It’s early Spring 1972. A University coach is walking round the track with a 21 year old who is being tipped by the American media to have the potential to do great things later that summer in the forthcoming Munich Olympics. The young collegiate star is anxious as he feels his track splits should be faster if he is to be able to make the US team by running well in the trials.

The wise 61 year old coach gently introduces him to two foundational concepts. Bill Bowerman turns to Steve Prefontaine and says, “Hey Pre, I want you to understand the difference between what I’m going to call ‘goal pace’ and ‘date pace’… It will help put your mind at rest”.

‘Goal pace’ and ‘Date Pace’

More than half a century later within any conversation that the now immortalised late coach and athlete will have had, the intertwined notions of ‘goal’ and ‘date’ pace remain as relevant as they were in the summer of ’72 before Prefontaine’s agonising 4^th place over 5000m in Munich.

‘Goal pace’ is the easy one. Before his untimely death in 1975 as he was preparing an assault on the Montreal Olympics, ‘Pre’ would go on to run an American record of 13:21 in Helsinki in 1974.

Two years prior to this, he and Bowerman would have known that come the Olympic final on 10^th September 1972, to stand a chance of Gold he would have to be running 400m repetitions at 64s per lap or faster to be able to take on the likes of Lasse Viren, Mohamed Gammoudi, Ian Stewart and Emiel Puttemans.

But in May 1972, Bowerman had calculated that ‘Pre’ had a ‘date’ pace of 66s per lap on those 12 x 400m repeats. He’d need to find an additional 2 seconds per lap over the next 4 months or so. So therein lies the difference between ‘date pace’ – the pace which one is capable of today and ‘goal pace’ – the pace which the athlete strives to attain.

Men’s 800m – chase for the line. Photo: Lindie Naughton

‘Run to Feel’ or ‘Run to Split’?

Whist Bowerman would have quantified the ‘date pace’ which Pre was capable of, some contemporary coaches would advocate putting the stopwatch to one side and encouraging the athlete to ‘run to feel’.

Indeed this more qualitatively based way of training, where appropriate, can be a great way of remaining faithful to Bowerman’s now well established notion of ‘date pace’.

Typically ‘running to feel’ can be achieved through telling an athlete ‘I want you to run this rep at your 5k race feel pace’ or ‘I want you to effect this tempo run at the pace you could keep up for one hour’.

With an athlete who may be young and/ or inexperienced over a greater spread of distances it may be worth thinking about running to a Borg scale of perceived exertion.

For example, ‘I want you to run this one at a 6 out of 10’. Either way ‘running to feel’ empowers the athlete rather than developing a reliance on the stopwatch, the latter of which is sometimes unattainable due to the time of year or physical condition of the said athlete. Even just the day in question.

The U18 girls 1500m at Dublin Juvenile Indoors. Photos: Lindie Naughton

Periodisation

The example of Prefontaine’s hypothetically situated conversation with Bowerman is significant because we framed it as occurring in early May. Early May, could be an ok time to run to ‘feel’ and not ‘split’ even on a track session but during a different point of the periodisation cycle- when looking at pre-competition and competition phases for example, running to ‘split’ some of the time is functional if not imperative.

That’s why we can put the stopwatch aside when running to’ feel’ but we never throw it away because we need to find the drawer its in when the time comes to run to ‘split’ to give us a precise indication of how close to ‘goal pace’ we are.

Exploding the binary

So we are left with sessions we may effect according to ‘feel’ on the one hand and those which must be effected according to ‘split’ on the other.

‘Is there a middle road?’, we may ask.

I believe there is. Why not combine running to ‘feel’ with running to ‘split’ in a single session?

Here’s an example I used with a Team England Masters athlete aiming for a half marathon, recently. They were aiming to run 78 minutes for 13.1 miles, which is approximately 6 minute miling.

Example session

2 miles in 12 mins (run to split)

3 mins passive recovery

4 x 5 mins @ differential (run to feel) off 90s jog recovery

Rep 1. 2.5 mins @ half marathon feel pace; 2.5 mins @ 10 mile feel pace.

Rep 2. 2 mins @ half marathon feel pace; 2 mins @ 10 mile feel pace; 60s @ 10k feel pace.

Rep 3. 2 mins @ 10k feel pace; 60s float; 2 mins @ 10k feel pace.

Rep 4. 2 mins @ 10 mile feel pace; 60s @ 5k feel pace; 2 mins @ 10 mile feel pace.

3 mins passive recovery

2 miles in 12 mins (run to split)

Analysis

So we can see how the session above (which please consider is specific to the needs of one particular athlete) involves a ‘sandwich’ type approach. The two slices of bread at the top and the bottom of the session involve running to ‘split’ and the proverbial cheese and pickle in the middle allow the athlete to run to ‘feel’.

So why adopt this hybrid approach? Its as much psychological as it is physical. Two psychologists- Apter and Smith revolutionised thinking in the mid 1970s when they came up with what has become known as Reversal Theory.

One of the ideas behind the theory is that its good for people, including athletes, not to spend too much time in any one state of mind. People, athletes included, according to this duo, need to be shifted or ‘reversed’ (hence Reversal Theory) between one state of mind and another.

So more specifically running to ‘split’ makes the athlete goal focused or what they called ‘telic’. On the other hand, running to ‘feel’ makes athletes ‘process’ focussed. By running to both feel and time rather than measured distance and split the athlete can take the goal focussed pressure off themselves and listen to the kinaesthetic feedback of the body-

‘How is my breathing?; ‘Why do my legs feel heavy?’

This is so much harder to do when one is chasing the split of Bowerman’s ‘goal pace’. In a racing situation its healthy for athletes to constantly trigger their own reversals between ‘goal’ and ‘process’.

The masters athlete chasing the 1hr 18 min half marathon needs to make sure they are on track each mile at 6 min miling to attain their goal but in between they must take the pressure off and listen to their body or they will risk tensing up and early fatigue.

If it benefits athletes to adapt such a strategy in racing then when not build this interplay into training by having both run to ‘feel’ and run to ‘split’ components built into one single session?

In short an eclectic approach may be engendered as part of a postmodern approach to training rather than feeling that one has to choose between the binaries of the old industrial order inhabited by Bowerman and Prefontaine.

The above leaves us with several questions for self-reflection:

1. In what ways are Bill Bowermans’ concepts of ‘goal pace’ and ‘date pace’ still relevant a quarter of a century after his passing?
2. When might ‘date pace’ be best effected according to ‘feel’ rather than ‘split’?
3. At what points of the periodisation cycle does running to ‘split’ rather than ‘feel’ become more important?
4. When do I have the opportunity to run to both ‘split’ and ‘feel’ within a single session?

Matt Long has served as both a Great Britain Masters team manager and England team coach. He has worked with both a Masters and Junior world champion. He welcomes contact through mattlongcoach@gmail.com

The post Pace for today, not tomorrow appeared first on Fast Running.

Last summer, Colin Lancaster and I treated you to the Restaurant of Running (‘Training Menu’, August 25th) where you might recall that one of our two keen salivating athletes, hungry for success reached out straight for the quick fix of a training soup rather than working his way sequentially through the entire training menu. The second went straight for the speedwork dessert.

You may remember that both left the restaurant with empty training bellies that night and headed over the road for another quick training fix, which involved a heavy dose of fast food style cheeseburgers. Their training diet couldn’t work. So 6 months later have they learned? Is their training diet any better? Let’s join them once more….

Back for snacks

This time round our ‘Dumb and Dumber’ style athlete duo are in their local coffee shop. They are feeling a tad peckish so along with their cappuccinos they decide to order a bar of chocolate each. They reach out over the counter for the nougat based and almond coated treat from Switzerland, invented way back in 1908 by Theodor Tobler.

As they sit down to munch on their Toblerones out of the corner of their eyes, they notice that sat on the vey next table to them are the very two ath-letes they bumped into at the Restaurant of Running 6 months ago. Remember that ‘Smart’ and ‘Smarter’ chose to eat differently compared with ‘Dumb’ and ‘Dumber’. They sensibly ordered a five course training meal from a periodised menu.

Their big aerobic starter was followed by a plate of hills, then a saucer of anaerobic work, followed by an integrative dessert. They left room for some mint tapers right at the end to make sure they had time to digest everything and used an alactic toothpick throughout the five course meal which kept their taste buds nice and sharp all the way through. But that was 6 months ago and here all 4 athletes are once again in the coffee shop.

As they munch on their standard sized Toblerones, breathless and belching, ‘Dumb’ and ‘Dumber’ can’t help but notice ‘Smart’ and ‘Smarter’ are also gently working through their own Toblerone bars- but significantly these bars are different- they are giant sized whoppingly big Toblerones.

Bigger base = more satisfaction

These bars have a much wider base and are bigger in aerobic volume and ‘Dumb’ and ‘Dumber’ begin to snigger amongst themselves. Unable to contain himself ‘Dumb’ calls over and says to ‘Smart’ and ‘Smarter’- “Hey, these standard sized bars are much better than the giant ones you two are eating. You get to the peak of the bar where the delicious almonds are much quicker than you do with your giant sized bar”.

‘Smart’ politely replies that he has no desire to reach a quick peak by scoffing his bar down his throat- he’s in no rush to finish the chocolate off. He’s taking plenty of oxygenated breaths between bites and is gently aerobically working through the base of the bar. He reminds ‘Dumb’ that when he eventually gets to the peak of his giant it will be higher than on a standard bar and the almonds will taste even better.

‘Dumber’ then pipes up and shouts to ‘Smarter’ – “But our standard size bars have more chunks and more little peaks than your giant sized bar”. Politely ‘Smarter’ replies that he’s happy with the one giant peak of his bar. He accepts that his giant sized bar will fill him up. He’’ll need time to recover and regenerate before he eats another one perhaps not for several more months.

‘Smart’ and ‘Smarter’ eventually finish off their giant Toblerones and prepare to leave their coffee shop. Out of the corner of their eyes they see ‘Dumb’ and ‘Dumber’ who were scoffing their standard sized bars frantically just minutes ago.

There they are, unbelievably back at the counter, spending more money on a couple of muffins- “We’re still a little hungry”, ‘Dumb’ says to the man behind the counter. ‘Smart’ and ‘Smarter’ look at each other in bemusement and share the thought that ‘Dumb’ and ‘Dumber’ will never learn.

Matt Long is Midlands Mens Team manager for Road, Cross Country and Masters. He welcomes contact for support at mattlongcoach@gmail.com

The post Sweet Tooth appeared first on Fast Running.

43% of regular exercisers in the UK are exercising more now than they were before lockdown

82% of UK runners say running is helping to clear their mind and 78% say exercise is helping them feel more sane and in control

72% of runners want to keep running as much as they are now after the pandemic ends

ASICS Research into new runners

Amidst the confinement and isolation of lockdown, the UK has fallen in love with running – that is according to a new study^[1] by ASICS. More importantly, the research shows nearly three quarters of UK runners plan to stick with their new exercise routine.

The study of 14,000 regular exercisers^[2] across 12 countries, found that more than a third (36%) globally and 43% in the UK are exercising more now than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic began – despite most sports being brought to a standstill by social distancing measures.

Meanwhile, figures from fitness-tracking app, Runkeeper^[3], show that runners of every level are clocking up more strides, more often. During April 2020, the app saw a 667% rise in registrations in the UK and a 105% increase in monthly active users compared to the same time last year. It also reported a 98% spike in the number of people in the UK heading out for a weekly run.

Running and feeling free

Yet the ASICS study also reveals that, for the majority of people, this activity surge is down to more than just physical health.

Two-thirds (67%) say exercise helps them cope mentally when faced with challenging situations like the one we are in now, while eight in ten (78%) runners say that being active is making them feel saner and more in control. A similar number (82%) say running is playing a key role in helping them clear their mind.

Linda van Aken, VP Running, ASICS EMEA says: “Despite the lockdown and social distancing measures, exercise and running in particular have become central to many people’s daily lives. Our study’s findings prove that a run is much more than just a run, especially in times of crisis. It’s a way for people to put aside the mental pressures and challenges of this pandemic and feel free.”

The first parkrun back might well be more crowded than usual as new runners take to the popular community event.

Keeping the mind healthy

Dr Brendon Stubbs, one of the world’s most influential exercise & mental health researchers, based at King’s College London says: “As one of the first multi-country studies, the results demonstrate that during lockdown, running has become a lifeline for many people to boost their physical and mental wellbeing.

These findings support previous evidence which has demonstrated that regular exercise is effective to prevent and treat mental health conditions.

Overall, the study by ASICS reinforces what we instinctively know: physical activity makes us feel better and never has there been a more important time to become active and experience the mental health benefits from movement.’’

Running past COVID-19

Furthermore, runners across the board are keen to keep their active habits going when this crisis is over.

Nearly three-quarters of UK runners (72%) say they want to continue running as much as they are now after the COVID-19 pandemic comes to an end, while six in ten (61%) people who exercise regularly are determined to hang on to the important role sport and movement is currently playing in their lives.

Perhaps most encouragingly, among those who only took up running after the COVID-19 crisis started, nearly two thirds (62%) globally say they plan on sticking with it in future.

Helping the world run to feel free

Linda van Aken adds: “80% of Brits told us they feel best when their mind and body are in balance – and never has that balance been more important than it is now.

ASICS was founded on the belief that movement can help anyone achieve a sound mind through a sound body. So, with our products, services, and events, we want to help runners of every level go further, perform better and protect themselves against injury – both during this pandemic and beyond.”

 ASICS’ goal is to support everyone to enjoy the mental freedom that running brings. Which is why ASICS aims to ensure every runner is running in the right shoe – for complete peace of mind. ASICS is encouraging all runners to find their perfect shoe.

Fast Running would like to add that this shoe may be found at a range of different brands and it’s important to find out what works best for you as an individual. Maybe check out ReRun Clothing for some preloved kit?

Get Involved

ASICS is encouraging people to share their post-run or post-workout picture on Instagram with how running or exercise makes them feel. People should use #RunToFeel and tag @ASICSEurope and a friend to do the same.

For more information follow #RunToFeel or visit asics.com/mk/run-to-feel

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post “Lots of new runners” say ASICS appeared first on Fast Running.

The group run can be a brilliant thing, a mixture of abilities getting together to just chill out, enjoy some easy runs and shoot the shit. It’s a huge part of any athlete’s training. The easy mileage make up a big part of the volume and it’s great to share. 

But share those miles with the wrong person, or even just getting over eager yourself, and the training race begins. 

Half steppin’

So it only takes one half stepper (someone who always has to be half a step ahead, regardless of pace) and a sprinkling of ego for the pace to start picking up. Be it an easy, progression or tempo run, the conversation flows and the pace gets faster every mile.

Someone like myself, a certified half stepper, only need be with another competitive runner and before either of us know, it’s a training race. Living and training with Paul Navesey we both had to make sure the training race wasn’t too common a feature. But it’s not always a bad thing.

Using the training race

Training in groups is generally always a good thing, even when it gets competitive, if you’re sensible. 

It might be that you both have a progression run or if one athlete is just faster than the other, you can accept the pace will ramp up and plan it like that. The same with tempo running, although at least one of you needs to keep an eye on over doing it. 

When a whole bunch of half steppers are involved in a group run or session then things can easily escalate. This competitive edge can be great for an intervals session, pushing each other to your limits and enjoying the sharing of hard work. 

It still takes a sensible head not to get carried away, as smashing yourself in every hard session isn’t the way to go. You don’t always have to go to the well in every session, even the faster ones. 

With consistency being the key to progression, going a few per cent easier in tougher sessions might be the difference between getting injured and having months of uninterrupted training. 

Solo training race

You don’t need company to have a race. With everyone wearing a GPS watch and the world of Strava, you can be having virtual races all the time.

It normally starts as an easy pace but half way though to notice you’re on for a good average pace or a new PB for this loop. At first you ignore it. It’s an easy run, you’re well rested, just take it slow. Then the average pace drops again. It’s race time.

Before you know it you’re in a progression run and your easy 45 minutes is going to be a 36 minute 10k. Hammer time. 

Strava

Strava takes it a step further. I wouldn’t suggest that everyone reading this is a #StravaWanker who researches local segments to go “crush”, but every time you upload you see where they are. Your regular loop has regular segments. 

It’s good to see your own progression over months and years. It’s less beneficial to see it as a competition every time you step out the door and then charge up your favourite hill. These solo training races can leave you exhausted.

The middle ground

What training racing can leave you at risk of is doing all your running in the middle ground. Everything is ‘steady’ or ‘average’. Scientists like Stephen Seiler in Norway have highlighted the importance of polarisation in training.

The biggest difference between elite and non-elite runners wasn’t mileage, pace or hours, it was polarisation. 

The whole 80/20 theory championed by the like of Matt Fitzgerald come from Seiler and other’s work. 80% of your running should be easy and the other 20% at a high intensity.

Do too much in a mile ground between these two and you don’t get either right. You never really get enough easy running in, nor do you get the best out of yourself in the higher intensity sessions. 

Training races are the perfect place to go too hard for your session. Every session should have a purpose and if that’s to go a bit steadier then invite your half stepping mates. If it’s an easy recovery then maybe run solo.

And remember. We all know a training racer. If you can’t think of one, then you are one. Take it easy.

The post Are you a training racer? appeared first on Fast Running.

Recently Fast Running asked a handful of experts for their top simple tips for runners and Coach Newport was someone who responded. But, as with the vast majority of coaches within the UK, the senior endurance coach for Cheltenham Harriers went above and beyond.

Very active as @coachnewport on Twitter, the GB Duathlon team manager has a great bunch of athletes under his wing in the Cheltenham area and does open group sessions every Tuesday at the Prince of Wales stadium in Cheltenham.

Without further ado here’s Coach Newport’s top 15 tips for distance runners.

1) Coaches are your co-pilot, you’re driving

Have ownership of your experience in the sport. Coaches are like the satnav in your car.

You tell us where you want to go, we offer you one or more routes to get you there, you select the route that you’d like to take, then we give you directions & traffic updates along the way.

2) Set realistic goals

Set sensible goals. Too many athletes suffer from either NOT setting any goals at all, or setting ones that are way below their potential or unrealistically high.

3) Have the right environment

Ensure that your club/coaching environment is right for you.

Assess your Club vs Goals and ask these questions: (a) do I have the right level of training partners? (b) is the coach going to get me there? (c) do I have the right level of competition?

4) Easy means easy

Train hard when you’re asked to train hard. If you train hard on your easy or recovery days, you’re not doing yourself any favours.

5) Run fast

So long as you’re not in a recovery week, train fast at least twice per week.

Try to vary your training paces, rather than run sessions at one pace all season. For instance, if your goal is 10km, you need to train regularly at 3km, 5km, 10km and tempo pace throughout the year.

6) Run long

Don’t skip your Long Run. You should be looking to run at least 75mins as your longer run each week.

Most good 10km runners are comfortable running 90-120mins, depending on their racing calendar.

7) Use races for long runs

Don’t be afraid to run longer hard runs. Not enough athletes use local races as training opportunities.

It’s easy to get 60mins hard running done, within a local 1/2 marathon. Start easy, building into it until you’re at tempo, then hang tight until you need to back off again.

8) Pace yourself

Master your pacing. Any idiot can blow up in every race or session. Start sensibly, finish hard.

9) Consistency is key

Train consistently. There are no “hacks”, “shortcuts” or  “magic sessions” that will get you there. Real, lasting progress doesn’t happen overnight.

Crash training is more likely to break you than make you.

10) Build steady

Build your volume & intensity steadily. No big jumps.

11) Have fun

Enjoy your sport. If you’re enjoying your training & racing, then you’re more likely to have a positive mindset.

12) Power of the mind

Nurture this positive mindset. It really doesn’t matter how much potential you have, as you’ll never get the best out of yourself.

A good training & racing brain, combined with confidence, will help you hit your targets.

13) Learn from those you chase

Learn from those who are already at the level you’re chasing. Talk to them, talk to their coaches, train with them every now and again.

There is so much to learn, if you ask the right people, the right questions.

14) Dear diary…

Keep a training log. Without one, how can you ever look back & understand where/how it went right or wrong.

15) Know what you need

Things that WILL help you, but you don’t always NEED. 1. Speedwork 2. Strength and conditioning 3. Hills 4. Good nutrition 5. Racing flats 6. A heart rate monitor This list is endless.

Don’t be sh*t

According to several on Twitter who have worked with Coach Newport there should also be the edition of one last tip. Don’t be sh*t. Simple enough that one.

RELATED: 10 simple tips from 10 experts

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post 15 quality pieces of advice from Coach Dave Newport appeared first on Fast Running.

Whilst it may seem that all elite athletes are constantly searching for small margins of improvements, such as shipping their own mattress to every race or only eating the green M & Ms, they are also getting the simple things right first.

Before getting carried away, there are some good tried and tested basics that all top runners do, and if you focus your own approach to the basics, it could net you a five or ten per-cent performance boost.

We asked a handful of experts within their disciplines to pass on one piece of advice that often gets overlooked. From a sports dietitian, a top marathon coach and international runners to a strength and conditioning coach of Olympians, we have you covered.

Andrew James Hobdell, coached athletes to the last three Olympics

Listening to your body is key. It’s only natural to want to tick the boxes of the training set. Just remember taking an extra day or two after a hard session are not days lost but much-needed adaptation time needed.

Jon Brown, 2:09 marathoner and Olympic team coach

Be patient, set yourself short term and long term goals but be flexible in planning.

Value recovery as much as training and always be thinking about the impact of everything you do has on subsequent days as training needs to be consistent and sustainable.

Julia Davis, 2:39 marathoner

Change your shoes regularly. I wear through so many that I have to have a constant rotation and try not run in worn out trainers. It’s all part of looking after yourself.

Don’t neglect the foam roller either. I’ve certainly been guilty of that but it really helps.

James Stewart, British international 24hr runner

Remember to smile and enjoy the act of running for running’s sake from time to time.

Don’t get caught up with the numbers, but focus on how you feel during and after your runs.

Renee McGregor, sports dietitian and British Athletics team lead

Periodise your nutritional intake so that you are fuelling appropriately for your training sessions.

Think porridge oats and carbohydrates before hard work and eggs and proteins afterwards. What are you asking your body to do? Fuel it accordingly.

Sarah Tunstall, World and European mountain running medallist and physiotherapist

When travelling to races or having to stay overnight beforehand always take a breakfast option.

For me, it’s the most important meal before a race and you never know what hotels or service stations will have. Therefore taking your usual breakfast can help reduce stress, stomach problems or unnecessary panic before races.

Tom Craggs, England Athletics marathon coach

Focus on mechanics and form. Whether you are an ultra runner or 800m runner spending time working on efficiency and biomechanical flaws should be part of your training, but is often neglected.

Strength work is important, but only if you apply this within your running.

Drills and running specific conditioning should be a part of every runner’s training.

RELATED: 5 running drills you should be doing

Keith Scofield, Director of the UK Endurance Conference

Don’t be afraid to take two weeks off to mentally and physically recharge before another block of training. Otherwise you risk burnout.

A great time for this is after a big target race when you the body and mind really need that break.

Dr Richard Blagrove, strength & conditioning expert

Stretch and foam roll after every run. It is tempting after a hard run to have a lie down and switch the television on!

It is likely to promote recovery if you include a small amount of static stretching and foam rolling shortly after a run to ensure you maintain your mobility and promote blood flow to the muscles that are fatigued. To maximise recovery, don’t forget to rehydrate and refuel alongside this.

RELATED: 5 strength & conditioning essentials for runners

Mimmi Kotka, Swedish International and one of the world’s best ultra trail runners

It’s important to skip a workout every now and again. Maybe you simply don’t feel like it one evening. Importantly just because it’s in your plan doesn’t mean you have to. All good runners seem to do that by listening to their body.

Summary

So there you have it. Some simple advice from people who know what they are talking about. Taking it easy and listening to your body was mentioned repeatedly.

The foam roller gets a couple of shout outs and packing your own breakfast is advice from a world-class mountain runner that is worth taking onboard.

Now remember to smile when you’re running. That’s an easy one.

RELATED: Can smiling make you a better runner?

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post 10 experts with 10 simple tips to improve your running appeared first on Fast Running.

Dr Richard Blagrove is the author of the excellent Strength and Conditioning for Endurance Running, the former director of the UK Strength and Conditioning Association, and the Sport and Exercise Science course leader at Birmingham City University.

As well as coaching Olympic athletes, the strength and conditoning expert’s extensive work with distance runners provided the inspiration for his doctoral research which investigated the utility of strength training in middle and long-distance runners.

Strength and conditioning is an often neglected part of training among many endurance runners, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or scary, and with a bit of discipline can provide a big boost to your performance.

Here are Dr Blagrove’s recommendations on how to improve your running with some additional work.

1) Faster, not bigger

Getting stronger in the gym will make you faster not bigger.

Lifting weights a couple of times per week has been shown to improve time trial performance, running economy and sprint speed without adding any unwanted muscle bulk.

Exercises such as back squats, deadlifts, step-ups and lunges, performed with sound technique, are likely to provide the most benefit.

2) The foam roller is your friend

It is tempting after a hard run to just have a lie down and switch the television on, however, take the time to stretch and foam roll after every run.

It is likely to promote recovery if you include a small amount of static stretching and foam rolling shortly after a run to ensure you maintain your mobility and promote blood flow to the muscles that are fatigued.

To maximise recovery, don’t forget to rehydrate and refuel alongside this.

3) Plyometric gains

Plyometric exercises are a highly effective way of making you quicker.

Simple re-bound jumping, hopping and skipping exercises require minimal equipment but teach your body to control and produce higher levels of force compared to when you run.

Including six to eight sets of plyometric exercises two to three times per week is a time efficient strategy to give your performance a boost.

4) A little bit of barefoot

Remove your trainers and do a small amount of running barefoot. A couple of times a week find a grassy or soft surface free of hazards, take off your running shoes and perform five to 10 minutes of running drills or light jogging.

This will help strengthen the intrinsic muscles of your feet and muscles around the ankle.

5) Target weaknesses

Include some specific loading for areas vulnerable to injury.

Lifting weights and performing plyometric exercises will also strengthen bones, muscles and connective tissue. This is likely to reduce your risk of picking up an injury long-term.

In addition to this, exercises that specifically target your calf and Achilles tendon, feet, hamstrings and trunk will also help to offset risk of injury.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post 5 strength & conditioning essentials for runners appeared first on Fast Running.

If you are new to running, your existing mates most likely prefer to head to the pub than join in with your weird new hobby. So how does a lone runner make friends who share this great passion?

From pushing the pace in harder sessions, making the miles float by on the long runs and ensuring you don’t skip the early morning start, friends are useful. One of the beauties of running is that you don’t need two teams of 11 or specialist equipment to do it.

Lace up your kicks, chuck on shorts and vest then away you go.

Yet being part of a group or having friends to run with can really help you get to the next level. What if the main benefit of altitude training or warm weather camps weren’t the physiological boosts of thin air or the sun. It could just be the benefit of being in a good training environment with a bunch of like-minded individuals.

How do you make new “running friends” though? Training partners might be a better name to use, with less on an ‘Inbetweeners’ vibe to it.

The running club

We beat this drum a lot at Fast Running, but belonging to a club in the UK and Ireland is a fantastic thing. There can be weekly coach-led sessions, organised long runs, club trips to races and sometimes even running holidays.

My own club, the North Norfolk Beach Runners, was a saving light when working in a remote Norfolk village. At the beginning of my running adventure I was introduced to faster runners, coaches and good friends.

The ever inspiring Malcolm Ball, who led the first club run I ever attended, is still going strong in his 80’s and rocking the short shorts. I love being part of the club and make it back for the Round Norfolk Relay every year that I can.

Find your local club and get out for a run this week.

parkrun

Every weekend a whole bunch of running enthusiasts meet up in a park near you. Whilst someday go there solely to test out their legs and lungs, many enjoy the social aspect of parkrun too.

Turn up with a tin of home baked goodies (or some store bought cakes decanted into a tupperware box) and hang around afterwards to getting chatting with the runners and volunteers.

Maybe keep an eye on who’s around you at the finish line, so you have an idea of who would make a good training partner.

parkrun can also be good if you’re travelling around the country too. Search for one near where you are staying and not only will you have company for your Saturday morning session, but you might get wind of a group going for a long run on the Sunday too.

The internet

The world wide web can be a dangerous place for meeting strangers, but also an excellent place to make new ‘running friends’.

Obviously, the first option is Tinder or Plenty of Fish. If you can find a soul mate who’s also into running then it’s a winner surely? If they post a picture of themselves finishing a race you can even search their result to see if you could do your tempo runs together.

The online running community is probably as strong as the real world one, but in slightly different ways. I’m certain there are some avid posters in online running communities who don’t even go out running. That’s how much people want to feel like they belong.

Groups like ‘the ultra running community (URC)’ and ‘I Was, Or Am A Runner !’ on the Facebook and communities such as Runners World’s chat rooms have lots of runners who might be up for joining on a long run or based in your local area.

If there is a group specific to a race you are doing there might be a bunch of people training for exactly the same race who you can befriend. You might even be able to car share and save the planet.

Running shops

Last, but by no means least, plenty of running shops realise the value of a strong community. Word of mouth is still very effective at getting people across the threshold. Some shops organise weekly runs from the store, provide coaches and a meeting point for the group.

Fitstuff, a running shop in Guildford, run every Wednesday night. There’s a mixture of sessions and the shop have even supported a local coach, Ry Webb, through his England Athletics qualifications to lead each week.

There’s even coffee shops like Mile 27 in North London. Super cool Londoners run and drink good coffee. I guess the Northern equivalent would be meeting at the pub and getting a pint afterwards. Ask yourself, what would Ron Hill do?

Not everyone wants new friends

One thing that is worth noting, not everyone wants company on their run. In the past, I’ve just started chatting to strangers running the same way, comfortable in the knowledge that they rarely run fast enough to get away or long enough to tire me out.

What I consider more these days is “do these people want to run with someone else”. This is particularly aimed at my fellow men. Not every woman wants to be hit on every time they go for a run. Some don’t go to the running club so that they can run away from their husband with a skinny armed distance runner. Just bear that in mind.

The post How do you make running friends? appeared first on Fast Running.

While this isn’t based on any particular run it is more a general sample of what could take place on any longer running outing, an event I’ve missed greatly in my time off.

Almost every Saturday the same exchange takes place on WhatsApp, a call for companionship for another Sunday morning spent taking on long loops of the Phoenix Park. The numbers change weekly, the conditions rarely the same, the route has its slight variations, but the atmosphere remains.

“Same time, same place in the morning?” No more needs to be said, the routine is well established. The reliable responses come in early; one man has gone off West, another tempted away by the pints. But the momentum starts to build, some yes texts arrive, a group is formed.

Sunday morning comes and two minutes before the designated start time the phones ping again as the apology texts announce a five-minute delay en route. Nobody really minds, there’s never a huge rush to begin the week’s longest run.

The cars assemble, parked in a line down the Avenue. We step out, tired and stiff from Saturday’s sessions. A brief debate about the appropriate attire never reaches a consensus and we trot on.

“Grass or roads?”

The question needs to be resolved before the first turn is reached, right for the grass loop, seven miles around, largely soft surface, twists and turns keep the pace in check and make it a bit of easier going on the body. The Strava junkies will have to accept a dip in the average pace. Straight on for the roads, plenty of hammering on the body and in the pace but sometimes it’s just what is needed.

The conversation is slow to start; the initial pleasantries are covered, quick recaps of races and sessions done over the weekend inevitably leading to questions of what is coming up next. In varying stages of fitness and comebacks, this can range from the local road race scene to eyeing up international races.

As the run progresses a rhythm forms, the conversation is picked up with the man next to you as the group rolls along two by two. A burst of laughter from the front brings everything back together as a story is deemed worthy of sharing with the entire party. Any range of topics can be covered, the weekend’s football, the nights out, the progression of the children of the group. Nothing is too big or too small to be covered on a Sunday morning.

Inevitably the same stories roll by and the same characters reappear. The old favourites are always welcome. Even a knowledge of the punchline doesn’t prevent the eruption of laughter that draws a strange sideways glance from a group passed on the path.

Familiar faces

We aren’t alone on our loops, numbers peak around the Dublin Marathon season, but the familiar faces are always around. Seemingly no two groups retrace the same routes when going around, every group has their own sacred rituals and paths. Passing by with a nod or a wave, occasionally someone popping in to join for a few miles, visitors are always welcome to add a new story to the repertoire.

About an hour in the all-important question comes; “how far is everyone going?” The wrong answer here and the last few miles could have to be finished in a long and contemplative isolation. Those going shorter get the answers in early, safe in the knowledge they’ll never lose company and hoping routes can be arranged to drop them off at their car with the perfect distance run. The longest runner stakes his claim hoping a match can be found. The company all the more welcome as the last of the miles come around.

Looping back by the car the group snatches the water bottles perched on the roofs or bonnets, excess layers are discarded, the body is fully warmed up now. It isn’t always necessary but refuelling mid run must be practised. A well-placed bin just down the path ensures the bottles are discarded without any break in stride.

As the miles start to add up the chat and laughter become more infrequent. Numbers drop off until only a very few remain. No words are needed at this point. Each man enters his own world to get through the last miles and up the last hills. As the back pats come in for another day in the books the neurotic among us pass the car once more to make sure the watch shows exactly the right time or distance.

Job done, the earlier finishers have already departed and the last of the group to finish take on water and prepare for the road home. There is no need for long goodbyes although who can be sure which run will be the last for a while. But even leaving without sight of return you can be safe in the knowledge that the repeating ritual will be waiting for you.

After thirteen Sundays in the wilderness, I’m planning my first run back in the Phoenix Park this Sunday. I’ll be one of the men going shorter, leaving the longer running for another day. That day will come and I’ll be eternally thankful for those last miles of silent companionship.

Kevin Dooney features in the ‘Fast 10: class of 2018’ and will share his running journey throughout the year. You can read Kevin’s previous posts here and further information about the ‘class of 2018’ can be found here.

The post Sunday’s long run is much more than another run appeared first on Fast Running.

Being a good runner is a physical thing. You have a high VO2 Max, a low running economy, long legs, great form and some of the best PBs around.

A good racer is a different thing. It’s about tactics, pacing and mental toughness. As races get longer in distance it’s about nutrition, hydration and knowing when to push. A good racer gets the best out of their ability, even against others who are seemingly ‘better’.

Now combine the two. Someone who is a perfect physical specimen and is an excellent racer. I’m thinking of people like Eliud Kipchoge. There’s the ability to break world records and the ability to race against the best in the world too.

Good runners as far as the eye can see

We all know good runners. They make it look easy and you’re jealous of that ‘natural talent’ they possess. They were always ahead at school cross country events when everyone ran as fast as they possibly could. At training sessions, everyone trails them.

Yet when it comes to race day you fancy your chances. The longer the race, the better. The longer the race the more it plays into the hands of a good racer, hence me being an ultra runner. I’ve beaten plenty of better runners.

Race time

How fit you are is a big part of running, that’s for sure. If you’re not fit enough to run under, say, 90 minutes for a half marathon then it doesn’t matter how well you race. Being a good racer is about getting the best out of yourself.

Good racers will have a deep understanding of their own ability and limitations. Gauging effort is a key part of racing, not pushing too hard when others around you are going too fast and knowing when to dig so deep you have nothing left when you cross the line.

If you’ve ever posted a negative split, chances are you’re a good racer. Do you overtake people more in the second half of a race than those who go past you?

Easy gains

Now if you’re already a good racer then this article can’t help you too much. You’ve just got to be patient, get consistent training in and become a better runner.

If you’re a fast runner, but a terrible racer then I almost envy you. Almost.

Racing is a skill. It can be improved with practice. However, just racing badly again and again and again does not mean that one day everything will ‘click’ for you.

So what you actually need is purposeful practice and reflection.

 If a button isn’t working and you just keep pressing it as you always did, maybe even a bit harder, then chances are it still won’t work. You might even break it or break your finger.

Experiment and reflect

Whatever your chosen distance, you need to practice. If you’re 1500m or 5k runner then great. You could even get a few races into one weekend. Try racing from the gun, aiming for an even split or sitting behind the leader. They’re all different tactics and each has their values.

After each race, you should reflect back. Either on your own, with your coach or your fellow athletes. Just chatting track with other runners can make you a better runner. Why did they kick with 300m to go? Did you know how to pace the first lap? Learn.

If you’re racing longer distances then reflection becomes even more key. As an ultra runner, the chance to race is limited by the body. Do too much and you break down.

Start easy

For ultra runners the advice is normally quite simple. Start easy. Or just easier. If you are not overtaking people in the second half then you’ve probably started too fast. Given that most ultra runners start too hard, and many have difficulties in the second half, it’s easy to tell if you’ve raced well. You get to cheerily jog past people staggering around like drunks.

The same could be said for a marathon or even a 13.1 miler. Pace it well and there’s a big high in the second half. Passing people makes running feel easier.

Scientists like Professor Samuele Macora at the University of Kent has some great work on effort and our perception of effort. Imagine two scenarios. In both, you’re at mile 20 of a marathon and have paced exactly the same. Your fitness, nutrition, hydration, kit and everything else is identical.

Only one thing is different. In marathon A you’re being passed by faster runners and in marathon B you’re passing slower runners. The effort in marathon A will feel a lot harder than marathon B. Effort is a combination of all the physical factors and your interpretation of them too.

Coming back on track

So what has this to do with racing? Should we be picking races we know will have loads of people pacing badly in?

Not necessarily, but if you control just your own race, start easier. Whatever happens in the second half, however physical tired you are, mentally you will be able to push more if you have raced sensibly.

Yes, plenty of people run well being chased and it works better for shorter events. Some will excel better as the hunted, rather than the hunter. Yet when it is about getting the best possible result out of yourself, good racing will help.

Good racer or fast runner?

You don’t have to aim for one or the other. Be the best you can at both and you will get closer to your full potential. Just focus on one and you’ll be left disappointed.

The main difference is the timeline. If you’re racing badly then improvements could come tomorrow, but training is much more about patience and consistency.

So, instead of looking for shortcuts on the outside with fancy shoes or special supplements, reflect on your own racing and be a better racer.

The post Are you a good runner or a good racer? appeared first on Fast Running.