run 1,000 miles in 2015.  Now is a good time to review the position to see if I'm on track.

Once or twice I have actually wondered whether I am doing the right thing but, on the whole, I do believe it's good for me.  So now we have reached the end of August and I have run sufficient miles, pro rata, for this two-thirds point in the year.  These are the detailed stats from Strava:

Total miles for 2015: 708 (this is 42 miles ahead)
Separate runs: 126
Time: 103 hrs, 25 mins
Elevation gain: 22,280 feet

My longest run was the MK Marathon in May at the usual 26.2 miles.   The training for that was not ideal, moreover a bit disjointed and therefore injury prone (unusual for me!).  My shortest weekly mileage was about 10 miles against a target average of 19 miles.  In fact I remember having a few of those low mileage weeks earlier this year but thankfully I have caught up and over taken myself a little.

A number of the runs have been post work gentle runs of 3 or 4 miles.  Although this doesn't sound much, each one is valid and counts.  Each one of these short runs helps balance the longer runs at weekends.  I am enjoying the discipline of being accountable to myself, for making sure I keep it up.

I mentioned injuries.  In brief, I managed to pull a calf muscle while [over] training for the marathon.  To compensate I altered my running form a bit which helped solve that injury and now I seem to have transferred the problem to my left hip.  It's not too bad, providing I don't over run too much and have adequate rest after a long run, or a high mileage week.

I will blog again about the benefits of having a distance target like this as this is the first time I have done this.  I like it, it's working well.

Rainy tempo run

A few days ago I planned to go running on my way home from the office in Huntingdon, Cambs.  As it had been raining CATS AND DOGS all day, my colleagues thought I was a bit daft, to say the least, even though they should know better by now.  In fact those CATS AND DOGS turned into STAIR RODS at one stage, with rain drops dancing off the ground.  I drove from our office, turned south onto the A1(M), then right at the Black Cat Roundabout and across to Marston Moretain.  This is where the Forest Centre is, a lovely regenerated area with a couple of sizeable lakes and a network of trails to run along.

During the drive there the wipers were on, off, on slowly, off, on full speed and so on.  I got to the start of my run and the rain had stopped for just a few seconds while I started.  Within no time at all the rain started properly, first as a drizzle, then as light rain and eventually as proper rain.  Naturally I was soaked but I loved it all the more.

There were a few other runners there and one or two cyclists.  Every single one looked as if they too were enjoying it!

The funny thing is that it turned out to be a faster run than usual.  It wasn't a long run, just 4.5 miles but I loved every minute of it.

I have run at the Marston Moretain Forest Centre a few times this year already and I had been looking forward to this.  It is an opportunity for an after-work run to leave behind all those concerns and worries of the office, the stresses of the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda within the Ministry of Justice.  These stresses are very real to me.  The implications are also very real to me and I'll blog about that again soon, in a little more detail.

For now - and for this particular rainy run - I was left feeling, well, here's the list:

• Feeling so alive!  Must be that Runner's High once again; makes me feel great, on top of things, euphoric
• Whatever is being thrown at me in terms of my job, career and so on, I will not be beaten and although the outcome might be different to what I might want, I know the right doors will open in the long run
• Knew I had run a faster run compared to normal
• I guess it would have counted as a tempo run, had I intended to make sure I got the pacing totally correct
• It reminded me about why I should run faster from time to time.  I am getting a little stiff and a faster run tends to loosen me up a bit
• I appreciated my surroundings: fairly quiet countryside, good surfaces for running, trees and bushes looking lush and the grasses were bleached yellow
• Another reminder of how beneficial even a short run is for me in terms of my physical and mental health.  This is SO important and having my 1,000 mile target for the year is helpful to make sure I don't give up.  Every run, no matter how long or short, counts towards my 1,000 mile target and each run is positive for my health. 

Why runners should cut their toenails

If ever there was a reason why us runners need to trim our toenails, this is it.  These are my feet with black toenails and something I am not proud of at all.  This dates back to early May when I ran the MK Marathon and in my pre-race countdown preparation I didn't manage trim my toenails as normal. The net result of running 26.2 miles with untrimmed toenails is exactly as above.

My apologies for the gory details, I am about to lose my left big toenail as a new nail has grown up underneath and about to push the old one off.  My right toenail is doing fine and not being "replaced" even though it looks quite horrible.  With the toenail about to get pushed off, as far as I can tell the new one is about half way up, so I guess the flesh underneath maybe a little tender.  I will have to wait and see but I hope this doesn't inhibit any running in the near future.

The amazing thing about this is that I didn't feel a thing as I was running; it wasn't until after I got home and took my shoes and socks off I saw the damage.

I regret this terribly, an avoidable position to be in.  Does it count as an injury?  Not really.  Will I repeat this another time?  No way.

Not like I had dropped a breeze block or anything....

Related
How to look after your feet

DiCAPac universal phone case review

Recently I came across the DiCAPac universal smart phone case and it's is a nice bit of kit.

Here I share a few points about it - which might be useful for any outdoorsy types who will need to get something like this sooner or later.  I will also share my family's reaction to me trying it out and why they think I'm bonkers  Firstly....

What it is

The DiCAPac is a nice looking blue plastic case. It is designed to protect and hold any smartphone up to 5.7 inches, keeping it dry when it gets splashed, dropped in water or even used underwater.  That's cool.

It costs around £20.  It has some impressive credentials including "all DiCAPac products have passed Japan's rigorous JIS IPX8 test and are all waterproof certified at the highest possible grade (grade 8).

Tested and passed up to 33ft an underwater lab test and actual real-life conditions. This means you can be assured your smartphone can be taken within the DiCAPac case up to 33ft (10 metres) underwater for long periods of time and capture those precious moments".


The details

The main construction is a flexible plastic case in a nice light blue colour.  On the front there is a clear panel allowing you to see the whole screen.  Interestingly you can still operate the phone easily through the window with all swipe and touch button gestures still working - it's rather like having a heavy duty screen protector in place.

The back panel has a clear section for the camera lens.  This is very clear and is perfect for taking photos or videos without any noticeable drop in quality.

You also get a nice lanyard which is adjustable and attaches onto two reinforced holes at one end of the case.  The lanyard has some quick release toggles and looks pretty smart in grey.

Waterproof and the small print

It is worth reading the blurb which comes with the DiCAPac.  Before you seal your £600 smart phone inside and take it swimming, you are advised to make sure it is completely waterproof.  Thoughts of "duh.... really?" come to mind and followed by "do I really have to?".  Yes you do.  Period.  End of.  Just do it.

To check the seals are okay, it is recommended you get some tissue paper and fold it up to place inside.  With the tissue paper inside, carefully roll the cover over making sure the double velcro seals are firm.  Then drop it in some water and push it under.  Afterwards simply take the tissue paper out and make sure it is dry - it should be and therefore okay to use for real.

Throwing it into the Grand Union canal!

My youngest daughter is a member of a local kayaking club and I often take her there.  While everyone was getting their boats into the water I rashly threw my iPhone/DiCAPac into the canal.  The splash was loud enough for it to be heard by others and was much to the horror of Hannah and the bystanders.  They thought I had totally "lost it" and by that I mean my iPhone and my sanity!

Thankfully it floated nicely and everyone could see it was absolutely fine.  Grabbing it out of the water I took a close look and it was perfectly dry inside.

Amazingly the phone can still be heard easily in spite of being in a waterproof sealed case - I didn't really expect this to be so good.  It is easy to use the screen and all the swiping.  It is a little more fiddly pressing the physical buttons on the side and top of the phone but I guess these are likely to be used less often.

Long term, hard going use

Like all outdoorsy or sporty kit, I suspect this DiCAPac case will eventually have its limitations.  It is worth regularly checking the seal and seams are intact and not leaking in anyway.  I recommend you check this with tissue paper in a bowl of water, as well as visually checking the actual case itself.  If I were swimming frequently underwater, I think its worth getting something a little more robust.

Normal, everyday outdoorsy use

The DiCAPac is absolutely ideal for normal day to day use.  This means taking it kayaking, running, hiking whether it is wet or dry - simply because it is a cushioned case which absorbs the knocks and splashes thrown at it.  I think it's one of those "good to know it's there" pieces of kit which will simply keep your smart phone well protected in a wide range of conditions.

"You're still bonkers"

Yep my family still think I'm completely bonkers for testing this with my £600 iPhone inside.

Available from: mobile fun

Catching up with myself: health checks

Yet again time flies and blogging gets left behind.  So here's a quiet Sunday morning and my favourite time in the week.  My family are slumbering upstairs, I'm sitting at the dining room table having emptied the dishwasher from its overnight run, laid out everything we need for breakfast, brewed some (decaf) coffee and sitting down with my Mac.  Here goes.

Health checks

Left eye, July 2015

Right eye, July 2015

As you know I always like to make sure my body is in tip top condition.  I ensure I have an annual check at the Doctor's surgery covering blood pressure, cholesterol, liver function, kidney function, PSA levels and so on.  That's always okay.  At the dentist I quite often get caught with a little decay or something needing attention on an x-ray.  And then I go to the optician as well.

It is always interesting at the opticians as I can tell my eyes are deteriorating in terms of becoming longer sighted.  I still hate the time when I was told, in my mid forties "well you're middle-aged now, most people become long sited and need glasses.  You're no different".  So I have glasses for reading and using a computer - for that reason my employer kindly allows me to claim £15 for an annual test and £40 towards the cost of glasses.

This check up revealed I needed slightly stronger lenses owing to continuing to become more long sighted.  "This is all fairly routine" explains the optician every year.  She went onto explain that if I follow the normal pattern my long-sited vision will level out soon and not change too much of the rest of my life.  That sounds good as I do need my glasses more and more for anything under one metre and also to expect things to be in focus.

There are always two things which provide interest to the conversation.  Firstly she says "what lovely blood vessels you have at the back of your eyes Doug".  No sign of diabetes or anything like that.  You had better keep up your veggie diet and keep running.

Secondly she's always interested in the dark patch in my left eye.  Actually it is more textured in real life than the photo shows.  This is a Central Serous Retinopathy and this is a tiny leak causing the retina to bulge and this leads to distorted vision.  It has been there for many years and comes and goes a little.  It also features a little in my right eye, although considerably less.  Apparently there are further signs of this happening away from the centre of my vision but I'm less aware of this.  The long term effect of this is to deprive the retina with certain nutrients and my vision has become dull and the world appears as if viewed from a bit of grey, uneven glass.

On a positive note, my brain adapts and this is an example of our wonderfully designed bodies.  I tend to see more from my right eye, so I hope this eye doesn't deteriorate any further.

You might wonder what causes this.  Well, Central Serous Retinopathy is still a bit of a mystery to the medical profession.  It does appear to affect men more than women and the age group is generally 30 - 50 years.  Men who suffer from a Central Serous Retinopathy are often high achievers, high flyers.  Additionally they expect a lot of themselves and put themselves under a lot of pressure.  In other words these are Type A personality traits.  Now I am NOT a high flyer but I do expect a lot of myself.  I am, perhaps, my hardest critic and often known to give myself a hard time over some things.

As a release from this, I find so much solace in my faith (I'm a Christian) and of course running has a brilliant effect on me.  Although I became a runner about eight years ago and at a time of considerable stress, I do find this helps me deal with the challenges of life, especially my work.  Having faith and becoming a runner doesn't solve everything but they are brilliant ways of accepting situations and thinking them through.  I digress.

Back to health checks.  These are so important and I'm pleased those public health folk take it seriously and the Government fund it.  It always amazes me how some people spend far more time and money on maintaining their cars than their own bodies.  Cars are expensive things, sure.  Cars are also very transitory objects and unimportant in the great scheme of things - having a nice car won't allow you to live a minute longer or be a better person.  Taking the time and trouble to have regular health checks at the doctor, dentist and optician is a great way of spotting any problems as they emerge and as we should all know, early diagnosis is very important.  Also important are steps which can prevent illnesses in the first place.

So there you are.  Make sure you get a check-up once a year, especially if you are anywhere near the dreaded "middle age".

Related
Type A personality tag
Staying active in old age