• Swimming and Cycling for a Stronger Run

    I did a run test at Stantonbury Track on Monday night. It involved running round the track for 30 minutes as fast as you can – not sprinting, but holding a steady pace for 30 minutes. You lap your time at 10 minutes and then continue to the end. The test can be called a T20 or a T30 test. The T20 test measures your average heart rate for the final 20 minutes of the run. The T30 tests measures the distance travelled for the whole 30 minute run. I managed to run 5.18km in 30 minutes with an average pace of 5.48/km. Now for me, that is a great run. Fantastic in fact. My 5K time was 29.06. The last time I ran 5K under 30 minutes was in May (29.58) where I aggravated an injury so much I was unable to run as planned the following day. Following this, the fastest I ran a 5K in 2018 was 34 minutes in July. I am so pleased to see some progression in my running time. Even more so as this has been done without any run training. By way of background, my 2018 was plagued with injury and many of the events I completed I either walked or did not finish. There is nothing wrong with this whatsoever, however it is a far cry from my fitness of 2017 where I had a 10K PB, a half marathon PB and just a lot of great runs. My last “runs” were in October and the only runs I’ve done since then were the club run on Christmas Eve (averaging 8.03/km) and a treadmill run just a week ago (averaging 7.39/km). These runs were not a real test of my fitness – the Christmas Eve run was a social trail run with walking and plenty of breaks and treadmills are notoriously bad for their inaccuracy – although I was still pleased I managed to run continuously for about an hour! So how have I managed to get to this pace without any running? Multisport. Whilst I have not been running in November and December, I have been regularly swimming and cycling. I am also a member of the tri club so I can get in extra swims and rides with them which has been brilliant for my training whilst I’ve not been running. But you don’t have to be a member of the tri club to swim and cycle! Swimming In 2018 I began going to the pool once or twice a week, just going up and down with a kickboard kicking my legs. Eventually I started using my arms, and now I think I can call myself a swimmer. I’m not a good swimmer. I take a lot of breaks. A lot. But I keep going as best I can and I can see how far I’ve progressed and am still progressing.   It has helped my breathing enormously. Other members of LFR began joining me on a Monday night, sometimes a Wednesday. It is great swimming with other people you know. It’s a casual swim where we all do our own thing. We are all different abilities from beginners to Tom (you think he’s a speedy runner, you should see him in the pool!). Then we all stop for a natter at the end talking about what we’re going to have for dinner (usually a fish finger sandwich). CyclingLFR now has its own cycling division and I took full advantage of this over the summer and particularly over the Christmas break. We have our own Facebook Group separate from the main group where we chatter about all things cycling and then arrange casual rides (sometimes not casual for the speedier cyclists). Over the summer we had the Wrong Rides, we made a trip to Silverstone to cycle round the track and we took part in a local charity ride. In November and December, my cycling training consisted of jumping on the turbo trainer or heading out for mountain bike rides. Mountain biking is hard. I didn’t realise how hard until I tried it. When I first started out I was scared of going down the hills, going over tree roots, then going back uphill - I didn't think I'd make it. I did it anyway and have kept going. Because I keep going, my confidence on the bike is gaining, my leg muscles are building, and I’m getting better each time. I am covered in bruises after every ride and still fall off every now and then, but I just get back up and carry on. It’s enormous fun especially cycling with the LFR gang. I would have been lost over Christmas without them! Getting stronger as both a swimmer and a cyclist has strengthened my legs (all that kicking, all those hills) and helped my breathing so I'm able to breathe steadier when working out.   I’m still a beginner at both disciplines and am learning every day, but I will keep including them within my training as this has improved my running to the point I could run as far as I did in those 30 minutes on Monday when I wasn't expecting to. I don't know what else to put it down to.  I have not been running! Why am I telling you this? When I was injured last year, I was down, I was grumpy. Of course I was, I couldn’t run. However by eventually throwing myself into swimming and cycling, my mood lifted, I was still spending time with LFR friends and I was getting myself fit again. If you’re injured right now, try it out. Come down to the pool. If you have a bike, take it down the road, see how far you can go. The next time, go further. You can still measure progress in the pool and on the bike, keeping yourself active by doing so. And if you’re not injured? Try it out anyway! It will aid your running fitness.  Your body will be stronger meaning your running will be stronger.  Have a read of Rob's blog post all about this: Multisport for Running Longevity I’m over my latest injury now and will be running more and more, however this won’t stop me from swimming and cycling. I am clearly a stronger runner because I swim and cycle and am excited to see how much I improve in the coming months - that's the plan anyway!

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  • MK MARATHON AMBASSADOR 2019 – WOO HOO! by James Smith

      Although I was a truly awful runner as a young man (I failed the RAF fitness test quite spectacularly on the first attempt – only just scraping through on the second attempt after being chased by a Brummie with fists like hams threatening to “punch yow head in if yow don’t hurry up” – true story!) I have come to love running in my late twenties (sub-editors please check – should this not say late forties?) – but running is still very much a learning process for me… So, I’ve been working my way up from the 2017 Leighton 5k (my first race), through Cross Country, the Flitwick 10k and Leicestershire 10k (36th overall & 2nd V45 – almost certainly the best result I will ever have – I know! BOOM!), and the Buckingham, Burnham Beeches, Royal Parks and Dirt Half Marathons (my absolute favourite distance); but I feel that (and this is only my opinion mind – and thus completely worthless!) I won’t consider myself a “proper” runner until I’ve done a Marathon… At this point, dear reader, I have an admission to make – with a gang of mates from work I’ve done the Oxfam Trailwalker 100km event for the Gurkha Welfare Trust in 2013 and 2014, so I sort of have a Marathon PB – 6.5 hours, and my second fastest Marathon is 7 hours, but to be fair they were on the same day – but they weren’t really like racing, fast walking mostly – at 50 miles I sat in an armchair and ate a bowl of casserole – a fuelling option NOT available at most Marathons – although you can probably get some Quinoa or an Avocado on the VLM ho ho! I love the fact that you can run a Half Marathon on a Sunday – and be back running as normal by Wednesday, but as far as I understand, the toll on your body from a Marathon can take a while to recover from – so I’ve got a grand plan – no 100 Club for me – instead I’m going to run ONE! And as I’m planning to only run one, I want it to be a spectacular one – I thought about New York, Tokyo, London, perhaps Berlin… But they didn’t have the out and out glamour that I was looking for; then I though perhaps Kielder, Loch Ness or Snowdonia, but they’re not scenic enough; so realistically there’s only one left – MK!!! What’s that? “You’ve only chosen MK as it’s nearby and you can’t be bothered to travel?” How very dare you – I’ll have you know that the City of Dreams has loads going for it, for instance did you know that: You are never more than half a mile from a park (or a Nandos – although this bit “may” be made up). 22 million trees have been planted in MK (that’s more than 3.6 million for each of the Concrete Cows). Midsummer Boulevard is aligned so the sun rises at its east end on the Summer Solstice – actually true! The Point was the first multiplex cinema in Britain when it opened in 1985, although it’s shut now and looks pretty rough to be honest, I think they’re going to knock it down – alright this one was ill thought out. Cliff Richard filmed his Wired for Sound video in the Centre:MK – and I think we can all agree it’s an ABSOLUTE STONE-COLD BANGER!! So, taking our own Super-Jen Garner’s advice – I applied to be an MK Marathon Ambassador for 2019 – AND GOT IN! What were they thinking? I get a hoody, a Buff with a cow’s face on it – reason enough to apply! And I get to have a celebratory wee in the underpass of my choosing! So, it’s all VERY exciting, and I’ve got lots to learn, and would appreciate any and all advice from everyone – the more conflicting and impractical the better! p.s. I completely and genuinely have a really soft spot for MK, I think it’s massively underrated, but then I grew up in Leicester – go figure… p.p.s I’ve started a blog at http://roadtomkmarathon.blogspot.com and my Instagram is getting ever more running related at https://www.instagram.com/hunstantonsmith/ – get me – quite the social media influencer, just wait until people see my MySpace page!

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  • Man cannot run on cake alone……he also needs Gin!

    A week in the life of.....Captain Dan... Thursday I was moping around the house, so Vicky suggested I go for a run, then it started raining! Another hour passed and I made it to the bedroom to change! Eventually I brought enough enthusiasm to the party to get out the door and drove to Long Marston to recce a potential new 10k route. It was a super flat run with some great straight roads and a touch of towpath to break it up. I can see a pb or two going on this one, what a great route but I felt tired following on from the exploits of Snowdonia last weekend. On my return I scrubbed the dinner and cooked the children before I was reminded that it was my turn to lead the Thursday improvers session which this week was caterpillars, where we run gently along in a line and when the whistle blows the last person runs flat out to the front and this carries on for 30 minutes or so. I love Thursday sessions, they really make a huge difference to your fitness (even if they are tough) but it doesn’t matter what level you’re at, you can still partake. I return home to peace, as the children are in bed, ready to consume cake whilst I post about what an awesome bunch of runners turned up this week to Improvers, a reminder for tomorrow’s daytime run and to message all our scarers/run leaders to ensure they are all well and truly sorted for the Halloween invite night. Friday Up and on the school run before heading down to the Globe (if not a touch late, I’m sure it wasn’t really Vicky’s fault!) to meet the daytime runners. Wow what a turnout, last year when I did the same route it was just me. We took on the Halloween Night run and marked out points in the woods with red/white tape to ensure our run leaders couldn’t get lost (It’s rare that I’m allowed out, so I cannot afford to lose valuable pub time finding runners in Rushmere!). The outlaws arrived to take on babysitting duty so Vicky and I could run down to the Globe for the Invite night. What an amazing event this always is, over 50 turned up to run the 3 or 5m routes around the woods where our very own amazing stalkers / scarers were hidden. Now I thought they were outrageous last year, but this time I was totally lost for words, Felix hanging in a tree, witches everywhere as for the nun’s, words deceive me! This is where the week went a little wrong and the Kebab incident occurred, we stopped en route home to pick up a lamb kebab and set off again on a gentle jog, within 100m I was limping and had a pain on the front of my left shin. Turns out it is the Anterior Facilitus Tendon that hurts. F&£k it!!! It was a cracking kebab though and perfectly washed down with the latest efforts from the Gin Club. My rucksack ended up covered in Garlic sauce, a small price to pay compared to the injury! A couple of thank you posts later I was in bed. Saturday Woke up and limped around the house, last night’s Kebab injury does actually exist and wasn’t an awful dream! I wish I had drunk more or added extra chilli sauce, maybe then the pain would be less!!! Anyway, it’s all go in the Green house, Children to be dressed and fed. Bear ears and teddies are waiting by the front door so that we can be at Rushmere Parkrun by 8.45am as it’s their 3rd Birthday, Dave Ayers 100th and James Parkers 50th. As club Captain I get great pleasure from attending and being part of such events and seeing all your achievements. Vicky and Ana charge off around Rushmere whilst Bear in the buggy and I limp around, pleased with a 32 minute result and now for one of Max’s great cakes. The Afternoon brings a 3m walk around Whipsnade Zoo with the family, the children still need exercising and Vicky and I prefer to be outside. The children and I are cheeky this year and spend the evening watching Brooklands Fireworks from the bedroom window as Vicky is out for the second night running, this time in the Black Lion!!!! Before bed I get my kit ready for XC and ensure I pack a box of pens, spare club top, a basic First Aid pouch and safety pins, there’s always someone who needs something. Sunday Up at the crack of dawn, taped up my leg, quick breakfast and ensure the children have snacks, drinks, hats, gloves etc packed as we won’t be back until early afternoon and off we go to Junior Parkrun to help Vicky setup this week’s event. A few hello’s and running banter with parents before all is underway, then I shoot off to collect Steve and head for Dunstable for the first XC race of the season. Firstly, it’s the best turnout I’ve seen in the five years I’ve been a member of LFR and certainly the best results by a country mile. I always try to be there to shout words of encouragement and try to motivate you all before races, however tough it maybe personally at present, “Let’s go do this LFR”. The Men came in 7th but the ladies managed 6th!!!!! WE NAILED IT GUYS, WHAT A TEAM PERFORMANCE, WHAT A CLUB. Next up is Wellingborough on 25th. Finally home for a late lunch and cakes whilst icing my leg again and posting thanks and congratulations to all who’ve been racing this weekend. The weekend is completed with a cruise up to MK to see the fireworks in Campbell Park (Ana loved it as did the Bear but he did fall asleep in my arms during the finale! Home for a G&T in front of a Murder Mystery (whilst adding this weeks’ post of club runs) in our PJ’s! Monday Woke up with a rather achy leg and remembered that I hadn’t collected all the red/white marker tape from the Halloween night, so went for a gentle recovery 4.3m limp to do this. Quite a lot had vanished already, so I thank those people who collected it on their travels over the weekend. More ice, elevation, compression and rest for the poorly leg. Tuesday I remember that Max still has my Clubhouse keys from last week’s Cake night, so I go for a gentle leg stretch up to her house to collect them. Dinner to cook, children to clean and then the matter of club night. I arrive just after 7pm and realise that there is football AGAIN and wonder how bad the parking will actually be!!!! Whilst awaiting everyone to arrive, I sit and make notes on what I must remember to say. Then I try to get around as many people as possible welcoming them, finding out about their weekend and running and being introduced to potential new members, it’s never difficult to sell the benefits of LFR to them. It’s great to hear so many different stories and achievements each week, one of the best points of LFR is the community feel of the club. So we head out on the “Ouch & Back” route up and down a plethora of hills, as with all Out and Back and 5k runs, I act as Tail runner, ensuring everyone gets back safely. I always set off after everyone that way I can encourage / chat to everyone I pass. That really hurt though, managed 7m with Andy, James and Martin and my shin was a touch sore, home to ice it and eat Apple Crumble with Ice cream! Wednesday Still broken, the shin hurts, Lisa Charley appointment is booked and I’m resting up, icing and elevating. The fitness is definitely there but I need to ensure, however frustrating it is to just sit here, that I am injury free for 17Th Nov Dirt Half! I’ve only run one half this year, the Isle of Wight with about 1800ft of climbs, so I really want a quick one in the bag, hopefully under 90 minutes this time round. Fingers crossed! Maybe I should go for a swim…………… Running is fantastic fun and there is no better place in the world to do it than with LFR, where you will find a club run or a local event peppered with members almost every day of almost every week. Don’t forget if you’re going for a run and want company, just post about it, if you’re in need of coaching advice, just ask our experts Neil and Matt, if you want to see something different on a club run, just share your ideas with me. By the way, at the time of posting this, Lisa has fixed me, Bring it on! GO LFR – YOU GUYS ROCK

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  • Team Parkrun day

    Team parkrun dropped in this weekend and LFR were in huge numbers to assist. This is where a national lottery funded athlete visits parkrun to give something back to the…

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  • Rushmere with a buggy!

    You may think I’m a little mad but since Vicky bought us a running buggy for Christmas, to enable us to go out running with Edison, I’ve been taking…

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  • 5 Reasons to Run the Leighton 5K!

    The course! The course takes in the beauty and wonder of Tiddenfoot Waterside Park and the Canal.  It’s peaceful and a wonderful place to run. The support! All…

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  • Beds AAA 10k

    A gaggle of LFR’s hit Bedford by storm on Friday night just before the first rain storm of summer! It was the county 10k championship. Great fun was had by…

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  • Drunk in 8 minutes aka the beer mile

    Yes it’s that time of year again when the local Coop sells out of 4 packs of 5% cans. So for those who have never done it – oh…

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  • Multisport For Running Longevity

    What do people like about running? Being outside. With your friends. Having a natter. Feeling the endorphins kick in. Exploring somewhere stunning. The satisfaction of knowing you've pushed yourself a bit perhaps? Whatever the reason it sucks when you can't do that. Running is great as long as we can continue to do it. It's pretty obvious to anyone that's been running for a bit that preventing injuries soon becomes one of their objectives, just as important as achieving goals, whatever they are. You can't achieve your goals if you're sat at home injured: sounds obvious but plainly true. This is where it pays to have a strategy to help prevent injury. Many of us have a strategy and mine is two-fold. Firstly preventative physio check ups - catching niggles before they become full-blown injuries is a great idea and i can't recommend it enough. Secondly, an interest in complementary sports. By that I mean sports that work to strengthen or help the body recover without the repetitive impact associated with running. So for me this is cross-fit training, cycling and occasionally swimming. When we think of runners doing a few other sports like swimming and cycling, we simply just think that they are training for a triathlon. Whilst this may be true in some cases, it's not always necessarily so. Cross-fit works to strengthen not just leg muscles but also the upper-body through exercises like squats, lunges, planks, press-ups, pull-ups, Russian-twists and a plethora of other workouts. I used to read 'Runner's World' and see these activities all the time and simply turn the page, thinking why would I want to do that? But there's reason behind the madness: a stronger body is a body that can maintain better posture whilst running, so helping to avoid injury. Still sound mad? Cycling is great too. It's just great whether social, or solo. Not only does it help to strengthen quad and glute muscles, which are important for running, it is also a great way to stretch the legs out and release toxins after hard running sessions with no impact. Training and also recovery. Lastly swimming. An all-body workout with zero impact. Remember the last time you swam? Jump in a pool and try a few lengths...it's surprising how it leaves you breathless. It's a great cardio exercise. You often hear about rehabilitation of injured athletes and one of the first things they turn to when getting back to sport is aqua-running or swimming. All of the above work together to strengthen the body or help it recover, depending on how you do them and so are perfect for runners who want to avoid injuries or conversely want to improve. Of course, nothing is 100% guaranteed because injuries can strike anyone for a variety of reasons, like bad luck, bad form or bad planning, but reducing the chances of injury through multi-sport activities for strength or active recovery must surely be of benefit to runners whether their goal is to stay injury-free or to improve. So why not dust off the bike, do a few cross-fit exercises or get down the pool now and again, and help yourself to a dose of injury prevention?

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  • Greensand Relay by Captain Dan

    What more could a Fun runner want than a trail run that ends at a pub!!!! This was made for us (and we were one of the two teams at…

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