Pages

home      my running story      races from the beginning      talk to me       product reviews      

Friday 25 October 2013

I'm All Spiky!!


Look what I got!! Swanky, right? 





However, I told a work friend about my new running spikes only to be met with a raised eyebrow and a sarcastic comment: “Really? With the amount you fall over?” Charming. Anyone would think I’m completely unable to stand upright.

He then followed this up with “You’ll do yourself a serious injury.” I wouldn’t mind but this is a friend I’ve run with before. And while there may have been a small amount of falling over. Ok. A LOT of falling over but this was due ENTIRELY to the fact I was wearing inappropriate footwear (road trainers during a particularly muddy cross country run). Something I’d hope to rectify with the purchase of the spikes.

For his peace of mind, I advised that I was planning on driving to a remote location and running around a field in circles until I was fairly sure I wasn’t going to be deemed a hazard. To others. I was still pretty confident I’d still be able to damage myself with the old tried-and-tested favourites: ‘stand on own feet and puncture toes’ and ‘get legs tangled while navigating tricky section and take chunk out of own calf.’ And not forgetting the good old ‘stand on own fingers while trying to tie laces’. 

I was also slightly confused as to the difference between track spikes and cross country spikes. I had a quick look online. Actually ... there didn’t seem to be a lot of difference. I used to have to run cross country at school in my hockey boots. It was muddy, miserable and cold. When I was about 13 I ended up in one of the school cross country runs once because I wasn’t paying attention and didn’t realise what I’d been signed up for. 

We turned up to a posh school with all of these other girls in their special running shoes while I stood there in my hockey boots wondering what on earth was going on. The gun went off and I sprinted about ¼ mile up a road with the all the other girls in a rush and then worn out, I went and stood next to a marshal who gave me one of his sweets. I then got bored watching everyone else so went back out and started overtaking as many people as I could finally finishing off 15th out of 60th. Very average. But I got a sweetie out of it so it wasn’t a complete loss. 

It must have put me off running though as I didn’t do any again until I was 29 when I started running on a treadmill ... but that is a whole other story ... 

14 comments:

  1. Tasty :) just more cushioned heel and longer spikes really more like middle distance spikes than sprint spikes which are less flexible :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh ok! That's really helpful! Thanks Paul!!

      Delete
  2. I wasn't sure if I should go with spikes or trail shoes - will let you know after Sunday if trail was the right decision

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's difficult to know isn't it? What did you go with in the end ...?

      Delete
  3. Yeah like Paul said- longer actual spikes. I'll just be using my fell shoes as theres no way I do enough xc to warrant specific shoes! But they are babes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cool - thank you! I don't really do much ... but was swayed by the pink-ness of them! (Plus they were only £25!! Woo woo!!)

      Delete
  4. Ha! Cross country school running put me off running too... if only I knew then what I know now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha yes definitely! I would have started running again WAY before I was 30!!

      Delete
  5. I love these beauties!

    I hated cross country at school but do remember by some pure fluke I'm sure managing to come second girl in one race lord knows how that happened maybe if I'd kept it up I'd be a better runner now :)
    Here's hoping no accidents in the shiny new spikes nothing worse than spiking your own hands or legs ouchy!
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love my new pink shoes!!

      Wow 2nd!! Awesome!! C'mon lady! Get those cross country running shoes on! :)

      Delete
  6. I'm incredibly clumsy and I've yet to spike myself in cross country spikes... But don't leave them lying around on your bedroom floor and tread on them in the dark like I did- not fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh ouch!! I'm wincing ready that!! Sounds even worse than lego and 'upturned plug'!! Eeek!!

      Delete
  7. Love that you gave up, nabbed a free sweet, got bored and finished 15th! That is so not average!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was probably the 13 year old equivalent of an energy gel!! ;)

      Delete