top ten running essentials!

after reading debbie's blog i was inspired to blog about my top ten running essentials which has been something i have been thinking about for a while. so thanks for the inspiration debbie and while i can never live up to the fabulous penmanship of debbie i will give my tuppence worth!


ON THE ROAD TO RUN WITH MY TOP TEN I'M READY TO FLY
 with the most important first because if you are as impatient as me you would rush to end and read it backwards!

1. my garmin! mostly i can't leave home without it for a run! although i deliberately leave if it is a run i don't count! i don't want to know how slow i run - just how fast!  and even tho i don't look at it much or even at all on under 6 i do love downloading and analysing the stats in the garmin training centre and then uploading to garmin connect! the latter public sharing gives me incentive to improve on my goals. the latter is also great for checking out if anyone locally has discovered any fabulous new routes. and although i haven't uploaded any to my garmin this is something i want to consider. i want to try explore using it more for training and speedwork. this item has so much potential. i need to check out if there are any tutorials online for it.  i still have the forerunner 305 and have no inclination to upgrade yet, but i do thoroughly recommend this toy! my most favourite toy ever!!

 Copyright © 1996-2010 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries

2. shoes / orthotics
in 1988 i started running in asic gels. i liked them but noticed after a while the instep was getting higher on every model they updated so i moved to nike probably in early nineties. i have run in nikes ever since.  at first i used the stability shoe as i was a slight over pronator and for years and through many model modifications i used the triax. after my son was born my foot became a whole size bigger and flatter but the triax still held strong as leading contender.  after running the marathon in 2009 i noticed my foot was shrinking! and my day shaoe and trainer were now a whole size smaller. i noticed when i did the wet foot test that i seemed to be supinating rather than pronated so change to a neutral nike shoe! was this the beginning of my problems? what i should have done was go for a proper gait analysis and get the best shoe on that result. but no for the last 2 years i ran on a neutral shoe till i was in so much pain with my right leg i needed to go see about it!! a visit to ramsay sloss podiatrist confirmed my suspicions that i was flat footed severe overpronator who was in dire need of orthotic insoles! the gait analysis video [which i will add in later!] of my pronation was shocking and it was no surprised that i was in pain!!

so 2 weeks before my marathon i was fitted for othortics in my neutral nikes. it was too near the marathon to break them in so i had to leave that till after the marathon and endure the pain during trainning and the acutal event. i really fancied the clydestride but ramsay advised me not to until we had my pronation problem sorted. during my training my leg was seizing at 18 miles and walking for a bit helped and then i could do a few more miles till i had to stop again. i put up with this and as marathon got nearer the pain was coming on earlier and earlier. at worst i got 8 miles one time and had to give in that day. on the marathon itself i handled it by taking bufen and paracetamol at the start line, brufen at 10 miles when it stated to niggle at my knee and again at 17 miles when it came on again.  i finished pain free and happy i had not pushed it nor had i needed to stop which is the complete antipathy of what running means to me!

so 2 months on afer using my orthortics every run and after a few minor niggles for the first mile breaking them in initially, my right leg started acting up again! surfing the net it sounded like i had tarsal tunnel syndrome so i gave myself 2 weeks off!  to cut a long story short i emailed ramsay and he suggested seeing euan mcgivern [who is also a podiatrist] at greaves while he was on holiday.  poor euan i think he must be the most patient man on the planet tho he did confess to be OCD on the subject and was enjoying the challenge!! after 2 hours having tried on and videoing my gait for every range of running shoe designed for the overpronator we were down to 2 that made a big difference in correcting my gait the nike lunar eclipse [which was very gorgeous blue and i so wanted it to be the one!] and the asics gt 2160. however with the orthotics raising my high at the heel i slipped out both shoes, the nike more than the asics.  so we settled on the asics hoping that a better lacing strategy would hold them on.  however having walked a few miles in them this was not the case.  so i have sewn on an elastic cuff to the heel to hold them on!! worked perfectly!

3. bra
well i must admit i had been so happy with my nike cropped top/ sports bras that i got in the early 90s that i had continued to wear them until may this year when i can honestly say they wear a bit like my aging skin and lacking in elasticity! my tits were bobbing about like the bouncing lottery balls and required new restraints before i stretched them to my waist!!

i have tried many makes of sports bras and crop tops over the years and have not liked any of them. in fact i still havent found one that fits comfortably!! the nike updated versions of what i originally had are too loose  and do not have enough support.  asda ones are comfortable but still have bounce. occasionally i have worn 2 at a time which helps with bounce but results in friction burns!  i have tried the renowned shock absorber over years and always felt something not right about them.  some lifter and seperated but still left me bouncing just this time out of sync like a stripper wiggling her tassles! and mostly the straps have been uncomfortable! i settled on 3 running grade [strongest support] but each still has strap issues. one has a double strap that i can only wear when i can ask someone to do the top one up! yes i am supple but this one seems to be designed deliberatley out of range of most unless you are a contortionist! actually i'd say it would even challange a contorionist this one!!   and no, you couldn't even fasten it at front and turn it! my marathon one [and other i have is the same but in different colour] is a bit more comfortable but guaranteed to give me a headache post run because of the racer back straps digging into my neck muscles.  so ultimately they havent made the perfect sports bra for me yet!!

4. sleeves/ leg warmers
well thanks to our changable scottish weather you never know how hot or how cold you will be. in fact if you start out early on a long run, you can experience 5 different weather systems and changes of 10 degrees by the time you have finished! but i hate being hot and i hate being cold!! i used to like my old 90s helly hanson which was made of a fine breathable fabric that was very stretchy so i could easily roll the sleeves up or pull them down over my hands depending on my requirements. yes i do like to wear same thing over years!!  however like everything else they stopped making that garment replacing it with newer and supposedly better fabrics; that are far too tight and cannot roll up on the sleeve front. so after spending a bit of money on these tops i decided that the only way to get my money's worth was to use the top but cut the sleeves off leaving a teeshirt and some very handy sleeves!  the sleeves i use just about every run unless it is scorching! and when too hot i just slip them down to my wrist. very comfortable.  i have considered buying the sleeves but so far not required to.  leg coverings i usually go by a temp rule.  At 14 degrees and above shorts, below 14 capris, below ten degrees long running bottoms, below zero running bottoms with leg warmers stretch the length of my leg and shorts to warm my bum!! as i get warmer i can move the leg warmers about or roll them right down depending on how i feel.  they are also handy for moving to my arms if i feel my legs are warm but my arms are cold!!

5. map/ phone

for a long run that i am not familiar with, i do find an ordnance survey map is very helpful in finding my way about. i am not the best map reader so i always take my phone so i can check the maps on that too.  when in doubt i can always phone home and get someone to check on computer where i am and where i should be! a great app for this is instamapper. it locates me on my phone and someone on a pc can see in realtime where i am and can direct me to where i need to be.  i also love bing maps for plotting and estimating route distances before i try them out!! you can save your routes too which is helpful when you want to sent them to others to look at.

6. sunglasses / visor
i loved my "five" oakleys that i have had for years!! but they don't make that model in the range anymore and i am yet to find a decent replacement. while i still have oakleys, the model i chose is the nearest i can get to what i had but i still consider them as fugly. my old fives were still lighter, smaller on my face and matt not reflective. i will always wear my glasses if there is a hint at brightness even if it isn't sunny.  trying to preserve my botox, it is a necessity, otherwise i just frown when running!! in winter a cap is as good if not better than glasses as it keeps rain off my face and sun out my eyes but sometimes overheats me. so i have taken to the visor - which previously i had reserved for american touring grannies!! but they are extremely useful in these warm, wet summer runs. however instead of buying visors i look out for cheap [one pound] caps and cut the head bit out!

7. gloves/ socks
i hate cold hands! i have crap circulation [which i blame on 20 years of passively smoking my 40/ day each parents for!] so i find fingered gloves compound the problem by seperating my already heat deprived digits!! especially if they get wet.  and in minus degrees painfully cold fingers have brought tears to my eyes! the best gloves for me are my socks! yep cheap socks you can get from asda - a six pack costs just £2. so if you lose them or throw them away you don't mind at that cost and if you lose one you have five other singles in pack!!  and the ankle ones which fit better are so small they don't take up any room and can be squashed into the smallest pockets!

8. comfortable gear - whether it be shorts or longs, tees or sleeves, gillets or jackets they must be comfortable.  especially for a long run or a race.  there is nothing worse than knowing within 5 minutes that something is going to irritate you for the next 2 or 3 hours.  it makes the run so unenjoyable when all you can think of is my troos don't stay up or my top won't stay down, or my straps are causing friction burns!! i have my favourite gear i save for long runs and my irritable gear - well i should bin!! i am such a hoarder!!


9. water - a contentious issue with me!! i hardly ever drink! all my life i have been a poor drinker.  my daily intake consists of 2 cups of tea, 200mls OJ for lunch, 200mls lemonade with dinner and that's it! on a running day i might have an extra glass of juice if i feel a thirst, but more not than often. so drinking when running has been something i have to train myself to do as i increase milage on maratraining. i usually wait till i get mast the 13 miles before i start considering it and also depends on the weather. if it is hot i will take it for over 12 but if it is cold i wouldn't bother. i don't feel thirsty on cold runs. in fact i'd probably only take it if i were going over 15 or 16 on a cold day. there is much debate about this [and also between me and camelbak donna who drinks litres out running no matter what the distance!] but i am sure that whether i take water or not isn't going to make such a difference on my performance for it to be an issue for me. hell if it knocked minutes off my time then yes i would put up with the discomforts [and there are many] but it doesn't. i perform same with or without! drinking is a personal choice! for me the discomforts depend on what method i use to carry the water to the feeling of it sloshing about in my stomach; though with training i get used to the latter.  so what to use?...

I HATE carrying anything running [i even tie the dog lead round my waist if out with dog] so carrying any kind of water bottle usually gives me cramp in my hands [especially in the cold]. i prefer using my right hand to carry so swapping to left annoys me! so carrying bottles reserved for marathon races between water stations. i have tried other carriers that either clip onto my belt and annoyingly bang off me or i can roll and put in my bum bag which i can never be bothered trying to take out or stick into the big back pocket of my gillet again which i can never be bothered with fumbling to get out or usually it leaks down my back and i look like i've pissed myself - which is less taboo since paula did it!! so for maratraining i resorted to the camelbak. i bought one and didn't listen to donna when she said to get the one for woman! so this one lasted one run as i came home with a bruise the size of a cd on my back! i went straight out and bought the female shaped one as below.

http://www.bikesyoulike.co.uk/product/8349/Camelbak_Charm_Womens_Hydration_Pack_2011

[anyone want a camelbak like this?].

http://www.bikesyoulike.co.uk/product/7011/Camelbak_Breaker_Hydration_Pack_2011

however this still bounces tho not as much and still annoyed me at the shoulder. so i got strap and adjustable clips for the top of chest and waistline to hold it firmly in place. still warm and sweaty on my back when it is hot out but not so bad as i got used to it. i did feel comfortable sipping every mile or so and probably drank about half a litre on long runs. which was amazing for me.  though i would still say the perfect water carrier has not yet been designed!! i see camelbak brought out a vest top that has a pocket for reservoir! i'd like to try that out but i think the vest top would annoy me! i prefer tees!!

and i will add in here the category of energy boosters although i debated whether to have this last on my list as a stand alone, but since i wanted to mention my ipod i will squeeze this in here but they are way bottom of list!  well i used to drink lucozade on the runs over 18 miles when mara training but i found after the mara 09 that they made me drop my sugar level if i didn't have any - i found i was becoming dependant on them.  so this mara training i stuck to just water and i never suffered any bongs!! although i did find i fantasised frequently about bacon rolls to the point i swear i could smell it, especially as i got to the end of those long 22 milers!  i replenished as soon as i got in with fresh orange and whatever carbs were made for me by my attentive hubby or son!!

10. last but not least my ipod - i must admit i never used to run with music unless i was on the treadmill but i think it is what you are used to.  a couple of years back i took to running with music on my lone training runs to see if it upped my speed if the beat was fast and i found it did! i did manage to maintain a faster pace if the music was upbeat. so i now like my pod on most lone runs. i loved the shuffle as it was easy to toggle between songs with the touch of a button but my new touchscreen ipod nano does not allow for that which means i have to set up playlists for runs, and if you know me this means more than i can be arsed with so i tend to stick on albums that give me the fast songs - in particular lady gaga at present!  she has been great company and i make up my own words to her songs to suit my run!! unicorn highway!

MY VERSION IN CAPS!!
 We can be strong, we can be strong
Out on this lonely road, on the road to RUN
We can be strong, we can be strong
Follow that MUSIC BEAT on the road to RUN

Run, run with the t- (repeats)

Run, run with the MUSIC ON baby, she flies
Run, run with the fury of the GOAL in her eyes
Run, run hide your cha-cha, baby she goes
With IPOD and a FIRE smoking under her toes

RUN. RUN, HONEY, RUN, RUN
RUN, RUN, HONEY, JUST GLIDE

We can be strong, we can be strong
Out on this lonely road, on the road to RUN
We can be strong, we can be strong
Follow that MUSIC BEAT on the road to RUN

I’m on the road, I’m on the road to RUN
I’m on the road, I’m on the road to RUN

She’s just a COOL RUNNER riding a dream
And she’s got COOL FRESH AIR IN HER LUNGS that she BREATHS
SHE don’t care if IT IS RAINING OR IF IT IS FAR
She’s a free soul burning roads with A GREAT SUPPORT bra

RUN. RUN, HONEY, RUN, RUN
RUN, RUN, HONEY, JUST GLIDE

We can be strong, we can be strong
Out on this lonely road, on the road to RUN
We can be strong, we can be strong
Follow that MUSIC BEAT on the road to RUN

I’m on the road, I’m on the road to RUN
I’m on the road, I’m on the road to RUN



Get your trainers ready to run now 'cuz we're gonna run like hell today
Get your trainers ready to run now 'cuz we're gonna run until we fly
Get your trainers ready to run now 'cuz we're gonna run like hell today
Get your trainers ready to run now 'cuz we're gonna run until we fly 

sorry been a long time!

sorry i am not so good at this blogging lark. i get on a roll then i get distracted and forget!  anyway the maragirls did the marathon in edinburgh on may 22nd.  i was happy with my time for the amount of training i put in for myself. i concentrated on coaching the maragirls and it was great to run an easy marathon. it was so easy i was able to walk fine right after and started back running 2 days later!

PositionName (Number)TimesCategory 6092Anita Neilson (6189)
Photos for 6189 >04:27:29
10k: 00:59:55
Half: 02:10:00
30k: 03:08:39
Marathon: 04:27:29Female


Official photos

more importantly we raised over £1300 for breast cancer care. this meant even more to me this year when i lost a friend to breast cancer.

the link is still open if anyone would still like to contribute to the cause.
http://www.justgiving.com/maragirls

after the marathon i thot i'd tackle breaking in my orthoses. i didn't have time to do this before the marathon and put up with the pain in my right leg till it was over.  i took brufen twice on the marathon and it helped get me thru pain free. i caught it at that first niggle and the brufen kicked in fast to remove it. however 2 months of breaking in my orthoses the pain has started again!! and back worse.  i have looked up symptoms and it can be anything from plantar fasciitis, a result of my severe over pronation, fallen arches or a combination of any of these factors.  rest helps but you know me - patience is not in my dictionary! i predict it came back because i started doing speedwork.  and i was just getting into the game of it when it halted me in my tracks. so i haven't run since saturday and this is wednesday. i will try a run tomorrow and see how it goes.  i need to go see my podiatrist too.

on another note i am so overweight for my running fitness. my idela for my 5 foot nowt height is 46-47kg and 19% body fat [tanita scales].  i am now a massive [for me] 51kg and 23% body fat. I AM NOT HAPPY! i do feel it running and i am so unhappy with the orange peel - so unsightly! so i have started to watch what i am eating monday to thursday! hopefully this will help. i do love cakes and lurpack! in fact i consider the latter and essential fat!! but need to be sensible now and try shift this! gets harder at my age but  i am determined!! this is day 2 and i am trying to overcome the urge to hunt out something sweet for lunch!! i have a nice melon and plums - so that will suffice. and if i am peckish later i have those lovely beetroot crisps! and won't be worried later like after the scare i had last week after my first bag - i thot i was bleeding to death when i went to toilet in am but after search on internet was relieved that it was just the beetroot turning excreted everything red!! seriously - the packet should carry a warning!

i will try keep you posted on progress.

the peak - well for julie!

well it has been a while again sorry.  been doing the usual routine till last saturday!! there we were all prepared for 20 miles meeting at farmfoods - me, donna, jo-ann and kira!  just about to set off when a dog came running towards us alone.  at first i didn't recognise it as it's front was greyer than i remembered and it didn't seem hostile at first just sniffing kira's muzzle and then it just opened its mouth to bite.  at this point i guessed it was sally, kira's arch enemy, and i managed to lift kira high with her harness so it only nipped her on her mouth one puncture inside and one out.  struggling to separate them and keep kira away i twisted my back.  we were all shaken by it and donna had words with the owner.  apologies were made but damage was done and we were all so sapped after the adrenalin high none of us felt like running. and my good buddies refused to go off without me! i was too upset to go on and i wanted to get kira to vet to get checked over.  so we decided to run to vet to at least get us over shock and kira meeting other dogs so she remembers they are not like sally.  vet irrigated wounds and was happy that they looked clean enough not to merit treatment! thank god because last run in with sally cost us £75!!
kira has come a long way from being aggressive with other dogs to being totally submissive now.  i can take her anywhere and know she is non confrontational now and ignores all dogs - even if they try to hump her! and now kira would be able to socialise with sally - sally isn't able to socialise with kira.
anyway we managed about 4 or 5 miles with vet trip and then just as we were about to head home for sweet tea a stray dog came right up to us. tried to shag kira - twice! and was happy to be leaded up alongside kira!  it had a collar with a petscan telephone number so best plan was to go back to vet!  however i was exhausted trying to stop it trying to mount kira as we walked along i decided we'd take kira home and take dog to vet  in car.

dog belonged to folk near me and i offered to drop dog off but they decided to go collect dog as they were out searching so no one was home.  happy that dog would be reunited [or i was having it!] corrie was left at vet.

home to digest the day, donna and jo-ann went to police to report the dog.  the police asked me to make a formal complaint but i asked them on this occasion to let me handle it.  as i know the owner and can empathise with how she is feeing i emailed her to ask her to keep dog on lead.  she never responded but i do hope she will not fall out with me over this.

later that evening donna sent me a photo of corrie!!! how the fek did you get a pic of corrie i asked.  they people who own him were at the same house party donna was at!! how freaky was that??

anyway sunday came and i couldn't straighten up!  my back had seized!  i had to hold onto andrew while he dragged me and dog a walk. it wasn't till thursday that i could start laying off the brufen but still using tiger balm!! was ok if i kept mobile but the moment i sat down i seized up again.  friday i'd say i could probably have attempted a run but i decided to save it for the big one on saturday!!  so here we are planning our saturday peak run for julie! 22 miler and trying for as flat as we can get which is impossible round here,

no dog tomorrow - i'll take kira a shorter 10 on sunday!

so keep fingers crossed back is ok.....

weekend long ones

at last back to normal weather -  or, after that ice age, more like tropical!

Since i last blogged i have been out every sat and sunday long 15 or 16 milers on saturdays and 10 to 12 milers on sundays.  with the mara girls [expedition donna, gel jo-ann and G I julie] a couple of runs in during week of 4 or 5 milers now getting a speed session in too!! that is till this weekend!  saturday we [just donna and i] set out to do 16 miles. however thinking i was smart i suggested a wee detour via a path that i had taken before many years ago and expected it to lead us exactly where we wanted to go - not to be! lost! in fact so lost we ended up wandering around inside the carbeth huts grounds trying to find our way out! at one point we saw 2 small domestic turbines and we thought right lets head in the direction of what we thought would be the road that leads to the west highland way path. after running about for a few minutes we could have cried when we ended up  right back at the turbines - just this time we were at the other side of them!!  after lots of circling, hill running, asking strangers where we were and trying to work it out on our maps on our blackberrys we eventually found our way to near where we wanted to be!!

KEY
PURPLE - WHERE WE WANTED TO GO
BLUE - WHERE WE GOT LOST
CERISE - WHERE WE MANAGED TO ESCAPE

we then decided to to into strathblane and check out the bit of the walk from strathblane to kilearn on the dismantled railway!! fek knows how but yet again we took the wrong path and ended up running along the main road!! after all that we decided to head home.

SAME KEY AS BEFORE THOUGH THIN PURPLE LINE NOT THICK ONE.

To get home we took the shot cut through the horse paddock [cerise line] as by that time we'd had enough!! By the time we got to the car we had completed 12 miles in 2 hours, as i switched garmin off when not moving! however we had been out for an extra half hour on top of that wandering!!

also i christened my fabby new drinking pouch that i got from vapur!! well recommended for those wanting to travel light!

Vapur pouch

when i got home i had a bit of a sore ankle although i do not remember hurting it. i then compounded the injury by standing in 4 inch heels at the hue & cry concert!

my old school mate and neighbour -patrick kane

so sunday i missed out on a fab adventure with the girls.......... i will link to donna's blog when she has completed it for that episode!!

meantime enjoy our video blog of saturday..

kahtoola!! bless you!

They came today - looking like a device of torture from an s&m dungeon these beauties promise to grip on solid ice just when we rose to a tropical 9 degrees today! i was so hot on my run i could have worn a t-shirt and shorts!! yes they say the ice will be back - i wait with baited breath! until then i will adore my kahtoolas in anticipation of a cold front!!  Dog reps of 3 miles today! All i had time for! Looking forward to long runs at weekend!

good to be back on track...

after running every day in december i ended up with a sore throat on 1st, 2nd and 3rd! damn i should have stayed on the marcothon another month! however by tuesday i felt fine and did 5 miles with donna. by tuesday night i was covered in a rash all over!! went to gp on wed after a night of scratching, tossing and turning.  positive it was either a fungal infection or allergic reaction to 3 possible things [new body cream, new soap powder or new shower cream], doc thought the preceding sore throat and run the day before made it viral so sent me off instructed not to run till gone!! 2 to 6 days if viral and if not gone after that it is reaction so come back for referral! great! anyway the antihistamines made me sleepy all day for next few days i didn't bother about running. but with no change to the rash i stopped using them and felt fine!  wanted to run sat sunday but just in case i held off for the 6 days.  No change!  so bugger all that i went for a run - just easy 3!  feel fab anyway so back on track now i dug out my half mara training plan and made a few modifications and sent it to mara girls!  so stuff the rash i am back on track...