It’s that time in marathon training – the mileage of the long run is increasing, and runners seem to be divided like marmite. Some love and embrace the increasing distance, others see it as a chore to be ticked off each week. Which camp do you fall into? And do you really need to run long every week?
It actually doesn’t really matter what you’re training for, from 5k to marathon, if you’re a distance runner, you would most likely benefit from a regular long run. The long run is about getting you ready to perform – Robert Wallace, a 2.13 marathoner, says “They’re the mainstay of any training programme. You don’t get results immediately. It’s like saving pennies…. Over a year [the benefits] really accumulate.”
Why run long?
Long runs improve running efficiency (teaching you to conserve energy and run as effortlessly as possible), and offer both psychological and physical benefits – cardiovascular improvements include increased mitochondria and capillaries, and recruitment of different muscle fibres. Long runs also strengthen your muscles, tendons and ligaments – all of these are beneficial for racing any distance, not just the marathon. But for the longer distances, it also provides a dress rehearsal for the race (breakfast, clothing, fuelling etc.), and a chance to build mental strength and confidence.
Run easy or run hard?
There are two main types of long run that you will come across.
Easy long runs – Hard long runs can be too taxing on a weekly basis. Running 60-90 mins slower than your marathon pace for a few hours reduces stress, makes the run more enjoyable and brings lots of aerobic endurance benefits. Running easy also gives you a chance to work on mental strategies such as dealing with boredom and building patience. It teaches you to make wise decisions and run more efficiently.
Long runs with pace segments – these are great for practicing race pace, improving your speed endurance and working on mental toughness but can really take it out of you so these shouldn’t be done every week. Varieties include progressive long runs, long runs containing intervals, long runs with a certain number of miles at marathon pace, or even a long run with a faster parkrun on the end!
The one type of run you don’t want to do is a full distance long run (over 14 miles) at marathon pace or faster. You may think this will build confidence and help you prepare, but actually you accumulate all the tiredness and fatigue of a paced long run, but without some of the key benefits. You will quickly find yourself over-trained and struggling to recover.
Do you need to do a long run every week? And how far?
Firstly, you shouldn’t do a long run every week. Once you get over a comfortable distance, often about 12-16 miles, you should include a drop-back week every 3-4 weeks where you drop your distance by 25-50% to give your body a chance to recover (remember, adaptations happen when you stress your body, but then allow it to recover). If you are particularly injury prone, you may want to consider running long every 10 days or every 2 weeks.
Distance depends on a number of factors, including your level of your experience and your goals. If you’re fairly new to a marathon for example you may benefit most from building up to one 20 miler, but my more experienced runners often do as many as six 20+ milers, going up to 23-24 miles (with the longer runs usually at an easy pace).
If you’re not marathon training, distance of the long run can be more flexible. Greg McMillan, well known running coach, suggests 90-120 minutes. Other coaches go by percentage of weekly mileage – where the long run doesn’t account for more than 25% of total mileage. Most coaches suggest including some pace in long runs for non-marathoners, e.g., a faster finish, depending on what distance you are doing.
How to get it right:
1. Preparation is key. This includes fuelling well, before, during and after the run. Remember, anything over 90 minutes and you should be eating on the run. According to Runners World columnist Joe Henderson “You need to keep your glycogen stores continuously high if you want to maintain training effectiveness”. i.e., you can run fasted, but you won’t get the same training benefits. Hydration is another one to consider – do you need water with you? Can you stash water along the route? Clothing (and Vaseline if you’re prone to chafing!) and safety also need some thought.
2. Don’t give headspace to negative thoughts. If you’re not enjoying your long runs, work out why. Bored? Find something you enjoy (new route, meet a friend half way, new playlist, audiobook or podcast etc. Sign up to a race or group run for added distraction.
3. Chunk it. Don’t think about the run as a whole thing…break it down and focus on one segment at a time, especially if you find the distance you are doing overwhelming. Consider having little rewards on route – walk break or jelly baby every mile, gels every few miles, ring a friend at half way etc. Try crossroads e.g. for 20 miles go 4 miles out and back, 3 miles out and back, 2 miles out and back and 1 mile out and back. This gives you a chance to focus on each segment as it happens rather than the whole distance.
There are downsides to running long. It is of course time consuming and running too long too often and you raise the risk of overtraining or injury. It’s also easy not to recover properly – you need to refuel and hydrate properly (regardless of appetite), rest and definitely no hard run for a couple of days after.
But, if you can, stay positive, embrace the long run and enjoy it. It’s a privilege to be able to complete these runs, whatever your pace. It puts you into a minority of the population and your achievements should be celebrated.
Do you love or hate the long run? How do you stay entertained on the run? What are your favourite routes, distances or types of long run? How do you prepare for your long runs? Please share any experiences or tips below!
Other useful resources:
MH Runners Club webinars on marathon training and nutritionhttps://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/webinars/
Runner’s World article giving a table of possible long run distances for non-marathoners:https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20794978/why-non-marathoners-still-need-long-runs/
My blogs on carb loadinghttps://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/fuelling-a-marathon-carb-loading-and-race-day-nutrition/
And how to recover from a marathonhttps://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/how-to-recover-from-a-marathon/
MH Runners Coaching Tip on Post Run / Race fuelling https://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/coaching-tip-post-run-and-race-fuelling/
Do you want a personalised training plan?
Want to know more about running or personal training?
Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation.
Email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com or contact me via Facebook Messenger
Martin Hulbert
Running Coach & Personal Trainer Leicestershire
MH Health and Fitness Online Community
www.facebook.com/mhhealthandfitness.co.uk
#MHrunners
Coaching focus – mental toughness
/in Health, Motivation, Running, Strength /by Martin Hulbert Running Coach LeicesterControl your mind to race better
In the words of Amby Burfoot, runner, author and ex-editor in chief of Runners World “if you train your mind for running, everything else will be easy”. I’m not sure I totally agree with that but he has a point.
As runners, most of us are diligent about our sport. We practise our running, log our miles, analyse our splits, fuel our runs and attempt some form of strength and conditioning. We get that all of this matters, and put in the work. Many runners, however, don’t deliberately focus on the mental aspects of running – or train the brain to keep running when the going gets tough. Some believe you’re either born with mental toughness, or you’re not. And sometimes it can even be used as an excuse not to push hard in races. Undoubtedly, backing off is sometimes the right thing to do, but not every time. Sometimes its the golden opportunity to practice mental toughness.
There are lots of ways to build your mental toughness, but today I am focusing on two areas in particular that may help you gain control of your mind and banish negative thoughts that may undermine your race performance. These are the art of being present and the importance of deliberate practice.
Running in the Present
In a race, remembering past issues or fearing the discomfort that is to come is common, but unhelpful – its more information than your brain can, or needs to process at that time. An ability to be present just in the moment – exist only in the current breath, the here and now, will help you to calm your mind and find a state of flow. You are not the same you as you were on your last run, or will be on your next run. You may have had more or less sleep, may be more or less well hydrated, your nutrition might be better or worse, and what are your stress levels doing? Your capacity to run will vary day by day. By existing in the moment, you can step back from the negative chatter, the doubts and other thoughts in your head and make better decisions based on your current sensations and your immediate environment.
Meditation or mindfulness are great training tools for training the skill of being in the present. Training your mind to meditate means stepping back from the chatter, doubts and other thoughts in your head, becoming aware of them and allowing them to pass. Don’t expect to clear your mind but work towards disengaging or managing your thoughts instead of fighting them.
These techniques are best practised for the first time outside of running, when you’re calm and have time rather than when you are being physically (and sometimes mentally) challenged.
Try some of these to start with, but there are many ways to meditate or be mindful, and lots of very useful resources on the internet or apps you can use to help.
Start by finding a quiet space and setting a 5 min timer on your phone. Lie or sit comfortably, where you are not actively engaging muscles to stay upright.
The next stage is to adapt one of these techniques to practice on the run… which brings us neatly on to the art of deliberate practice.
The importance of deliberate practice:
Drawn from the book Bounce, by Matthew Syed, there is an often quoted fact that we need 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert at something. This is often misquoted as 10,000 hours of practice, but there is a big difference between practice and deliberate practice – its not enough to just show up and go through the motions – in running terms, it’s not simply the miles, its the quality of those miles that makes you better.
Something for you to try:
– At the beginning of every workout, identify something you struggle with and set an intention to practice that thing. For example, if you struggle with negative self talk on the run, try adapting some of the mindfulness techniques talked about above.
– Focus on being present in the run, on your breathing in and out, or on your form. Set yourself a mantra to remind yourself of being present, count your in and out breaths, your footsteps or count from 1-100 repeatedly (as practised very successfully by Paula Radcliffe).
– Try identifying your negative thoughts, seeing them as clouds or bubbles floating by, dismiss them and replace each one with something more productive.
– Set yourself a mantra to address your target – if you fade, the mantra “be strong” or similar may work. If you find you start shuffling, a mantra like “pick up” or “bounce” or “fast feet” might help.
These are just a handful of suggestions – find something that works for you, that you deliberately practice on your training runs and can fall back on when you race. Even the elites find the going tough, and need to work on their mindset, as Olympic gold medal winning triathlete Jess Learmonth with testify to.
Do you work on your mental toughness on the run or in a race? If so how?
Do you meditate or practice mindfulness regularly? Does it help?
Share your thoughts and ideas with us below.
Other useful resources:
MH Runners Club webinars on marathon training and nutrition https://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/webinars/
MH Runners Club Ask the Coach sessions https://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/mh-runners-club/
Join the Club at MH Runners Club
Do you want a personalised training plan?
Want to know more about running or personal training?
Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation.
Email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com or contact me via Facebook Messenger
Martin Hulbert
Running Coach & Personal Trainer Leicestershire
MH Health and Fitness Online Community
www.facebook.com/mhhealthandfitness.co.uk
#MHrunners
Coaching Focus: Improving running form and efficiency through core work
/in Health, Motivation, Running, Strength /by Martin Hulbert Running Coach LeicesterOne of the cornerstones of becoming a strong runner is building your core strength to run more efficiently and faster for longer periods of time. A strong core can improve form (in particular stop you slumping towards the end of a long run or race), cut injury risk and help you generate more power, therefore increase speed.
What is your “core”?
The term “core” is used to describe the whole musculoskeletal area around the middle of your body – as a rule, core work should strengthen all the muscles that support the pelvis and spine. This will include your abdominal muscles (transverse, rectus and obliques), lower back (erector spine), glutes, pelvic floor, hip flexors and even your hamstrings.
How often?
The great thing about core work is you can do so much without equipment, and little and often is best way. 5 minutes makes a huge difference. Research suggests to make something like this part of your routine, it needs to piggyback on an already established habit. Think about when you want to do your core work. Do you want to do 5 mins after every run? Or 5 mins whilst dinner is cooking? Link your time with another habit and it’ll stick much more easily.
What to do:
There are a lot of core moves to do, which is great for adding variety and interest to your routine. The thing to remember here is that we are runners and we want to do moves that help our running – these tend to be dynamic (moving) core moves – so instead of a straight forward plank, try a plank where you move your legs, like a spider plank. And other compound strength moves such as squats, deadlifts etc also work your core.
A few core routines are listed below. These are sets of 3 exercises, where you could do 30-40s of each, take a 10-20s break and then repeat the set twice more for a total of around 5 mins of core work …or switch it up and do two sets of two workouts. All of these exercises work multiple muscle groups but I have listed the main one they target in brackets. Try not to take a break between exercises to increase core fatigue.
Don’t forget, there is a twice weekly follow-along core session in MH Runners Club (www.mhrunnersclub.co.uk) every week if you want more suggestions of core exercises that will benefit you as a runner. And if you’re already a member of the club, doing 2 of these 5 min core workouts in addition to the 2 club workouts will really help you see improvements.
Workout 1:
Workout 2:
Workout 3:
Workout 4:
(or if you’re feeling brave – Scorpion plank press up (hip flexors, obliques, upper body) “SCORPION PLANK PRESS!!” Functional Fitness move (Core, Shoulders, Chest, Glutes)
How to get stronger
Once any of these moves start to feel easier, you can do them for a few seconds more (move from 30s to 45s for example), add resistance (weights or bands, depending on the exercise), or make yourself more unstable, which means your core has to work to stabilise you more. Using an exercise ball or bosu ball can help with this. Don’t forget to vary it up too – there are lots of options to shake up your workout.
But it hurts…
None of these exercises should hurt (especially your neck). If they do, check your form carefully. Consult a professional for a form check or adaptations if needed (for form, it is quite useful to video yourself to check).
How often do you do core exercises? Do you have some favourites that I haven’t mentioned (or any that you hate)? Share your thoughts and help motivate others!
Other useful resources:
MH Runners Club webinars on Strength & Conditioning For Runners https://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/webinars/
MH Runners Club Ask the Coach sessions https://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/mh-runners-club/
Join the Club at MH Runners Club
Do you want a personalised training plan?
Want to know more about running or personal training?
Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation.
Email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com or contact me via Facebook Messenger
Martin Hulbert
Running Coach & Personal Trainer Leicestershire
MH Health and Fitness Online Community
www.facebook.com/mhhealthandfitness.co.uk
#MHrunners
Fasted Running. Yes or No?
/in Health, Nutrition, Running /by Martin Hulbert Running Coach LeicesterWe’ve all heard the stories of runners that have run 18+ milers on nothing but air, no breakfast, no in-run nutrition and no water; and it can definitely be a bit of an ego thing in the running community (I used to be one of those!). The question is, what purpose does it serve and should you be doing it?
I’m going put in a spoiler in right now – whilst results are often very individualised, I don’t recommend this for the runners I coach, and am not going to recommend you try it. Let me explain more…..
* please note, I’m not a specialist in this field and the information below comes from recent and relevant articles and research, as well as my years of coaching runners. But each runner is individual and if you are serious about taking this further, please consult a well-qualified, experienced specialist.
What is fasted running?
Scientific literature defines fasted training as not eating within 10-14 hours of a workout, so usually this would be an AM run. It’s an idea that has been around a long time and many runners swear by it.
Why has running fasted become popular?
There are a few drivers behind this, but the main two seem to be weight loss, and increased utilisation of fat as an energy supply (for endurance running).
1. Weight loss:
It seems obvious – run without eating and you’ll have to burn your body fat – sounds wonderful! Sadly, it’s not that simple. Yes, you will increase the percentage of fat you burn when you run if you run fasted, but the primary source of fat burned during exercise isn’t the belly fat you’d like to use, but intramuscular fat. There are other negatives too… it increases the amount of protein you break down (in a non-fasted state, protein contributes approx 5% of your energy requirements for endurance training, but in a fasted state it’s doubled to around 10%). resulting in the breakdown of muscle tissue that can lead to a decrease in resting metabolic rate, a decrease in strength and an increase in injury risk.
Running fasted is also a major stressor on your body – it results in increased cortisol levels in the bloodstream, particularly in women, which promotes muscle breakdown, abdominal fat storage, higher fatigue and worse recovery. Not only that, but hard sessions are more effective when fuelled by glycogen, so you may burn more fat as a percentage, but your performance will suffer and you’ll burn less calories overall.
A number of studies have been done on fasted exercise for long term weight loss, and most found similar rates of weight loss in fasted and non-fasted participants, with little difference in body composition. It just doesn’t seem to work. To meet weight loss goals, you’d definitely do better to fuel your runs. You’ll feel better, run better and nutritious fuel consumed during and immediately post workout is much more likely to be utilised for repair and recovery, rather than be stored where you don’t want it. Try and eat the exercise calories you have burned within a 1-2 hour window after working out. By doing this, it stops your body craving foods later in the day and you overeating and adding in more calories that you burned running.
2. Increased fat utilisation as an energy source (and preserve glycogen in endurance runs e.g marathons / ultra marathons)
Again, this makes sense. Our glycogen stores are limited but we have much more energy in stored fat, even if you have a lower body weight. So relying on fat as a fuel for endurance events will preserve our glycogen stores and keep us running for longer. Research does indicate that training in a fasted state improves the ability to tap into fat stores sooner, and burns a higher percentage of fat during training sessions. But the caveats above still stand – it stresses the body, releasing cortisol, increasing protein breakdown and delaying recovery. As the brain is fuelled by glucose, it will also impact decision making as the race progresses. And the research is very clear on this – running on low carbohydrates will decrease your ability to hold a high intensity level if you plan on running fast.
3. Other reasons: Convenience / it feels better / less digestion problems.
Running on a full stomach certainly doesn’t feel great. Most of us have also experienced runner’s tummy problems at some point or other. And not eating before a morning workout means 10 mins more in bed….
The best solution to stomach issues is to trial different foods to see what works (I have a client that can’t eat raisins for 3-4 hours before they run without getting an upset stomach, for example, but their friend always has them as a pre and during workout snack), and getting used to running with a little something in your stomach. It doesn’t have to be much. Stay near home whilst you try it, and preferably on an easy run! As for convenience, get out of bed ten minutes earlier and have something easier on your stomach. You’ll be fine!
Should I run fasted at all?
Well that’s all a bit doom and gloom for fasted running! But actually, short easy runs fasted won’t do any harm and you may feel good doing them. Generally, for easy effort runs of less than 60 minutes it is fine (but make sure you are well hydrated), but for harder or longer runs, a little sugar and protein goes a long way – it’ll boost energy, mental clarity and mood, allowing the body to better access energy sources and slow muscle breakdown. The general recommendation is around 150 cals, mostly simple carbs with some protein, but low fat and fibre. I use Mountain Fuel’s Morning Fuel for this (148 cals, some protein, mostly simple carbs) for convenience and easy digestion, but other ideas may include:
As with any new nutrition, try it out on an easier run close to home! And listen to your body. There’s lots of advice out here on the internet, but ultimately, we’re all individual and respond differently to different stimuli.
What about you….Have you discovered the secret to maintaining the ideal runners weight? Do you run fasted and love it? Do you have the perfect pre run snack? Let us know….
Other useful resources:
MH Runners Club webinars on marathon training and nutrition https://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/webinars/
MH Runners Club Ask the Coach sessions https://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/mh-runners-club/
Join the Club at MH Runners Club
Do you want a personalised training plan?
Want to know more about running or personal training?
Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation.
Email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com or contact me via Facebook Messenger
Martin Hulbert
Running Coach & Personal Trainer Leicestershire
MH Health and Fitness Online Community
www.facebook.com/mhhealthandfitness.co.uk
#MHrunners
The Importance of the Long Run
/in Health, Motivation, Nutrition, Running /by Martin Hulbert Running Coach LeicesterIt’s that time in marathon training – the mileage of the long run is increasing, and runners seem to be divided like marmite. Some love and embrace the increasing distance, others see it as a chore to be ticked off each week. Which camp do you fall into? And do you really need to run long every week?
It actually doesn’t really matter what you’re training for, from 5k to marathon, if you’re a distance runner, you would most likely benefit from a regular long run. The long run is about getting you ready to perform – Robert Wallace, a 2.13 marathoner, says “They’re the mainstay of any training programme. You don’t get results immediately. It’s like saving pennies…. Over a year [the benefits] really accumulate.”
Why run long?
Long runs improve running efficiency (teaching you to conserve energy and run as effortlessly as possible), and offer both psychological and physical benefits – cardiovascular improvements include increased mitochondria and capillaries, and recruitment of different muscle fibres. Long runs also strengthen your muscles, tendons and ligaments – all of these are beneficial for racing any distance, not just the marathon. But for the longer distances, it also provides a dress rehearsal for the race (breakfast, clothing, fuelling etc.), and a chance to build mental strength and confidence.
Run easy or run hard?
There are two main types of long run that you will come across.
Easy long runs – Hard long runs can be too taxing on a weekly basis. Running 60-90 mins slower than your marathon pace for a few hours reduces stress, makes the run more enjoyable and brings lots of aerobic endurance benefits. Running easy also gives you a chance to work on mental strategies such as dealing with boredom and building patience. It teaches you to make wise decisions and run more efficiently.
Long runs with pace segments – these are great for practicing race pace, improving your speed endurance and working on mental toughness but can really take it out of you so these shouldn’t be done every week. Varieties include progressive long runs, long runs containing intervals, long runs with a certain number of miles at marathon pace, or even a long run with a faster parkrun on the end!
The one type of run you don’t want to do is a full distance long run (over 14 miles) at marathon pace or faster. You may think this will build confidence and help you prepare, but actually you accumulate all the tiredness and fatigue of a paced long run, but without some of the key benefits. You will quickly find yourself over-trained and struggling to recover.
Do you need to do a long run every week? And how far?
Firstly, you shouldn’t do a long run every week. Once you get over a comfortable distance, often about 12-16 miles, you should include a drop-back week every 3-4 weeks where you drop your distance by 25-50% to give your body a chance to recover (remember, adaptations happen when you stress your body, but then allow it to recover). If you are particularly injury prone, you may want to consider running long every 10 days or every 2 weeks.
Distance depends on a number of factors, including your level of your experience and your goals. If you’re fairly new to a marathon for example you may benefit most from building up to one 20 miler, but my more experienced runners often do as many as six 20+ milers, going up to 23-24 miles (with the longer runs usually at an easy pace).
If you’re not marathon training, distance of the long run can be more flexible. Greg McMillan, well known running coach, suggests 90-120 minutes. Other coaches go by percentage of weekly mileage – where the long run doesn’t account for more than 25% of total mileage. Most coaches suggest including some pace in long runs for non-marathoners, e.g., a faster finish, depending on what distance you are doing.
How to get it right:
1. Preparation is key. This includes fuelling well, before, during and after the run. Remember, anything over 90 minutes and you should be eating on the run. According to Runners World columnist Joe Henderson “You need to keep your glycogen stores continuously high if you want to maintain training effectiveness”. i.e., you can run fasted, but you won’t get the same training benefits. Hydration is another one to consider – do you need water with you? Can you stash water along the route? Clothing (and Vaseline if you’re prone to chafing!) and safety also need some thought.
2. Don’t give headspace to negative thoughts. If you’re not enjoying your long runs, work out why. Bored? Find something you enjoy (new route, meet a friend half way, new playlist, audiobook or podcast etc. Sign up to a race or group run for added distraction.
3. Chunk it. Don’t think about the run as a whole thing…break it down and focus on one segment at a time, especially if you find the distance you are doing overwhelming. Consider having little rewards on route – walk break or jelly baby every mile, gels every few miles, ring a friend at half way etc. Try crossroads e.g. for 20 miles go 4 miles out and back, 3 miles out and back, 2 miles out and back and 1 mile out and back. This gives you a chance to focus on each segment as it happens rather than the whole distance.
There are downsides to running long. It is of course time consuming and running too long too often and you raise the risk of overtraining or injury. It’s also easy not to recover properly – you need to refuel and hydrate properly (regardless of appetite), rest and definitely no hard run for a couple of days after.
But, if you can, stay positive, embrace the long run and enjoy it. It’s a privilege to be able to complete these runs, whatever your pace. It puts you into a minority of the population and your achievements should be celebrated.
Do you love or hate the long run? How do you stay entertained on the run? What are your favourite routes, distances or types of long run? How do you prepare for your long runs? Please share any experiences or tips below!
Other useful resources:
MH Runners Club webinars on marathon training and nutritionhttps://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/webinars/
Runner’s World article giving a table of possible long run distances for non-marathoners:https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20794978/why-non-marathoners-still-need-long-runs/
My blogs on carb loadinghttps://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/fuelling-a-marathon-carb-loading-and-race-day-nutrition/
And how to recover from a marathonhttps://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/how-to-recover-from-a-marathon/
MH Runners Coaching Tip on Post Run / Race fuelling https://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/coaching-tip-post-run-and-race-fuelling/
Do you want a personalised training plan?
Want to know more about running or personal training?
Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation.
Email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com or contact me via Facebook Messenger
Martin Hulbert
Running Coach & Personal Trainer Leicestershire
MH Health and Fitness Online Community
www.facebook.com/mhhealthandfitness.co.uk
#MHrunners
Coaching Tip – Stretching!
/in Health, Motivation, Running, Strength /by Martin Hulbert Running Coach LeicesterDo you stretch at the end of a run or workout?
Our “what’s the first thing you do post run” theme on the Facebook daily thread recently was most revealing…only two of you mentioned stretching after you run! You’re not alone, stretching is often seen as optional, or done separately as a discrete workout rather than post run (yoga, Pilates, rest-day stretch etc)….but just a few spare minutes a day can make a big difference.
Why bother to stretch after a run or workout?
Running is a repetitive movement. It forces your muscles into set positions, creating tension and changing their length over time. Our modern lifestyles add to this – forcing the shortening of some muscles over extended periods of time… sitting at desks, driving etc. Stretching helps release the tension in the muscle and return it to its original length. It can reduce the risk of injury (evidence is a little mixed on this), increase mobility / range of motion, increase flexibility, and promote blood flow to the local area (therefore aiding recovery).
How to get started in less than a minute a day…
The benefits of a post-run stretch are generally well accepted, the problem is actually getting round to doing it – working out a routine and making it a habit. Here’s some ideas on how to make it practical and make it stick:
Your challenge this week is to do a minimum of two of the four stretches in this video after EVERY run this week (easy effort ones too!). Put a reminder somewhere so you don’t forget, and let us know how you get on. Share any alternative or favourite stretches you have below.
Safety notes:
– If you already have a cool down / stretch routine, this is not designed to replace it. This is for runners who don’t currently do anything post run except check Strava / eat / jump into the shower (please note, feel free to check Strava / eat whilst doing these but the risk of slipping whilst trying to contort yourself in the shower is quite high…)
– Breathe! Don’t hold your breath whilst you stretch. Breathing is good.
– If it hurts stop! If the muscle is tight, ease off slightly and then repeat more gently, but if it actually causes pain, do not continue. You should be able to feel tension in the muscle that you can hold for 15-20s without pain.
– I am talking about static stretching here. Don’t do static stretching pre run (it elongates the muscle so increases risk of injury) and don’t bounce when you static stretch – it doesn’t change the stretch and increases risk of injury.
If you enjoy this, try some of these:
More stretches for runners: https://www.nhs.uk/…/exercise/how-to-stretch-after-a-run/ (this has quite a nice calf, ITB and glute stretch you could include in your routine)
More info about stretching post-run: https://www.health.harvard.edu/…/the-importance-of…
For more info on creating and sticking to new habits, try this podcast: https://drchatterjee.com/how-to-build-good-habits-and…/
I hope that you can take something away from this blog. I would love to hear your thoughts and I’ve set up a very supportive free Facebook Community where like-minded people can share their experiences of life and exercising. Please feel free to join and invite others you know who may be interested.
I also have a Facebook Club for runners where I post two weekly workout videos, host a live weekly Ask The Coach question and answer session plus a monthly live webinar on a host of running related topics. This is ideal for those who use free plans but want to have access to a coach and ongoing information. You can find more information and join here.
Do you want a personalised training plan?
Want to know more about running or personal training?
Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation.
Email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com or contact me via Facebook Messenger
Martin Hulbert
Running Coach & Personal Trainer Leicestershire
MH Health and Fitness Online Community
www.facebook.com/mhhealthandfitness.co.uk
#MHrunners
Coaching Focus: Breathing
/in Health, Motivation, Nutrition, Running, Strength /by Martin Hulbert Running Coach LeicesterFollowing on from a recent Q&A, this week’s coaching focus is breathing. Firstly, to be clear, it *is* a good idea to breath whilst running… Not doing so can cause significant harm! But seriously, improving your breathing is seen as a possible way of increasing oxygen uptake and decreasing the risk of side stitches and cramps, as well as reducing stress before or during a hard run or race.
This week, why not think about your breathing whilst you run? Do you follow a particular breathing pattern? Have you tried different breathing techniques? Pick a run this week, focus on how you breathe, and maybe try one of the changes suggested below.
Baseline
Start your usual run. When you’re warmed up and a little way in, count how many steps it takes to inhale and exhale. You’re not looking for a particular number, this is just to give you a baseline of how you currently breathe. Then try one or more of the techniques below, or play with your breathing pattern in your own way, and see which feels more comfortable to you. You can also play with deep breathing drills to improve your oxygen intake before or after running, and relaxation breathing techniques to relax before a hard run or race.
Please don’t take this too seriously and if you find that something doesn’t work for you try something else. The main thing with breathing while running is to find something that you feel works for you and that feels natural. Whilst these techniques can help some, for others, one of the worst things would be to have to think about breathing whilst running.
Have fun and enjoy this – and don’t forget to post below to let me know what you are planning to do and how you get on.
I hope that you can take something away from this blog. I would love to hear your thoughts and I’ve set up a very supportive free Facebook Community where like-minded people can share their experiences of life and exercising. Please feel free to join and invite others you know who may be interested.
I also have a Facebook Club for runners where I post two weekly workout videos, host a live weekly Ask The Coach question and answer session plus a monthly live webinar on a host of running related topics. This is ideal for those who use free plans but want to have access to a coach and ongoing information. You can find more information and join here.
Do you want a personalised training plan?
Want to know more about running or personal training?
Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation.
Email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com or contact me via Facebook Messenger
Martin Hulbert
Running Coach & Personal Trainer Leicestershire
MH Health and Fitness Online Community
www.facebook.com/mhhealthandfitness.co.uk
#MHrunners
Coaching Tip: Post Run and Race Fuelling
/in Health, Motivation, Nutrition, Running /by Martin Hulbert Running Coach LeicesterThis week’s coaching tip is about post-run or race fuelling. This is a really important process and something a lot of runners get wrong. All runs need some sort of post race fuel. For shorter, easier runs, this may just be your next meal e.g breakfast containing carbs, protein and fat if you’ve done a morning run. But for anything hard or over an hour, post run fuelling should be planned in advance to satisfy your body’s needs so that it can rebuild / repair and cravings don’t take over later!
Good recovery fuel should have a mixture of carbs and protein in a 3 or 4:1 ratio – that is 3-4g carbs for every gram of protein. It used to be accepted wisdom that the best window for refuelling was within 30 mins of the workout, and although this has been contested by recent research, it won’t do any harm to aim for that, and for women it’s thought to be more important to refuel sooner rather than later. If you are not planning to have a meal in that time, have a snack immediately after and aim to have your next meal within 2 hours post run.
Here’s just a few ideas to to get you started:
If you’re like me, eating always sounds easy, but the harder or longer your run, the more blood is diverted away from the stomach and the less hungry you’re likely to feel. This is a particular problem for some runners but if you learn to make refuelling a priority, you will recover faster and feel better. If it makes you feel slightly nauseous, take small bites of something you fancy and as blood returns to your stomach, your appetite should return too.
Don’t forget to hydrate as well – glycogen stores can’t be refilled without available water. An electrolyte drink such as High 5 zero is perfect for this.
This week, aim to plan recovery fuel for any run over an hour, or a harder session such as tempo or intervals, and share below what you plan to use to recover.
This really is an easy win that ALL athletes should take seriously! And don’t forget to ask any questions you have here or in the weekly “ask the coach” live sessions
Other resources on this that you may find useful include:
MH Runner’s recent webinar on Nutrition for Runners
My blog on recovering from a marathon: https://www.mhhealthandfitness.co.uk/how-to-recover-from…/
I hope that you can take something away from this blog. I would love to hear your thoughts and I’ve set up a very supportive free Facebook Community where like-minded people can share their experiences of life and exercising. Please feel free to join and invite others you know who may be interested.
I also have a Facebook Club for runners where I post two weekly workout videos, host a live weekly Ask The Coach question and answer session plus a monthly live webinar on a host of running related topics. This is ideal for those who use free plans but want to have access to a coach and ongoing information. You can find more information and join here.
Do you want a personalised training plan?
Want to know more about running or personal training?
Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation.
Email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com or contact me via Facebook Messenger
Martin Hulbert
Running Coach & Personal Trainer Leicestershire
MH Health and Fitness Online Community
www.facebook.com/mhhealthandfitness.co.uk
#MHrunners
Coaching tip – Cadence. Is higher better?
/in Health, Motivation, Running, Strength /by Martin Hulbert Running Coach LeicesterMost runners have heard of cadence (the number of steps you take in a minute), and will have an idea that 180 is what they should be aiming for. This originates from coach Jack Daniels’ research into elite runners, and has been popularised over time. But are we worrying unnecessarily if we don’t fit the perfect criteria?
Why focus on cadence?
Cadence is probably the easiest metric to measure and control, especially if you have a running watch, which is one reason why it gets so much attention. It’s thought that optimising cadence can not only speed us up (running speed is the product of cadence (stride frequency) and stride length. Increase your stride frequency (cadence) and/or your stride length and you run faster), but also can improve form and change landing to mid foot, which in turn decreases injury risk. A recent study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found that slight increases in stride cadence led to significant reductions in loading on the knee and hip joints, which, they hypothesise, might help prevent some of the most prevalent running injuries.
However, the often quoted 180 spm was an average cadence, so at times, these elite runners will have been running at a faster or slower cadence, rather than a metronomic 180. Your cadence will (and should) vary over time depending on a number of factors – what pace are you running at? At marathon pace, your cadence should be slower than when racing a 5k. Cadence also varies with leg length, height and terrain – trickier terrain like rough trails results in a higher cadence as you will be more stable, for example.
And some runners are just outliers – they don’t fit the formula. Take the famous Jim Walmsley, who despite beautiful form, ran 12 seconds slower than the world record for 100k with an average cadence of 161! https://www.strava.com/activities/4670542009/overview. It’d take a brave coach to mess with that! Some sources also quote Kipchoge as running his record-shattering marathons at cadences that were almost always between 190 and 200 steps per minute (spm), well over the recommended 180 spm. Again, I’m not sure I’d be trying to changing his cadence to fit a formula.
So what does this mean for us?
We often get stuck into a habit, such as cadence, that our body is used to and has become efficient at, but may not be optimum, so this may be worth investigating if you want to try something new. If your cadence is lower than 180, speeding up foot turnover may speed you up – to a point. (Of course, it may actually be detrimental if it decreases your stride length or if your cadence is already high, so don’t just assume more is better). Whilst I’m certainly not encouraging you to aim for a “magic” number, it is worth experimenting and getting to know yourself better. Your your task this week, then is to
– Note your current cadence (either by counting foot fall for 30s and multiplying by 2, or by using your watch)
– Play with increasing your cadence on one of your easy runs. Does increasing your cadence speed you up? Make your run easier? Improve your form? If so, focus on practising it. If not, put it out of your mind. There may be easier wins.
How to increase your cadence:
There are a number of ways to increase cadence:
– Use high beat music
– Use a metronome app
– Swing your arms faster to move your feet faster (see resources below)
– Simply repeat “fast feet” to yourself over and over again whilst running, and observe what happens.
How do you feel? Do you speed up? Do you feel comfortable, or do your feet pitter patter (a sign you may have shortened your stride length too much?). Make a note of this self experiment and let us know how it goes. Have you worked on cadence before? Did it make a difference? Share your thoughts on this topic with us below.
Some useful resources:
Increasing cadence through arm movement: Form video 2 https://www.facebook.com/groups/mhrunnersclub/permalink/936237400507241/
Should I increase my cadence: Q&A session with Martin on 1st April, Question 1 https://www.facebook.com/groups/mhrunnersclub/permalink/923606095103705/
Great article on why we may be overthinking cadence:
https://www.outsideonline.com/…/stop-overthinking-your…
If you decide you want to increase cadence, McMillan website has a good workout to use to help you: https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/cadence/
I hope that you can take something away from this blog. I would love to hear your thoughts and I’ve set up a very supportive free Facebook Community where like-minded people can share their experiences of life and exercising. Please feel free to join and invite others you know who may be interested.
I also have a Facebook Club for runners where I post two weekly workout videos, host a live weekly Ask The Coach question and answer session plus a monthly live webinar on a host of running related topics. This is ideal for those who use free plans but want to have access to a coach and ongoing information. You can find more information and join here.
Do you want a personalised training plan?
Want to know more about running or personal training?
Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation.
Email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com or contact me via Facebook Messenger
Martin Hulbert
Running Coach & Personal Trainer Leicestershire
MH Health and Fitness Online Community
www.facebook.com/mhhealthandfitness.co.uk
#MHrunners
Coaching Tip: Rest Days
/in Health, Motivation, Running, Strength /by Martin Hulbert Running Coach LeicesterI hope that you can take something away from this blog. I would love to hear your thoughts and I’ve set up a very supportive free Facebook Community where like-minded people can share their experiences of life and exercising. Please feel free to join and invite others you know who may be interested.
I also have a Facebook Club for runners where I post two weekly workout videos, host a live weekly Ask The Coach question and answer session plus a monthly live webinar on a host of running related topics. This is ideal for those who use free plans but want to have access to a coach and ongoing information. You can find more information and join here.
Do you want a personalised training plan?
Want to know more about running or personal training?
Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation.
Email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com or contact me via Facebook Messenger
Martin Hulbert
Running Coach & Personal Trainer Leicestershire
MH Health and Fitness Online Community
www.facebook.com/mhhealthandfitness.co.uk
#MHrunners
Coaching Tip: Balance
/in Health, Motivation, Running, Strength /by Martin Hulbert Running Coach LeicesterI hope that you can take something away from this blog. I would love to hear your thoughts and I’ve set up a very supportive free Facebook Community where like-minded people can share their experiences of life and exercising. Please feel free to join and invite others you know who may be interested.
I also have a Facebook Club for runners where I post two weekly workout videos, host a live weekly Ask The Coach question and answer session plus a monthly live webinar on a host of running related topics. This is ideal for those who use free plans but want to have access to a coach and ongoing information. You can find more information and join here.
Do you want a personalised training plan?
Want to know more about running or personal training?
Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation.
Email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com or contact me via Facebook Messenger
Martin Hulbert
Running Coach & Personal Trainer Leicestershire
MH Health and Fitness Online Community
www.facebook.com/mhhealthandfitness.co.uk
#MHrunners