Friday 27 February 2009

5 Mile Women Only Event in Salisbury

Our nearest WRN neighbours at Salisbury are organising a 5 mile fundraising run on Sunday 19th April to raise money for the Firefighters Charity - follow the link for info & the application form.

Thursday 26 February 2009

A bit more about... safety

A bit more about... safety
This is an area that we tend to think about more than male runners! And it’s one of the reasons why WRN exists – we tend to feel safer when running with others. Some tips:
Avoid running alone if possible
It’s not always possible, but you’ll find that you feel safer when running with a friend. I often go out with my husband with him on a bike for the same reason.
If running alone, phone a friend
Try to make sure that somebody at home knows roughly where you are going and when you expect to get back. If there’s nobody in, try setting up a system with a friend – phone or text when you are heading off with your route and finish time, then call/text them when you’re done.
Variety
Don’t stick to the same predictable route. It will keep your run more interesting as well as making it safer.
Keep the volume down – or off
Many advise running without headphones so that you can hear what’s going on around you from a safety perspective. If, like me, you feel that this isn’t an option (I can’t run alone without music!), keep the volume low enough that you can hear your surroundings.
Look out for hazards
Kerbstones and traffic are probably your biggest risks! Pay attention to your surroundings. Wear reflective gear at night and keep an eye on surfaces for obstacles.
Verbal Harassment
This is irritating, can be upsetting, but don’t let the idiots win. Thankfully, it’s rare! I find that carrying on running in a purposeful way, keeping my eyes ahead and wearing sunglasses or a baseball cap help me to block this out.
Carry a mobile with you
It’s also good to carry a piece of paper with your name and an emergency phone number.

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Beginners Programme Week 7

I'll post up the "theme for the week" bit when I've written it! However, we will be talking about posture and technique on Monday as I'm aware that as we're running further, it's tempting to focus 100% on keeping going and then technique can get a bit sidelined!

Week 7 Schedule:
Run 6 mins
Walk 1 min - repeat to 14 mins
Run 7 mins
Walk 1 min - repeat to 37 mins

I also want to emphasise that taking more walk breaks than I'm showing here is completely acceptable. Also, we will be looping back to ensure we stay together-ish.

See you on Monday!

Gin

Monday 23 February 2009

Eastleigh 10K - Extra Training Session

I'm running a few extra training sessions aimed at the Eastleigh 10K at the end of March.
First is this Wednesday (25th). Meet at Fleming Park Leisure Centre in the lobby at 6:30pm.
The plan is to cover the full route - but you can take walking breaks if required!

Address:
Fleming Park Leisure Centre, Passfield Avenue,Eastleigh,Hampshire,SO50 9NL

I've had it OK-ed by the Centre that we can change there, use lockers & loos if required. Just walk straight to the changing rooms. Just ensure that you are in the lobby for 6:30pm ready to run!

Gin

Thursday 19 February 2009

Beginners Programme – Week 6

Well done for last week’s run! I’m really impressed with the effort you are all putting into running – and with the resulting performance.

We are definitely going to be employing the loop back system this week:
If you are ahead of those at the back by a fair bit:
· Turn around
· Run to the back
· Carry on running for about 100m
· Turn around

Monday’s Training Session
· Warm up
· 1 minute walking / 5 minutes jogging – repeated over 30 minutes with an additional 6 minute jog at the end
· Cool down
· Stretching

Homework
· Repeat Monday’s training session at least once this week – ideally twice. If 5 minutes of running is too tough, ease up to more walk breaks. If you have any major aches or pains, don’t run – just stick to walking or rest & we’ll discuss on Monday.
· Again, try and fit in at least 1 session of other aerobic activity this week too.

A bit more about... training

Some tips that might help with your homework:

Try to stick to an aerobic steady pace. You’ll know if you at this pace as you’ll be able to talk – a little breathily perhaps. If I’m running alone, I have been known to say out loud “normal conversation” to check I’m not going too fast.

Walking breaks are very acceptable! There’s evidence that even experienced runners can achieve faster overall times if they take walking breaks.

If you are aiming for a particular distance, one technique is to do the full distance from the outset – but start by run/walking. Build up to running more – aim to run 10% more each week. This works well for 5K and 10K.

Speed work can help. For a single run, focus on either distance or speed – not everything at once! Try alternating running as fast as you can (at a pace where you can’t talk) for 2 minutes with running at a gentle jog – and repeat over 10 minutes. Over time, you’ll find that this technique (“Interval Training”) improves your steady pace speed.

Cross Training works! Don’t restrict yourself to running. Mixing in other activities can boost your fitness and variety will help to keep you interested.
Cycling compliments running well – similar muscle groups but it is lower impact. Swimming and walking also provide low impact exercise. Yoga and pilates can help with posture, flexibility and strength.

Some resources:
www.mapmyrun.co.uk – great for planning and measuring your runs.
www.runnersworld.co.uk – lots of advice on running.

Saturday 14 February 2009

Monday Week 5 - Beginner's Programme

· Warm up
· 1 minute walking / 4 minutes jogging – repeated over 30 minutes with an additional 5 minute jog at the end
· Cool down
· Stretching

A bit more about... injuries

I’m really hoping that this is advice you never have to put into practice!

Avoiding injury in the first place
There’s a great piece of advice from Runners World magazine – “don’t let a niggle become an injury”. Ensure that you warm up, cool down and stretch properly every time you run. Also check your speed – you should be able to talk (breathily perhaps!). Risk assess your route – look out for obstacles and slippery sections – tripping over kerbs is quite common. And take care crossing roads.

If your feet or legs are hurting, it could be worth going to a specialist running shop to get some advice – which might result in new trainers. If pavements in your area have strong cambers, avoid a loop where you are always on the same slope – try crossing over. Concrete pavements are harder than asphalt so less foot-friendly.

Don’t train every day – rest days allow your body to recover. This is also when your muscles actually improve!

RICE
This summarises what to do with a minor injury. Major injuries – for example if you cannot bear weight on an injured leg – require a trip to casualty. Follow RICE for several days. If a minor injury doesn’t improve, go to your GP.

* REST Rest up! When you do start running again, take it really slowly and carefully initially.
* ICE Get a packet of frozen peas & place the whole (unopened) bag onto the injured area and leave for up to 15 minutes. You might want to wrap the bag in a tea towel. Return the peas to the freezer (label them as “not for eating”!). You can repeat this hourly.
* COMPRESSION Pressure can help – tubigrips are a handy way to apply pressure to the injured area.

* ELEVATION Raise the injured area – for example, prop up an injured ankle on the sofa.

Monday 9 February 2009

Well done!

Horrible weather today - very impressed with the turn out tonight! You all did fabulously.

Gin

Monday 2 February 2009

Too snowy to run tonight!


I've been texting & emailing - but just in case I've missed you - running is cancelled tonight (2nd Feb) due to the snow. More is forecast & even if it thaws this afternoon, I'm concerned that a big freeze will render the pavements too slippery for my risk assessment.
Next week will now be week 4 for the beginners.

Gin