Favourite Interval Training Session

Richard, what is your favourite interval training session?

“That depends on what I’m training for, and what stage of my training I’m at. My main focus is usually a 10km race, so I like to pull out this session every so often. It’s a great speed endurance workout, and terrific for helping you to run on how you feel, rather than any set time. The key is to really take notice of how you’re feeling in your warm up”

Warm up

10 min easy jog followed by 6 * 100-200m run throughs at the desired pace for the session. The main part of the session is run at perceived current 10km pace – ie the pace you could race a 10km fun run right at the time of the training session.

You can use these run throughs to help you determine how fast you should do the main part of your session. Either use a Garmin to measure your distance and pace, or do the session on a track.

Run through a couple of 200’s at an effort that you feel you could run your 10km at. After the first few, you should have a good feel for what sort of pace you’re on for the session. Then you can assess what pace you’re running at, and apply that pace to the main part of your session.

So, to clarify (hopefully).

Easy run for 10 mins

2 -4 * 200m run throughs at a pace that you feel you could race a 10km in, based on how you feel right now, when you’re running, NOT based on previous times, PB’s, or times you’re hoping to achieve in the future. In fact, not based on time at all, just on how you’re feeling.

Once you’re comfortable that you’ve got the pace you can race 10km in, have a look at the actual pace you are going. Do another 2 or 3 * 200 and either using a Garmin or other GPS device, look at the pace you are going, or time the 200m and multiply by 5 to get your KM pace.

Core Session

10*1km @ perceived 10km pace (as assessed in warm up)

30 sec standing recovery between each 1km interval

Cool down

10 min easy jog followed by some stretching.

 

Tell us your favourite running session.

Running With The Kenyans

Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn, is a great read, and is now one of my ‘Top Shelf’ books.

Despite his rather “un-anglo” name, the author is an anglo-saxon English guy who felt he never quite reached his potential as a runner and is keen to find out ‘the Kenyan secret’. Even though he’s not what you would call a top runner (38 min for 10K), he and his family move to the town of Iten, in Kenya, to live and train with some of the fastest distance runners on earth, Finn’s keen to see if he can work out exactly what makes the Kenyan’s so good. As you’d expect, it’s not a simple answer.

One of the keys to the success of Kenyan running, is Brother Colm, who Finn spends some time with. Brother Colm is an Irish priest, who came to Kenya in the 1970’s to teach at a local school. He inherited the athletics coaching position, even though he knew absolutely nothing about the topic, but he has since produced dozens of Olympic Gold medallists, World Champions, and World Record holders from 800m to the Marathon. You could say he has an abundance of ‘fairly’ good talent to choose from, however he’s obviously used it wisely.

There are plenty of great anecdotes throughout the book. A favourite of mine is when the author is trying to phone a 2hr 4min marathoner..He happens to call the wrong number, but not to worry, the person who picks up the phone is a 2 hr 5 min marathoner, so he’ll do. In most parts of the world, 2 hr anything marathoners are fairly hard to come by! Talk about a concentration of champions. Of the 4000 people living in and around the town of Iten, 1000 are full time athletes!

I found this book very easy to read. It flowed along nicely without getting bogged down in the detail of his daily life. Throughout the story the author gradually builds the relationships he is developing with his ‘team’ of Kenyans who are training for the Lewa Marathon with him, Finn’s first. Running your first marathon is intimidating enough, but add to it the hazards of running through the open African savanah (read: LIONS!), and you’ve got a real challenge on your hands.

Finn’s descriptions of his early morning runs evoke wonderful images of runners making their way to the meeting spot in the pre-dawn African light. Nothing needs to be pre-arranged. Everyone knows where to meet. You just show up at 6am, and (if you’re a white guy), hope you can keep up the pace.

Anyone interested in running and/or wishing to improve their running will get a great deal from the book, through inspiration, some technical advice, and finding out the secret to what makes these Kenyans so good.

Happy Reading

You can grab a copy of Running With The Kenyans from the Book Depository. Right now the soft cover edition is 40% off, at $18.71. And you receive free shipping worldwide.

Running Aids Brain Growth

Recent headlines suggested scientists had “discovered” that exercise was good for the brain, however the recent study out of Cambridge University and the US National Institute on Aging is just part of a growing body of work on the subject.

 

Of course, our clients have been telling us for years that exercise makes them feel better mentally, from simply making them feel more alert, to increasing their sense of well being, making them nicer people to live with, and helping to keep depression in check.

 

This SMH article, Brain Cell Secrets Explored,  is reproduced in it’s entirety below.

 

THE health benefits of a regular run have long been known, but scientists have never understood the curious ability of exercise to boost brain power.

Now researchers think they have the answer. Neuroscientists at CambridgeUniversity have shown that running stimulates the brain to grow fresh grey matter and it has a big effect on mental ability.

A few days of running led to the growth of hundreds of thousands of brain cells that improved the ability to recall memories without confusing them, a skill that is crucial for learning and other cognitive tasks, researchers said.

The new brain cells appeared in a region that is linked to the formation and recollection of memory. The work reveals why jogging and other aerobic exercise can improve memory and learning, and potentially slow down the deterioration of mental ability in old age.

The research builds on a body of work that suggests exercise plays a vital role in keeping the brain healthy by encouraging the growth of brain cells. Previous studies have shown ”neurogenesis” is limited in people with depression, but that their symptoms can improve if they exercise regularly.

Scientists are unsure why exercise triggers the growth of grey matter, but it may be linked to increased blood flow or higher levels of hormones that are released while exercising. Exercise might also reduce stress, which inhibits new brain cells through a hormone called cortisol.

The Cambridge researchers joined forces with colleagues at the US National Institute on Ageing inMarylandto investigate the effect of running.

They studied two groups of mice, one of which had unlimited access to a running wheel throughout. The other mice formed a control group.

After training sessions the mice in the exercising group scored almost twice as highly as the other mice in a repeated memory test for a sugar reward, a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said. The sedentary mice got steadily worse at the test.

 

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/fitness/jog-your-memory-brain-cell-secrets-explored-20100119-mj77.html

 

Running is good for me! I can feel it in my bones.

Oesteoporis and osteopenia are often considered to be diseases of post-menopausal women. Sufferers of these diseases that don’t fall into that category are often assumed to be exceptions to the rule. However, bone density is an issue which affects both men and women.  Did you know that 1 in 3 men over 60 years will have an osteoporotic fracture in Australia, as will 1 in 2 women? [1]

There are countless studies evidencing that regular physical activity on a long term basis has an important role in maintaining bone health, but when it comes to maintaining bone health, all exercise is not created equal.

 

 

Running vs Cycling as a Bone Builder
In 2007, a study from the University of Missouri-Columbia[2]  found that men participating in predominantly low-impact forms of exercise have an increased incidence of oesteopenia, resulting in two times the risk of bone fracture.

The study measured bone mineral density in forty three competitive male cyclists and runners ages 20 to 59. The study found that:

  • The cyclists had significantly lower bone mineral density of the whole body, especially of the lumbar spine, compared to runners.
  • 63 percent of the cyclists had osteopenia of the spine or hip compared with 19 percent of the runners.
  • Cyclists were seven-times more likely to have osteopenia of the spine than the runners.

Quite staggering results considering the subjects of the study were competitive cyclists and runners aged under 60.  Even the runners had a relatively high incidence of oesteopenia of the hip and spine!

Some Bone Density Facts.

  • Studies in pre- and post-menopausal women show that bone mineral density will increase 2 percent to 3 percent after six months of resistance training three times per week. These small changes are quite significant, as a 1% increase in bone density reduces the risk of fracture by 5%. [3]
  • Low bone density in males often remains undiagnosed and inadequately treated and, after suffering a fracture, men are less likely to receive follow-up care than women.
  • Bone loss in women is approximately 1% – 5% per year after menopause
  • When they occur in men, fractures due to oestoeporis or oesteopenia are associated with higher disability and death, than in women.
  • Every 5-6 minutes, someone is admitted to an Australian hospital with an osteoporotic fracture. This is expected to rise to every 3 – 4 minutes by the year 2021, as the population ages and the number of osteoporotic fractures increase.
  • About 50% of people with one fracture due to osteoporosis will have another. The risk of future fractures rises with each new fracture. This is known as  the ‘cascade effect’.
  • People who have had two or more osteoporotic fractures are up to 9 times more likely to have another fracture The risk increases to 11 times for people who have had 3 or more fractures compared to someone who has not had one.
  • Two thirds of fractures of the spine are not identified or treated.

Risk Factors for Oestoporis

  • Family history of osteoporosis and fractures
  • Women are at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis than men, mainly due to the rapid decline in oestrogen levels after menopause.
  • Men also lose bone as they age, but their bone mass generally remains adequate until much later in life
  • Use of cortico-steroids (commonly used for Asthma)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Over-active thyroid or parathyroid glands
  • Coeliac disease and other chronic gut conditions – which effect the absorpotion of important nutrients such as calcium
  • Chronic liver or kidney disease
  • Smoking
  • Excessive alcohol consumption
  • Diet lacking in calcium
  • Lack of sunlight exposure, which may cause vitamin D deficiency
  • Sedentary lifestyle over many years

In Men

  • Symptoms of low testosterone levels such as impotence  and lack of libido

In Women

  • If your period has stopped for 6-12 consecutive months (excluding pregnancy, menopause or hysterectomy)
  • If you experience early menopause
  • Consumption of more than 4 cola drinks per week in women (cola drink consumption does not seem to have an impact on bone density in men).

What can you do to reduce the risk of oesteoporisis?

  • Choose your parents wisely
  • Include weight bearing exercise such as running, resistance training, stair climbing, skipping, hopping, as a regular part of your life.
  • Be aware that any positive gains in bone strength are lost when you stop exercising, so that it is important that your exercise is regular and ongoing.
  • Ensure you receive adequate amounts of sunshine to boost your vitamin D levels. “To get enough sunlight to produce vitamin D, a person needs to expose their hands, face and arms (around 15% of body surface) to sunlight for about 6 – 8 minutes, 4 – 6 times per week (before 10am or after 2pm Standard Time in summer, for moderately fair people).” [4]
  • Ensure your diet includes an adequate intake of calcium, as calcium is vital to maintain bone strength.

Your daily calcium needs depend on your age and sex.

Children 1-3 yrs 500mg/day
4-8 yrs 700mg/day
Girls 9-11 yrs 1000mg/day
12-13 yrs 1300mg/day
14-18 yrs 1300mg/day
Women 19-50 1000mg/day
51+ 1300mg/day
Pregnancy 14-18 1300mg/day
19-50 1000mg/day
Boys 9-11 yrs 1000mg/day
12-13 yrs 1300mg/day
14-18 yrs 1300mg/day
Men 19-70 1000mg/day
71+ 1300mg/day

Be aware that dairy is not the only good source of calcium. Tahini, nuts and salmon (with bones) are also great sources. See our Calcium Rich Foods table for some more ideas.

Barefoot Running: The Bare Facts

 

Vibram 5-fingers
The Vibram Five Fingers is perhaps the most minimalist of the minimalist shoes.

Catalyst (ABC TV 6th September) ran a story on barefoot running with some interesting analysis of barefoot and shod strides. When a runner shifts from running in shoes to barefoot running, the gait pattern changes from landing on the heel to landing on the whole foot or mid-fore foot. There is greater ground reaction force when wearing a running shoe, and the calf muscles work very hard with barefoot running. The metabolic cost of running increases with barefoot running.

 

There is some great analysis in the Catalyst piece, of the way different muscles work when running barefoot compared to running in shoes, which serves to highlight the fact that you can’t just throw away your shoes one day and start running barefoot, and expect not to get injured. Like anything new, you should ease into it slowly. And by slowly, we mean gradually increase your barefoot mileage over a period of six months or so, and don’t do all of your running in bare feet or in minimilist shoes.

 

The increased demand on your calf muscles means it would make sense to include calf raises in your strenth training for at least 6 weeks prior to starting to run barefoot, along with some good calf stretching and strengthening when you start to leave the shoes behind.

 

Is barefoot running for you? Not necessarily. It really depends on the structure of your foot and your biomechanics, and your willingness to make gains little by little. It certainly does feel great running in barefeet or with minimal footwear every now and again!

 

 

Go to the Catalyst article, and also take a look at some of the links provided at the end of the transcript. It makes for interesting reading regardless of whether you are an devotee of the barefoot or minimalist approach.

 

Tell us your experiences with barefoot running and minimalist running shoes. Do you love it? Do you hate it? If you think you’d like to try it, ask us for advice.

Fun Runs: Be Prepared and Avoid Disasters

 

Being prepared is the key to doing your best in any fun run. A lack of preparation can easily wipe out all those months of hard training. Here are a few common mistakes runners live to regret, and how to avoid them.

 

Mistake Number One: Setting your sites too high.

Yes, it’s great to be confident, but if you set yourself a target time for your fun run which his not in keeping with what you’ve been doing in training, then you’re bound to be disappointed, at the least. Worse still, you could be wiped out by the time you get to the halfway point if you set off too fast.

If you’ve done any recent races or time trials, you can use this race time predictor to get a reasonable idea of the sort of time you could aim for. Alternatively, you could put in any recent 2km (+) interval times if you haven’t raced or done a time trial recently. Remember, use this as a guide only. Your pace is not cast in stone.

 

Mistake Number Two: Getting Carried Away

It is very easy to get carried away with the hype of a big fun run event, especially if it’s one you’ve been looking forward to for a while. Lots of people around you will be going out more quickly than you, so you just need to develop a strategy which will allow you to chill out and enjoy the ride. Listen to your own breathing, count your own strides, sing yourself a nursery rhyme. Anything that will stop you from tuning into the footsteps of those around you will help you to maintain your own pace. Look at your watch, and make sure you are not running faster than your planned pace. Those first few kilometres often feel very easy, even if you’ve gone out too fast. Any those very same kilometres are vital in setting you up for a great fun run.

 

Mistake Number Three: Disregarding the Conditions

Be aware that you may need to revise down your race time goal if the weather conditions are a lot different to what you’ve been training in. Hot weather is a killer on race day, but cold weather can also have an adverse effect if you are not used to it. Strong headwinds can also slow you down considerably.

Don’t doggedly keep on running to your set time splits if the weather doesn’t allow for it.  Run on perceived exertion, and know what you are capable of beforehand. It takes a lot of practice to be able to judge the pace you can keep up over a set distance, so you may want to be more conservative until you think you’ve nailed that one.

 

Mistake Number Four: Being Ill Prepared for Hot Weather

If the mercury’s rising (as has been the case in the last two Sydney Marathons which they insist on starting at 7:30am), it’s important to take some precautions. Make sure you are well hydrated before the race. Drink plenty of water on the two or three days leading into the race. How much is hard to say, as it depends on your size, how much water you are taking in with your food, and how much fibre you are taking in with your food. Just try to drink before you are thirsty, but not so much that you feel bloated and uncomfortable. On the morning of the race, down some sports drink prior to the start – again, not so much that you feel uncomfortable-to make sure you have a good store of electrolytes. During the race, drink 200-300mls of sports drink every 20-30 minutes.

Wear cool clothing and a white visor. The white will reflect heat, and a visor rather than a hat will allow heat to escape from your head.

Don’t be a hero. If you feel dizziness, shortness of breath, or nausea, seek shade and assistance. These are all signs of heat stress. If you stop sweating, you have most likely gone into heat stroke and should seek help immediately.

 

Mistake Number Four: Being Ill Prepared for Cold Weather

If the weather’s cold, gloves are invaluable. Bring lots of layers of old clothes which you are happy to throw away prior to or during the race. Make sure you have warm dry clothes to change into at the end of the race, including undies. There’s nothing like cold sweaty underwear to keep you from warming up quickly!

 

Other things that can go wrong

Eyes stinging from sunscreen. Don’t put sunscreen on your forehead above your eyes. Wear a visor to protect your forehead from the sun

Late arrival. Leave plenty of time for things to go wrong. There’s likely to be lots of traffic and little parking at most of the fun runs you go to.

Wardrobe malfunction. Make sure your shoes are tied tightly enough, and loosely enough, and tied with a double knot. Be sure to have a spare hair elastic. Make sure your bra clips are in good working order. One of my clients did have a bra mishap, not once, but twice in a race (BD, you know who you are). If this happens to you, use one of the safety pins from your race number to do some running repairs.

It’s just not your day. It happens, sometimes you know from the first step you take in your warm up, or even before you get to your warm up, that today will probably not produce a fun run PB. Accept it, chill out, and enjoy the scenery!
Do you have any special rituals you perform as part of your race day preparation? Tell us about them below.

Downhill Running

 

Fall gracefully. That’s about it really, but hard to achieve when you fear you might fall flat on your face at any moment. Firstly, before you do any significant amounts of downhill running, you need to prepare your body for running downhill.

Downhills are often preceded by uphills, so first thing to remember is to leave something in the tank for what’s coming after the uphill part of your run. If you get to the top of the hill so spent you can hardly stand up, your downhill form will be somewhat less than perfect, and you won’t be able to reap the benefits to be gained from running downhill well. See our article for more on uphill running technique.

 

And now for the downhills.

Gently lean your body into the hill. Relax and it’ll gently pull you down. Don’t lean back and try to brake yourself. Fight it and you’ll end up with sore quads and frustration when you see people powering past you on the downhill-those very same people you just overtook on the uphill!

It’s tempting to take huge leaps when running downhill, but do try not to overstride. Keep your feet low to the ground, and stay light on your feet. Your leg turnover should pick up. Keep your steps quick. Your stride will naturally lengthen a little as the ground drops away beneath you, so to keep your steps quick, you may have to try to shorten your strides up a little. Each footstrike should be very light and very short. With shorter, more frequent steps you absorb less shock per stride.

Lean forward into the hill. The lean should come from the ankles, not the hips. Shoulders should be slightly in front of you. Land with your foot just a little bit behind your hips, not directly underneath you.

 

Practice makes perfect.

The more you practice running down hill, the more confident you will get, the more relaxed you will get, the better you will get at it, the more confident you will get……Take every opportunity to focus on your downhill form when you are out running, and include some specific downhill sessions each week. Start out with a short gradual slope perform 30 second downhill intervals at race pace. Gradually build up the length of your intervals and your speed down the hill, to about 20 secs faster than your goal race pace.

The most important aspect, as with any training plan, is to avoid overdoing it. It’s normal to be sore as you adapt to downhill training, but too much downhill running can be detrimental, leaving you overly fatigued and prone to injury.

Lastly, don’t expect to get the hang of downhill running on your first attempt. Like most thing, it’ll take a bit of practice before you have that light bulb moment. When you get it right, you’ll know.

 

View this video for more on hill running.

Watch the Video