• Running and Mood

      Recent events in France remind us all how stained the world is and how difficult life will be now for people directly affected by such atrocities. Lives never the same again, but because of the way the world is connected these days, the ripple effect of such emotion cascades quickly, spreading around the world in no time at all. It’s hard not to be affected, but we just get on with our lives, and we store the images and sounds in the part of the brain, filed under ‘dark stuff’ and move forward. Perhaps we change our Facebook image in disgust, and then we get about our business. As we go about our daily lives though, we sometimes unwittingly become stressed over seemingly trivial things, never really being able to pinpoint what it is that bothers us, or if so, why. Is that in part due to an accumulation of negative imagery overloading our senses? It’s just part of life, we shrug the shoulders, say something like, “I’m ok”, and get on. But what does any of this have to do with running? You often hear people say things like “You will never feel worse after a run” and “Go for a run to clear your mind”, but surely that begs the question of whether running is good for your mind, and if so what is the link between running and state of mind or mood. Much has also been written about the benefits of exercise and specifically running for health and physical wellbeing, but the links between mental health and running are harder to prove and also harder to find unequivocal empirical evidence on. Perhaps the complex nature of mental health and also the taboos that surround it do nothing to assist that. A quick glance at the internet will give you an idea that running is good for your mood, but how and to what extent? Perhaps, just as the mind is such a complex personal space unique to each and every one of us, could the possible ways that running is good for the mind therefore be as equally unique and diverse at the same time? What I know is that after I run, I tend to feel mentally refreshed. I was once asked what I think about whilst out running on long runs, and the answer is everything and nothing. How can that be? The run starts with a thought process, which leads to another thought, and so on, all of them colliding into one another, until they sort of merge together in a thought-soup. Sometimes there are eureka moments but mostly not, but I think that this jumbling of thoughts and ideas is a way of distancing ourselves from reality for the duration of the run, like the emptying of a bath: everything that was stored is released. Ask someone after a solo run what they thought about…it’s hard to pinpoint something and provide an answer, everything and nothing. This is potentially why we feel ‘refreshed’ after a run, by allowing all the stored thoughts to bounce about in our mind until they slowly release their energy and become spent. Physically drained, mentally restored. This much is true for solo running, but even group running can be beneficial too. You go out on a long run with a few like-minded people and immerse in chit-chat and jibber-jabber and the miles fly by. It’s such a massive distraction from reality and this distancing from reality, or escapism, can provide valuable breathing space for some, which in itself can help to promote a calmer mental state. There are many scientifically proven things that happen to our bodies that influence our mood, such as the release of endorphins, which lead to what is described as ‘Runners’ High’. Endorphins are painkillers produced in response to physical discomfort, according to Matthew Hill, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute. That doesn’t mean that you need to be in pain from running to feel the effects of endorphins, a ‘challenging’ run will produce this effect according to his research. What effect does the release of these endorphins play on our state of mind then after a run? The effects linger for a while and this too can explain why a ‘mood lift’ can be felt. This weekend I asked someone after the Dirt Half how they felt just after finishing….’I feel great’ was the answer, despite the obvious physical discomfort. Mental illness notwithstanding, our mental ‘wellbeing’ is not something that we really think about. It’s like sitting in a room where the ambient temperature is perfect for us. We have no reason to think about it because we are neither too hot, nor too cold. Same goes for how we feel, we never stop to say….oh, I feel average today, only when our mood tips the scales at one end or the other do we notice. However does that mean that running can only benefit those under some sort of mental strain? I would disagree. Whilst it may be difficult to describe why or how running is good for our mood, and certainly more troublesome to categorically prove that, what I do know, is that running nearly always helps me feel mentally restored, whether I thought I needed it or not.        

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  • Marathon Training and Real Lives

    It’s getting to the time when people who are taking part in a spring marathon will start to think about their training schedule. When to start - Now? December? January? How many long runs? How far will the longest run be? No matter what the answers to those questions might be, a lot of people fall down before they even start the first run by failing to put any safety margin within their schedule. Well, have you ever had a cold? Got family and kids? Work? Basically, 4 months through winter is a long time to go without getting a cold. It’s also a long time to go without family and work constraints taking over. A lot of people try to ramp up the mileage too quickly and then pick up injuries. This can also put pressure on the training plan, compounding the issues. So anyone planning 16 weeks of training with no flexibility is definitely planning to fail, not planning to succeed. Factoring in some time to accommodate family and work related constraints and health issues is key. So how much flexibility do you need? There’s no simple answer to that. Ask yourself whether you can definitely commit to running big distances every single weekend in addition to running 3 or so times during the week. If not, try scheduling only 3 out of 4 of the weekends, leaving yourself a free weekend every month. This of course will mean that your overall plan will be longer, meaning in turn that you will need to start it sooner. That’s ok, it is also better for your body to ramp up slower and should help reduce injury risk in the process. But, there are other things you can do to free up time, combining running with other things. Running to pick up the kids, running to work, running on your lunch break…. all good options for fitting training into busy lives. The key is prioritisation. If the marathon training is important to you despite your busy schedule, it makes sense to try to work out how that stacks up against other demands on your time. Be creative and think more about quality of the runs in your plan, and not the quantity. Focusing on quality will give you the confidence to feel ok when, ultimately, you need to drop sessions. Sometimes, the temptation is to try to replace a missed session as soon as possible in the schedule. This can be a bad move, adding additional strain where ordinarily you were planning a break. Being flexible enough to re-arrange runs for the week can be a better approach. Understand that a missed day is the same as an extra rest day and that rest is a key component of the training plan. It’s inevitable that you will miss some sessions in your training. Planning ahead and making allowances for this up front will help you get through the training with lower risk of injury, better physical condition and greater confidence. Perhaps of the three, going into the race with a good level of confidence is the most important. A lot of people get through the physical training but don’t work on their confidence and the mental demands of the race – but that’s another topic. Getting to the start line in good physical condition, with confidence, takes time and good planning and so if you are about to start your marathon training soon, take some time to think about whether you have enough flexibility in your plan. It could make all the difference on race day. See also Planning for marathon success.

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  • What’s all this about trail shoes…

    So here’s the issue, you like the idea of running off-road in places like Rushmere and Ivinghoe so went online and bought some trail shoes that came highly recommended. However you later found that in order to get to these places you have to run on the road also, and your new trail shoes either hurt your feet when you use them for road, or they get wrecked quickly. Use road shoes off-road? The problem is not necessarily the lack of grip with the road shoes used off-road, but the side to side ‘roll’ on the uneven surfaces. Its dangerous, and really increases the risk of injury. The same can be said for using trails on the road. The trail shoes do not have the same ground-contact and support characteristics as road shoes and therefore you will adopt a different running style with running with them on the road, although you may be unaware. This can lead to injury over time… It’s a common misconception that trail shoes are all the same. There are different kinds? Well yeah. Some are more designed for softer muddy ground, with very soft rubber soles with exceptional, oversized grip. Some have a lot of waterproofing, whereas some invest in a lot of toe protection for more rocky or mountainous regions, and some on stability. The market for running shoes is a confusing place at the best of times, with so much choice on offer, without throwing different kinds of trail shoes into the mix, so what makes sense is to look at the requirements and try to work out the best shoe for that. Sounds simple enough. For example if the requirement is to drive to a park, change and run on muddy trails in winter, before changing footwear to drive home, then something with great grip and waterproofing might be the best choice of trail shoe. In our case, a lot of people like the idea of running up to the trails at Rushmere, and like to include extra miles to make up their weekly mileage, or simply to run there to and from their home. This requirement is therefore a ‘door to trail’ shoe. Something that has characteristics of a trail shoe and some characteristics of a road shoe. The support of a road shoe would be good, to support the runner on the harder surfaces, made of a stronger material with more aggressive grip, like a trail shoe. So luckily there is a market segment that deals with ‘door to trail’ running shoes that are ideal for runs that will contain a road and a trail element. Just like yesterday and the LFR’s that ran up to the park run recce from the clubhouse. I don’t want to make this blog a comparison of all possible shoes that fit this category, as each runner has their own tastes and preferences, but perhaps bear in mind that there are some key characteristics to look out for. Lateral Stability. Some toe-box protection for when you catch your feet on tree-roots and rocks. Grip, but not an aggressive pattern that would make it difficult to run on hard surfaces. Made of tougher materials that wont tear when it comes into contact with trail debris. I have found that Salomon make some good shoes for this requirement, the XA Pro 3D, which is a serious high-mileage, highly-stable door-to-trail shoe and the lighter, more agile Wings Pro shoe. I have had both and these are my go-to shoes for a run that takes me from the house to the hills and back. That said, not everyone has my feet, and other brands might ‘fit’ better. So the exciting news is that park run is coming to Rushmere and I imagine a lot of you will be running there, completing the event, and running back. Perhaps its time to think about your choice of trail shoes? The next time you are thinking about getting some new trail shoes, bear in mind the requirements when looking and don’t be swayed by cheap offers on the internet, the shoes may be completely unsuitable. Think instead, about what will meet your needs. Don't forget to check out the events and news pages for the latest on Parkrun.

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  • When to not run

    The internet is full of advice on the best time of day to run, or the best places to run, or even how best to run. One of the hardest decisions a runner needs to make, though, is when not to run. Deciding on whether you are fit enough, recovered enough, virus-free enough to run can make the difference between giving you a workout and helping you get stronger, or making you weaker. Ironically you’d expect this to be a decision that newer runners would be poorer at making than more experienced runners, but paradoxically it almost seems that the inverse is true. The more experience, the less able to make sensible choices about when to not run. Perhaps the experience gives us a false belief that we know best, that somehow our experience counts for more than basic common sense. Perhaps too there’s a sense of bravado, not wanting to be stopped by seemingly trivial things such as a sore knee, or a runny nose. Ironic, then, that less experienced runners could have something to teach the more experienced ones? How many times have we seen experienced runners staring down the barrel of a tough race at the end of a tough week, and right at the end of their training are feeling tired, perhaps carrying a niggle, then saying “yep I’ll just nip out for another run”. Why? What possible benefit so close to an event? There are some fundamental building blocks in training, hill work, speed work, distance work and….rest. Its like we loose sight over time of this last component of training and how vital it is for improvement. No rest, no development. However, it still doesn’t help us answer the question of when not to run. Running when ill, injured, fatigued all would appear to be poor choices but its surprising how many do it. We’ve all been there and the outcome is probably best described as a gamble. Still, its hard to really know when its not a good idea to run. The world cannot simply end because of a runny nose, yeah? Sore muscles are not necessarily injured muscles…therefore it seems that common sense should prevail, and that we ought to best decide when the right time to not run is. Sadly I think sometimes we simply loose track of how much training we’ve done, unable to keep a mental note of how much running we’ve logged and also, importantly, how hard the sessions were because this is a key factor in fatigue. This is why technology and applications like Strava can be useful, in helping us keep track of what training we’ve logged, and looking at it week by week we can easily, almost at a glance see when it might make sense to have an ‘easy week’ or a rest week. Resting is so key to development as a runner, but so overlooked it’s a wonder any of us improve at all. So I was due to race yesterday at the Wellingborough XC. Not the prettiest XC in the calendar but all the same a good chance to push the muscles, heart and lungs to the max…..or not as it turned out. Feeling vaguely under the weather, with a sore knee, I was scanning my Strava activity looking at when I last didn’t run a weekend or had more than 1 day of no activity. It was a long time. The decision was made, change track. Get out, encourage the team, take photos and rest. As it turned out I learned that it was very enjoyable to watch a race from the sidelines, cheering your own, and others on. In the end I sort of realized that its not so bad after all. Rest is definitely nothing to be scared of and you can, in a way, still take part.

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  • Introduction to GPS Watches

    About me... Gryls is a runner who started with the most basic of running tech who just kept on collecting and investigating. Hired by the LFR website crew to introduce tech to others. To introduce the new gadget corner I thought I would start with starter GPS devices. But let us go back a little. To the beginning... What is a GPS device? The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. There are no subscription fees or setup charges to use GPS. GPS devices have a tiny receiver that listens for the Global Positioning System satellites. Once the device has found at least 3 satellites it will know where you are. Very much like a SatNav in a car but much much smaller!! A GPS device can be in the form of a watch, a handheld or a bike computer. Yes, there’s more than one type. For runners the most common type of GPS device is the running sports watch. Handhelds are for geocaching (explanation later), self-navigating walks or for ultra-runners with less than desirable map reading skills. Bike computers are just like the running sports watch but instead of measuring a running pace they measure cycling speed and how fast you pedal.   Still here? Phew. That’s the very technical bit out of the way. I’m going to continue with GPS sports watches to keep things uncomplicated. Why would you want or need a GPS sports watch? To begin with most new runners would not know what to do with a GPS sports watch let alone think of reasons to even buy one. I’m not here to sell you a GPS sports watch either. I’m here to explain why you see and hear other runners talk about pace, timings, intervals, progression, challenges and Strava sections whilst cooing over what looks like an odd looking wrist watch. Most of those runners use GPS sports watches to see how well they did on each of their runs in detail, how far they went, where they went, how fast they went and most importantly how much effort was put into that run. Yes – that’s what GPS sports watches do. Surely wearing a standard watch and noting the time you started and finished is enough.  Why would you want to make running more complicated?   Below are a few of the basics of what GPS running watches offer. Where you went It can be nice to know where you went. Especially when you’ve gone for a run with friends or a club and not really taken notice of the route. Then there’s exploration routes, going out for a run but not really knowing where you went. A download later and there’s your route easy to see online. Here’s a view of one of my runs. This was a run at night and I had NO CLUE where I went or how far I went. This lovely map tracked by my GPS sports watch let me view exactly where I went. How fast you went If you know the mileage of your route and the time you took then that’s an easy calculation. With a GPS sports watch this calculation is done for you and even better, you can see where you were fast and where you were slow. You do that same route faster knowing where you slowed down. Some GPS sports watches will tell you this whilst you are running. Below is the speed chart for the route above. As you can see I stopped quite a few times and my speed was not constant. So room for improvement on that route.           How much effort you put into your run This is something GPS sports watches offer in abundance. Most have just a calorie count but some of the more snazzy watches have O2 thresholds, Heart Rate monitoring and then there’s running dynamics (stride length, oscilation height/side). All of these give you a technical running coach on your wrist that you can verbally abuse and it still gives you the facts. Running communities The ability to join a running community like Strava, NIKE+, Movescount, Garmin Connect, Endomondo, Running Bug, Fetcheveryone and more.   Some sites even reward their members for recording their physical activities to motivate their members.     So now we’ve covered what a GPS sports watch can offer. What are the best starter running watches out there? I’m a Garmin girl myself. But that doesn’t always mean Garmin are the best for everybody. Introducing beginner GPS watches. I’ve classed these as beginner watches because they’ve got the least amount of menu features for a newbie to get used to. Recording your run, viewing your run on the watch and then uploading your run. I will list the basics about each watch purely because I don’t have my hands on them to play with myself. Most running shops will be happy to give you a run through of extra menu features or you can visit some very helpful sports gear blogs. My favourite for the majority of my investigations has been - http://www.dcrainmaker.com/ - This blog will help you through the majority of current running/cycling gear out there.   Notes about the terms I’m using. Price range – Cheapest found online to most expensive found online. Battery range watch – This is how long the sports watch will be in standby mode acting like a very strange looking watch. Battery range gps recording – This is how long the sports watch will record your run for. Upload via – This is how the watch downloads the information from the watch to the various sites used to analyse your running data. Uses – Some sports watches record more than just one type of sport. For example there are gps sports watches that can record hiking, swimming, swimming indoors, running, running indoors or cycling indoors. Colours – Yes, these snazzy little sports watches come in some very cool colours. Most are your standard black or white but some come in a range of colours to suit your sporting personality. Website – Where you will view your activities online. Not all websites are easy to use and some website offer more services than others. Comments – The good, the bad and the ugly. What I think of these watches from looking at reviews online.   Garmin Forerunner 10 Price range - £70-£100 Battery range watch – 4-6 weeks. Battery range gps recording – 4-5 hours Upload via – USB direct to computer. Uses – Running Colours – Black, pink, purple, green, orange. Website – Garmin Connect. This is a very extensive site offering lots of services to analyse and view your activities. Comments – This is a very basic gps sports watch and is perfect as an introduction to these devices. It would be nice if it talked directly to your phone or tablet to upload activities but this does not detract from a simple, easy to use device.     Tom Tom Runner Price range - £66-£96 Battery range watch – 2-3 months. Battery range gps recording – 8-10 hours Upload via – USB direct to computer or Bluetooth. Uses – Running, cycling, swimming, running indoors. Colours – Grey/black, black, pink/grey. Website – TomTom. The basics are there. Nothing overcomplicated for the beginner runner. Comments – This is a similar price range to the Garmin Forerunner 10 but you get so much more for your money. Uploading activities direct to your phone/tablet via Bluetooth makes viewing activities uncomplicated.   Fitbit Surge Price range - £100-£200 Battery range watch – 3-5 days (with step tracking turned on) Battery range gps recording – 4-5 hours Upload via – Bluetooth. Uses – Running, cycling, step tracking. Colours – Black. Website – Fitbit. The Fitbit website is an all-round activity tracking website. Most of the Fitbit range consists of activity tracking devices using step goals. This can make the website look very complicated to begin with but once you know where things are it’s got everything there to help you keep moving and burn those calories. Not the best website for a beginner.   Comments – Even though the only colour you get is black this sports watch offers a lot. Fitbit have been in the step tracking market for a long time and have had a long time to find what motivates people to keep moving. This is their first gps sports watch and for someone who is starting out on their running journey this is an all-round sports watch/activity tracker. Unfortunately the battery life will keep this watch in the beginners corner. The price range for this watch is due to the number of used Fitbit Surges out there. Probably from other beginners who have now moved onto something more technical.   Suunto Amit2 R Price range - £120-£200 Battery range watch – 15 days Battery range gps recording – 10-50 hours Upload via – USB. Uses – Running, cycling, swimming. Colours – Black, white. Website – Movescount – a decent website offering lots of feedback on activities. There’s a cool feature of reviewing your run by viewing a 3D map flyby. After a few times this can be a bit boring but when showing loved ones or anyone who wants to know where you’ve run then it’s lots of fun. Comments – This is a pretty hefty watch and not the most recent version in the Suunto range. I chose this older model for its price range compared to the other beginner watches. Compared to the other beginner watches this is the most complicated beginner watch. This is an all-round sports watch that offers an extensive level of features that unfortunately does not have Bluetooth for uploading direct to phones/tablets. The battery life is extensive due to its “smart” recording abilities. This watch would be suited to a beginner who is working towards duathlons and triathlons in the near future.   So there you have it. Not a huge list but an introduction to some very easy to use gps sports watches.    

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  • Finding time for a run

    There are sometimes weeks which drag on seemingly forever, each day a lifetime of its own and sometimes there are weeks where you’re simply unaware of time passing, such is the frantic pace of events. The week just gone was one of the latter. Between commitments for work, family and friends and on-going personal projects like the LFR web-site launch, this week went really quickly and if it wasn’t for having club night in the middle of it, where I am sort of obliged to be at club I am not sure when I would have run. That’s the great thing about club night, its in the diary and you can attend on autopilot, get a decent run, whereas I am sure that otherwise I would not have run otherwise. Anyway, the point is that sometimes its really hard to find time to fit in a run, the endless list of things to do sometimes takes priority and sometimes there are genuinely more important things to do than go running (Note: need to check if that’s actually true) One of the things that took a lot of time this week was launching the new LFR website, every day inching nearer but not quite there. Run? Damn…A few pages to tweak…no time. This was the theme of the last few weeks. Until Sunday, that is, when I spoke to one of the guys from the club and arranged to meet to do the club 5k route. The logic is unbelievably simple. When struggling to fit a run in, put something in the diary that you’ve committed to – like meeting up with someone for a run. Then, you’ve made a commitment and are less likely to find things to do instead. So I ran the club 5k at sort of 6’45 pace, chatted most of the way round, got back to the car and it really is easy to see why people like running. It’s a great way to literally run off stress. Looking back at the week its fairly easy to see how some people can fall out of running. The pace of life, and the demands of work, family and friends can often leave little room and fitting in running can be a struggle. A week can easily turn into 2 or 3 or more and then you face other battles, like recovering the fitness. This can present you with another challenge too, sometimes people tell themselves that they can’t run because they’re not fit enough anymore, and so the cycle starts to self-perpetuate. So if there’s one thing learned this week its to put more ‘committed’ runs in the diary, runs that are harder to get out of, that is. Of course, if every run was pre-booked in this way it would be no fun at all either, so there’s clearly some balance to strike, but I am pretty sure this is the way to go in order to prevent falling out of running when life throws everything at you all at once.

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  • Pre Race Excitement

    So this is happening... Its early October, which to most people just means the start of a new month, but right now to me this means only one thing: Glencoe Mountain marathon. How does one enter such a race? That said I am not sure that’s even the correct question, more like why would someone enter such a race? Is 26.2 miles on a relatively flat and even surface not already challenging enough without throwing in big hills, rocky and often marshy terrain? Apparently not. At some point at the start of this year I must have thought that it was a great idea to enter a race like this. I must have been on the race organisers website and drooled over the mountain imagery and the route, without for a moment thinking of the training required or the sheer monumental madness of it. However, all of that was a very long time ago. I’ll wager that a lot of runners go through exactly the same process. Getting to payday, scouring the internet for a cool races, then BOOM! The deed is done, and some random race or other is booked, a small marker put on the kitchen calendar, to be forgotten about for some time to come. I even know of some that have turned up to support fellow runners at a race and forgotten that they themselves had the very same event booked in their own diary, such is the instant euphoria upon booking, preceding the process of forgetting all about it. But not me. I’ve been looking at this race like a deer caught in the headlights, fixed on the scale of it, and the running adjustments required just to get round it and constantly thinking when do I realistically have to start this? Eventually the training started early in the summer by ditching road running almost completely in favour of trails and trying to gradually factor in more and more hill work. This is about as good as you can get when you live in Bedfordshire, devoid as it is, of anything resembling a mountain. The saying goes ‘always take a knife to a knife fight’ and that applies to running a mountain marathon; always train on a mountain, for a mountain marathon! Well, that was certainly the plan. I’d put two mountain runs into the training plan, both in Wales, but both plans fell through, the first when I developed an achilles issue, probably as a result of the increased load of hill training, and the second when others had their own issues and the even was abandoned. The Achilles and calf muscles are paramount for getting up hills and an injury like this made me think twice about the requirements of the challenge. Then came the issues with lower back pains, a sad consequence of heel striking when running downhill with poor technique. Apparently this jars the back each time you land, which eventually takes its toll in the form of inflammation, pain, and temporary cessation from hill training. Some might cheer at this, understandably, but it was another obstacle to overcome. But all of that has now come to pass: The race booking euphoria, the much-interrupted training plan, the injuries. Now its here. Now is excitement-time again. That feeling when you are staring down the barrel of a race start and loving every second. Its the feeling that brings us back again and again to race. I drove through the Glencoe mountains to get here, and the breath-taking brutality of them was awe-inspiring. All I could think about was that come Sunday morning I’d be up there, somewhere, having the time of my life. The same applies to all races. We enter, we try our best to train, we overcome obstacles to get to the start line, and we all feel that buzz. This is what its about, the pre-race blood rush. Bring it on!  

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  • Learning Again

    The great thing about running is that it you can never stop learning new stuff, like how to run downhill properly which is what I’ve had to learn recently. Sounds like something you don’t need a lesson in right? You just run, but…downhill. No. Apparently there’s a right way, and a way that is slower and could injure you. When it comes to running downhill, too much leaning backwards is the issue, which acts as a sort of brake. This natural tendency to lean backwards, is a normal reaction though, since it slows you and stops you from running out of control. Running downhill forces your foot to strike the ground more towards your heel. This by itself increases braking forces, and a backwards lean magnifies this effect. If, however, you do actually want to slow down, leaning backwards is the right choice. But since a downhill allows you a natural increase in running speed (since gravity is giving back all the energy you spent going up the hill), you generally want to take advantage of this. Ever wondered why you never seem to get the time back that you loose when running uphill? When you lean back, you throw your centre of gravity behind your body, requiring you to wait until your feet have passed it to start generating force again. Many runners apparently adopt this style of downhill running sub-consciously, it being a sort of mental brake first and physical brake second. Depending on how often you run on hills, this effect of hitting the ground with the heel, can cause injury through adopting poor running technique and also can lead to lower back pains through impact forces traveling up to the spine. So in summary, unless you actually need to slow the pace, there seems to be little to gain from having a brake on going downhill, but what is the ‘right’ way in that case? The perceived wisdom with running downhill is to lean forwards very much according to the gradient, and balance with your arms and avoid heel striking. This allows gravity to work for you and aids more natural running mechanics so its generally going to be faster. Naturally its important not to lean too far forward on downhills and as your speed increases, you’ll need to quicken your cadence to keep your feet underneath you. You’ll need to strike a balance between efficiently using the speed from the downhill and not running so fast that that you crash and burn. However like most things, this ‘balance’ of leaning forward and foot-stiking is something that you can learn and perfect, and is one of the things that keeps running interesting.

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  • Trail running for fitness

    Trail Running and XC for Fitness. So with the start of the Cross Country (XC) season a matter of weeks away, thoughts turn to preparations for this. For many, the mere mention of XC brings back memories from school of running across a field on a damp November morning wishing to be anywhere else. All that is distant past now though and we’re better than that. Many will be familiar with the term “trail running” but perhaps less so with XC, so it can be explained like this: Trail running and XC are very closely linked, with XC being a shorter, race oriented variant of trail running. Both have a raft of benefits in terms of fitness compared to road, or treadmill based running. Additionally, you don’t need to run hundreds of miles of trails to reap the benefits of running off-road. Hitting the trail works your muscles, tendons and ligaments differently than running on the road or treadmill. And running trails that head up hill or down…you’re not only building your cardiovascular engine, but strengthening quads, glutes, calves, and core, too. You’re also improving your balance and proprioception (your body’s ability to know where it is in space) when trail running—a benefit that carries over into other sports including regular road running also. As with any training program, easing into trail running is important. If you’re just starting out, seek a smooth trail and work your way up to more “technical” (aka: tricky) terrain. Your muscles, joints and ligaments will gradually and safely become stronger than ever. This can translate into fewer running related injuries over time as you become stronger. Some of the advantages of trail/XC are: Core: Trails are not flat and even and contain rocks and roots, rabbit holes etc and as you pass over all these your core works overtime to keep you balanced and upright. That’s a workout you may not have even known you were getting. Quads: the sometimes-steep downhill sections of a trail run will strengthen your quads. Glutes: Both running up-hill and the lateral movement from negotiating the plethora of roots and stones will activate and strengthen the glutes. Calves: up-hill sections, even mild undulations will force your calves to work harder. Connective Tissue: Due to the nature of trail running, navigating obstacles and uneaven surfaces constantly, this has a strengthening affect on connective tissue around ankles and knees. This is good news for injury prevention. So in the next few weeks LFR will be taking part, as we always do, in the Three Counties XC league. A series of XC races than take place from October to January around the area neighbouring Leighton Buzzard. Not only is this usually a lot of fun, but as you can appreciate its also good for you! Training for XC is usually done on trails, and we (LFR) will be hosting some preparatory XC/Trail sessions ahead of the events to get you into it. Apart from working your entire body and getting you supremely fit over the course of October to January, you also add in a level of injury-resilience too! Just in time for the start of marathon training. So, ask yourself this….what’s not to like?

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  • Mind over matter

    Yesterday was the Dunstable Downs Trail Challenge Marathon. Running 27.5 miles over local hilly trails gives you plenty of time to think. To be precise, four and a half hours of time to think. It was a tough course but like all events, as you move towards the latter stages, increasingly it becomes harder to drown out the voices in your mind telling you its difficult, that you need to walk a bit, that its too hot, that you should slow down. Why is that? Is this thinking normal and does it have any impact on actual performance? In the past, we assumed that muscle fatigue caused our bodies to grind to a halt after intense exertion. But a growing number now believe that our brains hold the key, and that endurance really could be mind over matter. Some scientists, however, believe that it’s a conscious mechanism, relying on an individual's rate of perceived exertion that controls when you have to stop, which explains why athletes can push themselves to exhaustion, rest and then do it again. Studies have shown that athletes using both cognitive and physical training have a huge rate of improvement – as much as 120%, compared to 40% from those who only worked on their physical training. That’s a huge difference and what its really telling us, when translated to the average mortal runner, is that you can do much better if you find a way to control the thoughts that tell you to stop and walk for a bit. The person behind some of Britain's best sporting achievements, Dr Steve Peters, believes our brain can be seen as three independent areas capable of working together. Our 'human' side is logical, our 'chimp' is emotional – vital to survival but responsible for anxiety, nervousness and impulsive decisions. Lastly there's our 'computer', responsible for programmed thoughts and learned behaviour. For athletes at the top of their game, learning to control their inner chimp is vital. Like the rest of the body, the brain can be trained especially in the run up to a big event or challenge. So what does that mean? We all know the voice that tells us to stop, the one that we try to make trade-offs with, such as “if I walk now, I’ll train harder tomorrow”, only now its got a name. The Chimp. The emotional, anxious response to a difficult situation is to panic and stop. The reasoned, considered retort is to remind yourself of all your training and experience and your fitness, and carry on. Hearing the voice of reason over the voice of anxiety is what helps us push through barriers and achieve what we set out to in any aspect of our lives so why should sport be any different? The next time you get to that part of a difficult training session, or race, try to stay focused on reminding yourself of your fitness levels, of all the training you’ve done, how well prepared you are and most of all that you don’t need to listen to the chimp. This is partially why many people advocate some sort of personal mantra, that can be rolled out, repeated ad-infinitum during tough parts of a race. People say ‘its all in the mind’ a lot, it’s a cliché in many ways, but if you’re at a stage where your PB’s have dried up, you’re at a physical plateau, you need to perhaps think about conditioning your brain as well as your body to make the break through.

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