I've got some new shoes on and everything's going to be alright

Two weeks down, 13 to go. Possibly not the most uplifting of training mantras but every week under the belt is an achievement.

To mark the training milestone, I indulged in some runner's retail therapy yesterday. I was long overdue a new pair of trainers and I realised the hard way that I did not have enough socks to get me through 4 or 5 runs a week, so I paid Sweatshop a visit.

For most runners in the UK, Sweatshop is probably a regular trip but I've never been to one of their stores before, mainly because they are not really conveniently located for my office or home. But I think it was well worth the detour, as I was very thoroughly checked out by one of their shoe fitters and am now the proud owner of a bouncy new pair of Adidas Salvation. I'm just hoping the name is not prophetic come November 1st.

I also replaced my now defunct Nike+ sportsband. This wonderful little toy is a great help with pacing runs, even if you did have to frequently recalibrated the old version. My old sportsband died a death back in May, along with most other Sportsband, and Nike have been busy refunding money and revamping the product at the same time. Fingers crossed Mark 2 works well, because it colour coordinates perfectly with my new trainers !

I didn't get to test out the new Sportsband on today's 7 miles, as it hadn't fully charged, but I did give my new footwear a good workout. I felt springy and bouncy, but suffered from a range of twinges along the way. It started with a pain in the left shin, which then moved to the right shin, which then moved to the right hip, then onto the left hip, then down to the left IT band. I'm hoping this is a natural reaction from my body to a brand new ride, not that the trainers were the wrong choice, but I think test driving the trainers may be a major feature of my programme for the next couple of weeks.

I'm now shattered and need to sign off and lie down. You might be thinking - what a wuss, knackered after 7 miles - but let's just say that I probably won't be drinking half a bottle of white wine on October 31st and leave it at that...

LON