The Road to London Part 3: The March Hare?

Miles and Miles....

March has been a bit of a mixed month, I succumbed to a second bout of the flu mid way through. It seems that no matter how much I try to cross train, look after my diet, sleep etc my immune system is a litle bit shot at the moment.

However, my longer runs have finally increased and are safely between 14-18 miles with a couple of 20 milers and marathon pace efforts thrown in . Race nutrition has been tried and tested and will consist of High 5 Energy gels, the apple flavour being my favourite, so 3 shall be consumed throughout the race....Maybe 4 if I am flagging in the later stages.

If I am being completely honest, I am a little over running at the moment and lacking a little in motivation. I think the excitement of the past 3 months has caught up with me and I now just want to get it over with, next week cannot come fast enough!

As usual, March has still been an eventful month in finalising preparations...Alongside putting in the miles.

Boobie Care

If you are of the fairer sex, a good supportive sports bra is an absolute must, unless of course you wish to sport a fetching pair of Spaniel's ears. Thought not. My weapon of choice is the Shockabsorber Run sports bra. My friend Britta first recommended it to me and pointed me in the direction of the website. This basically scares all females into purchasing a sports bra. Take a look. My other half I am ashamed to say, was particularly interested in this website, you will understand once you take a peek at the 'bounceometer'. The bra differs from any sports bra I have worn in the past in that you are effectively strapping yourself in; there are two clasps to fasten, as opposed to the traditional one. But OMG, it is totally worth it, there is zero movement, the straps do not slip and you are in for a smooth, bouncefree ride.

http://www.shockabsorber.co.uk/bounceometer/shock.html

Charity Chosen

Although I managed to obtain a coveted ballot place in the VLM, I have decided to still run for a charity. My choice came easy in choosing The MS Society. My Uncle has suffered for years with this disease and I know first hand the effect it can have....I only hope my bright orange vest is delivered in time. If you would like to make a donation and can spare a few pennies, please do so at the below link, your support is much appreciated.

 http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=EmilyMoll&faId=192422&isTeam=false

Nike ID
I needed some new trainers for race day....Although unfortunately they are yet to arrive. For these I chose the Nike LunarGlide model. They are inbetween a lightweight racing shoe and a normal more structured trainer. The suppport adjusts to your stride with each footstrike. I chose to design these myself using NikeID. Your chosen model appears on screen blank and then you go crazy with the colours. I just hope they arive in time for me to break them in.

Alongside my trainer purchase I also discovered the Nike Core compression range (see the post 'Compress Yourself' for more info on compression). A rather fetching pair of orange, black and grey striped hotpants caught my eye...I thought to myself that they would go perfectly with my Orange MS Society vest. So look out for me race day, I will be head to toe pretty much in orange, so give me a cheer!

I must admit, with one week to go I am getting increasingly nervous. 26.2 miles is a long way to travel on foot, but I am confident that I have done the hard work and I'm sure the crowd will drag me along.....Hopefully in under 4 hours!

I am currently taking bets on how many toe nails I will have left....

The Road to London Part 2: Slowly but Surely

February AKA Base building

After a rather lacklustre January, I am pleased to report that February has been an improvement of almost epic proportions. Unlike last year where I chose to ignore niggles and soldier on, I can proudly say that I have learnt from past mistakes and am now listening to my body. I have an outline training plan, but when my knee begins to ache, rather than running through it, I go to the gym, hop on the bike or put on my skis.....Yes, I am 'training by feel' and for now, it appears to be working.

One thing I have found with incorporating plenty of cross training is that it helps to stave off boredom. I'm not going to lie, sometimes the thought of going on a run now just does not do it for me; my legs already feel tired and often the thought that I have to run double the distance of my longest runs fills me with a feeling of dread and foreboding. The cross training, I believe has helped me to create a balance within my body, avoiding overuse injuries and keep me motivated......Not to mention helping me build a base for my triathlons in the summer.

This month I feel like I can share my varied training plan with my readers:

Week 1:
Sat: Skiing
Sun: Skiing
Mon: 6m steady run / 40mins on indoor bike with 5x1min intervals
Tues: 3.5m steady run
Wed: 4.5m steady run

Week 2:
Fri: Rest
Sat: 5m steady run / 1k swim
Sun: 13m Trail run / 40mins on indoor bike with 5x1min intervals
Mon: 4.5m easy run / Weights
Tues: 6.5m with hills / 1k swim
Wed: 5m steady run
Thur: 6m with 2x 10min tempo efforts / Weights

Week 3:
Fri: Rest
Sat: Rest
Sun: 14m Slow distance
Mon: 4m easy run / Weights / 40mins on indoor bike
Tue: Gym
Wed: 6m including 5x 4mins at threshold pace / Weights
Thur: 24m Hilly bike ride / Kettlebell core workout

Week 4:
Fri: Snowshoeing
Sat: Skiing
Sun: 13m Slow distance / Kettlebell core workout
Mon: 4m Easy run
Tues: 6m Steady run
Wed: Rest
Thurs: 6m including 4x 4mins tempo / Weights

FYI, where I state 'Weights', this is upper body only. I no longer do free weight work outs on my legs as I feel they exacebate my knee injury. Instead I prefer to use exercises incorporating my own body weight such as squats or lunges.

Tootsie Blood Bath
Of course, as with January, I feel like I must share my lessons in marathon training with you. My feet look like I have been wading through war trenches. I am currently sporting 3 totally black toe nails, a huge blood blister and numerous other blisters. My feet look a mess and with the warmer weather finally approaching I will still be sporting my faithful Ugg boots, no way am I subjecting the masses to my feet that look akin to something from a horror movie.
                                                    
Thankfully my mum recommended Arnica cream. It is available in most chemists and health food shops. I have started massaging this onto my bruised toes and it appears to be working and calming them down....By this, I mean the toe nails have not fallen off, which is a HUGE bonus and means I may eventually be able to sport a nice pair of peep toes this Spring.

Pancake Power
This month was everyone's favourite (well, mine anyway).....Pancake Day. Alongside the regular lemon and sugar variety I have started consuming more of my friend Felicity's Protein pancakes. With the amount of training I am now undertaking, it is important to consume protein after strenuous activity in order to kick start recovery. The recipe is so simple, delicious and quick to make:

3 Egg whites
1 Yolk
Spoon cottage cheese
Scoop protein powder
Scoop oatmeal
Pinch of cinnamon

Mix all the above together into a smooth batter and fry - I use normal sunflower oil, Felicity used coconut oil. Once browned, remove and smooth on peanut butter and sliced banana....Perfect!

So that's February.....With March, I expect my longer runs to start increasing in distance....Let's just hope the toe nails can hang on....See you next month!

The Road to London Part 1: Winter Blues

January
I am not going to lie, January has been hell. Coming back to full training after a couple of months of doing a whole lot of not much due to my knee injury has been sheer torture...Of epic proportions; for this month signalled the start of my journey to the Virgin London marathon, my 'virgin' race at this distance.

It was clear from the start there was zero chance of my being able to follow a traditional marathon schedule; running 6 times a week for 4 months would spell the death of my knees forever. So I started with baby steps, running 3-4 times a week, supported by a ton of cross training. Running has been supplanted by sweat sessions on the cross trainer, rowing machine, indoor bike rollers and my favourite of all.....Skiing. It is fair to say that at the end of January I had only run a paltry 74 miles; however with plenty of supplementary training, I am confident that I am building a good base of endurance.

Alongside the knee threat, January has been a challenge in Geneva due to the snow, ice and sub zero, freezing temperatures of up to -12. Running in this has not been much fun, although I am sure it will give me some kind of mental edge knowing that I am sadistic enough to carry on regardless. I may look like I am about to commit bank robbery in my balaclava but I'll be damned if a little cold snap is going to stop me in my tracks.

There have been a few things that have helped me get through the tough month of January:   
                                  
Seasonal Sniffles
For one week I had a stinking cold that turned into flu, which obviously put paid to my training as my days were spent sleeping and generally moping around feeling sorry for myself. I honestly think I would not have survived without either Neocitran or Mebucaine...My winter medicine of choice. Neocitran is a hot liquid medicine that treats all symptoms of flu including headaches, sore throat, runny nose, body aches...You name it. If it were possible, I would have had this on an intravenous drip as I instantly felt relieved the moment I drank some. To supplement this, I also self medicated with Mebucaine throat lozenges in mint flavour to help my scratchy sore throat. I know some people will just tough it out when they have the flu....Not me, I am weak and all about the drugs.

Body Armour
As aforementioned, the sub zero temperatures were unbearable in January, although they were a lot more bearable when I wore Odlo's thermal underwear. In particular I cannot rave enough about their 'Extra Warm' leggings. These have gone under everything from work trousers, running tights to salopettes. They are without doubt the best thermals I have ever purchased and I fully believe that by wearing them they have helped my knee as it always acts up in the cold. Skiing in Morzine in -30 was a walk in the park with these babies.
                                  
I have also fallen in love with their new 'Evolution' range and wear these under running jackets and on the mountains. They make such a difference, and both are wicking so the sweat is taken away from your body and they help regulate your temperature. Go buy...

Face facts
I can only cover so much of my body and often the bit that is left exposed to the elements is my face (when not using the balaclava). As a result it tends to get a bit of a battering by the elements. Lucky then that my lovely sister works for Clarins and gave me their face treatment oil for dry skin. I'm not going to lie, often my face is so red and dry to the stage where it almost looks scaly; which I am the first to admit, is not a good look. This seems to calm it down and feels pretty luxurious. I tend to slather it on at night and sleep in it. Definitely a skin saviour in the winter months.
 
A Little Light Reading
My motivation tends to flag a little at the beginning of the year. To try and overcome this and get some much needed inspiration I read Andy Holgate's 'Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run'. It's a pretty good read and has the tag line 'From common man to Ironman'. It basically tells the story of Andy's adventures into the world of triathlon culminating in competing in the holy grail of competitions: Ironman. It reads more like a fictional story and has some amusing snippets that many athletes will be able to relate to, mine being acclimatising to clipless pedals and failing to disengage your foot in time.....Culminating in a nasty and embasrrasing fall to the ground with there being nothing you can do to prevent the inevitable.


So that was my January journey into marathon training.....Let's hope February is a whole lot better!

Planning Ahead

2012....The Year of Challenges

Well, I can safely say that I am happy with my 2011 season - I ran 3 half marathons, my first ever in March this year, and competed in my first Olympic distance triathlon. The rest of the season was peppered with other various races ranging from 5ks to sprint triathlons. The only fly in the ointment is that I am sitting here typing this blog post in rehab.

Injury....The bain of any athletes life has crept up on me (see previous blog) and I now have the arduous task of getting back to full fitness. I can happily say that I am running again although this is very easy runs, no speedwork pour moi until the new year.

I order to make myself feel better and to provide me with some much needed motivation to get off the sofa, I have begun planning my 2012 Race calendar. I am so incredibly precious about this, it is my own holy grail, and a lot of time and effort goes into both seeking out races.....and the accompanying hard slog to be able to actually compete.

2012 will definitely be the year of endurance events for me as I plan to run my first full marathon, Ironman 70.3 and Ultramarathon. Needless to say I will need to ensure that I do plenty of cross training. Rest will also play a big part as I tend to be a little overly competitive with myself and end up neglecting this.....hence my current injury status!

When planning my season I divide it into races of 3 categories; A,B and C.

The A races are those events where I will direct my training efforts, they are my main goals for the season and whereby my training will be tailored to gradually progress towards these. A races should be scheduled at least 10 weeks apart.

B races are treated as training events whereby I would still like a good performance e.g. a 10k PB. They are warm up events to the big performance and can be treated as time trials or events that will ultimately help contribute to the A race performance.

C races are just races or events I enjoy doing but are not specifically goal or performance related. I find that the odd local C race on the spur of the moment helps keep me on my toes and provides a little motivation when there is a slight lull in the race season.

So, without further ado....Here is my draft 2012 season:

A Races
22 April: Virgin London Marathon
3 June: Iron Man 70.3 Switzerland
13 October: Norfolk Coastal Ultramarathon (62 miles)

B Races

19 February: Stradsett Park Winter Duathlon

4 March: Paris Half Marathon

1 July: Norwich Sprint Triathlon

7 July: Vallee De Joux Sprint Triathlon

22 July: Geneva Sprint Triathlon

2 September: North Norfolk Olympic Triathlon

28 October: Lausanne Half Marathon

C Races

18 March: Tour De Presinge 10k

1 April: Course des Ponts

27 May: Cyclotour du Leman (120k bike)

I hope this post has given you some inspiration....What are your goals for 2012?

Speedy Does It

My new favourite session...

Fartlek, meaning 'Speed Play' in Swedish is by far and away my favourite session for this time of year. In a nutshell it involves injecting fast bursts into a normal slow run. With the heat here in Geneva feeling like Death Valley I have reduced my mileage accordingly and am now focusing my training on 5k / 10k races. Plus I fear I may keel over if I run for over 2 hours...

Why?
Fartleks are the perfect partner to increase your fitness. Through the alternation of fast and slow pace the run enables fast twitch muscle fibres to be recruited, thus ensuring the whole muscle gains a workout.

Fartlek training also helps build speed and strength. I have definitely found this to be the case. My long slow running completed during the winter months to build endurance is perfectly complemented by the fartlek run.

How?
There does not need to be a set structure to a fartlek run. It can be done anywhere whether on a track, trail, park, beach or road. If need be you can run it as a structured session e.g. 10x400m slotted into a longer run. However I find it better to use markers such as bridges, lamp posts, trees etc.

It is very simple, start with a 10 minute warm up then look ahead and decide what you are going to run to at a faster pace. During my runs I alternate my faster paces from a full-on sprint to 10k, 5k and HM pace for alternating periods of time. Often I will sprint between trees and then hold my HM pace for say 2 minutes. Basically you can structure this session by feel and you will never get bored as you can use landmarks or time to structure the workout.

If you are a beginner you can also include intervals of walking. The actual length of a run will depend on your fitness, mine are usually between 3-5 miles.

Have fun x

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

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