Monthly Archive for March, 2007

Training advice from elite runners

Published on 09/03/2007 in Training advice. 0 Comments

JON BROWN
Britain’s leading male marathon runner recommends: ‘Hill Running’.

“Long or short, hills are the best natural way of adding resistance training to build power and strength. Seek out hilly courses to train on or run short hill repetitions as a speed session. Just make sure that you relax on the downside. I think its best to avoid running hard downhill in training.”

EARL FEE
77 year Canadian veteran, who after taking up running at 57 after a 30 year break has broken 50 world records recommends: ‘Mixing it Up’.

“In my 60s I trained twice a day but started to become injured easily. Now I run once a day, alternating hard and easy days, and cross-train more.”

ANGELA MUDGE
2006 Skyrunner world champion and one of the world’s best fell runners recommends: ‘Changing your Routes’.

“Instead of running the same routes every week, set out for a run with a map and use it to explore the area. The variety of terrain and new scenery will keep you motivated and enthused for the sport.”

CATRIONA MORRISON
Silver medalist in the world duathlon (running and swimming) championships recommends: ‘Adopting Different Strategies for your Sessions’

“Develop different strategies for completing your easy and hard sessions. On easy run days, leave your watch at home and forget about the time checks (even the subconscious ones). Do your hard runs with other people; you’ll stay motivated to keep up or keep ahead.”

DAN BROWN
Britain’s commonwealth marathon bronze medalist recommends: ‘Sharing your Running’

“Let others share in your running. My wife cycles with me on my long runs, encouraging me in tough parts and handing out drinks when I look like I need refreshment.”

And of course, I couldn’t leave out a piece of running wisdom from Paula…

PAULA RADCLIFFE
World marathon champion and record holder recommends: ‘Checking how tired you are”

“If I’m tired I walk and jog for a mile to see how I feel. Often I find after the mile I feel great and can do my run, but if I still feel exhausted I go home, knowing I’ve done the right thing by not overdoing it.”

Getting the most from your running

Published on 02/03/2007 in Training advice. 0 Comments

1. Do you look forward to or dread your long runs at the weekend?

If you answer is yes, then great news, you are probably running them at the right pace and getting the most from spending all that time on your feet. If the answer is no, then it might then you need to think about why that might be the case. Are you suffering from overtraining by increasing your weekly mileage too quickly? Are you running at too fast a pace and find yourself hanging on at the end? Are you running the same route every week and getting bored with the same scenery and feel you are just ticking off the miles? Some of these issues might be true for you, or you might have other reasons. The long run is THE most important session of the week and so it is important that you get to love it and it is not too late if you don’t already. To liven things up, try running on a brand new route, or try the same route but run it the other way – it’s amazing how such a simple change can reinvigorate things. Alternatively, get someone to drive you the distance from home you need to run. That way, every single step you take is one closer to home!

2. Do you feel tired all the time?

OK, given most people’s hectic work and family life the answer to this is likely to be yes! But it is important to try and understand which of life’s activities – including your running – is the real culprit for feeling tired and lethargic. How is your diet? Are you eating enough before and after your training? Carbohydrates are the runner’s friend and you may need to consume more of them. Between meal snacks such as oatcakes, plain yoghurt, dried fruit and unsalted nuts should always be at hand (or bottom drawer at work). Water is very important too, on your rest days as well as training days. And how are you sleeping? It is only when you rest that the body repairs itself and when you sleep the hours before midnight are crucial, as this is when growth hormones are released. Don’t feel that any of these issues are a problem for you, but still feel tired? Then take an extra day’s rest!

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