The tapering period is a valuable part of the marathon training program but mentally it’s rather odd as the miles become less and less and the nerves can kick in to feel like its been so long since the last decent run. I skipped the Sunday run of around 10k in favour of relaxing but decided to go for a 5 mile run on Monday morning instead. The run itself felt good though I could feel my body wanting to push on a little faster as that’s what it’s been used to. I wanted to hold back a bit and keep it as a steady run.

This week has been a bit of a roller coaster of emotions as I’ve skipped through gradually increasing excitement to a nervous wreck on Wednesday to high as a kite on Thursday where I made a few silly errors during the day. Thankfully today has been a lot more relaxed and focussed as the day is drawing closer and I’m currently waiting to board the plane to London. The excitement will kick in big style in the morning when I head to Excel and to the Registration and Expo.

Anyone who has run London before will know what I’m talking about here when I say the excitement levels go through the roof the minute you step off the DLR at Excel. For those who haven’t had this experience, think of being a small child about to enter the biggest toy shop ever and you’ve brought all the pocket money you saved up. First you go through and collect the race number, chip and all the little extras you will need for race day. After you’ve done that, you head into the Expo where you are met by lots of people handing you lots of freebies and all the big brands are there – Adidas, Nike, Asics, Lucozade etc are there to entice you to buy new running kit or take advantage of special deals. It is impossible for the non-runner not to be inspired by everything that’s going on and it’s also impossible NOT to go through the Expo without buying something.

The only thing left to do after that is relax the rest of the day and wait for the alarm clock to go off on Sunday morning and prepare to run. As I wait to fly, I have never felt better and I can’t wait to put into practice everything I’ve worked towards for the last 4-5 months. I may or may not achieve my goal on Sunday but one thing is for sure, I will be giving it everything I’ve got and the last step I am physically capable of taking will be the one I take to cross the finish line.

This point seemed so far off back at the start of my training in early January. The weeks have flown by and I feel I have achieved a lot in that time, and quite possibly learned more about myself along the way. This hasn’t been a normal marathon prep for me, this has been about sticking to a plan and to train my body to run faster than its ever done before. In the past, there have been times when my training has fallen apart or I’ve simply been ticking boxes along the way to say I have run x miles on a long Sunday run or counted my weekly mileage. This time it’s been different, it’s been counting intervals and duration of intervals and it feels good. I don’t feel bad about not doing 30/40/50 miles per week, this time it has been quality over quantity.

I did my final Threshold pace run today with 4x20mins, 90secs recovery between each one and around a mile either side for warm up/cooldown. Even though I hadn’t run all week and my body felt tired, I still managed to run it in good pace and to keep going at the same pace would get me my target time. I still won’t be taking anything for granted though and these two weeks will be about priming my body for the main run.

I plan to run 2-3 runs this week with maybe an 8-10miler by Wednesday, a 10k next Sunday and a couple of runs during the following week just to keep the legs ticking over. Inbetween times I plan to spend a bit more time stretching, relaxing, time in the jacuzzi and possibly a massage. Another important factor will take place this week, creating my race plan. Everything from the first mile to various points around he course to finishing the race. Every detail will be important to me to run the race I want to run and to get the performance I want. I will create a playlist that will help me get the focus and listen to it constantly whether I am running or not to help build my race mindset.

It’s normal at this stage to feel nervous and excited at the same time. This hasn’t happened yet but I’m sure it will this time next week. For now, I am going to look forward to running less and also to 3 weeks time when I get to have a lie-in on a Sunday!

Happy Running!

The next 3 weeks are going to be about winding down the mileage, maintaining some consistency of runs during the week to keep the legs ticking over and work on my race strategy. I did some of that last week at Newtonmore so it’s not really going to differ much from what I did there except over 26.2miles instead of 10!

I also need to work on what my pace is going to be and it may be harder to do this than what I thought. All bar one of my long Sunday runs have involved me doing the Threshold Pace sessions and my body has now got so used to them, a steady paced run seems a bit alien now! On one hand I could do a massive speed drill session in the marathon and still come away with the time I want but I think I would be better to find a good pace where I can still vary the pace at certain times. I want to feel good and be in control throughout and feel that I can hold the pace through the last 6-8miles and finish strongly.

This week’s training will involve a recovery run tomorrow, 10k or so on Tuesday (or a TRX workout for flexibility and mobility), 10-15 miles including some fast mile reps on Wednesday, 8 miles or so on Thursday, rest on Friday, 10k steady on Saturday then around 15 miles race pace on Sunday.

It’s important at this stage of marathon training to continue to do some form of conditioning to make sure the muscles are in good shape and that regular flexibility work will ensure the body is in perfect condition as the target race gets closer.

Happy Running!

Yesterday I had my first race of the year, the Newtonmore 10 mile race. This was the first race in the Perth Road Runners Championship and also a good chance to put my training to the test. My head told me I should run at my marathon target pace but my body very quickly decided it wanted to race as soon as the race started! I knew I could beat my personal best from Isle of Cumbrae in 2009 was beatable but I wasn’t sure by how much.

One good way to become a better runner is to join a club as when you go to a race, you find that your club mates become targets to focus on and will spur you on. I followed 2 of our club’s longstanding members, and key runners, around the course hoping to hang on to them. After 2 very fast miles at the start, I settled into a more sensible pace and when we turned around at the 5 mile mark, I found myself speeding up to close the gap on the guys – Neil and Steve and caught up with them a mile or so later. At this stage, I would’ve been happy to stick with them as generally these guys are much faster than me but then something changed inside me. I felt the pace was good and I felt the need to go past them. I was wary of pushing on and burning up but then I thought ‘what the heck’ and went for it. Neil and Steve both gave me a shout of encouragement and off I went, trying to catch Stuart, another guy from our club who was that little further ahead.

By this time I would normally have been happy where I was as my pace was good and was on target for beating my pb however, my body wanted more and so I stepped up the pace, keeping Stuart in my sights. I passed him at mile 9 and while he tried to speed up, I felt strong and went faster and finished comfortably ahead. The time on my Garmin read 1hr 4mins 30secs, 4mins faster than my pb. What stood out more though was that instead of being satisfied with a good time, my body told me it had more to give and so I not only had the belief that I could do it, I had the courage to go for it and reaped the rewards.

Along with a 15mile run today with tired legs, I now feel stronger both mentally and physically to go for it in the marathon and potentially finish much quicker than I previously believed. Another big training week coming up should underline it.

The moral is, we can often be content with the level we are at but if we challenge ourselves a little bit and step outside our comfort zone, the results we get can be outstanding. Have the courage and belief in yourself to go for it. What’s stopping you?

I fitted in a recovery run of 5 miles on Monday, which served a dual purpose as I needed to cover the Kilt Run route to measure it again due to one or two tweaks from the original course. It’s been a while since I’ve done a proper recovery run and I reminded myself of how good they are for helping the muscles to return to normality after a challenging run the day before. No matter how hard your long run is, get out again the next day for an easy-paced run of around 30mins or so and even the most lead-weighted legs will benefit from it.

Tuesday was a funny day for me so had to skip the run and Wednesday,Thursday and Friday allowed me short times to fit runs in so I opted for 1 mile splits on the treadmill with 0.2 mile recoveries. I managed just 2 miles on each day but it was an improvement on last week and helped maintain my performance in today’s run rather than slow down due to lack of training, which is my main fear at the moment. I think the fear of being “oh so close” to my target rather than beating it comfortably is now driving me on to do better next week.

Today’s run was a break from the norm with a 14 mile run instead of my usual threshold pace intervals. I followed the route of the Heaven & Hell Half Marathon just minutes from Perth and the glorious sunshine contributed to the stunning scenery throughout the run. If you don’t know this race, it’s superbly put together by Perth Road Runners and involves challenging uphill stretches which seem to go on forever and downhill stretches which last for a mile or two at a time. I felt it was pretty useful to do a shorter distance in preparation for my first race of the year next week, the Newtonmore 10 mile.

My plan for this coming week is:

Monday: 6-8 x 10min Threshold Pace drills with 90secs recovery
Tuesday: Recovery Run am; 8 x 1mile splits on Treadmill
Wednesday: 6-8 miles steady pace
Thursday: 6x1mile splits on treadmill
Friday: 20-30min jog
Saturday: Newtonmore 10mile
Sunday: 10-15 miles – either steady run or threshold pace drills

In addition to this, I will be doing some light training with TRX and ViPR to help with flexibility and mobility so I stay injury free.

This will likely be the toughest week of my schedule and not only does my body feel up to the challenge, I am really looking forward to stepping things up a bit. My goal is within reach and I am now taking these steps to go out and grab it.

First, the good news. I had some unexpected free time on Thursday due to cancellations so I went out with the idea of running around half marathon distance. I followed a familiar route out by Scone Palace then past Perth Racecourse before turning around at the 6.55 mile point and coming back. This started out as a fairly steady run then turned partly race when I discovered I could get under 1hr 30mins for the distance. I ended up to finish the 13.1 mile run in 1hr 30mins 45secs, which is still 45secs faster than my personal best!

My run today was to follow on from last week’s one and set out to do 16 x 8mins at threshold pace with 90secs recovery. I had thought this would give me around 18miles after 16/17 last Sunday. I was stunned when during one of my recoveries, I realised I was about to go past 20 miles! I ended up to do 21 but I noticed that I had slowed down somewhat over the last 3 miles or so and I knew at 20 there was no way I would be able to run another 6 miles anywhere close to target pace. I have been gradually missing a few runs during the week due to work and other commitments. Now it’s time to change all that and get back on track.

In order to get the results we want, we have to make sacrifices in order to achieve them and I’m no different. Being fitter, stronger, faster, changing body shape etc cannot happen unless we make a commitment to what it’s going to take to get there. For me, I am fortunate I have another 6 weeks to the marathon though technically 4 weeks to make meaningful changes as the last 2 weeks are all about easing back. This means I will schedule daily runs into my diary and anything else will have to fit in around my training. I will also have to plan my meals accordingly so I have plenty of energy to inspire my pt clients and do other things that are important to me. If this means getting up 30mins earlier each morning then it will be worth it if I get my time in London.

This may sound like a slog but I believe it will be far from it and will probably make me more productive during the day. Regular exercise will allow my mind to switch off from everything else and come up with exciting new ways to help grow my business, help my clients and figure out how to get some of those annoying tasks done much quicker!

I first learned this in 2009 at a running weekend presented by Liz and Martin Yelling and Nick Anderson. The purpose of it is to practice running at a pace just below the level where lactic acid kicks in and you naturally slow down and the benefit is training your body to be able to run faster for longer. Getting the right pace takes a little bit of practice but when you get it bang on, the progression becomes a lot easier. The pace should be around 85% of your top pace, enough so you can still manage a sprint if required. The easiest way to get it is to talk or sing your favourite song, you should be able to say 3 or 4 words between breaths. If you can only manage 1-2 words, you are going too fast. Essentially, at this pace you should feel slightly challenged but mostly relaxed.

Performing these drills can be fun. I always do a 1 mile warm up then start them. The starting point should be repetitions of 2 minutes at your Threshold Pace(TP) and the recovery will always be 90 seconds regardless of your progression. Each week, I have increased the reps then increased the duration, reduced the reps then built them up before stepping up the duration again. There have been a number of times where my mind has wandered and have ended up running faster during my recovery reps. I just see that as a sign of my body progressing. There have also been times, including today, where I have felt great and ended up doing more reps than I had set out to do. Listening to your body and going with what it’s telling you can be a very powerful thing.

So, what difference has it made to me, you may be wondering? Well, my target for the London Marathon is to run sub 3:15 in order to qualify for a good for age place in the future. To do this, I need to run around 7:15min/mile pace. I am currently running my pace drills at around 6:30-6:45min/mile pace and find 7min/mile pace quite comfortable. There is still a long way to go in my training but on today’s performance, my target is very much achievable. I should point out that my marathon times over the last 2 years has been around 3hrs 25mins and my pb of 3hrs 19mins was set 13 years ago. That is the measure of my progress.

Happy Running!

I’m really enjoying the mile splits on the treadmill, a lot more than I thought I would to be honest. I’m not afraid of speedwork, I normally have a mental block with running on the treadmill although this time is different. I’m doing it with a purpose. Essentially, I’m running for a mile at 5k pace with 0.2mile recovery and trying to do as many reps as I can fit in. Another drill that’s working is my Sunday morning threshold pace drills. This involves running at around 85% of my top pace for a period of time with 90 seconds recovery and doing this as many times as I decide before I go out. I learned the threshold pace drills at a couple of running workshops in 2009, taught by double Olympian Liz Yelling, her husband Martin and another coach Nick Anderson. Essentially, both these drills are helping me to run much faster than my target pace so that my target pace feels rather comfortable.

The areas I need to focus on are consistency and managing my runs better. My workload has changed over the last few weeks so I’ve missed a few runs. I’ve also failed to tweak my training program around to accommodate that so what’s happened is that I’ve missed a few key runs, including some of the treadmill sessions, and added runs in when I’ve felt like it. I was reminded of my missing runs when I ran on the Sunday, did very little all week, ran 10 miles on the Thursday, 9 on the Saturday and during the 10k ‘race’ I did with my friend Derek last week, my right calf tightened up. I then spent a few days resting it before trudging round 10k on Thursday but felt stronger on my run today.

I will now adjust my training plan so it can fit in well with the changes to my diary and keep me on track. It’s easy to skip a run when we feel under pressure to do other things where, in reality, getting out for that run can help us focus on the tasks in hand and we can usually complete them far more efficiently than we would have done if we hadn’t gone for the run.

I am now looking forward to the next 6 weeks of hard training and be more relaxed going into the marathon knowing that I can hit my target, or do even better, than praying that I’ve done enough.

Getting results takes hard work, there’s no getting away from that and if we have our mind focussed on getting those results, the effort seems easier, pleasurable and achieving the goal becomes much sweeter. Go for it!

Exercising with a cold is fine as long as its in the head and hasn’t spread to the chest. If it has then you should rest until the bug has cleared and begin slowly on the first session back just in case. This becomes a tricky issue when you are a Personal Trainer. It’s easy to think that we can just soldier on and work through it but we also have a duty of care to our clients. One thing I try to discourage is clients coming for a session whilst affected by a bug or a virus on the principle that they might not necessarily get as much out of a workout and, more importantly, I don’t want heir germs. I had to bear this in mind and this resulted in me taking a couple of days off until I felt better. I also had the concern that this time off wasnt brilliant timing, being bang in the middle of marathon training.

Having taken a whole week off, I was anticipating a hard run today and being a bit off pace so I abandoned my usual speed drill session in favour of heading our with friends from Perth Road Runners. My usual speed drills involve me running at 85% of my top pace so the session could’ve been done anyway albeit the average mile pace being slightly slower. We followed a route with a gradual incline from the North Inch towards Scone and then up past Murrayshall Hotel then back through Scone, through Quarrymill then back to the North Inch and a lap to the finish. I was delighted to find myself speeding up on the inclines and also going downhill although I wasn’t exactly “going for it”. I was pleased to find that my speed sessions on routes involving hills were working however, I was delighted to find that in the last couple of miles, I felt stronger and ran faster and ran a ‘bonus’ lap of the inch as a result and also to take the distance of the run up to 14 miles.

My conclusion was that my body had thanked me for taking the time off to recover from the bug and allowed me to put in a performance that showed I hadn’t really lost anything as a result of missing sessions during the week and proved that the training I have been doing so far has worked and will help me get the marathon time I am aiming for as long as I’m consistent with my training.

This is proof that it is more sensible to listen to your body and take some rest when it’s under attack from some form of bug in order to get rid of it quicker rather than ploughing on regardless and risk prolonging the period of illness.

Another step closer to my goal!

One thing I’ve noticed in my experience as a Personal Trainer is people set big goals such as losing a bit of weight and get fit/tone up without really setting a timescale or actually understanding the true meaning of the goal. Without going into finer detail, how can we know what 2 stone looks like or what being fit or toned looks or feels like? This is not the main problem though, most people don’t realise they have to change themselves in order to achieve their goal. This not only applies to the new gym user but also sports people.

Be the change you want to see in the world – Ghandi

I realised this myself on a recent training run. My main goal this year is to run sub 3:15 in the London Marathon to qualify for a good for age place in the future and avoid having to go through the ballot. My performances from last year coupled with training with the TRX and my general fitness would suggest that my target is achievable and my training runs so far would also indicate that it’s very much possible. The wake-up call came last week when I skipped a couple of training runs due to pressing work commitments. When this happens, there is always the belief that I can make it up but past experience has shown me that this doesn’t usually work.

I have quickly realised that in order to achieve my goal, I need to work around my training not the other way around. From changing my meal times to making sure I am in bed by 10 every night so i can get a good 7-8 hours sleep to even changing some of the foods I eat to blocking time off in my diary to train instead of booking in clients, this is crucial for me if I am going to get the time I want rather than miss out by a few minutes.

The sooner we can commit ourselves to achieving our goal and absorb ourselves in the goal, the quicker we will achieve it and do it easily.

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