Exercising with a cold is fine as long as its in the head and hasn’t spread to the chest. If it has then you should rest until the bug has cleared and begin slowly on the first session back just in case. This becomes a tricky issue when you are a Personal Trainer. It’s easy to think that we can just soldier on and work through it but we also have a duty of care to our clients. One thing I try to discourage is clients coming for a session whilst affected by a bug or a virus on the principle that they might not necessarily get as much out of a workout and, more importantly, I don’t want heir germs. I had to bear this in mind and this resulted in me taking a couple of days off until I felt better. I also had the concern that this time off wasnt brilliant timing, being bang in the middle of marathon training.

Having taken a whole week off, I was anticipating a hard run today and being a bit off pace so I abandoned my usual speed drill session in favour of heading our with friends from Perth Road Runners. My usual speed drills involve me running at 85% of my top pace so the session could’ve been done anyway albeit the average mile pace being slightly slower. We followed a route with a gradual incline from the North Inch towards Scone and then up past Murrayshall Hotel then back through Scone, through Quarrymill then back to the North Inch and a lap to the finish. I was delighted to find myself speeding up on the inclines and also going downhill although I wasn’t exactly “going for it”. I was pleased to find that my speed sessions on routes involving hills were working however, I was delighted to find that in the last couple of miles, I felt stronger and ran faster and ran a ‘bonus’ lap of the inch as a result and also to take the distance of the run up to 14 miles.

My conclusion was that my body had thanked me for taking the time off to recover from the bug and allowed me to put in a performance that showed I hadn’t really lost anything as a result of missing sessions during the week and proved that the training I have been doing so far has worked and will help me get the marathon time I am aiming for as long as I’m consistent with my training.

This is proof that it is more sensible to listen to your body and take some rest when it’s under attack from some form of bug in order to get rid of it quicker rather than ploughing on regardless and risk prolonging the period of illness.

Another step closer to my goal!

One thing I’ve noticed in my experience as a Personal Trainer is people set big goals such as losing a bit of weight and get fit/tone up without really setting a timescale or actually understanding the true meaning of the goal. Without going into finer detail, how can we know what 2 stone looks like or what being fit or toned looks or feels like? This is not the main problem though, most people don’t realise they have to change themselves in order to achieve their goal. This not only applies to the new gym user but also sports people.

Be the change you want to see in the world – Ghandi

I realised this myself on a recent training run. My main goal this year is to run sub 3:15 in the London Marathon to qualify for a good for age place in the future and avoid having to go through the ballot. My performances from last year coupled with training with the TRX and my general fitness would suggest that my target is achievable and my training runs so far would also indicate that it’s very much possible. The wake-up call came last week when I skipped a couple of training runs due to pressing work commitments. When this happens, there is always the belief that I can make it up but past experience has shown me that this doesn’t usually work.

I have quickly realised that in order to achieve my goal, I need to work around my training not the other way around. From changing my meal times to making sure I am in bed by 10 every night so i can get a good 7-8 hours sleep to even changing some of the foods I eat to blocking time off in my diary to train instead of booking in clients, this is crucial for me if I am going to get the time I want rather than miss out by a few minutes.

The sooner we can commit ourselves to achieving our goal and absorb ourselves in the goal, the quicker we will achieve it and do it easily.

]]> https://stevebonthronept.wordpress.com/2012/02/05/make-a-commitment-not-a-resolution/feed/ 0 stevebonthronept https://stevebonthronept.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/listen-to-your-body/ https://stevebonthronept.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/listen-to-your-body/#comments Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:12:47 +0000 stevebonthrone https://stevebonthronept.wordpress.com/?p=181 Continue reading »]]> I’m no stranger to marathon running, I ran my first one in 1998, caught the bug and have been running one nearly every year since. I’ve been a fully paid-up member to the principle of high mileage in training runs, with varying distances in my long runs and insisting on running 3 20 mile runs during the course of my build up to the big day. Until now.

Don’t get me wrong, this has served me pretty well so far. Following these principles, I set a personal best of 3hrs 19mins in 1999 and been pretty consistent with 3hrs 25mins in each my last 3 marathons. The downside is, I feel I have plateaued with that and the mileage hasn’t helped me get any closer to 3:20, let alone beat 3:19.

2012, I believe, is the year where all that is about to change. I read a few articles over the winter about approaches to training and since starting training on 2nd January, I have listened to my body and gone with what it feels ready to do. This includes running on both Saturday and Sunday, going for accumulative mileage and running no further than 18 miles in one go rather than the 20-22 miles I would previously insist on.

The reason for this is that recent research has shown that there are no physiological benefits on the body whatsoever running beyond 2.5 hours. In fact, the risk of injury on the body increase beyond that point while the aerobic benefits start to decrease. To make matters worse, the body will need longer to recover from a 3hr+ run so the training in the following days will be severely impaired. 20 mile runs in training are a form of mental hurdle in that once you reach that point then you know you’ve only another 10k to go.

The problem is that most training programs available were written in the 1970′s where the average finishing time for a marathon was 3hrs compared to 4.5hrs today. This means that the average runner back then ran at 6min/mile pace so they would complete a 20mile run in 2.5 hrs.

My solution now is to do mostly speed training. Treadmill drills of running at a much faster pace will make it easier for my body to cope with my target marathon pace and incorporating bursts of running at 85% of my top pace, with periods of recovery during my long run allows my body to run at a faster pace over a longer distance. So far, this feels very comfortable.

The question is, can I keep this up and run at this pace in London? My brain is switched on to the pace I want to run at, and what it’s going to take to get there, so after just 2 weeks I would say an overwhelming yes! While there will likely be challenges ahead, my body feels good in responding to the challenge already and so the more my brain stays focussed on the goal, the easier it’ll be to achieve.

The key is to understand the goal and if you can switch your brain onto it, you will achieve it if you want it enough

Happy Running!

My personal best is the 3hrs 19mins I achieved in 1999 at the Edinburgh Marathon. That race is completely different from the current version, the route went across the Forth Road Bridge and finished at Meadowbank Stadium. It was also held in August, meaning that I spent the best part of my training on rather hot summer days (remember them?) and came on the back of running in London in April. The best I’ve done since then is 3hrs 23mins in one of the London runs. My body has got in the habit of starting marathon training straight after New Year and somehow feels easier to start then than at any other time of the year.

This time it’s different. My target is to beat 3hrs 15mins to claim a ‘Good for Age’ place for London in the future and avoid going through the lottery that is the ballot. I believed this was possible before I started training however, my first week’s training has opened my eyes to something much greater – running a 3hr marathon. I ran 4 miles the other day at a rather comfortable pace and my trusted Garmin told me afterwards that me average pace was around 7min/mile. This means that if I can run the marathon at that pace, I am looking at much closer to 3hrs for the race than 3:15.

I have only dreamed of this in the past and now it’s time to make it a reality. Of course, it’s not going to be easy to achieve this but it’s something that’s got me excited and has literally re-shaped my training plan. Rather than churning out distances, I am listening to my body, focussing on time spent running and lots of speedwork.

This morning saw the return of an old friend – the Sunday morning long run, the type of run and it’s consistency can be the make or break in marathon training. I set off with the intention of doing around 10k but as soon as my brain tuned into the possibilities of running a 3hr marathon, my body decided it wanted to do some pace training instead so I set upon doing some Threshold Pace training to help my body get used to running at a faster pace. I learned these drills after attending a couple of running workshops by double Olympian Liz Yelling and her husband Martin. This type of training has made the biggest difference to my running over the last couple of years and will now be a mainstay of my training for London. The great thing about it is that it takes away the boredom that can come with the long run and because it is a form of interval training, I ended up running further than I intended to round up the number of drills I was doing. I ended up to run 8 miles instead of the planned 6 and felt much better for it.

They key to improving performance is to not only challenge your body but also to challenge the mind as to what is possible for it to achieve. What the mind can believe, the body can achieve

I invested in a pair of Vibram Five Fingers 2 years ago at a trade show at a fitness convention. I’m usually on the lookout for something innovative and thought they looked pretty funky but what impressed me was how comfortable they felt. Since then I’ve mostly worn them in the gym and walking around outside in the summer. The great Scottish weather doesn’t really lend well to wearing them all year round!

Back in the summer (you remember that day?)I decided to try them out on an actual run. I had finished a workout in the gym and headed down to the North Inch in Perth to try a lap and see what would happen. I ended up running my fastest ever lap by a significant amount (10 secs faster than with shoes). That was the ‘Wow!’ moment. What was interesting though was that I learned more about my body during those 8 minutes and 30 seconds than I’ve ever done running a marathon.

Wearing the Vibrams (or any similar shoe)changes your whole running style by pushing you to run on the ball of the foot. This means that you begin to use the calf muscles, hamstrings, glutes and, more crucially, the core muscles much more. I should state that this happened to me as everyone runs differently. What I noticed was that when I got half-way, some muscles began to tire and I could feel my heels striking the ground. I managed to lift them again and completed the lap. My opinion after the run was that in order to do it again, I would need to begin on shorter distances and build up gradually to allow my muscles to adapt.

A recent report I read has suggested that barefoot running should be recognised as a skill so therefore we need to practice to be good at it. The same way as we do with running or any other type of exercise we do. As I said, everyone runs differently so you need to give consideration as to how you approach barefoot running. With a change of posture comes different loads through different muscles so unless you build up gradually, you could be more at risk of injury than reducing it! The best way would be to allow time away from races (around 12 weeks) to try it and make it part of a conditioning program.

You may very well become a better runner from doing it and at the very least, you will learn how your body moves and possibly understand why other niggling aches happen.

Happy running!

For those who don’t know, entry into the ballot for arguably the world’s greatest marathon opens the day after the previous race and with around 120,000 people vying for around 35,000 places then you can understand the chances of getting in can be pretty small. Going back 5 to 10 years ago, a postal entry system was used and payment was made by cheque. Following some Internet forums at the time, you could tell when your cheque was cashed whether you were in or not. This has all changed now card payments are the norm and payments are taken straight away and you are still not guaranteed that place.

I was surprised to see a red magazine-shaped package drop through the letterbox yesterday and when I looked closer at the back of it, I instantly recognised it. I nervously turned it over to see what name was on the front as my wife had also entered, and I let out a “yes” when I saw it was my name on it. Well, more of a “Yessssssss!” that everyone in the block would have heard. Anyone who has gone through this before will know what I’m talking about.

Even though this will be my 7th London Marathon, the excitement of receiving my acceptance is every bit as high as it was for my first and the others in between. London in 1998 was a life-changing event for me. Not only was it my first marathon, it was my first race other than the Perth 10k and the amazing experience I enjoyed taking part, inspired me to change career and take running much more seriously.

I am now relishing the challenge of running London again, the possibility of what time I can achieve and all the learnings of the performance of myself and others around me. 26.2 miles? Easy!

The race number dropped through the letterbox this morning so it’s official, I will be running in the Edinburgh Marathon this Sunday – not that there was ever any doubt!

This week is all about taking it easy with a couple of short distance runs and some gentle jogs to keep the legs ticking over although in my job, complete rest isn’t really an option!

I’m quite excited about Sunday’s race as I will be joined by my wife, my client Jenna – who will be running her first full marathon and 8 teams in the Relay event from my Hairy Haggis Club. I’m excited for them as they have all worked very hard and progressed with ease through the training particularly pleasing asapart from a few, most had never really run prior to the start of the club in February!

On a personal note, I am looking forward to the race as although I haven’t done anywhere near the volume of training I have done for any marathon in the past, my recent performances over 10k and Half Marathon distance have been just outside my personal bests for both distances. This gives me a sense of optimism although my plan is to simply relax, enjoy the race and see what happens.

Don’t get me wrong, I know the race will be a challenge but once Sunday morning comes, I will go through the very same pre-race routine that has served me well in every race I have run and my head will be switched on to the pace I want to be running at and comparing my times as I go round and focussing on being strong in the last few miles and that sprint finish at the end. While it may be the least physically prepared, it will be the most mentally prepared I’ve ever been.

If you’re reading this and running on Sunday, plan your run well, enjoy it and give it your best shot – it might be the only time you ever run a marathon!

Above is the link to my time from the Perth Road Runners annual Yahoo Handicap Race tonight. The race is set on a challenging 9.5 mile route through Perth with 2 lung-bursting hills at Newhouse Road and then Craigieknowes Road then Glenlochay Road in Craigie. The hills are roughly a mile or so apart and come just before and just after the half-way mark.

It was an unusual race tonight as it normally takes place in December and base layers, leggings and a head torch are usually required but tonight it was shorts, t-shirt and even sunglasses!

The premise of the race is that the runners go out at staggered times based on their predicted time with the slower runners heading out first then followed gradually by the faster ones and that everyone finishes roughly at the same time.

A Secret Santa style prize list is created by the runners with the runners getting to pick their prize in the order that they finished, along with the traditional trophies for first to finish and the fastest. The prizes this year were Easter Eggs so perhaps the chocolate will have gone down better than the usual gloves, water bottle or pair of socks!

Race done now and not only am I very happy with my time, I am also feeling more confident with my running in the build up to the Edinburgh Marathon in a few weeks

If this sounds like you then I have a solution for you!

Try filling up a lunchbox with salad leaves, spinach leaves, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, beetroot, be as creative as you like. You can also add some sunflower, flax or pumpkin seeds and some unsalted nuts if you like. Make sure you have either chicken, fish or turkey for the protein. You are starting to get the idea that you can put quite a lot into your lunchbox! No mayonnaise by the way!

Keep your lunchbox in the fridge or cool bag and just start eating from it at regular intervals, ideally every 2-3 hours. What you do is go to your lunchbox, eat a few mouthfuls ( take your time when eating as well!), put it back in the fridge, do some work then do this again throughout the day. The principle here is to graze rather than sitting down specially to eat meals.

Eating this way will ensure your blood glucose levels remain steady throughout the day, your metabolism keeps working efficiently and you avoid those annoying afternoon energy slumps so you can get through your workload much easier. This also means that you won’t get that guilt feeling from eating a biscuit or snack in the afternoon just to give you an energy boost!

The great thing about this is that you will feel that you have a lot more energy, get more done and because you have been eating regularly, you won’t feel hungry and overeat in the evening. It’s best to drink water with your food to help digestion and the absorption of all the nutrients.

Enjoy!

Thursday night was hills night with Perth Road Runners and this session involved running 4 loops of a route on Deuchney Woods with 2mins recovery between loops. This area is well known to me as I’ve run fairly regularly in these woods and Kinnoull Hill for years. Thursday’s session was a real struggle and after a great first loop, I found myself slowing down and becoming breathless much quicker. I got through it but quickly realised that I hadn’t eaten much food that day and the gaps between meals were far too long and my body was almost running “on empty”.

Friday was a different story as I made the effort to eat something every 2-3hrs and felt full of energy throughout the day. This meant that I was able to run better with clients on Friday and again on Saturday at my running club session.

Sunday was marathon training time. After a struggle between 3-4miles, I kept going and ran 19miles before my legs decided enough was enough and it was time to stop. I also noticed that I was way off the pace where I wanted to be and also where I was when I was running at my best around 6 years ago. It would be easy to blame my age but this was simply down to lack of training.

Whether this is down to complacency or finding an excuse to skip a run during the week, yesterday’s run was the biggest kick up the backside I have been needing. I’m lucky that I still have just under 7 weeks to race day so my plan is to work hard over the next 4 weeks, make the time to get some quality runs in during the week and make those Sunday runs easier.

If you find yourself struggling through your usual workout, consider whether you’ve taken on enough fuel or if you’ve been consistent with your training. The answer will usually be right there and the secret is to work harder to get better results next time. The extra effort will be worth it!