Our first ever program on Siren FM was called The Reading Room, it went against the grain in trying to make a radio program about books and creative writing that was accessible – no oxbridge language here, I worked in a factory and read popular fiction. Lots of my colleagues read popular fiction too. So we made a program to appeal to them. It achieved some success that I wont embarrass you with now.
In our current program, Lincoln A to Z, we’ve acknowledged one of the few rules that Siren FM insist on – that every live program should have some ‘What’s On’ listings. We’ve gone about this a little differently too. We call it ‘City / Suburbs’, Jonny the programs esteemed producer, who lives in and loves the city, reads out the events that he fancies going to himself, and I a recent resident of the suburbs gives a largely fictional account of my slow acclimatisation to that way of life. One act of rebellion I regularly take part in is cutting the grass in my Green Day T-Shirt – just to show that I’ve not given up entirely.
This small streak of ridiculous rebellion has transferred itself to my running gear. The essentials are in place, the foot specific trainers to ensure that my knees don’t give way and of course the appropriate underwear. T-Shirts are non specific long sleeved items picked up in the sales to keep me warm during the winter training.
Its all in the shorts, my last pair of decent looking sports shorts, and by decent looking I mean down to the knee, have bitten the dust and its tricky to find a pair of sports shorts this time of year that hasn’t got that awful netting inside that isn’t quite underwear. So I’m resorting to the checked fashion shorts from last year (maybe year before) that have seen me looking resplendent at barbecues.
I’ve never wanted to look like a runner, that would mean giving in to the inevitable and growing up somewhat, I’ll know this has happened once I’m tucking my T-Shirt into a pair of ‘action slacks’. My main problem is that going running in the frost of late winter in my barbecue shorts is that I look like I got dressed in the dark and I’m late for something. I was about to give in and go to a sports shop when, yesterday I saw something wonderful – a man, a couple of years younger than me, on my street, out for a jog in checked shorts that wouldn’t have looked out of place at an outside party where all the meat was cooked to dubious standards.
For the first time in thirty seven years I have set a trend. If you’re not running in checked shorts this year then you might as well tuck your t-shirt in.
Paul Tyler presents Lincoln A to Z on Siren FM
@lincolnatoz
4 replies on “Lincoln 10K – Gear”
‘action slacks’ hahaha
Don’t buy in to all the exercise clothes hype. Wear what you’re comfy in with pride ….it’s not about the clothes you’re wearing it’s about the process. Only exceptions good trainers and decent socks.
Head torches seem to be very popular where I live. These are best left to the caving community in my opinion.
Plus what is it with high viz, being seen is important but some people waste money on full hazmat suits! Just get one of those thin strip reflectors to wear over anything rather than the expensive suits.
True about it’s not what you wear. One summer a few of us were running on Hampstead heath and this chap wearing squash shoes and a crap t-shirt joined us. He was American which figured with his accent. We thought he might be nuts and he certainly didn’t look like a runner. It soon became apparent that he was in fact Steve Scott the legend miler with over 100 sub 4s to his name.
We weren’t too rude as he stayed all summer.