Running Tips

Running is a great way of increasing your fitness as well as spending some time outdoors, Spring and Summer is a great time of year to start a running plan. It can be a great social time to spend with a running partner, friends or your partner or even a chance to switch off and escape the office. Running and reaching your goals gives you a great sense of achievement. Follow my advice and you can reach the running goals you set yourself in 2011.

Training Advice

Before you start:
GET RUNNING TRAINERS FROM A SPECIALIST RUNNING SHOP NOT A SPORTS SHOP

Nothing to 5k

Ok this running lark is addictive!
Start off with a 'run then walk' method as follows

Jog 2mins Walk 2mins if you can manage it, if not start with 1min jog 1min walk remember everyone starts somewhere (this is how I started running, I went from 20stone & smoking 30 a day to being a personal trainer and running the London marathon 2010) see how long you can keep this up for. Try 10mins to start with and slowly increase to 15mins etc. when you get up to 30mins try to increase the jog time and reduce the walk time until you can run for the whole 30mins. If you have a heart rate monitor use it but if not try to keep to a pace where you can hold a chat with your running partner, if you don't have a running partner find one it helps when you want to stop and rest and also it's safer than running alone. Always take a phone and some water with you.
If you find you are getting out of breath too quickly slow down.

5k to 10k

If you are at 5k and want to train for a 10k Increase your 5k by 1k every 2 weeks and do interval sessions in the week so;
Week 1: 2 x speed sessions on a treadmill (or outside) e.g. 1 min at 2km per hour faster than your comfortable pace and 1 min at 2pm per hour slower than your normal pace alternate these speeds for 20 minutes (if your comfortable pace is 10km per hour you would alternate 8km and 12km at 1 minute intervals for 20 minutes). On the Saturday run 6km at your comfortable pace
Week 2: repeat week 1
Week 3: as week 1 but the long run will increase to 7km
And so on, as the sprints get easier increase the fastest of the fastest pace by 0.5-1 km per hour or extend the time of the fast pace sprints by 30 seconds

Half Marathon

Follow the above until you get up to 10k. Next aim to run 21km a week, so 2 x 5km runs in the week (try to include hill runs and interval sessions) and an 11km run at the weekend.
Next start to increase the weekend distance by around 2-3km every other weekend e.g. 2 weeks at 11k, 2 weeks 13k, 2 weeks 15k etc. till you get to the goal 21k (13.2m)

Take carb drinks or carb gels onboard every 45-60mins on training runs. Try different drinks and gels to see what suits you the best. The Lucozade or High5 ones are my recommendations.

Full Marathon

NOW THIS IS A DIFFERENT BALL GAME
80% mental 20% physical
This is all about digging deep and sucking up the pain after 15miles and also this is where all the core work and leg work pays off.

Putting the miles in, so start off with all of the above first then from the half marathon distance start increasing your miles every other week by 1/2 miles now (not kilometres) and increase the mid week runs a little but still work on hill sessions and interval sessions. The long run should be every other weekend and a shorter run the following weekend e.g.
Week1 2x mid week runs then 14miles
Week 2 2x mid week runs then 8miles.
Week 3 2x mid week runs then 15-6miles

2. Food diary. You need to have a good look at what you’re eating before and after the long runs, try recovery drinks and bars. The Lucozade website has a free nutrition plan that is worked out for your own bodyweight and it's free. They give you carb intake before and after and what foods to eat.

Additional notes for all running programmes from 5k to Marathons:

- Include some core exercises in your gym routine
- Lunges, squats & rotational lunges are a must and if you have ViPR's ask one of the trainers to show you a workout with it.
- Make sure you are hydrated before and after your run (your wee should be the colour of pale straw!)
- Don't ignore pain and niggles - see a sports physiotherapist if you pick up any injuring or warning signs
- Get running trainers from a specialist running shop. I use Derby Runner and all clients and Fitness First members get 10% off
- Make sure you stretch after every session... The musts are quads, hamstrings, calf’s, glutes, hip flexors, inner and outer thigh. Again if your unsure as a trainer at your gym to show you.

Have a great weekend and remember "Train don't Drain"

Tim

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Tim Wooldridge Personal Training

http://www.nottingham-personal-trainer.co.uk

Follow me on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/Timwooldridge