Tag: Nike

An expensive little run

Jess GuthLeave a comment

Today has been a funny day. We were both in funny moods and didn’t quite know what to do with ourselves. We lounged around in our PJs watching the replay of yesterday’s olympic action. As they were counting down to Mo Farrah’s 5km race we said we really should go and do something. We were supposed to do half mile repeats today according to the training plan- oh and we all know how I love those. Unfortunately for me (or fortunately maybe) Kath asked how far Saltaire is from here – maybe because I had suggested going for lunch a while earlier just to get out of the house. It’s not quite six miles from home and we figured we could do the half mile repeats going in that direction, have a little look around Salts Mills and then get some food.

So that’s what we did. I wore my new crop Nike running tights I reviewed yesterday and my new Salomon trainers I reviewed the other day. Hm. Ok the pants are fine – they stayed up which is always a bonus and they were comfy. However, there is a seam that runs round the inside which sits just under the draw string and that has chafed a little. I have had a bath and sat for a while but it is still red now – not sore though. I felt it most as we were walking home towards the end. The shoes are a different story. My feet were not happy, not happy at all. As I started running they felt uneven  and achey almost immediately so when we stopped I loosened the left one a little. The next interval was’t better – feet were really quite sore. After the third my feet were in agony, I think I cried a little. After the 4th I loosened both as much as I could but it didn’t really help. The shoes felt stiff rather than supportive and every step was painful.

Somehow I got to 6 and then 7 and then I thought I might as well finish. The last one actually wasn’t so bad – maybe because it was the last one or maybe because my feet were finally getting used to the trainers. There was no way I could push the pace though – it took all my focus to just keep running.

The distance was perfect for running 8 x half a mile with 3 minutes between each. We finished the last walk just a few steps away from the entrance to Salts Mill. We had a little look around and bought a few books and cards and then headed over to Don’t Tell Titus for some food and more importantly water. We sat and enjoyed their punjabi nachos, pita bread and hummus and some halloumi. Then we set off to walk back home but got drawn into a lovely little art gallery/shop and bought some more cards, earmarked some gorgeous prints for future purchases and then Kath bought me these gorgeous little earrings. I so rarely see any I like and I was drawn to these (they’re hard to photograph!).

So anyway, we spent a small fortune in Saltaire – I blame whoever designed running pants with credit card sized pockets for that one! It was too nice a day to bugger about with trains and/or buses running to a Sunday timetable so we decided to walk back home. It was a lovely walk along the canal. We saw mostly ducks and a swan or two but also a heron, a few wrens and other small birds and one very happy spaniel-type dog playing in the canal. There were other dogs too but this one stood out because it was so excited and happy to be playing in the water. We can learn a thing or two from that!

We went straight to our sheep rather than going home first because we thought we wouldn’t get going again if we stopped.We needed to move the girls to their bigger field as they have eaten the one they’re in now right down so we thought we might as well do that now. Luckily they were all in a good mood and were happy to follow me and the food bucket. Well when I say follow, once they realised where they were going they shot past me and I had to jog on behind! So in addition to our 5.2 mile run (well 4 miles of that were running), we also walked about 7 – probably a bit more- miles. My feet were fine once we’d had a little rest and on the walk home they felt very well supported and not at all achey. I’ll try the shoes running again but if my feet are painful again then they’ll be relegated to walking shoes and I’ll try and get a pair just like the previous ones which needed no real breaking in and were comfortable from the first run.

Right I’m off to do some yoga and get an early night. Happy running.

 

New Pants – Nike capris and crop tights

Jess Guth3 Comments

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.