Following on from my test with the Motorola Defy a few weeks back I decided to chat with Vodafone and see if I could get any other phones to have a play with and review. As with the other phone review this one is less about how good the phone is as an actual phone but more about the added extras in particular those aimed at sports men or women.

On first impressions I was surprised how heavy the phone felt given its size. It looked like it should be quite light! It also didn’t look like a typical smart phones and it certainly wasn’t to my taste. The aluminium effect seems a little dated now! That said I didn’t really care too much what was on the outside it was more about what was under the hood!

Firing it up I was presented the Symbian OS which was very alien to me. I wanted to download Sports-tracker one of the few apps available for runners on Nokia phones. However, this was not going to be a simple task as it is on iPhone and Android OS. Firstly where is the App store or Market place?! After digging a bit I found it in the ‘ovi store’ – jackpot! Find app, click install, let’s go for a run! Sadly not, didn’t install – try again, didn’t install this pattern went on repeatedly until I was close to sending it back untested.

Eventually I went on the sports tracker website and sent the phone a link to the app, the ovi app opened again and it appeared I was in the same place again. One more try I thought – and for some reason this time it installed and worked. On sunday it would join me on my long run. I downloaded the most recent MT podcast onto it – using the really poor Nokia web browser (why is it so poor still!?!), charged it up and come Sunday morning it was in my pocket joining me on 14 miles to the Olympic stadium.

At Stratford I took it out and took some snaps on the camera which was relatively seamless and all the while the running app sat in the background logging data.

When I got home I compared my watch with the phone and (in this case) credit where credit is due the two were in 1/100 of a mile difference. Not bad I thought. Ignoring the initial ‘teething’ issues the phone had done well and I was prepared to box it up and send it back.

Unfortunately for the Nokia and Sports Tracker I didn’t get round to sending it back so queued it up with some music and used it on my Tuesday Morning run into work. This time the results were poor and very very unreliable. The 8miles my gamin logged where dwarfed by the sports trackers 9.11m, however i knew which one was more reliable! When I logged onto the Nokia site it transpires I did some swimming in the Thames which I didn’t realise!

This got me thinking about the other phones I had used and the consistency of data. Fortunately with both the Nokia and Moto I had ran upto stratford due to luck more than good testing plans. I believe both were pretty accurate in these runs but less so on runs that were in a busier area. I always assumed it was due to high buildings and losing signal which causes the differences but looking at my little swim along the Thames I wonder whether it maybe something else. Purely speculating and based on no fact I wonder whether these apps work really well when plotting on a ‘road’ rather than a path or trail. The software can build in logic if each point sits on a road on it’s map as it can be a lot more precise in it’s calculations, possibly!

Whilst I deliberate and ponder in my head I suspect it still is to do with building coverage. In somewhere like central London where there are lots of tall buildings it would make sense for the app to lose signal from the satellites and the less points it can plot the less accurate the reading will be.

So at the end of all that highly scientific waffling would I go out and get this phone. Unfortunately not, I wasnt a fan of the OS, didn’t like it’s appearance too much and the sports-tracker app results left a lot to be desired!!

Once again thanks to Vodafone for supplying me with this phone to play with! Hopefully a blackberry next thus completing the range of major smartphone OS’es.

To compare the runs here is the Sports Tracker Link and the Garmin Connect Link for the same route.

It’s far too easy sometimes to get caught up in a schedule and not entirely enjoy what you are doing and the reasons why you are doing it. This weekend, in particular Sunday was not one of these times.

Before getting into Sunday I wanted to quickly write about my warmup run on Saturday. At Xmas Laura got a bike in the hope she could come out with me when I was running training. She could be my company on some of those runs where I’m out on my own. On Saturday she joined me on my little prep jog before Sunday’s LSR. We headed to Gunpowder Park in Lea Valley and for 30mins I ran and she cycled beside me! A great way to do those kinds of runs

On Sunday morning, getting up at some ungodly hour (for me), Laura and I jumped in the car and headed for Little Havens in Southend. The charity had organised a training run and as I’m involved in the Havens Runners project as well as having run the London Marathon for them in 2009 and 2010 I went down to join them.

I was scheduled for a shorter run than normal ‘consolidating my miles’ this week and was require to run 1hr20 or about 10miles. Fortunately to cover all bases the Havens team had created routes to cover all abilities and distances.

As more and more runners turned up it was clear that this was going to be a busy run which was nice and at 830, we set off down towards the sea front. Laura was armed with her camera ready to snap away as the group of runners exited the site. The pictures really show how good the turnout was!

This is not the first training run I have done with the Hospice, however it is the first time the weather has been kind. The sun was out and whilst it is still cold it was glorious running conditions.

Forming a small pack at the front Paul M, Neil D, Ian R and I set off at an 830 ish pace up and down the many inclines. However, unlike many of my previous runs here in Southend this felt pleasant. My heart rate stayed low and I could hold an easy conversation – most would say a perfect LSR pace!

At about 6 miles is where I separated from the others in the pack who were carrying on to do an extra couple of miles but just before that I witnessed the spectacular sight of the sun over the sea front from high. It was a glorious sight – far from the normal gailing winds and lashing rain I remember from the past.

The turn around point is on Belton Way which is a pretty big hill. This hill has always been a bit of a nemesis for me. I remember ‘running’ it for the first time in 2009 and it was horrid. This time I would destroy it and with my increased fitness I duly did. That’s not to say it’s not a killer hill but all of a sudden it’s passable! Will have to go try that *mountain* in fattened again soon although I think that is still top steep!

At the top of the hill I noticed another havens runner so dropped back to run with them to the end. I figure these runs are supposed to be with company so what’s the point in running 30meters in front of someone for 3miles! Great bit of company saw the remaining, relatively dull bit of the route fly by and before long we were back at Little Havens tucking into a bacon sarnie

All together a perfect run. No niggles, pains or concerns and a bit of beautiful scenery to top it all off! Thanks to Havens for organising it. I hope some of the other Havens Runners enjoyed it as much as I did!

The afternoon was spent in front of the tv. I put on Chariots of Fire which I had sky+’ed months ago this followed by Spurs V United, a roast dinner and bath topped off what was to be a lovely day all around! Shame it can’t last and it’s now back to work again…

Till next time

N

How do I start…over the last few months I have had my own little secret and on Monday 26th October I managed to exorcise the demons that have followed me around since that day in April.

Following the Test Adidas place at the Thunder Run, where I had the fortune of meeting Gemma and Ath, I was given the opportunity of a place in the Dublin Marathon for myself and Rich (my Weds eve Serpentine training buddy). After a lot of soul searching, I decided that it maybe an ideal event to regain some confidence in this distance and took the place. This was back at the beginning of August and I have been marathon training ever since.

Obviously I had kept my miles up pretty high following London maintaining at least one 7miler a week and a couple of other runs but now I would have to build on top of that a 3 month schedule with 2 holidays in between. At this point the runs in Spain and the 10miler in Miami may make a lot more sense – not that I needed an excuse to run abroad!

I had blogged about 16milers but failed to go into details, I definitely didn’t blog about my 20miler following a day at work and come to think of it the evening after a work meal, I ran to mum and dads and it was this day I told them following enquiries as to why I was running so far! I think I managed a couple of 18′s, a few 16′s and one 20. It was certainly less than Jan-Apr but still consistent. Factoring at least one ‘fast’ session a week to help with the limited training schedule.

The negative split at the Royal Parks was deliberate to test my legs for the second half of a marathon. That weekend would typically be the longest run but having booked into the half months ago I had to take any opportunity I could from it but racing it so late would not have been a wise idea. What I failed to mention on that blog post was the fact at the end of the race we tacked on another 3miles to make it a 16mile session which one of my colleagues actually spotted me doing!

I have trained with Rich a number of times for this race, I have been up at silly o’clock in the morning to get long runs out of the way and whilst he isn’t massively faster than me, I suspect at any race he would beat me to the finish line! As well as this I have been out with colleagues who didn’t realise I was tapering with them and other friends including a jog in Manchester!

On Saturday morning at 5o’clock the alarm went off and Laura and I headed to Stansted. A few hours later we landed in a cold but sunny Dublin and headed to our hotel. We had to pick up our numbers from the expo on Saturday so after a quick bagel we headed over to the conference centre. Saturday was always going to be a non-sightseeing day, reserving those for the bus tour on Sunday (to keep me off my feet) and then Tuesday.

Adidas and Lifestyle sports had set up a ‘Breakfast Run’ predominantly for international runners. Fortunately (and due to Laura’s great planning) this started right outside our hotel and on Sunday morning we headed down and I went for a v gentle 2mile run to stretch out my legs. The run was pleasant and after this we were treated to breakfast (hence the name) and they also put on a show of Irish Dance and Folk Songs. A perfect start to another gloriously sunny morning. After returning to the hotel to get changed we then headed to the bus tour and saw what Dublin had to offer. At about 4pm we headed back to the hotel and used the jacuzzi/pool and generally relaxed in preparation for the marathon.

The Dublin Marathon is on a Monday, this is because it’s a bank holiday over there. At 6am my alarm went off, my kit was already prepared so just put it on and headed for some toasty breakfast. At 730 Rich and I left for the start. It was almost time!

At 8am we met up with Ath, who had also decided to run it. It was certainly chilly and for the next hour we tried to keep warm whilst waiting for the race to start. The next thing I knew I was in the starting pen waiting for the gun!

The first few miles where slow, the route was quite windy with some sharp corners. As the pack was still tight it meant coming to a stop and walking in places. Looking at my garmin, the first mile is my slowest by some margin. It took about 3miles for the field to open a bit and then our times started to better. Laura and Liz had planned where they were to be standing and we spotted them at both locations but after 11miles we were on our own until 24/25 miles…

The first half went pretty well for Rich and I but Ath was visibly struggling and just shy of 12 miles he left us to do some stretching. He had helped hold the pace back and this was shown by the next few miles being a fair bit faster.

We hit 13.1miles in 01:56:33.

From halfway through until 20ish miles things were fairly uneventful. A common feature for the run were the inclines and once again we found more and more of them. Unfortunately the downs seemed short and sharp not really prolonging their benefit! At about 22m I first started to feel it in my right leg. Almost instantly I had a throbbing pain in my right quad. I took 20 seconds to head to a wall and stretch it out but didn’t want to hang around for too long incase I started to seize up elsewhere!

Forcing the pain to the back of my head I carried on with Rich not letting me quit. The pain went until someone stopped dead in my tracks and I had to vault a cone to avoid her. Not a good idea 24miles into a run! I was dragged along by Rich who seemed to ignore my sulking – in hindsight he was right too!

The final mile or so was a blur, I think it went by quite quickly but can’t remember it, just the seeing of the finish line and the end in sight!

3 hours 42 minutes. 52 minutes faster than my last completed marathon but more important than that confidence restored. It’s been a tough 6 months, there was a lot of doubt and concern in my mind but this has now been laid to rest!

A great run and a great experience all around.

Thanks to all those who have supported me and believed in me over the last few months I think it would have been a lot easier to jack it all in but right now as I finish this post I’m glad I didn’t.

Rest time

Race Stats

Overall Position: 3181/10700
10km Time: 00:57:19
13.1m Time: 01:56:33
30km Time:02:42:00
26.1m Time: 03:42:50

Obviously everyone who knows me is aware that the Sunday before last was a huge blow to me. Training for the London Marathon was a huge focus for me since the beginning of the year, but anyone that reads this blog knows that running has been part of my life for a number of years. After much reflection I realise it would be foolish to hang my trainers up for good.

Over the next few months I intend on pushing on. I have a 10km and a half lined up later on in the year and I will watch my training to see what else maybe possible to achieve in 2010. I want to spend time running with others, in particular those who have offered kind words of support over the last few weeks – you know who you are. I will also be looking at joining a club and seeing if I can get involved in some club running, hopefully helping me regain some confidence and learn where and what I am possibly doing wrong.

Before the marathon we had booked a relaxing recovery break in Tenerife for the Bank Holiday weekend. Having sulked a bit for a week Laura suggested I take my trainers in case I fancied a run. On Sunday morning when the sun was in (but temps still above 20) I decided to give it a go…
» Continue reading “The next chapter…”

Finding time to get out there and do serious training is tricky at the moment. Having recently purchased a property most of my free moments are filled with diy or in b and q, however, Sunday morning alarm set for 7am I was up prepping myself for a 7/8miler.

The SIS stuff back out again as i start feeding my muscles, one of the things I picked up from my last run was poor fueling – I will be getting this right this time!

I was out the door by 730, pounding the pavement with barely a sole in site – this is dedication I thought to myself at the time, then remembered this was not going to be the last time over the next few months!!

The route I chose was an old one, introduced to me by my father, it is undulating throughout and is a loop with no repetition. In clockwise it is tough, anticlockwise it is insane with a good half mile steep incline – I chose clockwise!

The run itself wasn’t to bad, I was a lot slower than in my peak but that is to be expected really as my training has been scaled back massively. Reached the 7mile marker which is the home straight and tacked on an extra mile, this may have been foolish my legs were ok with 7 but I really felt a difference in that final mile.

However, a very promising initial run, next weekend push it up a bit more and get a session in on Wednesday. Will start reviewing training schedules too and get out the diary…scary times follow once again!

N