As much as I am usually motivated and positive towards my running, there are days (or even weeks, sometimes!) when I just don't feel like I am getting anywhere - in fact, some days (like last Sunday's long run!) I almost feel like I'm going backwards! Each run will feel just as hard, my speed will feel slow.. and upping the distance just seems unnecessarily torturous! It's at times like these when I find the need to start checking - and recording - my fitness. Yes, the last run may have felt just as excruciatingly painful as the first time I ran the same route, but does that really mean that I am just as unfit as I was a month ago? Well, no. It doesn't. The last time I ran, its more than possible that the wind was behind me, pushing me along rather than battling against me as it did this week. Or I could have been running across dry, firm ground rather than a treacherous bog - there are many factors influencing each run, and without an accurate, repeatable measurement to use to track my progress, it's impossible to truely see how far I have come.
Of course, if I was more organised (or just slightly more inclined to...), I would keep an accurate record of each run - time, distance, route, pace, weather and ground conditions - all very valid and useful factors which would allow me to compare the terrible run to the great. Now, I can truely see the benefit of this, and when I first started running I had every intention of doing just that - I even brought a brand new, smart notebook to record it all in (inner geek emerging again...!). Trouble is, when it comes to it... I can always think of better more interesting other things to do!! And if you don't record ALL of the runs, somehow it all seems a little pointless. And then I find that none of the training gets recorded.. and I have no comparisons to make!
Not feeling inclined to carry on with a 'training diary', despite its obvious benefits, I turned instead to fitness testing. Now, early on, this 'fitness test' was such a vague indication of how I was doing that I didn't really even acknowledge that that was what I was doing! The basis of this 'indicator' was a long hill which, when first attempted, I couldn't run up. At all! I would literally get about 3 strides in and just have to give up (Like I said in my previous post, hills were never my favourite...!!). So, each week as I re-attempted the hill, I would make a vague note of how much further I could run. Them, when I could run the whole way, how long it would take me (the first time was nearly 13 minutes...!!). Seeing the steady progress as I reached the top in less and less time was great motivation and a good feeling of satisfaction! All well and good, but these days I can get up the hill in my average running pace, without too much difficulty - great to compare to the early days, but look at the more recent weeks and they are all they same, simply as that is the pace I want to be going at!
So, having 'lost' my usual indicator of fitness, I needed to think of some others. The first, and easiest one to go for was my resting heart rate. Easy to take, and no need for any equipment - simply count your pulse for 30 seconds before you get up in the morning (lie resting for 5 - 10 mins first), multiply it by 2, and write it down. Quite simply, as your cardiovascular system gets fitter, your resting pulse will get slower, as your heart is more efficient at pumping blood around your body (and therefore needs to pump less often). Do this everyday, and as an added bonus you can detect early signs of overtraining - if your resting heart rate increases, it can be a sign you are over doing it, and you need to decrease the workload for a few days.
Still using heart rate, you can also measure your recovery rate - simply do a set amount of exercise, and then time how long it takes your heart rate to drop back to a pre-decided level (e.g reduce by 50%). Again, the fitter you are, the quicker the recovery time!
The above 2 methods are quick and easy, and will show you an improvement in general fitness. I, however, wanted more detail! Specifically, I like to know that I am getting faster, stronger, and that I can go further... so, more tests needed! these are the ones I now use on a monthly basis:
1. Measuring speed - For this, I use the Coopers 12 minute test. Again, straight forward - warm up with a gentle jog, then run as far as you can in 12 minutes! You need to be able to accurately measure the distance, and you need a stop watch... and thats it! Obviously, as you run faster, you will go further :-)
This test has the added bonus of also allowing you to work out your VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen you can uptake and use - so important for runners!). The formula for this is:
VO2 max = (22.351 x km) - 11.288
or VO2 max = (35.97 x miles) - 11.29
You can compare both your distance covered and VO2 max score with published data on athletes... I don't, simply as I find I am better when just concentrating on improving myself - but simple to find on Google if you want!
2. Timed lap - Again, measuring speed. Simply mark out the distance you want to use (400m, 800m or 1 mile - anything is fine as long as you keep it the same each time!), warm up with a 10 minute jog again, then run the distance as fast as you can!
3. Core Strength - Good core strength is essential to keep running without injury. For this, use the 'dreaded' (I hate it!) plank. Just time how long you you can maintain it for - the longer the better!!
4. Distance - This is one that I use the treadmill for. I start with a 10 minute jog, the reset the treadmill and start the test by running at an easy pace (I start at 8.5km/hr). Increase gradient and speed every minute by a set amount (you choose but keep it the same for each time you repeat the test!) - until you can't keep up! (take care here and don't overdo it - don't go falling off the back!!!). I then note down distance covered, and use this as a guide to my fitness levels and endurance!
So, all tests which I can do easily and without any additional cost (if you don't have a stopwatch, you may find one on your phone!). Obviously, if you can do these on a treadmill, you eliminate weather and ground conditions which can influence results - but do them outside and it more closely resembles your race. So, choose either - but make sure if you do one test one month on the road outside, don't then compare to the treadmill the following month - consistency will make each test more accurate!
Having had a few weeks of warmer weather recently, I felt distinctly unprepared when the temperature suddenly dropped back to sub-zero. Not only had I somewhat prematurely removed all ice/ snow scraping equipment out of my car (optimistic I know but I had made the decision that it was now spring, and we all know there is no ice at springtime....??!), but I had also made myself a nice, healthy salad for lunch. Appetising when the sun is out or you are toasty warm already... less so when you are hunched up, shivering and surrounded by people wafting past with freshly microwaved steaming bowls of soup or delicious smelling HOT curry from the canteen. Which I couldn't go and buy because, in the absence of a proper ice scraper, I had used my bank card to enable me to see out of my windscreen that morning, and it hadn't survived (it also hadn't cleared much of the ice off my car, so a universally stupid choice of equipment - teach me to make decisions before my morning coffee!).
Inspired by the spicy smells of curry, I have therefore spent the best part of my Saturday morning cooking up a weeks worth of warming soups for the days ahead, along with some delicious homemade bread to serve it with - proper 'comfort' food with a healthy, runner friendly kick! The soup which I sampled today - and which definitely smells the best! - is my Spiced Pumpkin soup. This is a recipe my mum gave me last time that it snowed, and its the first time I have actually tried to make it - I would call it a success :-)
Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Peel, de-seed and chop 750g of butternut squash or pumpkin and add to a lightly oiled (I use the spray oil) large saucepan with a bunch of chopped spring onions. Place over a low heat and cook with the lid on for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Grate or chop a 5cm piece of ginger and add to another saucepan with 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2 de-seeded chopped red chillies, 2 lemongrass stalks, split lengthways and a handful of chopped coriander stalks. Pour 1.2 litres of vegetable stock into the saucepan and simmer gently, with a lid on, for 20 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool before blending, then sieve into the saucepan with the pumpkin/ squash and blend again until smooth.
Return the blended mixture to the saucepan and add 400ml coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and the juice of 1 lime. Reheat and stir in a small handful of chopped coriander leaves before serving. If you like it extra hot and spicy, you can add some thin slices of red chilli as well!
I usually find if I make this quantity, I can make it last the week on it's own, or freeze if you want to keep it longer.
And now I have finished both cooking, eating and writing.. I'm going to have to brave the cold and get out for some training!!
When I first started running, or rather, when I first started admitting that I was running, I was instantly flooded with a barrage of well-intended advice. Most of it useful, and pretty much all of it geared towards preventing me getting injured (I clearly look like I break easily..!!). The advice which was flung my way with varying degrees of force included:
1. Give up...! The most common piece of advice from those closest to me...! Reasons varied from the fact that I already spent of my time running around like a headless chicken trying to fit a million things into each day (and therefore constantly being late for EVERYTHING, something that drives my boyfriend slightly mad...) and had no time for new hobbies, to the fact that it would cripple my knees/ back/ feet.. and potentially all other body parts which could be broken as I trip over my completely unco-ordinated limbs.
Each of these points I can argue against (with the exception of my co-ordination, or lack of it!). Running, clearly, will make me faster. I get around faster, I can do more stuff! Plus running helps me think, so my days will be more planned, structured and organised (or at least, they would be if I actually thought about that kind of stuff when I run rather than my usual daydreams..). As for the crippling effects, they can easily be prevented with the correct shoes/ running form/ cross training/ conditioning/ stretching... etc etc, as per advice given within the lists below! In fact, reading the latest Womens Running magazine, I actually found evidence that running can protect your joints - perfect :-)
So, that piece of advice I could happily ignore without any regrets. The rest of it? Well, that can be divided into:
a) Advice I took and appreciated.
b) Advice I thought was good, but still ignored - and then regretted not taking.
c) Advice I genuinely intended to take.. but just never got around to. Until it was too late...
Now, seeing a physiotherapist for an injury assessment fell very firmly into the last of those categories. I could very clearly see why this was a good idea - in fact, it was something that I was keen to do, thinking it would be interesting to see which bits of my body 'worked' and which bits didn't, and have a detailed, effective plan of injury prevention personally (and professionally!) tailored to me.
'Keen to do' and 'will do', however, are two very different things, and the 'book an appointment with a physio' remained sitting quietly at the bottom of my 'To Do' list. I will be honest here and admit the main reason for this was money - an appointment may not be expensive (the ones I looked at ranged from £25 to £40 for an initial consultation), but it did involve spending cash.. and somehow other things always seemed to crop up first! New shoes (category A, along with some gait analysis, and best buy ever!), new running jacket, new running socks, energy bars and gels to try.. the list of things a runner can spend money on is surprisingly endless!
That was, however, until I had an email (via Twitter) from Velocity Physio in Brighton. I had won a free appointment! Perfect timing, I thought - my weekly mileage was now the highest it had ever been and I had been starting to become slightly more concerned about whether my legs would be able to keep up with the pace. Not that concerned, obviously, as it took me 2 weeks to get around to organising the appointment. Which was booked for 3 days after I broke. Yes, thats right.. After! Having made the appointment, I headed off down to the gym, spent 45 minutes doing some intervals on the treadmill... and got off unable to use my left knee!
So, injury prevention turned into injury treatment... with an assessment of how and why my knee ended up dysfunctional thrown in for good luck. And I have to say, the assessment was great - probably more so if I had booked this a few weeks previously and therefore avoided the knee problem (I had inflamed the tendon attaching my quads to just below my knee apparently!), but still, useful for future reference.
The reason for my 'broken' knee? Well, it was largely down to my left hip - which was apparently more than a little stiff, in fact, it wasn't moving at all..! - and my left foot, which had a collapsed arch (yep, half of me is flat-footed, great!). My knee just got caught in the middle - and with the large amount of work it was having to do, it couldn't cope!
I also found out that my left leg was basically lazy. Possibly partly because half of it appeared to be dysfunctional, but it was definitely letting my right leg do all the hard work while it just flopped along beside. Not that it looked like that when I ran (I hope??!!), but as it pumped up and down in imitation of effective running, it was clearly just having a laugh. Put it through a strength test however (not a very hard one - I simply had to try and hold my leg in position while the physio applied pressure), and the weaknesses start to show! And there were quite a few - and a large difference between limbs!
Now that I know my areas of weakness, I know what to do once I am back running. Unfortunately, this is not yet and I am once again resigned to the pool while I panic about getting fit enough in time for the marathon. So, my biggest piece of advice to runners who have not yet had an injury? MAKE FRIENDS WITH A PHYSIO!! It may cost... but its cheaper, and certainly less frustrating, than getting 'fixed' once things do go wrong!!
For those runners who have had an injury whilst working up to a race, how did you get on with cross-training to fitness - anyone have advice on this for me?? :-)
Long before running became a passion of mine, I have loved to shop.For everything! Put me in any kind of retail situation and I will invariably end up parting with my hard earned cash. Take last night, for example. Whilst dinner was baking away in the oven (lasangne...Mmmmm...) I decided to pop down to the local supermarket and grab a bag of salad. Just that - Salad. Now, I know where the 'salad' aisle is in Tesco's.. you go in the door, turn right, and there it is. Unfortunately, I also know where the running magazines are.. and so as I entered the shop, I found myself sidling over to the left, thinking 'I'll just pick up Women's Running while I'm here...save coming back'! And before you know it, almost an hour has passed, my car is loaded up with not only Women's Running, but 2 new cookbooks (lots of pasta recipes, for 'carbing up'!!), some energy bars and gels (for the Sunday long runs.. may as well stock up now!) and some hair masks (um... will come back to that when I have thought of an excuse). And I had forgotten the salad - and burnt the lasangne...! Still.. I had new stuff... ;-)
Now, given how carried away I get when I'm just in Tesco's, you can imagine how I am once I get inside a running shop! As soon as I got into running, I got into buying running 'Stuff'. New trainers (essential - mainly as I didn't actually have any old ones!!), sweat wicking running tops (again...essential, I sweat perspire glow a LOT!) and seamless, non-rubbing Capri's. At first, I shopped for comfort reasons - my old, laze-around-the-house tracksuit wasn't really designed to do much more than slouch on the sofa and by the end of 10 minutes running would feel heavy, scratchy and like it was sticking to some very undignified parts of me!! So, reading around, I headed to the nearest sports shop and started trying on the 'proper gear'. Which is when I made my discovery: Running clothes can look GOOD! Get the right cut of top and some flattering colours.. and you can most definitely run in style!
Unfortunately for me, my discovery of stylish technical clothes did not coincide with discovering the less expensive shops and websites! This took a while - and it took even longer to find all the things I wanted, in the colours I wanted, all in the right size! I did, however, eventually create a list of all my favourite shopping sites - including:
Nike.com Just because I love Nike, rather than because it's generally cheap! They do some fantastic running stuff in bright colours and unusual prints to make you stand out on your run! My only grumble with this is I find the website frustratingly slow - but that may just be my computer!
Sheactive - A great variety of running clothes, all for girls! And, if you go to the actual shop in Brighton, really friendly, helpful staff :-)
Achillesheel.co.uk - Some great bargains if your happy to go with last seasons colours
wiggle.co.uk - A good range of running clothes, as well as catering for other sports - and good prices. Takes some rummaging though but you can get bargains again (can you tell I like bargains??!)
So, all these running shops have kept me happily spending my money for the last couple of years. Now, however, I have decided to go from shopper, to seller! And so, collecting up all my favourite running clothes (a combination of clothes I have tried and recommend, and clothes I have coveted but not yet got round to buying...!), I put them into my running store. But why stop at clothes? Before I knew it, I had added running books (I love to read...so can recommend majority of the ones I picked to sell, and the rest, like the clothes, are on my 'wanted' list!), cook books (LOVE to cook - and they are all running and sport focused!) and nutrition - from Nak'd and Trek bars (completely natural bars which are great for pre and post run - the Trek ones are designed for sport and perfect carb: protein ratio...and taste divine!) to gels, protein bars and the Cliff Shot Blok's that I will be using at the Brighton Marathon. My shop, basically, turned into my 'wanted' list!
Now, the shopping site that I use means that the products are sold through Amazon, and I get a small percentage of the sales. All good, as customers get the same security as if they are buying direct from Amazon, and the same low prices.. however, this did mean I had to search through the Amazon site to add the individual products (you can just add a whole section of the site, e.g. running clothes or sports, but I only wanted to include items I had personally checked I liked!). And somehow, by the end of setting up shop.. I was the owner of a gorgeous new Nike Storm Fly jacket... whoops!
So, please feel free to browse my shopping page - I will be adding to it as I try out new products :-)
During my previous attempts at following training plans, I tended to be a little 'lazy' about doing anything other than the actual running. Yes, I was well aware that cross training and targeted conditioning work could help prevent the muscular imbalances which can arise when you do nothing but pound the pavements everyday.. but, I liked to run. Sitting pedalling on a bike or pulling myself lap - by - lap around a swimming pool just seemed, well, a bit boring really! And as for the squats, lunges and complicated movements involving gym balls, kettlebells or some other equally ominous-sounding piece of equipment - well that was just hard! And not in the painful-but-weirdly-fun kind of way that running was... it was just hard, painful... and if I'm honest, simply left me feeling annoyed and more than a little grumpy! Not pleasant for anyone.
My opinion on this cross-training was however rather forcibly changed when, having ignored all sensible advice being thrown at me, I both upped my training rather quickly and replaced cross training with... well, running! I couldn't get enough of it - or the 'runners high' that it gave me each night. My body, however, disagreed and after a few warning grumbles - and, to be fair to my legs, quite a lot of shouting - I was signed off from running with very painful shin splints. Any kind of weight bearing exercise felt like agony - even walking - and sudden drop in exercise made me a pretty grumpy person to be around!
After a couple of weeks sitting around feeling sorry for myself, I gradually came to accept that I was going to have to find some other form of exercise and so, with a slightly grumpy attitude and the phrase 'I'd rather be running' practically tattooed across my forehead, I started experimenting. Any activity which didn't hurt, I tried - and, to my surprise, I started to find I enjoyed it! OK, maybe not all of it... but using my body in lots of different ways was both challenging and made me much more aware of my strengths and weaknesses - something which, when I returned to running, I was very grateful for!
All the cross training I had done meant that I returned to running a stronger person than when I had been forced to stop - both physically (I now had strong everything, rather than just strong legs!) and mentally (doing and hour and a half of swimming when you find even 5 minutes excruciatingly boring is most definitely mentally challenging!!) - and, at the start of marathon training, I vowed to keep it up!
Given that I do the majority of my running alone, I have now opted for group classes for my non-running days - working out with other is a massive motivation boost and keeps me looking forward to going. Plus, there's the added bonus that, if your not feeling enthusiastic one day, chances are any friends you have made will drag you along anyway! Most gyms these days offer a huge range of classes - many of which can have benefits for runners. The ones I have been going to, and the ones I credit with keeping me injury free (so far...!), faster in speed work and stronger up hills are:
Body Pump
This is a non-impact resistance training class which works every major muscle group in your body. Using barbells and adjustable weights, you squat, press, lift and curl for up to 800 reps - and you feel it! The class is done to energising music and you have control over just how much weight you are using - so start low and increase every 6 weeks or so as you get stronger! I found this class brilliant for helping me with both speed and hill work, finding the hills now that I am stronger. The fact that it works all muscles evenly is good as well, helping to prevent imbalances, and keeping the arms looking as toned as the legs!
Body Conditioning
This class is very similar to body pump, only using handheld weights, or simply your own bodyweight. Again, lots of lunges, squats, press ups and sit-ups - and lots of sore muscles the next day! A great class for toning and a good introduction before body pump if you haven't done any strength work before.
Spin
I love this class! Its a brilliant cardiovascular workout and, being non-impact, is good to give your joints a break from all the running. It will strengthen your legs as well - so a good running alternative. Be warned though - its hard! The bonus is that you choose just how hard, as you control the resistance on the pedals (how hard you have to push...!) and the speed - although the instructor is very motivating and will encourage you to give it your all. The workout is again done to loud, upbeat music, and the setting is a bit like going to a night club (very odd when you go at 9am...) - but that all helps to keep you going! Also a great calorie burner, which never hurts ;-)
Circuits
This is a class which again works all of your body, but in short, intensive bursts. You will get your heart pumping as you run, skip or jump, and your muscles burning as you alternate sets of press ups, sit ups, squats, lunges and more. Because you constantly swop activity, the class never gets boring - and it never hurts for too long!! A good, fun class for both strengthening and cardio work.
Yoga and Pilates
I have grouped these together as I use them for a similar reason - to strengthen my core (I find pilates best for this but yoga is also good) and to stretch out my hard-working muscles - both essential factors in keeping injury free! I have to admit, it took me a while to appreciate the classes as I enjoy high-impact, high-energy exercise - but when you get into to 'zone', these are relaxing and a lovely class to do on a rest day, or after a stressful day at work. I like to follow with a sauna and steam room session when I have time!
So with all those classes, I keep pretty busy! Anyone else use other gym classes to boost their running?
This week marked the start of my 'serious' training - seen as such simply because the rest of my training plan is now all on the same page! Looking at what I am doing each day, I can now clearly see the words 'Race Day' written in bold, a mere 9 weeks of training away (Gulp!). Only the week before, I could put all the technical details on pace, carbohydrate consumption and recovery details to one side, to be 'looked at later'... now, it is later... and it's time to start thinking! And, as my plan smugly reminded me, time to up the effort...
And so, armed with my trusty calculator and the stores of articles I have been putting off reading for the last 10 weeks, I started on the task of 'getting serious'. First thing was the pace - this week marked the start of sessions which included the words 'faster than race pace', 'at race pace' and 'slower than race pace', so now was the time to finally decide on what that race pace was going to be! Since my last blog about pace, I have been giving a lot more thought on the speed I want to/ will be physically capable of running at for a full 26.2 miles, and I had vaguely decided to settle for 10 min/ miles until at least the halfway point - then if I feel good, I can go a bit faster. This would mean I complete the marathon in around 4.30 hours, a time that seems more realistic for my first marathon.
Now, given that my average pace for each run was 8.30 min/ miles (yes I'm not good at varying it!!), the 'faster than race pace' parts don't seem to be a problem. This covered all of the sessions from Monday - Saturday, so I happily did:
Monday: Rest (I am very good at this....!!)
Tuesday: 40 mins steady followed by 4 x 100m strides (got my maths wrong, so this was actually 40mins steady, 4 x 161m strides.. oops). Loved the strides as like ending a session feeling like I have really pushed myself!
Wednesday: Body conditioning class - full of squats, lunges and sit-ups which made me suitable sore the next day!
Thursday: This was meant to be a 50min steady run, however I have just joined a running club (more on that later..), so did the club session which was half an hour of Paarlauf (basically like a relay, so speed work with a short recovery in between).
Friday: 30 minutes of squats, lunges, sit ups, push ups and the plank (ugh) - at home as couldn't make it to the gym, so all without weights this time.
Saturday: 40 minute hill run. This was tough (still not liking those hills!) but again, really makes me feel like I have achieved something at the end so secretly do enjoy it! Was very, very muddy though (as you can see from my shoes!) - I was covered in mud from head to toe by the end!
So, that was all the 'fast' sessions done.. and then there was Sunday - the day of the long run! After last weeks attempt, I was feeling a little nervous about this. I was scheduled to run 12 miles - and last time I had failed to do 9! So, wanting to make it a little easier on myself (I figured it was important to get the miles in and have a good run than massively push myself and potentially not make it!), I chose to go along the Cuckoo Trail - a nice, flat, tarmac (mud free!) path. Now, according to all the information I had read, I needed to be doing the long run at about 30 - 45 seconds slower than my marathon pace, so for me, that would be between 10.30 and 10.45 min/ miles. So, I plugged all the distance/ pace details into my garmin, filled up my water bottle, and off I went... at 8.30 min/miles!
Quickly realising my error, after the first mile I forced myself to slow to an easy jog (weird how hard it is to go slow! Or, slower than I am used to anyway..). Even a slow jog however only got me to 9.20 min/ miles - and I simply couldn't make myself go any slower! Giving up on the 10.30 min/mile plan, I decided to go for consistency - and this, I found, I could do! Every mile from then on was between 9.20 and 9.24 - and it all felt comfortable! All giving me confidence in my training plan - I had just completed the longest run I have ever done (only ever run 10 miles before, and that was in a race. Longest training run was 8 miles...) and I felt... fine!
Well, I say fine... my water ran out at mile 9 (need a bigger bottle!), and by mile 10 I felt STARVING! So, next time... more water, and something to snack on or give me a bit on energy - I am tempted to start trying out the gels, but I have to admit, I am putting it off as I just can't imagine them tasting very nice! But, in term of my legs coping... I was feeling great :-) All in all... a good week of running!
