Run to the Beat

I must admit, I like nothing better than a long run and blasting out the cobwebs whilst listening to my favourite tunes. My tunes of choice tend to fall into a rather eclectic mix from pop to power ballads to classic rock. I do not discriminate when it comes to my running playlist; while I know others may cringe at some of my 'uncool' choices, like a fingerprint everyone is unique in their music taste.


I will only listen to music during my longer runs of between 1 - 2.5 hours purely as they quite frankly help keep me moving and on my feet. It can get lonely and at times a little boring pounding the pavements on one's own. Recent studies have found that music can have a powerful influence on your training and has been hailed to be sport's legal drug.

It has been shown that music can lower our perception of effort by around 10%. I have found this to certainly be true as I regularly find myself often zoning out only to return after a run and find I have a few race pace efforts slipped into my workout thanks to particular songs. In essence I find myself almost having an interval workout without really noticing it. Hard work without feeling much pain...I'll take it...


Music's effectiveness comes from 'rhythm response', related to the beats per minute (BPM) of a song. For medium - high intensity cardio, a song with 120-140 BPM is effective. You can also link your heart rate to BPM so that the music you listen to is 5 beats per minute above your heart rate.


You can find the BPM of your favourite tunes via iTunes, which has an optional BPM column. Also, Tangerine at www.itunes.com can create playlists for you by analysing the BPM of your tracks.


http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/ipod_itunes/tangerine.html


Like any drug, you can become addicted to it and this can result in you becoming desensitized to it - best to use it every third workout to get the full benefits, much the same as how I only use it for a particular type of workout; longer runs.


Personal Favs (No laughing)


Albums:
Def Leppard - Vault
ACDC - Back in Black
Kiss - Greatest Hits
Fall out Boy - Infinity on High
Hard Fi - Stars of CCTV
Hinder - Extreme Behaviour
Foo Fighters - In Your Honour (disk 1)


Songs:
Jeremih - Down on me
The Who - Baba O'Reilly
Journey - Wheel in the Sky
Jennifer Lopez - On the Floor
The Clash - Police on my Back
Pink - Raise your Glass
David Guetta - Sexy Bitch
Lady Gaga - Born this Way
Twisted Sister - I Wanna Rock
Creedence Clearwater - Bad Moon Rising
Taking Dawn - The Chain
Tina Turner - Nutbush City Limits
Bon Jovi - Livin on a Prayer
Biffy Clyro - Mountains
Bloc Party - Flux
Arcade Fire - Rebellion
Bad Company - Bad Company
3 Colours Red - Beautiful Day

Compress Yourself

A Tight Squeeze...

Last year I was crippled by the pain of shin splints which put my best laid training plans out of the window for a good few months. As a result, come the summer season I was less than at my best and constantly worrying that the dreaded splints would rear their ugly head once more. All I could do was ice, rest and pray they would not hinder me again. It was through lack of being able to run as much as I would like that led me to the joys of cross training, triathlon, duathlon and consequently my faithful compression socks.

I started swimming and cycling in order to compensate for lack of running and to keep my fitness levels up. I entered the London duathlon and saw a vast population of athletes wearing some rather fetching black and grey knee length socks. Upon trawling round the small expo in search of kit and sporting trinkets to further my sporting prowess, I fell upon the black and grey socks.

What indeed was the mass appeal of them and more importantly, why should I part with £35? The kindly sales man informed me these were compression socks...'Ah, but would they cure my recurring shin splints?'...'Yes, they will certainly help'. OK then, purchase done and dusted. It definitely helps that Chrissie Wellington swears by them, maybe one day I too could break my own world record, beat the majority of men in a race and finish 20 minutes ahead of the next female competitor? Doubtful, but I was willing to give them a try.

These socks have worked absolute wonders for me. I can happily say that I have been almost a year without shin splints and I thoroughly owe some of this success to my trusty 'Compress Sport' R2 compression socks. I started off doing all my training runs in them and also wearing them during recovery for around 30 minutes after finishing exercise. I would thoroughly recommend them to anyone who suffered from the same ailment but also in a more general sense as compression clothing has been proven to have many benefits:

Thermoregulation

Your body will operate best when at the right temperature. Muscles must be kept warm for optimal performance and to avoid injury, however overheating is just as bad; it puts stress on your heart and slows your reactions.

The main difference between compression and regular clothing is its ability to efficiently remove perspiration from the skin. This is achieved by the use of moisture wicking fabrics and the garments tight fitting nature. Unlike other breathable garments such as quick dry t-shirts, you do not get perspiration pooling on the skin. This means that in hot climates your body's cooling system continues to work efficiently and in the cold you are not wearing wet clothing, therefore you will stay warmer.

Reduced Muscle Oscillation 
Every time we move our muscles move too. When they do small tears appear within the muscle tissue. The presence of these tears along with the build up of lactic acid is what causes muscle pain both during and post exercise. By reducing the rate at which this damage takes place we are able to work for longer and experience less pain following training. The principle behind stopping body shake is old and probably the best example is the wearing of sports bras. Now with the elastic properties of compression garments, the same sort of support is available for the rest of the body. This is the reason that compression garments must be firm fitting.

Increased Circulation 

This is the main benefit that is advertised by manufacturers of compression clothing. The reason for this is that increased circulation is what is claimed to give benefits in performance. By speeding up blood flow food is provided to muscles faster and waste products such as lactic acid are removed more efficiently. This means that you should experience a higher level of performance and faster recovery times when wearing the garments post exercise. This in turn will allow you to train harder in your next session.

Increased Proprioception 

Our body's proprioceptors help us to know where our arm is in relation to the body or your foot in relation to the ground. By wearing a garment that is effectively a second skin, these senses are heightened. This is achieved through the contact with the skin and the elastic properties of the fabric. This is the same principle used by medical professionals when they apply strapping or a compression bandage to a joint injury, not only do they add support but they help you to become more aware of your range of movement.

The Compression T2 socks supported my legs and served to boost circulation and clear waste products from my muscles. Many athletes will sleep in compression clothing or wear it underneath normal clothes to aid in recovery. I have certainly been known to wear my Compression socks underneath my jeans when I am feeling particularly fatigued after a hard session. I would recommend everyone should 'compress themselves' at least once!


http://compressport.uk.com/blog/

I Like it Long & Slow...

Long Slow Distance (LSD)

A few months ago I came across the phenomenon of the long slow distance (LSD) run. This was mainly through my relocation to Switzerland and through a lack of employment. I needed something to fill some of the spare time I seemed to have in abundance. Prior to this my longest run was usually a 10k every now and then, I never felt the need to run any further as most of my competitions were either on the track or a 5k tagged onto the end of a triathlon.

Everything has since changed. I started off trotting out for an hour exploring the Swiss countryside, and inevitably getting lost. One hour became an hour and a half, then two and now I find myself happily meandering through country lanes and vineyards for anything up to two and a half hours. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would run for this length of time. 

As a result of these runs (alongside filling up my time whilst still struggling to find work) I have seen a drastic change in my body shape. Previously I was all about the speed and as a result if I was not careful I tended to bulk up a bit. However with the LSD now a staple in my training I have found that I have shaved inches off my body without ever meaning too, but hey, I am certainly not complaining. There is also a feeling of complete freedom with the LSD as quite frankly you are running for the sheer hell of it and the enjoyment of being in the fresh air.

A lot has been written about the LSD, I have found it to work wonders for me and it has increased my fitness levels tenfold. I would highly recommend a longer than usual run once a week, if nothing else it certainly blows the cobwebs out and is a fantastic stress reliever. I find that I get my best ideas on these runs, including the creation of this blog!

What?
LSD is the staple of every distance runner’s diet. If you’re training for a marathon, it’s de rigeur. Novice runners use LSD as springboards to the finish line, and elite marathon runners do multiple long runs to improve their times. Even if you’re only interested in fitness, a longer-than-usual weekend run is the perfect fat burner.

Long, slow runs are an ideal training choice if you are a beginner, injury-prone or not chasing any particular goal; in short running for pure enjoyment. The long slow run is about being the tortoise rather than the hare; it is about building your endurance and minimising your risk of injury. It is better to run your long slow runs by time rather than distance and concentrate on your running form and avoid fatigue.

Definition
"Long" is a relative term. One person's long run is another's easy 8-miler. Most experts agree that 20 to 30% of your weekly mileage should be devoted to the long run, depending on your overall mileage. For example, an elite runner logging 100 miles per week might do a 20 mile long run (20% of weekly mileage), whereas someone running 40 miles per week might do a 12 mile long run (30% of weekly mileage).

If it feels too hard, it probably is. LSD should be carried out at a comfortable, conversational pace.

Benefits
The LSD run has many benefits:

1. 
   

   Helps to adapt your joints and muscles to give them the endurance for long runs, therefore increasing your aerobic base
2. Improves your cardiovascular system, strengthens the heart and increases the blood supply in the muscles, therefore enhancing the body's capacity to deliver oxygen to muscles
3. Enhances the body's ability to burn fat as a source of energy
4. Teaches your body to store more energy as glycogen in your muscles and rely more on using fat as a fuel source
5. Teach the body to run efficiently, minimising the energy expenditure needed to move you along. Even if you are not training for a marathon, the LSD run is a key element in any fitness programme
6. Boosts confidence. Standing at the start line of your 5k / 10k etc knowing you have already ran the distance or further gives you a mental boost

In Practice
If you use a heart rate monitor, try to keep your heart rate within 60-80% of the working heart rate zone, or 70-85% of your maximal heart rate

The distance of the long slow distance run depends on the length of the race for which you are training. For a 5k race, the LSD need not be more than 5-10 miles. For marathon runners it needs to be more like 20 miles (or longer for advanced runners).

Add 15 minutes to your long slow run every other week, or increase the mileage by 10%, 

not more.

Walk it off?
Do not worry if you have to stop for periods during your long slow run. Walking allows you to stay on your feet for longer, which is the goal for adding distance. Inserting a walking break every now and then will allow your body to recover and adapt, reducing your risk of muscle damage.

Mix it up
Once you have mastered your long slow runs, mix it up a little by running it as a negative split, this is also called a 'progression run'. These runs start slowly and gradually get faster. They are ideal to help give you a race simulation as they help you to push yourself precisely when a race is at it's hardest; i.e. near the finish.

Start out slowly for the first couple of miles then gradually increase your speed every 2-3 miles by around 10 seconds per mile so that you end at goal race pace, or faster if possible.

Spring has sprung and it's the perfect time to dust off those running shoes, make use of the extra daylight and pound the pavement / trail / beach

Enjoy x

Chafe Much??

Lesson Learnt...

The searing pain of arm pit chafe-age has led me to writing this blog post. Seconds after completing my first half marathon I was subjected to the most excrutiating pain under my arms imaginable. It felt like red hot pokers had been placed on my skin and led to me walking around like a 6 year old doing an 'aeroplane'. This was the only thing I could do to stop the burn. What went wrong? I had no idea why my underarms were on fire, everything else felt fine; legs were still in working order and not cramping up, not gasping for breath, rehydration was underway etc. How random.

It wasn't until after a few minutes that it dawned on me; I was the victim of chafe-age. I would always lube up before a triathlon for ease of slipping on / removing my wetsuit and on the heels of my running shoes, yet I had failed to give my half marathon its dues, failing miserably in considering the toll it would eventually take on my body. I had run the distance numerous times before in training with no poker pits (heretofore known as). But racing and training are 2 very different entities. Training is far more relaxed; I find myself in races running 2-3 minutes faster per mile than training pace, hence the incredible amount of rubbing that takes place between the arms at race pace.

My lesson has been learnt the hard way and I would like to share my solution with my readers to avoid you suffering from the same fate. The answer is simple: Body Glide. I use this during my triathlons and now all my running races to avoid the dreaded poker pits. It is extremely easy to apply, just like a roll-on deodorant. It is non-sticky and makes no mess, unlike traditional pre-race lubing methods such as vaseline, which also does not do your trainers any favours. It works by penetrating the skin  to create an invisible barrier against friction and moisture, without clogging pores or trapping perspiration. It also feels dry to the touch, is hypoallergenic, does not contain petroleum and is sweat and water resistant.

The product's strapline is 'Stops Trouble Before It Starts®', and it definitely does the job.

For more information go to www.bodyglide.com

If you are prone to developing blisters or rubbing between your thighs, Body Glide will also help ease this pain.

So long poker pits!

 

One for the Girls...

Spring Clean Yourself...

Yes ladies, spring has finally sprung and it is time to dust off the winter blues and bare all on the beach...I hear a collective of sighs and groans. Obviously one of the best ways to get yourself bikini / hot pant / skirt ready is to get out and do some exercise. I also realise how incredibly hard it can be to muster the motivation when all one wants to do is sup a nice cold glass of Pinot Grigio in a sun drenched pub garden. So what can one do to ensure this does not happen (or at least not quite so regularly)?

I have found that the ideal kickstart is to just go ahead and sign up for a race. It acts as a goal for you to achieve and can also motivate you in different ways; maybe you do it for a charity, with a group of friends, for the freebies or just so you train like a mad woman to ensure you still look glamourous when you cross the finish line.  It is also harder on your conscience to back out of something once you have committed to it! Either way....Do it.

But first... what race / event? The thought of a race jostling next to lycra clad males is enough to scare most of us.....Lucky then that certain organisers have cottoned on to the fact that us females would like a more civilised event, one where we know we are in the safe haven of our fellow woman. I have hand picked some of the best events held around the country for you to choose from, many of which I have participated in and can therefore recommend. So go on....What are you waiting for, your motivation is right here....

Race for Life (dates throughout the summer)

We all know this one and probably a lot of you have already completed one or know of someone who has. I ran the Hyde Park race the last 2 years and was overwhelmed; what seemed like every woman in or around London was taking part - apparently over 16,000 females! The race is 5k long and they have also started some 10k races. These can be found throughout England and are held in aid of Cancer Research. It is such a friendly environment and you get a real sense of solidarity as you see just how many people have had their lives touched by this disease.

www.raceforlife.org

Shockabsorber Women-Only Triathlon (July, Dorney Lake)

Absolutely fantastic location and well organised event. I used this race as my first ever triathlon and will do it again. For first-time females, there is no better event to gently dip your toes into the waters of triathlon. 

There are 3 different distances; novice, sprint and challenge. I did the novice as I really was not sure what to expect but it definitely left me wanting more and I ended up doing 3 further triathlons and am looking for my first Half Ironman race. So be warned, triathlon is extremely addictive!

Distances:

Novice Triathlon: 200m Swim, 5km Bike, 2.5km Run
Sprint Triathlon: 400m Swim, 20km Bike, 5km Run
Challenge Triathlon: 800m Swim, 30km Bike, 7.5km Run
'Health & Fitness' Challenge Relay Triathlon: 800m Swim, 30km Bike, 7.5km Run (get a group of you together)

It is held at Dorney Lake in Eton and the course is pancake flat so no mountains to climb. The swim is in Dorney Lake, used for rowing so there are no strong currents to contend with. Coupled together, you could not ask for a more beginner friendly race.

Oh, and of course, there are great freebies such as commemorative t-shirt, swimming hat, medal and goodie bag.

If you are really dreading your first triathlon they also organise a Triathlon training day a couple of weeks ahead of the triathlon. These provide you with tips and everything you need to know, including an open water swim session. Take my word for it; open swimming is not as bad as it sounds.

www.humanrace.co.uk

Boutique Run (July, Battersea Park)

Last year this race was organised on what felt like the hottest day in history....And not helped by the fact that everyone had to wear the race t-shirt, which of course was black. Disregarding this error, this turned out to be a very well organised event considering it was its first outing. Runners could choose between 2 distances; 5k or 10k - although many of the 10k runners ended up doing the 5k as it was just too hot to endure doing another 5k lap after the first.

This truly was a female only event....Topless male models were positioned at each kilometre mark, therefore I am surprised at those 10k runners! At the end of the race each finisher had a medal and goodie bag. There were also free manicures and pedicures, glass of champagne and sports massage for those who wanted it. I had a 10 minute sports massage that almost brought me to tears, which is generally what I desire from my masseuse! There was no need for massage oil as the sweat covering my body provided sufficient lubrication.

And the icing on the cake....Once every one had finished the race, there were dressing rooms where all the participants could change into their gladrags and apply their party face before heading to a big party....Now that is certainly rewarding yourself for all that hard training.

www.boutiquesport.com

Adidas Women's 5k Challenge (September, Hyde Park)

By far and away, this is my favourite 5k run that I have done to date. It is set in Hyde Park and follows pretty much the same route as the Race for Life 5k. It is a good chance to run against top elite athletes although i did not exactly provide much (if any) competition to them. British athletes Steph Twell and Jo Pavey ran amongst others last year. It is a fast flat course and ideal if it is your first 5k or you are looking to smash a PB.

Absolutely excellent goodie bag at the end with commemorative bag, t-shirt, medal and numerous goodies.

As part of the race fee the organisers donate £10 of your fee to the charity of your choice. There is a massive selection to choose from so you can be safe in the knowledge that alongside having a great time at the race you are also performing a great deed for the day for your chosen charity.

www.womenschallenge.co.uk

She-Active Every Woman's Series (throughout the summer)

I have not participated in any of the She-Active events....But I am going to...

Events include duathlons throughout the country, an 11.5k trail run in Richmond Park and an Aquathlon in Hyde Park.

www.everywomansduathlon.co.uk

So there you have it, I have done the hard work of finding you ladies some women-only events to provide you with the motivation to achieve your fitness goals and get you into those eeny-weeny bikinis....The least you can do is sign up and get moving

Enjoy x