It’s not what you know, it’s who you know…..

So New Year had come and gone, and in its wake was a number of resolutions – I’m probably very similar to a lot of people in the sense that at New Year, I say New Year, New Me, and make a list of things which for the best part of a couple of weeks I stick to, before giving up! This year it has been somewhat different! Last year for Virgin London Marathon I had a training plan, which I didn’t religiously stick to. I did as best I could with the time that I had but I wasn’t disciplined and I allowed excuses to get me out of putting in the miles. This year, I didn’t have a plan……..but I knew a girl who did! Jude has been running with Leighton Fun Runners for a couple of years now, she has a little boy in the same year and school as my son, and she is training for London Marathon (she’s got a charity place raising money for CRY, Cardiac Risk in the Young http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JudeWilson2) Jude has a plan, and she’s kindly let me piggy back on her training. We have been motivating each other since the beginning of the year to get up, sometimes very early, on the weekends and run long distances. We have run in the bitter cold. We have run in the snow. We have run in the rain. We have run with hangovers. We have run distances from 3 miles to 18 miles. Most importantly, we have run when neither of us wanted to. But we have done it together. Now I know that when you are training for a marathon it is important to do those shorter distances, and I know it is important to maintain your speed sessions and I also know that it is very important to get in those long distances. But what I know even more is that without Jude, it would have been a lot harder! So big thank you! Training has been going pretty well this year, with consistent pace, and I’ve felt pretty strong, not just over distance but over hills and speed. Apart from two weeks in January where I was out with a chest infection I’ve stuck to the plan and I’m starting to really feel confident about Milton Keynes Marathon. Plus with my new found discipline and the motivation and support of my training buddy I’m noticing some great results in what I resolved to achieve at the beginning of the year. Roll on May 2nd! Achievements this year Since joining Weight Watchers on 16th January, I have lost 13lbs. On Thursday 25th February, during Speed & Stamina, I recorded a 7.52 min/mil (previous quickest was 8.08) During the month of February I ran over 115 miles (my biggest ever monthly mileage on record). I ran up Shenley Hill without stopping!!!!!!

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Breaking Psychological Barriers

It's often said that the only barrier to progress is in the mind, with the idea that all things can be possible if at first we believe that we can. Nothing is truer or more relevant for runners. Runners often get stuck in a training rut, or pass through oceans of time before hitting a pb, purely because they cannot get past their own mind first.In the beginning, most runners enjoy a vast improvement in their performances, nailing pb’s all the time, mainly through physical changes in the body and adaptation as the body physically gets used to running. Then, the inevitable plateau occurs and runners start to believe that ‘this is it’ and that they have reached the limit of their capabilities. Nothing is further from the truth, they just don’t know it. This is an example of a psychological barrier where a runner accepts their position because they believe they have reached their physical limit. Unlocking this can be tricky, but it starts with positivity. Understanding that there is always an improvement to be made in any situation is key in progressing and this is the same for all runners irrespective of ability. Some rules for breaking through a mental barrier;It starts with positivity, you have to believe you can do it. Saying ‘I’m not sure’ won’t cut it, you have to go for it completely. Drop the failures of the past. You literally have to shut out all previous performances. Invariably, if you don’t then you’ll dig up some bad race or other and it will start to haunt you.Barrier breaker: You need a mantra. Something that you can roll out when things get tough. A lot of runners use something personal to them, perhaps emotive, but it needs to be something that works immediately in refocusing you on the job in hand of smashing through the mental barrier. “you’re stronger than this”, or “trust your training” are well-cited examples but have some fun with your own!Breakdown the distance: Looking at 26.2 miles and chewing off 1mile chunks at a time might not be a good idea, but thinking of it as four 6-mile segments might help. Take each one at a time. Then with a few miles to go – imagine it’s just a cheeky 5k, so might as well push hard, not far to go. Alternatively break down the distances by landmark – push until the clock-tower, then when you get there pick another…but keep the brain busy!Imagination: ok so we’re not talking about picturing yourself on the podium next to an elite, but picture yourself basking in your own glory, crossing the line with the time you wanted. Hold the image with you. Be realistic with your goals, but keep the image with you. With the right ‘brain training’ you can definitely cross through barriers and understanding this can help you to keep pushing that bit more…and improve.Whatever the barrier, you can arm yourself with tools to break through and take positive steps to ensuring that during race training and on race day you are in the right place to get the result you are looking for.

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Volunteering

This week, I've been thinking lots about Leighton Fun Runners and what makes us different from other running clubs. One of the things that stood out for me is the amazing team spirit and camaraderie we have built up over the years. Taking a look back at events in the past few months, there's nothing better to see than a group of club runners cheering on and supporting fellow LFR's right to the end of the race, or runners of all abilities stepping up to help lead group runs on club nights and weekends, and I think thats what makes us special. We pull together and support each other and that, in my opinion, is the best characteristic a club could have. We've talked a lot recently about volunteering and how you can get involved with the club more but have you ever stopped to wonder how a running club functions? How races, events, club nights and meets go from idea to reality? Running clubs provide valuable services to the community fulfilling athletic, charity, social functions as well as providing a place for people to very simply get together and exercise. The club is always grateful of whatever support it gets but maybe you were wondering how you could be part of some of our great events? I imagine sometimes people are concerned about what could be involved, or how much time helping could take up, but don’t worry, normally it's just a couple of hours of your time and a whole bunch of cheering and enthusiasm. Why do people volunteer? Many people volunteer because they want to put something back into the club that has perhaps given them a lot in the past. People who are passionate about sport, especially running or about supporting local events in the community They want others to enjoy what they have been privileged to enjoy Perhaps they understand that if no-one volunteers that events cannot take place, and therefore want to help make stuff happen. What do LFR members help with? Run leaders (weekend long runs, club nights, Fartlek sessions, track sessions, S&S sessions) First Aid Cake night assistance at HQ Marshaling at events like parkrun, Leighton 10k Event support (MK Marathon, London Marathon, Leighton 10k, Dirt Half and XC series ) Writing articles for our website (race reports, blogs, interesting links) Social events (attendance, support, kit) Why do our volunteers do it?" "If you can make the event memorable for the runners, I find that the satisfaction and reward are greater from volunteering than from running in the event yourself. People remember the event and they remember you. And you make more friends!” Anthony Smith “There is nothing more rewarding than being part of helping someone achieve something.“ Carrie Tyas “The old adage “you get back what you put in" is very true, giving up a few hours to volunteer pays dividends in the warm glow of knowing you are helping out at a worthwhile event, seeing other people benefit from your efforts and getting to know other people who you might not normally come into contact with" Christine Ayers So, if you’re interested in helping out with a run, or marshaling at an event or just pouring tea at the 5caKe night, please do let us know. It's always good to see new members wanting to get more involved and give something back and we guarantee it's good fun too!

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Fabulous fundraising fun at the LFR breakfast run

Yesterday we had a great LFR turnout at our annual breakfast run. Over 50 runners took the train to Cheddington, Tring, Berkhamsted or Hemel Hempstead and made their way…

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The Patriot

The Patriot (he ain’t half quick). A long time ago in a distant land – filled with concrete cows and roundabouts there was held a race. Those wishing to prove…

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Carrie – The First Time

As the race season for 2016 picks up, it will be a time for many of us to experience our ‘very first’.  Whether it is your first 5k, 10k, half, full or ultra marathon, we will no doubt all go through the same anticipation, worry or even dread. No matter what you have planned over the next few months, it’s always good to put things in perspective. Ask yourself ‘why am I doing this?’  Ultimately your answer should be that you are doing it for yourself.  This time last year I signed up for my very first 10k - I had never even run a 5k without having to walk and still didn’t really consider myself a runner.  I spent the weeks leading up to race day stressing over being at the back, not being able to finish, would I be too hot or too cold, should I run with water or would I make it to the water stations? Last year’s club Breakfast Run was to be the longest run I would manage before the big day and not being one for running on my own and not really knowing many people at the club back then, I stuck to the regular Tuesday runs in the hope that I would have done enough to at least get a nice shiny bit of bling at the end.  As fate would have it I spent the week of the race not being able to get out of bed due to a virus. It was touch and go if I would even be well enough to run and the stress of having raised money for charity and thinking if I didn’t run I would have to pay everyone back for being a huge fraud meant I put myself under even more pressure to get well.  I bought every superfood, herbal remedy and cold and flu medication I could get my hands on and slept away most of the days leading up to race day in the hope I would still be able to run.  In the end I dragged myself out of bed on the morning of the race having convinced myself that as long as I could finish it wouldn’t matter how long I took.  With the support of a fellow club member and a whole pack of tissues I was able to maintain a slow but steady pace and complete the race without even needing to walk. Looking back on it now, having run endless races and slowly pushing myself to go a bit further and a bit quicker, I have learnt that no matter what you do to prepare yourself for the big day the most important thing is to enjoy it, soak up the support you are guaranteed to get along the way and never forget what you have achieved so far. Often, keeping positive will distract you from how tough it is, keeping you focused and if your head says you can do it your legs will have no choice but to keep going. I believe that no matter how far or how fast we go we are all runners and don’t forget to treat yourself to something for achieving what you set out to do! Carrie TyasLFR Vice Captain

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Have you thought about…

So you’re possibly training for a marathon? Or half? Possibly your first or one of your first few? A lot of you will be thinking about your training plan right now, and trying to stay focused on it, but I’ll wager that not many of you will be thinking holistically about the event. Holistically…? Oh so we’re rolling out the big words now are we? Yes, holistically means thinking about things like the post-marathon meal, the things you’ll need to think about on the day, the day before, the kit you’ll need, the kit that will work, the kit that will fail, the race pace, the toilet strategy and so on…. Its easy to become pre-occupied with the running part of the training and think that it’s the most important aspect of the overall plan, well there is an element of truth in that, but its important also to not overlook what will make or break your event ‘on the day’. Remember always that its never funny, after having trained for 3 or 4 months for an event, to be side-swiped by something you hadn’t thought of. Right now you are probably wondering what possible plethora of items there could be to worry about on the day itself. Well, what about hydration? Hydration can affect performance by up to 30% or so given a 5% decrease in hydration by body weight, meaning that if you get that wrong on the days leading up to, and on the day, you could be looking at a huge decrease in race-performance (http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/dehydration-and-its-effects-on-performance) depending on the event, based on not being hydrated correctly. Then there’s preparing for the weather, you have to think of what the most likely scenario will be and plan for it. Race too hot…well….you’ll only do it once. Then there’s nutrition, then there’s your gels…how will you carry them? Have you tried to eat the gels you intend to use? Will you listen to music or not? Is it allowed? Have you checked the course? Will there be a massive hill at mile 24? Where will you need a boost? How will you travel, or park? What is your race pace? Have you practised it? What time do they serve breakfast in your hotel? This is just the beginning but there are a lot of things to consider if you want to do well. However, all of that assumes that you want to do your best. You can, of course, decide that all of the above is not so important to you, however, and take a more casual approach but I can bet that you’ll still want to finish, and not be carried off by the St Johns army, so regardless you’ll still need to do some planning. To set you thinking, why not check out our article on the LFR web (courtesy Chris Taylor) concerning training for success. https://leightonfunrunners.org.uk/club-activities/training-coaches-corner/success/    

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Staying Injury Free

It’s coming to the end of January. Many runners will be getting to a stage in their training plan where the mileage is starting to ramp up as they prepare for the start of the racing season. Runners tackling a new races will likely be running more often than before, potentially training slightly differently too, taking on speed, hill and distance sessions. At this stage many first-time marathon runners will start to feel tired as the additional training kicks in and these are a group at arguably the highest risk of injury. They are, sadly not alone, as experienced runners will tell you, injuries can happen to anyone. It’s a fact, though, that many first-time marathon runners fail for a variety of factors like motivation or overuse or acute injuries brought on by the change in workload. Knee, calf, achilles and foot issues seem to be the most common, brought on by “too much too soon” from attempting hill training, speed training or long distance training or all of that in spades. It’s so tempting to simply “follow the plan” no matter what. I’ve heard runners say “but its on the plan” so many times, even when completely exhausted from training. The body needs to recover from each session you put it through and it does this when at rest, at night when you sleep as well as during rest days. Benefiting from increased training and “getting stronger” is called adaptation. Your body ‘adapts’ to the increased levels of training, but it can only adapt if its allowed enough rest to do so, this is why rest is so important to marathon training. Your muscles, tendons and ligaments undergo constant structural and biomechanical changes in adaptation to stress. Should a runner increase their workload too quickly, these structures will not have time to adapt and all of a sudden you are parked on injury street. There are various rules about increasing workload gradually, but you can generally speaking simplify it to a 10% rule. Either increase the overall mileage by 10%, the mileage of the long run by 10% or increase the intensity, although this is harder to gauge. Increasing overall miles, the long run and throwing in hard sessions together will certainly lead to breaking point sooner. The running shoes play a part too. They start to break down between 300 and 500 miles and this too can lead to injury as the cushioning and responsiveness changes drive small changes to your running style. There are plenty of other ways you can get injured, but here are some collated tips to try and stay injury free and motivated; Preparation time. Don’t try to rush the training plan. If you are newer to running then it will take you longer to build up the mileage base. Don’t add missed sessions to the next week. Design your plan around the 10% rule Cross-training such as swimming or cycling can be useful, or take a day off on the days after your long runs. Allow your body time to adapt. Be specific during the taper, and don’t dramatically cut mileage down. It should be gradual. Include races in the plan where it makes sense such as 10k, 10m and half marathon races. Group runs at the same pace often increase enjoyment and motivation. Its important that its at your pace. You can get into issues from both running slower than normal as well as faster. Motivation is key, you are far more likely to stay the course when motivation is high. Listen to your body and your peers. If you feel tired all the time and look like hell, chances are an injury is just around the corner if you don’t change something quick. Take some time out, eat well, recover and re-join the plan. Be flexible. Warm up pre-run where there the session will be intensive and warm down after tough sessions. By taking a sensible approach and being flexible, following a plan through to a race ought to be an enjoyable process. You can’t do much about nerves as you get closer to the race, but that’s another story, but you can get to the start line injury free.              

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Snow and Ice

SNOW!! Yes depending on how old or grumpy you are this is either good news or bad news, it tends to split people down the middle. Runners are no exception with those that love getting out early on fresh snow for a good long run, and others who hate it and see only the risk of injury. The truth, as is so often the case, is somewhere in the middle, in the grey area, where you assess the risk and trade that off against the beauty of cutting your path through a frozen landscape and enjoying feeling the sensation like you’re the first person on the planet. Like it or loath it, you cant deny that running in icy or snowy conditions takes more effort. It definitely takes more effort and seems to leave you feeling like you’ve run a race when all you did was run around the town. Which is good, right? If you run the distance you were planning then I guarantee you’ll need more effort for this on snow or ice. LFR went out today in the snow ‘en masse’, as it does best, here there and everywhere. Some went along the canal, some in the woods, some along country lanes and some and, well, some forged their own paths. But many runners shy away from going out running in the cold, the icy weather, the snow. Its somewhat understandable. Anyone who is a runner will have been to some degree injured at some point and none of us like it. No sir. So why add to the risk of getting injured? That’s the real question….but there are ways to minimize the risk. A couple of great articles here on how to minimize the risk of running in snowy, icy conditions. https://runneracademy.com/how-to-run-in-snow-and-ice/ http://www.runandbecome.com/running-training-advice/how-to-run-in-snow People site risk of injury for not wanting to go out running in such weather, but really running is something that is already a risk-laden pastime, but this truly only represents one of the additional hazards that exist, rather than being a deal-breaker. Its surely something to cautiously embrace? That said, its crucial as ever to take precautions and by being sensible, running where you are unlikely to encounter fast moving traffic, where roads will have been gritted, in daylight, in high-viz, with grippy shoes, taking care where you place your feet, etc, etc you can have a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Next time we get some white stuff, lets get out there!!            

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New Year New Me

So 2015 was a mixed bag for me. We’ve lost people we loved and we’ve gained little ones along the way, the power of social media has connected us to even more family members and old friends, I’ve suffered with some ill health (thankfully nothing too serious), I’ve started a new job, I’ve finally paid off my car – hoorah! Like, I said a mixed bag. 2015, however, was also the year of running. I tried Cross Country, I ran London Marathon again, and I improved pace both on shorter distances and half marathon. It was also the year I was selected as MK Ambassador – a role I’ve been taking very seriously. So now we are in 2016, what changes? I think 2016 is the year I change. Every year I set resolutions, or runolutions. I try to get healthy, lose weight, sign up for a challenge, and then inevitably by the middle of January I’m dialling up the Chinese takeaway and reaching for the bottle of red! Not this year though. So what makes this year different?  On Monday 2nd May I am running Milton Keynes marathon and I WILL be getting a sub-5hr (there said it!). It’s in writing so I have to. Five days later on Saturday 7th May, my beautiful friend Kelly is getting married, and I am honoured to be her bridesmaid. And lastly, I’m sick of constantly battling with the reflection in the mirror. So clean food and exercise it is, and I’m drawing on different tools and incentives for motivation. My Fitness Pal is the app I use to record my daily calories, what I am eating and what I am losing through exercise. It’s serving me well so far. Since New Year’s Day I have lost 3lbs and counting. The Run Pot – I’ve got a money pot which I am using to incentivise me to save money whilst I run. Up to 3.5miles will cost £1, up to 6.5miles will cost £2, up to 13.5miles will cost £3 and anything over will cost £5. I’m looking forward to having quite a few pennies at the end to spend on new trainers and future races. 2016 Goals – I have  a picture on my fridge of Personal Trainer Chloe Madeley along with running times I want to achieve for all distances from 1 mile up to Full Marathon. I can’t wait to get to 31st December 2016 and put a tick by all the times I’ve achieved.  (Link to My Own Blog) Lastly, my main source of motivation will come from all of my family, friends, running club team members and supporters of my MK Ambassador journey through Twitter and Facebook. Thank you for the support so far, and can’t wait to take you all on the next chapter with me.

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