My Life Personal Training - The training's working

Last Friday (12 March), Mike and I spent some time hooked up to a gas mask while running for a mere 10 minutes on the running machine. All this to try to find out how our metabolism has changed from when we first did the test in July 2009. The treadmill starts as an easy walk, with the pace increasing each minute to a speed of 7 mph (roughly 8 minute miles) after 5 minutes. The incline is kicked in each minute after that.

This picture shows Mike a little worse for wear after last time's test.

The steady increase in effort means that your heart rate makes a steady but continual trend upwards until your body says it's had enough, at which point you fall off the back of the treadmill (or more accurately, spat out the back).

The comparison of our results makes interesting reading (for us at least). They demonstrate quite clearly that our winter training has had the desired effect. My VO2 Max has increased from 56 to 59, but more importantly, when exercising at marathon race pace, I have increased my fat burning from 50% to 100%. That should mean that I can run much longer at marathon pace.

Also my anaerobic threshold (where your body produces large amounts of lactic acid so that your muscles are unable to maintain the activity, and frankly give up the ghost) has increased from a heart rate of 138bpm to 167bpm.

This picture shows Mike with Dave from MyLife, who's just been showing us some core exercises. Dave definitely looks happier than Mike!

We are being helped through the interpretation of this data by the fantastic team at MyLife on Apsley Road, Clifton. Andy Wadsworth knows his stuff and is helping us both understand the data. He is also providing us with tailored training plans to help us through the build up to the TransAlp. The key area to work on in the coming weeks is core strength, always a critical but often neglected area for endurance runners. We tend to resent doing anything other than running as we feel that we have to get the miles in. The reality is different in that cross training and building core strength develops all round strength to assist running form, nit just the strong muscles to cope with the long distances. It also rests the brain from just churning through the miles.

And it's only two weeks from that treadmill session to the Jurassic starting on 26 March. Don't we just look like we're ready?

The Ironwood Challenge

Mike and I were race directors for the Nailsea Running Club Ironwood Challenge on Sunday 28 February. A 6ish mile race through the woods around Long Ashton. One heck of a course. I ran it 3 times over the weekend. Once to clear the undergrowth, once to mark the route with fellow NRC runners and once to check the course early on Sunday morning. 6 miles of muddy hills. The winner completed the course in 45 minutes (and he would normally complete a 10km race in 30 minutes. The last finisher took 2 hours. A fantastic effort that just goes to demonstrate the sheer determination to finish a very tough course. I'm not sure everyone enjoyed every muddy yard of the route, but everyone seemed to be smiling at the end, so we (NRC) must have got something right with the course over the years. We also learned a lesson from last year and made sure that the route was very well marked. Judging from the number of runners wearing road shoes, I don't think many realised how off-road and muddy the route was going to be. They now now! A great race with 207 entrants this year, almost double last year and we have the larger NRC races to come, with the Long Ashton 10k next on the Sunday of the first May Bank Holiday on 2 May 2010. http://www.nailsearunningclub.org.uk/long-ashton-10k-entry.pdf

Blogging again

After a winter break from the blog, it's time to step up the blogs. Winter training can seem a bit of a slog, but can be great fun. The coldest winter for 30 years also made for some memorable runs. This included running round the parks of London when all the lakes were frozen. The serpentine was impressive, especially with a small window of ice roken to allow a pool for the birds to swim.

I have been finding many different routes around London. My favourite route being down from Moorgate to the River, along the Embankment to Big Ben, over Westminster bridge, then back along the South Bank to Tower Bridge. It passes lots of landmarks including the London Eye, The National Theatre, The Globe, the Oxo Tower, The Golden Hind, HMS Belfast and many more. Then its back past the Tower of London, past Monument and back to Moorgate. About 7.5 miles.

The number of runners on this route is always incredible, but about 70% wear ipods, so never say hi or even acknowledge you. Very boring (or am I just gettig old?).

Still just one month to the Jurassic Challange. That's 3 marathons in 3 days along the Dorset coast path from Lyme Regis to Poole. Looking forward to it!

Snowdon Marathon

What a day (and far too long ago now)! Emma and I drove up to Llanberris on Friday afternoon. A long slow drive, not helped by getting caught up in the World Rally Championship GB Rally. We met up with Jane and Mike and Mike and Terri for a meal in Llanberris. The meal was lightened by our host, who can best be likened to Lurch from the Adams family. He meant well, but didn't really have a clue! I enjoyed a good sleep on Friday night, which was just aas well given the trials of a hilly 26 mile marathon on Saturday morning, my first marathon for 30 years. The last one was the Exeter University rag marathon in 1980. I was fit then and had the energy of youth! The morning dawned bright, sunny and windless...in my dreams! When I woke, it was to a strong wind howling through the trees and a good North Wales downpour that lasted most of the day. We enjoyed a hearty breakfast of porridge, toast, egg and fruit. We then set off for the start by waiting in the long wet bus queue, since the start is a couple of miles up from the town. That allowed us to arrive at the start in plenty of time to wait in the rain to get properly cold, only to be told the start would be delayed a further 20 minutes because the bus queue was too long to get everyone to the start on time. Not the best way to warm up for a marathon. The crowd set off at about 11.00 and ran up the very wet road to Pen-y-Pas. A good 4 mile uphill slog. A welcome drink station at brow allowed a short break before the downhill run all the way to Bedgellert at 12 miles. This was noteable for two things. Firstly a sharp turn at the bottom of the steep descent into a fierce gale, which literally stopped you in your tracks. Secondly the very surreal sight of two 'men' dressed in full smurf outfits, one red and one blue. It was one of those moments when you really think you were hallucinating, or had just dreamed it. A very bizarre sight. After the tough 2 mile climb out of Bedgellert (where I accepted a very kind offer of Jelly Babies form an elderly couple), ones mind turns to the thought of 'the hill' at 21 miles. This appears just when one is hitting the proverbial wall. A steep two mile climb off road into the wind. Fortunately it had stopped raining by now. It was a sort of walk and jog type hill, with the walking taking preference after the first 100 metres. At the top, the drink stations wer trying to control their plastic cups from the clutches of the howling wind. The wind won, and it was a bit frustrating to have the cups fly past you. There was no way of keeping up with them. The worst stretch was then upon us. The steep downhill, first off road and then on tarmac, down to Llanberris. This at 24 miles is a calf killer. I don't know how many people I saw crumpled by the wayside with agony drawn all over their faces as they clutched their cramping calves. I was delighetd not to join the suffering. I am not certain what I put that down to: training, adequate hydration, or taking in salts through elctrolytes both before and during the race, but probably all three. the lasst half mile in Llanberis is pretty sole destroying as you get so close to the finish before you are taken on a short town detour, together with another short climb, before coming back to a great cheering welcome from the local Welsh crowd. A fantastic event and a great run, even though Snowdon never showed her face through the low cloud.

NRC Breakfast Run

10 October 2009 (Was it really that long ago?)

A Nailsea Running Club breakfast run is about a goodly group of runners going for an informative run and enjoying a hearty breakfast afterwards.

The preparation for the run was interesting:

• Most confirmations that people were coming along arrived in the last 24 hours
• Food shopping had to be done twice in the last 24 hours as the numbers swelled
• Emma was very worried when I announced that Kate Percy (AKA Go Faster Food writer, therefore professional celebrity cook) would be joining the run. Emma didn't really like the idea of cooking for a professional cook!
• Finding glasses, crockery and cutlery for 40 people.
• Tracking down a big enough kettle for 40 teas and coffees

Anyaway we did it! The day dawned sunny and warm, thank goodness.

We ran 8 miles from Long Ashton, up Ashton Hill (Where lookouts were posted in the war to spot German bombers, although only armed with a rifle and four bullets), through Ashton Court to Abbots Pool (used to raise fish for the hungry abbots). Then cross-country to Failand. Here we were welcomed by one of my work colleagues, Rachel, who provided some drink and Jelly Babies, together with a bit of first aid for a rogue barbed wire attack.

Refreshed we ran back through Belmont wood and Ironwood and back to Long Ashton.

We then tucked in to a fantastic feast made by Emma and her hard working helpers (Terri, Jules, Tessa and I'm sure others who I should have remembered).

We were also visited by Ann Harrison, Chairman of the Nailsea St Peter's Hospice branch. We were delighted to present her with a cheque for £800 from Nailsea Running Club, representing the Club's profits from its 2009 races, going towards our target of raising £30,000 for St Peter's.

We succeeded in raising £273 for St Peter's by organising this run, so Mike and I would like to thank everyone for coming along. By all counts it was a very enjoyable morning and we were blessed with fantastic weather.