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...for the Military

UK Gear’s training shoes were originally designed in association with the Royal Army Physical Training Corps (RAPTC). These elite fitness professionals were closely involved in the development and tested our products in some of the most inhospitable conditions on Earth. Only when approved by the Military do we consider our products... Built to survive.

Cambridge Evening Post - Trainers to Go

>>17 May 2005

Lisa Millard and Louise Cummings put new trainers through their paces.

I joined a gym in February and needed to pep up my sports wardrobe. My trainers were more than two years old and well past their performance date. But it was July and still I had not bought new ones. The reason I was holding off was that I find buying trainers confusing and difficult. There are just so many types that I don't know where to begin. Eventually I found the Asics website which is packed with information and has a shoe advisor section that works out which sort of running shoe is best for you.

I opted for a Gel 100TR that retails at £50 because, as a cross trainer, it works well in the gym. The cross trainer offers stability for weights, resistance, cushioning and flexibility. It sounds technically impressive and, believe me, I need all the help I can get. I also invested in a special pair of Kayano X Socks, for £8, which have no seams to prevent friction.

So to the gym. I worried that my first session might result in blisters as I broke my trainers in. But there was no discomfort, not even after 20 minutes power walking on the treadmill. Also my knees, which can be complaining, have been unusually quiet since I have been sporting my new shoes. And, I must admit, they look fantastic. Now I just have to get the rest of my gear up to speed - LM

Feet first: The Gel 100TR, £50. Asics are stocked at Grays Sports, Sidney Street, Cambridge. Stockist tel: 01925 241041, www.asics.co.uk

Q What type of trainer is the Asics Gel 100TR?

a An angry trainer
b A cross trainer
c A furious trainer

Send you answers on a postcard, with your name, address and daytime telephone number, to: Trainer Competition, Style Magazine, Cambridge Newspapers, Winship Road, Cambridge, CB4 6HF. Entries to arrive by July 31, 2005.

www.style-magazine.com

I never intended to get hooked on running but what started as a few miles per week training for Cambridge's Chariots of Fire race has grown into a bit of an addiction.

However, as I continued to clock up the miles I was concerned that I might be storing up problems for the future such as 'wear and tear' injuries to my joints and muscles. So, when I was approached by British sportswear company UK Gear to run Race for Life - to raise funds for Cancer Research UK - in a pair of trainers tested by the fittest people on the planet, I positively jumped at the chance.

The running shoes, named the PT-03, have been produced in conjunction with the elite Army Physical Training Corps (APTC) over an 18-month period. Instructors at the Aldershot-based APTC used the shoes in all their training, which included track, trail and road sessions and punishing hill-running exercises. One senior officer who covered more than 800 kms in a pair of PT-03s described them as 'outstanding'.

When I began running I was wearing a pair of bog-standard trainers and as I increased by distance I noticed, unsurprisingly, that my knees began to ache. However, after well and truly breaking my PT-03s in on a five-mile run (which included hills) I was pleased that I suffered no aches or pains. That's probably down to the fact that they have multitude of special features including a four-stage shock absorption and flexibility system, anatomically aligned grooves that echo movements of the foot and skeletal support struts.

It is great to be able to run without worrying about being in agony for hours afterwards and now I feel like the sky is the limit … the London Marathon could be next! - LC

The PT-03, which has a recommended retail price of £79, is available from the UK's top specialist running stores and major sports shoe retailers including Sweatshop and The Athletes Foot. Customers can also order shoes online at www.ukgear.com or by calling the company direct on 0870 403 1440