Cut to two months later. You have your place, you’ve got your new trainers and you’re about to go on your first long-distance run. Off you go…

3 hours later, you stumble home; pale, knackered, nipples bleeding and chafing so bad that you look like you’ve won first place in a John Wayne look-a-like competition. Slumped on your sofa you think to yourself, what went wrong?

A common mistake in training for a long-distance run is starting too strong too soon. Prepare well and you should have no trouble achieving your goals.

Build up gradually.
If you’re not a regular runner or it’s been a while, your first two miles will open your eyes and you should find it quite difficult (when I first started running again I was nearly sick). Don’t be disheartened and try not to push yourself too hard. Forcing yourself to run further than you’re ready for can lead to injury and will slow down your training.

When running at regular intervals you’ll find that you’ll improve very quickly. It’ll become easier to increase the distances slightly each time you go out. Annoyingly, when you stop running that improvement drops off just as quickly.

Check the weather.
Last weekend I went out for a 10k, bundled up in a hoodie, woolly hat and jogging bottoms. After 10 minutes of running the sun came out with a vengeance and I was sweating so hard I couldn’t see. Draping a hoodie around your shoulders might scream catalogue model but it’s a serious pain when running. Check the weather before you go out and dress accordingly.

Plan your route.
The last thing you want happening on your run is getting lost and running two miles extra than you had planned. Personally, I use Google maps and write street names on my hand like a London cabbie. There are plenty of route finders out there like the Gmaps pedometer or Map My Run. Sites like these actually show you other peoples’ running routes so don’t be surprised if someone is following you during your training.

Nutrition.
I’m lucky enough to get sent a lot of nutritional products as writer of this blog. I have had a chance to test out products like Wellman Sport and Focus Energy Shots. Some PRs have even sent through boxes of Nairns Oatcakes, CLIF bars and even offered me children’s milkshakes as sustenance before going on a long run!

While all of these provide the carbs you need before a run (maybe not the milkshakes) there really is no substitute for a big bowl of pasta the night before. I’ve even been told in the past to eat so much pasta that you’re on the verge of throwing up. While I expressly do not condone gorging, a healthy sized portion the night before a run is a perfect way of fuelling your body in preparation for a long-distance jog.

Lube up!
Before I discovered Body Glide (or initially Vaseline) chafing was a very serious problem for me. It can happen anywhere; between your toes, by your armpits, between your thighs and (most painfully of all) on the nipples. The first time I ran more than 5 miles I experienced it and it will completely ruin your run once it has set in.

And don’t just think you can put up with the pain. If you experience it, it will affect your running style and all you will want to do is start walking so the pain will stop. One of this blog’s earliest posts was on chafing. Read up.

Take money.
If you pick up an injury (or the chafing becomes too much) you’ll need a way home. Taking a phone with you may be to much of an inconvenience so fold up a £10 note and put it in your sock. Don’t forget that you could be miles away from home when something happens so having a bus fare will give you piece of mind.

Take a drink.
Is your run likely to last more than an hour an a half? If so, it’s probably worth you taking a bottle of water with you. Personally, I’ve done a half marathon without a bottle of water before. But if it’s hot and you haven’t hydrated properly before a run then I wouldn’t advise it.

Rest.
Running 7 days a week might make you think you’re the Six Million Dollar Man and some people do it. But your body will have no chance to recuperate and you’ll increase your likelihood of becoming ill. Many people pick up a cold before a marathon because they’ve overdone it. Get a good 8 hours the night before and don’t go boozing.

Our friends over at ASICS have kindly offered us the chance to visit their flagship store in London. One of the earliest blog posts at Sir Jog A Lot was a post on choosing the right trainers. For those attempting long distances, picking the right trainers can only really be done when you know what style runner you are.

To accurately judge your running gait, ASICS can provide a full 3D foot scan. Jenny Meadows, bronze medal winner at the World Championships in Berlin, took a trip to the store to do just that.

There are 9 different events to choose from on the day. Obviously the main event is a full marathon, but also available to participate in is a quarter marathon, 10km walk, ‘mini’ races for children and a handcyles half marathon. However, the most popular distance (with over 3000 more entrants than the full marathon) is the half marathon.

The starting point is a 20 minute train journey away from the finish line, in La Tour-de-Peilz, a cool 13.1 miles away. Handily, your running number is your train fare, but the train runs almost side-by-side with the running route, painfully showing you just how far you have to run to reach the finish line back in Lausanne.

1:30 pacer

The standard of runners is very high in Switzerland. The fastest time in 2009 was a 1:05:58. Brilliantly, this means that there are pacers everywhere. These athletes, with coloured balloons strapped to their backs, position themselves at the correct starting points and run at the right pace, so that if you follow them you will match the time written on their balloon. I followed the purple 2:00 balloon (having not trained nearly enough and feeling very out of my depth). I didn’t see a balloon with a pace slower than 2:10 on the day, which goes to show the calibre of the runners there.

The actual race was fantastic. The road back to Lausanne follows the coast line of Lake Geneva. With the lake on your left the entire journey, you pass through some incredible countryside. However, this does mean that the level of support is very sparse. While you do pass through a couple of small towns, there aren’t many people around to cheer you on until the last half mile. This race is the first that I have run with headphones. Obviously, at one point an ambulance used the route, which I of course did not hear and was pushed to the side of the road by an angry Swiss man. Luckily, my French wasn’t good enough to understand the profanities being hurled my way.

Drink stations were frequent and the road was wide enough to allow a good spread of runners. It was quite congested at the start and around the pace setters, but after the half-way mark the congestion had thinned out. The course did seem to be a constant uphill climb, albeit not very steep.

I crossed the finish line (outside the Olympic Museum in Lausanne) after passing the 2 hour pace setter, in a time of 1:58:13 (a personal best for me). Considering I had only really trained by doing one long run each weekend for the previous month, I was very pleased. The cool weather and clean air must have played a part!

The Lausanne Half Marathon is a very well organised event. It costs around £30 to enter and for the number of people participating the facilities are impressive (ample toilets, free pasta party, an expo, good quality medal and a courier system to transport your belongings to the finish line).

You can enter here for next year but if you do I have three pieces of advice for you:

1. Learn how to convert kilometres to miles. Being a European country, all distance markers are in kilometres and I was forced to do some tough maths in my head to work out if I was going at the right pace to finish in a good time.
2. At the finish, make sure you park your car at the bottom of the hill. Lausanne is full of incredibly steep hills and walking up them at the end of a 13-mile run is not recommended.
3. Hang around a little at the end. If the podium frees up enough you can get some great pictures!

My two running buddies, Gemma and Matt

If Paula Radcliffe has one bit of advice for runners, it’s don’t scrimp on shoes. Getting your gait analysed can mean a pair of trainers could last you a year, instead of a few months. You’re also far less likely to pick up an injury.

However, this isn’t always an option. You might not live anywhere near a sports shop that provides such a specialist service (I know, can you believe that not every trainer store is equipped with a treadmill, a 3D foot scanner and a gait analysis expert these days? It’s scandalous!). If money and specialist athletics shops are a problem, then a possible solution is a pair of SOLE Custom Footbeds.

SOLE contacted me a few months back (we actually gave away a pair of their Platinum Sandals in our recovery competition) and offered me a set of their footbeds to test out for myself. The idea is simple. Most good trainers these days have removable insoles. You simply replace the standard insole with SOLE’s version and viola! The trainers that previously gave you blisters or an awkward running style, are now custom designed for the shape of your foot.

The Custom Footbeds are moulded to the shape of your feet in one of two ways. You can either wear them for a few days and bed them in, or you can use the oven in your kitchen to heat the new insole and mould them to fit in a few minutes. Once heated, you just slide them in your trainers, slip them on and stand up straight for two minutes while they set.

It’s a great idea. For £35 a pop, you could turn your old trainers into the most comfortable shoes you have ever worn. But, if your oven is anything like mine (a UK oven, measured in Celsius, not Fahrenheit) you can accidentally overheat the footbeds and ruin them. Which is exactly what I did.

It’s a real shame because if I’d checked the instructions correctly (I’d only had a few months to read them!) I’d have noticed that the footbeds need to be heated to 200°F (90°C). I’d overheated them by a full 110°C. The softer black rubber underneath contracted, meaning that the top layer curled around at the toe end, becoming too narrow for the shoe.

Luckily, the kind people at SOLE have provided the SJAL blog with another pair. But instead of me foolishly ruining this set, we’ll be giving them away to one lucky reader to test them out for themselves!

You can enter in one of two ways…

Sir Win A Lot

1. Post a message on Twitter by clicking this link and follow @sirjogalot (so we can message you if you win) or…
2. Answer the following question:

AT WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD YOU HEAT THE SOLE CUSTOM FOOTBEDS TO IN A CONVENTIONAL OVEN?
Click here for a hint!

A. 90°C

B. 80°C

C. 70°C

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

*Winners will be contacted either by email or Twitter and announced on 4th November. Your email address will in no way be distributed to third parties. Entry to UK residents only.

If only we each had a personal running track.

1. Conkers
   The horse-chestnut tree, while being a picturesque addition to your local park and fueling you with the fresh air you need, spawns a sea of spherical chaos. Running through your local park in the Autumn is like a scene from a Tom and Jerry cartoon, with Tom desperately trying to keep balance while slipping under a floor of marbles.
   .
   Luckily, the majority of conkers that have fallen overnight will have been collected by small children and conker champions by lunch time.
   .
2. Dogs on leads
   Never underestimate the speed at which a dog (no matter how small) can change direction. The result can mean one of two outcomes. Either, you’ll have to increase speed to avoid a nip at the ankles (for some reason, like the postman, a jogger is too much temptation to avoid). Or, the lead will create a temporary trip wire that you will have to hurdle to avoid either tripping or breaking the poor dog’s neck.

3. Cyclists
   The unwritten hierarchy of the road is as follows. Cars, Cyclists, Joggers, Pedestrians. However, cyclists play by their own rules. Pedestrian crossings don’t apply and the path (sidewalk) is a slip road to them. Listen out for the warning ‘Ding Ding’ of the biker bell, which literally translates to ‘You have been given a clear warning of my approach. I will not be held responsible for what happens if you do not move’.

4. Other runners
   On facing an oncoming runner, perform the following:
   • Establish eye-contact as early as possible.
   • Choose one side of the pavement.
   • Adopt an authoritative stance and do not deviate from your line.

   This will hopefully avoid the dreaded (and embarrassing) ‘you go left, no YOU go left and I’ll go right’ scenario.

5. Little kids
   Like its canine companion, the human child has an inherent need to chase down a jogger. However, instead of attacking, the child will mimic a jogger’s actions and engage them in a race. Do not be tempted. You have been running at a strict and steady pace and most young children have not yet succumbed to the perils of fast food and cigarettes. You will not win.
   .
   
6. Pigeons
   Be on the lookout for the lonely old man sat on a bench with a loaf of Warburtons in his hand. You might not have spotted it yet, but there’ll be a large group of birds in a feeding frenzy near his feet. Approaching a lone pigeon at jogging pace is no problem. The bird will simply hop quickly around you or fly off in another direction.
   .
   However, when startling a large group of huddled birds, the only direction the birds can go, without bumping in to each other, is up. Right into your face. To avoid a face full of feathers, scream and flap your arms wildly in a movement that is not unlike a pigeon itself. If you’re lucky the birds will spot you in good time.
   .
7. Cars
   On a serious note, spotting a car emerging from a side road as you run along a pavement can be tricky. Keep your eyes open and check your blind spot (look back at traffic approaching from behind), especially if you are wearing headphones.
   .
   Motorists, like cyclists, are unpredictable and oblivious.
   .
8. Dog Poo
   Smelly and slippery, canine faeces usually comes in waves (groups of neighboring dogs usually working together to snare oncoming joggers). Cleverly, dogs arrange their mess in strategic positions, roughly one stride-length apart from the other, to trap joggers as they try to weave their way through.
   .
   On spotting a dog defecating your local park, all joggers are obliged to reprimand their owners and report them to their local council.

9. Tourists
   The ultimate nemesis of any jogger. Tourists have no spacial awareness and are always looking up (at surrounding buildings or monuments) or through the lens of a camera. Coughing loudly isn’t going to work. On spotting a group of tourists, take evasive action immediately. Cross to the other side of the road (if that is an option). However, if your path is single file, there is only one option.

Speed up, charge head first and repeat this phrase…

Je suis très désolé!

• Stretch
  Probably the most important thing you should do immediately after your run is stretch. It will help increase the length of your stride. You’ll also flush out lactic acid and prevent an injury creeping up on you over the next few days. Position your stretch and hold it for 10 seconds. Do not bounce. Some people believe that stretching can sometimes cause injury (muscle tearing etc). While this is true, injury normally occurs when you stretch cold, tight muscle (i.e. before a run). Stretching warmer muscles (which they will be after a run) should be fine. Check out Brad Walker’s book, The Anatomy of Stretching for more information.
  .
• Refuel
  Make sure you take on plenty of water as soon as you finish. This will replenish the fluids you’ve lost in sweat as you’ve been running. A good way to check that you are hydrated enough after a run is to look at the colour of your urine. If it is darker than usual, drink more. Drinking sports drinks and using sports gels or CLIF Shot Blocks will also replace electrolytes so try to do this as you run. Once you are back your body will be screaming out for you to replenish your glycogen stores. You’ll need to stock up on carbs and protein so get a banana down you within 20 minutes of getting back.
  

• Keep warm
  You’ll feel understandably hot after a marathon and keeping warm might be the last thing you want to do. But the foil blankets are there for a reason! Your defences are weakened after a long run and as your body loses heat you’ll increase the risk of infection. Your muscles will also become stiff. Cool your body down gradually by keeping moving (strong walks will loosen the muscles).
  .
• Sooth those aches and pains
  If you have picked up an injury, or you find that one part of your body is aching more than usual, then rest that area. Massage gels like Jointace, Blue Active Gel and Tiger Balm are useful for reducing inflammation around the knees or the lower back. Alternatively, grab a bag of frozen peas or have an ice bath.
  .
• Get a massage
  If you’ve just finished a marathon and ran for a charity, a lot of charities provide free sports massages at the finish line. They can be pretty intense though so you might want to ask the masseuse to take it easy on you. If you’re in training, chances are that you won’t be able to splash out for a sports massage every week so try out the Scholl Percussion Massager (£49.99). One of the detachable heads has a group of rubber pinpoints that really loosens your thigh muscles. It also has a detachable handle so you can do your own back (if your other half won’t oblige)!
  .
• Aerate your feet
  Get those soggy socks off quickly and let your feet breathe. The moisture that can accumulate in your shoes during a long distance run can lead to infections. Change into dry socks immediately after your run. Better still, wear flip-flops around the house. It’ll also mean that blisters will heal more quickly. SOLE’s Platinum Sandals do the trick nicely as they have an orthopedic  footbed (rather than a flat piece of rubber) that supports your arches and are much more comfortable than standard flip-flops.

Sir Win A Lot

For a chance to win a huge goody bag full of products that will help you on the road to recovery, including:

• 8 Jointace patches (www.vitabiotics.com/Jointace)
• A tube of Jointace massage gel
• 6 CLIF Shot Blocks (www.clifbar.com)
• 2 pots of Blue Active joint gel (www.blue-active.com)
• A pair of SOLE Platinum Sandals (www.yoursole.co.uk)
• A Scholl Muscle Therapy Percussion Massager
• 4 sports books (The Anatomy of Stretching, The Anatomy of Sports Injuries, The Anatomy of Pilates and Stability, Sport and Performance Movement)

… all you have to do is either…

1. Post a message on Twitter by clicking this link or…
2. Answer the following question:

ACCORDING TO THIS ARTICLE, WHAT IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU SHOULD DO AFTER RUNNING?

A. Eat

B. Stretch

C. Sleep

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

*Winners will be contacted either by email or Twitter and announced on 12th October. Your email address will in no way be distributed to third parties.

On the rare occasion that you actually spot a shirt that hugs the biceps and doesn’t flap around in the air conditioning from your local gym then go over, shake that person’s hand and ask them if they’d like a running partner. The likelihood is that this person has finished the JPMorgan CC in under 24 minutes.

Every year business moguls in their thousands turn up to one of their city’s finest parks to run the JPMorgan Corporate Challenge, an event now over 30 years old and so popular that it boasts nearly a quarter of a million entrants each year across the globe. Part of its popularity is probably down to the length of the race; a manageable 3.5 miles. This gives even the hardest working city trader time to put down his or her Blackberry a couple of times a week to train.

If you’re lucky enough to get a place then the first question you’ll be asked is whether or not you think you can run 3.5 miles in under 21 minutes. If you think you can then you’ll be given a red sticker and, on arrival, you’ll be ushered to the front of the line to be given a relatively clear run to the finish. If you don’t then be prepared for an elbow-jousting scrap for one square-foot of asphalt at every other step.

The London event is hosted at the beautiful Battersea Park and is a utter schmooze-fest. If you’re a client of one of the corporate giants attending then you’ll be in for plastic glasses and private portaloos. If not, feel free to be intimidated by the size of another company’s hospitality tent and get in the queue for the sub-£5 million-a-year toilets.

It’s a very crowded race once you’ve managed to get over the start line so don’t be expecting to be beating any PBs. You’ll be lucky to get under a minute over your usual time (the London race actually ground to a halt during one bottle-necked corner). The atmosphere makes up for this though. Each year all companies compete in a t-shirt competition and this makes for an interesting read as you progress (this year’s London event was won by Tudor Capital). There’s also an award for the fastest ‘most senior executive’ and, as you can imagine, an incredible amount of money is raised for causes across the globe ($600,000 to charities and even more for not-for-profit organisations).

At the end you’ll get the fabled JPMCC t-shirt and if you’re quick enough, you’ll get one in your size! Wear it with pride.

Okay, so you’re a competent runner. You’re a 10km pro, perhaps have a few half marathons under you’re belt, and maybe even a marathon and, towards the end you’re usually overtaking – and that makes you feel good. But, when the time comes up after the race, there’s a nagging doubt that perhaps you could be doing better. But how? How can you shave off a few minutes here, some precious seconds there, and start to improve those times? Well, thankfully, here are some tips to help you smash that PB:

1. Race everything
   
   You see that other runner plodding along 60 meters away? Yeah? She’s going to win £1,000 instead of you unless you catch her in two minutes. Oh and that tree blowing innocently in the wind? It’s going to fall on you unless you’re past it in under 45 seconds. Basically: find motivation, whatever it is, to make yourself run faster than you need to. Overtake other runners, see how long you can stay ahead of a cyclist coming up behind you, imagine a dog is about to attack you, and so on. Anything you can do to exert extra energy will help you reach a new level of fitness. And it’s fun too. This is essentially the Swedish running style known as Fartlek (Speed Play) and is a good way to have fun, and increase your speed, while out running.

2. Push yourself
   
   Perhaps this will sound obvious but you’ve got to push yourself. This though, needn’t mean running like Usian Bolt and sweating more than Lee Evans, it just means easing yourself from a position of comfort while running to one of, well, a bit less comfort. Next time you find yourself ticking along nicely, gradually start to accelerate. Nothing major, but a slow, steady increase, so that after about 200 meters you’re doing a good speed. Now maintain that pace for about three minutes, or as long as you feel comfortable with, and then ease back down to a comfortable pace. Speeding up gradually and then easing back down will help to shift the boundary of your most comfortable running speed to one that’s slightly faster than before.

3. Time yourself
   
   Investing in a good watch is a great way to go faster. Being able to accurately record how fast and how far you’re running while out and about provides you with a much better way of being able to assess your ability. And using the Fartlek running style (mentioned above) means you can put a specific speed and/or distance limit on each sprint you do – say, 0.4km at 4.30 minutes per km. Garmin, the most well-known brand, have watches that start at around £60 on Amazon and a little shopping around will help you see what seems best.

4. Plan your race
   
   This is the time when you might feel like an obsessive runner. Pick a race that’s flat, on a smooth surface, and avoids laps. Have a good breakfast (and a banana) and make sure you’re there in plenty of time to warm up. The race itself is also something you need to plan. The first 3km could dash any hopes you have if you go too slow or get caught in a crowd, so get to a good position in the start and ensure you begin at the pace you’ve planned for. Through 3km to 8km, you want to find that rhythm you’ve built to in training and stick to it: this is where your fancy watch will come in handy, telling you your exact pace, and alerting you if you’re going to slowly, allowing you to pick up the pace before you fall too far behind. Then over the last two kilometers really push it home, using the adrenaline of the race environment, the knowledge you’re close to home, and the fact you’re about to smash your PB, to really shave off as many seconds, or indeed minutes, as you can. Hopefully, this will see you home in your best time yet; and there’s something intensely satisfying about that.

Only trouble is once… now you’ve set it you’ve got to break it again. Back out on the road you go…

For those that have just started running, whether you’re looking to lose a few pounds or you’re keen on running more competively, a 10k race is a great first challenge to really test your endurance skills.

If you’re a fully fledged marathon runer, 10k is a nice distance to keep yourself in peak physical condition during those winter months and is a fantastic platform to start improving your long-distance times. Because of this, the 10k running race is one of the most popular events in the jogging community.

Here are 5 tips that will ensure that you’ll run and finish a 10k race in the time you’re looking to:

1. Pick your training plan:

   You’ll need to decide on the training plan for you. This will depend on how seriously you’re going take the race and how far in advance you’ve been given to train. Annoyingly, unless you’re a regular runner, it can take a number of weeks to significantly improve your distance running so if your race is in a couple of weeks then getting round will be your main goal. Runner’s World and Cancer Research UK (beginners and advanced) have some good 10k training plans that are based on how long you have until race day.

2. Choose the right clothes:

   If you’re new to running then you might be inclined to dust off those old trainers that have been lying in the back of your closet and start pounding asphalt. Don’t. Trainers are the most important tool in a runner’s arsenal and are the one area you should never skrimp on. Visit a recommended athletics store to have your gait analysed and pick up the shoes that are best suited to your running style. Your posture will improve and you’ll avoid unneccesary injury. With shorts, shirts and socks stick to light material and try and avoid heavier fabrics like thick cotton. This will hopefully reduce friction between thighs and armpits and will ‘wick’ away sweat should you get hot. Find out what you feel the most comfortable wearing (and how much leg you’re happy with showing off) and get plenty of…

3. Practice:

   Unlike training for a marathon, 10 kilometres is a distance that you can perform at the end of each week that’ll leave you enough time to recover for the following week. Get a few 10k practice runs under your belt and try to discover what sort of times you feel comfortable with. Some may manage to crack the sub-one-hour mark on their first attempt. Others may struggle, but you can save yourself a few surprises by having a go around your local park. Use the Google Maps distance measurement tool or the GMAP Pedometer to map out the 10k and work out some split times based on landmarks on your route. It’ll come in handy come the big day as you’ll know whether to slow down or speed up as you reach each kilometre mark. If you’ve got the wallet, there are plenty of GPS tools you can purchase, like the Garmin Forerunner.

4. Prepare:

   It might not be a marathon, but that doesn’t mean that a good bowl of pasta the night before won’t go down a treat on race day. Stock up on carbs , pin your race number to your shirt and plan your route to the start line the night before. The last thing you want is to arrive late at the start line and exhaust yourself getting there, or worse still, miss the race!

5. Pace yourself:

   It sounds like simple advice, go steady and you’ll make it all the way round, and it is simple. But the amount of times I’ve been passed in the first mile of a 10k race, only to overtake them by mile 4, is absolutely astonishing. Your aim should be to obtain the much-heralded negative split time, where you run the second half of the race faster than the first. If it’s your first race you will almost certainly get caught up in the mad rush at the start and launch into a 4-minute K pace. You know your body, so you should know your extremeties. The rumours that the crowd will keep you going are only true so far. If you run too fast at the start you’ll struggle at the end and you’ll leave the race feeling disappointed and upset with yourself.

Last night I went for my first, post-marathon jog. In 4 weeks I’ll be re-running the first race event I competed in, the Bupa London 10K. I’ve set myself a target of getting round in sub-50 minutes. Last year I couldn’t quite break the 55-minute mark but after training for (and completing) a marathon I should be Señor Speedy Jogales.

First things first, I need to keep my level of fitness exactly as it is. I’d had 9 days to recover from the marathon (which I’d spent eating and drinking myself into a stupor) so I went out on a 3-mile jog around Blackheath. As I mentioned in a previous post, it’s important to have another goal or milestone to focus on after the marathon to stop yourself getting the post-marathon blues (sometimes caused from the lack of endorphins produced during regular exercise). Plus, this time Sally is running with me, so I’ll have a bit of extra encouragement.

I also had a new toy to play with. Just before the marathon I was approached by a digital PR chap who had “an opportunity that I think might interest you” and two weeks later this bad boy arrived in the post; an mp3 player designed specifically for running folk.

Herein lies the dilemma. Do I keep my integrity, send the mp3 player back and continue to write the SJAL blog posts for free (or without perks), or do I sell out, review the thing and keep it? From the title of the post you can guess what I did! To be fair, I’ve already plugged a fair few websites and running products and if this PR agency thinks that my audience (you guys) would benefit from whatever they’re trying to get in the press then I’m more than happy to review it.

So here goes… my first review:

I ran the three miles with the Sony Walkman W Series and it was the fastest three miles I’ve ever run (something like 21 minutes). Unfortunately, the reason for my speed wasn’t due to the inspiring music that had been pre-loaded on to the device, but simply because I didn’t want anyone to see me with this thing attached to my head.

The mp3 player is built directly into the headphones and the cable that connects the two, wraps round the back of your head. The theory behind it is brilliant. It gets rid of the annoying dangling cables (that you’d normally have to tuck underneath your shirt) and allows quick and easy access to the controls so you can play, pause, change track and adjust volume really easily. In practice, however, the device is clunky, uncomfortable and a little unsightly. I’m quite a self-conscious person (for the longest time I had issues running in a pair of shorts that show any leg above the knee) so I felt uncomfortable wearing a bright white device* that resembles two bluetooth headsets. You can’t even cover it with a hat because your hat won’t fit!

If this doesn’t bother you (and you have the right shaped head) then you’ll love this device and you’d have no reason not to. The sound quality is brilliant. The headphones resemble the MDR inner-ear series (I have a pair of these and the sound quality is unmatched for the price) and once the device is securely in place there’s no moving it. I’m no Paula Radcliffe head-bobber but the W Series stayed in place throughout my run. It charges in 3 minutes (using a slick little docking station that comes with it) and can hold 2GB worth of music (about 500 songs).

My advice, try before you buy. The cable that connects the two earpieces doesn’t have much give and if your head isn’t quite the right size then it’ll feel odd and you’ll be constantly trying to adjust it, rather than focusing on your run. I was so busy trying to adjust it that I nearly locked myself out of my flat.  It’s a shame because the concept and the functionality works so well.

Sir Jog A Lot rating: 3/5

* The W Series also comes in black, purple, pink and yellow