(edit: this post is a week old – i didnt submit it last weekend!).

I can’t deny my current “training”, if that’s what you can call it, is a bit sporadic at the moment. Managing only one real run a week coupled with no gym and unhealthy living it’s not the start I would have liked. Inconsistency is the cause of the problem, my weekends are stuffed full of diy and finding the motivation to do sports when, by Monday lunch I’m already shattered, is proving difficult. I really need to fight through my head demons and crack on…

I did manage a short run on Sunday, following a few hours kip I put on my kit for 7am and started running. Within minutes my brain started to persuade me to “cut the run short”, because I was tired. Annoyingly I listened, however it didn’t get it’s way entirely. I dropped a mile of the usual distance, dropping it to 6.5miles but increased the hardness of the route by adding more hills to my route. Where I live is pretty hilly which is a help for training but not critical for the London Mara as it’s pretty flat…

Anyway 6.6miles achieved, pretty damn slow and no real sense of pride in the slightest, must push myself harder but still trying to work out quite when!!

N

In part one I talked predominantly about clothing in this part I will venture on to fueling. This post should be read with an amount of caution as it’s very much still something I haven’t fully mastered. I understand the concepts but not so much the theory, if you want that level of info google is your friend, or a chat with a running shop.

Last year I tried a number of products but settled on the SIS range, unless there is a dramatic change in circumstances I will be using this range again. After recomendations I settled on three types of products, one for pre-run, one during and one after.

Pre-run fueling

Whilst I have been informed a well constructed meal before your run can provide the same benefit the sis-rego range 30 mins before your run can give you an energy boost and also work to increase your hydration levels which during a long run will be massively depleated. You can use this fluid during your run as a boost but be careful in your training not to become to reliant on it because unless you are prepared to carry it on race days it won’t be an option for you…

In-race boosts

There is a whole magnitudes of ‘gels’ on the market. As far as I know the gels are effectively sugar and provide a nesc boost (I’m sure it’s more complex than that!). Designed to be consumed without the need of liquid and supplied in small enough sachets that you can carry with you during a run. They say you want to be taking one of these every 5 or so miles and no more than 5 in a day I beleive.

For anyone new to gels they are not a pleasant tasting product and you may have to try a few before you find one you can take without heaving mid-run!

Post-run muscle recovery

If you have ramped up your training then your muscles will no doubt start feeling the stresses. There are products out there specifically designed with large amounts of muscle helping carbs and proteins. Taken shortly after a run these milkshake like products should help. Again a product like this can be substituted with a well balancend diet.

Alternatives

I have mentioned that all the products can be ignored if your diet factors in the necessary food and mineral groups. These products are ultimately designed for people who may not have enough protein for example in their diet.

I have also had discussions with other runners who suggest gels don’t work for them in the slightest, the human body is very different and what works for some may not work for others. The gels assume that your sugar levels are low but for some it appears there sugar levels are not depleated but there fat reserves maybe and hence a saugage of piece of salami maybe more helpful (but much harder to carry on a run!)

Vitamins and supplements

Once again not needed if you eat well but if you are training hard you will feel it. You will become less immune to colds and feel general fatigue more often. Ensuring your vit levels are maintain is a wise move also products like cod liver oil is useful for your bones which will be under a lot of pressure! There is another supplement out there whose name I forget specifically designed for joints again perhaps a useful addition to your daily routine.

You maybe intimidated by the amount of products avail but when your training ramps up from a light jog to serious distances a week it is worth investing time into finding the right things for you and do this early. Whilst you don’t want to be to reliant on these you also need to know that the product won’t make you ill!

I think that’s probably enough from me today, part three will see a post talking about running with technology…

p.s. Find a sweet you enjoy and use that as an insentive, I have used a fun size mars bar which I held onto for numerous miles but munched on when the demons in my head really started haunting me just remember you should be enjoying this, hopefully you are doing it by choice!

Ok so I’m not massively experienced in this field like some but I have been running for a little while and entered the field from a very unhealthy state (see blog). I was the sort of person who would get out of sport whenever possible and until a couple of years ago running was not something that fit into any part of my life.

I can offer limited help and advice for all newbie runners, what ideas I have picked up, tech I have used etc. These worked for me but may not help you at all, that said I have been asked similar questions again an again so thought I would note them down.

Kitting yourself out

If you are seriously considering taking up running in any serious way getting the right kit is a must. It doesn’t always come cheap but if you calculate how much time you spend in the item vs the cost it prob won’t seem too bad.

What you should buy…

Clothing

Trainers: your trainers will be one of the few items you use during every run, unlike a t shirt or shorts you won’t change these depending on what colour mood you are in on that day. Invest wisely on a pair of trainers, if you are going to run for more than 2 or so hours a week I would highly recommend finding an INDEPENDENT running shop (eg. sweatshop) which offers gait analysis. These guys will recommend a pair of shoes which will work with your running stride and should reduce future impact risks. I suggest an independent shop as if you go to somewhere like Nike they will only sell you their own product which may not be suitable. With these trainers, forget brands you may know there is a chance you will be sold a pair of shoes by a manufacturer you have never heard of…

Socks: a good pair of running socks also essential ones that absorb sweat. I have used Sky Run Socks by X-Socks and had no issues again not cheap at about £10 a pair however these should reduce blister problems and athletes foot when combined with a good pair of trainers…

Other clothing: this is up to the runner, over time you will find what is comfortable. If you are a blokeand running in the cold winter don’t be embarrassed to wear leggings keeping your muscles warm will only help you in the long term, also, wear gloves, its common sense really. Cotton is probably not advisable, perhaps look at dri-fit or clothing that is built with sports in mind…

Running Aids

Vaseline/BodyGlide: Whilst chafing may seem a comical issue to discuss and chuckle about in the pub with your mates, not until you experience it will you want to do something about it. Key areas of chafing are the nipples, where your tshirt rubs as it moves and between your legs. In order to combat this chafing, which can lead to bleeding and incredible pain both during and after your run invest in some Vaseline or bodyglide. Apply to the sensitive areas, and if you suffer from blisters then consider applying on your feet too, Vaseline is a lot more liquidy and slightly harder and greasier to apply however I think it probably does roughly the same…

Part two to follow shortly where I will discuss stretches, key ways to work your muscles and also running with technology…

Finding time to get out there and do serious training is tricky at the moment. Having recently purchased a property most of my free moments are filled with diy or in b and q, however, Sunday morning alarm set for 7am I was up prepping myself for a 7/8miler.

The SIS stuff back out again as i start feeding my muscles, one of the things I picked up from my last run was poor fueling – I will be getting this right this time!

I was out the door by 730, pounding the pavement with barely a sole in site – this is dedication I thought to myself at the time, then remembered this was not going to be the last time over the next few months!!

The route I chose was an old one, introduced to me by my father, it is undulating throughout and is a loop with no repetition. In clockwise it is tough, anticlockwise it is insane with a good half mile steep incline – I chose clockwise!

The run itself wasn’t to bad, I was a lot slower than in my peak but that is to be expected really as my training has been scaled back massively. Reached the 7mile marker which is the home straight and tacked on an extra mile, this may have been foolish my legs were ok with 7 but I really felt a difference in that final mile.

However, a very promising initial run, next weekend push it up a bit more and get a session in on Wednesday. Will start reviewing training schedules too and get out the diary…scary times follow once again!

N