After my super birthday run yesterday, I wasn't planning on a spectacular run at timetrial tonight - but I had one anyway!
Contrary to popular belief, a dog clipped onto you doesn't mean a faster run. Said dog likes to sniff and pee here and there, which loses time like crazy. I think that the best time that Rusty and I have had at our local 4km timetrial may have been last week when we ran a 22:40-something - even with a bit of sniffing. That was surprising.
I started running time trials earlier this year. They're held at 17h30 on Wednesdays starting from a local park. It is a tough 4km route.
I've done a low 22 minute on my own, but not less than this. Well, tonight I nailed a 20:20, taking around two minutes off my PB.
(I judge PBs off the last three-odd years, not all time).
I am super chuffed. Now to take this to a sub-20. I haven't done any speed work but I am doing the big hill once a week, which seems to be making a difference. Yeah!
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Thursday, 17 November 2016
Can two weeks of walking make you fitter?
I had my first run last night since I got back from Spain - it was a gentle jaunt with my furry husky friend, Kiska. When I got back from Spain I came down with a sore throat and snotty nose with clogged sinuses for a good 10 days. So I did little much of nothing - except blowing my nose and gargling and one good bike ride. I've also been parkrun Run Director at the two Saturday parkruns (for the two Saturdays that I've been back), plus our special Tuesday evening parkrun for our second birthday on 8 Nov.
Yesterday evening, my furry friend was in a frenzy. We haven't been out together from before I left and it was good to enjoy the road and park with him. My legs felt good (a bash and graze still on my left shin from one of my three swims from kayaking the Vaal on Sunday), lungs felt good and body felt good.
We ran part of the parkrun route and I wondered whether my two weeks of walking in Spain would have made a difference to my fitness and, more importantly, whether it will make a difference to my parkrun time, especially as I'm now more than adequately rested and recovered.
Walking is a funny thing. The hours spent each day on my feet have made them even stronger than usual. We did have some good hill climbing but as I was always walking slower than my pace, I was never stretched physically or in cardiovascular effort. But still, spending seven to nine hours a day walking, versus the same time sitting at a computer - it is bound to have made a difference. Perhaps not to speed, but to overall fitness.
I'm running parkrun this Saturday - my first in months (I was RD a number of times before I left and on other Saturday I volunteered so I ran early, missing the parkrun vibe). I'm looking forward to stretching my legs and pushing myself to see what time I can achieve.
Yesterday evening, my furry friend was in a frenzy. We haven't been out together from before I left and it was good to enjoy the road and park with him. My legs felt good (a bash and graze still on my left shin from one of my three swims from kayaking the Vaal on Sunday), lungs felt good and body felt good.
We ran part of the parkrun route and I wondered whether my two weeks of walking in Spain would have made a difference to my fitness and, more importantly, whether it will make a difference to my parkrun time, especially as I'm now more than adequately rested and recovered.
Walking is a funny thing. The hours spent each day on my feet have made them even stronger than usual. We did have some good hill climbing but as I was always walking slower than my pace, I was never stretched physically or in cardiovascular effort. But still, spending seven to nine hours a day walking, versus the same time sitting at a computer - it is bound to have made a difference. Perhaps not to speed, but to overall fitness.
I'm running parkrun this Saturday - my first in months (I was RD a number of times before I left and on other Saturday I volunteered so I ran early, missing the parkrun vibe). I'm looking forward to stretching my legs and pushing myself to see what time I can achieve.
Wednesday, 13 July 2016
20 of '40 Days of Running'
Today marked halfway in my '40 Days of Running' annual birthday game.
20-days ago I set off on the first of my 40 consecutive runs with a touch of post-travel blocked/runny nose. I took it easy for the first few days, slowly kicked the bugs and ran a good time at parkrun this past Saturday. This week has gone well and my legs and lungs are ticking over easy. I haven't put in much more than 4-6km/day and I'm feeling good for it. I'm looking forward to a longer run on Saturday.
I've also been pretty good with my yoga efforts. In the first two weeks I did three to four self-practice Ashtanga sessions each week. Sun salutations for warm up, standing postures and finishing sequence. I could feel the cobwebs dissolving.
Last Friday I attended my first yoga class in a long time. I'd heard about classes in town. Timing was right and off I went on my bicycle. I loved it. It isn't Ashtanga, but it is yoga and it is fabulous.
The class had a good pace and I felt at home immediately. I enjoyed the variety of postures and focus on breathing. I was back there yesterday (Tuesday). I should be able to make most of the Tuesday-Friday classes regularly. My classmates range from my age to late 70s (she just does much of her own thing) and they're all very friendly and welcoming.
Hip-hip-hooray and three cheers for 20 more days ahead.
20-days ago I set off on the first of my 40 consecutive runs with a touch of post-travel blocked/runny nose. I took it easy for the first few days, slowly kicked the bugs and ran a good time at parkrun this past Saturday. This week has gone well and my legs and lungs are ticking over easy. I haven't put in much more than 4-6km/day and I'm feeling good for it. I'm looking forward to a longer run on Saturday.
I've also been pretty good with my yoga efforts. In the first two weeks I did three to four self-practice Ashtanga sessions each week. Sun salutations for warm up, standing postures and finishing sequence. I could feel the cobwebs dissolving.
Last Friday I attended my first yoga class in a long time. I'd heard about classes in town. Timing was right and off I went on my bicycle. I loved it. It isn't Ashtanga, but it is yoga and it is fabulous.
The class had a good pace and I felt at home immediately. I enjoyed the variety of postures and focus on breathing. I was back there yesterday (Tuesday). I should be able to make most of the Tuesday-Friday classes regularly. My classmates range from my age to late 70s (she just does much of her own thing) and they're all very friendly and welcoming.
Hip-hip-hooray and three cheers for 20 more days ahead.
Saturday, 7 November 2015
The value of attending Trail Magazine's trail running clinic
This afternoon I had the pleasure of attending TRAIL Magazine's trail running clinic as a presenter.
I had the most superb topic 'Small things that make the biggest difference'. Oh, I know! Soooo many things! It was a challenge putting together the content and distilling 16 years of experiences and learnings into the most critical 'small things'. For days, and even still now, more and more keep popping into my head. It's those little things that you don't know starting out but that you learn with time and experiences and mistakes.
Big small things, for me, include (from the head down:
Big small things, for me, include (from the head down:
- navigation skills (useful even on marked trails - observation, 'feeling' where you have to go)
- a well-fitting backpack
- emergency items (space blanket, personal first aid kit)
- how you pack your stuff (I'm a creature of habit in what and how I pack - I know what I have and I can find my stuff in the dark; ziploc bags rule)
- supportive sports bras (important for the less endowed; well endowed ladies should consider wearing two! Girls, look after the girls)
- not trying anything new on race day - not even a tee (sounds so simple but yet soooo many people go against this fundamental 'rule')
- trekking poles (all conditions! and also useful in emergencies to create a shelter or splint a broken limb)
- Ahhh... most, most, most important - good foot care (preparation and prevention is the goal; thereafter it is knowing what you're prone to, how your blisters are caused and how to deal with them before they become a big, big problem)
I really think I need to do a whole foot care session at a clinic. I touched on a bunch of elements and yet this just so critical to running pleasure and success. There are fundamentals - like cutting and filing your toenails - that runners err on. Again and again and again.
I got to participate in Peri Zourides' strength session. It was an excellent reminder of all the things I neglect to do!
While I missed Ryno Griesel's session earlier in the day, it was great to catch up with him and to find out what he covered in his hill-busting session. I missed out on his presentation where he spoke about how he juggles his commitments (work, family) and high-level training. This is something I've been really struggling with and will continue to do so as I move away from Jo'burg and have to let go of many things.
One thing that Ryno said that really resonated was that there will always be things you don't get to or can't give your full attention. You just have to make peace with these. He's so right.
Lovely to meet Heloise in person after a year of email comms (she works at TRAIL mag) and to see Chris Crewdson, Craig Gornall, Derek Smythe, Elsali Gehm and a lovely group of enthusiastic participants. Tomorrow Anca Wessels (biokineticist) and Neville Beeton (coaching and training) are presenting.
Chris and I were chatting afterwards and we both agreed that there is so much value in attending clinics like this when you're starting out. The presenters have all learned from their experiences and they pass this on to the participants - some with little experience and others with more. We all develop our own ways of doing things - from what gear we rely on most to how we care for our feet. These are learned from experience and trial and error. Many errors. At clinics you learn from the mistakes that others have made and get guidance on how to get the basics right from the beginning. This will pave the way for a lifetime of wonderful running and participation - without the same mistakes that I made, for example, 16 years ago. As Chris says, "Why reinvent the wheel?".
This is the second clinic that Deon (publisher and editor of Trail Magazine) has organised (the first was in Durban).
Keep an eye on trailclinics.co.za for others. There's a mailing list you can sign up to for direct notification of planned clinics.
I've been on orienteering clinics and all have been so beneficial. It is well worth trading participation in a race to attend clinics on offer. You come out of it far richer for learning from and sharing in the experiences of others.
Monday, 30 March 2015
The best time to go fishing (and running)
I often think of that sentiment: "Any day you're too busy too run is a day you're too busy".
Damn right.
I'm totally guilty of getting caught in the same trap even though I know that getting out for a 30 minute run won't cause the Earth to blow up nor the sky to fall down. But I have gaps in my training log because I do get in a state when I have endless lists and never enough time. And when I run less I feel worse and then everything feels like it is going to implode.
Today I stopped in at my local nursery to get some flower seeds. They have a coffee counter there. A framed poster on the wall caught my attention. It had a fish on it (looked a bit like a mounted fish).
It read:
Same goes for running eh? (the only issue here is when your tired, lazy-ass mind tells you that you don't feel like it?)
I haven't run with my husky friends for weeks and weeks. The most convenient days to get the husks are Mondays or Fridays when the domestic worker is there - the gardener takes them on Wednesdays and their dad takes them on weekends. My Mondays have been non-starters with the orienteering schools league stuff and Fridays have been equally rushed and chaotic.
Today I left home just after 11am to collect the dogs and I thoroughly enjoyed my in-the-middle-of-the-day run with them. It felt decadent and indulgent and I loved it.
I'd like to confidently proclaim that I'll 'sneak' off more often... but I know the reality is different. But for my sanity - and the dogs' fitness - it would be a good thing to do indeed.
I've got my annual pre-birthday running game coming up soon. I decided to start this year's '39 Days of Running' early (on 25 April) to complete my 39-consecutive days on 2 June, the day before I depart for Expedition Africa, where I'm under no illusion that running every day isn't going to happen. My game was a mess last year because of this (and a sore knee that I bashed into a rock!) so starting early should smooth things.
This annual game always serves to remind me that 30 mins a day is very, very doable. For this period I totally prioritise this game and myself and it works. The rest of the year... I am guilty of letting other things get in the way.
Damn right.
I'm totally guilty of getting caught in the same trap even though I know that getting out for a 30 minute run won't cause the Earth to blow up nor the sky to fall down. But I have gaps in my training log because I do get in a state when I have endless lists and never enough time. And when I run less I feel worse and then everything feels like it is going to implode.
Today I stopped in at my local nursery to get some flower seeds. They have a coffee counter there. A framed poster on the wall caught my attention. It had a fish on it (looked a bit like a mounted fish).
It read:
"The best time to go fishing is when you feel like it"
 |
| an image I found online |
Same goes for running eh? (the only issue here is when your tired, lazy-ass mind tells you that you don't feel like it?)
I haven't run with my husky friends for weeks and weeks. The most convenient days to get the husks are Mondays or Fridays when the domestic worker is there - the gardener takes them on Wednesdays and their dad takes them on weekends. My Mondays have been non-starters with the orienteering schools league stuff and Fridays have been equally rushed and chaotic.
Today I left home just after 11am to collect the dogs and I thoroughly enjoyed my in-the-middle-of-the-day run with them. It felt decadent and indulgent and I loved it.
 |
| Toscana (left) and Angel (right) |
 |
| Me and Toscana's nose |
I've got my annual pre-birthday running game coming up soon. I decided to start this year's '39 Days of Running' early (on 25 April) to complete my 39-consecutive days on 2 June, the day before I depart for Expedition Africa, where I'm under no illusion that running every day isn't going to happen. My game was a mess last year because of this (and a sore knee that I bashed into a rock!) so starting early should smooth things.
This annual game always serves to remind me that 30 mins a day is very, very doable. For this period I totally prioritise this game and myself and it works. The rest of the year... I am guilty of letting other things get in the way.
Monday, 26 January 2015
A need for speed
I haven't focused on speed work for running for well over a decade. Sure, a few intervals here and there but nothing consistent.
parkruns have definitely changed this because each time I do a parkrun I want to better my time set at that venue previously and, if possible, to set a new overall 5km PB.
PBs (Personal Bests) are funny things and I think they should established on an annual basis. It can kill your confidence to consider and compare yourself to overall PBs, which you may have set yonks ago.
I'm 14 years older - and far better at distance running - than I was when I set my Best Ever times on 5km, 10km, 15km, 21km and my one-and-only marathon - all very respectable times. Back in those days I mostly ran short and fast distances with a lot of short, high-intensity training and then mostly half marathons on weekends.
On Saturday morning I did parkrun at Woodlands again. Two weeks ago I took almost two minutes off my previous time set in August last year. Yesterday I took another 13 seconds off despite having to work through queues of walkers on the second lap.
589 parkrunners were logged at Woodlands yesterday - their biggest number I think! And these are the people who are timed. There's a good dose who are just starting out and as they only do one of the two laps in the reserve they do not get timed.
The other fun aspect of parkrun are the overall results. Yesterday I was 31st overall, 3rd woman and 1st in my age group. Whoop-whoop! My time is nothing special though (26-mins) and I'm yet to crack sub-25 on any of the parkrun courses.
I'll be back in Parys in two weeks where I hope to improve yet again on this course, which is currently a minute faster for me than Woodlands.
This morning (Sunday) I did the first of the Urban Series orienteering events. It was held at Golden Harvest Park. I ran nicely - could have done better / ran faster in some places (as always). I took second place - yay! I haven't been this high up the rankings for a while. OK, so Sarah, Tania, Michele, Jess weren't there... It's still cool.
parkrun and the Urban Series events are certainly proving to be motivation and incentive to pay more attention to speed and to put in some sessions over the coming months.
Will it be possible to claw my way to the times (like a 21-minute 5km) that I was running 14 years ago? I draw inspiration from some older running friends who are clocking faster times now than they did 10 or 20 years ago... so there's definitely hope for me too.
parkruns have definitely changed this because each time I do a parkrun I want to better my time set at that venue previously and, if possible, to set a new overall 5km PB.
PBs (Personal Bests) are funny things and I think they should established on an annual basis. It can kill your confidence to consider and compare yourself to overall PBs, which you may have set yonks ago.
I'm 14 years older - and far better at distance running - than I was when I set my Best Ever times on 5km, 10km, 15km, 21km and my one-and-only marathon - all very respectable times. Back in those days I mostly ran short and fast distances with a lot of short, high-intensity training and then mostly half marathons on weekends.
On Saturday morning I did parkrun at Woodlands again. Two weeks ago I took almost two minutes off my previous time set in August last year. Yesterday I took another 13 seconds off despite having to work through queues of walkers on the second lap.
589 parkrunners were logged at Woodlands yesterday - their biggest number I think! And these are the people who are timed. There's a good dose who are just starting out and as they only do one of the two laps in the reserve they do not get timed.
The other fun aspect of parkrun are the overall results. Yesterday I was 31st overall, 3rd woman and 1st in my age group. Whoop-whoop! My time is nothing special though (26-mins) and I'm yet to crack sub-25 on any of the parkrun courses.
I'll be back in Parys in two weeks where I hope to improve yet again on this course, which is currently a minute faster for me than Woodlands.
This morning (Sunday) I did the first of the Urban Series orienteering events. It was held at Golden Harvest Park. I ran nicely - could have done better / ran faster in some places (as always). I took second place - yay! I haven't been this high up the rankings for a while. OK, so Sarah, Tania, Michele, Jess weren't there... It's still cool.
parkrun and the Urban Series events are certainly proving to be motivation and incentive to pay more attention to speed and to put in some sessions over the coming months.
Will it be possible to claw my way to the times (like a 21-minute 5km) that I was running 14 years ago? I draw inspiration from some older running friends who are clocking faster times now than they did 10 or 20 years ago... so there's definitely hope for me too.
Monday, 12 January 2015
More Summer Series events
My club, Adventure Racing Club, has three weekly Summer Series events coming up; the first on Wednesday 28 January 2015.
I organise these events with friend and club-mate Garry.
These are really fun one-hour events that take in the beauty of Delta Park, a wonderful open parkland expanse in the middle of Johannesburg.
Although we often vary the format of each of the weekly events, the general idea is that you get a map at the start and on the map a bunch of checkpoints are marked. You either have to locate all of them or a defined number of checkpoints (in any order) within the one-hour time.
What this means is that people run like crazy chickens all over the part, each person choosing their own route and which checkpoints they want to visit in any order. Navigation is pretty easy so no special skills are needed.
This is a family-friendly event and I look forward to seeing more children (they get free entry!) and newcomer adults at the events.
I organise these events with friend and club-mate Garry.
These are really fun one-hour events that take in the beauty of Delta Park, a wonderful open parkland expanse in the middle of Johannesburg.
Although we often vary the format of each of the weekly events, the general idea is that you get a map at the start and on the map a bunch of checkpoints are marked. You either have to locate all of them or a defined number of checkpoints (in any order) within the one-hour time.
What this means is that people run like crazy chickens all over the part, each person choosing their own route and which checkpoints they want to visit in any order. Navigation is pretty easy so no special skills are needed.
This is a family-friendly event and I look forward to seeing more children (they get free entry!) and newcomer adults at the events.
Saturday, 10 January 2015
Not training to be skinny
With the Ultra Trail Mount Moodie 80km event coming up at the end of January my training has been pretty reasonable. Not phenomenal... but then I've never been into mega distance in training. I've had a good and steady and consistent November and December and I'm feeling good and running comfortably.
Two weeks ago, just before New Year, it was cooking hot one afternoon when I went out running with my regular weekly running buddy Jason. I've got two regular running buddies - Jason and Rob (different days). Rob has been out for a few weeks with a broken big toe (ow!). Jason and I ended up doing more of a run-walk (perhaps more walk than run) in the heat, which he doesn't favour much.
With an early dinner invitation from my uncle that evening and with a need for more, more, more running, I decided to run to my uncle's house, which is pretty much bang on 11 kilometres from me.
At 15h30, about half an hour after getting back from my outing with Jason, it was still cooking but I figured that I could do with some training in the heat, which I don't mind at all. The ultra, which starts on Long Tom Pass and cruises around the Sabie area, is sure to be hot and humid.
I donned my hydration pack and set off for my uncle's house at a comfortable pace despite the heat. n A cool shower, tasty dinner and warm company made the run even more memorable.
This was one of those occasions where a 'runner's high' was inevitable. For me, there's something appealing about running from one place to another - not just a loop route, which is what I most often run from home.
I'm out in Parys again and tomorrow (Sunday) I've got my eye on a big loop (this one is all tar), which I've wanted to run for weeks. Now is a good time for it. I'm hoping that it will be close to 20km. It should be hard work (rolling terrain, hot conditions and some of the day spent kayaking - if the weather holds) but I'm looking forward to it.
Afterall...
Two weeks ago, just before New Year, it was cooking hot one afternoon when I went out running with my regular weekly running buddy Jason. I've got two regular running buddies - Jason and Rob (different days). Rob has been out for a few weeks with a broken big toe (ow!). Jason and I ended up doing more of a run-walk (perhaps more walk than run) in the heat, which he doesn't favour much.
With an early dinner invitation from my uncle that evening and with a need for more, more, more running, I decided to run to my uncle's house, which is pretty much bang on 11 kilometres from me.
At 15h30, about half an hour after getting back from my outing with Jason, it was still cooking but I figured that I could do with some training in the heat, which I don't mind at all. The ultra, which starts on Long Tom Pass and cruises around the Sabie area, is sure to be hot and humid.
I donned my hydration pack and set off for my uncle's house at a comfortable pace despite the heat. n A cool shower, tasty dinner and warm company made the run even more memorable.
This was one of those occasions where a 'runner's high' was inevitable. For me, there's something appealing about running from one place to another - not just a loop route, which is what I most often run from home.
I'm out in Parys again and tomorrow (Sunday) I've got my eye on a big loop (this one is all tar), which I've wanted to run for weeks. Now is a good time for it. I'm hoping that it will be close to 20km. It should be hard work (rolling terrain, hot conditions and some of the day spent kayaking - if the weather holds) but I'm looking forward to it.
Afterall...
This parkrun thing
If you haven't heard of parkrun, you've probably been under a rock. In short, these are free, five-kilometre runs every Saturday morning at venues (usually parks or park-like properties) around the World. There are 46 parkrun locations in South Africa and new venues open regularly.
I ran my first parkrun at Delta Park in February 2013 - this was before the participant numbers were crazy high like they are now. I'm under correction but I think that Delta was the first parkrun in South Africa, opened by Bruce Fordyce who brought the parkrun concept (started in the UK) to SA.
It took me just over a year until I did my next one, at the Woodlands Office Park. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the experience, but without a parkrun down the road from home, I wasn't keen to get up early and drive 20-30 minutes to a venue - just for five kilometres...
As I recall my mom was keen to walk a parkrun and we're good friends with the Woodlands course director, Staci. That was in April last year. And then the Modderfontein one had opened, which is closer to home and I did it with a friend in May last year. And then another Woodlands one in August.
I've been hanging out in Parys quite a bit on weekends and so I was delighted when a parkrun started in Parys at the beginning of November.
I wasn't there for that inaugural running but I was there later that month. I bagged two Parys parkruns in November and one in December, along with an inaugural parkrun at the Pretoria Botanical Gardens, where I walked with my running buddy who did it on crutches.
I've been consistently bettering my times at the Parys parkrun. At the end of December I took almost a minute off my time from a month before; last weekend I bettered my time by a few seconds again.
This morning at Woodlands I ran almost two minutes faster than I did in August.
And this, for me, is the appeal of parkrun. Short and punchy, I'm using them as a time trial for a high intensity weekly run. In Parys, I run to the start, which is a few minutes away - very, very convenient. I have friends that I enjoy seeing at Woodlands and I'm making friends in Parys with other regular parkrunners and seeing a few people I know at the runs too.
I also get a total kick out of receiving my results on email later the same day. This morning, for example, I was 33rd out of 416 runners, 6th lady and 1st in my age category. Having a dash of a competitive streak, I just want to keep bettering my times and positions. They're all listed on the parkrun website so I can keep an eye on how I'm doing. It's addictive!
This morning was my 10th parkrun... six of them run only since late November. And that's another thing too. I can totally see the appeal of collecting parkruns. Venues, inaugural runs, number of runs...
At FEAT in October Tracy Rankin spoke about what parkrun means to her. She's South Africa's most parkrun runner. Lovely talk. I've included it below.
Check out the parkrun website for event venues and join one close to you (remember to register on the website first to get you barcode). If there isn't one, consider starting one (contact Bruce through the website). All you need is a nice area and a five-kilometre route. parkruns are volunteer run and while the original director will have their hands full for a few weeks, with time you'll recruit other volunteers to share the load.
I ran my first parkrun at Delta Park in February 2013 - this was before the participant numbers were crazy high like they are now. I'm under correction but I think that Delta was the first parkrun in South Africa, opened by Bruce Fordyce who brought the parkrun concept (started in the UK) to SA.
It took me just over a year until I did my next one, at the Woodlands Office Park. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the experience, but without a parkrun down the road from home, I wasn't keen to get up early and drive 20-30 minutes to a venue - just for five kilometres...
As I recall my mom was keen to walk a parkrun and we're good friends with the Woodlands course director, Staci. That was in April last year. And then the Modderfontein one had opened, which is closer to home and I did it with a friend in May last year. And then another Woodlands one in August.
I've been hanging out in Parys quite a bit on weekends and so I was delighted when a parkrun started in Parys at the beginning of November.
 |
| Compared to Jo'burg parkruns, Parys is small - but very friendly. There are usually around 65 runners including a good number of children. |
I've been consistently bettering my times at the Parys parkrun. At the end of December I took almost a minute off my time from a month before; last weekend I bettered my time by a few seconds again.
 |
| Charging into the finish at the Parys parkrun on 3 January 2015. It was hot already for the 08h00 start. |
And this, for me, is the appeal of parkrun. Short and punchy, I'm using them as a time trial for a high intensity weekly run. In Parys, I run to the start, which is a few minutes away - very, very convenient. I have friends that I enjoy seeing at Woodlands and I'm making friends in Parys with other regular parkrunners and seeing a few people I know at the runs too.
I also get a total kick out of receiving my results on email later the same day. This morning, for example, I was 33rd out of 416 runners, 6th lady and 1st in my age category. Having a dash of a competitive streak, I just want to keep bettering my times and positions. They're all listed on the parkrun website so I can keep an eye on how I'm doing. It's addictive!
This morning was my 10th parkrun... six of them run only since late November. And that's another thing too. I can totally see the appeal of collecting parkruns. Venues, inaugural runs, number of runs...
At FEAT in October Tracy Rankin spoke about what parkrun means to her. She's South Africa's most parkrun runner. Lovely talk. I've included it below.
Check out the parkrun website for event venues and join one close to you (remember to register on the website first to get you barcode). If there isn't one, consider starting one (contact Bruce through the website). All you need is a nice area and a five-kilometre route. parkruns are volunteer run and while the original director will have their hands full for a few weeks, with time you'll recruit other volunteers to share the load.
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Training log slacker
I first started keeping a training log at least 20 years ago when I received an A5 training log booklet at a road race. Once I'd completed all the pages I replicated the format and printed my own, which covered a number of years. And then somewhere along the way I lost the plot and stopped logging for a period - it may have been as long as two years. I then got onto an Excel spreadsheet format and I've used it ever since; except for the past few months.
I'm not quite sure why I lost the plot but it seems to have happened after my "38 Days of Running" this year, which was quite disjointed - interrupted by a bad bash to my knee (I whacked it on a rock) and then Expedition Africa.
I find keeping a log to be beneficial to my training, especially to highlight any gaps and also in the tallying of my weekly mileage. Sure, without the log I can reflect on my week but memory is fallible and half the time by Friday can't remember what happened on Monday. So the log does help me to keep track of what I've been up to, where, how long, how fast (or slow!) and with whom.
December is always a good training month for me. Work is quiet, holiday fever is in the air, my neighbourhood is green and pretty and weather is fantastic. And with the Sabie 80km coming up at the end of January, it will be good to keep an eye on distance, cross-training activities and overall consistency.
There are loads of ways to track your training, specially with online systems and mobile apps. I like my spreadsheet that I've set up to add distance and duration. It's simple, but it works.
I'm not quite sure why I lost the plot but it seems to have happened after my "38 Days of Running" this year, which was quite disjointed - interrupted by a bad bash to my knee (I whacked it on a rock) and then Expedition Africa.
I find keeping a log to be beneficial to my training, especially to highlight any gaps and also in the tallying of my weekly mileage. Sure, without the log I can reflect on my week but memory is fallible and half the time by Friday can't remember what happened on Monday. So the log does help me to keep track of what I've been up to, where, how long, how fast (or slow!) and with whom.
December is always a good training month for me. Work is quiet, holiday fever is in the air, my neighbourhood is green and pretty and weather is fantastic. And with the Sabie 80km coming up at the end of January, it will be good to keep an eye on distance, cross-training activities and overall consistency.
There are loads of ways to track your training, specially with online systems and mobile apps. I like my spreadsheet that I've set up to add distance and duration. It's simple, but it works.
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
December Challenge
I miss my regular yoga practices.
A few years ago I got into yoga and attended Ashtanga classes two or three times a week - must have been for more than a year. The studio closed for a long period (moved venues too) and by-the-by I got into circus school... then yoga re-opened and later circus closed... And then circus re-opened and I decided to avoid the commute and not go back... And so I went to some pole classes instead earlier this year until I was away frequently. And all the time I missed yoga. I went to two or three random classes and enjoyed the focus of it again. So I gave myself a challenge in May; to do sun salutations every day with the odd addition of standing postures.
It took about a week for it to kick in and kick in it did. I didn't do the whole of May as Expedition Africa got in the way. But the difference that just over three weeks of yoga push ups and upward dogs and downward dogs made to my flexibility, jump backs and jump forwards and balance and hamstrings and calves... !
I've missed this.
I like the open space and peace of the yoga studio - and practicing with other people in a guided class. I don't have much inclination for self-practice but as my favourite studio has again closed and there is no Ashtanga in my neighbourhood, it is time for some self-discipline (at least a little!). Sun salutations I can commit to. A full practice regularly on my own? Maybe in time.
I find the yoga to be really beneficial for my running, especially to keep my hamstrings and calves in good condition. And it feels good to be all stretched out. Ideally it works best to do the practice straight after a run; but sometimes I end up doing this late at night before bed, which seems to suit me too.
I'm looking forward to feeling the yoga settle into my muscles over the next few days. With the 80km ultra in Sabie at the end of January, regular stretching to go with increased mileage will prove beneficial long term.
A few years ago I got into yoga and attended Ashtanga classes two or three times a week - must have been for more than a year. The studio closed for a long period (moved venues too) and by-the-by I got into circus school... then yoga re-opened and later circus closed... And then circus re-opened and I decided to avoid the commute and not go back... And so I went to some pole classes instead earlier this year until I was away frequently. And all the time I missed yoga. I went to two or three random classes and enjoyed the focus of it again. So I gave myself a challenge in May; to do sun salutations every day with the odd addition of standing postures.
It took about a week for it to kick in and kick in it did. I didn't do the whole of May as Expedition Africa got in the way. But the difference that just over three weeks of yoga push ups and upward dogs and downward dogs made to my flexibility, jump backs and jump forwards and balance and hamstrings and calves... !
I've missed this.
I like the open space and peace of the yoga studio - and practicing with other people in a guided class. I don't have much inclination for self-practice but as my favourite studio has again closed and there is no Ashtanga in my neighbourhood, it is time for some self-discipline (at least a little!). Sun salutations I can commit to. A full practice regularly on my own? Maybe in time.
I find the yoga to be really beneficial for my running, especially to keep my hamstrings and calves in good condition. And it feels good to be all stretched out. Ideally it works best to do the practice straight after a run; but sometimes I end up doing this late at night before bed, which seems to suit me too.
I'm looking forward to feeling the yoga settle into my muscles over the next few days. With the 80km ultra in Sabie at the end of January, regular stretching to go with increased mileage will prove beneficial long term.
Monday, 25 August 2014
Let's talk about hips, baby
There's something to be said for good posture.
A few weeks ago I developed a sore right knee. As I've never had knee problems this was very strange and unwelcome. Shortly after this I whacked my knee badly - on a rock - while playing at Suikerbosrand. A week of rest healed everything - mostly.
I've put the initial pre-bash niggle down to new road shoes.
The reason I put it down to shoes is:
I've given the shoes to a same-foot-size friend and he's rocking them. During this process of elimination I started thinking about posture because I felt that the shoes had affected my posture.
A few weeks ago I developed a sore right knee. As I've never had knee problems this was very strange and unwelcome. Shortly after this I whacked my knee badly - on a rock - while playing at Suikerbosrand. A week of rest healed everything - mostly.
I've put the initial pre-bash niggle down to new road shoes.
The reason I put it down to shoes is:
- I ran about 70km at Washie in my old shoes. No problems.
- I run 6km in the new shoes and I'm left with a sore knee
- Footfalls shouldn't be noisy - light, think light. The new shoes seem to make me land differently and my footfalls are noisier.
- I ran in old shoes for a week; no problem. I run once in the new shoes; sore knee.
I've given the shoes to a same-foot-size friend and he's rocking them. During this process of elimination I started thinking about posture because I felt that the shoes had affected my posture.
A fundamental principle of ChiRunning is "practice good posture". PoseMethod also promotes good body position. It's easy to get lazy.
My foundation in running for more than a decade was done on a treadmill. Kilometres and kilometres of treadmill running. Long distance, speed intervals - all of the above. What the treadmill has in its favour is that it eliminates variables like uneven surfaces, slacking off, barking dogs, pavements and cars. You can focus entirely on running and posture and good form. If you can catch a reflection - even better. With a reflection you can self correct - shoulders, arms, back, hips, legs and feet. It really is an underrated training tool.
For me, if something niggles, it is 99.9% likely that my posture is off. Too many hours spent on my computer is mostly to blame. Sitting is a posture where you're always bent at the hips and we usually spend more time sitting than running so it is hardly a surprise that this filters into our running. When we run, we want to be straight and tall, with a slight forward lean from the torso. We shouldn't run like we sit.
And so, for the past few weeks I've been focusing on my posture, tweaking my head and shoulders and back and neck and hips. And I chatted to my Wednesday running buddy about this too. He'd been thinking exactly the same thing that week. We ran our run, self-correcting along the way.
Around the same time (about two weeks ago) I chatted to another run friend who was experiencing knee niggles. "Hips," I said. She agreed. It was something on her mind too. Must be hip season.
And hip mobility. This is something I first cottoned on to through yoga and also pole and circus school. Most foundation postures are hip openers. Open hips makes so many postures possible. Poor hip mobility will result in bad posture and niggles/injuries. Yoga is great for improving hip mobility.
I think that the biggest running posture errors stem from the hips (tilted too far forwards). Everything is connected and if one part is out of alignment, it will push the others out and that's when niggles (and later injuries) occur. This makes me think of the Bones Song...
The toe bone's connected to the foot bone,The foot bone's connected to the ankle bone,The ankle bone's connected to the leg bone,Now shake dem skeleton bones!
The leg bone's connected to the knee bone,The knee bone's connected to the thigh bone,The thigh bone's connected to the hip bone,Now shake dem skeleton bones!
And it isn't only knee niggles that occur as a result of bad posture and hip positing. Glute issues and ITB can probably be throw into the mix too.
Good hip positioning results from solid core stability and a conscious effort to run with good posture. When you're out running this week, every few minutes think "Hips!" and self-correct as you run. That's what I'm doing on my runs. See whether it makes a difference to your footfalls, landing impact, posture and feeling of lightness. Works for me.
Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Gilloolies hill repeat party, Sat 19 July 2014
My local Gilloolies (also spelled Gilloolys) hill is wicked! It makes for seriously technical and lung-busting repeats. I've written about it before.
I've got a bunch of people who are keen to give it a go - and it helps to have someone show you the trails. Once you know what is what, you can return again whenever you want.
So...
Saturday, 19 July 2014
14h45 for 15h00 (don't be late - be ready to start at 3pm)
Meet on Fouchee Terrace, Morninghill
Bring a water bottle or hydration pack (you can leave it at the top/bottom)
We don't do the hill 'together'. Each person can set off in their own time and do the hill at their own pace.
I've got a rock at the top and a rock at the bottom that I use as the start and finish spots for each repeat.
Ascents can take as little as 5:30 (or faster?) and up to a couple of minutes longer (even 8 minutes is still hard work). You go at your own pace and you can choose how many repeats to do. Two is good, three is great, four is quite something and five will burn your legs and lungs.
Descents are tricky and take as much or longer than the ascent.
Any shoes - trail or road - are fine. Trail would be preferable.
I hope to see you there. Just rock up if you're keen.
I've got a bunch of people who are keen to give it a go - and it helps to have someone show you the trails. Once you know what is what, you can return again whenever you want.
So...
Saturday, 19 July 2014
14h45 for 15h00 (don't be late - be ready to start at 3pm)
Meet on Fouchee Terrace, Morninghill
Bring a water bottle or hydration pack (you can leave it at the top/bottom)
We don't do the hill 'together'. Each person can set off in their own time and do the hill at their own pace.
I've got a rock at the top and a rock at the bottom that I use as the start and finish spots for each repeat.
Ascents can take as little as 5:30 (or faster?) and up to a couple of minutes longer (even 8 minutes is still hard work). You go at your own pace and you can choose how many repeats to do. Two is good, three is great, four is quite something and five will burn your legs and lungs.
Descents are tricky and take as much or longer than the ascent.
Any shoes - trail or road - are fine. Trail would be preferable.
I hope to see you there. Just rock up if you're keen.
 |
| A three-hill repeat session from about a month ago. |
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Runtastic, funtastic
I don't often run with my mobile phone on me. Very rarely and usually only if there is another runner/s with me.
I heard about the Runtastic app yesterday and what caught my attention is that someone at their computer can login and watch you moving on the map (Nevarest offers similar functionality for sports events).
I loaded the app on my phone last night and will try it this afternoon when I run with my friend. I did login on my computer to watch the tracks of a couple of people - quite amazing.
You can search for people that you know are on Runtastic and if you know they're out running/ biking/ paddling (like in a race), you can follow their movements. It's like following an adventure race online. Hahahaha.
Also, say your partner heads out for a long run, you can keep tabs on them from home to make sure they're ok and to know when they're returning home.
Runtastic uses mobile towers for your location or GPS for greater accuracy.
There are loads of training apps available and I think they can be super fun - especially for online tracking of friends and relations participating in events like the Metrogaine next week Wednesday (18 June) and the rogaining events at the end of July.
So, I'll give it a try tonight to see how it works but I'm not going to change my habits any time soon to be running regularly with my phone (risky) nor posting workouts to social media. Not my thing. There are super motivational functions to these apps, which are cool, but which I don't need. It's really the tracking - and online following potential - that totally appeals to me - and I see this as being great fun to use at races.
I heard about the Runtastic app yesterday and what caught my attention is that someone at their computer can login and watch you moving on the map (Nevarest offers similar functionality for sports events).
I loaded the app on my phone last night and will try it this afternoon when I run with my friend. I did login on my computer to watch the tracks of a couple of people - quite amazing.
You can search for people that you know are on Runtastic and if you know they're out running/ biking/ paddling (like in a race), you can follow their movements. It's like following an adventure race online. Hahahaha.
Also, say your partner heads out for a long run, you can keep tabs on them from home to make sure they're ok and to know when they're returning home.
Runtastic uses mobile towers for your location or GPS for greater accuracy.
There are loads of training apps available and I think they can be super fun - especially for online tracking of friends and relations participating in events like the Metrogaine next week Wednesday (18 June) and the rogaining events at the end of July.
So, I'll give it a try tonight to see how it works but I'm not going to change my habits any time soon to be running regularly with my phone (risky) nor posting workouts to social media. Not my thing. There are super motivational functions to these apps, which are cool, but which I don't need. It's really the tracking - and online following potential - that totally appeals to me - and I see this as being great fun to use at races.
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Eye Gym - visual training
A week ago I started on Dr Sherylle Calder's EyeGym programme. This has come about through the SA Orienteering Federation. Fellow coach, Tania, and I are doing the month-long programme to gauge our gains with orienteering map-reading skills in mind, and whether this is something that we would like our youth, junior and senior orienteers to do.
The basis behind EyeGym is to improve how much and how quickly you see - it isn't about your eyesight, but what you take in. This affects how you respond, decisions you make... "Most people are born with good eyesight but vision, the ability to identify, interpret and understand can be trained and improved," it says on the site.
Orienteering is a very visual sport. From looking at a map while moving to looking at your surrounds and back again. If you can take in more and more and more with just a quick glance at the map - and keep your eye on where you are while running... all the better.
Every day I login for a 15 minute session. There are four skills - eye skipping, track following, eye speed and hand-eye coordination - that I'm training daily. Each has a specific game and there seem to be 30 levels for each. I'm over halfway on all except eye skipping, which I'm finding to be quite challenging (but I did go up another level today). As you go up the levels, the objects move faster and there are more distractions to fox you.
I've found that mid-morning or noon are the best times to do my daily drills. At night I'm too tired to track fast-moving balls and to react fast enough to climb levels.
Tania started the month-long online programme three weeks ahead of me. She only has a few days left and is ranked 4th overall! She finally achieved her one outstanding level yesterday and, as per Sherylle's recommendations, she turned her hand to practising on lower-levels, which she found to be very slow - a sure sign of advancement. At the moment I find gaining each level to be challenging although I'm climbing up the ranks daily.
It will be interesting to see where I end up in another 25 days.
The basis behind EyeGym is to improve how much and how quickly you see - it isn't about your eyesight, but what you take in. This affects how you respond, decisions you make... "Most people are born with good eyesight but vision, the ability to identify, interpret and understand can be trained and improved," it says on the site.
Orienteering is a very visual sport. From looking at a map while moving to looking at your surrounds and back again. If you can take in more and more and more with just a quick glance at the map - and keep your eye on where you are while running... all the better.
Every day I login for a 15 minute session. There are four skills - eye skipping, track following, eye speed and hand-eye coordination - that I'm training daily. Each has a specific game and there seem to be 30 levels for each. I'm over halfway on all except eye skipping, which I'm finding to be quite challenging (but I did go up another level today). As you go up the levels, the objects move faster and there are more distractions to fox you.
I've found that mid-morning or noon are the best times to do my daily drills. At night I'm too tired to track fast-moving balls and to react fast enough to climb levels.
Tania started the month-long online programme three weeks ahead of me. She only has a few days left and is ranked 4th overall! She finally achieved her one outstanding level yesterday and, as per Sherylle's recommendations, she turned her hand to practising on lower-levels, which she found to be very slow - a sure sign of advancement. At the moment I find gaining each level to be challenging although I'm climbing up the ranks daily.
It will be interesting to see where I end up in another 25 days.
Friday, 17 January 2014
I feel good, do-do do-do do-do do (and Gilloolies hill invite)
Despite a bit of a coughy-nosey thing last week, I've had really good and comfortable runs this week. I'm almost back to feeling as good as I felt in July last year on my return from Argentina, where I ran plenty.
August to end-October were really bad running months for me. Sure, I still ran three times a week, but I was losing ground more than gaining any of it - too little sleep and too much stress didn't help at all. I've been clawing my way back since.
A big part of my recent feel-good gains is certainly related to my weekly hill sessions up and down Gilloolies, which I've been doing since late-November. Stands to reason. I felt so great in Argentina because I ran/walked hills almost daily and for long sessions.
Gilloolies is a wicked hill that overlooks the Gilloolies Interchange. The view from the top is extraordinary and on clear days you can see far North, far South, towards the airport in the East and over to Northcliff in the West.
A trail runs up and along the middle of the ridge. On the way up it is technical trail with rocks and loose stones. And it is steep. Very, very steep. I'd love to say that I 'run Gilloolies' but truth be told, I'm not running. I can't. Too steep. More like hard and fast trekking.
I've got a rock at the bottom that is my start and a rock at the top that marks my finish. The fastest that I've done an ascent is 6:30. It's not easy! I'm up to four repeats. Oh my lungs!
Going down is pretty tricky - even trickier than going up.
There's actually a double hump to the ridge; I usually just use the first (and worst) hump.
At the moment I'm there on Sunday afternoons. 16h30.
If you wanna join me this Sunday... ? (Edenvale bunch?)
If you're keen, rock up a few mins before 16h30
so we can get going on time.
Bring a spare set of lungs.
August to end-October were really bad running months for me. Sure, I still ran three times a week, but I was losing ground more than gaining any of it - too little sleep and too much stress didn't help at all. I've been clawing my way back since.
A big part of my recent feel-good gains is certainly related to my weekly hill sessions up and down Gilloolies, which I've been doing since late-November. Stands to reason. I felt so great in Argentina because I ran/walked hills almost daily and for long sessions.
Gilloolies is a wicked hill that overlooks the Gilloolies Interchange. The view from the top is extraordinary and on clear days you can see far North, far South, towards the airport in the East and over to Northcliff in the West.
A trail runs up and along the middle of the ridge. On the way up it is technical trail with rocks and loose stones. And it is steep. Very, very steep. I'd love to say that I 'run Gilloolies' but truth be told, I'm not running. I can't. Too steep. More like hard and fast trekking.
I've got a rock at the bottom that is my start and a rock at the top that marks my finish. The fastest that I've done an ascent is 6:30. It's not easy! I'm up to four repeats. Oh my lungs!
Going down is pretty tricky - even trickier than going up.
There's actually a double hump to the ridge; I usually just use the first (and worst) hump.
At the moment I'm there on Sunday afternoons. 16h30.
If you wanna join me this Sunday... ? (Edenvale bunch?)
Meeting
point is in Morninghill. Parking on Fouchee Terrace. Bring water.
To
get into Morninghill, take the River Road boom-gate entrance. Drive straight
and over the little bridge. 2nd right into Sugarbush Road and 1st left into Le
Grande Terrace. At T-junction turn right onto Fouchee Terrace. Park on the
grassy spot (you'll see what I mean - the people mow the lawn here). From here I take a trail around and to the bottom of the
front of the right - facing the Gilloolies Interchange.
Bring a spare set of lungs.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Can you touch your toes?
At our orienteering school camp earlier this year I was absolutely shocked to see how many of these young teenagers were unable to touch their toes with legs straight. It's a fundamental!
There's good reason that flexibility is so often in the same sentence as fitness, strength and muscle endurance.
Flexibility has been front of mind for me for many years - from discovering flexibility limitations. First from early dabbling in yoga, then from pole fitness, then from more focused yoga (and pole) and now from circus school.
I never really got the strength-flexibility connection; it recently has started to click into place.
I'm fortunate in that I've generally always been reasonably flexible. Part natural - perhaps - and part because I've always incorporated stretching elements here and there - but never with much focus or attention.
I can touch my toes (the ground actually with a flat hand) and sitting on the ground with legs extended I can pretty much get my stomach on my thighs (thank you circus school). Even so, I can't do the splits (in any direction) and I'm not very good at sitting with legs in a v and striving to get my belly on the ground. Not the worst but really not good.
For me flexibility has always been about range of motion. More flexible = greater range of motion.
On Monday night at circus school we did a warm-up and then some conditioning drills. Leg lifts are a HUGE part of aerial performances, regardless of this discipline: silks, pole, aerial hoop, trapeze, rope... you name it. At some stage you'll be hanging above the ground by your hands and you've got to lift your legs above your head. C.O.R.E. strength. Big one. When I started at circus school in July last year I couldn't lift my legs much past half-way (90 degrees). I've progressively improved - as have my classmates. I thought I was pretty strong before. Not half!
So, Monday night our trainer takes us through a bunch of core drills with plank variations and other nasty-but-nice stuff. Then, we go to the pull up bars and he demands six leg lifts - all the way up. And you know what? We got it! Almost all of us completed the six reps with a great deal of proficiency. We haven't done this for a while so it was quite a kick. Just watching my classmates' successes was as good as experiencing my own. Watching them, I got a feel for that whole flexibility-strength connection.
For me, both elements have improved over the months. Because my touch-my-toes flexibility (pike) has improved, my leg lifts have improved. My strength has improved because I'm able to lift my legs over a greater range of motion. And, I've got this greater range of motion with straight legs - so I'm lifting a longer lever (harder) and it looks way better than bent knees. Ping-pong! The connection!
While flexibility can be measured (and improved) in every joint, I find that the good 'ol bend over and touch your toes is probably the most beneficial one to work on and a good measure of whether you're missing the party or not. Aside from being linked to the ability to cut your own toenails with ease, it's also beneficial for your running (stretch those hammies!) - and everything else too.
Cruising the web tonight I spotted an interesting paper linking hamstring flexibility and overuse injuries (running). Two groups of runners were used in the study: one group of runners who had sustained at least one overuse running injury and one group of runners who had been injury free throughout their running careers. There were no significant differences between the groups in average running pace, weekly distance run nor any of the other training variables analysed.
After working out, give some thought to your hammies. There are a dozen (and more) hamstring stretches that can be done (like here and here). Sitting standing, legs together, legs apart. It all helps. You'll need to put in a bit more than a quick five-second fold over if you want to see improvements. Aim for >10-second hold with a few repeats and every time you breathe out, sink deeper into the stretch. Don't overdo it though - easy does it.
How about we make May 'Touch your Toes Month' with the aim to improve from wherever you are now?
Nice hamstring stretch video from Runner's World.
[The other big toe-touching barrier is a large belly; if your stomach prevents you from touching your toes, then you're missing the plot (unless you're pregnant). Self-inflicted disability, folks].
There's good reason that flexibility is so often in the same sentence as fitness, strength and muscle endurance.
Flexibility has been front of mind for me for many years - from discovering flexibility limitations. First from early dabbling in yoga, then from pole fitness, then from more focused yoga (and pole) and now from circus school.
I never really got the strength-flexibility connection; it recently has started to click into place.
I'm fortunate in that I've generally always been reasonably flexible. Part natural - perhaps - and part because I've always incorporated stretching elements here and there - but never with much focus or attention.
I can touch my toes (the ground actually with a flat hand) and sitting on the ground with legs extended I can pretty much get my stomach on my thighs (thank you circus school). Even so, I can't do the splits (in any direction) and I'm not very good at sitting with legs in a v and striving to get my belly on the ground. Not the worst but really not good.
For me flexibility has always been about range of motion. More flexible = greater range of motion.
On Monday night at circus school we did a warm-up and then some conditioning drills. Leg lifts are a HUGE part of aerial performances, regardless of this discipline: silks, pole, aerial hoop, trapeze, rope... you name it. At some stage you'll be hanging above the ground by your hands and you've got to lift your legs above your head. C.O.R.E. strength. Big one. When I started at circus school in July last year I couldn't lift my legs much past half-way (90 degrees). I've progressively improved - as have my classmates. I thought I was pretty strong before. Not half!
So, Monday night our trainer takes us through a bunch of core drills with plank variations and other nasty-but-nice stuff. Then, we go to the pull up bars and he demands six leg lifts - all the way up. And you know what? We got it! Almost all of us completed the six reps with a great deal of proficiency. We haven't done this for a while so it was quite a kick. Just watching my classmates' successes was as good as experiencing my own. Watching them, I got a feel for that whole flexibility-strength connection.
For me, both elements have improved over the months. Because my touch-my-toes flexibility (pike) has improved, my leg lifts have improved. My strength has improved because I'm able to lift my legs over a greater range of motion. And, I've got this greater range of motion with straight legs - so I'm lifting a longer lever (harder) and it looks way better than bent knees. Ping-pong! The connection!
While flexibility can be measured (and improved) in every joint, I find that the good 'ol bend over and touch your toes is probably the most beneficial one to work on and a good measure of whether you're missing the party or not. Aside from being linked to the ability to cut your own toenails with ease, it's also beneficial for your running (stretch those hammies!) - and everything else too.
Cruising the web tonight I spotted an interesting paper linking hamstring flexibility and overuse injuries (running). Two groups of runners were used in the study: one group of runners who had sustained at least one overuse running injury and one group of runners who had been injury free throughout their running careers. There were no significant differences between the groups in average running pace, weekly distance run nor any of the other training variables analysed.
The sit and reach test, in which the IF [injury free] group performed better than the I [injured] group, was the only anthropometric variable that differed significantly between the groups. This result appears to support the speculation of several authors who have suggested that a lack of flexibility could lead to overuse injuries in runners. Lack of flexibility may increase the stiffness of a muscle, possibly placing more stress on the adjacent joints. Poor flexibility could also be indicative of a muscular imbalance, which would facilitate the earlier onset of fatigue, thereby leading to improper mechanics during the latter stages of a run.
Interestingly, there is no experimental evidence to demonstrate that stretching before or after running reduces the risk of overuse injuries. Similar results were found in the present study, with no differences reported in stretching habits between groups.
These results suggest that maintaining flexibility of the hamstrings may be important in preventing overuse running injuries, while the use of stretching as a means of warm up or cool down is not effective in reducing overuse injury risk.Yes, hammies are the big problem. Tight hammies mean that you'll never get those hands under your toes, much less to your toes. Hamstring flexibility can improve with time and attention. It really does.
After working out, give some thought to your hammies. There are a dozen (and more) hamstring stretches that can be done (like here and here). Sitting standing, legs together, legs apart. It all helps. You'll need to put in a bit more than a quick five-second fold over if you want to see improvements. Aim for >10-second hold with a few repeats and every time you breathe out, sink deeper into the stretch. Don't overdo it though - easy does it.
How about we make May 'Touch your Toes Month' with the aim to improve from wherever you are now?
Nice hamstring stretch video from Runner's World.
[The other big toe-touching barrier is a large belly; if your stomach prevents you from touching your toes, then you're missing the plot (unless you're pregnant). Self-inflicted disability, folks].
Thursday, 31 January 2013
End of 31-day Challenge
A month ago my mom proposed a 31-day Challenge to get back into the swing of walking regularly. She's planning to do a section of the Camino in France in September. I decided to join her.
Looking back at my log I did fairly well.
Over the past 31 days:
Looking back at my log I did fairly well.
Over the past 31 days:
- I logged 190km
- On two days I had double running sessions; that's how it happened.
- I missed seven days of foot-based activity whether running/walking/hiking (without missing these I could have logged around 240km for the month!)
- On two of those missed days I was so frikkin' stiff from Fred's Westcliff Stairs Challenge that I wasn't even walking so lekker, much less able to run. On one missed day I drove to Dullstroom for Highland Tracks and on another I was at AR Club doing run licenses and memberships. The other three days were not activity free as I was at circus class (one day was an MTB + circus day).
Although running is my primary discipline, I usually aim for five or six runs a week plus other activities like circus. It's a good balance. I had a really good, steady and consistent December so I'm feeling really good.
My mom did really well. At the start of the Challenge I made her a month planner to tick off her days completed - she doesn't keep a training log. I started off with stickers that I had on hand and then I went and bought prettier, fancier ones.
She was really consistent but missed a few days. There was the weekend of lots of rain and then the past few days the wheels fell off her routine as she has had to deal with such kuk on a project that she's managing (in short, a consultant hasn't done what he was meant to and they're into testing phase). She's getting back into the swing on things and already her walking has improved.
Nice challenge.
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
Training log
I first started to keep a training log in about 1991 when I received a log booklet at a running race. I kept a paper-and-ink log for a few years and then didn't log much in the mid 2000s. I started logging in late 2008 - this time an Excel spreadsheet. Sure, I've dabbled with online logs but I like to have my file on my computer for my own purposes. I've got no inclination to share my run routes/log daily.
My spreadsheet has columns for run distance and time as well as time entries for other activities like mtb, paddle and 'other'. Other is usually pole dance, yoga and circus class. I hooked up a graph function to represent run distance each month as well as time spent on disciplines - I don't usually use this although the content populates automatically. For me the most important thing is that at least six days a week have entries in one or more columns.
I've never added up mileages or times so I was totally impressed when my friend Ian (in his 40s) posted his run log for the year on the 31st...
I'd like to see my running numbers for the year go up so I'm going to aim for over 2000km this year. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.
My spreadsheet has columns for run distance and time as well as time entries for other activities like mtb, paddle and 'other'. Other is usually pole dance, yoga and circus class. I hooked up a graph function to represent run distance each month as well as time spent on disciplines - I don't usually use this although the content populates automatically. For me the most important thing is that at least six days a week have entries in one or more columns.
I've never added up mileages or times so I was totally impressed when my friend Ian (in his 40s) posted his run log for the year on the 31st...
4,526kmSo, I added up my mileage for the year... oh goodness. Do I feel inadequate! I've only logged close on 1400 kilometres for the year (minus a number of logs where I was away and couldn't remember what I did). April to June and October to December were my best quarters. I've never been big on high mileage training and it shows in my total vs Ian's. Nonetheless, I'm super impressed with his achievements for the year. To my credit, he isn't putting in 3-5hrs a week of circus school / pole class too.
339 days of running
Highest week 123km (this week!)
1 sub 3 marathon
A 21km PB (81:05)
7h45 comrades
Seven podiums
Marathons on three continents
Lifetime mileage at 87,028km (including 86 marathons or further)
I'd like to see my running numbers for the year go up so I'm going to aim for over 2000km this year. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.
31-day challenge
My mom is like this. She admits to needing something to work towards. Her 2013 adventure will be to walk a section of the French Camino route. There are Camino routes all over Europe - all leading, ultimately, to Santiago in Spain. She did the traditional pilgrimage route over five weeks in 2011 (this is her talk on Camino de Santiago from FEAT Jo'burg, October 2012). She's looking at September for this adventure.
This means that she has to get back into the habit of walking regularly. The first few months will be about getting fit and acclimatising her feet and legs to walking again - speed, duration and distance. As winter approaches she'll put on her backpack and steadily increase the weight to its 10-kilogram 'race weight'. By September she'll be ready for weeks on her feet, with a loaded backpack.
To get back into the swing of things she decided to do her own 31-day challenge this month; walking every day. I'm joining her (but with running and sometimes a walk with her). You're welcome to join the challenge too. Only 29 days left after today...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)