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.

Old school rejuvinated.

Old school training values are making a comeback, in this age of technology scientific know how. It is evident that people are being encouraged to get outside and take a breath of fresh air. It’s cheaper than any gym facility and let’s face it, if someone said 10 years ago, that you’d be watching an episode of Eastenders whilst running “mount Kilimanjaro” at 10kph you’d have told them to go and get their heads examined. But it’s happening, right in front of us. A lot of gyms find it difficult to set up a bike or cross trainer without plugging a flat screen in front of you for "extra motivation”. What a waste of resource and a cop out. You’d be much better investing in one of these machines and wheeling it out in front of your own quality widescreen system. At least you wouldn’t have to strain your eyes and worry about sweating into the electrics!!

Take a search on the internet for a “boot camp” or “outdoor fitness” and a multitude of company’s spring up. From woman only groups promoting pink parades to hard core “eat the dirt” military fitness camps. It’s great to see. Options of being shouted at or being pampered. Beasted at 6am or steady state at 7pm. The one thing they all have in common is the great outdoors. We are all utilising the fantastic parks and tow paths at hand. Kettlebells, sled runs, hill sprints, tyre dragging, hammer throwing! It’s all there. There’s even aerobics, taking the grapevine from the mirrored studio onto the green green grass.

The commercial gyms are doing their bit and providing “powerplate” classes. Having used a powerplate for many years with a private client I can say it has its uses. Well actually one – flexibility training. Power plate definitely develops flexibility. There are also some valuable exercises to improve stability. Nothing that can’t be achieved from standing on a tube for 20 minutes!

On a more serious note, it is obvious that the science of training has accelerated in the last 5 years. Differing methods to achieve your goals are emerging constantly. There is a danger that science intended for the elite athlete may be employed by the beginner. Whilst amazing strides forward in sports science and individual programming have taken place, it is obvious that some of these complex methods have been recruited by the general public.

The higher the level of performance, then the more detail is required to cope with the demands of training loads. No matter what level of performance is being sought, there are some basic fundamentals that never change. Feed the body the right fuels to aid recovery, improve performance and avoid injury. Stretch and increase the flexibility to aid recovery, improve performance and avoid injury. Ensure your goals are realistic for your lifestyle and training history, this way you will aid recovery, improve performance and avoid injury.

As a former Royal Marine, I know what it’s like to be pushed to your limit. I have been on and passed the world’s toughest boot camp of them all. The punishment I allowed my body to undergo was relevant to the goal that I had set myself. Choose the outdoor session that is relevant to your needs. It should push you hard enough to get you out of your comfort zone, at the same time allowing you to get up the next day and continue with day to day life, and another training session if planned. For some there are light hearted fun sessions, for others the fun comes at the end when you’ve finished the drills. Whatever your taste in training there is something there for everyone. Make sure your chosen venue has a first aid system (not just a first aid bag!); insured and they get you to fill out a pre exercise questionnaire that asks about previous injuries and illnesses. They all will, but just make sure!

Enjoy the outdoor freshness. If it’s working, then you’ll wake up one morning and take yourself out there for a session of your own.

Old school is not dead; it’s been meandering through all the technology and will outlive the machines. Get out there and row, run, bike, throw, jump and pull.

Red loves the tree to defy gravity!

After numerous emails to the squad, reminding them to plan their route, add time for the journey and be on time - alas I am the only one late! Typical. I would love to blame my navigator Deb Deb, although that will only result in sloping shoulders. What was I late for?
The Go Ape course in Cannock Forest, Staffordshire. We had arranged a team building, confidence boosting session for the deaf players to tackle. As it turns out I was actually an hour early because Roger booked for 10, not 9. Very clever Roger, I see what you've done there.
Surfice to say, the players rose to the occasion and pressed on through the trees. After a thorough and professional brief from the instructor - "red loves the tree" "red last off, red first on" "red loves the tree" "red loves the tree" "red loves the tree" - has anyone else been getting flashbacks?
Like I said thorough!
So, apart from the obvious enjoyment, fear and loathing, there was a point to all this.
At the start of the session, you could see everyone, including myself talking to themselves - "red loves the tree" - an obvious pattern of clipping in and out from obstacle to obstacle, one that maintains your authority over gravity. Without a routine and a level of respect for a simple procedure then there's a decent chance that you will sucumbe to the forces of nature. I imagined myself on some of the trickier "no hands" obstacles without the harness. Without that safety net the nerves can kick in. Nerves can get the better of you and you fail to perform the task to the best of your ability. The thought of falling can distract you from the thought of what you have to do to stay on.
We are in a process of getting the players to appreciate and respect the basics. Routines save time. Routines become habits. In the last section of obstacles, I for one, was certainly clipping in and out, in the right order, without questioning my decisions. "red loves the tree" was a habit. All in the space of 90 mins of constant coaching and self coaching.
Getting around the course was as individual as it gets.
Tennis is an individual sport when it comes to the match.
As a team all the players can now relate the experience of getting around the course as a positive one. No one minds saying they were a bit nervous jumping off the bungee rope or taking their hands off "blue" on the balance beam 30 feet up.
The goal is to strengthen their confidence in confronting their fears when it comes to performing in a match. There is such a thing as a team of individuals.
The GB Deaf Tennis Squad are all unique indivduals. Each with a different plan on the court. Each with a different physical attribute. Each with different levels of hearing and communicating. This was the final exercise to show them that the basics required never change from individual to individual. We all need to get red to love the tree.
Next time, we will race around the course as a time trial. Follow the basic pattern required to defy gravity and chances are you'll end up high in the final standings. Rushing around because you think you're the fittest and fastest could mean taking short cuts. The squad are starting to behave like tortoise and the next phase is to morph into the hare as well.
Good luck to them.

"IF "BUT "MAYBE"

Marathon Training is an odd affair. Doing too much? Doing too little? When should you go long? And how long for? What pace? There are a lot of ways that people have used to get there and get through it. You can relate to most sports with these questions.
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Elite. These are the 4 categories that you should place yourself in prior to embarking on the training plan. Think smart and there's a chance of just breaking into the level above from where you started. Think too big and on the day you may end up running a level below your ability.
My first attempt at Human Races "Ballbuster" Duathlon was a classic example of preparing to race at an ambitious level of Advanced. This is an 8 mile run, 24 mile bike, 8 mile run around the infamous Box Hill in Surrey. Setting off on the start line with the Advanced group, terrified as I recall. Crashing and burning on the final run, finishing with the slow Intermediates! Not happy.
Hindsight - something that everyone needs to look to, before the event takes place! Look at the "if, buts and maybes" before you undertake the effort. It will broaden your mind and enable you to set realistic targets.
A training programme is far easier to adjust up when adaptation is successful, rather than having to think of a plan B and adjust down when you have over extended yourself. I was always told when growing up and in my time in the Marines - "no ifs, buts or maybes" It was another way of saying you should accept mistakes when they are made - and when they are made, make sure you never make them again.
What I have found over the years is that they creep into the language when the plan is not one you are totally committed to, or you are not paying your chosen goal enough respect.

Hindsight was addressed before my last attempt at Ballbuster in 2006. I improved during training and raised my expectations to Advanced. Went off the start line as a confident intermediate and finished with the top advanced athletes. Happy. Walk away content and no need for hindsight.
So next time you are planning to achieve something for yourself, ask some "if's, buts and maybe's". It just might help the whole process of being more successful. Go for it in 2009.