Walk, don't run

Every piece of advice I've received about taking up running can be summed up in two words:

Don't.

Walk.

Or, at the very least, walk with short periods of almost-jogging. More sort of...joggling. Or jiggling. In my case, these tend to last a maximum of a minute and a half before exhaustion sets in.

I've determined to do any running where no-one can see me. And as there's a very nice walk around part of the Hillswick Ness, involving some flat ground invisible from any houses, I can stroll off nonchalantly and try some fast waddling with only the gulls watching.

So...I got back from work at 5.00 pm to find it was light and, in fact, quite sunny. Off I went. There's even, as the tide was out, a beach for me to do my Chariots of Fire jiggle/joggle. I find the slow motion bit comes very easy.

Teetotal day eight: Send for the lifeboat!

As you will see if you check out my booze blog over at Drinking for Scotland, I'm currently engaged in 30 days of alcohol-free existence. Which is proving both surprisingly easy and oddly irksome. This is today's post:


Third fierce coffee of the day. Dave Hammond and his German TV producer colleague arrived aboard the Charles Lidbury, the Severn-class Aith Lifeboat. I was out for a wee walk-cum-jog along the Ness of Hillswick when I heard its motors, and then she (why is it 'she' if the name is Charles?) came powering down Ura Firth with a bone in her teeth. Thrilling sight. The RNLI is my default charity. Let's face it, as Mr Hammond says, if you live on an island and mess about in boats, it's not giving to charity, it's insurance.

By the way, it's quite a calm day, misty and warm for winter. That picture's courtesy of the RNLI.

Meanwhile, Susan, used to long stretches of teetotalism due to being on call, assures me that after a fortnight you just stop thinking about alcohol. I suppose it's a sign of its importance in my life that, while I have no real compulsion to have a drink, it's on my mind a lot. But, hey. It's 30 days. And there's always caffeine.

Just started John Bingham's book No Need for Speed: A Beginner's guide to the Joy of Running. The fates seem to be ganging up on me, dangling trainers and trackie bottoms. At the moment, I feel vaguely sick after jogging 100 yards. Mr Bingham's 'walking and jogging' regime seems sort of civilised. We shall see. Bicycles seem more fun.

Back in Shetland, and the new vinyl countdown begins!

Lovely trip back to Shetland in bright sunshine, and a nice smooth flight. A very short trip away - two nights - and a great time was had in Alva, as part of the BBC Radio Scotland Soundtown project. Hugely impressed with the musical quality of the pupils...watch out for Gamu Nhengu, who will be a star before anyone knows it, and for the breathtaking State of Mind,5th-year pupils with real verve, attitude and firepower. Lead singer's a dead ringer for the young Stephen Pastel, as well. You can hear yesterday's show, with those very live acts, on BBC iPlayer and there are pictures and the video for the school's comic relief song The Haggis, on the BBC Radio Scotland website.

Meanwhile, I'm grateful to Hendo/Steve frae Kelso and the excellent Electric Roulette website for news of all kinds of action on old-fashioned, but hopefully on-its-way-back-bigtime vinyl. Cohen singles, Dylan singles and more.

But it's the 'From the Capitol Vaults' project is almost too good to be true. Nurse! to the Linn Sondek-Ittok-Asak!

Soundtown agogo

It's years since I've been in Alva...I'd forgotten how spectacular the setting is, with the Ochils soaring behind the town. Fine day, too.

Tremendous enthusiasm here at Alva Academy for the show - three school bands are set to perform, we have a quiz between teachers and pupils and some other teachers are being sent to detention...whatever that means. More importantly, there are fantastic cakes from local baker Baynes. There's the first radio play too for the single 'Haggis' written and performed by local pupils and teachers, all proceeds to Comic Relief.

All between 2.00pm and 4.00pm on Scotland's national radio station...or check out iPlayer if you miss it.

Marketing radio: the viral video solution....

This was mentioned, somewhat sniffily, by Ed Stourton on this morning's Today Programme (Radio Four: the wife insists). But then, he isn't in it. Perhaps he wasn't up for wearing a posing pouch. Sure beats a red nose...

It's part of an experiment conducted by the programme on so-called viral marketing. It's a bit clumsy and too long, but it does illustrate the concept, I think. And all kudos to Evan Davies for agreeing to...participate so fully. Watch and wonder.
Notably few viewings, incidentally, but I am writing this before 9.00am...

Today want to know how far this video spreads through people like me blogging, tweeting or emailing it. Well... I think I've given them enough help.