The wonders of warm-ups (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

The wonders of warm-ups

4:05pm Tuesday 17th June 2008

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I've made a few discoveries this morning.

The first is warm-ups - these things are amazing! They should advertise them or something, they could revolutionise athletics...

I got a book at Christmas (The Rough Guide To Running - essential reading for the joggingly inclined) and a mere four months later have opened it. And low, there are whole pages dedicated to the exercises you should be doing before you start exercising. It's a real eye-opener.

You may feel an idiot swinging your arms and nodding as if you've lost the use of your neck muscles, but it works. Helps if you make sure no one is watching, mind.

Turns out Scamp should have joined me as I limbered and stretched in the garden before we set off, as for the first time since I started on this escapade he ran out of energy before I did. Hell of a way to measure progress, but he's got less buttons than my pedometer-thingie and is easier to read.

My other discovery is to do with the pooch.

Myopic he might be, but he can spot a pair of headphones being inserted at 20 paces. You can see his little canine cogs turning as he studies the hand actions, spots the dangling flex, puts two and two together and leaps into action. He doesn't get this excited when he smells a Schmacko (other dog treats are available...).

Finally, I discovered where my iPod's original headphones were, so I am no longer running around seemingly holding my ears on with a bright pink flex dangling from each lug-hole.

All I need to discover is a way to get paid for curling up and going to sleep after a run. Some dogs have all the luck...

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