Running training

I know I haven't been posting recently - it's very remiss of me and I apologise most profundly. Among the things that I've been busy with has been training at the running club. Our Tuesday evening sessions have been pretty popular and have resulted in some excellent race performances.
Most of the runners have started running as adults having been inspired by the London Marathon or just to get fitter and lose weight. Consequently, the thing that they lack most is leg speed. Most of the training that we have been doing has been aimed at increasing that. One of the sessions that we have done which everyone enjoyed was a parluf. This is a continuous relay. I split the group into teams of three and divided the field into two sections - one of about 180 metres and one of about 560 metres. One runners ran the 180m and handed over to the second who then ran the 560m and handed to the third who ran the 180m and handed to the first who ran the 560m and so on. But because it was being run in teams, everyone was a little more competitive and so ran a little harder than if they were just training. At the end of 20 minutes, three teams were still very close together and the others evenly spaced out. Everyone had worked hard and enjoyed the evening.

I'll post more sessions another time and you can use them to increase your leg speed and running performance.

Running in the Rain

I was still feeling a little sore today so I swapped today's weight session with tomorrow's run. Just a steady 3 mile run but felt comfortable all round. I was pleased that for a couple of miles in the middle I was running at about 7.30 min per mile pace.

About 5 minutes into the run it started pouring with rain and I started thinking about running in the rain as I wended my way through the raindrops. Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities wrote "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" and these were my thoughts as I ran.

I had a clear memory of running in the English National Cross Country in the mid 1980s. At this time, the UK had some of the best distance runners in the World - Steve Jones captured the Marathon world record, John Tracey and Charlie Spedding were second and third in the Olympic marathon. I was there competing for my club and somewhat in awe of some of the runners at the fast end of the field. We were running at Hampstead Heath, one of the highest points in London, a place beloved of locals and tourists alike who enjoyed summer walks and overlooking the landmarks of London. In the middle of winter with the temperature barely above freezing and a gale blowing across the Heath, appreciating the tourist attractions of London was far from my mind. The race was run over 9 miles - 3 laps of 3 miles each. Each lap featured a climb from the lowest to the highest point of the Heath - about an 800metre slog. About halfway up the hill on the first lap, the rain started. It was those tiny raindrops which as soon as I breasted the hill were accelerated into myface on the teeth of the gale. It felt like hundreds of needles being shoved into my body - and it kept it up for the remaining seven or so miles. As I was racing, I was only wearing a singlet and shorts. By the end of the race, I was colder than I have ever been in my life! It was the worst of times!!

But running in the rain can also be marvellous! Having worked a late shift on a really hot, muggy, clammy summer day, I got home at about 3 in the morning and didn't really want to go to bed. It had been a good day - one where I felt that I'd contributed to the quality of peoples lives, really made a difference and I had that contented, all-is-right with the world sort of feeling. I went out for a run. As I was running along, it was still very warm and humid and then the rain started falling. Huge lazy raindrops the size of cherries dropping slowly from the sky as if doing anything else would just be too much effort. The warm droplets soon cooled and soaked me. As I ran along I watched the amazing patterns they made as they exploded on the pavement and reflected the orange luminescence of the streetlights. Running was effortless and I felt I could have continued all night. But all too soon the rain stopped. I returned home and slept a marvellously deep and refreshing sleep. It was the best of times!!

When I was unfit, I really missed being able to run and experience being out in the rain like that. As I work to improve my fitness, I want enjoy those experiences again.

Aching again!!

After my first training session back, I've certainly been feeling it!! I want to work on my lower body and build up my strength so I can build up my running fitness. So Monday's session had a lower body focus. I found my my lunges and squats certainly hit the mark.

Cue one case of serious doms - and a daughter asking "Daddy, why are you walking like a duck?"

Managed a 3 mile run today though, nice and gentle to try and loosen things up. Guess it's a case of making haste slowly!

Had a good training session with Alchester runners Tuesday night. Lots of positive feedback and increasing numbers every week.

The session was to run the first half mile at 5k race pace, the second at half marathon pace, the third at 5k pace and so on for 3 miles. The aim was to increase leg speed, work on pace judgement (I had given most runners split times to aim for) and the psychological benefit of using half marathon pace as a recovery. So that when training or racing at that pace, the brain recognises it as an easy or recovery pace.

I am finding that I am really enjoying interacting in a running environment again and it's providing more incentive to keep training and get myself fitter.

Back in Training!!

Well, having been pretty unwell and away on holiday, I'm finally back in training. I was very pleased on returning from holiday that I weighed in at 189lbs (which is 1 lb heavier than I weighed in at the end of my 12 weeks and that was following a 24 hr fast!)
I know from previous experiences of similar illnesses that it will take me a couple of weeks to shake off the after effects fully so I'm training cautiously. I've decided to return to the original TT (which is what I was doing when I last trained 3 weeks ago) and gradually build up to the point I was at when I trained last.
I'm also planning to try to increase the running training in the hope of getting into shape to race later this year so i've been doing some lower leg strengthening exercises (esp soleus and anterior tibialis)
Today's exercise went better than I had expected. I had a little tension around my glutes doing reverse lunges but other than that everything was ok.

After my weights I did kettlebell swings for my interval training. A great exercise for working loads of muscles throughout the body (espeically the posterior chain - that's the muscles at the back of the body that tend to get ignored in a lot of training) but it also works the cardiovascular system as well.
One goal of mine is to complete the 20/20 KB workout. 20 swings per minute (remainder of the minute rest) for 20 minutes. During my tabata intervals i've been doing 12 swings in 20 secs so today I did 20 x 1 minute intervals aiming for 12 swings per minute. It was hard work but an excellent session. The aim is to increase the number of reps as my fitness increases but 1 at a time.

I have had a Helly Hansen shirt that I bought last year and I really like. It is in the style of a cycling top. When I wore it for the first, Sue my wife told me not to wear it again as it made me look fat. I wore it today and if anything, it's now a little big for me!!

Away in Scotland

Sorry for my absence. I spent several days in bed and then we've been on a family holiday to Scotland. Back in training tomorrow.

Ohhh I ache!!

For most of yesterday I felt very sore. Initially I thought it was just DOMS (that's delayed onset muscle soreness. You know the pain you get when you dig the garden for the first itme in months - that's the same thing. It's caused by using muscles beyond what they are currently aaccustomed to doing) but it was not in the right places and appeared to be getting worse at the day went on. Jenny has been off school all week with a heavy cold and I've started coughing now. I can feel it in my chest so I'll be taking a couple of days off until it clears.

A few years ago I suffered viral meninghitis and now I'm pretty susceptible to viruses going around. I also tend to find that my ability to bounce back from them is not what it once was. In view of that, caution is the watchword and if in doubt I'll back off.

Now, how many calories are there in an anti-inflammatory??

Watch out - low flying kettlebell

Todays session was more based around lower body and ab work so I thought I'd cope with it fairly comfortably. How wrong could I be!! As part of my bodyweight workout, I did an exercise known as stick ups. I'm sure there is a video of them somewhere on YouTube. When I work out how to load it, I will so that you can see. It looks really easy! How can something that seems so easy be so hard!! I've got one runner who has a real problem with shoulder mobility - can see what I'm going to be suggesting! The first superset of exercises included forward lunges. As I'm very familiar with forward lunges, I started quite heavy and got a cramp in my left calf. I was expecting it in my quads! I should know better and should have warmed up better! Eased off on the last set.

After my weights, I did some tabata intervals (see below)

First set - kettlebell swings. The cannon ball thing with handle is a kettlebell. They are very good for combining strength and aerobic work and the kettlebell swing is an excellent exercise to do that. The one I'm using weights 16 kg (35 lbs)

Second set - kettlebell swings, ab curls, kettlebell snatches, kettlebell squats.
Third set - dumb bell squat, curl, press combination.

I also nearly had a dearie-me with the kettlebell. By the time I got to my second set of intervals, I was perspiring nicely (remember - horses sweat, gentlemen perspire and ladies glow!!) and nearly lost the KB performing a snatch. As I punched my hand through at the end of the move, the bell over rotated as it was too slippery told hold tightly. I think I need to get some chalk!

It was another excellent session that really had me working hard.

Tabata protocol

I read about the tabata protocol for interval training a little while ago. It is named after the Japanese scientist who did the research. He compared the gains made during normally aerobic training - 70% of maximal oxygen uptake with high intensity, short duration training. The subjects exercised for periods of 20seconds with only 10 seconds rest in between for 8 repetitions, a total of 4 minutes. At the end of the six week study, as well as showing the expected gains in anaerobic fitness, the subjects had also shown significant improvements in the aerobic energy systems.

I have used it as a method of interval training at home where I don't have access to any gym equipment. I have been following a DVD with exercises created by Ryan Lee called High Performance Dumb Bell Workout. He has more details of it on his Quattro Fitness site at Workout Pass

The suggestion in the DVD is that all you need is the four minute workout to improve your fitness. I would definitely say that it is a good starting point if you are very unfit. The biggest difficulty is working out at the intensity in the original Japanese study. However, it definitely raises the heart rate and there is significant fitness benefit.