The Week - 23rd May

Well this week, or should I say the end of the week has been about hot, hot, hot!!! Funny isn’t it. We all moan about how cold and miserable it is and then suddenly “it’s too hot!”. To be honest, running in these temperatures has been a shock to the system for many... feel sorry for all those folks at Edinburgh Marathon who will certainly have had to adjust pacing and hydration strategies.

My training is back on track. I have been really pushing myself with tempo running, intervals and lots of hills. All the speed and hill work has left me somewhat jaded. It certainly stresses the system.

Yesterday I went out early and ran 18 miles at 7:30 pace with no liquid. It was a little ‘test’. Not one that I recommend anyone else to take.... I was doing this for a reason. As you will all be aware I am a ‘heavy sweater’ and I also struggle with muscle spasms/ cramp. Many think that dehydration and a loss of electrolyte contributes to cramp, however, there is no definite proof of this! So, on a really hot morning I set out on a hilly 18 mile route running at a steady pace with no liquid. My only concession was 2 x SIS GO gels. I was running fasted (no breakfast) so I need to make sure I had some energy to finish the session.

Results? - No cramp and no muscle stress.

The only ‘problem’ I encountered was some dizziness at mile 17. This obviously was dehydration. I expected that and to be honest considering the heat and my sweat rate, I was surprised it didn’t happen sooner.

For me, this test was really important. It conforms for me that if I want to run well either at pace or over long distances, I need my muscles to be as fresh as possible.

On a race note, this weekend I would have been heading out to South Africa with Niandi. This trip was a ‘double’ trip. It would have given me the opportunity to run the iconic ‘Comrades Ultra Marathon’ but importantly it would have allowed me to see Niandi’s ‘home’ and obviously meet her family. This was meant to be ‘our’ trip! Sometimes you just have to make the choice ‘not’ to do something... in this case it has been a really tough choice but the current economic situation in the UK just doesn’t allow me the luxury to be in SA. So, Niandi leaves Paris at 11pm tonight on the red-eye to Joburg without me. Needless to say I am a little upset... next time eh!!

Clients are very much in training at the moment. Many (too many) have been hit by this very tough cold bug. It has been a really bad bug meaning that rest is the only option. Always a tough call for us sporty types. However, without the rest the virus will never go, so, be patient.... This coming weekend is a bank holiday. Julie Deadman is racing a 10k, James Watkins will be running Chester Marathon and Cat Archer will be running Comrades. Good luck and best wishes to all ;-)

Finally, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I have been playing around with running shoes. I mentioned the ‘Nike Lunar’ range. These shoes I have to say have been a revelation.... they are extremely interesting from many aspects. Firstly, weight! They are the lightest shoes I have tried. Secondly, cushioning is superb offering a ‘springy’ return with every stride. Thirdly, dynamic support suits runners with either a neutral, over or under pronation gait. The ‘Lunarfoam’ adapts to your run style. Fourthly, the range is extensive and because it uses the same technology it is easy to have training, tempo and race shoes in the same ‘style’. Got to say I LOVE EM !! before you ask, NO, I am not sponsored by NIKE. Just thought I would pass on the revelation.

Have a great week and in particular I send out a BIG HUG and BIG BEST WISHES to Niandi, her sister and her family for the coming Comrades Marathon. It will be an eventful and memorable day. I will be with you in thoughts and on the internet – all my love ;-)

The Week - May 9th

Last week I discussed at great length the problems I was having with my Garmin 310. It was giving me the wrong readings and it basically meant I was out by about 10 secs per mile....problem has been solved!

I dropped my 310 on Saturday, broke the screen and it is now ~#@c*ed. Sorted. Looks like I will be using my Garmin F60 with calibrated foot pod for a while.

This last week has been recovery once again, however, I did rack up a planned 70 miles. I know, I can hear you say ‘recovery’; 70 miles.... however, the pace was easy and the runs have all been about loosening myself up and working on elements to make my running better in the future.

A couple of key elements have emerged: firstly, my fitness and secondly, my shoe choice.

Fitness

My recovery two weeks has allowed me to assess progress in the first quarter of the year. Firstly two back to back marathons at sub 3 pace and a PB of 2:53 confirmed I had got things right. What was interesting is the variety and quantity of events undertaken to get to this point. Only a few weeks before the Paris Marathon PB, I had run an 80km Ultra. Prior to this I had run several other marathons and another ultra. For me, it really does confirm that good marathon performances can come off the back of volume. The elites very rarely run beyond marathon distance as they say the chance of injury increases, however, they do run 100+ miles every week and in the case of one or two, in particular Brit Lemoncello, he runs 150+ miles... I wonder if over distance running in conjunction with threshold, intervals and hills would push the marathon time faster? I would love to look into it! For me, a noticeable point has been fitness, resting HR and recovery. All have improved and I have found my ‘easy’ runs at below 75% mhr to be in the 130 bpm zone. This long term is a positive note as I move up my effort to the higher heart rates I should be running quicker for the same effort. Roll on Venice.

Shoes

I am a big fan of Adidas and my shoe choice has always been ‘Glides’ for everyday, ‘Bostons’ for tempo and then I have used one of the slimmed down flats for half marathon or marathon. However, although the current 2010 Adidas shoes have the same name, they have changed the shoes. The Glide now feels a heavier less flexible shoe, The Boston (which I love) feels a little more cushioned. I have therefore started doing nearly all my runs in the Boston. Normally a shoe I would only use for certain sessions or racing. But the shoe feels great, comfortable and cushioned. It may mean I need to review my ‘racing’ shoe choice?

Another thing I am doing is making my feet stronger. I have been doing this for a long time... I use a shoe called a ‘Vivo’. It offers no support and basically just adds a protection layer to the sole to avoid damage. http://www.terraplana.com/sparta-p-1573.html?colour=57

Maybe this is one reason why the new Glide feels cumbersome? Don’t get me wrong, the Glide is still a good shoe but I will only use it on really long stuff. I have also been using Nike ‘Lunarglide’ and ‘Lunarracer’. Both these shoes offer cushioning but offer a greater feel with the ‘floor’. This is something I really like.... I am not sure of the hype about space technology etc, but they are great shoes!.

Recovery time has also meant some ‘chill’ time. I kicked back a little and enjoyed a few extra glasses of wine. I had a couple of indulgent meals, one in particular was a lovely gift from Niandi. And I took in a couple of concerts. Well, the same concert; twice! Believe it or not, the leather clad, 7” heel wearing, face painted rock band, KISS. I took Josh, my son to the Birmingham gig and I took my Mum to Manchester. Absolutely superb entertainment! I have been a far from way back when.... I know they are tongue in cheek, but hey, they are superb entertainment.

Clients are currently training or recovering with one exception. Julie Deadman has returned from injury at Paris Marathon to run two superb 5k’s. Getting 4^th overall in the first and then 3^rd overall in the third. I am sure she may very well add a comment to this page to give you all an update. Great work Julie !!!

If you have any news, information or something you would like to share, lets hear from you. Have a great week.

Ian