Control your life – control your fitness

Life Management

Good organisation and planning will boost your health, being careless or disorganised can damage it.

One of the most common causes of illness or injury is change. The reason for this is that they can mean our lives go from being in balance (we are only spending energy we have) to going out of balance (we no longer have the energy to deal with the demands we are placing on our body). Some changes in our life we can plan, others are out of our hands. For example you will not choose to get made redundant, have an increased workload or for a close relative to be ill, but these can happen. Some changes, such as these, mean that we are placing more demands on our bodies. For example through increased stress levels and time spent dealing with the problem. But they also have secondary effects. For example being busier may affect what you eat and how much rest you get. They may mean that spending time with certain people goes from being relaxing to being more stressful as you have to update them on unpleasant situations or because they raise subjects you don’t want to talk about. Of course some changes, moving house, changing job or a new partner may be your decision and a positive change. But they still have knock-on effects on other areas of our lives, such as creating the need to make an effort to catch up with old neighbours/colleagues.

Whenever a change comes along you need to evaluate the impact it has on your life, directly and indirectly. Have you got raised stress levels, less time for leisure or rest, a less healthy diet? Be honest and do not deny what is happening. Trying not to be stressed by a situation is not the same as not being worried. Work out which areas of your life have been affected. It may be worth keeping a diary of what you do just to see a few of the knock on effects in terms of quickly snatched meals, disrupted sleep and additional travelling time. You may be surprised.

Then you need to do something about what you find. Bill Adcocks was one of Britain’s best ever international marathon runners. His brutal training regime saw him training up to three times a day while working as a gas fitter! He would get up early each morning to do his first run of the day before work and scored one of his most memorable wins with a record breaking run on the notoriously tough Athens Marathon course. But even Bill knew there were days when the best thing for him to do was not to go out for a run but stay in bed for another hour instead. This hardened athlete’s success was due in part to knowing when rest was more important than action. That is the type of decision you may have to make. Trying to ‘tough it out’ is not a good idea.

An earlier start on a new job may mean shifting your bedtime forwards. You may find other decisions can make life easier. A change in work habits may mean it now makes sense to shop at a different supermarket – stop at one that is now near your office on the way home rather than making a separate trip. Small changes can be easily absorbed or you may just need to make the odd tweak to handle them. Big changes can mean a full re-evaluation of how you spend you time and energy becomes necessary. Otherwise you can end up wiped-out.

Manage your time wisely to get the most out of it.

Eating Essentials For Everyone

Have you ever wondered what all the fuss is about? Some of the diet obsession going on these days is, let’s face it, over the top. 

We all know someone who wouldn’t dare touch a soft drink unless it is sugar/additive/caffeine and flavour free. There are the guys in the gym who instead of meals have to work out which powder they need to be mixing with which fluid next.

And worst of all there is the friend/colleague who, whatever you raise to your lips, burst out an exclamation of, ‘I wouldn’t even touch that without gloves. Did you know that…’ They seem to know the toxic content and dubious production process of every supposedly edible substance known to society. But the head-bursting stress of knowing this seems to be far more harmful to them than just eating junk.

Diet fanaticism has made it seem ‘diet’ is only something to worry about if you are looking to win the Olympic Marathon or fit into clothing you last wore aged 14.

Well, the good news is you can continue to laugh at the overly obsessive types. The bad news is that their fanaticism may have lulled you into a false sense of security. But more good news comes in the fact that it may be easier to get your diet sorted out than your thought.

You may not be a professional athlete hammering your body with remorseless training but the stresses and strains of daily life actually place added demands on your diet. It is often these very stresses and strains which mean many of us don’t take time and effort to eat or drink what we should.

Stress itself has been linked with many health problems. Tackling the causes of these is important but it is highly unlikely all stress can be removed from your life. Therefore it becomes all the more important to target a healthy diet.

Just walking down the street can see your body exposed to other toxins that your body has to process – and needs the nutrients to tackle. Tobacco smoke, mobile phone radiation, too much or too little sunlight and excessive noise can all contribute to increased free radicals in your body. These free radicals are the bad guys which can be harmful to lipids and proteins in membranes, as well as to DNA. This in turn can result in a wide array of diseases and contribute to premature ageing.

A sensible level of exercise is essential for staying healthy. You may not be training for the Tour De France but exercise helps your body burn fat and build up muscles. It also has an important role in helping your body get rid of toxins.

Three half hour sessions a week will make a big difference to your health and fitness levels. But if you are exercising strenuously you should increase your water intake to stay hydrated and also up your antioxidant and mineral intake.

Achieving adequate nutrition is not always easy. The use of a good nutritional supplements is a good way of ensuring that you get adequate quantities of the essential nutrients. It removes any doubts you may have about whether you are getting enough of the key nutrients. Let’s face it, who’s heard of things like phosphorus or potassium, let alone knowing how much you need each day or how much is in a banana/kiwi fruit/Mars Bar.

There is also a difference between adequate and optimal. It is possible that you feel okay and are not prone to illness. But being better nourished can give you higher energy levels and make you more resilient to stress or illness.

So take a look at our range of supplements and choose the best for you to ensure sufficient nutrition without the need for obsessive behaviour in the supermarket.

Key steps to a healthy diet

1 Drink adequate fluids
Focus on water as tea, coffee, and fruit juices are less beneficial. Aim to drink at least two litres each day. Alcoholic beverages can have a negative effect on hydration.

2 Eat five to nine portions of fruit and vegetables every day
Buy a variety of colours of foods as this is likely to lead to a variety of nutrients. Add fruit or veg to meals or use them as snacks. The more processed the food the less nutrients it contains.

3 Go for wholegrains when you eat grains
Steer clear of white bread and go wholegrain breads instead. Go for wholemeal pasta and rice. Avoid sugary foods (high glycaemic carbohydrates) as these lead to a leap in energy followed by a drop which leaves you wanting to top up on energy.

4 Choose lean meats
This cuts down on fat and fat from non-organically-reared meats can contain excessive levels of toxins. Protein, without animal fats, can be found in such foods as lean meats, fish, tofu, beans, chickpeas, nuts, and seeds.

5 Try to get your fats from plants or fish rather than animals
Fat is an essential part of your diet. Good quality olive, flax or linseed oils are good sources of unsaturated fat and essential fatty acids.

6 Choose healthy food preparation methods
Try to avoid processed foods. Processing contributes to a very significant loss of nutrients including vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Don’t over-cook your vegetables, and eat plenty of raw foods in the form of salads and fruit.

7 Don’t panic
Don’t give up just because you’ve had a burger or chocolate bar. Fill your shopping trolley sensibly and a few treats will not have a major effect on you. Conversely the odd apple won’t help much if you eat 90% junk!

8 Consider nutrition supplements
These can ensure you get all the nutrients necessary for optimal health.

Using your Heart Rate Monitor for running

Heart rate monitors are a fantastic training tool. Using them correctly can really improve your training sessions – they can encourage you to go a little quicker, give you targets and maybe more importantly, tell you to slow down! They’ll also tell you give you an indication of impending illness or if you’ve over-trained.

There will be times when you should aim to use it and others when we suggest just not turning it on, don’t become a slave to it, just enjoy the freedom of running.

The science bit

There is one simple scientific equation to always keep in mind:

Heart rate (HR) = Work rate (WR)

So, with this in mind, you can plan your training using your HRM. 

But, there are two things you need to do first:

1. Work out your maximum heart rate 
2. Understand target training zones

Your maximum

Everyone will have a different maximum heart rate. A physiologist and sub-4 minute miler friend of ours, Joe Dunbar, has a simple test to give us a good indication of our maximum.

After a warm-up, run as hard as you can for three minutes.

Jog for three minutes as a recovery, then, run another three minute effort – flat out! 

It’s a super-tough effort but as soon as that second three minute effort is over, you will need to check the HRM for your pulse rate. This will be your maximum heart rate.

Training Zones

These are the same for everyone as they are a percentage of your maximum.

• 0-70% of maximum effort – easy to steady running
• 70-80% of max effort – lactate threashold zone
• 80-95% – high intensity zone
• 95% – VO2 max
• Above 95% is sprinting

Understanding the zones

There are two key points above that you may have heard of but may not quite understand – lactate threashold and VO2 max.

Lactate Threashold

The Lactate inflection point (LIP), is the exercise intensity at which the blood concentration of lactate and/or lactic acid begins to exponentially increase. It is often expressed as 85% of maximum heart rate or 75% of maximum oxygen intake.

Lactic acid is produced in your body and basically exists to protect you from working too hard – it slows you down. As a runner, you can train to increase this point where lactic acid kicks in allowing you to run safely at a faster pace, therefore, running faster times. Running interval sessions will increase your body’s ability to handle the onset of lactic acid.

VO2 Max

This is the maximum or optimum rate at which the heart, lungs, and muscles can effectively use oxygen during exercise, used as a way of measuring a person’s individual aerobic capacity. It is the measure of aerobic fitness and indicates the maximum amount of oxygen that can be taken from circulating blood and used by active tissues for a specific period.

With regular training and an improvement in physical performance, your VO2 max will increase. That said, your VO2 max is not something you should really be concerned about, it’s something that will change in time. It can be good for bragging rights in the clubhouse but you’ll always be beaten by world class cross-country skiers! 

Using the zones

Now you know your max, you can apply using the zones to your training runs.

Use your watch to keep your easy runs, easy. This will be around 60-70% of your max. If you see your heart rate creeping in to a zone where you could find yourself running too quickly, slow down.

If you want to do a tempo run, work out what your pulse rate needs to be at 80% and run at that pace.

You may find your interval sessions start to edge up to 90% max or slightly higher at the end of the session which is fine.

Use the HRM to ensure you don’t overtrain

One of the most important benefits of using your HRM is ensuring that easy runs are easy. Go back to the equation – HR=WR – now apply it.

Run at 60% of your max, at whatever pace that may be. Remember, you are not running at a pace, you are running to your HR. This is sometimes hard to handle, i.e. your used to running easy at 8 min mile pace but your HR now determines that you are running 9 min mile pace. That is fine, it indicates that you are tired and you need to recover so forget about the pace.

Conversely, you may find that you are running quicker at the same HR. Don’t slow down! Just run at the HR – it shows you’re getting fitter.

Tiredness and Illness

Your HR might be increased because you had a hard session the day before, you haven’t quite recovered from the race on the weekend or indeed, you may be under the weather. Your HR gives you an early indicator of an illness so if elevated, slow it down.

It is also worth quickly checking your HR before you get out of bed. This may seem a little extreme but you will get an indication over a few days (all being well) of your normal resting HR. If for some reason one morning your HR is elevated from this resting norm, take it easy. You might be getting a common cold or fighting off an infection for example.

Listen to your HR. If you have a hard day planned but your HR is indicating that you haven’t recovered well enough from a previous run, don’t run hard that day. Ease it back or have a day off.

Slave to your rhythm

There will be times when you should aim to use it and others when we suggest just not turning it on. There will be times when you’ll want to just run how you feel and we’d encourage that. Running is enjoyable so don’t become a slave to your HRM.

The other time you may not want to use it is during a high intensity interval session. In real terms, you’re going to push yourself hard. Your HRM may provide some interest but it is what it is. You are pushing yourself well beyond your threashold level so just go for it.

Getting fit checkpoints

• Your resting (in bed) HR is getting lower. This means that your heart stroke volume has increased (amount of blood pumped per beat) and your heart is stronger – again, good bragging rights!
• General easy running pace has increased at the same HR
• Repeat the same tempo run at threashold pace over a few weeks. Sticking to the same HR, you will find you’re running faster or have covered more ground (if say a set time tempo run).

Which HRM?

They can range from inexpensive to a small fortune, so think about what you really it for and just buy one that’ll meet your needs and no more. Check out our guide to the best HRM’s on the market.

Conclusion

HRM’s can be a fantastic training tool and for more information on why they’re so good, see here. They don’t have to cost a fortune and there are many benefits to owning one. Learn the basics, use them wisely and watch the improvement. Above all, don’t forget to run to the beat!

Ditch the unhealthy for the healthy and feel the difference!

The thought of being fitter and healthier appeals to all of us.

Sometimes we are too easily put off. Wherever you turn, magazines, television, the internet and the pub expert all shout out about a dazzling array of devices, diets, tricks, and techniques to give you a model’s body which combines the endurance of an ultra-runner, the power of a heavy weight boxer, the flexibility of a gymnast and the controlled calm of Mary Poppins.

Between work, family, social activities and the desire for a glass of wine in front of the TV, the opportunity to regularly practise yoga, kickboxing and downhill mountain biking with a personal trainer called Karl seems pretty remote. And you do not have a personal cook to prepare your food made of organic ingredients freshly grown on your ranch.

But ditch the celebrity magazine view of health. The biggest steps to a healthy life are also the simplest. Taking up a sensible level of exercise is a great move. But tidying up your diet is a huge, yet simple step. Many western countries are reporting that the cost of overweight people to their health service is 4 times higher than the cost of smoking. Now that’s a turn-around!

As well as the financial cost of these food related diseases and health problems there is also the suffering or discomfort that goes with each of these. Plus many people have diets that may not mean they are ill but they are not as healthy as they could be.

So what can you do about it? As we have said tidying up your diet is actually fairly simple.

Aim to eat six to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice and pasta. One serving is a slice of bread, half a cup of cooked pasta or rice or an ounce of cereal. Other foods in this group include muffins or bagels. Remember whole wheat or wholegrain is healthiest.

Look to include three to five portions of vegetables in your diet each day. A portion is half a cup full or a handful of a vegetable. For leafy vegetables it is a full cup.

In a day you should eat two to four servings of fruit. As with vegetables this is a half cup sized portion per serving, or a medium sized piece of fruit.

Obviously these two categories, fruit and vegetables, add up to five to nine portions in total. You may have heard people talking about five portions of fruit or veg a day. This should be enough to prevent diseases associated with deficiencies in the main vitamins and minerals but more can be done to optimise your health.

Dairy products are a key part of your diet. If you have or think you have a dairy allergy speak to you doctor about this. Otherwise each day you should have two or three servings. One serving may be a cup of milk, a pot of yoghurt or 1.5 to 2 ounces of cheese.

For protein and other nutrients you should eat two or three servings of meat (including poultry or fish), beans, eggs and nuts each day. One serving would be two to three ounces of lean meat, two or three eggs, or a cup to a cup and a half of beans.

Sweets, fats and oils should be kept to a minimum.

There are three key times to remember these rules:

1. When you shop. Make sure you have all the ingredients and foods you need, but not excessive amounts of the ones you should be avoiding. (If they’re not there you can’t eat them)
2. When you cook. Think of what you are going to prepare and how this, with the other meals of the day, will help you meet your targets.
3. When you eat. Think about what you are eating, particularly if you are having a snack, when you can just grab and eat. Snacks such as a piece of fruit, bagel or some raisins can help towards a good diet rather than having a negative impact.

If you are eating well, you should not need suppliments, however, if you’ve been unwell or in periods of heavy training, you could take a vitamin suppliment. Make sure it’s giving you enough though as the typical over the counter brands are a waste of money.

Here are two of our absolute favourate bloggers and food authors to help you kick start a new life: MY NEW ROOTS  and ANNA JONES

Countdown to a world major – Virgin London Marathon

As race day looms ever nearer, runners of every standard be they world record holders looking to add a major race win to their portfolio or first timers hoping to finish are faced with the same dilemma. Just how much training should I do?

And while the numbers will be a little different for each and every individual, the process of fine-tuning those last six weeks before the biggest race of your year is exactly the same. 

“I always tell my athletes that the six weeks before a marathon are the most important six weeks of the training programme,” says national marathon coach Bud Baldaro, a man who has guided athletes to Olympic finals, Commonwealth medals and a host of stunning times.

Basically, it’s a time to realistically assess what you have done over the preceding two months, set yourself a definitive race day goal, start to think of race specific elements such as the shoes you are going to wear, your race socks and the energy gels you’ll use in finer details and above all to be confident with you what you’d done, be that 120 miles a week or 12. Because do you know what? While there’s not much time to get any stronger or faster, there’s more than enough to ruin any fitness you have accumulated!

As any good sports psychologist will tell you, this is the time to think about the positive things in your training and start to create a race plan accordingly. It’s about looking back and saying, ‘ok I have done three runs more than 10 miles, good; that means I need to really relax early on’, rather than ‘oh no, I haven’t done enough long runs, I need to do more and quickly!’ Sorry to tell you, it’s too late for that, rather than panic train in the last six weeks you need to work to your current strengths. In that way, you’ll really go well on race day.

Marathon running requires not only a consistent training background, it needs a good dose of commonsense. The best performances, be that a winning time of 2hr 05min or a finish under 4hrs come to those who look at their training and devise a race goal from what they see.

“When I won London,” says Eamonn Martin, the last Briton to do so back in 1993, “I was in fantastic short distance shape (Eamonn was the British record holder for 10,000m with 27min 23sec), but I knew I couldn’t just hare off in the early miles. It was a case of waiting and waiting and using my speed in the closing stages. My training in the weeks prior to the marathon told me that.”

Of course every runner is different; some will benefit from a fast half marathon in those last six weeks, while others will draw strength from a couple of very long runs, the key is to be realistic. “I didn’t do many really long runs because I had years and years of 20-milers behind me, so I knew I didn’t need to go mad and try and see if I could cover the race distance,” says Eamonn. “However, you may need a little confidence boost about six weeks out if you haven’t done any more than say 15 miles. If so, try a 22-miler but make sure you build in loads and loads of recovery time afterwards because it can take about a month to recover from something that long.”

Check out our guide to running a fast marathon.

So in a nutshell, think of the last six weeks like this: your job is done in terms of the endurance, you now need to work on the strength you have created. It’s not about doing loads more work, it’s about tinkering with what is essentially a finished engine. Less is most definitely more, oh and one other thing, get this right and you’ll have the race of your life!

London Marathon Training Schedule

Six weeks from your greatest race ever. Make sure you’re eating, drinking and getting enough sleep – whatever your standard!

6 weeks to go 

Sort your kit out. Wear your race day shoes for a long run and also your race socks, shorts and running vest

Run your last hard race or last really long run

Experiment with the energy gels you want to use on race day – check out our Race Day hydration article.

5 weeks to go

Start to use race day drinks in your runs, practicing drinking on the move

Really start to think about your daily diet and how much carbohydrate you are taking in each day; increase it slowly

4 weeks to go

Run your last really hard workout

Start to come away from every run with the thought ‘was that it’?

3 weeks to go

Start to consciously drink more energy-type drinks during the day

Think seriously about race pace and discover exactly how that feels in a workout

Really think about any tight muscles you have and get them sorted by a masseur if necessary

2 weeks to go

Get together old warm kit to stand about in before the race that you won’t mind throwing away on the start line

If any doubt with a run, miss it

1 week to go

Don’t be worried if you feel sluggish; that’s a natural reaction

Pack your kit bag a few days beforehand and work to a list of essentials such as gels, old warm-up kit to throw away at the start, racing shoes, racing socks, racing singlet, dry tracksuit for afterwards and so on

The Schedules

Looking for a time?

This is the last six weeks for a runner who has consistently training three to five times a week for eight weeks, has at least four 90min runs in the bank and has raced once or twice in the build-up. 

Week 1

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Warm up 10min, 3x8min at half marathon race pace with 2min rest, cool down 10min

Wednesday: Easy 30min

Thursday: Easy 45min

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Race half marathon; cool down 3 or 4 miles to make it a good long day

Week 2

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: Rest 

Thursday: 45min easy run

Friday: 45min easy run

Saturday: 30min, running the last 10min at marathon race pace

Sunday: Last really long run up to 2hrs

Week 3

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: Fast run; warm up 20min, run 20min at marathon pace, cool down 20min

Thursday: 45min-1hr easy run

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Long run of around 90min

Week 4

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Warm up 10min, run 15min, take 2min rest then 4x1min with 1min rest, then 15min hard, cool down 10min

Wednesday: 30min very easy run

Thursday: 30min run

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Easy 45min run

Sunday: Long run of around 90min

Week 5

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Warm up 10min, 3x3min at half marathon pace with 1min rest, cool down 10min

Wednesday: 45min easy run

Thursday: 45min easy run

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Long run of around an hour; very easy for first 45min, but if you feel relaxed, pick it up to race pace for the last 10min or so

Week 6

Monday: Easy 20min jog

Tuesday: Warm up 5min, run 3x1min at marathon pace, cool down 5min

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Rest or jog 2 miles very, very slowly

Saturday: Rest or jog 2 miles very, very slowly

Sunday: Race Day

Just getting around

This is the last six weeks for a runner who has put together eight reasonable weeks with perhaps three runs a week, building up to two or three longer runs of around 90min. Maybe you’ve missed a bit, but there’s a reasonable level of fitness!

Week 1

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Warm up 5min, run 20min at a sustained pace, cool down 5min

Wednesday: 30min easy run

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 30min easy run

Sunday: Long run up to 2hr 30min

Week 2

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 30min easy run

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 20min easy run

Sunday: Long run up to 2hr

Week 3

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Warm up 5min, run 20min at a sustained pace, cool down 5min

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 45min easy run

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 30min easy run

Sunday: Long run up to 90min

Week 4

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 45min run, slowly building up the pace for the last 10min

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 30min easy run

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 20min jog

Sunday: Long run up to 1hr

Week 5

Monday: 30min run

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 30min run

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Very, very easy 45min run

Week 6

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Jog 20min

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Jog 10min

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Race Day

Key Exercises

It’s not uncommon for marathon runners to suffer from tight calf muscles. The good news is that if you feel a problem in your calf in these last six weeks, the chances are it’s because it is tightening as a reaction to all those miles on unforgiving surfaces such as road rather than a pull. A few simple exercises every day (and the correct running shoes with no more than three months or 600 miles wear) will help ward off this tightness enormously.

1. Stand on a step so that your heel hangs over the edge and simply lower your heel down to stretch out the calf muscle.
2. Standing up, push into a wall that is about a metre away (similar to a push-up but standing), keeping your legs straight. This will work your calf muscle.
3. Repeat 2 but bend your knees to work a slightly different set of muscles.

Check out our Guide to Race Day Success.

Post Marathon

Take care of yourself. You will be sore and run down. Have a look at our Post Marathon Guide for more information on recovery.

Formula to determine the correct race weight

Being the right race weight is important. Too heavy and you’ll be carrying unwanted pounds. Too light and you won’t have the reserves to last the distance. Eating the right things and taking in the right amount of calories is important but can easily be worked out with a little effort.

A weight statistician, Dr. Stillman, uses the following formula to determine the average weight of a person living in the Western world. For a man, allocate 110lbs for the first five feet in height then 5.5lbs for every inch thereafter. This would see a 6ft average non-active male weighing 176 lbs (12st 8lbs). For an average non-active woman use 100lbs for the first 5ft in height then 5lbs for every inch thereafter. Runners should come in under these averages and if not, but nevertheless on a good training programme, should examine their dietary intake.

Calories in and calories out is the determining factor. Between 3000 and 4000 calories a day is required to maintain body function. Job or household requirements should be taken into account when using calories as a measure. It is estimated that one hour of moderate running uses about 1000 calories. If 5000 calories a day are going in, then there is likely to be a weight gain and weight for a runner is a handicap. 

Eat less fat

It is not eating less but eating non-fat food that is the answer. A gram of carbohydrate or protein produces 4 calories, a gram of fat 9 calories. Butter has 23.4 grams of fat per oz. which equals 210.6 calories. Fat intake restricted to 50 grams a day will see a weight loss as of course, will an increase in running mileage. 

It has been estimated that running a marathon in energy terms consumes a day’s total food intake. This deficit will be made up very quickly. Dr George Sheehan has suggested another measure of an ideal weight for an endurance runner. This is to allocate 2lbs for every inch in height. Thus a man 5ft 6ins should weigh 126lbs (9 stone). Formulas such as these should always be seen as guides and not as absolutes. Everyone is different by gender, age, and by experience. The one positive thing is that you do not want to carry any more weight than is necessary when running for 26 miles plus.

A definitive guide to everything Marathon!

Training for a marathon

Training for a marathon is going to be long and laborious at times so if you are going to commit yourself to this great event, you had better get the training right.

We have worked with Alan Storey, the UK’s ex National Endurance Coach and a coach to many international marathon runners, to give us the basics and a formula that could work for all. Sign-up to our free training schedules set by Alan.

Setting your pace for a marathon

The sessions shown below can be adjusted in terms of distance and pace to accommodate the level of starting fitness.

To estimate a sensible race pace for the marathon take a personal best 10K time and multiply by 5. For example a 10k time of 35 mins would see an overall time of 2hrs 55 mins. Using a half marathon time multiply by 2 and add on 10 mins.

Depending on the level of fitness and once a race pace had been decided, a 10 mile run should be undertaken once a week. A mile should be added every two weeks up to a distance of 20 miles. The following examples show a mile pace and a finishing time.

6 mins per mile   = 2hrs 37 mins

7          ”                    = 3hrs 03 mins

8          ”                    = 3hrs 30 mins

9          ”                    = 3hrs 58 mins

The best sessions for a marathon

Alan Storey suggests that there are four key sessions that should be included in a training schedule and done on a regular basis. Each session should be followed by a recovery day of very easy paced running for 30/45 mins and done preferably on grass.

SESSION ONE

Run at the speed required to reach the marathon target. If the target time is 2hrs 30 mins the mile pace will be 5.48, if 3hrs 30 mins then an 8 min mile pace. The intention should be to reach an 18-mile run at this target pace. Again, this should be a building process beginning with 10 mile runs or less but eventually reaching 18 miles.

SESSION TWO

Run for a period equal to the estimated total time to run the marathon. If the aim is a 3-hour race then the run should be for 3 hours. A build up routine would be to begin with a one hour run adding 10 mins each week. Over a 12-week period the three hours would be reached. This should be continued for a 12-week period the three hours would be reached. This should be continued for a further 6 weeks. The use of a heart rate monitor using the formula shown later can be used to determine a sensible pace for this session.

SESSION THREE

Develop a repetition session where a total of 10k are run. The pace for the session should be at 10k race pace. For example if the 10k race pace is 35 mins then the session would be 13 x 800m in 2 mins 48 secs with 1 min recovery, or 8 x 1200 in 4 mins 12 secs with 1.5 mins recovery. To calculate this divide your 10k time by 1000, then by 100. This will give you a time for 100m then multiply up for 800m, 1000m, or 1200m. This session will produce a higher heart rate than that required for the marathon but will provide a physiological and psychological cushion for the additional effort required in the race situation.

SESSION FOUR

A hill schedule. The hill should be moderate, i.e. not too steep, not too flat. The session should equal 6 miles up hill. The return is the recovery and should be walked or jogged depending on fitness level. A hill of 800m is ideal for this session. Again, a lower mileage should be used to begin with eventually reaching 6 miles.

A key feature of these sessions is that should the target times fall below previous sessions, then an extra day of easy paced running should be taken.

Easing down for a marathon

The ten days before the marathon should see a reduction in training of at least two thirds with no training activity for the 48 hours prior to the race. Training during this wind down period should contain some repetition work 25% faster than the target marathon time. This ten-day period will allow the body to go into semi resting mode, recovering to some extent from the strenuous training programme. Carbohydrate loading to build up muscle glycogen stores requires a 15 mile slow run 7 days before the race followed by a 24 hour fast taking in only quality water.

After the fasting period 700 grams of carbohydrate should be consumed daily.

What is a good racing weight for a marathon runner?

Eating the correct balanced diet will see you though all the training. Check out our detailed formula here.

Getting the pace right – VO2 Max

As mentioned previously, your heart rate supplies essential information of effort and energy expenditure. Improvement in physical performance is associated with an enhancement of what has been labelled by physiologists as VO2 max. This is the standard measure of what is called aerobic fitness and indicates the maximum amount of oxygen that can be taken from circulating blood and used by active tissues for a specific period. It is measured in millilitres of oxygen consumed per minute adjusted for body size. A sedentary male would show a reading of 35 to 50 ml/kg/min. An elite runner would be something in excess of 70ml/kg/min.

Physiologists estimate that the greatest fitness gains come from work at between 80/100% of VO2 max. To calculate VO2 max it is necessary to know the maximum possible heart rate. Laboratory testing uses a treadmill for this assessment. A formula can be used which it is claimed has a 0.8 correlation with a laboratory test.

For a 25yr old female, assume a maximum heart rate of 209 beats per minute (bpm) minus 0.7 for each year of age e.g. 209 minus 25 x 0.7 = (17.5), therefore, 209 minus 17.5 = 191.5 bpm. Assuming 80% of heart rate for what is called the lactate threshold run, would require a consistent effort of 153 bpm. It is claimed that this would be the minimum for a modest increase in VO2 max.

For a 25yr old male athlete, take a maximum heart rate of 214 bpm and a minus of 0.8 for each year of age and the example would be 214 minus 25 x 0.8 = (20) therefore 214-20 = 194bpm. 80% of this would require a consistent effort of 155bpm. There is some controversy on maximum heart rate with some physiologists claiming that using this formula, a maximum heart rate of 200bpm is more realistic.

The number and duration of lactate threshold runs undertaken should be a subject of discussion between the athlete and the coach and would obviously relate to an athletes level of fitness and experience, but 2 sessions would be the norm.

Summary

1. Running a good marathon takes a long build-up, this plan is not a ‘get around’ plan.
2. Get to a reasonable level of general fitness.
3. Set your marathon race pace based on your 10k or half marathon time.
4. Work out your VO2 max and threashold pace – see also this article, it gives info on working out max heart rate.
5. Run long once a week, increasing mileage from 10m by adding a mile every two weeks until you get to 20m.
6. Incorporate all 4 sessions in to your training regime. BUT, build up over time.
7. Ease right back and follow the pre-race training programme advice.
8. Get your diet right – make sure you are not too light, not too heavy.
9. Carbo load.

Good luck with your challenge. If a beginner, check out our simple guide to racing success.

Hitting the wall – and how to avoid it!

The Wall! – Sounds scary doesn’t it? That feeling of sheer exhaustion is something that the vast majority of us will only experience a few times in our lives so I guess for many, it is the fear of the unknown. It certainly was for me as I stood on the start line of the New York City Marathon (my first marathon) knowing that I had simply not done enough training and knowing that it was going to be a world of pain. That, I can live with but it was ‘the wall’ that I had never experienced. 

I had a friend, Mark, who got carried away the year earlier and found himself sitting in on the leading pack of women elite runners. I waved at him as I sipped my beer outside a bar at the 17 mile mark. He wanted to break three hours, he was on for sub 2:30!! We shook our heads and laughed as we knew what he knew – he was going to hit the wall – big time! 

He looked great at the time though – really smooth and easy. But, it was only a couple of miles later that he went from great to desperation. He was begging people in the crowd to give him food and the good people of NYC were handing him pieces of orange as I recall. How does that happen though?

What does it feel like?

It might be that your body will just want to throw in the towel. Your legs feel like jelly or perhaps lead. Every step is arduous. Other times it might be your mind saying stop, this is just too painful. As with Mark, you could become a little desperate, a little disorientated, you may even start hallucinating and certainly, self-doubt will kick in. 

However, we live in an age where we have more knowledge. More training know-how and more nutritional expertise. There is also the addition of nutritional aids to help us buffer this onset of extreme tiredness that leads to the mental desperation.

Fuel for the body

Fuelling the body is important and doesn’t just need to happen on race day. You may have heard of carbo loading, but more of that later.

Fuel is stored in the muscles in the form of glycogen or in the body as fat. If running hard, the body will use its more immediate form of energy, the glycogen. When running normally however, the body will use a combination of both and when the body is depleted of glycogen, it’ll start to rely on the fat but this is not all good! When reliant on just fat, the muscles ability to function normally is greatly reduced.

So, we need to keep glycogen levels up before and on race day to avoid the lead leg feeling.

The other thing to be aware of is your blood sugar level. If this drops too low, you will start to get that confused feeling, not being able to think straight and at its worst, you may start to hallucinate! 

Carbo Loading

Ten days before the marathon you should start to taper down your training and your body will go in to a semi-rested state, recovering to some extent from the strenuous training programme. Alan Storey, coach to many international marathon runners will prescribe the following for runners hoping to break 3:30hrs: “Carbohydrate loading to build up muscle glycogen stores requires a 15 mile slow run 7 days before the race followed by a 24 hour fast taking in only quality water. After the fasting period, at least 700 grams of carbohydrate should be consumed daily”. If you are not as trained as these sub 3:30hr runners, we suggest running a shorter 8m perhaps a week before the race but follow the programme.

Race Day

Take carbs with you in the form of gels sweets like jelly sweets which are high in sugar. I ran NYC with a money belt on under my vest packed with gels but also a chewy bar which I soon realised was not a good idea. I soon found out that chewing and running uphill has an adverse effect on your breathing! Stick to the gels and follow these two top tips:

• Start taking them early, don’t leave it until you are tired as it might be too late
• Take them just before a water station. Sometimes the taste of these gels is not too palatable and you can wash them down with a swig of water.

The long runs you have done in your training would have trained the body to use your fat stores which is a good thing as fat gives you more calories than glycogen, but you need to ensure you top up the glycogen with the gels and sweets. Plan to take at regular intervals, you will really need them after 16 miles or so.

Hydration

Read our full article on race day hydration but the key summary for race day is below:

On race day before you race

• Bring your own water
• Stay hydrated. Drink a little and often. Nerves may make absorption a little less easy than usual
• Consider using an energy drink. It can boost your energy levels more easily close to the event than eating. 

On race day during the event

• Remember it takes around 15min for water you drink to get into your system so start drinking early on. As always make it little and often
• In longer events consider drinking an energy drink.
• Some people find a half empty bottle is easier to drink from than a full one while running. 
• It can help to hold the water in your mouth before swallowing. Gulping down air with the fluid can lead to a stitch.
• If you have not done the ‘weigh yourself before and after training’ test you can use the approximate amount of 150ml for each 15min of exercise.
• In hot weather it may be worth pouring water over yourself to aid cooling but beware of chaffing, particularly if you are a not wearing breathable/wicking fabrics

Major marathon races will provide water every mile and energy drinks every 5k maybe. Smaller races may just provide water every 5k so it is important to find out who is providing what and when.

Hitting the wall will be delayed if it happens at all with the tips above, but running a marathon for most of us is not easy and you will feel very tired at some point. For what it’s worth, here are my top tips for when things get tough.

• Congratulate yourself mentally at every mile point. “Another mile down, well done”. It is important to feel upbeat and positive about your achievement as it is massive!
• Think of something else when times get tough. Think of lovely things you’ve done, seeing the kids at the end, friends and family. Anything to get you through another 5 minutes or so. Countdown the miles. I always break any session of race up in to chunks to encourage myself to hang on. “Well done you’re ¾ of the way there”. “Now you’re at 20m, well done mate only 6 to go”, “now only 5 to go, you are doing great, just hang in there” – you get the picture. 
• Think of the finish and the plaudits from friends of family. This will be one of the great achievements in your life, it is a life experience you will never forget.
• Be excited, do not worry.
• Get the tunes right – music can be a great motivator so plan your playlist if you enjoy running to music. Play sounds that may uplift you – just make sure the beats per minutes are not too high – you want the music to speed you up with 6 mile to go when you really should be slowing up.
• What’s the worst that can happen, you just slow up! Ease back a bit and try to enjoy it. My main aim, when things got tough, was not to stop. I had a real thing about not stopping, so I just started to shuffle with 4 or 5 mile to go. Central Park is undulating so it can be rough (and boy did I find it tough!) but you’ll make it through and the felling at the finish just wonderful. 

Check out our article on running a fast marathon, it’s written by an amazing marathon coach and give you some top tips.

Look around you, take encouragement from the crowds and try to enjoy yourself. Good luck!

Short might be sweet

While many runners – shoeguide staff included! – have put in the big miles and hard yards over the years, ridiculous amounts of training is not the way forward for most of us. In fact many of us would be better if we broke down training into smaller more manageable components in order to maintain motivation.

A study carried out at Boston Sports Clubs found that people who exercised for 20-30min at a time were more consistent than people who did 45-60min sessions. In other words you’re more likely to stick to a routine where you do short sessions than longer ones.

There are probably several reasons for this.

• Many people go too hard too soon and after an initially wave of enthusiasm/over-exuberance are physically and mentally wiped out. So a more sensible progressive approach is more effective – some of those who were sticking with the 45-60min sessions were probably those who built up gradually.
• Lives are busy. If it’s 60min or nothing it could well be that you decide you have time for nothing
• Large chunks can be daunting. If you are feeling tired you can easily be put off by the idea of a long session and so do nothing. A short session is more manageable.

If you are tired or busy don’t go for all or nothing. A 10-15min run is better than no run. If tiredness is the problem you may feel better once you have been going a few minutes.

If you are tight on time short does not mean easy. 5min jog followed by alternating 1min hard with 1min easy before jogging a 5min cool down is very hard but only takes 30min door-to-door. For other short, sharp and effective sessions, see here.

A consistent period of training builds fitness far more effectively than being sporadic in your exercise.

Check out our guide to some super-fast workouts. Or better still, why not sign up for our totally bespoke training guide program. Tell it how long you want to work out for and how many times a week and it’ll do the rest. Best of all, it’s totally free!

Boston Marathon Preview – who’s gonna win it?!

The 2018 Boston marathon is going to be one of the most hotly contested for some time.

Defending champion, Geoffrey Kirui will line up against America’s Galen Rupp, the 2017 Chicago Marathon winner. If that wasn’t enough to whet the appetite, there are an additional eight men who have all run sub 2:07!

The women’s race might be even more intriguing. Four of the USA’s best ever marathon women go head to head: American record holder, Deena Kastor, Desiree Linden (2:22:38), Serena Burla who ran 2:26:53 in Osaka last year and 2017 NYC Marathon Champ, Shalane Flanagan. But, as if that wasn’t interesting enough, a real point of interest will be Molly Huddle who is racing her first marathon. Molly is the US record holder over 10k and the half marathon so could she upset the form book?

Watch the Boston Marathon

• The coverage begins at 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 15, with a prerace programme on the NBC Olympic Channel.
• Live race coverage is available from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on April 16 on NBC Sports Network.
• If you live in the Boston area, live coverage is starts at 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on CBS Boston.
• Live streaming is available at CBSBoston.com

All times are Eastern

Race Timings

Mobility impaired and wheelchair races start at 8:50 a.m. 

Women’s Race 9:32 a.m. 

Men’s Race 10 a.m.