Well if you hadn’t notice, one of the largest half marathons in the world was run this weekend. The Great north run this year was in its 29^th year. It ran with 42,000 runners and nearly 5 years ago I was lucky to be part of the 55,000 competitors who started when it broke the world record for most number of people in a race. So the question is what drives people on to run these events, well some do it to raise money for charities, some do it for fitness and losing weight, some do it in honor of loved ones they have lost, but most do it for the camaraderie that an event like this creates.

I remember been stood on the start line on a lovely autumnal morning. It was hot weather for England 15 degrees and no rain, which was a nice change from running through muddy forests with rain running down my back. I was doing it for My mums charity, they helped the old people from around our area who couldn’t get out of their houses by buying a mini bus and picking them up and taking them once a week to a local centre so they could meet people and sing songs, even celebrate Christmas as some were completely alone. As there old mini bus was getting old and falling apart, I thought I would try and help them by raising money for a new one and had accumulated over £2000 towards them buying a new mini bus. So I stood there with a good feeling, but the thing is I find it hard to explain what it was like stood there. I was nervous, but with excitement, this was about my 6^th half Marathon, so I was no virgin to this distance and new I could make it to the end. As the swell of people came into the paddock next to me, it was this nervous excitement which had people randomly walking up to you and saying hello, chatting about where they had come from and how much they had or hadn’t trained for the race.

When the gun went everyone was slowly jogging off together, no one was really bothered about the time as we all had chips on and new we would eventually get to the start. The music was booming all around me and me and my friends from the Leeds Dragons were chatting away about how it was going to be and talking about how they were going to celebrate after, mine was obvious as I had made a self imposed ban on fish and chips for over 6 weeks, so had already worked out where I was getting them from.

As the run progressed it was a bit stop start as the people who thought they were good started to puff and pant around me and started walking after 3 miles. This was a little annoying, but I kept telling myself I was here for charity and not for a time. Around the half way stage I suddenly realized the temperature was getting much hotter than earlier and when I noticed a temperature sign it read 23 degrees. It had become very hot over a short time and was rising. Suddenly I noticed that every mile of the course was lined with people and they even was handing people drinks and sweets to help them run. The locals was also out with their hose pipes showering people when they went past, it was great relief.

As the last few kilometers came, it was now baking hot and I slowed to a walk, ‘come on son’, shouted this voice. I looked round and it came from this man dressed as a bumble bee! He looked roasted thought the little air hole he had. This inspired me to push on and as I came up to the last 2 kilometers I suddenly felt I had energy again, so I made a last spurt and crossed over the line in 2 hours 20 minutes.

This was one of my slower times, but all my club colleagues came up and gave me a hug at the end and it was a near tear moment for me as I felt a huge amount of feeling lift up from me.

So I got my fish and chips, Mum’s charity got their new mini bus and I felt good about myself.

This is the same camaraderie I would like to have with our club in Basel and I know we can all have it. We just need to work together more in all aspects as a team and then we will go on from strength to strength in our friendship and in our private lives, in and away from the club.

Keep on running

Martin

Cut out saturated fats

They do nothing for you, so avoid them completely. These are fats found in greasy foods, crisps, chocolates, pastry…

Reduce late carbs

Make it a strict rule not to have any of the following after 5 p.m.

• Pasta
• Potatoes
• Rice
• Bread
• Fruit

Cut out junk/fast foods

Yes they are convenient but they contain nothing but rubbish. They are ladened full of saturated fat and unhealthy ingredients. Eat crap and your body will look like crap. Why do you think so many people have such deep-rooted fat like cellulite? Stay away from junk food. If you see a fast food place, avoid it. Go to a sandwich shop instead and get a sandwich.

Eat only when hungry

This is really important. Why on earth are we eating constantly? When was the last time you let your body experience that hungry feeling? There is nothing wrong with having an empty stomach for a few hours. Get used to it. Eat only when you feel hungry.

Eat smaller meals

Don’t eat what is put on your plate for you. Fill the plate up only as much as you can eat without stuffing yourself. Eat more frequently but eat smaller portions. This is a good way of speeding your metabolism up.

Drink water

Yes you have heard it a million times. What do you think shifts the fat out of your body? Drink water throughout the day, every day. You must drink at least 2-3 litres a day, more if you are sweating or trying to lose fat.

Make CV a integral part of your every day life

Try and do 45+ minutes, 3-4 times a week on either the stationary bike, rower, stepper or go out fast walking. CV is the only guaranteed way of getting rid of the fat which you already posses.

Eat fibre

It is amazing to see just how many people are constipated. Why? It’s not rocket science you know! If you don’t exercise and you don’t eat fibre, chances are you will be constipated. Fibre ensures a healthy intestinal tract, less toxins and less fat. Eating fibre reduces food passage time and can aid fat loss. If you are confused, then get a packet of prunes and have some during the day.

Drink green tea

The wonder drink for relaxation and fat loss. They drink it in the Orient and you can’t deny that they are slimmer than most others.

Shop only on a full stomach

The classic mistake people make is to go shopping on an empty stomach. All that happens is you end up buying sugary foods to satisfy your hunger. Always always go shopping after you have eaten. You will amazed at just how wise you will be in your choices!

Get more active

Every little bit helps. Stay active. Use the stairs instead of the lift. Walk to the station instead of driving. Go out during your breaks. Make sure you are suing calories at every available opportunity. Remember, winning starts with beginning.

Drink caffeine

Caffeine is without a doubt a good fatburner. A cup of coffee in the morning followed by a cup of grapefruit juice (yeah it sounds disgusting!) can be a very good start to your fat-burning day.

Don’t get stressed – relax!

People who are too desperate to lose fat, usually put their progress back. Stress means the release of cortisol which destroys muscle and stores fat! So don’t get stressed and try to find ways of relaxing.

Lose the “fat” not “weight”!

Don’t get obsessed with the scales. How much you “weigh” is not the issue here. Your weight consists of fat, muscle, bones etc. It is how much “fat” you have which is important. Throw your scales out and make sure the mirror is your guide. How much you “weight” has NOTHING to do with how much fat you have.

Do weight training

Weight training builds muscle tissue. Muscle tissue ensures a steady fat-burning furnace is operating in your body. Don’t neglect bodyparts like the legs, which can burn a great deal of body fat.

Be persistent

Fat doesn’t appear overnight and it most certainly doesn’t disappear overnight. Be persistent and stick to it. The body is not a mystery. Start, stick to it and you will succeed.

Please click into the category:training session header tab in the above to view.

16 Week First Marathon Training Schedule

16 week, 3.5 hours finish, Marathon Training Schedule

Run safe, strong and injury-free – wise up to the what’s, whys and when’s of stretching

If you’ve been running well and your muscles feel fine, stretching might seem like a waste of good running time. But scheduling in some stretching could slash your chance of getting injured, help you recover from existing injuries and could even boost your muscles’ performance on the track.

Why?

Stretching helps prevent sports injuries by increasing your range of movement and reducing the tension in your muscles.

Every muscle in the body has an opposing one that works against it – quads and hamstrings, for example. Each of these muscles provides essential resistance to the other, and if one becomes stronger or more flexible the imbalance could result in injury. Hamstring tears, a common running injury, are caused by strong quads pulling against weak, inflexible hamstrings.

Increasing your range of movement means an increase in the distance your limbs can travel before they incur damage – so your muscles work harder for you and your running.

When?

After warming up with a brisk walk or jog, pop in a short stretching routine before you crack on with your main training session. Taking time to stretch (gently) at this point will help prevent injury. Start by stretching to 50-60 per cent of your range of movement for 10-15 seconds, and increase this slowly as your flexibility increases.

When you’ve finished your session and cooled down, don’t just stop. A few minutes’ stretching will reap huge benefits, preventing tight muscles, reducing the symptoms of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and helping your muscles recover by flushing out waste and circulating fresh blood. This means you can get going again quicker, and with less risk of causing strains to tired muscles.

Make sure you put stretching at the heart of your routine, and pencil it in on a regular basis when you’re designing training schedules.

Types of stretching

There are two reasons to stretch – for maintenance of muscles, and to develop muscles – and two chief ways of stretching: static and dynamic.

Static

Static stretches are performed without movement. Simply pick a position, hold the stretch for a period of time and then slowly relax out of it. For example, a static calf stretch is achieved by sitting down and touching your toes with your leg straight out in front of you. Make sure you’re stable and relax into and out of the stretch – wobbling and jerky movements can cause injury.

Passive stretches are very similar, but use a partner or piece of apparatus to stretch the muscles further. For example, stretching the hamstrings by lying down with your leg in the air, and a partner pushing against that leg. Passive stretches achieve a greater range of movement are great for rehab. However, the bigger force and longer stretch increases the risk of injury from stretching this way – so pick your partner with care!

Dynamic
Dynamic stretching uses controlled bouncing or swinging to stretch the muscles. Stretching the hamstrings and hip flexors by standing shoulder width apart and swinging one leg backwards and forwards is a dynamic stretch. Using a stretch to replicate the actions of a sport, or ‘muscle sequencing’, comes in especially handy for faster running and sprinting. If you’re trying out a dynamic stretch, make sure maintain control of the movement, and keep it slow to avoid injury.

How to stretch safely

Before you get stuck in, take a few moments to try a few gentle stretches to assess your flexibility. You don’t want to dive in over-enthusiastically and cause injuries.

Stretch safely with these commandments:

1. If a muscle group doesn’t feel 100 per cent, avoid stretching it. If it’s recently strained, only stretch it very gently.
2. Warm up – increasing the temperature of your muscles makes them more supple and pliable so you’ll get the most out of your stretches. It also signals your body to supply your muscles with plenty of oxygen and nutrients.
3. Stretch each muscle’s opposite number to avoid inbalances in strength and flexibility – a recipe for injury.
4. Stretch for the right purpose at the right time – before exercise to prevent injury; afterwards to aid recovery.
5. Stretch gently and slowly to relax muscles and avoid strains and tears caused by fast, jerky movements.
6. Stretch only to the point of tension – you might ‘feel the burn’, but do not put yourself through pain.

Breathe easy. Lots of people accidentally hold their breath, causing muscles to tense and making stretching harder. Breathing steadily relaxes your muscles and supplies them with oxygen.

Two things you must remember when you are training.

1.  It is important to warm up for approx 10 mins or a mile of your run before you do any static stretching of your legs, do not over – stretch your leg muscles and always stretch your legs muscles after, which will avoid fatigue and aching of your leg muscles.

2.  Eating  healthily has a big effect on how well you run.

On the final week before the  run on the Tuesday and Thursday, but very light 4 miles.

Have Fun! It will be worth it.

Click here to download the full programme.