True inspiration

I'm still maintaining my run-streak. I didn't plan to, and I'm not thinking about how long it'll continue, but I just seem to keep going out for a run. Today was day 14. I don't always run very far, (I've done a couple of 2 milers) but I am absolutely loving it. I'm starting to feel fitter, and am taking the opportunity to discover new paths and explore woodland I haven't run through before, even though I've lived here for over 4 years now! Most surprisingly, I've also embraced early morning running...getting my runs done before work and not having to worry about it late at night when I'm starting to get comfy on the sofa has been wonderful and seeing the sunrise is a spectacular start to the day.

I've also bought some new Salomon XR Missions which I'm just getting used to - I'll do a review on the fit and ride of them at some point, but at the moment I think they're the most beautiful shoes I've ever owned...although it wont be long before they're covered in mud ;) There is definitely motivation to be found in new gear!

To add to my recent enthusiasm, on Monday evening, I got some extra inspiration from attending an interview, Q&A and then book signing with Scott Jurek, who is one of my ultra-running heroes...I've read his book "Eat and Run" a few times and have an interview he did in Time magazine pinned by my desk, which I look at most days. So, after work, I joined a small audience gathered at the Bloomsbury Institute, and waited expectantly....before too long, we were joined by the man himself, and his interviewer, Richard Moore. It was great to be in the same room as Jurek and listen to him talking about his experiences growing up and becoming a runner, although a lot of the interview just went over things in his book. The Q&A was where it got really interesting, where Jurek gave advice, and talked about all sorts of different (ultra running related) topics - what he thinks about up-and-coming runners, the barefoot craze, why he lives in Boulder, how he fuels through a race - all sorts of things. At the end of the talk, Jurek hung around for ages, signing copies of his book...we could either buy a copy there, or he would sign our own, which is a good job because I think 9/10 people had well-thumbed copies they pulled out of their bags!

I was surprised at how nervous I was as my turn came to shake the legendary Scott Jurek's hand, pass him my book, and exchange a few words. I mentioned I was training for my first 100 miler, but to be honest I can't really remember else what we said - I just vividly recall walking away with a stupid grin on my face. 

Here's my signed copy of Eat and Run which I'll treasure... I think Dig Deep might become a new mantra!

 

Miraculous motivation

It was like someone flicked a switch in my brain and turned my running mojo back on, and now I can feel it coursing through my veins.

After months of really not being into this running lark at all and struggling to successfully recover from my ankle injury, I woke up on Thursday last week at 6am, and completely out of the blue, went for a seven mile run. I’ve followed that up with an early morning run every day since then; today was day 7 of this totally unexpected and unplanned run streak and I’ve clocked up a respectable 36.5 miles.  This is from someone who for years has generally trained at 10pm at night, and I was so useless at dragging myself from my bed before work! I’ve had a look through my training spreadsheets – I haven’t done this sort of training mileage in 7 days (without including race mileage) since June 2012!

For some reason, getting up early hasn’t felt like a chore this past week, and I’ve been rewarded with some beautiful sun rises. It’s been a pleasure to be out in the countryside, running through the woods and fields at dawn, and even the tarmac sections of my runs through town didn't feel too dull ;) Today was a little different as it was my first run in torrential rain – but I still headed out into the cold and dark morning, and ran the route through the woods that I’d planned, splashing through the puddles as I went.

It’s just an incredible change in me. If I were religious, which I'm not, I’d think it was miraculous…

I’m feeling fitter with every run, mixing up my pace, I’m losing some of the weight I’ve gained over the last few months, and generally loving being a runner again. Is it too “hippie” to say I’ve found myself? Probably, but on some level it does feel true. 

I don’t know if this new found enthusiasm will last, or if my body will cope with a runstreak, but while I’m feeling this good about training, I’m going to embrace it.

Is running any good for overweight and obese people?

Today I've got a guest post for you, from Alan Jackson MSc, FCIMSPA, who is the Founder of Discovery Learning & Weight Management Centre www.discovery.uk.com   www.wmc.uk.com

Is running any good for overweight and obese people?

I have been a weight management practitioner for 20 years now and as you would imagine, I frequently come across people that want to lose weight but are uncertain as to which activity would suit them best.  More often than not they don’t seem too keen on the idea of running. Furthermore most people (me included at one time) would suggest to these people that running would be a bad idea and that perhaps walking or some gentle swimming might be a better bet.

That is until I met people like Phil, who was a smoker, heavy drinker and clinically obese.  There would have been many health professionals (me included) that would have tried to dissuade Phil from running and used our professional prowess and clinical judgement to justify our advice.  Phil was a definite case of giving the health professional the run around.  We were worrying about his obesity, his CVD risk factors such as smoking and blood pressure, but Phil was focussing on the goal and his route out of his destructive lifestyle. He knew what was right for him and as in all such cases, people know what is best for them. He knew he had to run.

Phil has subsequently completed many endurance runs and successfully ran the Snowdon Marathon in 2006; which has to be said is no mean feat for anyone. Phil is now a healthy and fit individual that is enjoying life to the full and his life has turned around.  If you are overweight or unfit and would like some inspiration, if you think that you can’t do it, you may wish to visit Phil’s excellent running blog. When you do, remember Phil’s starting point for his journey Phil’s Blog  

This really interested me and I have since had the pleasure of meeting many people like Phil that were very overweight or clinically obese and didn’t think they were capable of doing any exercise.  I subsequently set about building up a movement that would appeal to these people, in particular those that believed that their days of vigorous physical activity, running and sport in general were long behind them.  I spoke to football, rugby, running and martial arts clubs to see if they could help and before long FitFans was born.  FitFans aims to help people like Phil to make a start at doing something active that they thought they would never do again.  Once again if you are looking for some motivation to start running or getting fit, you could do a lot worse than taking a look at the FitFans project .

SWOT analysis

So let’s do a quick SWOT of running as an exercise for obese people, is it really a mainstream starter or does it just suit the hard cases and nutters that want to do it the tough way?

Strengths

• Can be done most anyplace – no membership fees required
• Ideal for varying the intensity, duration and frequency to suit your fitness and objectives
• Low outlay on equipment (though  decent running shoes are essential)
• Not too time consuming - in the early phases!
• Excellent for cardiovascular fitness and endurance
• Excellent for weight loss
• Suits the social animal or the recluse – run in clubs or run alone

Weaknesses

• Can be tough on joints (particularly knees) of overweight people
• Not too much fun in winter or in blazing heat
• May present a risk for those running alone if they have cardiovascular risk factors already

Opportunities

• Discover your inner fitness and strength
• Meet a whole new community of people – at the park or in clubs and events
• Runners usually think carefully about diet and this is key for weight loss
• Great for self-esteem and improving self-belief
• May be a springboard for engaging in many other activities and sports

Threats

• May be too hard and you could fall at the first (only if you go about it in the wrong way)
• May further damage already impaired joints
• May be embarrassing as I am so big

It will be up to each individual to undertake their own SWOT and determine if indeed running is for them.  All I can say at this point is that I have seen sufficient numbers of overweight and obese people take up running recently and providing they have gone about it the right way, they have outperformed other more sedentary weight loss clients by a country mile. I’m not sure if it is the running itself, or what it takes to be an obese runner that provides the effect (or maybe a bit of both) but either way the difference is stark.  

All that I can say is that I have been really stunned by the difference in those that do and those that don’t undertake vigorous physical activities such as running with respect to weight loss, diet and self-belief - which underpins all weight loss. I have come 360° with respect to running as a suitable exercise for weight loss and now I simply ask the client: “Would you like to see yourself running a few miles every day?”  They laugh and say:  “That will be the day!”  When that day does come however, they are utterly transformed. The confidence, belief and motivation that they exude makes them unrecognisable from their former self.  I love it when that day comes for my clients.

I hope that this article will help people that want to lose weight to consider running as a platform to achieve their weight loss goals.  Not all runners are ultra-fit psycho endurance masochists. Most are just ordinary folk, just like you or I.  So give running another look.

Alan Jackson is the Founder of Discovery Learning and Weight Management Centre which are health and fitness and wellness educational organisations for gym and fitness professionals and personal trainers.

A picture's worth a thousand words

Here are three running videos that my good friend Conrad shared with me, to try and get me back into the swing of things with my running, to help me rediscover my motivation and my mojo!

In their own way, each film is incredible and inspirational.  I watched them this evening then made myself go for a run....

The first video features the truly incredible Spanish athlete and mountain runner, Kilian Jornet

Unfortunately I couldn't embed the second or third videos...you need to click these links. They're both well worth watching!

http://vimeo.com/60244021
http://vimeo.com/61635444

Dangerous territory & some much needed inspiration

Throughout my running career, I've had peaks and troughs in my training and have often struggled with motivation. It’s always been temporary though, and with the support of other running friends have always made it back into my trainers and out of the door, before too long has passed, or too much damage to my fitness has been done.

At the moment though, I'm going through a really difficult time where I just can't be bothered to go out for a run...it just feels like it's a chore that can be ignored...and it seems to have struck me worse than ever before. After having so much time off with the injury, I can't believe that I'm not taking full advantage of having recovered, and I don't really understand what's wrong with me - on one level, I do want to run, because I'm a runner, and I want to be fit enough to race, I'm putting on lots of weight at the moment, and I'm feeling pretty shitty about not running but when it comes down to it, I've just got no desire to get out the door and put in the effort. Whereas once I would have felt terrible about letting days & days pass without getting a run in, and to see a week on my training plan with lots of “zero miles” entries would have been a huge embarrassment, I seem to have stopped caring that much :(

I think I'm in pretty dangerous territory and I have to rediscover my commitment to running, and fast. I have to get back into a routine whether I like it or not, I have to stop filling my face with crisps, cakes and chocolate, and I have to start running regularly again because otherwise I can see my weight gain spiral out of control and my fitness levels plummet and my status as a runner, disappear. I had a real wake up call this morning – I walked up the escalator at Oxford Circus tube station on my way to work, stairs I've run up before, and I really felt the effort in my legs. What?! Last year I was an ultra runner who could (relatively) comfortably run 50-odd miles, this spring, I was an ultra runner who just about managed 262 miles in 10 days, next year I'm meant to be tackling 100 miles in a day! But I can’t walk up a flight of stairs! WFT?!

It’s just not good enough to get so blasé about my fitness, my health and who I am…being a marathon runner has become an integral part of me and I certainly don’t want e to become that unfit couch potato who tells stories about when they used to run, that no-one believes...

This morning, I was catching up on twitter and facebook, reading about friends who've put in some amazing performances at events over the last few days, that sounded absolutely fantastic. I'm so proud of each and everyone of them. There was the whole team of awesome and always inspiring tweeps finishing the High Peaks 40 including Chris who was running his first ultra; there was Catherine, Susie and Lisa who all ran the Toad, which I enjoyed so much last year; Lena completing the Brownlee Triathlon; Allan finishing the Cotswold 100, just months after breaking his leg; Karen smashing a PB in her half, and Phil finishing Langdale, his first marathon after the injuries he picked up at the 10in10, with our other Brathay friends, Malc, Eleanor, Charles & Angela, while the Godfather, Steve, ran his incredible 600th marathon there, supported by his lovely wife Teresa who ran the half. Over Saturday night, Justin ran at Equinox24, completing over half the distance he covered, barefoot! For the past few weeks, the wonderful Chris Heaton has been taking part in his mind-blowing 30 marathons in 30 days challenge for Brathay Trust, and Traviss and Foxy have been running marathons across America. Lindley's flown out to Greece this morning determined to conquer Spartathlon this year, and Mimi's gone too, to do the DOUBLE! And they're just the people who I can think of, off the top of my head, doing things this weekend! I'm sure there are many others.... 

Next week, it's the Berlin Marathon, and although I have a number, I've decided to forfeit my place because I'm just not fit enough for it. I'm going to miss Johnny's 100th, and running with a whole crew of friends who are going to be out there - Kaz, Heather, Mel, Craig, Keith, Rosemary and John. I'm gutted not to be there.

Every person mentioned above has played such a massive part in my running achievements so far, and there are lots of others too who have made a difference with their support and advice over the years. What an incredible group of people they are - I feel absolutely privileged to know them all. I think I owe it to everyone to stop being so lazy, stop making excuses and just get back to training. There's not a single reason to stop running, and a thousand reasons to keep at it, especially now that I feel really depressed thinking about what everyone else was up to while I was sat on the sofa this weekend! I want to get back to being able to really enjoy being involved and to feel like a legitimate part of the awesome running community again and to take part in some of these fantastic events...and not keep pulling out of them!

So now I've given myself a good talking to through this this post, I've got to get out there and actually do the running. Taking any more time off just can’t be an option any more…I really don’t want to have to change the name of my blog and I definitely need to add some more medals to my collection!