Get off road and dirty

Get off road and dirty - ROC Fitness contributed this article to www.nice2tri.com . It covers the benefits that cross country and trail running develop. Make sure that you seek the right advice and plan your winter training when first starting out.

Running in the colder months can be as rewarding as the sweat clad summer stomps. You just have to take on the miles with a slightly different mindset and have clear goals.
Weather conditions aren’t only a cue to change clothes. With the right change in attitude and accepting the prevailing weather you can adapt the training and increase your motivation.

A lot of lessons can be learned from experienced club runners at this time of year. A planned off season running programme which has members on long steady runs, cross country jaunts and some hill work thrown in for good measure. Should you not have the time to join a club then you need to get out the front door and seek out the routes that vary in terrain, altitude and attitude.

Running off road comes with a health warning!

No matter how slow your sessions are or how well you think you know your route, be prepared and be ready for the session. Simple measures for worst case scenarios include;
· carry a form of ID
· take the head torch even if there is only a small section of the route under darkness
· wear the correct footwear for the type of terrain.

Hill running is hugely beneficial for expressing and developing technique along with the gains that can be made in overall fitness. Taking the body up an incline will certainly increase heart rates and act to strengthen the running musculature, therefore technique and form should be the priority focus with the intensity building over time with experience. The incline and chosen intensity should allow you to get to the desired finish point without tightening up in the shoulders and hips, maintaining the same tempo throughout and delivering yourself a high without collapse!
Any form of interval training is motivated by the goals, both short and long term. Are you running up “them there hills” because you read it was what people do in the winter or do you have a purpose and personal goal?

Cross Country and Trail Running – these are two different types of running exercise. Cross country can lead you into an uncompromising situation where you have to scramble your butt off just to stay on your feet. Trail running will have you thinking that bit more about foot placement; however you should be running through a clear path, bridleway or registered trail. The two can be as rewarding as the other.

Cross country running requires cross country shoes. The extra grip and in some shoes, spikes, will increase the possibility of staying on your feet as you bound from start to finish. Bounding is a key word to note. The rhythm can be intermittent which in turn can leave you looking like a nervous gazelle in the bush. Bounding along effortlessly, then a nervous jerk and slip because there was a mysterious noise from the undergrowth.

Due to its lawlessness in its structure, cross country requires strong core muscles although completing cross country acts as core strengtheners in itself. Very good flexibility is required along with an acceptance that a steady consistent rhythm may be frustrating to find. Usually muddy, wet, hilly, the cross country run is fun, a great training session to boost aerobic capacity and improves your running tempo without thinking about it. Moving through a cross country at slow tempo will result in feeling “heavy and stuck in the mud!” Making the effort frequent will aid in the progression and the body will adapt. Do it infrequently and there’s a chance that you’ll experience a muscle strain in places you didn’t think possible. Accept that your heart rate will show a 7 min mile pace when you’re actually travelling at 9 minutes per mile.

Cross country running is probably one of the best core stability sessions ever. Before Swiss balls and stationary indoor “tube ride” simulators arrived, functional movement was doing fine because of exercise such as cross country running. The muscles are firing on and off constantly to keep you upright and maintain forward motion. Brilliant!

Trail running is a bit more subtle. The rhythm and steady heart rates are easier to find. This doesn’t stop it being a challenge. It is much better for people with limited running experience and should be a more pleasant introduction to the varied surfaces and textures that cross country throws at you. You still need you wits about you as you avoid the odd deep puddle or sticky mud patch. The route should hold no immediate threats. It still adds to improving your tempo and core activation. These routes should not require spikes. Saucony deliver a good trail shoe with all the grip needed for easy to intermediate terrain.

Deciding your winter training routine needs the following questions answered;
What is your longer term goal?
What is your experience?
What do you have time for?
What routes do you have available?
What assistance have you got in your local area?
Do you have the right footwear for the chosen terrain?

Benefits of Cross Country
• Great for improving tempo, aerobic capacity and Core activation.
• Fun & exhilarating
• The legs will demonstrate their new found resilience on the roads in Spring
• Improve mental strength – Cross country can find demons you never knew existed or may not have find out about until mile 22 in the marathon!

Red flags for Cross country
• Flexibility needs to be good and improved to cope with slips and potential hazards
• Correct footwear is essential to win the fight against gravity
• Not for the faint hearted. Consult your GP before beginning a new training experience and if you are a beginner try a local running club that is focusing their winter block on some cross country sessions

Benefits of trail running
• It’s refreshing to run free of any urban distractions
• Rhythm can be maintained for most of session.
• A good surface for beginners who wish to embark on a cross country routine in the future
• Can improve core activation, tempo and aerobic fitness

Red flags for trail running
• As with cross country, routes can leave you in a remote location so always take a drink, ID and a head torch
• Normal road shoes can get you through most trail routes, although specific trail shoes would suit best for the irregular surfaces that beckon
• Know where your trails go. If possible take the mountain bike down them first. If you have to get off and walk the bike for stretches then it’s now officially a cross country session!

Enjoy the winter months and the dirty socks that it should bring! If you need help with planning your routines and learning how to pace your running sessions then contact ROC Fitness.

Grey areas leave room for grey training

Recent consultations have reminded me about the consequences of setting goals. It seems we all want specific goals but are only willing to use the scientific approach if it fits with our lifestyles. If the goal is specific then the training programme needs to reflect it. What is evident in recent months, everyone is employing the in depth science available but not complimenting it with the necessary detail. Shortcuts on the nutrition, stretching and inability to go to bed by 10pm. These are all adding to the pressures of following a detailed training plan. Frequency, steady and enjoying the process should be most peoples ambition for the goals to be achieved - that is if the goals are realistic in the first place.
So here is what I wrote 4 years ago. The point I'm trying to make; it's good to aim high and have a go. Whichever route of knowledge and application you take will have a consequence on the end result. So choose wisely and be realistic.

WHAT IF IT WAS YOUR WEDDING?
“you’re going to hit the wall between 20 and 22 miles”, “it’s going to hurt a lot and it leaves you feeling helpless”.

Goodness! No wonder the thought of running a marathon can send shivers down our spines. It’s time to think more positively. Gone are the days of ignorance when you may be forgiven for not realising what you let yourself in for. The mass participation events have really grown in popularity. More so than the late chris bradshaw could ever have realised over 20 years ago when he started the london marathon.

Science has accelerated; methods of training have been developed for every exercise level; footwear technology caters for every instep and outstep; nutritional products are in abundance; breathable clothes to keep the body cool as it wickes the sweat away; blister free socks; you can book a race 12 months before so you can plan it with wedding precision!

So, you have no more reasons to suffer the wall, or do you?

What about the factors that science has no control over. The factors that only you influence. These are the true reasons why you may not perform on the day. All the choices you made along the way. There’s nothing wrong with getting it wrong, so long as you learn from it and make it better next time. If you are going to fulfil the ambition of finishing a marathon then why not do it in a pleasurable manner. Become some of the few that get it right. Knowing you could have done more is a lot more rewarding than hobbling out of the physio knowing you did too much!

Personal factors to consider.
Your overall health. Running when you feel out of sorts is not good for health. There are times when you have to listen to your body before your body will listen to you!

Your attitude. If you set a time to finish by, then you are racing. Therefore your training should reflect just that. If you just want to finish then you are participating. Training sessions should reflect this attitude.

“you are what you eat”. If you want to run a marathon from start to finish then you are going to have to eat, breathe and sleep like someone trying to run a marathon. If you end up sinkng the odd glass of wine here and there then you become a particiant. Eating fatty foods because you’re burning so many calories from training? If the answer is yes then you are a participant.

Time for training. Think quality well before quantity. Think easy paced endurance before speed. Think consistency and frequency.(OCT 05)
Taiwan Highlands - 700m climbed in 60 min walking up stairs. They obviously thought it would make more sense to go the direct route. We could have gone a long way round in 2 hours. Are you making the right choices on which way to reach your goals?

E-Training versus Me Training

It is damp.

It is colder.

It is windy.

It is great!

Winter is a great time to train and get fitter. Lazy miles on the bike. Sleepy steps on the run. Defeating the potential lethargy that could set in. Winter is a time when some get tougher and some get softer. Either keep the body moving or let it slip into hibernation.

Hibernation is not all that bad. Resting is a great method of conserving energy. Repairing the damage of the summer and all that you threw at yourself. However, snooze too long and you'll find it even harder to get back the mojo.

Keep the training simple.
Put away the GPS watch for a few sessions.
Live away a little from the data and technical elelements of trainig.
Go into hibernation with the gadgets.
Wake up the self determined individual that lies within.

Caught between recording every watt and heart beat; letting the cold air wash over the body and not give a care what's going on inside you and taking in what's around you instead. What's it to be?

Keep your mind active and find out if you alone can get on with the effort and achieve your goals. The music, step by step guide, mobile cardiogram and A-Z computerized speedometer have their place in the training ritual.

Will you hibernate whilst they keep your senses flickering or will you step out the door tomorrow and feel all that is you and train free?

Stairs like Marmite!

This set of stairs was at the back of the Grand Hotel in Taipeie City. It led up to an ancient temple.

Glutes are firing on these puppies!

It was a 5 min effort from bottom to top. 750 steps on the bounce. The local elders climb these every day.
Completing 6 sets in less than 60 mins was the desired goal before I departed Taiwan. Managed it in 63 minutes, which in hindsight was a bit sadistic anyway.

This is Lucie Ahl going up and conquering the 6 sets.
The Taiwanese love their stairs!

Common sense is not an instinct!

So much has been going on since I last posted.

Work has been getting busier.

A 10 day training camp with GB Deaf Tennis in Florida.

Experienced the deepest massage of my life.

Training has gone to plan.

Life is good.

I have been leaving my race plan down to the science up till now. Other factors that influence the decision of pace on the day?

Mental - positive attitude with a desire to push as hard as I can on the day.

Nutrition - eat the right foods, eat the right amount of food and eat the right food at the right times. Some would argue this is science. This isn't science, this is about planning and willpower.

Recovery - sleep, stretching, nutrition and work committments.

Health - so long as you are aware then physically the body can cope with the demand.

All these factors can be broken down intensely. I will do that post marathon. The deciding factor for race pace?

Common sense ?

This has been the hardest discipline to train during this 5 month period. Common sense says start with a 2:50 goal, more than likely finishing in 2:47ish. Common sense says that if I go through the first mile in 6:00 minutes then walk for 30 seconds in the second mile to balance out the sheet. Common sense says this is the start of a successful 5 year plan of action that I have set myself; and by going for a 2:50 lays a solid foundation to build on as I move forward to achieve the next goal. Common sense says I have to work the following week and need to be able to get out and train with my clients. Common sense says that I would be telling my client to run a 2:50 pace in this condition. Common sense - it has to be said can be a very frustrating quality to train in life! Although one to build on.

Instinct?

Instinct is kicking off at a pace that is likely to bite your head off when you least expect it; even though in a wierd way, you expect it! Instinct is unlocking the chain that ties down your enthusiasm just to go out and give it your best, even if that means walking the last 2 miles in agony. Instinct is not practicing what you preach. Instinct is changing the goal posts "last minute dot com" Instinct - it has to be said can be a very debilitating trait in life. Although one to cherish with no regrets .

So which one wins. 2:44:30 Marathon entails running every 10km in 39 mins flat. 6:17 average per mile. 2:48 Marathon entails running every 10km in 39:48. 6:24 per mile.

Instinct says 2:44:30 and "take those bloody awful glasses off!"

Common sense says sub 2:50 and "why are posting this camp photo of yourself online?"

I am going to use both on the day and believe the body can take a 2:44 pounding!

Beasts do live in Scotland

Wanted to share some photos from a trip to Scotland. My training friends and I stayed in Inverness at my Mothers home. Granny Madge makes the best home Scottish food, matching the calories we all burned up the great smooth roads. What a session we had and it challenged France for its beauty and challenging climbs. Ask any proper "roady" and they will all have heard of Bealach na Ba. A 2000ft climb on the West coast, supplying stunning views across to the Isle of Skye and beyond to the Outer Hebrides. We will be arranging another session in 2010 if you fancy it? Difficulty is variable and along with the running, mountain biking, hiking, swimming and big food, there's always an alternative.


Lessons learned on this trip as follows;








It is obvious when someone "bonks" on the bike - sense of humour goes walkies, pace picks up as the individual starts to make a beeline for the nearest "carb" selling garage before it's too late and last but not least, the rest of the group drop back for fear of getting their heads chewed off.






If you have not been sleeping well then take yourself for a 60 min swim, 4 hour bike and a half marathon. You will not only sleep like a log, you will believe you are the log.











Always stop at the top of a heavy climb before departing down the other side. That way you can make an informed decision whether or not it is wise to crack on or return from whence you came. Gladly we chose the latter after the effort of getting up Bealach. If it hadn't started to rain ferociously 30 minutes later I would have argued we were just being soft -Thank goodness I just nodded in agreement and returned to the sanctuary of the cafe!

A memorable week for Gareth "Chicken Legs" Pickard, Greg "the Chisel" White and Richard "Titch" O'Connor. Roll on the next session!

Motivation comes in all different shapes and sizes

"Can I have a double tall motive, with a slice of rocky motivation and a motivating deli sandwich to go, please?"
If only it were that easy. Motivation. Motivating. Motives.
I have been questioning mine of late. Why am I running the marathon?
For me, it was instinctive. After running last year it gave me great satisfaction for the following reasons.

Raising money for the teenage cancer trust - speaks for itself and you can go to my justgiving page to keep the fund building.

Helping a client achieve her goal and break 3:45. "8:30 per mile - check" "8:30 per mile - check" " check, check, check" the miles flew by and we came in at 3:41.

Experience of the rolling wave of people - in front, behind, to the side, everywhere! Thusands of heads bobbing up and down, at times I felt like I was being hypnotised.

Titch is my nickname in recent years and was on my running vest. To hear it being called out by so many 'strangers' was a surreal boost to morale.
Crossing the line - doesn't matter what the race or the pace, getting over the finish is a great feeling. Although sometimes it takes a few more minutes to actually start enjoying it.

To say "I ran London". After many years supporting clients and friends from the outside it's now satisfying to say I was on the inside.

The banter before, during and after. Then the slump of tiredness hits you. The second wind at dinner reminiscing assisted by a celebratory sherbert. The second slump of tiredness! The slumber. The sleep after a marathon is memorable for its depth.

What I experienced before.
What I experienced during.
What I experienced after.

Satisfying throughout, so there is motivation in itself to go again.

The motivating factors deliver satisfaction.

My motive then, is to feel satisfied.