Minimum Effective Dose • The best way to improve your running is to run more miles • The best way to get injured running is to run more miles Every runner who is seeking to improve will at some point face this problem – the best way to get fitter is to run more miles but if I do that, I’m likely to get injured. Most running books and magazines quote the 10% rule when looking to increase mileage – that it is safe to increase your mileage by 10% each week. Some wiser writers include the warning that every fourth week should be a recovery week where you back off to let your body recover. Using this as a principle though, you could go from running 10 miles a week to running 100 miles in a week in less than a year! Well you … [Read more...]
Welcome to the NEW Running Coaching
May 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Welcome to the new Running Coaching. It is great to be back with you after some technical difficulties! As I re-launch the site, I just thought I’d explain a little about who it is aimed at and my training philosophy. There are some runners who just enjoy the running itself and who run for fitness and the pure enjoyment of running. These are noble motives and I’d like to think I can provide a little information that might be beneficial to them. There are some runners who disappear away at the front of a race never to be seen again until either they lap you or you see them picking up a trophy at the end of the race. Most of these runners have their own coaches but I’m sure there will be snippets of information that would … [Read more...]
Law 11: Train With a Coach
November 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
This is another law that is proposed by Noakes but was not one of Newton's original laws. To summarise, Noakes lists the benefits of having a coach as: - to provide inspiration and support for the athlete - to provide an objective analysis of when the athlete is doing too much - knowing the athlete and providing the appropriate mental and physiological stimulus Of course I am going to strongly support this law. For many recreational runners, it is difficult if not impossible to have a relationship with a coach on an individual basis. The danger then is that the runner picks up bits and pieces from books, magazines, other runners and the Internet and applies ALL of it!! As I've previously posted, my coaching ethos is to train Smart. In … [Read more...]
I feel the need – the need for SPEED!! – Maverick (Tom Cruise in Top Gun)
July 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment
One of the biggest challenges facing new runners is speedwork • What is it? • Is it necessary? • How much do I need to do? • Will I get injured? Over the next week or so, I’ll look at different types of speedwork and give some suggestions of sessions you could do in that particular area. But to answer our original questions: What is speedwork? In the SMART training system, it is any running done at faster than steady state. So, any time you run at a pace that is faster than your normal running training speed. For example, if instead of your normal 3 miles steady run, you run the first mile easy, the second mile as fast as you can to see how fast you’ll do it and then the third mile easy – that is speedwork. It can be … [Read more...]
“Do what you can with what you have where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt
July 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Runners come into the sport through many different routes. Some were runners at school, trained with a running club and kept up running through their adult lives. Others played other sports and took up running in later life. Others started to run to lose weight, get fit or support a charity. All runners have a different physiological makeup. They have different balances of slow twitch and fast twitch fibres. Many running books and training plans have a generic, one size fits all package that takes no account of the individual differences of each runner. So, how can we address the differences? I’ll give you an example. I have two athletes who are both training to run a 40 min 10k. In order to prepare for the race, I will include … [Read more...]