Running is really, really simple. Put on some shorts, a t-shirt and trainers and you’re off . No need to go to a gym, fit in with a class timetable, pay any money or get your hair wet. At least that’s what I used to think. That’s before I discovered a running magazine, technical fabrics that wick away sweat, specially designed running shoes that correct my (oh so faulty) running gait, gloves made specifically for running, socks designed to make you go faster, the list goes on and on. | "Sometimes when I head out for a run, I feel like the Terminator." | |
Sometimes when I head out for a run, I feel like the Terminator. I have my heart rate monitor on (complete with chest strap), my GPS speed distance monitor computer strapped to my arm, a bladder drinking rucksack on my back, my MP3 player round my arm, a key holder attached to my trainer and my mobile phone zipped into the pocket in my running tights. I even have socks that promise to make me run faster and a bra called the "Shock Absorber"! I've turned into a freak! When did it all change? What happened to just heading out for a run? What happened to just waving good-bye to my boyfriend and breezily saying that I’m just going out for quick run, no idea what time I’d be back? Have I fallen into the “all the gear, no idea” trap? Do I really need to measure exactly how far, how fast and how hard? The answer, of course, is no. I need to get back to basics and forget most of the kit. It’s a trap that lots of runners fall into (if the strapped up and synched in runners of my club are anything to go by). I’m cheered by a tale I heard last year whilst out on a long Saturday morning club run. The guy I was chatting to described how, whilst visiting him and his wife, his daughter decided to run the local 10k. She had to borrow trainers, wore the shorts she’d been gardening in and an old t-shirt. She won. Well I'd better get on, I've got the latest copy of Runners' World to flick through! Nick | 
