No pain no gain... Jump on the pain train.... I went into the hurt box... You have probably heard these saying and many more in regards to training, competition, and sport in general. But what is pain, what is a "good" pain, and what is a sign of warning pain?
In general we do need some discomfort to provide enough stress to load the body enough to force some adaptation and therefore a training effect and gain in fitness. Sometimes this sort of training will hurt, but this is not something that I would refer to as pain in general or in this article. I would refer to it as discomfort or a little bit of hurt, so the saying,"go into the hurt box" is accurate.
However, what I would like to talk about is PAIN and how it can affect your training. Pain is a warning signal from your body that something is not right. It is your nervous system doing a check of your systems and reporting back that something is not right. It is basically like a warning light on your car's dashboard. This warning can be accompanied by a lack of movement, a change of movement, or an uneven landing, loading, or push-off in your running style. But, it can also just be a little bit of pain.
The type of pain and the amount of damage that your body is in will obviously affect how you will deal with it. I think in general we are a little bit too relaxed with dealing with pain. We often assume that it is nothing, that we should just toughen up, and carry on training. However, it is this attitude that often costs us a week of training, a month of training, or even a whole season.
I recently had a calf injury that first came on as a bit of discomfort in December, had an effect of my training, but then went away for a few weeks. I thought I had seen the last of it and that it was just a little niggle that was a little setback. However, when I started to run more at the end of January the added load in my soleus from the slower pace reignited the injury and my inability to react to it caused it to be a lot worse than it had ever been. So bad that on a Friday night jog home it was really really painful and I was not able to run smoothly. The warning signs had gone from a light orange on the dashboard to a very bright red. The next morning my lower leg was swalloen and it was very very uncomfortable to put weight on my leg. Now the red light was blinking, and the alarm siren was screaming.
Obviously the warning stages went by very fast and there are maybe something I could have done to stop it getting to the final stage, but I think the damage was done on the Friday morning rather than on the jog home. The jog home, and what I did after the jog (walking around IKEA) certainly made it worse.
So what is the right way to do about pain management?
Firstly try to establish if it is muscular pain, joint pain, or pain from a tendon or ligament. This is not always so easy to diagnose, so as a rule a thumb when you have a pain that does not improve or infact gets worse while you are running stop running. If the pain is stronger after running don't go running the next day.
Obviously there are a lot of different types or levels of pain and everyone is different to terms of how much pain they can handle, so it is easier to diagnose the pain by the way that it affects our running stride. If an injury is very minor it is possible that it will not affect your running stride and as a result you may need to only restrict the type of training or the intensity of your training. HOWEVER, if you notice that you are landing differently, pushing-off differently, or running using one side more that the other then you need to have a rest, rest, ice, elevate the injury, and get the injury assessed.
As a rule of thumb if you only have pain when you land the injury could heal faster, if you feel pain when landing and when pushing off it is more serious, and when you are feeling pain when you land, are in the midfoot phase(when your bodyweight is over the foot) and when you are pushing off it is very serious.
I took three weeks of running when my muscle tear, as the body needs to totally heal. This time frame depends on how active you were before the injury, how good your circulation is, and what training you are able to do during your injured phase. If you do not allow your body to fully head you will constantly be in a state of healthy, injured, healthy, and then injured. You may have been there before or you know someone that is or has been in this cycle, so you know it is not fun or helpful in advancing your fitness.
SO stop the tough talk and treat the injury with the respect it deserves and this could help you save your race goal, or at least your season. Resting will help the healing process, but it will not greatly assist the rehabilitation phase, or reduce the chances of the injury reoccuring. Therefore, it is important that you have the injury assessed, part of that assessment should include the planning of a recovery period, a rehabilitation programme, and the later part of that should include looking at the possible cause of the injury e.g. a muscle imbalance, instability, the terrain you run on, your footwear, and your running style.
Now you hae a game plan and it is important that you can stick to, but like a good training plan it should be adaptable. If your injury is not healing as fast, as planned then you need to slow things down. A running injury will recover better when you reduce the load or stress you put on the injured area. Obviously the easiest way to do this is to lay on the couch and this should be the first step of your recovery plan. However, passive rest is not so effective, as active rest in terms of circulation, blood flow, and improving the healing process. Therefore, doing some form of training that will raise your heart rate, but will not put any extra load on your injured area. The easiest way to do this is to get in the pool. In water we weigh less and if the water is deep enough we also have no impace on the ground. There are many options now in the world of aqua fitness, but the classics are still the most appliciable to runners i.e Aqua Jogging and Swimming. Swimming is a good form of cross training, as the stress on the body is less, but how easy swimming is depends on how good our technique is and how comfortable we are in the water. Aqua Jogging is a more suited to runners and if you use a floatation belt you will be able to maintain a smooth running stride without placing any loading stress on the body. Your technique in the water is important and a bad technique can cause more load on the body, and also give you less benefits. So try to keep upright and use a normal leg movement, as you would when running on load. You will be slow in the water and the arm movement will be tiring on a "runners" upperbody, but this is not necessarily a bad thing, as it will train your posture and also give you a chance to focus on your leg movements and being concise of your leg movements.
Other forms of training that have less stress than running include but are not limited to training on an elliptical, an arc trainer, a rower, a bicycle, on Alter-G treadmill, or an underwatertreadmill. The use of these and with what intensity you can training on these will depend on your injury and how bad it is.
Once you are able to put a lot of load through the injured area (this can be tested through resistance training exercises e.g. Calf Raises for a calf injury) without any pain or discomfort then you are ready to start entering the last phase of recovery and to start including some light running back into your training.
Any return to running should be started on a soft surface and it should be very short. It does not matter if you have been able to do 10-15 hours of crosstraining in a week running will still be hard on the body. Therefore, your first run would only be 10 minutes, and you should be very aware of your pain levels. If you notice a return of pain or that you are not able to run smoothly because you are restricted STOP RUNNING. Running through pain will only cause the injury to get worse again and running with an even stride or uneven loading pattern can teach you bad habits that can cause to an overload injury later.
Once you are back running without pain I would still run less and do some cross training. Depending on how long you have ben injured it could take you up to 6 months to return to be able to run the same volume before being injured. However, this period can be even longer if you don't pay attention to your recovery, stability, strengthening, and crosstraining. Don't assume that because you are back running you can forget doing the other forms of training that has got you back running. Paitence is very important!!
Remember taking a little bit of extra time before returning to running or to full training can be the difference between having a good second half of the year, or having injury problems for the next 3 years.
As always if in doubt seek professional advice. Reading articles online no matter how good they are will not address your issues individually, and they will not be able to assess you either. There is always a cause for an injury and it may not always be obvious, so when addressing an injury it is important to find out why the injury occured.
So how is your runner'S body?
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Marathon Shoes- What shoe is right for you?
Hi Everyone,
It's been a while since I wrote my last blog, but with the spring marathon season fast approaching I thought it would be time to get a bit more active. In the next series of blogs I will attempt to give some my opinion on all things marathoning.
To start with I am going to talk about shoes, as it is important we protect our feet and try to reduce the chance of getting injured to ensure that we get to the start line, and also the finish line.
Picking a marathon shoe is always a tough one. The things I always ask a client or customer is firstly what time they are aiming for, and then what their training history is, what their running technique is like, how much they weight, what the course is like, and how many marathons they have run.
It is important that you have a shoe that is good for the last 10km not the first 10km, and this is where many people go wrong. They select a very light and flexible shoe because it feels good, but in the last stages of their marathon their running form is terrible because they have exhausted their stabilising muscles, or the muscles in the foot and lower leg by making them work so much in the flexible and direct shoe.
As a rule of thumb I would say the majority of people running a 3 1/2 hour marathon or slower are better running in a standard training shoe. Lighter women could use a lightweight trainer. Anything faster than 3:15 should be in a lightweight trainer or a racing flat. I would say light females with a good running form running around 3 hours that they could use a racing shoe and for men around 2:45. Speaking from my experiences I would not use a shoe that is recommended for a 5 or 10km only, as after 32-34km your feet feel between up and you can't use your feel as well because they are sore or tired, so you run slower. Trust me I have been there...In 2008 I ran in the Rotorua Marathon in a pair of Adidas Adizero Pros (which are still my favourite shoes) and a large portion of the race is run on chip seal (for those of you who haven't had the joys of running or cycling on this lovely road surface it consists of a couple of lavers of tar on which they dump a whole lot of small stones, otherwise known as chip. This leads to a surface that is relatively uneven and hard surface. If you are on a bike it is also slow, as the rolling resistance is greater.) after around 30km of the race I really started to feel my feet and it made the runnign uncomfortable and I also lost concentration. When I was back onto a smooth seal it was not a problem, so take the surface that you are running on into account. Also in that race I ran 2:30:31 and probably weighed 62kg, so my loading on the feet and legs was over a shorter period of time and also less that your average runner.
There are always going to be exceptions to these rules and I think it is important that people decide to check out what shoe is right for them as part of their preparation. The best test for a marathon shoe I find is do one or two interval training sessions, a half marathon race, and at least two long runs over over 2:20 in the shoes. One of these should include some marathon tempo intervals. If you survive that without have any lower leg, knee, or foot troubles then the shoe should serve you well in the marathon.
I wouldn't want to right a huge list of shoes that I think are perfect for the marathon, as I am sure I would miss some out, but the three shoes that I have run well in a marathon are the Adizero Adios, the K-Swiss Blade Light Run, and the Adizero LS. The LS is not available anymore, the K-Swiss was great for me and I would say up to 3:15 people would have no problem (as long as they are neutral runners), but the Adios is a lot better that the other two in terms of feeling, and cushioning. I would say it is for fast runners, but light runners around the three hour mark can also have successful marathons with the shoe.
Other options for people around the 3 hour Mark that run neutrally would be the Brooks Launch, Adidas Adizero Boston, Saucony Mirage, Saucony Contana, On Cloudsurfer (if you have the foot stability, and calf strength), Mizuno Precision, and Asics Sky Speed.
Runners needing a bit more support could use the Brooks Racer ST, Mizuno Elixer, Asics DS Trainer, Nike Lunarglide, Saucony Fasttwitch, and Adidas Adizero Aegis.
I would like to point of here that I have not run in any of the New Balance shoes and I have friend and clients that have run great marathons in the New Balance shoes. However, I don't like to recommend something without have tried it out. There are lots of other shoes that could work in a marathon too, but they are on the boundary of being a marathon or a half marathon shoe, so it is best that you try them out to decide. Some examples of this are the Saucony Kinvara, Brooks Pure Flow, Nike Lunarracer.
Again it depends on all the factors I listed at the start and also your foot type and size. Someone with a wide foot is not going to find a very narrow shoe comfortable for a marathon and visa versa.
There are a lot of shoe reviews around that can give you information or a rating, but they are never going to give you a feeling of what they feel like on your foot and how well you run in them. Therefore, your best option is to get into your local running shoe (where they have a lot of marathon runners) and try out some shoes, and ask their opinions. If they haven't run a marathon they are not going to know the joys of a good marathon shoe and the pains of a bad one. Also remember to allow for a bit more room in your marathon shoe. Your toes and toenails will thank you for it later.
The last thing to consider when it comes to your marathon shoes is your socks. A bad pair of socks can ruin the effects of a good shoe, so your shoes and socks should go through the same test, and if you have a favourite type of sock wear them when you try out the shoes in the shop.
It is better to take the time in the shop and in your training to make sure the shoe is right for you, so you can be confident on the start line of the marathon.
I hope this helps you decide and if you have any questions about marathoning feel free to comment under this article and I can try to answer your questions in my next blog posts.
It's been a while since I wrote my last blog, but with the spring marathon season fast approaching I thought it would be time to get a bit more active. In the next series of blogs I will attempt to give some my opinion on all things marathoning.
To start with I am going to talk about shoes, as it is important we protect our feet and try to reduce the chance of getting injured to ensure that we get to the start line, and also the finish line.
Picking a marathon shoe is always a tough one. The things I always ask a client or customer is firstly what time they are aiming for, and then what their training history is, what their running technique is like, how much they weight, what the course is like, and how many marathons they have run.
It is important that you have a shoe that is good for the last 10km not the first 10km, and this is where many people go wrong. They select a very light and flexible shoe because it feels good, but in the last stages of their marathon their running form is terrible because they have exhausted their stabilising muscles, or the muscles in the foot and lower leg by making them work so much in the flexible and direct shoe.
As a rule of thumb I would say the majority of people running a 3 1/2 hour marathon or slower are better running in a standard training shoe. Lighter women could use a lightweight trainer. Anything faster than 3:15 should be in a lightweight trainer or a racing flat. I would say light females with a good running form running around 3 hours that they could use a racing shoe and for men around 2:45. Speaking from my experiences I would not use a shoe that is recommended for a 5 or 10km only, as after 32-34km your feet feel between up and you can't use your feel as well because they are sore or tired, so you run slower. Trust me I have been there...In 2008 I ran in the Rotorua Marathon in a pair of Adidas Adizero Pros (which are still my favourite shoes) and a large portion of the race is run on chip seal (for those of you who haven't had the joys of running or cycling on this lovely road surface it consists of a couple of lavers of tar on which they dump a whole lot of small stones, otherwise known as chip. This leads to a surface that is relatively uneven and hard surface. If you are on a bike it is also slow, as the rolling resistance is greater.) after around 30km of the race I really started to feel my feet and it made the runnign uncomfortable and I also lost concentration. When I was back onto a smooth seal it was not a problem, so take the surface that you are running on into account. Also in that race I ran 2:30:31 and probably weighed 62kg, so my loading on the feet and legs was over a shorter period of time and also less that your average runner.
There are always going to be exceptions to these rules and I think it is important that people decide to check out what shoe is right for them as part of their preparation. The best test for a marathon shoe I find is do one or two interval training sessions, a half marathon race, and at least two long runs over over 2:20 in the shoes. One of these should include some marathon tempo intervals. If you survive that without have any lower leg, knee, or foot troubles then the shoe should serve you well in the marathon.
I wouldn't want to right a huge list of shoes that I think are perfect for the marathon, as I am sure I would miss some out, but the three shoes that I have run well in a marathon are the Adizero Adios, the K-Swiss Blade Light Run, and the Adizero LS. The LS is not available anymore, the K-Swiss was great for me and I would say up to 3:15 people would have no problem (as long as they are neutral runners), but the Adios is a lot better that the other two in terms of feeling, and cushioning. I would say it is for fast runners, but light runners around the three hour mark can also have successful marathons with the shoe.
Other options for people around the 3 hour Mark that run neutrally would be the Brooks Launch, Adidas Adizero Boston, Saucony Mirage, Saucony Contana, On Cloudsurfer (if you have the foot stability, and calf strength), Mizuno Precision, and Asics Sky Speed.
Runners needing a bit more support could use the Brooks Racer ST, Mizuno Elixer, Asics DS Trainer, Nike Lunarglide, Saucony Fasttwitch, and Adidas Adizero Aegis.
I would like to point of here that I have not run in any of the New Balance shoes and I have friend and clients that have run great marathons in the New Balance shoes. However, I don't like to recommend something without have tried it out. There are lots of other shoes that could work in a marathon too, but they are on the boundary of being a marathon or a half marathon shoe, so it is best that you try them out to decide. Some examples of this are the Saucony Kinvara, Brooks Pure Flow, Nike Lunarracer.
Again it depends on all the factors I listed at the start and also your foot type and size. Someone with a wide foot is not going to find a very narrow shoe comfortable for a marathon and visa versa.
There are a lot of shoe reviews around that can give you information or a rating, but they are never going to give you a feeling of what they feel like on your foot and how well you run in them. Therefore, your best option is to get into your local running shoe (where they have a lot of marathon runners) and try out some shoes, and ask their opinions. If they haven't run a marathon they are not going to know the joys of a good marathon shoe and the pains of a bad one. Also remember to allow for a bit more room in your marathon shoe. Your toes and toenails will thank you for it later.
The last thing to consider when it comes to your marathon shoes is your socks. A bad pair of socks can ruin the effects of a good shoe, so your shoes and socks should go through the same test, and if you have a favourite type of sock wear them when you try out the shoes in the shop.
It is better to take the time in the shop and in your training to make sure the shoe is right for you, so you can be confident on the start line of the marathon.
I hope this helps you decide and if you have any questions about marathoning feel free to comment under this article and I can try to answer your questions in my next blog posts.
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Stepping it up
It's been another few weeks of getting in every training session in, hitting every interval time, and throwing in a few tests to check things out, and everything is going great. As a result it is time to start stepping it up.
I've been able to average over 100km per week in the last few weeks, which although is more than I have run in the last 3 months it is a lot less than in a normal marathon training. However, I am hitting a lot more intervals sessions and high quality sessions that before. I have also placed a high priority on my stength and stability, which has certainly helped me recover from the sessions and be ready for the next. This is vital to ensure that the next session is a good one. The most important thing about all of this training is that the change and varierty is fun. Training with Lars makes it a lot easier to get through the hard work, gives me another person to bounce ideas off, but most importantly it is someone that I can joke with and we are on a similiar wavelength.
We are both surprised how we are able to step up from session to session and I have a very good feeling that after a relatively poor 2012 we will have a great 2013. It will also be a 2013 when we not only make a twin attack as friends and training partners, but also as clubmates,as we will be both running for Laufwerk. For me it is important that I run for Laufwerk, so I always have a chance to race in the same team as the other members of the Laufwerk Running Club, and also so I can provide a bit more exposure for my employer, sponsor, and friends. I look forward to pushing at the front of the races with Lars as club mates.
We have continued to test our form at the Betriebsport cross country races. Our first outing over the short distance was a little shock to the system and the softer ground meant that we couldn't use the speed we have been developed in training. Last weekend we got to race over one of the hilliest courses in Hamburg in Volkspark. We had planned to run the middle and short distance course, but Lars had a week without running, as he had stepped in a hole while running and turned his ankle. So I started both races and he started the short distance with me. The middle distance was a good start, as it gave me a chance to see the course and loosen the legs up. The course is 3.6km long and the plan was to run the first lap of the middle distance the slowest and then the one lap of the short course race the fastest. Without looking at my watch too often I was able to run with control and with recorded 12:48,12:30, and 12:05. The start of the short distance race was hard as Lars pushed the pace from the start and my legs were responding on the uphill, but that was the plan and we thought it would be the case, and we hoped I would loosen up on the downhill and I did. After then I felt stronger and my heart rate dropped away.
I felt the run the next day in my legs, but it was as hoped. Unfortunately I picked up a stomach virus and have been sick for the last few days, but I am sure everything will be back on track before the end of the week.
As for the Laufwerk Running Club we are starting to gain some momentum and we are having some good progress in training and some good sessions together. It will continue to build over winter and then we will see a big group of runners having fun and running well together. Because we are stepping it up!!
I've been able to average over 100km per week in the last few weeks, which although is more than I have run in the last 3 months it is a lot less than in a normal marathon training. However, I am hitting a lot more intervals sessions and high quality sessions that before. I have also placed a high priority on my stength and stability, which has certainly helped me recover from the sessions and be ready for the next. This is vital to ensure that the next session is a good one. The most important thing about all of this training is that the change and varierty is fun. Training with Lars makes it a lot easier to get through the hard work, gives me another person to bounce ideas off, but most importantly it is someone that I can joke with and we are on a similiar wavelength.
We are both surprised how we are able to step up from session to session and I have a very good feeling that after a relatively poor 2012 we will have a great 2013. It will also be a 2013 when we not only make a twin attack as friends and training partners, but also as clubmates,as we will be both running for Laufwerk. For me it is important that I run for Laufwerk, so I always have a chance to race in the same team as the other members of the Laufwerk Running Club, and also so I can provide a bit more exposure for my employer, sponsor, and friends. I look forward to pushing at the front of the races with Lars as club mates.
We have continued to test our form at the Betriebsport cross country races. Our first outing over the short distance was a little shock to the system and the softer ground meant that we couldn't use the speed we have been developed in training. Last weekend we got to race over one of the hilliest courses in Hamburg in Volkspark. We had planned to run the middle and short distance course, but Lars had a week without running, as he had stepped in a hole while running and turned his ankle. So I started both races and he started the short distance with me. The middle distance was a good start, as it gave me a chance to see the course and loosen the legs up. The course is 3.6km long and the plan was to run the first lap of the middle distance the slowest and then the one lap of the short course race the fastest. Without looking at my watch too often I was able to run with control and with recorded 12:48,12:30, and 12:05. The start of the short distance race was hard as Lars pushed the pace from the start and my legs were responding on the uphill, but that was the plan and we thought it would be the case, and we hoped I would loosen up on the downhill and I did. After then I felt stronger and my heart rate dropped away.
I felt the run the next day in my legs, but it was as hoped. Unfortunately I picked up a stomach virus and have been sick for the last few days, but I am sure everything will be back on track before the end of the week.
As for the Laufwerk Running Club we are starting to gain some momentum and we are having some good progress in training and some good sessions together. It will continue to build over winter and then we will see a big group of runners having fun and running well together. Because we are stepping it up!!
Saturday, 17 November 2012
Short and sweet
Most of the time when you think about endurance training, marathon training, or training for endurance sports the focus for most people and most training programs is on going long, building the endurance, and doing a lot of training. Obviously there is a need for endurance in any training plan, and we need the endurance to complete longer events, but right now everything I am doing in training is short and sweet, and I'm feeling good.
Today I ran my longest run since the Hamburg Half Marathon and that was 20km. Everything else I have done has been a bit or a lot shorter, but the focus has been on quality. It's fairly short and sweet.
It has been a nice mental change to try to perform a different type of training, but physically it has been challenging. It is a different type of tired and a different type of pain or feeling after the intervals. Again short and sweet.
Three weeks ago I ran my first race since the Half Marathon and my first cross country race in almost a year. I ran the shortest distance, which was 3.1km. It was a lot of fun, hurt a lot, was definetly a different form of running, I was breathing hard, and comfortable was not a adjective I would use to describe my current feeling but 5 minutes after finishing everything felt good again. So much so that we did 1km of Tempo.
It's been a really interesting change to see how my body has responded to the different types of training, but at the end of the day the biggest difference has probably been my consistency in training. I have not missed a session in the last 6 weeks, or even adjusted the plan. The work has to be done, so we get out and do it. There have been days where I have started and felt rubish, days when I have had a bounce in my step as soon as I left the house, but I have always started the training, as planned and decided what I would do once I had rolled through one or two exercises or intervals. Thankfully I have always felt better as things went on. Some of the sessions have been very hard and fast, and been a fight to get through, but I got through them. Other sessions have gone so well that we have added work onto them at the end. However, the majority have meant spending some time in the hurtbox. Although the visits are only been short and sweet.
I have learnt a lot from this change and more importantly from some of the different trainings that we have been doing, but I will disclose more information later when we know if it worked or not ; ) However, what I can tell you is that it doesn't hurt to take a step back and question your training, what is it giving you? what are your aims?, and why are you doing that session?
Also it doesn't hurt an endurance athlete to jump into the high intensity hurt box every now and again, but aslong, as it is short and sweet : )
Today I ran my longest run since the Hamburg Half Marathon and that was 20km. Everything else I have done has been a bit or a lot shorter, but the focus has been on quality. It's fairly short and sweet.
It has been a nice mental change to try to perform a different type of training, but physically it has been challenging. It is a different type of tired and a different type of pain or feeling after the intervals. Again short and sweet.
Three weeks ago I ran my first race since the Half Marathon and my first cross country race in almost a year. I ran the shortest distance, which was 3.1km. It was a lot of fun, hurt a lot, was definetly a different form of running, I was breathing hard, and comfortable was not a adjective I would use to describe my current feeling but 5 minutes after finishing everything felt good again. So much so that we did 1km of Tempo.
It's been a really interesting change to see how my body has responded to the different types of training, but at the end of the day the biggest difference has probably been my consistency in training. I have not missed a session in the last 6 weeks, or even adjusted the plan. The work has to be done, so we get out and do it. There have been days where I have started and felt rubish, days when I have had a bounce in my step as soon as I left the house, but I have always started the training, as planned and decided what I would do once I had rolled through one or two exercises or intervals. Thankfully I have always felt better as things went on. Some of the sessions have been very hard and fast, and been a fight to get through, but I got through them. Other sessions have gone so well that we have added work onto them at the end. However, the majority have meant spending some time in the hurtbox. Although the visits are only been short and sweet.
I have learnt a lot from this change and more importantly from some of the different trainings that we have been doing, but I will disclose more information later when we know if it worked or not ; ) However, what I can tell you is that it doesn't hurt to take a step back and question your training, what is it giving you? what are your aims?, and why are you doing that session?
Also it doesn't hurt an endurance athlete to jump into the high intensity hurt box every now and again, but aslong, as it is short and sweet : )
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Getting back in the groove
Hi Everyone,
I hope you are enjoying the change of seasons like I am. Right now there are some amazing leaves in a range of colours from yellow, red, orange, brown, green, and something in between hanging of th trees or laying on the ground, and while it is dry it makes the place quite beautiful.
I'm doing ok. I am finally feeling over my lung infection and back into training. I am a bit busier than before, so I'm juggling things a little and having to have better time management, which is nice.
I've used this downtime to rethink where I am going with my running, what I am doing, and where I want to be going. Needless to say the aim is to be faster, but I have totally restructured everything. Rather than trying to bash out kms week in week out for the whole year and uping things a little over the last month before a race I've gone back to square one.
So in the next months there will not be much of a training diary going on, but in between I will be trying to give a bit more information on equipment, training tips, or experiences that I have had as I progress from an inactive runner to a runner stuck in a winter wonderland (hopefully it is a wonderland and not a nightmare full of ice and unrunable paths).
Even when the weather turns bad I find that having an event lined up in the early part of 2013 helps get me out the door. So does running with someone else or in a group. At the moment I have been able to get a bit of training in with Lars, which is always fun, but it also makes it easier to get into the training.
So what events do you have lined up for next year?
Cheers
JP
I hope you are enjoying the change of seasons like I am. Right now there are some amazing leaves in a range of colours from yellow, red, orange, brown, green, and something in between hanging of th trees or laying on the ground, and while it is dry it makes the place quite beautiful.
I'm doing ok. I am finally feeling over my lung infection and back into training. I am a bit busier than before, so I'm juggling things a little and having to have better time management, which is nice.
I've used this downtime to rethink where I am going with my running, what I am doing, and where I want to be going. Needless to say the aim is to be faster, but I have totally restructured everything. Rather than trying to bash out kms week in week out for the whole year and uping things a little over the last month before a race I've gone back to square one.
So in the next months there will not be much of a training diary going on, but in between I will be trying to give a bit more information on equipment, training tips, or experiences that I have had as I progress from an inactive runner to a runner stuck in a winter wonderland (hopefully it is a wonderland and not a nightmare full of ice and unrunable paths).
Even when the weather turns bad I find that having an event lined up in the early part of 2013 helps get me out the door. So does running with someone else or in a group. At the moment I have been able to get a bit of training in with Lars, which is always fun, but it also makes it easier to get into the training.
So what events do you have lined up for next year?
Cheers
JP
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Laufwerk Running Club-Phase One complete
Hi Everyone,
In my last posts I mentioned using my time of running to focus on some projects that I have been trying to develop.
One or two of these have been ideas in my head for the last year or so, but I haven't had the time to develop them, haven't have all the pieces in place to make it happen, or the timing isn't right. However, thankfully with this extra time that I have had I have been able to develop at least one of this ideas from a bunch of scribbles on a sheet of A4 paper into something definite.
My new baby is the Laufwerk Running Club!
So I needed a year to develop a running club, something that already exists in Hamburg, Germany, New Zealand, well pretty much everywhere I here you ask. Well no.
Apart from the name the association with my running clubs ends there. This group will be an combination of all the great things I have found from different training groups, what I have read or heard about that happens in other Clubs or countries, and also some elements that I have recognised that are missing from what is available to people at the moment.
What exactly is the Laufwerk Running Club then?
Well first and foremost it will be a home for regular runners. This Club is not founded only to serve the needs of the sub-elite or elite, but rather to give the normal runner who just wants to enjoy their running the chance to have the knowledge and support that is often only available to the top 10% of most runners in a normal club. It is for the forgotten runner that is not fast enough to be chased or welcomed into a normal running club that is only interested in chasing championships, it is for the runner that runs by themselves but what to run with others, it is for the runner who has just got started and is wanting to progress their running, it is for the runner who has been running for years, but their running has plateaued and they don't enjoy it as much as a result, it is for the runner who is constantly battling fatigue or injury, it is for the runner who seeks knowledge and assistance, so that they can become a better runner, it is for the runner who is lost, it is for the runner who wants to maxmise their training time, it is for the runner who is looking to get the best out of their running, it is for the runner that wants to enjoy their current level of running, but also for those that make to see how far they can take their running, and it is for those that just want to run. In short it has something for everyhing. A little bit like in life you get back what you put in.
Over the last decade I have had the pleasure of working with a lot of athletes, learning from them, learning from myself, analysing how we train, looking at how others train, and identifying the key aspects required to run well. It is these "secrets" that I will share with the members of the club.
Too often to I speak to people, observe others running, or watch other training groups training and question what they and doing and why. I am not saying for one minute that I am perfect or that I run perfectly. I am aware of my flaws and issues in my running, but they are things I am working on. However, I have seen a lot of misinformation out there, or just a lack of standard for trainers. Whenever we are training it is important that you can answer the question, "Why am I doing this?" If you cannot answer this ask your trainer, coach, or adviser. If the question can not be answered then stop doing the training or exercise. In the last 12 months I have become increasingly aware of the amount of people getting bad training advice, and in the last 6 months I can witnessed a lot of people paying for "professional" advice being given inappropriate exercises, not being correctly observed when doing exercises, or training at an inappropriate intensity. Not only are these people not utilising their training time to it's best, but they are also exposing themselves to a great risk of injury. A classic example of this I observed this morning when a runner was doing a high-knee drill at the track, but because his hip-flexors glutes were tight in order to get a true high knee lift he had to hyperextend his lower back. Jumping and then landing repeatedly with a instabile core and hyperentended back is never going to encourage a better range of motion, or improve a moment pattern.
Going back to the "Why am I doing this?" question one would have to ask what is the aim of the exercise, how is that being achieved, and how do I successfully perform it? If for a Bio-Mechanical reason it is not possible to obtain full range of motion it is then better and safer to stick to the optimal angles, movement, using the appropriate muscle groups and joints, and performing the exercise with a smaller range of motion. When the problem is indentified, addressed, and corrected it is possible to extend the range of motion without increasing the injury risk or teaching the body an incorrect movement.
My aim is to element these problems. I aim to teach the group relevant exercises and intervals without giving them things they don't need. Essentially I am going to cut out the fat, so we work witha higher quality of training, and don't waste our time doing things that are either of no benefit, or are counter productive to our training.
More is not always better, and sometimes less is more.
What exactly does that mean?
Doing more training, more exercises, or more work is not always better. If you are doing training that is not as beneficial as another form of training you could just be making yourself more tired for little or no gain. Every person is different and it is important that you identify not only what your limits are, but also the levels your work best at. For example I can run 200-220km per week without breaking, but I can't do that week in and week out and work full time, so it is better than I focus on maintaining a smaller average over a longer period of time. Less training, intervals, or exercises can also produce a better return from what you put in. It is possible because you can perform the exercises or intervals at a higher intensity or quality instead of fighting through the training. If you have the feeling that you are running through thick mud or that your legs are always blocks of woods it is a good indicator that you doing too much. It might not mean that you are doing too much training, but perhaps too much training at a high intensity.
I plan to control the training within the group, so that everyone is working at their appropriate level and not doing too much just because everyone else is doing it.
That principle is not new to group training, but it is rare, as often group training involves trying to push each other as far as possible, which can result in us not listening to our bodies. Also generally groups for "normal" runners are aimed at just running, or doing a lot of intervals, but they don't address getting the mix right.
What is the right mix?
In every training plan regardless of whether you are justing trying to get into running, or you are chasing world records there should be a good mix of workouts, strength exercises, intervals, technique work, and normal running. The balance of mix depends on our training history, our goals, our level of fitness, and what our current focus in training is e.g. speed, endurance, racing
I will use this mix with the Running Club and this could be new to many, but it will introduce a new aspect to running and show a new side of training to them, which ultimately makes things a bit more interesting instead of just doing the same thing every single run.
Not only does our brain need variety, but so does our body, so lets give it variety in training.
Training Days
In order to make sure that we can get this mixture week in week out without neglecting anything else there is the possibility to train 4 times a week with the Laufwerk Running Club. This is again something that does not get offered in other groups or clubs.
On Monday we will be doing a mixture of strength and stability training, technique work, and easy running. This is the perfect way to start the week and also enables our runners to ease into the week after doing a long run or a race in the weekend.
Tuesday gives the opportunity for those with a bit of experience to do some solid tempo training sessions with Laufwerk's established tempo training group. This might be a bit too much for new or intermediate runners, as it takes the body a while to adjust to the stress of interval training. However, later in the week we offer the chance to be introduced to interval training.
On Wednesday morning we will be starting the day fresh and early. This is the only morning session during the week, and what we do will depend on who is there and what theyhave been doing in their training. For those that have completed some hard work during the week it is the chance to get a steady aerobic training session around the Alster. However, if there are people that can only run mornings there is also the opportuntiy to do some tempo training. Also as the group gets stronger will be also expand what we do generally on this run.
Thursday evening will be the chance to experience speed training for the first time, or to experience a monitored, controlled, and high quality interval training session. We will vary what we do in training as we go, but we will not be putting people in so much discomfort that they are going home on their hands and knees.
As well as these regular weekly training we will also have a monthly training workshops. These are aimed at providing something different to the training. This could be a crosstraining workout where we work at strength and stabilty, a technique training that will also include some Yoga and stretching, or runs in a totally different area in Hamburg or Niedersachen. We will also do 2 fitness tests per year that will take place during these monthly sessions.
These trainings are not compulsory and attending only one a week will still bring benefits. I just feel it is important to other the variety and to give the freedom to run once or four times a week with the Laufwerk Running Club.
I will also bring the Laufwerk Running Club into 2012 by giving the members the possiblity of using something called the internet to gain tips or information. Instead of just handing out flyers or sheets of paper.
Naturally this is not new, but I aim to take it to a new level and provide non-members with basic knowledge about running, running equipment, running routes in Hamburg, and some tips or tricks. Members of the Laufwerk Running Club will have exclusive access to training videos, training plans, strength training exercises, strength training training plans, special workouts, and other extras.
This website will constantly be a work in progress as I upload new tips, articles, information, courses, and offers open to both members and non-members. The website is www.laufwerkrunningclub.de
The website is online now, but is only in phase one. It will be a very different monster in a months time or so, but what is important now is that the Laufwerk Running Club is up and running and that we are open to members. We are in phase one, and we aim to control growing through the phases, so that we can offer more.
We aim to give people a home over winter to keep training either for the Hamburg Marathon in 2013, or just to hold their fitness before deciding on a goal for 2013. There will be a bigger push and new additions in the spring of 2013, but until then we will still be hitting the roads and getting the right work done.
For more information you can also check out the Laufwerk Website here.
In my last posts I mentioned using my time of running to focus on some projects that I have been trying to develop.
One or two of these have been ideas in my head for the last year or so, but I haven't had the time to develop them, haven't have all the pieces in place to make it happen, or the timing isn't right. However, thankfully with this extra time that I have had I have been able to develop at least one of this ideas from a bunch of scribbles on a sheet of A4 paper into something definite.
My new baby is the Laufwerk Running Club!
So I needed a year to develop a running club, something that already exists in Hamburg, Germany, New Zealand, well pretty much everywhere I here you ask. Well no.
Apart from the name the association with my running clubs ends there. This group will be an combination of all the great things I have found from different training groups, what I have read or heard about that happens in other Clubs or countries, and also some elements that I have recognised that are missing from what is available to people at the moment.
What exactly is the Laufwerk Running Club then?
Well first and foremost it will be a home for regular runners. This Club is not founded only to serve the needs of the sub-elite or elite, but rather to give the normal runner who just wants to enjoy their running the chance to have the knowledge and support that is often only available to the top 10% of most runners in a normal club. It is for the forgotten runner that is not fast enough to be chased or welcomed into a normal running club that is only interested in chasing championships, it is for the runner that runs by themselves but what to run with others, it is for the runner who has just got started and is wanting to progress their running, it is for the runner who has been running for years, but their running has plateaued and they don't enjoy it as much as a result, it is for the runner who is constantly battling fatigue or injury, it is for the runner who seeks knowledge and assistance, so that they can become a better runner, it is for the runner who is lost, it is for the runner who wants to maxmise their training time, it is for the runner who is looking to get the best out of their running, it is for the runner that wants to enjoy their current level of running, but also for those that make to see how far they can take their running, and it is for those that just want to run. In short it has something for everyhing. A little bit like in life you get back what you put in.
Over the last decade I have had the pleasure of working with a lot of athletes, learning from them, learning from myself, analysing how we train, looking at how others train, and identifying the key aspects required to run well. It is these "secrets" that I will share with the members of the club.
Too often to I speak to people, observe others running, or watch other training groups training and question what they and doing and why. I am not saying for one minute that I am perfect or that I run perfectly. I am aware of my flaws and issues in my running, but they are things I am working on. However, I have seen a lot of misinformation out there, or just a lack of standard for trainers. Whenever we are training it is important that you can answer the question, "Why am I doing this?" If you cannot answer this ask your trainer, coach, or adviser. If the question can not be answered then stop doing the training or exercise. In the last 12 months I have become increasingly aware of the amount of people getting bad training advice, and in the last 6 months I can witnessed a lot of people paying for "professional" advice being given inappropriate exercises, not being correctly observed when doing exercises, or training at an inappropriate intensity. Not only are these people not utilising their training time to it's best, but they are also exposing themselves to a great risk of injury. A classic example of this I observed this morning when a runner was doing a high-knee drill at the track, but because his hip-flexors glutes were tight in order to get a true high knee lift he had to hyperextend his lower back. Jumping and then landing repeatedly with a instabile core and hyperentended back is never going to encourage a better range of motion, or improve a moment pattern.
Going back to the "Why am I doing this?" question one would have to ask what is the aim of the exercise, how is that being achieved, and how do I successfully perform it? If for a Bio-Mechanical reason it is not possible to obtain full range of motion it is then better and safer to stick to the optimal angles, movement, using the appropriate muscle groups and joints, and performing the exercise with a smaller range of motion. When the problem is indentified, addressed, and corrected it is possible to extend the range of motion without increasing the injury risk or teaching the body an incorrect movement.
My aim is to element these problems. I aim to teach the group relevant exercises and intervals without giving them things they don't need. Essentially I am going to cut out the fat, so we work witha higher quality of training, and don't waste our time doing things that are either of no benefit, or are counter productive to our training.
More is not always better, and sometimes less is more.
What exactly does that mean?
Doing more training, more exercises, or more work is not always better. If you are doing training that is not as beneficial as another form of training you could just be making yourself more tired for little or no gain. Every person is different and it is important that you identify not only what your limits are, but also the levels your work best at. For example I can run 200-220km per week without breaking, but I can't do that week in and week out and work full time, so it is better than I focus on maintaining a smaller average over a longer period of time. Less training, intervals, or exercises can also produce a better return from what you put in. It is possible because you can perform the exercises or intervals at a higher intensity or quality instead of fighting through the training. If you have the feeling that you are running through thick mud or that your legs are always blocks of woods it is a good indicator that you doing too much. It might not mean that you are doing too much training, but perhaps too much training at a high intensity.
I plan to control the training within the group, so that everyone is working at their appropriate level and not doing too much just because everyone else is doing it.
That principle is not new to group training, but it is rare, as often group training involves trying to push each other as far as possible, which can result in us not listening to our bodies. Also generally groups for "normal" runners are aimed at just running, or doing a lot of intervals, but they don't address getting the mix right.
What is the right mix?
In every training plan regardless of whether you are justing trying to get into running, or you are chasing world records there should be a good mix of workouts, strength exercises, intervals, technique work, and normal running. The balance of mix depends on our training history, our goals, our level of fitness, and what our current focus in training is e.g. speed, endurance, racing
I will use this mix with the Running Club and this could be new to many, but it will introduce a new aspect to running and show a new side of training to them, which ultimately makes things a bit more interesting instead of just doing the same thing every single run.
Not only does our brain need variety, but so does our body, so lets give it variety in training.
Training Days
In order to make sure that we can get this mixture week in week out without neglecting anything else there is the possibility to train 4 times a week with the Laufwerk Running Club. This is again something that does not get offered in other groups or clubs.
On Monday we will be doing a mixture of strength and stability training, technique work, and easy running. This is the perfect way to start the week and also enables our runners to ease into the week after doing a long run or a race in the weekend.
Tuesday gives the opportunity for those with a bit of experience to do some solid tempo training sessions with Laufwerk's established tempo training group. This might be a bit too much for new or intermediate runners, as it takes the body a while to adjust to the stress of interval training. However, later in the week we offer the chance to be introduced to interval training.
On Wednesday morning we will be starting the day fresh and early. This is the only morning session during the week, and what we do will depend on who is there and what theyhave been doing in their training. For those that have completed some hard work during the week it is the chance to get a steady aerobic training session around the Alster. However, if there are people that can only run mornings there is also the opportuntiy to do some tempo training. Also as the group gets stronger will be also expand what we do generally on this run.
Thursday evening will be the chance to experience speed training for the first time, or to experience a monitored, controlled, and high quality interval training session. We will vary what we do in training as we go, but we will not be putting people in so much discomfort that they are going home on their hands and knees.
As well as these regular weekly training we will also have a monthly training workshops. These are aimed at providing something different to the training. This could be a crosstraining workout where we work at strength and stabilty, a technique training that will also include some Yoga and stretching, or runs in a totally different area in Hamburg or Niedersachen. We will also do 2 fitness tests per year that will take place during these monthly sessions.
These trainings are not compulsory and attending only one a week will still bring benefits. I just feel it is important to other the variety and to give the freedom to run once or four times a week with the Laufwerk Running Club.
I will also bring the Laufwerk Running Club into 2012 by giving the members the possiblity of using something called the internet to gain tips or information. Instead of just handing out flyers or sheets of paper.
Naturally this is not new, but I aim to take it to a new level and provide non-members with basic knowledge about running, running equipment, running routes in Hamburg, and some tips or tricks. Members of the Laufwerk Running Club will have exclusive access to training videos, training plans, strength training exercises, strength training training plans, special workouts, and other extras.
This website will constantly be a work in progress as I upload new tips, articles, information, courses, and offers open to both members and non-members. The website is www.laufwerkrunningclub.de
The website is online now, but is only in phase one. It will be a very different monster in a months time or so, but what is important now is that the Laufwerk Running Club is up and running and that we are open to members. We are in phase one, and we aim to control growing through the phases, so that we can offer more.
We aim to give people a home over winter to keep training either for the Hamburg Marathon in 2013, or just to hold their fitness before deciding on a goal for 2013. There will be a bigger push and new additions in the spring of 2013, but until then we will still be hitting the roads and getting the right work done.
For more information you can also check out the Laufwerk Website here.
Thursday, 23 August 2012
2012 Summer/Autumn Season DNS
Hi Everyone,
as I write this I am on holiday and had planned to use this week to get some solid training for the Berlin Marathon, but instead I am sitting on the couch and not thinking or worrying about my training.
After spending 4 of the last 6 weeks constantly rearranging my training programme and adjusting it to allow for little training I had been doing as a result of being sick my body started to feel worse, so I went to the doctor. After that appointment any doubts I had about starting the Marathon were gone, as it was now certain I would not start. They were not sure exactly what I had, but it was restricting my lungs and therefore my breathing. I received some Asthma medication, didn't doing any training or physical activity for the rest of the week, and did some more tests. The first time they checked my lung function I had about a 2 litre lung capacity, which is roughly normal or slightly below, but to me it felt like I was breathing in and out of a tiny paper bag. It's funny the difference. An ECG showed no strange heart-rhythms, but to be sure I was to have a Ultrasound of my heart the following week.
After the first few days of using the Asthma medication I felt better. Not 100%, but also not 20%. Now I feel a lot better for many reasons. I have no infection on my heart muscle, no complications to my heart rhythm, no breathing problems now, and I feel a bit stronger/fitter. I still haven't done any training and don't plan on it this week.
Of course it is frustrating not being about to try to run a new PB, but I was never going to after having such a disrupted June, July, and August. Instead I am a little thankful for this break, as it gives my body a chance to totally freshen up from little niggles and tightnesses. Last week was the first time in a long time I had a week of doing nothing, so I think the lung infection was just my body's way of putting on the brakes. Now I can freshen up and then slowly build up things for next year with no pressure to race or perform in the next few months.
The other plus is that it gives me a little bit more time that I would normally be using for training. This time has been useful to help me work on a couple of projects and also to have more time with Christiane. It just goes to show that there are always two sides to a story and I decided to take the positive one.
My 2012 racing season is effectively over and while I didn't get to race as much as I would like and also won't have the chance to defend some of the races I won last year I am still happy with some of the training I got in. I was able to hit some new top speeds and also get through some very solid tempo sessions either alone or with Lars, and I am sure after this break and rebuilding that I will be able to deliver some new PBs, as I now I have not raced to my maximum yet.
I still have a new half marathon PB in the bank, so it wasn't a complete write off. But like I said instead of looking at the negatives I am looking forward and embracing the positives.
Watch this space....
as I write this I am on holiday and had planned to use this week to get some solid training for the Berlin Marathon, but instead I am sitting on the couch and not thinking or worrying about my training.
After spending 4 of the last 6 weeks constantly rearranging my training programme and adjusting it to allow for little training I had been doing as a result of being sick my body started to feel worse, so I went to the doctor. After that appointment any doubts I had about starting the Marathon were gone, as it was now certain I would not start. They were not sure exactly what I had, but it was restricting my lungs and therefore my breathing. I received some Asthma medication, didn't doing any training or physical activity for the rest of the week, and did some more tests. The first time they checked my lung function I had about a 2 litre lung capacity, which is roughly normal or slightly below, but to me it felt like I was breathing in and out of a tiny paper bag. It's funny the difference. An ECG showed no strange heart-rhythms, but to be sure I was to have a Ultrasound of my heart the following week.
After the first few days of using the Asthma medication I felt better. Not 100%, but also not 20%. Now I feel a lot better for many reasons. I have no infection on my heart muscle, no complications to my heart rhythm, no breathing problems now, and I feel a bit stronger/fitter. I still haven't done any training and don't plan on it this week.
Of course it is frustrating not being about to try to run a new PB, but I was never going to after having such a disrupted June, July, and August. Instead I am a little thankful for this break, as it gives my body a chance to totally freshen up from little niggles and tightnesses. Last week was the first time in a long time I had a week of doing nothing, so I think the lung infection was just my body's way of putting on the brakes. Now I can freshen up and then slowly build up things for next year with no pressure to race or perform in the next few months.
The other plus is that it gives me a little bit more time that I would normally be using for training. This time has been useful to help me work on a couple of projects and also to have more time with Christiane. It just goes to show that there are always two sides to a story and I decided to take the positive one.
My 2012 racing season is effectively over and while I didn't get to race as much as I would like and also won't have the chance to defend some of the races I won last year I am still happy with some of the training I got in. I was able to hit some new top speeds and also get through some very solid tempo sessions either alone or with Lars, and I am sure after this break and rebuilding that I will be able to deliver some new PBs, as I now I have not raced to my maximum yet.
I still have a new half marathon PB in the bank, so it wasn't a complete write off. But like I said instead of looking at the negatives I am looking forward and embracing the positives.
Watch this space....
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