Category: Running

Hey peeps

I hope everyone has had a good week. I had a crazily busy week, hence no posts, and I am going to keep the catch up short.

On Monday I went to have another sports massage on my back and then made some fudge for work when I got home (I was keeping it as a rest day as I had been to parkrun and then ran 8 miles on Sunday morning).

Tuesday I got home late but the weather was gorgeous and I ended up going off on a slightly new route across the fields- just me and the rabbits.

As I started a new card I got a new technical t-shirt from Sweatshop, although I got an old design (the new designs have cool smiley faces).

It was intervals. The guy had a whistle. Yes, it was serious! We ran out to the fields where there is a strip of concrete (an old taxiway as it used to be an airfield) and then we had to run out as hard as we could until the guy blew his whistle (after 1 minute) and then we had to jog back to recover for one minute. We only repeated this 5 times, but my that was enough! I am generally near the back of our runs, and I think I am pretty good at pacing so often I will catch people near the end as they slow down, especially if we go for nearer 4 miles than 3. But as soon as the whistle went I was left in the dust! I just could not move my legs any faster! I didn’t mind, I was just genuinely surprised by how much faster everyone went. I looked at home at my Garmin and I reached 6.01, 6.45, 7.05, 6.54 and 6.58 for the fast sections. The guy from the shop generally stayed with me and encouraged me on while he looked at the time, and I am sure that helped me too.

We had a little cool down jog before I jogged (slowly) home- my legs were so sore after that (and so were my lungs!)- it was a good workout but so tough. I did just under 4 miles in the end (including the run there and home) but I was more tired than from my 5 miles the day before. Next week is hill training- I think the whistle may come out again!

I think this was my breakfast after my 8 miles last Sunday- watermelon, muesli, granola, strawberries, honey munchy seeds and teapigs chocolate tea.

Yesterday was my birthday, so after work I went to the Waffle House (where else eh?) with some friends. Andy texted me during the day to tell me I had to be home by 7, and when I got home we walked up to the uni, where it turned out we had tickets to see Mark Kermode talk about his new book. We love listening to the radio 5 film podcast on Friday evenings, so it was a great surprise and a great evening! But it meant I didn’t open my cards until just before midnight!

Have you tried interval training? I have used the audiofuel podcasts before, but I found it hard to keep in time with the slower sections. I like doing it with a group as I kept going whereas I am sure if I tried that on my own I wouldn’t go as fast, and probably would stop before I should.  I think it is going to be a more regular feature as the shop had a beginners running session on a Tuesday, but now they want to have that on Monday, have a steady Tuesday run and then have extra bits like hill training on a Wednesday.

Hi all, this is a post by Brooklyn Williams:

Why Are You Running in That Cotton T-Shirt? The Benefits of Compression Shorts and Other Advanced Workout Gear

When Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as a registered entrant in 1967, it was a step forward for women’s rights, but not for athletic clothing design. Switzer ran the race in a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants long before technical athletic clothing became the huge industry that it is today. Photos from that race back in 1967 show how much running attire has changed since then. Although the other runners near Switzer wore running shorts instead of sweat pants, they all had long-sleeved sweatshirts on. Today’s athletic attire is more technical in its design with engineering that prioritizes function and comfort.

The overwhelming majority of traditional athletic apparel was made of cotton. This inexpensive, easy to produce fabric has a lot going for it, most notably, the fact that it ‘breathes’, making it more comfortable than other fabrics.

After physical exertion, cotton starts to become uncomfortable, as it absorbs perspiration and becomes more prone to chafing. Clothing begins to feel like an irritating wet towel. Another problem with cotton clothing is that it was not designed specifically for the events it was used in. This may make it suitable for many uses, but it provides no special benefits for any of them.

The lack of aerodynamic efficiency is another problem. Over the course of a 26.2 mile race, the drag on baggy clothing would slow down finishing times significantly. A modest two percent decrease in wind resistance can make a difference of 31 metres in a marathon. Aerodynamic clothing has been used for years by competitive cyclists and world-class sprinters. It is only recently that it has appeared in other sports.

Whether it’s designed for running, football or tennis, modern athletic apparel is made of synthetic fibres that wick away perspiration. Not only does this keep you from feeling like you are wearing a wet rag on hot days, it also helps on cold days. Wearing multiple layers of non-technical clothing may keep you warm on a cold day initially, but after perspiring, few things are more uncomfortable than wearing wet clothing when it’s 30 degrees outside.

Another important benefit of technical athletic clothing is that the material is substantially less prone to chafing. Running a marathon in cotton clothing would cause numerous problems for many runners. Socks made of this material can cause irritation and blisters in the feet. Shirts can cause nipple chafing and bleeding and shorts made of more abrasive materials irritate the legs.

Clothing that is technical in nature is not only designed with comfort in mind, it is also suited for the activity the user participates in. It won’t make a 10 minute-per-mile runner into a Boston qualifier, but it will help improve the user’s overall experience.

Football undershirts are a great example of this evolution. For years, the outer jerseys that football players wore during practice and in games were made of mesh materials that were durable and tear-resistant, but also provided ventilation to allow body heat to escape.

Not nearly as much though went into undershirts these players wore. These were typically cotton t-shirts that may have protected against shoulder pad abrasion, but did little else. Today’s football undershirts are not only made of comfortable synthetics that work well in cold and heat, but also provide built-in padding in areas that regular pads leave unprotected.

Even baseball and softball umpires can benefit from advanced athletic wear. Undergarments are now available with built-in padding to protect against foul balls and errant pitches striking the thigh area.

Compressive apparel has become more popular in recent years, but is there any benefit to wearing it? A 2010 study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology supports that belief. It found that, “The results indicate that compression clothing is an effective recovery strategy following exercise-induced muscle damage.”

Some companies like TommieCopper take the technology of compression shorts another step further. Their copper infused compression shorts are made of a fabric containing copper within the fibres.

One of copper’s strengths is its anti-microbial properties. Copper compounds have been used for years to control fish parasites in aquariums. This same anti-microbial technology inhibits the growth of odour-causing bacteria within the fabric.

Clothing has come a long way since the days when nearly everyone wore cotton t-shirts, socks and sweats. Technology resulted in more comfortable clothing while the rise of competitive sports demanded clothing specific to a sport or activity. No matter how technologically advanced athletic clothing is, it will never replace hard work and training, but at least it will help you recover from it.

What do you think about technical clothing or compression clothing?

I could not bear to wear cotton t-shirts when running and I never understand races that give out cotton t-shirts, unless they are ones you would wear normally (I love my Robin Hood t-shirt). At parkrun it always surprises me the amount of people who wear cotton t-shirts or fleecy jumpers, I just don’t understand it, especially now you can pick up a technical top or vest pretty cheaply. I am not sure on wearing compression gear while I run, but I love compression socks for after a long run.

*Compensation was provided for this post. 

Warning: This post contains some moans.

Marathon viewing breakfast of apple, muesli and granola. Seriously some of the chunks of granola were bigger than the apple chunks!

So on Sunday morning I was up (not that early!) watching the London marathon. The elite races were on the red button which got a bit annoying after a while as the feed kept on cutting out (although that could have been from the motorcycle/ car cameras), but that did not take away from the excitement. I am glad I did that because it seems that the BBC mainly showed Mo so that the front runners of the men’s race didn’t get much coverage.

It was almost ironic that the commentators were just talking about how Mo had been practising taking bottles from the wing mirrors of cars (as last year when he ran the first half he messed up his drinks station stops a few times) and then what happens? Poor Dibaba (also making her marathon début) messed up her water stop- I am not sure why she didn’t carry on instead of stopping to pick up her bottle, but anyway, it shows how important these little things are.

Then of course there was the men’s race. I think anyone who thought Mo would win was either deluded (hoping for some sort of miracle) or just mis-informed. The field was immense- the marathon world record holder, the world and Olympic marathon champion, the reigning London marathon champion and the course record holder to mention a few! If you are interested in a breakdown of the competitors, then this article explains it really well.

Mo set his sights high on breaking the British record of 2:07:13, which he was close to, finishing in 2:08:21. He also finished 2 seconds behind London course record holder Emmanuel Mutai and 3 seconds behind Geoffrey Mutai (who amongst his achievements won Boston in 2011 in 2:03:02)- I think anyone would be pleased with that on their marathon début! Mo is now 4th on the all time list of British marathon times (and the top 3 are all held by Steve Jones)- seriously, nothing wrong with that!!! He was a bit behind the main pack, but towards the end caught up some stragglers (can you call them that if they finish the race sub 2.10??) and even overtook one or two (I think he was 10th at one point and finished 8th, but I am not sure if there was one pacemaker left at that point).

First up, I want to rave about Mo’s attitude. He took on a challenge. Yes, he could have chosen a début marathon with a quieter field, had pace makers going to his exact request, and possibly won. But he wanted to run in London, his home town, and good for him. He also sets such high goals for himself- of course he has Olympic gold medals but running 5000m/ 10,000m on the track is a different discipline to a road marathon, and it takes time to adapt. He came out before the race saying he wanted to break the British record (and he now holds the English record) and was disappointed when he did not break it, but it is that attitude of aiming so high that shows why he is such a great competitor. No doubt he will learn from this experience and come back stronger for his next marathon. He is not finished with the marathon.

What I will rant about is the BBC commentary, and specifically Brendan Foster. I am not sure if they had begun to believe their own hype, but they were so negative towards him. I can’t believe that after one performance (where he didn’t blow to pieces or DNF or anything like that) they had the gall to suggest he should stick to the track!!! Seriously! I mean perhaps for the Olympics that is where he is strongest- he still has the speed in his legs for that. But to suggest that after one attempt he should give up is just ridiculous and laughable and idiotic, and many more things. As a nation we are getting more sedentary and more overweight, and Mo is such a great role model for children to look up to. I just think it is such a bad attitude for the BBC to put across- try once and then give up? Whatever happened to “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again”? Grrrr.

Tony Audenshaw (famed for Tony’s Trials on Marathon talk) was interviewed after running the marathon and was just brilliant- his enthusiasm is what the sport should be about- he was encouraging kids to start training to beat the British marathon record- that is what we need!

I also loved Michael Owen’s post marathon interview- he had to sit down because his legs were so knackered, but he was so positive about the running community- he was saying that in football you get a lot of negative attention at matches and on twitter etc, but while he was running everyone was giving encouragement, everyone was friendly- he wanted to hug everyone he met on the way around. That is what running is about, and that is why the running community is so great, and that is why we should be encouraging children to take up running. Kids- ignore the idiots on the BBC- running is great, and if on your first run you don’t win, don’t give up!! Get to a local parkrun and see what the running love is all about.

Also another positive is that we are starting to have some other British runners coming through-Chris Thompson gave a hilarious post run interview where they showed him his final steps on the monitor- he was staggering about a bit and looked like he had no idea what was going on- he had given that race every last drop. (Think he finished at around 2:17). He was laughing at himself!

Finally, if you have ever run a marathon then you will appreciate this little video made by Tony to raise money for Leukaemia and Lymphoma research (if you watch it then you can text or donate on the webpage)- it had me giggling away.

Not too much complaining I hope! What did you think of Mo’s performance? Or the BBC’s coverage?

And some pondering too.

So over the last few weeks I have been absolutely loving all the marathon recaps that have been popping up in the blog world. Well done to everyone!!! Here are some links in case you missed them:

Jess ran the Greater Manchester marathon.

Anna ran the Paris marathon.

Lauren ran the Greater Manchester marathon.

Tess ran the Brighton marathon.

Lara linked to her London marathon recap from last year.

The marathon talk boys took on Manchester too- you can hear them chat about it on episode 222 (good number for a show too).

Mary is about to take on London (here is her expo trip).

I also came across this article about whether to sign up for a marathon or not.

I spent time on Saturday listening to a radio show that was on radio 5 on Thursday evening- they were previewing London, had an interview with Mo as well as general marathon chat.

And of course I had a look at my marathon recap (which actually made me cry when I read it back- not sure if that is weird?). At the time I had a suspected UTI (I kept getting them at that point), so was on antibiotics, but luckily I felt OK in the morning- I had promised Andy that if I felt bad I would not run it, but it being my first marathon I think I would have had to feel pretty awful not to attempt it. A few months later I was hospitalised, and it turned out that I had a huge cyst on my ovary that had to be surgically removed- so in fact I was not 100% healthy when I took on my first marathon. I was immensely proud of myself for finishing it, and running the whole way (very slowly, but I still ran every single step) but at the time I knew that before I attempted another marathon I would need to speed up. Seriously running for nearly five and a half hours is very tough, mentally and physically.

So since then I have been focusing on half marathons (minus the set back when I could not run at all due to my op). Here is my theory:

When I ran the marathon I had only run 2 half marathons- a hilly one the previous year in 2.32, and then a slightly less hilly one in 2.19. Of course a marathon is more than twice as hard as a half marathon, and your speed will be less, so I think the rule of thumb is double your half time and add 10% (or something). Anyway using my half marathon times from then, (and the runners world predictor) my time should have been between 5.16 and 4.49 (although I think that was rather optimistic). I suppose my time was only 5 minutes off, so not bad really.

I had in my mind a time for my half marathon to get to, and I am getting closer to that goal, but if I take my most recent two of 2.16 and 2.06 the calculator gives me a prediction of between 4.43 and 4.22, or if I use my last 10 mile time it says 4.37. Again there is no way I could keep up the pace I did the Bath half in for double the distance (and I know it does not assume this, but it is pretty close I think), but it means that the slower of the two times is sub 5, which is a bit better I think.

Going off on a tangent, if I submit my best 10K time it predicts my half would be 2.03, so again close, but I am not quite there. And of course it shows that this is a predictor to give you a ballpark figure.

Anyway, I have not signed up for another marathon just yet, but I am really considering it now. I have started looking, even though my half marathon time is not quite at my goal yet. I would like one in the school holidays as I would not want to have to be at work the next day, and I have been looking closer to home as possibly the flight the night before was not the best preparation. I also much prefer smaller races- the crowds get my adrenaline going too much, so I won’t be putting my name in for the London ballot! So 2015 might be the year of my next one, who knows.

So if you have a race to recommend to me, then feel free.

 Anyone else running a marathon? Good luck!

I am off to watch London!