The SLJ Beginners Course - Pre Course Information

So - you are considering signing up for the Sevenoaks Ladies Joggers Complete Beginner Jogging course. 

Firstly, well done, it's hard to start something new and to be out out of your comfort zone, harder as we get older! 

In order to prepare for the course it is a good idea to have tarted to make some simple changes to your day to day routing. You may already do all of these things, in which case that's great, but if not, it will give you some ideas of things to think about prior to starting. 

Our Pre-course plan can be printed off and used as a guide to trigger you to remember these small changes. You won't need to prove you have done it to anyone but perhaps you could get your family or friends to join you to keep you motivated. 

SLJ 7 - Lies Runners believe

With the internet and social media playing such a large part of our day to day lives I'm sure that it can't have escaped your notice that suddenly, anyone can become an 'expert'. This means that they want to impart their knowledge, some of which is utterly wrong, some could even cause you an injury.
Here are some of the common things I have read!

1) You are too old to take up running

Well meaning friends or family love to advice that once we are past about 30, we are too old to take up running. This is so not true, think about the amazing people we have seen in the news recently. There was a 95 year old gentleman who broke the 200m track record, he only took up the sport later in his life and now has a personal trainer, lifts weights and east clean food! Although running does get harder as we get older, as long as you set yourself realistic goals there is no reason to say you can't be successful. 

2) Treating yourself to a pair of the latest highly technical shoes will make you a faster runner

Every year we are bombarded with a new design, some special gel or new technology to tempt us to buy new running shoes, often with the promise of making us go faster!  Sadly this isn't always true. The coaches at Sevenoaks Ladies Joggers would advise you to stay away from bargain brand shoes and stick to those that have been specifically fitted to your feet and running style.  A University of Newcastle study could find no conclusive link between expensive running shoes and injury prevention or better running performance. 
So, steer away from buying the most expensive pair because of something you read and head to Bat and Ball Sports or Up and Running in Sevenoaks where you’ll be able to get expert opinion on the right shoe for your running style.
PS the shoes below really do have wings, click for info! 

3) I don’t have time to run today

Always running for an hour or for a set distance, is not going to make you lose weight, get faster or fitter. Mixing up your running is. If you are tight for time, particularly when the kids are off school, set yourself a goal of doing something for 25 minutes. Maybe take the kids to the park and get them to time you doing some shorter speedier sets of about 30 seconds. Get them to mark where you got to and see if you can reach that point each time. You can make it educational by asking them to time you, and write don the time, then get them to try and see how far they can go. There’s no denying that long runs are beneficial, but they certainly aren't the be all and end all of running. 

4) It is very important to stretch before every run

If there’s one thing that every new runner thinks they should do, it is stretch before a run. But research shows that this can be a disaster!  Far from warming you up for your run and loosening up your muscles, stretching pre-run can actually increase injury risk and reduce running efficiency. According to research carried out at Florida State University, stretching cold muscles before a run reduces efficiency by about five per cent when compared with a gentle walk/jog warm up. SLJ do a series of dynamic movements such as skipping, high knees and pony feet! 


5) If you warm up and cool down properly, you won't get injured

Whilst warming up correctly, wearing the right gear and avoiding overtraining are all great ways to help prevent injury, many of us who have been running for a long time will tell you that there is no absolute sure way to prevent an injury occurring. A rough estimate says that 70% of runners will suffer with some form of injury at some point. The most common area for these injuries is the knee, closely followed by the Achilles, shins and heels. If you do have an injury, simply rest, recover, and get back to it when you're ready safe in the knowledge that we have groups for all abilities. 


6) Jogging or Running is the only exercise you need

Ever since the running revolution of the 60’s and 70’s, jogging has been put on a pedestal as some sort of exclusive miracle exercise. There’s no doubting that jogging is great for you, but if it’s all you’re doing then you’re not getting the full benefits. Doing some other form of exercise will only improve your running if they  include strength, balance, stretching, core work and non weight bearing activity. So go ahead and dance, swim or hoola, it may make you faster! 


 

7) I should carbo-load before every run - 

If you’re sitting down to a mountain of pasta the night before you run with us the only thing it’s going to do is make you feel bloated and lethargic when you’re trying to run. 
Carbo-loading should only be reserved for times when you will be running 12 miles or more, otherwise you will just put on weight and feel lumpy. When I did my first marathon I chomped away on Pasta and put on nearly half a stone! If you do have a long run coming up,the best formula to follow is to consume around 8-10g of carbohydrate per kilogram of your body weight during a carbo-loading period. For a runner weighing 70kg, that is roughly between 560g and 700g of carbs.

Note**
For those of you who haven't caught up with Facebook war of the Spiralzer, how to make Carb free version of Spaghetti, you might like to take a look at our videos below! 

Uploaded by Sam Palmer on 2015-03-15.

Sevenoaks Ladies Joggers making a carb free meal using courgettes as the base, some prawns, chilli flakes and coconut milk on top!