Tag: Strathclyde Park

bookmark_borderAnd I did run

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Last night, after a gloriously sunny day, the clouds rolled in and the heavens opened.

Why does that phrase always making me think that God is peeing on us (or all of the angels? I dunno…)?

Anyway, the rain raineth on the just, which is apt as I only just made it in time to start the first jogScotland session, splish-splashing my way across the car park to catch up with the group as they made their way out into Strathclyde Park.

Thankfully I asked which group it was before they headed off as it was the wrong group (who were setting out for a 30 min jog, my group was doing 15 mins! Hey, I’m easing myself back in..).

A few minutes later I happened across the correct group and off we set, already bedraggled and soaked, into the gloom of the evening.

It was great!

I’ve got physio tomorrow morning, mainly to see how my knee is holding up but aside from a slight dull ache it’s fine. Yay! I’m already aiming, provisionally, for the 5K in December. Fingers crossed!

bookmark_borderGlorious

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Tonight was the start of the next 10 week block of JogScotland. In 10 weeks time I’ll be running for a complete hour. Based on tonight it’s gonna be a hard slog.

On the other hand, if every evening I go out for a run in are as stunningly gorgeous as it was tonight then it’s gonna be a hard slog whilst admiring some gorgeously stunning skies and sunsets.

We occasionally jog alongside the lake in Strathclyde Park, and tonight, as the sun started plunging towards the horizon, we were doubly treated as the ripple-less water reflected every aching inch of the sky in perfect detail. Disturbed only by occasional serenely gliding swan, I could hardly tear my eyes from the surface as it slowly darkened from sunlight blue to peach to orange.

It was just lovely and reminds me of one of the reasons I enjoy running. It’s really quite obvious and I’m not sure why I haven’t realised this before, but the simple fact is that I just love being outdoors.

bookmark_borderQuestions Answered #8

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In a desperate effort to gain some weird form of validation, I stole an idea for a blog post and begged my readers to ask me a question. And they did. The buggers. Now I have to answer them.

Question 8: Jane asks, quite simply, for “The ideal jogging route”.

The ideal jogging route
This is pretty straightforward really. The ideal jogging route:

  1. is flat.
  2. is somewhere of temperate climate, not too hot, not too cold, a little drizzle on an early autumn day for example.
  3. has a gaggle of gorgeous cheerleaders lining the route.

There you go. Simple.

But. Well… The thing is…

  1. If it’s flat you don’t get the sense of achievement that comes when you reach the top of a big steep hill. Yes your legs burn, yes it’s bloody hard, but yes, you DO feel like Rocky and have to stop yourself from shadow boxing when you reach the top (ok, that might just be me).
  2. A nice day is all well and good but it’s the days when the wind is smashing the rain into your face, you’re soaked to the bone, and yet you still turn up to go for a run. THOSE are the days that really count. Honest.
  3. Ummm yeah that whole sexist.. degrading wummin… adolescent fantasies are sick.. thing… so ummm… yeah, cheerleaders would be ba… well.. ok, let’s just say they’d put me off my stride.

I guess the ideal jogging route would be somewhere that’s busy enough for things to be happening, but not too busy that you are running into people. Our club meets at Strathclyde Park, which has a large watersports centre at one end. The park is well used but big enough that you aren’t constantly avoiding people, or dogs or geese, but busy enough that there is always something going on, be it boats sailing on the water, people canoeing or fishing, or just other joggers or walkers zipping past.

Although I have to admit that some grand scenery would be nice, something like the scene in Forrest Gump where he jogs across the USA. In the middle of that montage there is a crystal clear lake, reflecting the snow-tipped mountains that lie beyond. That looks like a pretty damn nice place to run to me, and I’m sure Scotland can offer the same, I just need to find it.

bookmark_borderCold and lonely in the deep dark night

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Aye the nights are fair drawing in, and that’s before the clocks change.

Last night, jogging alongside the water at Strathclyde Park, the sun was low over the trees and by the time we’d finished had disappeared completely. The path isn’t lit and so it looks like I’ll be needing to invest in something a little more visible for the coming months. Thankfully a new running store has opened a few blocks from my office, and JogScotland members get a 10% discount! Add some funds given for my birthday and I get to buy a new running top.

But the question is, long sleeved or ‘gilet’ (no sleeves). I have two long sleeved tops at the moment, and I do get quite hot when I run. So I’m thinking just a gilet for the time being, and when it starts getting REALLY cold, I’ll break out the running tigh… er.. leggings (and no, there will NOT be photos), and get a heavier sleeved top. Ohh and gloves. This is the one advantage of starting a new hobby, new toys!

God, I hope I’m not becoming a bore with all this, although I fear it’s only going to get worse once my Nike+ widget arrives (cheers Keith!!). I promise I’ll try not to become a ‘running’ bore (boar?).

Another nice present arrived today, the first of the Glass Books I mentioned in the sidebar a while back, chapter one of ten which gives me a nice pace to get me through the winter. Mind you, I’m still deciding what to take away with me to Spain at the end of the month. We’re only there for 6 nights so I reckon 4 books should do it.. any suggestions?

bookmark_borderSpurring myself on

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Between the World Cup, Wimbledon and my re-found interest in Football Manager (the game), not to mention to site designs and the ever present gardening requirements, I find myself going through phases of intense effort then flip-flopping into complete and utter apathy. It’s most odd.

One minute I’m completing long overdue tasks, the next I’m slumped in front of the telly and wondering why I don’t spend more of my time relaxing. I get bored pretty easily though, so I guess that’s part of it.

Now whilst this means I’m getting a lot of stuff done, it also means that I get slightly impatient about things. Take, for example, the jogging club I mentioned on Monday. Turns out it’s part of the Jog Scotland scheme, and the next round of classes start on the 12th of July.

That’s two weeks away. Two weeks. I’m hoping I still have the desire to go and do it by then.

In saying that, from looking on their website, and particularly after talking to Bonny who runs the North Lanarkshire club I’ll be joining (not sure why my council in South Lanarkshire doesn’t have a club yet, but I’d imagine it would use Strathclyde Park as the venue anyway, so it makes no difference to me), I figure that I’ll probably slot into the second level of Beginner classes. The first level is “for the real couch potatoes, the main aim is to get them, after several weeks, to a point they can jog for ten minutes”. I’m pretty sure I can do that already, but I won’t make presumptions until I get there.

I’m going to hold off purchasing new trainers as it sounds like the opening weeks won’t be too intense, although I do get a 10% voucher off New Balance trainers when I join the scheme so that’ll help (current budgets are solely focussed on home improvements – a leaky front door – and general things like… eating.. and so on).

Of course what I should be doing is using the two weeks to lose a little more weight, and get some walking/jogging in beforehand. Give myself a good starting point. In other words I should be looking for the positives.

Problem is that this weekend we’re out for a curry and beer with some friends on Friday night, and then a BBQ on Saturday, more beer and food, and then a day trip to Haggerston on Sunday which will no doubt feature a chippy somewhere – I mean you can’t have a day out without stopping off at a chippy, it’s the law!

Oh well, the diet can start on Monday.