CHAMPIONS SECRETARY

John Trory's
Training Tips

Helpful advice based on John's own running experiences

Useful Guide

This section is the work of the current championships secretary, John Trory, who started running at the age of 52 and 9 months later completed the 2000 London Marathon in a gun time of 4-06 with a real time of around 3-50. Since then, with very little useful advice given to him, he has had a p.b. of 3-32 but also made about every mistake possible, one of which created a very limiting injury which destroyed all real hopes of a further reduction in the p.b.

The running tips listed here are, therefore, based on what John has done wrong and beneficial knowledge acquired by “trial and error” and with the help of a book which analysed the results of some American medical trials carried out at sports universities. IT MUST BE REMEMBERED, however, that training is very personal and not a “one size fits all” theory, so these are just supposed to be helpful suggestions.

1. Basic Rules for Running

The Basic Rules for Comfortable Running

To turn failure into success needs clear thinking and hard work
To be successful all the time needs a miracle

Running a marathon must not be approached in the same way as a 5k or 10k. It is vital to set out on the correct basic path otherwise unnecessary problems will be encountered later on in training. The early stages of training are the most important otherwise the extension to a marathon will not be achieved. The first stage is to choose the right shoes and it should be remembered that high street chains will try to sell you what they stock and not necessarily what you need. Your shoes must be appropriate, which means for a start that your trainers must be one whole size larger than your street shoes because your feet will swell after you have run 8 or so miles. Your foot width is also important because if you have broad feet, you will need to buy trainers which are available in width fittings.

Flat feet (fallen arches) are a particular problem which many people do not realise they have. Take your shoes off and walk naturally on a hard surface and see whether your feet are turned out to determine whether you have flat feet. If they are, then it is more or less essential you get insoles that will support your arches. If you are seriously flat-footed, then you should consider spending the money on custom made orthotics, because ignoring this problem will, in later life, destroy your knee joints and then your hips. When inserting shop bought or customised orthotics, you should first remove the factory included inserts. With the right shoes, you should land on the outer half of your heel and, with your foot turned only slightly outwards, roll over your foot and push off from the big toe. This is called pronating.

Cotton socks shrink enormously and also cause blisters – man made fibres are much better. The double-walled blister proof socks tend to crease when worn and can be very uncomfortable.

Under your shorts you need a tight fit that will move with you to prevent chaffing and women should be wearing a correctly fitted sports bra. Men should, for a long run, use vaseline or tape their nipples. My treasured first London Marathon finishers’ T shirt has a prominent blood stain trickling down the left side because I was not warned about this.

Forget heart monitors, GP systems that download and other expensive toys. They may be fun, but none of them will actually assist your running and may even prove to be an unwelcome diversion. The only gadget you need is a basic stop watch and a map as you will only need to know the approximate distance of your training run, although it is advisable to take a phone with you for emergencies. The best heart monitor is the breathing which should be raised but not gasping, unless you are doing speed work.

YOUR RUNNING should be evenly balanced so avoid training perpetually on the same camber. Not only should your muscular system be balanced between left and right, it should also be developed proportionally from chest to feet which means the core muscles in the centre of the body should also receive attention. Your entire muscular – skeletal system is inter-connected which means that any weakness in the abdominal or hip area will cause problems as you progress to longer runs. Even running with a water bottle in one hand can unbalance you enough to cause muscle problems.

Ideally, you should be taking 170-180 paces per minute and you should not take long paces as you will be landing on your heel which can damage that area, bruising the achilles tendon or causing a stress fracture and also wastes energy as the impact is greater and has a stopping effect. Landing comfortably allows your muscular system to absorb the shock.

Your arms should pump straight forwards and back – not in an arc in front of you – and keep your elbows in. If you swing your arms round in front of you, you will have to use your abdominals to prevent twisting your upper body to and fro which puts great and unnecessary strain on them. As the abdominals are a vital part of marathon running, this will have a negative effect on your performance. Your head and torso should be near upright. If you need to look down to examine the ground in front of you, drop your eyes, not your head.

Ladies, especially those who work in an office and wear tight dresses, tend to run with their knees together and swing the legs around. Self-examination is important here as it is essential that the correct motion of bringing the knee up and moving the leg straight through is adopted. Failure to do this will cause knee problems as the distance increases.

All these things will improve your bio-mechanical efficiency with a possible saving of 10% energy, to which we will soon be adding a range of exercises. Balanced strength is the key to injury free running, and I can not overstate the importance of this.<

Do not download training programmes from the internet as most of them are completely unsuited to beginners and take no account of varying ability, age, body weight, available time or existing degree of fitness. The number of training days per week necessary will depend to a degree on what occupies your time for the rest of the week. Someone who is on their feet all day can count that as their recovery session and 3 serious training sessions per week will be adequate. Others who may be desk-bound will need to integrate movement with their everyday life and put in an extra training session. In any event, more than 4 training days a week is a retrograde step as well as socially awkward. Muscles need to recover between sessions and walking is the best way. Existing runners will train with the same frequency but their sessions will be harder.

Marathon Training; for beginners, those who feel they are underperforming or established runners who are simply increasing distance up to the marathon

MARATHON TRAINING;  for beginners, those who feel they are under performing or established runners who are simply increasing distance up to the marathon.   

Marathon running is the amalgamation of several different parts which fit together, like a jigsaw, to make up the complete picture. The most important part is the desire to succeed, without which you are a lost cause. Realism also plays a major role because if you set yourself an unrealistic target, you will feel you are failing and sensible training will be abandoned. You need the strength of character to go out training 3 times a week in all weather conditions and the sense to resist doing more when you think you have fallen behind. The physical aspect is broken into 3 parts which are;                                 

1) STAMINA which is an obvious requirement when you intend to run or run/walk for 26 miles, and this is built up in various stages. Distance should be built slowly as the body will only slowly strengthen the bones to accommodate the extra work involved. An increase of 10% distance per week is generally accepted as the maximum. Sudden large increases can lead to stress fractures in the legs from the constant shock of each foot strike. There should be no sudden changes to hill climbs or speedwork as this will lead to shinsplints. Changes should be introduced gradually.

a) run for an initial distance of whatever you can manage comfortably and then plan a weekly increase so that by 4 months before the intended marathon, you can manage at least 10 miles without too much trouble. The speed of this run should be below the speed at which you would start to breathe heavily as you are building stamina in this session and speed is not part of this. Do not worry if you can not do the 10 miles by the due time because we can formulate a walk-run routine to build on the distance.                                                                                               

b) later, when you are running with confidence, set a realistic target for the marathon. The way to do this will be demonstrated later. Most runners finish between 4 and 5 hours depending on their pre-training fitness level.  When you have developed your running sufficiently, and this is your sensible decision, on your day off, plan a course and go out for that amount of time on a run-walk-stroll routine, even taking a break in the middle for a light snack if you wish. No heavy meal less than two hours beforehand though, because this will give you “stitch”. Do not attempt this in anything other than a gentle approach. Too much and too soon are both detrimental.        

c)when your training has progressed to a level where you are comfortable running, say, around 12 to 15 miles, plot a 20 mile course and stride out with a back pack with energy bars, drink, kitchen roll, microporous tape, mobile etc. and enjoy the day moving around. Run, walk, jog or whatever and see how it goes. Under no pressure and on a fine day, you will be surprised how pleasant it can be.

2) SPEED is created by running short distances much faster and will only become a part of your routine when you have acquired the ability to run well with a good and steady style. This will be your subjective decision. You need a good surface, uncluttered with dogs and children, parked cars or uneven paving stones on which you will jog for 5 minutes then run fast for 1 minute, repeating this for around 30 minutes. Rather than look at your watch all the time, try it out and then judge it by distance. I have a park with a good oval path which is 1.125 miles around which takes 9 minutes, so I jog for around 4 minutes then hammer it along the straight, where it is flat with wide grass at the side if I need to take evasive action, for a minute twice in each lap. I also have a seafront with evenly spaced lamp posts that I use to divide my different speed sections. A clear area with a good surface is vital for this exercise and more recently I have been paying to use a local sports stadium which is much safer.

3)PROPORTIONAL AND BALANCED STRENGTH is absolutely vital in order to run economically without injury. This will not be achieved by only running – you must have an exercise routine that can only be done with equal balanced effort. This overlaps daily life, where you may not have thought too much about the effects of carrying a suitcase only on your stronger side. Shopping bags, briefcase etc. need to be balanced or keep swapping sides.  There are many exercises that can be done at home and I will develop this theme soon, but a varied gym routine with light weights is the best idea if possible. Develop your quads. and hamstrings equally, your abs. and hip flexors with clean smooth movements – no jerking or over exertion. Resist the temptation to see how much you can lift as this has the potential for disaster. More of this later. If you do not have access to weights, you can get some benefit by using litre bottles of water etc.

 YOUR WEEKLY ROUTINE should consist of one session of each of the above, with the 2 day break after the stamina session to allow your muscles to recover. Hard training on consecutive days is at best pointless and at worst severely damaging. If you are in a desk-bound job, you should also consider walking as part of your journey to work, and not sit down for more than 1 hour without getting up to restore circulation and muscle activity.        

REMEMBER; Your three different types of training must be pursued separately – do not combine any two of them in one session. 

Gym Training To Improve All-Round Strength

Training for marathon running is unlike that for any other distance because it also requires strength and stability in muscles that are otherwise hardly used. The muscular-skeletal system is 3-dimensional and is only as good as the weakest part so needs to be balanced head to toe, side to side and back to front. This schedule provides the all-round strength needed.

Weightlifting should be carried out in a steady and even movement. Jerking the weights or shifting the torso is a sign of handling weights that are too great for you and will lead to muscle strains. Each exercise, except the benchpress, should be carried out in no more than 3 sets of 10 repetitions, always starting cautiously with low weights to activate the muscles. Physiological studies have shown that trying more than 3 sets of 10 reps has little or no added benefit. The benchpress is performed as a ‘pyramid’ where you start with 10 lifts of a low weight and increase the weight as you decrease the reps. When you reach a weight where you only manage 2 reps then that is your weight limit and this exercise should only be attempted on a machine with ‘escape catches’ or with a catcher to assist you out of trouble. This exercise should always be done with feet on the floor for safety reasons. Then reduce the weight as you wind this exercise down.

It is up to you to find the level of weights to use and always be cautious. Do not look around to see what weights others are using as you are not competing with them. They may well be very experienced and well ahead of you. They are not relevant to your training. This schedule will last around 2 hours and should not be hurried as this is when injuries happen.

On Machines;   Backward leg raise, forward leg raise, squats, weight resisted seated rowing, pull downs to chest and behind head. The glute press is particularly useful as it strengthens the quads, gluteals and gastrocnemius, the muscle behind the knee. You sit down with your knees apart and bring them together against resistance and reverse it by having your knees together and pressing them apart.

With loose weights;   Curl, bent over rowing, upright rowing, deadlift, benchpress. If you are new to weight training then ask the gym supervisors for instruction as the correct movement is vital.

Floor exercises;   Sitting on a mat and leaning back slightly, swing a two handled ‘medicine ball’ from side to side in an upward arc. Kneeling and leaning on elbows, bring one bent leg up behind you until your upper leg is horizontal and lower leg vertical. Lay on your back with your legs out straight then raise your legs to about a 45 degree angle then bring your knees towards your chest, finally extending your legs to return to the starting position. Lunges are popular but serve little practical use. However, if you do them with weights, you MUST use dumbells held each side and NOT a barbell on your neck, for safety reasons. Finally, you need a staircase, so this may not be at the gym. Take the stairs slowly, 2 at a time with an exaggerated drop and rise. This will develop and balance your hip flexors, adductors, abductors and iliotibial band which are very important muscles.

If there is anything here you do not understand, ask the gym staff – that is what they are there for.

Muscle location;

I.T.B.; the iliotibial band runs down the outside of the upper leg and is a common muscle pull for beginners, hence the need to exercise it. It will be under particular strain running on a camber.

Gluteals; their are 3 gluteals, the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. Basically, they run around your backside and are frequently pulled doing simple things like getting out of bed when cold.

Hip flexors; they balance and operate hip movement. There are 2 called the psoas and piriformis.

Adductor muscle; this runs up the inside of the leg from knee to groin. You may not even notice using this but you will notice it if you strain it, being extremely difficult to treat, so make sure you stretch it after exercise. The abductor muscle runs up the outside.

Quadriceps; the very strong muscles that are in the front of the upper leg and must be stretched after every run to avoid shortening and stiffening.

Cruciate ligaments; these run around the patella (kneecap) and must be stretched after exercise or running otherwise they will shorten and pull mercilessly on the patella causing severe pain.

Gastrocnemius; a connective muscle behind the knee joint.

The approach has to be moderate with common sense and not bravado.

Important Static Muscle Stretches

The first rule of muscle stretching is do not put yourself in a place where you have to use the muscle being stretched in order to recover your standing position as this could lead to a severe muscle strain and not just a stretch.

ANKLES; there are something like 26 muscles, or to be precise tendons and ligaments, in each foot so your foot is the most complicated piece of body machinery you have. The muscles around the ankle need to be stretched by leaning forward against a wall and dropping your knee. A similar action but with a straight leg will stretch the ACHILLES tendon and calf muscles.

CALF MUSCLES; another stretch is to stand on one foot on the bottom step of your staircase with the step edge crossing your mid-sole and drop the heel. Keep some weight on your other foot until you have got the hang of it to avoid over stretching and damaging the achilles tendon. Do not bounce up and down.

HAMSTRINGS; put one foot on a solid piece of furniture that is around at slightly below knee height with that leg forming a right angle then drop your torso down to your leg with your head alongside your knee. If you are already fairly supple and do not feel a stretch, drop the elevated knee to straighten the leg slightly until you do feel it. Dropping your head also stretches your NECK muscles and transmits down your back, freeing up your INTERCOSTALS for breathing.

Doing this stretch with a straight leg is not a good idea as it can inflame the sciatic nerve which will cause prolonged pain down your leg.

QUADRICEPS (quads); these are the muscles in the front of the upper half of your leg and are stretched by manually pulling the leg up behind you until your heel reaches your behind whilst keeping your knees alongside each other.  The same exercise but with the foot coming up slightly to one side stretches the iliotibial band (usually just called ITB) which is an important stabilising muscle whilst running, particularly important when running on uneven ground.

CRUCIATE LIGAMENTS; the muscles above your knee connect to bone beneath it and vice-versa, hence the name as they cross each other. Crouch down and make yourself as small as possible. Keeping your knees flexible is the single most important part of training otherwise the muscles will pull on the patella (knee cap) and cause pain. This pain is usually misdiagnosed as joint damage caused by running and has mistakenly persuaded many to give up.

ADDUCTORS; these really are pesky varmints. Damage them and they will remind you for years. Stand alongside your bed with one leg stretched out behind you and adjust your position until you feel a stretch on the inside of your leg. This is a difficult one to describe so go carefully. Stretching by going into a forward lunge is a risky movement and should be avoided.

GLUTEALS; lay on your back with knee ‘a’ raised and put your foot ‘b’ near the top of thigh ‘a’. If this is too easy, then increase the stretch by gently bringing knee ‘b’ towards your chest.

BACK MUSCLES AND INTERCOSTALS; simply breathe in as deeply as possible and then touch your toes without bending your knees a lot.

Stretches should be taken carefully to the point where strain is felt, but STOP SHORT OF CAUSING PAIN, and hold for between 25 and 35 seconds. Never bounce on a stretch or put your body weight on it in such a way that you can not release immediately if necessary.

These stretches should be done after every exercise session when you are back in the warm, and NEVER BEFORE YOU EXERCISE. They are a vital part of training.

Knee problems – the most commonly misdiagnosed problem   

Professional advice seems to be lost at sea when it comes to the diagnosis and correction of knee problems. The term most often used by physiotherapists is ‘runner’s knee’, which actually means ‘I have absolutely no idea what to tell you’. Setting aside the unfortunate circumstance of a birth deformity or serious accident, these are the most common causes.

1) Fallen arches, also called flat feet. This is a genetically inherited problem which can affect you to a varying degree and has the effect of pointing your feet outwards as the arch flattens to the ground. This in turn twists the tibia (shin bone) in the knee joint so that it does not sit there with a true fit and the resulting disturbance of the tibia and femur (thigh bone) within the patella (knee cap) is what causes the pain. There is only one cure for this and it is imperative that you purchase orthotics to support the foot arch and recover the proper position. If left uncorrected, the end result will be a knee operation or even transmitting to the hip joint. It is necessary to use orthotics in all shoes and not only for running. Basic arch lifting insoles can be bought to use in ordinary daytime shoes, but for running, custom built orthotics from a specialist in this area should be considered. They may seem expensive (around £150 at the time of writing) but will be worth the investment in the long term and last for several years. In fact, if the N.H.S. provided them, they would save a fortune in knee and hip operations.

2) A simple lack of stretching is astonishingly lacking in many runners, even the experienced ones. A ten second knee-bend is just not enough. The patella is surrounded by the cruciate ligaments which, as the name implies, cross each other. A lack of proper stretching after a run will result in these becoming shorter, thicker and less flexible at which point they will pull painfully on the patella and stop you running. The treatment for this is simply stretching it out by pulling your foot up behind you whilst keeping your knees alongside each other. This stretch should be held for a slow count of at least 20. You should be able to bring your heel firmly into your backside without pain but if you have neglected this stretch it will take some time to achieve. This should be done every day except the day after a long run when the muscles will naturally have stiffened a little and should be treated with care.

3) Asymmetric exercise, which can even come down to something as simple as frequently carrying something heavy in the same hand but often includes running on the same pavement camber for a long distance, affects your gait and can cause unbalancing of the muscles. If you have to carry things, transfer them regularly from one hand to the other and always be mindful of the slopes you may be running on. Running with a pulled muscle often causes injury problems on the other side by leaning over to protect the injury. Be aware of what you are doing and adjust accordingly, as well as concentrating on stretches. This awareness must extend to your working day as well as specified exercise.

4) A lot of knee damage is caused by sports that require a lot of twisting, turning and pounding. These include football, cricket, tennis, basketball, badminton, squash and probably others. Minor damage can be helped by gait analysis and the appropriate action but this is not a cure and more extreme damage may require an operation as there is no other solution.

5) In an active person, the body automatically lubricates the joints, but with inactive people this dries up in older age as the body perceives it as unnecessary. This is a big problem with those who take up running in middle age or later in life as it then means exercise on a dry joint. The only answer to this is to take glucosamine which is widely available and cheap. This promotes the natural production of the required joint lubrication. It is also available with chondroitin for more extreme cases but this does make it rather more expensive.

This has to be approached with great caution to be safe and successful whilst accommodating the changing weather. Planning is essential.

IN RAIN;    Motorists vision will be impaired and you will not be so easily seen, so you should wear a reflective sash and avoid crossing roads in heavy traffic. Do not take chances as a vehicle will not be able to pull up as sharply as in the dry. Always WALK across roads to be safe as gutters and kerb stones are serious hazards when running.

Trainers do not grip so well on wet concrete paving slabs, even less on metal manhole covers and not at all on wet leaves so do not make sharp changes of direction. Cross-country trainers, although better on mud and grass, are actually worse on pavements.

Rain will cool the leg muscles and stiffen them so you will have to take it more easily to avoid picking up a muscle strain. Your upper body may feel uncomfortable, but this is only a state of mind which you need to switch off.  Avoid deep puddles as soaked trainers take on the characteristics of wooden clogs.

IN THE DARK;   Reflective sashes are vital – you will be visible a long way away.

Artificial street lighting conceals contours so be very careful around tree roots and uneven stretches of pavement which may actually be worse than they appear to be.

Headband LED lights are very useful and are much better worn around the waist if you are slim enough. Mine just fits around a 32” waist and like this, the light does not wave around as much as when worn on the forehead,  is more comfortable and shows more brightly on the ground as it is nearer ground level.

Do not use remote paths at night in case you fall and need assistance. Even using a mobile phone, it could be some time before help arrives and guiding help to remote paths can prove very difficult.

10*C at night will feel a lot colder than the same during the day because you do not have the direct (radiated) heat of the sun, so you will need to dress a little warmer.

IN THE COLD;   How cold you actually feel is determined by your core temperature, which is several degrees higher than your medically measured body temp. When you start shivering, it is because your core temperature is dropping and you MUST TAKE NOTICE of this. As hypothermia sets in, you will actually begin to feel warmer again and you may even be deceived into taking off some clothing in your disorientation, so dress appropriately. Better too hot than too cold at this time of year.

Your leg muscles are exposed to the cold even though your upper body may feel quite warm and this is when your are most likely to pull hamstrings and they take a long time to recover. Below 10*C I suggest you wear thermal leggings. Below 5*C I also wear an old tracksuit bottom which I have cut off just below the knee. This is enough to keep the muscles warm without inhibiting movement.

On ice or snow, take much shorter strides so that you keep your centre of gravity over your contact with the ground. This is the same principal as in ballroom dancing which is performed on a polished wood surface wearing smooth soled leather shoes. Speed must be set aside, but balancing on the slippery surface will actually enhance your run by improving your hip flexors. However, GREAT CAUTION is necessary to avoid falling, particularly on snow that has melted then refrozen in ruts. Slush is also very slippery and can be worse than snow.

The “wind chill factor” must be considered when deciding what to wear. A light plastic jacket is best as the wind goes straight through woven fabrics such as in a fleece.

When you return home, allow plenty of time to warm up the muscles before doing any static stretches, preferably waiting until after your shower.

HYDRATION is still important in even the coldest weather as you will still be losing fluid in your breath.  Winter is a good time to build up distance endurance – speed can be improved quite rapidly and safely in the spring time training sessions..

Use your common sense, be cautious and patient until warmer weather prevails.

Nutrition, Drink And Race Fuelling

GENERAL DIET; You should maintain a normally healthy balance of food that you already understand so just a few points to note. Takeaway fish and chips is a good option except that it is fried in palm oil which, at that temperature, converts to a saturated fat so the batter should be largely discarded. Chinese food contains little fat but plenty of sugar and Thai food is worse. Indian curries give a mixed result. The mild curries contain a lot of cream and should be avoided but the hot curries have ginger and chilli peppers and are very good. Processed food such as sausages, bacon, ham etc. should be avoided altogether. Pasta is ok but takes a lot longer for your body to process than rice. Simple home cooking such as baked potato and baked beans is usually the best and easily formulated. The fatty fish such as fresh salmon, huss, sardines and mackerel are also rich in omega 3 and protein and will keep the runner’s body in good shape. Try a 3 egg omelette with half a red pepper and half a red onion with chips to tick all the boxes.

The basic concept of fuelling for long runs is you need extra carbohydrate beforehand  to provide extra energy which is stored as glycogen in the muscles with a reserve in your liver. For a shorter run of say 15 miles or less, extra carbs. are not really necessary. You should eat at least 2 hours before running because your body uses energy to digest food and you only get the benefit later, in fact up to 24 hours later.

Your last significant meal should be in the afternoon of the day before a morning long run, so avoid the last night “pasta party” which is the main cause of the toilet queues at the start of every race. By all means top up in the evening before but with a high fibre low fat meal – trust me – whatever the race organisers say, it is never possible to provide enough cubicles on a race budget. This is not a delicate subject, but it is the problem that is most likely to ruin your race day, so get it sorted.  If you eat anything less than 2 hours before you run, you will very probably get “stitch” – a stomach muscle cramp thought to be caused by the digestive tract diverting blood away from the muscles.  Eating before a long race does little, if anything, for your energy levels, although a banana does have sugar and potassium which are rapidly absorbed into the system. It is, however, desirable as otherwise your hunger later on will be most distracting and reduce your resolve to carry on to the end.

After a long run you also need carbs. to replenish those used and protein which is essential to muscle building. You may not feel like it, but the sooner the better, and a light bite usually prevents the feeling of nausea you may experience an hour or so after finishing. However, the nausea may also be caused by the loss of salts in your system when you sweat, so carry a small pack of salted peanuts to eat as you run. This requirement is individually variable.

DRINKS; These fall into 3 categories;  Dehydrating – alcohol and salt are the ones mainly encountered that should be avoided.   Diuretics – such as tea and coffee – hydrate to a certain degree but forcefully expel any temporary surplus. This is nothing to do with caffeine which is itself not a diuretic, so drinking decaffeinated makes no difference. The problem is caused by polyphenols which also happen to be useful for building your immune system.

Hydrating drinks such as water with maltodextrin (a carbohydrate) dissolved in it, diluted fruit juice and skimmed milk remain in your system a lot longer and thus are more useful. Severe dehydration can cause kidney damage which makes hydration increasingly difficult and combined with taking Ibuprofen can cause kidney failure. I also train on diluted grapefruit juice which is high in fruit sugar (fructose) which is metabolised (digested and distributed) in a completely different way from ordinary sugar (sucrose). I often also drink beetroot juice at the start of every race as this brings nitric oxide to your muscles and helps them convert the glycogen in the muscles to the required energy level. This is a good long term hydrater but is not fast acting.  Afterwards, the ideal recovery drink is pure cocoa in skimmed milk with a little honey and chilli flakes. It provides protein, energy, anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories and also tastes good. (you will need to dissolve the cocoa first in a little boiling water). In training for a marathon, it is essential you  increase your intake of anti-oxidants to boost your natural immune system which will otherwise be reduced by the prolonged exertion. When you overexert yourself, your white blood cell count drops and you have reduced natural immunity, making you vulnerable to every infection around you. Your normal diet, however good, may not be enough.

WARNING; You must not drink only water on a long run on a hot day as this can cause hyponatraemia which is irreversible and can be fatal even after hospitalisation. The lack of salts dissolved in the intake allows bodily fluids to be so diluted the osmotic system reverses and this is disastrous.  If you think a long race will only provide water, then take something along to take with it such as Bloks or dextrose tablets or something else kind to your stomach.

CARBO GELS AND DRINKS provide an effective energy boost but overuse often causes nausea or vomiting so try them out in moderation in training. Dextrose tablets raise your blood sugar levels and provide a less obnoxious alternative when taken with water.  THESE ARE GUIDELINES – you must find by experiment the precise diet and drink that suits you, but do not leave it too late to start.

The Amazing Concept Of The Free 5k Parkrun

I do not have to hand a date for the first parkrun, but it was at least 15 years ago and I was completely unaware of its existence being unable to take part anyhow and therefore not interested. However, having retired from running my business premises after working Saturday for 35 years, I am now free to run on Saturday morning.  I had thought I would stay in on Saturday and write these articles whilst watching sport on the television but discovered, to my horror, that the major U.K. sport now appears to be watching other people cook disgustingly unhealthy food.

I turned to the Brighton Parkrun, actually in Hove, to fill the void and decided to use this as a weekly run to improve my speed which had fallen away because I had only been racing through the summer.  9.00a.m. is not my best time of day to start a race but I only needed strong coffee and not breakfast so the plan was to walk-run the 1.5 miles to the start as a warm-up and use it to calm down afterwards.  This meant I could leave my house at the extravagantly late time of 8.40 to go straight into the race.  As we lined up, most people were chatting with old friends, announcements were made and we applauded those doing their 50th,  100th or even 200th race, first-timers and visitors and others. Off we went and I struggled around with my usual breathing difficulties but managed a reasonable 25.01 by my watch.  When I say reasonable, I mean for the time being only.

After I finished, we were all chatting again, some did well and others not so happy but everybody in a good humour and hoping to improve.  There is no chip timing in this race but, surprisingly, my official time was within a few seconds of my watch time even though I had to queue to be checked out.  The full list of results arrived by e-mail a few hours later and I was pleased to see in my age group I came 1st out of  2 but was deflated when I saw I was beaten by four 10 year olds.

I still could not  manage this every week through pressures of work, and my time faded to 25-34 after a few weeks but then, getting up one morning not feeling brilliant, I decided to go anyhow and romped round in 24-34 (officially 24-42). Over the years, I learnt quite a lot about the effect of starting too fast and different pacing up and down slopes. I eventually got below 24 minutes and this went hand in hand with an improved marathon time.

During the course of those weeks, I put one suggestion to Parkrun which they quickly acknowledged and said they would put into effect, and later posed a technical question which they promptly answered in great detail.  The organisation is run by volunteers and is an immense benefit to the community as a whole, not just to us established runners, and is bound to bring more and more people into the running community.  One has to congratulate the people behind this quite extraordinary concept which now spans most of the country.

ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE RACES AS A FUN WAY OF TRAINING FOR A MARATHON. IT SERVES AS A COMPULSIVE WAY OF TRAINING AT YOUR THRESHOLD PACE AND IS VERY EFFECTIVE IN RAISING YOUR MARATHON PACE.   IN ORDER TO RUN A FASTER MARATHON, YOU HAVE TO

RUN A SHORTER DISTANCE EVEN FASTER AND PARKRUN SUITS THIS PURPOSE

ADMIRABLY, BUT REMEMBER THAT FOR MOST, IT IS A FUNRUN SO DO NOT GET TOO SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR PERFORMANCE. 

At Home Exercise Enhancing Running Technique

After a few months of running in training for a marathon, you should be beginning to identify your strengths and weaknesses and adjust or add to your training accordingly. There are basic exercises which should be carried out and can usually be done in the home, although there is obviously more scope to expand on this theme at a gym. The overall concept is to develop evenly balanced movement and build strength in areas which are not developed purely by running. It is of huge importance in running a marathon that you build strength that is balanced up and down your body as well as the left side with the right side. This means that you must pay attention to your mid and upper body strength and not just concentrate on your legs.  The abdominal area also embraces the 3 gluteal muscles and the hip flexors and rotators, a part of which is the piriformis. All are vital for long distance running so to build these evenly;

LEG FLIPS;  On your hands and knees, raise one leg behind you, keeping the right-angle between upper and lower leg, until your thigh is parallel with the ground. Repeat this until you tire and count how many. You should be able to manage at least 20. If your leg waves around uncontrollably, it is a sign your hip flexors are weak.

STAIRS;  Take stairs fairly slowly 2 at a time exaggerating the rise and fall on each step and avoid holding on to the bannister rail. As well as your quads, this will develop and balance your hip flexors and give you balanced running.

LEG RAISES;  Lay flat on your back and raise your legs to around 45 degrees keeping them straight then bring your knees towards your chest as you bend at the knees. To complete, lower your knees and push your feet away from you whilst still keeping them off the ground. This is a much safer exercise than sit-ups or crunches. Repeat as often as you can to build your abs. and also your quads. You should get up to 40 reps. by marathon time.

BALL LIFT;  Sitting on the floor leaning backwards, holding a ball or weight with both hands, lower to one side reaching slightly behind you whilst still facing forwards. Lift the ball then lower on the other side whilst continuing to lean backwards. Build this up to 20 reps.

SQUATS;  With your back to a wall, squat down until your thighs are parallel with the ground then push back up against the wall. If this is easy, try holding a weight in each hand. As well as the quads., this will strengthen the cruciate ligaments which surround the knees and are vital for running.

TIPTOES;  For building the ankle muscles, run gently on the spot on your tiptoes for a minute or two.  Also raising and lowering yourself on your tiptoes will be effective.

STRIDES;  Your adductor muscles are strengthened and lengthened by doing long strides, which are exactly what the name suggests. Walk briskly making your stride as long as possible – a couple of minutes here and there will do, especially in the middle of a run.

SNOW ANGELS;  I am sure you all know what these are – well do not do them in the snow. If you do them at home, with a cushion under your spine if that helps, after a run, this will stretch your intercostal muscles which are the ones that expand your chest and help you breathe

PRESS-UPS;  These focus on your shoulders, which you will need if you expect to swing your arms for 4 hours, but also build a whole host of muscles top to toe.

THE PLANK; On the floor, your body should be straight, face down and supported only by your feet and arms. This builds a host of mainly mid body muscles and you should be able to hold this position for up to 1 minute.

WAIST SWINGS; Stand with your feet approximately 1 ft. (30cm) apart and clasp your hands in front of you at shoulder level. Keep your feet facing forward and twist your upper body and head around to one side 5 times then do the same on the other side. It keeps you flexible and helps to keep the spine vertebrae in the right place. You can do this as an ordinary exercise or as a stretch after a run.

SINGLE LEG SQUATS; Stand with one foot on a stool of a height that suits you and lower yourself until the other foot reaches the ground. Raise and lower yourself as many times as it takes to feel the strain. Do equal lifts with each leg to avoid imbalance of strength.

CAUTION SHOULD BE OBSERVED WHEN STARTING ANY NEW EXERCISE

Injury Treatment And Avoidance

When a muscle suffers appreciable damage, the body automatically floods the area with ‘toxins’ which solidify to protect the muscle from further damage. Over the next 2 weeks, extra muscle fibres grow to strengthen the muscle and form what is known as ‘scar tissue’. The area of scar tissue becomes so inflexible it often causes as much pain as the original damage leading to the belief it is still damaged. The requirement is, therefore, pretty well standard treatment; heating to encourage blood flow to flush out the solids, massage for the same objective and stretching to return the muscle to its proper length and flexibility. (Stretches should be held for at least 30 seconds.) This will apply to every muscle strain in an accessible position. A roller bar can be very useful to self massage most injuries. There is a popular myth that icing an injury is beneficial – it most definitely is not. In fact it is completely counter productive and delays the healing process.

 Most muscle strains, especially ‘shinsplints’, are caused by a sudden change of routine instead of a gradual introduction. This applies to exercises as well as terrain and distance. Overtraining, i.e. training too frequently to allow muscles to recover between sessions, is also a common problem. Change should only be gradually introduced and with considerable thought. A large increase in running can also affect bone development and lead to stress fractures which can be most troublesome. The body will increase bone density to cope with increased impact sports but it is a fairly slow process so you need to allow for this.

 I.T.B. (iliotibial band); This muscle runs down the outside of the upper leg and can be strained by unbalanced running. Prime causes can be running on a cambered road on the same side for long distances or having one leg appreciably shorter than the other. Nearly everybody has one leg shorter but it is the degree of difference that matters. There is no rule of thumb, but 1 cm. or more needs attention. To stretch this muscle, bring your foot up behind you to touch your backside and then gently move the foot out away from your body whilst keeping your knees together. To prevent recurrence, examine your running style and also consider what is underfoot when you run, walk or even stand around at work. A strain can be caused by carrying an item always on the same side so if you carry a shopping bag, briefcase etc. change hands frequently.

Hamstrings; The strong muscles that run down the back of your upper leg. Neglect is usually the problem here as they  can be tight through not carrying out the whole range of stretches after running. It can indicate back problems or stiffness in the lumbar region. They can also be easily strained by running in cold weather without adequate protection. You may feel warm but your hamstrings are exposed and will be cold and vulnerable. I recommend wearing leggings when the air is below 10*c

Gluteals and hip flexors; (There are three gluteals and two main hip flexors, the piriformis and psoas). These are in the lumber region at the base of the spine and are in constant daily use, often doing heavy duty work, and this can be the cause of strain. When you pick something up off the floor, it may not weigh a lot, but you are also lifting your torso weight, so do not be casual about ‘light’ work. The damage done may then be accentuated by running. The stretch for these is put your foot on the strained side on a chair or bed and lower your torso whilst supporting your weight. Then rotate away from the raised leg until you feel a stretch. When returning to the vertical position, lift your torso with your arms. Massage is difficult as the muscle does not protrude but you can make a fist, find the painful point and sandwich your fist between that and a wall. Wriggle around to massage the area.

 ‘Shinsplints’ is the term used for the inflammation of the muscle that lies alongside the outside of the shin bone. It is almost always caused by suddenly switching training from flat terrain to hills. This puts greater strain on the muscles on top of your foot, as you will be running more on the forefoot, whilst compressing the muscles above your ankle. Stretch this muscle by putting your foot on a chair immediately behind you and pushing down on your heel. Adjust your position until you feel the stretch. Carry this out a few times a day and also massage the muscle by running your fist down it which can be painful but is necessary. Dietary turmeric can also help to reduce inflammation.

Planning The Pace Of Final Training

…..by estimating and anticipating your most likely final marathon pace.

With 2 months to go to an April marathon, early February is the time to try and work out how long the target marathon will take you to complete. This is necessary in order to tailor your further training to achieve this.

You will by now have reached widely differing levels of running ability so it is necessary to place yourself in the group you feel most appropriate. Do not be over optimistic as the most important part of the final day is to enjoy the occasion and get round with the minimum damage to your body. IF YOU CAN COMFORTABLY RUN 12 OR MORE MILES, time yourself running strongly over a measured 10k. If you then multiply this by 5, this will be a reasonable expectation for your marathon time if you continue training sensibly without mishap.  A  48 minute 10k, for instance, will therefore give you a sporting chance of a 4 hour marathon, the all time favourite benchmark, which is approximately 9 minute miles.  If this is the case, then you would aim to complete your long runs at a pace of 10 minute miles and your tempo short runs at 8.5 minute miles with intervals being a few minutes at 8 minute miles. DO NOT ATTEMPT ANYTHING HARDER THAN THIS AS IT WILL ONLY LEAD TO INJURY.

IF YOU CAN RUN 8 OR 9 MILES BUT STRUGGLE BEYOND THAT, carry out the 10k test to determine your training speeds but adjust your training to lengthen your long run. Do this by introducing walking periods of 5 to 10 minutes when your fatigue makes it difficult for you to maintain a good running style and normal speed and then return to running when you feel rested. The running part of the walk-run routine should be the standard 1 minute per mile slower than your calculated race speed and the walk should be brisk and controlled. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED how long you will keep going with this walk-run strategy. As you progress with this, you will find that the walks become shorter and the distance greater.

IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING AT 8 MILES OR LESS, with only 2+ months to go you must accept that you will have to adopt a walk-run strategy for the race. This is not in any way a defeat – just a practical routine that I always use when I am not running too well. In fact, IN A TOTAL OF 49 MARATHONS, I HAVE ONLY RUN THE ENTIRE RACE TWICE, which means I have run many sub 4 hours with a walk-run strategy. Your long run should be as in the previous group, but on your tempo run you should concentrate on your running style as this gives efficiency with economy of effort. This obviously conserves energy as well as reducing damage such as blisters and muscle cramps and strains. It should feel faster than your long run but only for as long as you feel good. In fact, a walk-run in London is actually more fun because you take in the crowds, atmosphere and landmarks, none of which I noticed when I set my p.b. of 3-32 when I was 58. Struggling to run all the way is an avoidable and unnecessary nightmare. Also, struggling to run when you are actually flopping up and down uses a lot more energy and you may well be going slower than a walk.

IF YOU CANNOT EVEN RUN 5 MILES, you can still get round with a walk-run strategy, but you are looking at maybe 6+ hours. You will be alongside the rhino and London bus which could be fun, but the race support does have a time limit and I do not recommend having to do the second half of the race on the pavement with traffic whizzing around. You can leave this decision quite late, however, if you are considering rolling your entry over to next year.

TO ALL GROUPS; If at this stage you feel you have dropped behind your expectations, DO NOT INCREASE YOUR TRAINING IN THE HOPE OF CATCHING UP. This will lead only to the problems of overtraining which include excessive muscle fatigue and strains, stress fractures, incorrect development of running gait and even depression because of the results. If you have a realistic target time you will achieve it. In a Micawber like fashion, expect 4 hours and do 4-15 is a disaster but expect 4-30 and do 4-15 is wonderful. 

Pre-Race Preparation

There are many ways in which you can throw away months of preparation in the last few days before your eagerly awaited big day, so here are a few things to remember. PIN YOUR NUMBER TO YOUR T SHIRT OR VEST AS SOON AS YOU GET IT HOME. Some races are fairly benevolent towards runners who have forgotten it, but in the London Marathon you will not be allowed to finish, even if you are allowed to start. On one occasion I was approaching the statue before The Mall when stewards rugby tackled a runner right in front of me because he had no number. After 26 miles I had to jump over a scrum to avoid being brought down by them – not easy at that stage.  FIX YOUR CHIP TO YOUR SHOELACES BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME – if you forget this, you will not get an official time.

For every race, write out a complete time schedule starting from when your alarm goes. Preparation and travel may take longer than you would guess unless you note everything and what is written gets done. Allow for travel delays because there will be a lot more people around than on a normal Sunday. Sleep is important as your metabolism responds to a good night, but there is a delayed effect. This means that for a Sunday race, your Thursday and Friday nights are the most important. Fortunately a poor sleep Saturday night will not affect you so if the excitement keeps you awake, do not worry too much about it, you will be fine.

The most enjoyable race is the one you run within your capabilities so work out your race pace beforehand by doubling your half marathon time and adding 10% then calculate your mile times. If you cannot remember them, write down 4 mile interval times on your arm. If you have done the training, a 10k time times 5 arrives at the same result. Do not let the buzz of race day let you overcome reality.

If you have blisters, pierce and drain them and then cover them with a strapping of microporous tape. If you cover a liquid filled blister, the skin can still move around and the soreness will get a lot worse. If you have had blisters in the same place more than once then cover them with tape before the race even if they are not present at the time. This will prevent a resurgence during the race. Blisters are a sign that you have got something wrong so check your shoes are big enough for swollen feet and whether you need fallen arch support.

To allow for full digestion and disposal, your last main meal should be between 4.00 and 5.00 pm with a late evening light supplement. Do not go to a pasta party or you will be in the loo queue when the race starts – no big race can ever provide enough portaloos for the  thousands that run.

Your race day breakfast should be a comfortable mixture of protein and carbs and not excessive amounts. It takes up to 24 hours for food to digest and provide glycogen to your muscles, so you are only really eating so that you do not get distracting hunger pangs during the race. This should also be at least 2 hours before race start or you will get ‘stitch’. This is abdominal pain caused by blood flow being diverted from your stomach to your muscular system and causing a kind of cramp. Digesting food uses energy and does not repay it for several hours.

HYDRATION commences the day before when you should be sipping water or diluted fruit juices all day so that you do not dehydrate overnight. Stop drinking 2 hours before the race then drink around 250ml as the race starts and dispose of the container thoughtfully. Beetroot juice is good for oxygenating muscles but is slow to hydrate because of the carb content so this is good for drinks more than 2 hours before racing.

Do not overdress your top half for the race. If you do not feel a little chilly at the race start, you are wearing too much and you will overheat after a while. Keep your lower half warm because warm muscles operate more efficiently. Take a foil sheet with you to the start to wear if it is raining. They are much more use before the race than after, when you will reclaim any clothes that you need to keep yourself dry and warm. Dispose of the foil by gathering it and tying a knot in it – the loose item on the road will easily trip other runners. Your gentle pre-race warm-up should end, ideally, 5 minutes before the off, but in the London Marathon and many other races, unless you are an elite runner this is not possible. More than 10 mins. back, the benefit tails off and by 30 mins. away you are merely wasting energy. As you line up, keep telling yourself to start slowly until you are in your stride and not to dodge around trying to overtake as there will be plenty of time to do that later.

The foil sheets handed out at the end of a race are actually much more useful at the beginning while you hang around waiting for the start.

All your internal organs need to be in harmony in order to run well so the reason for starting a race slow but steady is to give them all a chance to activate.  If you do not do this, you will use a disproportionate amount of energy in the opening stages. Your run should be an even expenditure of energy, which means slow up on the uphills and let go on the downhills, once you are warmed up. On a cold day, your muscles do not work as efficiently, so do not expect to run quite as fast. If you are running generally a little slower than those around you, do not block their way by running alongside friends as you will be elbowed and pushed out of the way, or tripped up by people crowding in behind you. An elbow on the arm is very painful. Mine went numb once after a knock.

Virtually all races start off slowly so do not get impatient and start dodging around trying to overtake.  This is potentially dangerous and very irritating for those who are patiently waiting for the crowded race to thin out.  At this stage, you forward vision will be limited and you should be looking down for speed humps, traffic islands and the heels of the person in front. The last of these is what cost Decker her Olympic medal, although it took 20 years to admit it was her fault. You should also note that if you are on the right hand side of the road, there will be no warning sharks’ teeth ahead of speed humps. Avoid the inside at corners as everybody takes a short cut and you will be pushed over the kerb, sometimes with nowhere to go. To gain a couple of yards, it is not worth the risk. Veering to one side unexpectedly because you spot a friend is also a very bad idea as is flinging out an arm to wave as you float by a spectator.

Hydrate well during a race because your performance will drop substantially before you begin to feel thirsty. It is nature’s way of telling you to preserve fluids. Hold your hand out as you approach  a drink station. This will prepare the runners behind you and the helper who hands you the drink, and always say thank you. They are unpaid helpers DOING YOU A FAVOUR.

Unless you have tried it out in training, do not sprint finish as this can put an undue strain on the heart at the end of a physically gruelling time.

PRESERVING ENERGY;    Everybody has a running speed, just like a car,  at which they use the least amount of energy per mile. If you drop below this speed you will use a little more energy and if you rise above it you will use a lot more.  You should run at this speed for as long as you can comfortably do so. Do not carry on running if you are exhausted. Every year in the London Marathon I used to arrive at the 22 mile point in around 3 hours and on the other side of  The Highway are runners who have just arrived at 13 miles. They look utterly knackered but still try to run, although what they are expending most energy on is flopping up and down. They would get further, quicker and less tired if they walked. They would also enjoy the race much more. If you do 8 mins./ mile running and 16 mins./ mile walking, then walk for 10 minutes, you will use a reserve fuel tank of muscles while recovering and only lose 5 minutes of time. This is a much more enjoyable way of finishing than flogging yourself to death. While you walk, your running muscles recover a little and you can take in the sights. Ultimately, you will feel so much better you will also recover some of the lost time by running faster at the end. Do not overdose on gels. Even if you have used them before, taking too many will still make you feel sick because they are so concentrated. Only the winner is allowed to vomit on the finish line.

AFTER THE RACE;    As soon as you have finished, put on some warm clothing. You may not feel cold at first, but when you stop running, your core temperature will drop rapidly if you do not add clothing, particularly on a cold day. The foil sheets handed out at the end do very little to keep you warm on a cold day. Pack a salted bag of peanuts in your kitbag to eat immediately after the race – this will help to combat the nausea that can normally occur.

After a long race, your white blood cell count drops and this lowers your natural immunity, so you should increase your intake of anti-oxidants such as green tea, fruit and veg. For your muscles to recover, you need protein and for your joints omega-3. This means fish or soya  for muscle mass and carbs. for glycogen replacement. Ideal meal – a hot curried salmon with rice. Any minor colds you had before the race will get worse. This is inevitable so be prepared but no need to worry.