2 mile race

Speed training is an important part of becoming a faster runner. Training at your threshold will allow you to increase your aerobic capacity and will in turn allow you to become a stronger faster runner. Sounds great eh? 

I was due for a run home from work last night, so I was prepared for a run home. I was feeling particularly "pumped" after a long weekend biking and was really looking forward to a run.


This led to me looking around for some races that I could really test my fitness on. I know for a fact I am not at optimum levels of fitness but I am working up to it, and races are always a nice indicator of how well you are progressing.

Much to my surprise, I found that there was actually a 2 mile race in the meadows taking place that night and it was only £2 to enter! I had my kit and the meadows is 10 mins from my work, it was as if the universe was conspiring to get me racing.

 

The race is part of a series of races that take part throughout the summer months, some 1 and 2 mile races as well as the occasional 5k. This is exactly what I need and I will definitely be going back.

The race went really well for me. I had never raced this distance before and was excited to see how it felt. The course was a flat 1 mile loop that we ran twice. I really loved the distance and will look for more 2 mile races. It was long enough to get myself into a zone, but short enough to really inject some pace.

I ran the first loop in 6min 11sec and the second in 6min 18sec, which is not bad pacing considering I forgot to bring my Garmin forerunner which is usually my pace setter. Finishing in 12min 29sec I was very happy and felt I gave a good account of myself. I like to set my sights on a couple of targets when I am racing, I find people who are running at a slightly quicker pace and tell myself I am going to overtake them. I managed to overtake both my targets, and they were both affiliated with racing clubs, so I feel pretty good (this can be read as smug as you like, I don't mind).

I would really love to get this time down to the 11min mark, and the races run until September, so I think this is possible.

If you are in Edinburgh you should definitely check the events out, they are well organised and good fun, and it's a great way to work in some speed training into your week, no matter what you are training for.

 

Cross Training

Cross training is an important part of any training schedule, and can do a lot to help you achieve your fitness goals, whatever they may be. With the right approach to cross training you will find that there are several advantages that will make your running even better. I thought it would be helpful to write about some of the benefits as well as some tips specific to running.

One of the main advantages of cross training is that it work muscles in your body that you would not be able to work by just running. Swimming and cycling are great sports for runner to use as cross training, and both will provide a different workout for your body that you would not get from running. I love to mountain bike, and just spent all weekend in Dumfries cycling on the various 7 stanes routes down there. This provided a great workout for my quads (the front leg muscles) that I would not get if I was just running. Mountain biking also provides a great core workout which will help with balance for your running. The other amazing thing about biking (of which there are many) is that it is low impact. So you are not going to be hammering your knee joints in the way you do while running.



Me and Euan at biking in Dalbeatie

Cross training also provides a welcome rest from running. I know myself that sometimes I can get a bit bored running 3-4 times a week. By adding another sport to the mix, I find that I become excited about getting back to running. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. You will also notice the difference in fitness and feel that your running is improving, thus providing motivation to keep going.

Cross training will also help with your overall cardiovascular fitness. Cross training on rest days is great because as I mentioned before with biking or swimming, there is little to no impact. But both sports are great for improving cardio fitness and will allow you to run for longer. Cross training is also fantastic for active recovery, so if you have been out for a massive run, and are looking for a warm down, why not hop on the bike. It will increase your stamina, and by allowing your body to recover while active, you will speed up recovery more so than if you were to just rest outright.

I recommend cross training to everyone who is seriously interested in running and improving their fitness.

Your turn: let me know what you do to cross train. Do you not enjoy cross training at all? Would you rather spend all your time running?

Don't run on empty!

Nutrition is a big part of running and exercise (a bit I clearly need to get better at - I have had 2 bags of crisps today). If you don't give your body the right fuel to perform, you will find yourself hitting the wall much earlier than needs be and you will start to feel pretty crap. This is easily avoidable by eating the right foods and staying hydrated. I just wanted to outline some of my thoughts and suggestions for the best running foods I eat. This is not to say they are the only good foods, just the ones I enjoy.

1. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is great for runners and athletes. It is a fantastic, cheap, tasty source of protein and calories. If you whap some peanut butter on a slice of wholemeal toast you have a great slow release post workout snack to keep you going.I know some people will say "NOOOOO peanut butter makes you fat" but this is only true if you exceed your calorie intake per day. As part of a balanced diet it is great.

Warning - contains nuts.

2. Wholegrain Pasta and Bread

Runners obviously need to have a lot of Carbs in their diet to fuel the physical exertion. Whole grain foods are (by definition) less processed. Whenever food is processed you are loosing some of the goodness in the nutrients. With wholegrain products such as bread, pasta, cereal, you are getting more nutrients (so they are good carbs) and you are getting more fibre, so you will feel fuller for longer. I know that when you are trying to carb load bread or pasta is an obvious choice, so just as long as you stay away from the white stuff, you will be grand!

3. Bananas

I bloody love bananas. They taste great. They smell great. They are cheap. They are yellow. They are also really good for runners. They make a great pre-workout snack because of the SIMPLE carbs. This means that they can be broken down quickly and released into the bloodstream to give you an almost instant hit.

Also, when you run you sweat, and when you sweat your body looses potassium. Bananas contain the vital potassium to help you reload, which is important as it helps regulate muscle contraction and will mean you don't become crippled with cramp (which really 'cramps' your style when out running).

4. Tuna

Runners need a lot of protein too (between 60-90 grams a day) to help rebuild muscle after gruelling sessions. Tuna is a great source of lean protein, so it makes the perfect post-run dinner. Tuna is also full of the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Some great tuna recipes can be found here.

5. Low fat yogurt

Low fat yoghurt is great. It is a great source of lean protein and carbs. The calcium content is perfect for runners to, because all of that pounding the pavement means that you will become susceptible to stress fractures. It is handy then to have strong bones to lower the risk.

Personally I eat Low fat yoghurt with bananas for breakfast when I am going out for a morning run. Also really nice too add to smoothies to make them a bit more creamy. More ideas can be found here.

1000 Kilometer Challenge

I am a man who enjoys a challenge. I am also a man who enjoys running. So last night I was struck with an idea of creating a self-imposed running challenge (how exciting?).

It is on Wednesday 25th April 2012, I say with complete clarity of thought and without poor judgement, that over the course of the next year I am going to run a total of 1000km. Yes, you read that correctly, I will run 500km, and I will run 500km more, just to be the man who ran 1000km in the name of an incredibly self-indulgent year-long challenge.

This challenge will satisfy a few of my needs and wants. Primarily, it will be a great way to make me run more frequently and for longer. It will serve as an incredibly progressive, interesting and engaging weekly blog post (please read with intended sarcasm). It will also allow me to indulge in some great running stats, which I love.

An example of such exciting stats is below:

1. To run 1000km in 365 days, I will need to run an average of 19.23km per week. That is 2.73km per day. 0.11km per hour (Have I taken it too far?)
2. Over the course of the year I will burn an average of 55,000 calories (low estimate), the equivalent of 327 bags of Flame Grilled Steak McCoy crisps.
3. Running 1000km will take me approximately 83 hours or 3.45 days. Maybe I should get it all over and done with in a weekend? Take the Monday off work?

This will be a big challenge for me. I understand that there are people who run 1000km in a few months, but I have a busy year. I am getting married, starting a PGDE in Edinburgh to become a teacher and I am becoming an Uncle, so fitting in regular runs will be tough, but I am excited. I will definitely have to partake in some Early Morning Runs.

I will be updating you on my quest as I work towards the end goal of 1000km, and every time I blog about my runs I will include my 'running total'.

I hope I don't look like this when I reach my target

Why not start a 1000km challenge of your own? Maybe you have done something similar before, let me know any tips you have please. Any good name suggestions for my challenge?

Early Morning Running

One of the biggest challenges I find with picking up the running miles throughout the week, is trying to find the time. I need to leave for work at 8am and don't get home till 7pm so trying to fit in running as well as everything else (family, food, films, friends etc - alliteration was a happy accident there) is a big challenge.

One way in which I plan to get round this is setting the alarm clock an hour early and going for Early Morning Runs. I am going to outline 5 of my top tips for running early in the morning, please feel free to let me know if there is anything else I should be thinking about, or any tips my fellow early morning runners have that make the process a bit easier.

1. Forward Planning

Think about what you will need to do to save yourself time in the morning. What can you get ready the night before that will mean you can stay in bed another 2-3 minutes.  I like to lay out my kit so that I don't have to spend any time looking for running socks in the dark (it's bad enough finding them when it is light). Also, check the weather report for the next day so you know what you should be wearing (don't use the weather as an excuse though - nobody likes a skiver!)

The time this will save you will really help, also the process of laying out your kit will me that you are less likely to think "ah fuck it" (which is a danger) and go back to sleep. The plan is you will go to bed thinking about your run, and you will wake up motivated and raring to go!

2. Have breakfast

Having breakfast is a vital part of the day anyway, but especially if you are getting up early to do a run. You want to have something that is going to fuel your early morning escapade, but also something that wont take too long to make....but also something that is not going to sit too heavy as you cant afford to sit around till it digests...

This morning I made myself a slice of wholemeal toast with peanut butter and sliced banana. Nice source of slow release Carbs with the wholemeal bread, protein in the peanut butter and the banana is great energy just before a run. I wash this down with some water and I am ready to go.

Another plan, is to have some energy bars ready that you can quickly eat, then have a decent breakfast when you get back to give your body the vital nutrients.


3.Know your route

 You only have a certain amount of time for your run, so don't use the EMR (early morning run) to try outthe new weird and wonderful off-road route that you have been planning. Stick to what you know. You should know how long the route will take and when you will be back. You also don't want to be knackered for the rest of the day, so remember you have a full day in front of you, don't absolutely kill yourself.

4. Find a running buddy

 I find that if you have made the commitment to meet up with something to go for a run, then you are more likely to get up and go. There is no greater motivation for me than feeling obliged, I hate letting people down. This is also good for having someone to chat to and it feels like you are sharing the burden, and that you are not the only person in the world crazy enough to be up and running.

 If you have no willing friends, or just no friends, don't fret, just comfort yourself in the knowledge that you are doing the right thing for your body, and you will probably live longer than those unwilling, lazy, unmotivated, pathetic excuses for human beings...(I'm joking of course, as much as there is a certain amount of well earned smugness that comes from running early in the morning, don't tell people that you are therefore better than them, even though you are, it won't end well).

5. Hydrate

It is incredibly important to be drinking water throughout the day, especially if you live an active lifestyle. You should make sure that you have a drink of water before heading out and also when you come back. Make sure that you pay particular attention to drinking water throughout the day of your early morning run too, no use putting all that effort in then crashing at 2pm because you are dehydrated.

Your turn: What is your early morning run routine? What do you have for breakfast? How else can I squeeze runs in to my busy week?