An article in the New Scientist (15 July 2009) “The Calorie Delusion: Why Food Labels are Wrong” says that according to a small band of researchers, using the information on food labels to estimate calorie intake could be a very bad idea. They argue that calorie estimates on food labels are based on flawed and outdated science, and provide misleading information on how much energy your body will actually get from a food. Some food labels may over or underestimate this figure by as much as 25 per cent, enough to foil any diet, and over time even lead to obesity.

The problem appears to be based on the method used to calculate calories – burning small samples of food in controlled conditions and measuring the amount of energy released in the form of heat – whereas our bodies don’t incinerate food, they digest it and digestion – from chewing food to moving it through the gut and chemically breaking it down along the way – takes a different amount of energy for different foods.

Read the full article in the New Scientist

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There is a marathon here in the UK called the Neolithic Marathon which starts at the ancient stone circle of Avebury and ends at Stonehenge and is most definitely on my “to do” list.

In the meantime I have devised my own Neolithic Half Marathon, a 13 mile route which takes in some Neolithic rock carvings on a mound near to where I live. Not quite sure what Neolithic man would make of Garmins and GPS navigation and running for fun. But I love looking at the rock carvings and cup marks and marvelling at their existence over thousands of years and the connections they represent with the past and speculating as to their meaning.

Today however I did not linger speculating for too long as in true Scottish summer fashion, it started raining.

Neolithic rock carvings

Neolithic rock carvings

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Had another wonderful hill run on Saturday. Another beautiful day weather wise – sunny with a bit of breeze – just one of those days when it’s good to be alive. Taking in the views from the tops, the purple heather starting to come into bloom in the pass and swans on the reservoir near the end – it was just a run that was good for the soul. There’s not much else to say. Distance approx 10 miles.

View from South Black Hill

Heather coming into bloom

Reservoir view

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I enjoyed a wonderful run out on the Pentlands this morning. (I use the word “run” euphemistically – there was a certain amount of running mainly on flattish and downhill sections, some v slow plodding on uphill bits and some walking on v steep bits!).

The weather was near perfect – sun with a breeze – was glad I’d remembered to apply some sun cream, and everywhere looked lovely.

I find the hill runs such a different experience from road running. I love the variance of pace. On the long road runs I can get fixated with maintaining or achieving a certain pace and can spend most of the time watch watching. On the hills, at the moment certainly, pace is not an issue. Getting to the top of uphill sections without expiring is the goal and then enjoying the downhill and flatter sections where I can stretch out and go a bit faster. There is also not the same mental challenge of coping with monotony as there is in the LSRs on the road. In fact, I extended my planned route today because I was enjoying it so much.

As to how far I went, I’m not sure until I can persuade hubby that a Garmin 405 would make a lovely (late) birthday present or (early) Xmas present! Armed with string, a ruler and a Harveys map I reckon somewhere 10 – 11 miles.

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This week I’m holding back a bit on the mileage and having an easier week. I don’t actual find this that easy to do and get a bit “twitchy”.

Last week’s mileage I think is the most I have ever done in 1 week – 37.5 miles and by Sunday I was feeling tired and slept for about 10.5 hours on Sunday night.

Looking back I have been building up the mileage gradually.

Last few weeks look like this:

20.10m, 25.8m, 27.5m,  27.7m, 30.3m, 13.5 (hol week), 35.7m.

So with some advice from hubby I agreed to cut down a bit this week and I do feel my body is saying it needs a bit of a rest. Mind you, this humid, muggy weather is energy sapping anyway!

I was just thinking about how much my attitude to running has changed – at one time I would have jumped at the chance to have rest days and do less, now it’s the opposite. But I know I need to be sensible and I certainly don’t want to get injured. So I will take good advice and try not to get too grumpy or twitchy!!! I am planning however a little hill run for Saturday or I really will go mad!

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Last week I was in Portugal for four days. Being of the Celtic red haired, fair skinned variety, hot sun and I do not really get along that well. So I went armed with sunhat, factor 50 – and my running kit. I fully expected to dissolve in a heap after 5 mins running in the heat but was pleasantly surprised. I went out three days before breakfast for a three mile stint along the coastal seafront path. Whilst it was hot it wasn’t humid as it was on the coast so I really enjoyed it and the thought of the views and lack of rain was a good incentive to get out of bed early.

Cascais, Portugal

What amazed me was the number of other people of all shapes, sizes and age out either running or walking. I have never encountered so many other runners on any route before.

Even at night at 10.30pm when we were sitting in one of the many seafront restaurants enjoying the local fish (see below) there were still loads of people out running. It certainly seemed much more of a norm that it is here.

Fish platter

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Brushing teeth has just got a whole lot more complicated. Let me explain..like most people I brush my teeth morning and night but I have also been absorbing a daily dose of Feet in the Clouds (absolutely brilliant read about fell running). Now, I hear you ask, what on earth do fell running and brushing teeth have in common?

As some of you may know from previous posts I have dodgy (technical term) ankles and have been utilising a wobble board to try to strengthen my ankles. So on reading that the author of FITC used to clean his teeth while balancing on one foot to help strengthen his ankles for fell running, I thought let’s give this a go.

I have now proved to myself that indeed I have very very dodgy ankles. I literally fell over the first time I tried it and let’s just say I’m glad this bit of training is unobserved as I wobble precauriously while trying to brush my teeth and not land in a heap on the bathroom floor. Things can only get better from here……I suppose one positive side effect is that my dentist will be happy with increased time spent on my teeth!

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Further details on Camelbak Flashflo

• Easy way to carry over 1L of fluids on long runs
• Plenty of storage for keys, bars, etc
• Compression straps to stop bouncing
• Sits comfortably on waist with no movement
• Handy clip to attach tube from bladder to your top so drinking on the move is easy

• Can feel quite heavy when full but still easier than carrying bottles.

TechnoTrotter says:

I tested the camelbak on two consecutive days – the first hill walking (up Tinto hill in Lanarkshire) and then the next evening on a 7.5 mile hill run in the Pentland Hills.

Walking with it was absolutely fine and after a while I was hardly aware of it.

When I started running with it at first it felt uncomfortable and bounced a bit, however this was because it was not adjusted correctly. I needed to fasten the waist belt first, positioning the pouch correctly then tighten the compression straps. You can hear the water swishing about a bit at first (but it does that in any container, handheld or otherwise) and after a while you don’t notice it. With the belt properly adjusted the pack did not move at all and sat comfortably in the small of my back and did not require any readjustment for the duration of the run. As the water level decreases it obviously weighs less and you are less aware of it.

I can’t think of an easier way to carry up to 1.3 L as well as have storage for bars, keys etc. An excellent purchase for hydration for longer runs.

Camelbak FlashFlo

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Yesterday evening I had the most wonderful run. You might find it strange I say this as it was one of my slowest and more difficult but I loved it. We had waited until the evening in the hope that it would be a bit cooler (not usually the problem here I might add!) and set off into the Pentland Hills.

I was testing my new Camelbak FlashFlo waist pack for the first time and after a slight readjustment we were off. I can only say I know why people can get addicted to running in the hills. There was just no comparison between this run and one done on pavements. The hills were swathed in golden evening light, the moon appeared in a cloudless blue sky with the trees silhouetted against it and there was peace.

We covered 7.5 miles taking into West Kip, East Kip and Scald Law. Yes, I had to walk on the steeper bits and my downhill technique is sadly lacking (or completely non-existent might be more honest) but these things can be worked on and improved. For the present I drank in the surroundings, the fresh air, the stillness, and loved every minute of it.

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For me running means freedom. When I run I feel free – and it frees me from all the stresses and things that worry me or at least they don’t seem so important by the end of the run. Even on a bad run day, I have never come back wishing I hadn’t gone out.

Today I got back into the Pentland Hills for the first time in ages. All the training for the Lochaber marathon in April was done on roads. (I trained for my first Dublin marathon mostly in the hills and really felt it when I had to do 26.2 miles on tarmac – so I learned my lesson that my long marathon training runs needed to be done on pavements).

Anyhow, I realised today how much I’d missed the hills – even when the rain came on (as it seems to do a lot at the moment) it was so much nicer than running in streets in the rain with cars flying past. There is no monotony in the hills. The hills mean real freedom – for me the freedom to plod on and push myself that bit more and, as I look round at the higher hills, consider what challenges I can aim for in the future.

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