Boardman MTB Pro, que he comprado de Wiggle por 965 euros y lo entregado a España.
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Saturday, 28 August 2010
fat runners
Running and Weight Loss
I ran my first 10-kilometre race a year ago tomorrow. Like many poor fools before me, I'd taken up running to lose weight. As I huffed and puffed my way around the course I noticed that many of my companions were portly just like me. The popular image of rake thin runners is a myth.
After the race I struck up a conversation with a fellow fatty. To my surprise he was not a beginner, but a regular runner for many years. With his rotundity staring me in the face it dawned on me that running is not the answer to weight loss. So what is?
The first step is to recognise the problem.
A UK-based study examined public perceptions of overweight over an eight year period. Participants were asked to report their weight and height and classify their body size on a scale from very underweight to obese. Self reported weights increased dramatically over time, but the weight at which people perceived themselves to be overweight also rose significantly.
The authors concluded, "Despite media and health campaigns aiming to raise awareness of healthy weight, increasing numbers of overweight people fail to recognise that their weight is a cause for concern. This makes it less likely that they will see calls for weight control as personally relevant."
No kidding. If we don't even recognise our national fatness how can we hope to solve the problem? What we need is an objective measure. Fortunately one such measure exists, Body Mass Index or BMI. Here is the BMI scale with euphemisms like obese replaced with plain English
There is a BMI calculator in the right margin. Go now and enter your weight and height. A year ago my result was -- Your BMI is 27.3. You are considered overweight by the BMI scale. If you get a similar result stand naked in front of a full length mirror and say out loud ten times "I am fat. I am fat. I am fat. . . .". That should help cure the perception problem. If you are obese a diet/walking program may be a good place to start.
Once we recognise we are overweight all we need to do is eat less. EAT LESS. That's it. That's the answer. Full stop. End of article.
Well, not quite.
There is a downside to eating less. Humans don't enjoy feeling hungry -- hunger is painful. Dieting and diet products are a $100B+ industry worldwide, all to sell us the lie that we can slim without those pesky pangs. There are no magic bullets, but here are a few tips I discovered along the way:
Recommended shoes for overweight runners : Asics Gel Nimbus 12, Brooks Beast Shoe, New Balance 1226
footnote: I now have a BMI of 24.5 having lost 20lbs over the last year.
I ran my first 10-kilometre race a year ago tomorrow. Like many poor fools before me, I'd taken up running to lose weight. As I huffed and puffed my way around the course I noticed that many of my companions were portly just like me. The popular image of rake thin runners is a myth.
After the race I struck up a conversation with a fellow fatty. To my surprise he was not a beginner, but a regular runner for many years. With his rotundity staring me in the face it dawned on me that running is not the answer to weight loss. So what is?
The first step is to recognise the problem.
A UK-based study examined public perceptions of overweight over an eight year period. Participants were asked to report their weight and height and classify their body size on a scale from very underweight to obese. Self reported weights increased dramatically over time, but the weight at which people perceived themselves to be overweight also rose significantly.
The authors concluded, "Despite media and health campaigns aiming to raise awareness of healthy weight, increasing numbers of overweight people fail to recognise that their weight is a cause for concern. This makes it less likely that they will see calls for weight control as personally relevant."
No kidding. If we don't even recognise our national fatness how can we hope to solve the problem? What we need is an objective measure. Fortunately one such measure exists, Body Mass Index or BMI. Here is the BMI scale with euphemisms like obese replaced with plain English
| less than 18.5 | Skinny |
| 18.5 - 25 | Normal |
| 25 - 30 | Fat |
| more than 30 | Really Fat |
There is a BMI calculator in the right margin. Go now and enter your weight and height. A year ago my result was -- Your BMI is 27.3. You are considered overweight by the BMI scale. If you get a similar result stand naked in front of a full length mirror and say out loud ten times "I am fat. I am fat. I am fat. . . .". That should help cure the perception problem. If you are obese a diet/walking program may be a good place to start.
Once we recognise we are overweight all we need to do is eat less. EAT LESS. That's it. That's the answer. Full stop. End of article.
Well, not quite.
There is a downside to eating less. Humans don't enjoy feeling hungry -- hunger is painful. Dieting and diet products are a $100B+ industry worldwide, all to sell us the lie that we can slim without those pesky pangs. There are no magic bullets, but here are a few tips I discovered along the way:
- Feel a little bit hungry but not excessively hungry - i.e. don't try to lose weight too quickly - one to two pounds a week is good.
- Go to bed hungry - it doesn't bother you so much when you are asleep.
- Use running as a motivator - lose weight and it is easier to run, your race times improve and you are less injury prone.
Recommended shoes for overweight runners : Asics Gel Nimbus 12, Brooks Beast Shoe, New Balance 1226
footnote: I now have a BMI of 24.5 having lost 20lbs over the last year.
Friday, 20 August 2010
new balance or off balance?
New Balance 759 Review
It's always a risky business buying running shoes. Will I get blisters? Will my knee pain flare up again? so, with trepidation, I set off to the park with my straight-out-of-the-box New Balance 759 running shoes strapped on. Two minutes into the run I stumble badly and twist my left ankle. The expletives flow freely cursing my shoes and I sit down to survey the damage.
The 759 is a cushioned shoe for runners with a neutral gait. It is lighter than the top of the range 1226, which boasts the highest level of cushioning and support. The 759 is ideal for runners that have progressed from the beginner stage and have built a degree of foot strength. It is not the right shoe for the overweight beginner with a Body Mass Index of 25+.
New Balance is an American company that has built a factory in Cumbria, so you will see a 'Made in England' tag inside the shoes. That is quite a rarity these days when most trainers are made in China. Runners rank New Balance highly alongside the likes of Brooks, Mizuno and Saucony. They are a particular favorite amongst the wide-footed as they offer shoes in the 2E width as well as the standard D width.
I felt immediately comfortable in the shoes. There is plenty of room in the toe box without any sense of cramping. The lacing feels secure, and there was no heel slippage or rubbing.
The shoe flexes in the right place at the ball of the foot just behind the toe box. The stability web - tech speak for a rigid plastic plate - prevents the shoe from bending in the middle to avoid overstretching of the muscles on the bottom of the foot. There is plenty of cushion at the back of the shoe for heel strikers.
Ventilation is good and the web like material allows heat to escape. In a recent downpour my feet did get quite damp, but at least the sole continued to provide grip. I cannot say much about durability after only a few weeks. In any case I replace my trainers every six months, figuring fixing my knees and ankles would cost far more.
And my twisted ankle? It was quite painful for a few days with localised bruising. However, it wasn't the fault of the shoes. I returned to the exact spot on the path the following day and discovered a hole the size of a pair of cupped hands. Big enough to cause me to stumble, and yet small enough remain unseen while running.
It was a suspiciously perfect hole. Too perfect! I imagine a sneaky local podiatrist with trowel dug it at midnight to drum up business.
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