Diary of an aspiring Half Marathon Runner - week 6

My targets for this week:
1. Run at least twice.
2. Try & cover at least 11 miles combined.
3. Longer run target = 8 miles.

So I’m back after two weeks break due to a friend’s wedding up t’North followed by a week in Vegas – I’m just going to be upfront & admit right now that I did zero training whilst away. 

Zip. Nada. 

I can’t even try & claim that I did some swimming as the closest I got to this was sitting at the edge of the pool, in the shade, dangling my feet in whilst engrossed in a book!  I did clock up 3 miles walking one day, but considering it took over 3 hours I don’t really think this counts as it was an extremely casual dawdle at best whilst I meandered around the air-conditioned shopping malls of Vegas! But at least I’m feeling relaxed & rejuvenated & ready to grab that bull by the horns, look it well & truly in the eye and say – I will do this, just you try & stop me!

I had a couple of days to get over the jetlag before heading out for the first (shorter) mid-week run. However willing my mind may have been, the rest of my body must have missed that memo & it started protesting pretty much right away!  The calves were the first to grumble after only half a mile, and they kept it up for a good couple of miles before they finally realised I was blatantly ignoring them & they could either behave or go on strike – thankfully they decided to behave!  Breathing was also harder than usual – it was like I’d temporarily forgotten how to breathe and run at the same time & it seemed to take me forever to get it under control & in sync with my stride.  But once the calves had warmed up & I was breathing properly it got a lot easier.  It helped me enormously to know that we had options regarding overall distance too.  Knowing I’d been away & might still be tired/jetlagged, Carrie had broken the route up into sections with the aim being “we’ll run to here and then see how you feel and then we can go this way for shorter or that way for longer”.  It really worked and at each point I assessed how I was feeling & we pressed on. I’m pleased to say we managed a little over 5 miles which was further than I expected!

To say I was looking forward to the Saturday run is an understatement – despite having a lovely time away, I had missed running and the camaraderie & chat/gossip that it brings and I was looking forward to seeing my SLJ buddies and falling back into the old routine!  It was an away run today with SLJ from Godden Green, but as we needed to get some extra miles in, we started early at Hollybush & ran out to join the main group at Godden Green.  It really was a beautiful day – the sun was shining, it was warm (but we had a nice shady run through the woods) & I was in great company – it really couldn’t have gotten much better!  The run itself felt really good too – for once I was automatically selecting the longer loops (rather than having that battle with myself in my head first before doing them reluctantly) and I didn’t seem to be trailing at the back of the pack for once – I also found I didn’t always need the breaks when we regrouped, and actually sometimes I was feeling a little impatient to set off again! By the time we got back to Hollybush we’d done our 8 miles and I felt pretty good!  I was tired, but I didn’t feel about ready to collapse like I had on the previous 8-miler. Thanks to a post-run bath with epsom salts I didn’t ache or feel stiff afterwards either so I’m taking this as a good sign for the weeks ahead as we start to increase our distance.
Later that evening the three of us noticed that we’d picked up an identical “badge of honour”! We must have been accosted by the same pesky thorn/bramble bush en-route that morning! 

Diary of an aspiring half -marathon runner - week two

OK – so although my first blog was only published last week, in real time I’ve had a while to get used to the idea and it’s really starting to sink in now that in October I’ll be running a half marathon! 

It still sounds ages away, but once you add in the fact that I’m away quite a bit between now & then, plus I’ve got to somehow fit training in around busy full-time employment and other commitments - it’s really not that long at all! 

But, according to my trusty advisor(s) on such matters, apparently based on the fact that I could probably run 10K without too much of a struggle, I could be ready to run a half-marathon in as little as 6 weeks (yeah right, dream-on!). Thankfully we have more than 6 weeks, so allowing for holidays etc… I should be able to get a solid 11-12 weeks of training in, so in theory double the time needed!    

This week I started my “proper” training schedule and the plan for session one – complete 5 miles.  What was that? “Piece of cake” did I hear you say?  I agree that normally this wouldn’t give me too much cause for concern as the usual steady SLJ run is 4 – 4.5 miles most weeks, but I’ve been away or busy on Saturdays for over a month so I’ve missed all but one of the usual SLJ Saturday sessions (where I opted for the “gentle joggers” on account of feeling a little (ahem) “delicate”) and I’ve not managed to fit in any mid-week sessions either.

That said I did run just the once while on holiday where I learned a valuable lesson about not always putting your faith in technology, but I’ll leave that tale for another time!  I know I could have made time to run more whilst away and in between if I really wanted to, but the truth is I just don’t enjoy running on my own – I need the support & camaraderie that comes from being part of a group like SLJ.

Therefore I woke this Saturday morning, excited but also more than a tad nervous to embark upon my training.  Normally after a several weeks off running I’d ease myself in gently with 3-4 miles with Sue & the gentle joggers, a nice gentle pace with stops & walking breaks – but that wasn’t an option today. Not only would I have to jump straight in at the deep end and run with Siân & the main group – but I’d also have to do the extra loops to make sure I hit the 5 mile target! I feel the need to point out here that I’ve NEVER run the extra loops before – I’ve always avoided them like the plague, after all they’re for fast runners aren’t they…?  Well, I can now categorically say the answer is no, they’re not!  That’s not to say that there weren’t some fast runners up the front, but there were another four of us bringing up the rear, taking a steadier pace but still covering the extra distance.  We still caught up with the main group at the previously agreed check points and in true SLJ spirit, nobody was left behind.  

I’m pleased to report that thanks to the extra loops I did indeed achieve the 5 mile target, and it didn’t kill me! Hooray! 

All in all a good start to the “proper” training, and much better than I feared which hopefully bodes well for the weeks to come. Watch this space!

My mothers day treat!

Yesterday was mothers day and some of you may have read my email sent on Saturday telling you how terrified I was about my treat from my son. If you missed the email you can see it here. 

I promised to let you know how it went so here goes - 

Ollie and I arrived at Psycle to be greeted by someone who looked like Arnold Schwarzeneggers brother with muscles on his muscles, he asked me to sign in. I registered my name and email on the ipad and within 15 seconds my pocket buzzed with a welcome email telling me that my ride was due to start in 5 minutes. I was given a pair of cycling shoes and shown to the ladies changing rooms where I quickly got ready, noting as I did so that I was approximately 30 years older than EVERYONE!!

Ollie met me in the hall and took me to the studio which I was surprised to find was virtually pitch black! As I had suspected the cyclists were young, so young and the girls wore the teeniest of tops with their washboard stomachs on show, their long blond hair or flippy uppy ponytails swishing away. It was too dark to get a good look at the men, well I was with my son,  but they too looked like they had stepped out of a fitness magazine! The music was thumping and about 25 of the 30 bikes were already in use, there was a small towel ready for me on the bike. I wasn't sure that I was going to need the towel but the instructor who was wearing a bra and a mesh top that she may have bought in Ann Summers, obviously had other ideas! She seated herself on her bike on a raised plinth at the front of the class and effortlessly spun her bronzed legs whiled twiddling the knobs on her mini deck beside her, filling the room with music I have never heard before. 

The class started with an obligatory whoop, the music was blaring and the only light was red, blue, green strip lighting, it was a bit like clubbing on a bike!

The warm up left me for dead!

I longed for the safety of a 12 mile run with mud, wind and rain and a nice bit of Abba to keep me company but Ollie kept on glancing over at me and I couldn't let him down. So I peddled, and peddled and tricep dipped and peddled some more, wishing it was light enough to see my watch so I could work out how much longer I had to go!! Up and down, forward and backward, side to side we went as the Brazilian instructor with 2% body fat had a whale of a time telling us to 'Lick the sweat of our faces' and 'go faster, faster and harder,harder' 

Everyone else in the room looked as if they were finding it easy whilst I was wondering how on earth they could keep going - there was one nice point when finally my fitball and running came into it's own, we had to cycle standing up but keep our head, shoulders and hips perfectly still, at last something I could do but plenty of those blond ponytails kept on bobbing! 

About 5 minutes from the end we picked up the two weights given on your way in and used them to do some arm exercises, whilst still spinning away, those who had the heaviest weights were congratulated on their efforts, I assume due to my advanced age I wasn't given heavy ones! 

The class ended with us all waving our towels around our heads like a cowboy with a lassoo. My legs were like jelly and I was indeed rather sweaty but I was looking forward to a hot shower. 

OH DEAR!

The last time I was in a public changing room I was at Nizels where those around me were of a similar age to me, not here. These beautiful blond girls strutted their toned naked bodies as they smoothed Bumble and Bumble products onto their endless legs. I scurried into the shower with my clothes, towel and Sainsburys body lotion so I could ablute in privacy and reflect on how  I wish I knew how good I'd looked when I was that age! 

I loved spending my morning with Ollie and love the fact that he wanted to share this with me but clubbing was never really my thing and no body talked to me at all! I think we will stick to the naff music in the SLJ studio with the lights on and our tummies covered, at least that way most of us will feel comfortable! 

Sam x

Running and your breasts - what you need to know!

After having a very interesting discussion the other day with one of my fitness friends about why ladies do not use their arms to run properly- I had a thought that I would try and convince a few more people to take it seriously. I do a lot of biomechanics analysis and this is something I do not take great pleasure in pointing out! – the way you swing your arms (or do not) is directly dependent on how good a bra you are wearing!!! If you are too busy holding your top box to use your arms to propel yourself you are inadvertently slowing yourself down and fixing your trunk to stop your boobs bouncing up and down.

If you need some convincing here is the research about how much you are bouncing!!

During walking, a woman’s breasts move the same amount in and out, up and down and from side to side: about 33% in each dimension.

Up the pace to a jog or a run, and the movement is split: 51% up and down, 22% side to side and 27% in and out. The overall pattern is a figure of eight (on it’s side).

Breasts move as much during a slow jog as they do during a sprint, meaning no matter what your pace, you should always wear a sports bra- and a good one at that! Two ordinary bras will not stop the motion.

If you are hitting the ground hard then you are getting a lot more vertical bounce than you would ever want- damaging breast ligaments and altering your whole body biomechanics and a lot more besides! ( AKA heading south!)

Warning- clicking here will make your eyes water! Put your size in and your sport and see how much damage you could be doing! Enough said!

http://www.shockabsorbersport.co.nz/wawcs0141481/bounce-o-meter.html

If you are playing other sports then look below from a great piece of research from Portsmouth about bounce!

A BIOMECHANICAL ASSESSMENT OF BREAST KINEMATICS

DURING DIFFERENT EXERCISE MODALITIES

1Debbie Risius, 1Alexandra Milligan, 1Chris Mills, and 1Joanna Scurr1University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hants, UKemail:Debbie.Risius@port.ac.uk, web: http://www.port.ac.uk/breastresearch

INTRODUCTION

Effective sports bras that minimise breast displacement are crucial to reduce breast discomfort during exercise [1]. The majority of breast biomechanics literature centers on treadmill activity. However, until the movement of the breast is understood during different actions, optimum breast support parameters for sport specific activities are unknown. This study aimed to determine the kinematics of female breast movement during; running, jumping and an agility task, in order to inform breast support design during different multiplanar activities.METHODSTen 34D cup participants had passive markers attached to their right nipple and trunk, to calculate relative 3D breast displacement [2]. Supported and unsupported anterioposterior, mediolateral and vertical breast displacement was calculated during treadmill running (10kph), maximum counter movement jumps and an agility T-test.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONExercise modality influenced the magnitude of breast displacement when bare breasted (p<.006) and when wearing a sports bra (p<.013). The greatest anterioposterior (57 mm) and mediolateral (67 mm) breast movement was found during the agility task, and the greatest vertical breast movement (86 mm) found during jumping (Fig. 1). Agility and running had equal distributions of movement in each direction (30% AP, 36% ML, 33% V), whereas jumping activities produced a larger distribution in the vertical direction (26% AP, 27% ML, 47% V). The sports bra was more effective at reducing anterioposterior breastdisplacement during running (51%) than either jumping (35%) or the agility task (41%), more effect at reducing mediolateral displacement during jumping (64%) than either running (47%) or the agility task (49%), and more effective at reducing vertical breast displacement during running (66%) than jumping

Exercise modality has an impact upon the magnitude and distribution of multiplanar breast displacement, and also upon a sports bra’s effectiveness at reducing this breast movement. Sports bra manufacturers may wish to design sport specific products, as a sports bra effectiveness is influenced by the type of exercise [1].REFERENCES1. Scurr J, et al. J Sports Sci 29, 55-61, 2011.2. Scurr J, et al. J Appl Biomech 25, 322-329, 2009.

So keep up the running just not the bouncing!

Jayne Nixon

Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist

BSc HONS MSc Sports & Exercise Medicine MCSP HCPC Reg.

Sevenoaks Physiotherapy and The Running School Kent

SLJ 7 - Cyber security

Our resident Saturday & Wednesday Coach and Cyber Security expert Christine gave us this fantastic advice to help us all keep our information safe. Thanks Christine Maxwell! 

Cyber security is one of the subjects you hear about in the news a lot. You probably also know someone who has had a problem with a credit card, bank account or social media account being hacked. Did you know you can take some really simple steps to protect yourself and your family?

1. Choose good, complex passwords and think about a few layers of passwords for different services you use. For example, use one really good password for your banking and don't reuse it. Then have good passwords for your email and Facebook accounts. The bad guys will try to get into these accounts to find out about you. Don't make it easy for them. Then have another password(s) for lower risk accounts.

My top tip for passwords is do not use dictionary words (including dictionary words with a number at the end). A bad guy could crack this in less than 20 seconds!!!! You could use a short phrase, first line of a song lyric etc. for example:

60min10kforme, Slj7oaksisfab,  Iitmoodfd2 - I'm in the mood for dancing 2

2. Don't click links in phishing emails. Learn how to spot them. Spelling mistakes, sense or urgency and non personalised emails are some signs. If you aren't expecting a package to be delivered why would you click a link telling you that you must urgently pick up your parcel. Banks don't send emails asking you for personal info. Some of the banking phishing emails look very credible.

3. NEVER give your password or PIN to anyone. Even if someone phones you and tells you it's the Serious Organised Crime Agency) who are investigating a crime. They wouldn't do this.

4. Keep the software on your PC patched. The bad guys know that you ignore the Java and Adobe software upgrade boxes that pop up on your PC. Keep it patched - it won't take long and makes a big difference.

5. While we are on software, you've got a reputable anti virus product installed? There are good free ones out there eg from Microsoft, but some of the less reputable ones are loading malware on to your PC.

6. Tighten up the privacy settings on your Facebook and social media accounts. They don't need to be public. The bad guys love public facebook profiles - it's how they tailor a phishing email to you if they are picking on you. For example, they find out that you've got a son at xyz school from Facebook and then you receive a real looking email from the headteacher at xyz school that your son is very ill and you need to click the link to confirm that you've received the email. Would you click? They know you will.

7. Talk to your kids about this stuff.

Good cyber security behaviours are relatively easy and make a big difference.