But running? running is scary.

Only a little. But it's always made me more tired than what feels like an equivalent amount of any other kind of exercise, which makes me feel it's doing some good; and also it's something you can do without any special equipment, preparation or other people. If I want to play badminton, for example, I've got to find at least one other person, book a court, and arrange a time of day; if I want to swim I've got to go to a pool, and so forth. All I need to go running is a tracksuit.

So, how far do you run then?

I never feel tired after running - the "collapsing, unable to breathe" kicks in far too soon for me to do enough to feel tired.

I'd play badminton with you - only I haven't got a racquet.

I've started slowly: this morning I just went once round the block (Courtney Way / Gilbert Road / Carlton Way / Metcalfe Road), which took me something like five minutes. That was a ridiculously small distance, but I wasn't confident enough of my fitness level to try two laps at this stage. (It's been a while since I last did any exercise other than walking.) In fact I managed to get through the initial puffing stage and hit a decent rhythm about half way round, so I might try two laps next time.

You are *so* much better than me at running it's untrue - going the other way round that loop, I can just about manage to get within sight of the One Stop before my lungs give out. Completely. For ten minutes or thereabouts (unless I've got my inhaler with me).

How much walking would you say you did - I'm trying to work out our relative fitness levels. (so I can work out how much of a strop I should throw at my lungs) Or is this an "I don't do any exercise, only about an hour a day" level of exercise?

I make a point of walking to the Cherry Hinton Tesco to get my lunch most working days rather than using the sandwich shop inside the main ARM building; that's about a 20-minute round trip (not counting the faffing at checkouts). I visit the Gallery most Sundays, which is a 15-minute walk there and another one back. I try to walk into town when I go shopping at weekends, which might come to an hour of total walking time, but that doesn't happen most weeks for one reason or another. So I might guess at an average of perhaps twenty minutes of walking a day, or perhaps slightly less. Any journeys longer than that I tend to drive for.

When I was living at the Gallery and working in Bateman Street I used to walk 45 minutes to work and 45 minutes back again every weekday; now that gets you pretty fit without needing much extra deliberate exercise. It's been years since I did that, though...

Hmm, that's the kind of total amount of walking that I do per week as well. Although not at the moment cos I'm cycling it!

I'm proud to say that I have no idea how far I can run before that happens, because I never run more than about fifty feet.

...and a suitable pair of shoes? I suppose one could go running in Doc Marten boots, but that seems a little silly.

I think I get just about reasonable amounts of exercise simply through not owning a car. Going to the supermarket (and back) is about a 5 mile bike ride, going to the cinema about 4.

Running is evil. Walking is better.

Seconded. Running only saves time - it uses about the same number of calories per mile as walking; walking is just slower, gentler and kinder to your joints.

I started running quite some years ago, after an exercise gap. I ran too much, too quickly, and now one of my knees is buggered. I can still walk everywhere quite happily, I just can't run very far.

I was born with a hole in my heart. I'm not allowed to run.

Are you allowed to cycle? Or swim? Or do anything aerobic?

I don't have a bike. I'd rather have a private pool. Yes.

Hmm, so what is it about running that is especially bad? - all the others will raise your pulse loads as well.

Pass.

Is that pass as in "Pass out on the floor"?

Maybe. This evening I shall be hoovering. How exciting.

Oooh. I'd really like a new hoover! I'd really like one of the ones with a nice HEPA filter actually. Especially if it could cope with picking up strands of (my) hair.

Aren't they horribly expensive (like sofas - don't get me started)? Our house has lots of hair.

Yes, they are horribly expensive. Which is why I don't have one. Now if only you could get Equipment Necessary For Dealing With Life Threatening Allergies on the NHS then I could have one. (cue standard whine number one :-)

How do you cope? You can borrow ours if you like. I remember having one of those push along roller ones in the 80s.

I cope by taking medicine* for it and by taking simple precautions like being careful to stand in front of the hoover, not sleeping on the floor etc etc.

*It's not like a food allergy where you might go into anaphylactic shock and just drop dead. If I stop taking my medicine I wouldn't die instantly, I'd have a decline in lung-function-wossname over a matter of days and eventually it would be irreversible**.

**Er, based on the fact that it typically takes about 3 days - 1 week for the hospital to reverse it when my asthma gets bad.

Ooh, gosh, it sounds terribly melodramatic, doesn't it? It intimidated everyone who ever visited me in hospital way more than it intimidated me.

How do you cope with messy carpets? It'd drive me mad.

Oh, that. Dustpan and brush after the hoovering.

But I thought you said you didn't have a hoover.

No, I said I'd like a nice new hoover with the posh filter. I'd like a nice new one because my current one is rubbish not because I don't have one.

Ohh, my bad. Must actually read replies.

When I first read this I thought 'hoovering' was new slang for binge drinking. As in "Me and the lads are going hoovering down the Regal tonight."

An evening at the Regal would suck.

I wish. I haven't had a drink for weeks - I'm trying to be healthy/it's too hot. Regal? *shudders* Although I was in there on Sunday (cos it was convenient for the Rats) and they do seem to have lots of cheap (for Dahn Sarf) drinks.

Of course they're cheap-for-Dahn-Sarf. The Regal is a JDW.

Sigh, I remember a-pound-a-pints in the student union bar in Manchester. And the 50p tequila shots in The Subway.

Are we, mate? Cool. Who's coming?

I am afraid it was a hypothetical situation. I'm going home tonight. But we could meet up for some serious hoovering sometime later this week (or next week, which would be better).

Can I suggest some hardcore 3-way dyson action with you, me and vorno soon. But perhaps we could take this discussion out of someone else's LiveJournal...

We could go to the Calling tonight though, as I'm sure you'd love to get gothed-up.

Bastards, can't you wait a fortnight and come along when I'm not to shattered to come too?

Um, sorry SimonT - I kind of lost track of the fact that we were spiralling off into a discussion attached to one of your posts, and completely disconnected from your diary. Please accept my apologies.

*Here endeth the thread*