morrison
-
Posts
921 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Store
Posts posted by morrison
-
-
Thanks for the replies. Cheapest I could find was the Soleus 1.0 but the GPS seems to be rubbish, and the basic Garmin isn't that much more expensive.
0 -
Anyone on here up on their gadgets?
Up until now I've planned my routes beforehand, ran with my cheap stopwatch and worked out overall bits and pieces afterwards, but I'd like to try mixing things up a bit but lack the technology to monitor pace/distance as I go beyond a basic feel. The price of even the cheapest Garmins frighten the life out of me - is there anything out there that will do something close at a more sensible price? I may well be being entirely unreasonable with these demands.
0 -
How did you get on, Disco?
Horrible weather for it yesterday. Ran the Rock 'n' Roll half a couple of minutes slower than my Berlin time, but waited for 1hr 15 to pick up my bag afterwards. The organisation was really poor - you'd think there'd never been a windy day in Scotland before. Still, they've made the right noises on the facebook page to the feedback. It's a great course so I hope they sort it out.
Edit: My left knee and foot are in bits today. Running shoes staying off for a while now, I think.
0 -
I'd say it could help, DB. Interval training's really something I need to add to my running routine (if you could call it that). Some of the other posters will be more up on the benefits than me, but I intend to use it to help add a few more gears to go through on longer runs.
I'm not long back from the half-marathon in Berlin. It's utterly flat, was a sunny day, and a new PB of 1:34:53. Properly chuffed, but a bit tender today.
Considering signing up to a marathon, but you'll never get me near any of the ultras!
0 -
This is brilliant. Fairly unbelievable in August - December 2012, but bloody brilliant.
0 -
It was a funny game. Munster had just about all of the ball in the first half but Glasgow get two breakaway tries and end up six points up. Glasgow much improved in the second half though, well deserved.
Even Edinburgh won last night, that's two on the bounce for them.
0 -
Not long back in from just over 9km in 42 mins. Happy enough with that.
Also got my race number through for the Edinburgh Rock 'n' Roll half marathon on 14 April. Anyone else on here planning it?
0 -
Managed a hilly 7.7k in 38 minutes this afternoon...struggled with the ascents after the kilomathon but I know I need to build them into my runs. Planning a flat 15-16k over the weekend.
0 -
Ran the 13.1km Kilomathon this morning in 1 hour 2 mins. Really happy given I was targeting 1hr 5.
Was a baltic morning for running but at least it stayed dry for most of it, only heavy rain for the last couple of km.
Can't beat finishing inside Murrayfield!
It is brilliant, isn't it? Put on a wee "sprint" for the adoring fans once I entered the stadium, which I'm sure they appreciated
Agreed on the conditions; a few big puddles to dodge and in complete contrast to the sunshine and warmth of last year, but chuffed to finish over 5 minutes quicker.
Next run's the Berlin half-marathon in 3 weeks.
0 -
11:22:63 - Stephen King
Story about a teacher who goes back in time to stop Kennedy from being assassinated and the butterfly effect that it presents. Nice wee nods towards IT and a feeling of impending doom when in Derry, a fictional place in Maine that King uses in IT and this book.
8/10
Has anyone read The Stand by Stephen King? Recommended?
Yes, highly recommended. I don't know if it needs to be said, but the unabridged version is the way to go. Also glad you read IT before 11:22:63 for exactly that reason - I almost feel sorry for people who miss out on that connection.
Recently finished One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, which was superb. This is being read as a Book Club pick and a few folk are struggling with it, something I can't understand. I was engaged throughout. Some people have told me the film's even better but I haven't seen it yet; I find that hard to believe.
Now reading Master and Margarita after reading one or two really positive reviews on this thread. I initially found it difficult to keep on top of who was who as characters have multiple names, but that aside it's been excellent so far.
0 -
Was looking at running the kilomathon in Edinburgh in March has anyone run that before?
I ran this last year. It's pretty flat; the one thing to watch out for is they release the 6km race onto the track 30 mins after you set off from Ocean Terminal - I had to put on a quick sprint to get past and prevent myself being swept up. Enjoyed finishing inside Murrayfield, that was a good feeling.
0 -
The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson.
Imagine, if you can, that Carl Hiaasen had written Forrest Gump. I downloaded it because it had a decent rating and was only 20p from the Kindle store and I'm really glad I did. It was an easy read, it wasn't at all predictable, it was quick to get going and entirely unrealistic and nonsensical, but in the same way that Forrest Gump was (it doesn't expect you to believe it, it just expects you to find it amusing), so it's ok.
I've just downloaded that, and put in my queue. Because it was 20p.
I read this a few months back. It really was great fun. It's incredibly silly but that's where all the enjoyment is.
0 -
Finished Che Guevara's Bolivian Diary. I didn't know much of Guevara apart from the very basic attachment to Cuba, and this diary of his last guerilla effort comes complete with an introduction by Fidel Castro. Worth a read, I'm tempted to track down the Congo Diary now. Anyone know if it's worth the trouble?
Gulliver's Travels. Tricky to get used to the language but the story itself is a good one. Beyond Lilliput I was completely unfamiliar with it, but I enjoyed each part more than the previous. Takes a bit of persistence, though worthwhile.
Now reading Standing In Another Man's Grave. The return of Rebus.
0 -
I'm watching, but similarly don't like either player particularly. I'd rather see Murphy win out of the two. Murphy made a cracking break to win the first frame tonight but it's not been "vintage" snooker since. I have to admit I haven't seen as much of the tournament as usual this year, just haven't got round to it.
0 -
I need help here, I have heard nothing but good things about Terry Pratchett but I have never actually read any of his stuff. I have to admit I have been meaning to get round to it but I keep putting it off. I dont know why, but when i look at the titles in Waterstones or somewhere there are just so many of them that I really dont know where to start. Can anyone advise what's the best starting point in the Pratchett library?
I'd normally answer Colour of Magic here, but considering the time of year, I'll change that to The Hogfather. It's a Christmas effort of sorts, and brilliant (as a lot of them are).
Recently finished The Book Thief and From Russia With Love.
I absolutely understand why The Book Thief has become the big deal it is; I loved the writing from the prologue almost right the way through. The suspense is spoiled a bit in that the end result is revealed during the course of the telling, but the story is engaging and the characters interesting. There are a few beautiful moments too. 9/10.
From Russia With Love was my first Bond novel. Have I missed out by skipping? I thought probably not. It's part of an omnibus edition, including Dr No and Goldfinger. At a little over 200 pages, the first 70-odd were scene-setting pages on the Russian side, but it felt necessary. Bond, when eventually introduced, wasn't painted as the invincible individual most of the films lead us to believe he is, even the way it ended showing a much more vulnerable 007. Quite enjoyed this, I'll be reading more. 8/10.
0 -
In the last week I finished Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl. This collection of sixteen adult short stories contains brilliant efforts such as Skin & Galloping Foxley, to the weird in William & Mary and Royal Jelly, to the dull, like Edward the Conqueror. Why it finishes on that low point I don't know, but the beauty of short stories is that the pain's over quickly in the bad cases and there'll be something in there for everyone. Four of the first five stories involve gambling, it seems to be a fixation. Anyway, 8/10 I'd say.
I also finished 11.22.63 by Stephen King. Finally got round to it after several positive mentions earlier in the thread. King's an excellent storyteller and I loved 90% of this book. It went a little slowly for me around the ¾ mark, which may well just be my impatience to get to the main event but it still seemed to drag. I enjoyed the characters and the references to earlier work. The ending was strong. 7/10.
Currently halfway through The Dark Side of the Sun by Terry Pratchett, a sci-fi novel.
0 -
20000 Leagues Under the Sea.
I enjoyed this, but was fairly regularly looking up the various sea-creatures I'd never heard of before. It was an educational experience.
I've recently read The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon which seems to have won a lot of plaudits but is somewhat devalued by having a "rushed" letter written by an endangered character explain away 90% of the mysteries of the book towards the end. "Rushed" because it's 100 pages long, and devalued because it's a lazy cop out. 3/5.
The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson is self descriptive. Oh, and it's brilliant. There are two main stories, one in the present day - he climbs out of the window in the opening pages - and the other following Alan's first 100 years as he traipses through life bumping into famous figures through the 1900's. Both stories are farcical and very entertaining. 4/5.
The Death of Grass by John Christopher is an apocalyptic novel in which a virus spreads across the globe killing all grasses. This is a tricky book to sell but it was a gripping read. Set in the UK, Britain is largely unaffected as the virus causes havoc across Asia, but when it does reach the island it devastates overnight, law and order breaks down and it's everyone for themselves. It's short, and well worth picking this up. It's the best thing I've read in the last year. 5/5.
0 -
So Nadal pulls out of Paris and London. Probably doesn't make that much difference to Murray considering they'd only meet in the Paris final and they'd be kept apart in the group stage in London, but thought it should at least get a mention.
0 -
I had a couple from the running club do this and thought it was a good event. The music every mile kept them going.
I've taken a good look at this but I'm running the Berlin half marathon the week before. The course is much better than the EMF one in May.
0 -
The Great Edinburgh Run was a much tougher course than last year. The Abbeyhill section so late in the run was a killer, and after the first 1.5k of steady uphill and a couple of others, I really wasn't prepared for it. Walked for a bit after the steep climb, and didn't feel clever for having to stop. Crossed the line in 45m26s. I was hoping for sub-45 but hadn't trained properly for this. It's quicker than my 52 minutes last year, and as I say, a more challenging (and annoying) route.
Wasn't greatly impressed by having so narrow a stretch of road from 1.5-4.5km. There were too many runners of mixed abilities crammed in at that stage which lead to quite a few complaints.
Well done to the guys above, agree with all the comments too.
0 -
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
This is a potentially good story that starts with a 10 year-old boy that discovers a novel in "The Cemetery of Lost Books" that shapes his life from that point. It's set in post civil war Barcelona.
Without going into any great detail about the plot, this has promise but most of the twists are signposted so blind people could see them coming, a chunk of the explanation of events is handled in a pretty poor way and the book should have ended 6-8 pages before it did. The rubbish at the end was not needed and didn't add anything other than length.
It doesn't help when I felt no empathy for the main protagonist, the only likeable character being his sidekick.
It may just be me, one of my friends describes this as the best book she's ever read. It's just that I think she's wrong.
0 -
I'd prefer a Friday night to a Sunday lunchtime kick off. I've also got the Friday booked off, so not much hassle for me.
£10.90 singles from Edinburgh and Glasgow get in to Inverness at 18.28. The Edinburgh train joins the Glasgow train in Perth at 16.13. How does that work for folk?
There's an earlier train at the same price that gets in at 14.13 if people are really keen to get there early.
0 -
I've just seen this posted on my news feed:
Person 1: Auschwitz. Enough said.
Person 2: So Jealous. X
Person 1 is on holiday in Poland, but Person 2 could not have chosen a worse post to respond to like that. Unreal. That was two hours ago, no other responses.
0 -
Ted - 4.5/10. Disappointing in all truth.
Bourne Identity - 7/10. First time I'd seen it. A good watch at a quick pace with very little messing around. Will be watching the rest over the weekend before this new release comes out so any references are understood.
Oh, and Take Shelter was fantastic.
0
P&b Running Club
in The General Nonsense Forum
Posted
I'm a bit of a technophobe, having only got (as a hand-me-down, of course) my first smartphone a couple of months ago. Installed the Mapmyrun app only find out my phone doesn't have GPS! I've landed a second phone to try, GPS definitely included.
Something to distract me while my foot continues to recover from Sunday's run...