Author: Jess Guth

Dr Jess Guth is a Legal Academic. She blogs at jessguth.com She also doesn't really run - reallynotarunner.com

New Pants – Nike capris and crop tights

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Well while we’re in review mode… here’s another one. My adidas capri running pants are beginning to disintegrate at the seam  along the inner thigh- age old problem for someone with my size thighs. So I needed to think about getting new pants. I hate – absolutely detest – buying running pants. The idea of going into a sports shop is bad enough – seeing all the stuff for skinny people, looking at sizing that suggest that a size 10 is getting a bit on the porky side, being asked by some young springy, bouncy little thing if I need any help (yes actually but I think you’re out of your depth with me), watching women pick up and consider a bit of fabric masquerading as a sports bra is enough to make me feel quite nauseous. Taking that a step further and actually going to try something on – probably the only thing in the entire shop that is supposedly in my size  (and will therefore undoubtedly be in black) but still unlikely to fit – urgh.

Now I have braved this experience once or twice and was appalled at how grateful I felt when I found something in my size. Come on sports shops – us fatties need exercise gear, too! As for the big brands, well I can almost cry with gratitude when their stores stock something that fits more than one leg, never mind if there’s something there that fits my hips. Sometimes it feels like if you’re fat you don’t deserve to have nice gear – you have to make do with cheap crappy stuff. Anyway, on one of the more successful outings I found a pair of Nike capris. Yes Nike. I also found the adidas ones which are now disintegrating so clearly  big brands do  occasionally make stuff in bigger sizes – thanks.  I can’t even remember where I bought them but they fit really well. This means, theoretically at least, that I don’t have to go into those ridiculous shops because I can simply find the same ones again online and order them! Or not.

It seems impossible to find the exact same type of running pants again online. It’s impossible to tell which are the same and which have some subtle but potentially disastrous differences. I didn’t know what to do but in the end I ordered online rather than braving the shop. I ordered a pair of capris and a pair of crop Nike running tights from sportsshoes.com. The crops are these: NIKE WOMEN’S PRONTO ESSENTIAL CROP RUNNING TIGHTS, the capris I can no longer find online – typical.

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Anyway, both pairs came and they look great. Lovely bright colours for a change rather than my usual black. I compared the size with my existing ones and they were about the same – the new ones maybe just a little smaller – ok they were enough of smaller to make me put of trying them on for a day or two. I have tried the capris on a little run and they are lush. They fit snuggly without feeling too tight. They have a drawstring but one which sits flat so there are no ‘edges’ that might cause chafing.

They have a zip pocket in the back which easily fits my keys and another little pocket that sits on the left hip which would do for bit of small change or something (or a gel or something like that if you use them).

I got size L and that seems to be true to a  UK 16/18 fit. I have to say I was surprised that L was big enough. So often in sporty clothes L is like a 12/14 which is just silly. The capris are a lovely length coming just down over the knee far enough to not ride up at all. I’m really happy with them. I haven’t run in the crop ones yet but tried them on and they fit exactly the same as the capris apart from obviously being a bit longer. They also have a pocket at the back for keys etc (the pockets would comfortably fit a credit card or my bus pass or something like that too).

I really would recommend these based on my experience so far but I suppose the question is: how long do they last? My adidas ones aren’t old and I haven’t worn them that much and yet the seam has gone. We shall see.

 

New Shoes – Salomon Trail Running Trainers

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As you know I don’t really care about what my trainers look like, I’m all about comfort and support. I have had several pairs of Salomon trainers for running as well as for every day use. Quite a while ago now I saw the Salomon XA Pro 3D Mountain Trail running shoes in a sale somewhere online. Or actually I think Kath saw them and they were stupidly reduced (I cant remember to what – maybe 50 quid or so). I got a pair even though I was still perfectly happy with my old ones. Yesterday I wore the new ones for the first time for a run. I’ve worn them round the house once or twice and once to got for a short walk.

IMG_1064.JPGThey are billed as on and off trail and they seem perfect for running round here where I am mostly on the canal towpath in its varying forms and sometimes on paths and tracks and muddy bits. You can read all the spec on the Salomon website if interested. Doesn’t look like they have this colour any more but the spec is pretty much the same I think. I have so far only taken them out on a short run which turned into a walk anyway (see previous post!) but they fit nicely. Initially the way to tongue cover comes over and you sort of have an internal sleeve that hugs your foot for better fit felt a bit weird  but by the time I got to the end of the road I’d forgotten about it and I can really see the benefit of the design as it stops little bits of dirt or branches or little stones from sneaking in at the side of your foot. The laces are sort of fun and easy to do and undo and the release mechanism and ‘spare’ laces can be tucked into the little hud. The grip was great – possibly slightly better than the grip on my previous ones or maybe it just seems that way because the grip on my older ones has worn down a fair bit. No sliding about or feeling like I might slip. Maybe I’ll even be able to run down the golf course in these!

The trainers have what Salomon call a 3D chassis. They say it ‘maximizes security, motion control, energy management and push through protection for a high performance, stable and responsive ride’. Well, it felt pretty stable and secure and comfy but also just a little stiffer than I am used to and my left foot felt a bit achey after a little while. I think they’ll soften though and then they’ll be perfect. I was worried that the tongue cover etc would make them feel tight and I don’t like tight but there is plenty of flexibility in it and it didn’t feel restricting at all.

Sometimes trail running shoes seem clunky and heavy to me and while these are slightly heavier than my road ones, they are not heavy and I don’t think they look or feel to clunky or chunky. I have quite wide feet but these shoes fit well. Kath has some too and she has narrow feet and they fit her well so there is definitely something about the design that really does fit and support different shapes of foot. The laces help with that I think. Kath has hers quite tight whereas I hardly adjust mine from the really loose setting.

So far I like these. We’ll see how we go. Kath really likes her pair and she is a fussy one when it comes to shoes – understandable given how she suffers from blisters and a dodgy ankle.

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3 ish miles of running, walking and chatting

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We set off for the sheep loop backwards again this morning. Just because it’s a sort of door to door loop without the need to really get to anywhere to start or to walk home from anywhere. I wore my new pants and new trainers – more on them later.

We plodded our way down to the canal. I felt pretty good but could definitely feel that my eating and drinking has been a bit all over the place for the last few days. That G&T I had last night seemed to still be sloshing around in my tummy. Kath was obviously the same because she got a nasty stitch as we were about half way along the canal. It was an evil one and wouldn’t shift at all so we walked a bit and when it eased tried running again  – we made it to the bottom of the golf course but that was it. We passed a border collie with her (?) human who remarked on the lovely day we were having and I thought to myself that she was absolutely right, it was a lovely morning.

We walked all the way up from the canal and had vague ideas about running again but then we met Libby the dog and one of her humans and stopped to say hello and had a little chat. Kath’s mum was in the sheep field pulling up thistles – we said hello to her too. Then we met another dog and his human and we stopped for lengthy chat about holidays. Then we walked on home, spotted a few goldfinches along the way arrived to a garden full of sparrows. We did decide to run all the way up Ilkley Road though just to get a sense of achievement and we made it – it’s noticeably easier when you come to it at the end of a walk rather than a run.

It was lovely to be out though and it was still early enough to have a sense of the world around us just waking up. I was hoping we might see a kingfisher again but that wasn’t to be. We did see a heron fly over and we did see lots of ducks and a few rabbits on the golf course and a baby bunny in our fields.

Not exactly a training run but a nice little outing.

9 Miles Done

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I think that is really all there is to say about that. It wasn’t pretty but it is done and it was done in just under two hours. I am very very happy that it is over.

Mile 1 – fine, out towards the sheep settling into the 3 minute run, 1 minute walk intervals.

Mile 2 – we saw a kingfisher!

Mile 3 – hip niggles

Mile 4 – hip niggles more. Mentally gone. Kath starts counting out loud for me – 1 -8, repeatedly

Mile 5 – Fucking hell

Mile 6 – Can’t do it – oh shut up. Kath still counting

Mile 7 – We’ve turned round, we’re heading home

Mile 8 – not funny, Kath still counting

Mile 9 – Kath still counting, longest mile ever.

1 hour 59 minutes and 8 seconds.

Spa Day

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Mum and I went for a Spa Day at the Devonshire Spa today. Here’s how it was.

 

We arrived at 9am, were given a robe, towel (too small, I like BIG towels, this was just a towel, it did wrap round me so it wasn’t tiny and it was fluffy and soft and nice but if it had been bigger it would have been perfect) and some flip flops each and shown the changing area and lockers and told to come back down to the lounge when we had got changed. Hm spa days. This means getting pretty much naked in a place that, in my mind at least, is likely to be full of skinny people. Hm. Remind me why I thought this would be a good thing to do. I reluctantly put on my two piece swimming costume pulling the vest as far down as it would go and making damn sure that my belly was securely tucked into the shorts. Then I laughed at myself, walked out of the changing cubicle, caught  a glimpse in the mirror and decided it was all fine. I still have thunder thighs and hippo hips and there’s a sort of miniature spare tire round the middle that wibble wobbles a bit (ok, a lot) BUT these thunder thighs and hippo hips have taken me round two marathons this year and there are definite signs of muscle, of quite a pleasing shape in the lower leg and above the knee. I look like an athlete because I am one.

Anyway, I digress. We sat in the lounge and were given a health and lifestyle questionnaire to fill in – how much alcohol do you drink, do you smoke, how much water do you drink… bla bla. We also got coffee and a biscuit. Then we had a little nosey around the pool area and the steam room etc. Quite soon it was time for our treatments – you get 2 25 minute ones included in the price of the day. I was taken to one of the downstairs treatment rooms and had my salt scrub first followed by a back, shoulder and neck massage. Both were divine but these things also come with dilemmas. This is not something I do very often so I never know what to expect. What to take off and what to leave on is always tricky. Thankfully the  therapist (is that what you call them?) was lovely and carefully explained that because the salt scrub tends to get everywhere she had left me some disposable paper pants out on the table. She left the room leaving me to strip (easy bit) and put the paper pants on. Who knew paper pants could be so anxiety inducing. What if they don’t fit? They’ll be made for skinny people! Breathe! I freed the pants from their wrapper and looked at them. It is impossible to tell which way round they should be and which are the leg holes and which the top. Trial and error (3 times) eventually revealed the right (possibly – in any event the only) way to get them on but I couldn’t really tuck my tummy in. Hmph. I jumped on the table and pulled the cover over me with seconds to spare. It must have been ok unless of course they train these people to not laugh come what may. The salt scrub was absolutely lovely and I was totally relaxed and un self conscious until the therapist suddenly said ‘Would you like your tummy doing?’ WTF? You can’t rub salt scrub into my tummy – you’ll sink, you’re hands might get lost in layers of blubber forever; and there’s not enough salt scrub. ‘Yes please’ I said.  And now I have a tummy that is as smooth as a baby’s bottom.

The treatment rooms are nice and have a shower cubicle built in so after the salt scrub I could just rinse off before the massage. That gave me the chance to abandon the paper pants and put my own little shorts back on. Much better with the (now totally smooth and lovely) tummy tucked in. After the treatments we sat in the rather grandly titled relaxation lounge which is actually a little room upstairs which leads to the two upstairs treatment rooms. It has 3 deckchair like loungers in it. We sat absorbed in our books for a while and then decided to go for a swim. We moved downstairs and bagged two of the 4 loungers by the pool. We had the pool to ourselves for quite a while and when people joined us we moved to the whirlpool for a bit. The pool is small – maybe 10m x 6m so when you have 3 people in it trying to swim it’s full and with 4 it’s too crowded really. Otherwise it is lovely though and because the whole things is like a barn with stone walls and wood ceiling I spent a fair bit of time on my back just looking at it.

 

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We spent a bit more time just lounging around, popping back into the pool, using the steam room and finishing off with another session in the whirlpool. Then we got showered and dressed and sat in the lounge for a little while before heading over to the Devonshire Hotel for afternoon tea (included in the Spa package for an additional 10 quid).

I had a lovely day and now I am home I am quite tired. I swam for a total of about 90 minutes today in 3 blocks and I never felt like I was working hard, I was just swimming along lost in my own thoughts, watching the light play on the wood above or listening to the water around me. Now though I can feel the exercise, I’m a happy sort of physically tired.

So the Spa. At 99 quid per person it’s not cheap but that does included the two treatments, drinks and a light lunch (which we didn’t have because we upgraded to afternoon tea instead). The Spa itself is small and there are bits of it that are beginning to look a bit tired – the shower door in the upstairs shower had a chunk out of the wood, the decking at the end of the pool where the loungers were is looking tired, the locks on the changing cubicles were temperamental. Because of the small size of the spa there are other things which aren’t perfect: I felt a bit like we were perhaps hogging the loungers by the pool a bit – there are only 4. The pool is full with 3 people in it and the sauna and steam room are also small – too small to spend any time in with people you don’t know very well really. There are only 3 showers – 2 downstairs and one upstairs and the changing cubicles are tiny. It made me long for the space of communal changing rooms – none of this privacy to get changed nonsense. It’s all very British – no nakedness please. Funny how I get concerned about not being able to tuck my tummy into paper pants but am more than happy to get changed in communal changing rooms.  Anyway, I’m being picky here – I had a lovely day and it was never really crowded. There are water taps and plastic cups outside the relaxation lounge and in the pool area and you can get warm drinks as well as water in the lounge. The lounge is a lovely place to sit and look out over the gardens and tennis courts.

There is a gym too but I didn’t bother. I had vague ideas about popping onto the treadmill for a bit but I was just happy  sitting, swimming, drifting…

I’d definitely recommend a day at the Spa for a special occasion and if you’re going, upgrade to the afternoon tea – you might as well. Who knew doing nothing could be so exhausting. I’m ready for bed!