The Bucket List Marathon

In the past week I've met 3 people who have entered to run the Berlin Marathon for this year. This event is 3 weeks before our very own Melbourne Marathon and 21 weeks away this Sunday! An exciting time for them as they sit on the cusp of their extensive training program and buildup.

The Berlin marathon is probably most well known for having set the most new World Records of any marathon in the world, that figure being seven. Therefore it is considered a fast course, and thus a popular choice for runners looking to run a new personal best time!

Last year's Berlin Marathon saw Dennis Kimetto from Kenya set and new World Record for the Men's race in the phenomenal time of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds. That average pace equates  to 2 mins, 54 seconds per km, for 42.195 km! That is crazy. To appreciate just how fast that is, I challenge you to try to run at that pace for 1 km, or perhaps 2km. Let alone for 42.195km!  It has started talk of whether any runner can ever break the 2 hour barrier?

Run or watch any marathon and you will see the power of the human body and spirit alive and well.. The 26.2 mile ( 42.195km) event was instituted in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens. The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896 and has grown in popularity ever since, with numbers of participants and events nearly doubling in the past 10 years!

It's no wonder that this event appears high in many a mortals Bucket List, and there's no shortage of choices for where to tick off this event.

Here's a link to "The 30 best Marathons in the Entire World" , listed based on popularity, excitement, inspiration and general crowd favouritism. After the New York City marathon, the next on my list would have to be the Marathon du Medoc. This event takes runners, who are mostly dressed in hilarious costumes through the vineyards near Bordeaux, France with wine on offer at more than 20 drinking stations. If you make it to the 38km mark you can expect all you can eat oysters, cheese and ice cream in the last 4 km. Don't expect a PB here, rather just a great time.

Whichever Marathon it is, you'll commit alot of time, effort and probably a bit of money in getting there, so make sure that you get to the start line in one piece by planning well & preparing properly for the marathon.

If you're thinking about the marathon, we can show you how, and ensure you have a great race day!

My Marathon Inspiration…the seed was planted.

It was a dull, and typically grey Sunday morning in May when I found myself wandering the streets of London, I can't even be sure where I was, after a late night out and so nursing a bit of a tired, sore head. This was a long, long time ago as you can imagine when I only had myself to think about, but what happened next, i guess changed my life forever.

Suddenly I found myself upon a crowd of people and was at once a spectator in one of the most inspiring occasions I had ever seen. I was witnessing dozens of people willing their contorted bodies towards a distant finish line when I realised I was watching the London Marathon. I knew little of marathons in those days, but after playing many years of footy, would still regularly run for fitness. Having said that, I was living in West Yorkshire so the Northern English weather wasn't so accommodating.

Nevertheless what I stumbled upon that day almost moved me to tears as these runners, clearly suffering pushed their bodies of all shapes and forms toward the finish. In hindsight I figure I must have been at about the 40 km mark and I'd imagine 4 hours in as these runners were not leading any field today. Regardless, the sheer emotion, will, spirit and desire in these people convinced me enough to know that I must experience this one day. Run the marathon and find out what it is all about, and hope to hell that I don't finish like that!

This thought stayed forever with me, as I repeatedly told this story and listened to many others' first hand accounts. Not for some time mind you did i get around to it, nearly 15 years on I think it was, but the seed was planted there and then after witnessing this great display of human courage and effort. And having done the same I have an even greater appreciation for what each of those runners was going through.

The marathon is a life changing event, that leaves you with a feeling that you can achieve anything once you have run a marathon.

So I dare you, change your life, run a marathon.

But please do it properly. Your marathon experience does not have to include the misery that some endure, for the hardest marathon you will ever run is the one you don't prepare for.

If you've been thinking about running the marathon but you are not sure if you're ready, then you might want to read about being prepared for the marathon. If you are ready to run the marathon, and looking for a personalised program to ensure you are well prepared and ready to reach your goal, then here is a few options to consider.

Look out later this week for my next blog; The 5 biggest mistakes made by Marathoners!

Train smart. Run well. Race better.

How long to Run Melbourne ?

The Run Melbourne is on July 26, which means you have less than 2 weeks to get started on your program allowing for a 12 week training program to meet your goal or record your personal best time, and we'll show you how!

Your typical 12 week Half Marathon program will feature the following run types to help you build greater strength and speed that will translate into faster running, for longer to get you to your PB. This will include Interval running; such as 400m, 800m, 1km repeats at your prescribed pace. Tempo runs to build speed endurance at your prescribed pace, and Easy Runs to assist in recovery and develop strong endurance capacity in your muscles.

Running faster doesn't just happen, but is the product of a well crafted program using the proven principles of exercise science and specific training methods to boost your pace and performance. 

And if it's the Full Marathon you're thinking about in October (18th-Melbourne)  this year, then the Run Melbourne is nicely placed to be a part of your preparation.

Do one, or do the double and record two PBs this year!

Let us show you how.

Try this Lunchtime Run & Workout.

Workout Station, end of Collins Street.

You've only got an hour for lunch and you want to squeeze in a run and a bit of a workout?
Here's a great option!
If you're in the Melbourne CBD, as I am, a nice 10-15 minute jog across the river following Southbank and the Yarra Promenade, over the Webb Bridge to the Docklands offers a picturesque route to a fabulous little workout station at the very end of Collins Street.
Once there you can complete a very effective circuit of exercises using the available equipment and your body weight that will complement your running.
There are plenty of exercise options offered at each workstation, and there's even a 135m running track around the outside!
I suggest doing a series of 4 exercises TABATA style, that is 20 secs ON, then 10 secs REST. Perform each exercise 3 times before moving to the next, or do it as a circuit of 4 exercises, and repeat 3 times.
Total workout time = 6 minutes and you're guaranteed to be flogged. If you've still got something left in the tank, or a bit more time, then try another set of 4.

Finsih off with a short jog back to work with enough time for a shower & a sandwich!

Here's some exercise options;

1. Chin Ups
2. Push Ups
3. Rope Lifts - alternating
4. Cross Over Crunch

1. Box Jumps
2. Jump Switch ( from push up position, bring knee to chest, alternating, fast)
3. Step Ups
4. Mountain Climbers ( push up position, knee to elbow - outside/inside to opp elbow)

I just want to run faster!

View fullsize

I met with a mate on the weekend at a children's birthday party who had just recently completed the Run 4 The Kids. After the usual analysis of the run, and assessing his split times, his race followed a very common path of many I speak to as he started much faster than he finished, and wasn't able to hold his desired pace right til the finish. He wants to know what he can do about this problem, that I hear so often?

So i put this to him; What would happen if you completely turned your split paces upside down? You start the race at the pace you finished (slower than you intended), and build your pace through the race, and finish strong and fast. At worst you would run the same time, but feel great about finishing strongly, instead of being disappointed at finishing slowly. But better than that, you are much more likely to run a faster time as you feel stronger as you finish. 

I explained to him that this is how you want to plan your race; start a bit slower than your desired pace, settle in to the race finding your rhythm, then build your pace throuhg the middle, and finish strong and fast. This is called a Race Plan and requires some planning & discipline, but is effective. More than that though, it simply doesn't happen unless you plan for it!

Next he states, " I just want to go under 4min/km!". There are a number of accepted goal times for recreational runners; sub- 3hr marathon, under 1:30 for the half, and a sub-40 min 10k time. hence the 4min/km goal. So, you just want to go faster.

You won't get faster by just going out each week and trying to run faster - that just makes you tired, leads to overtraining and often injury from pushing too fast all the time, and it simply doesn't work like that. To get faster, you need to get stronger. You get stronger by doing shorter, faster interval training sessions. These include track sessions, interval training, hills and tempo running, all designed to increase your running strength and speed, and improve your anaerobic thresholds for running faster, for longer!

So, if you want to get faster, you need to train specifically for it. We can help you achieve your pace goal with a personalised program specifically structured to increase your pace, whatever distance or event you have in mind. 

Feel free to contact us for more information.

Super Sunday Run

I joined thousands of walkers, strollers, cyclists, skaters & runners who were out & about yesterday enjoying a superb Sunday afternoon. For me it was my longer Sunday run, an easy & relaxed amble along the foreshore from Elwood to Hampton and back. As i usually do when I run, it got me thinking, what does this Sunday run mean to me?

For me, it's the start of getting back into regular weekend runs, this being my third consecutive run as I start to string together some consistency and getting some mileage back in the legs. Now that our second boy, Sonny has just turned 6 months, runs have been less than regular since my last race which was the City 2 Surf in Sydney way back in August last year, which i snuck in before his arrival in September.

Whilst this was not a programmed run as such, there is still always a training effect so it pays to give some attention to what you want to get out of the run. Having said that I'm all for a relaxed run with no great expectations, but for me there are two main factors present. Every run demands you Run Well, with good form regardless of pace thus building a stronger neuromuscular connection within your running muscles & movements - Smooth, Light & Easy. This along with a focus on keeping my cadence ticking along nicely is all I'm really aiming for. As for pace, I made sure I was travelling nicely within my aerobic zone, steady paced so as to be within my aerobic threshold. 

Whilst I am not running to any program right now, I am aware that my 20 week Marathon Training program is still some time away (about 9 weeks). Until then it's just a case of running regularly, running well & building some aerobic fitness along the way, which is a most fortunately unavoidable!

Most importantly, like most of those around me it's nice to just simply be able to get out & enjoy the run, the sun and the scenery and not have to think about my program for now.

A timely reminder to make the most of these great afternoons whilst they're still with us, and enjoy the freedom of whatever it is you're doing , just for the sake of it.

Run 4 Kids…tick! So, what's next…the Half Marathon?

Congratulations if you've just completed the 15km event, Run 4 The Kids. One of the best running events in Melbourne in my mind, as it's for a great cause and a unique run course as it takes you under the Burnley Tunnel and over The Bolte Bridge, places you can't normally run. And now, let's consider what comes next….?

You've had a couple of days off to reflect, now your mind turns to, What next? You don't want to waste all that good training you've already done, do you? So, naturally the Half Marathon is next on the list. Besides, it's only another 6.1 km so you're nearly there. It's true, you can make the distance no problem, but what goal do you want to set for yourself, what time do you want to aim for?

The Run Melbourne Half Marathon is on July 26, so about 4 months away. This gives you 16 weeks  to train, which is plenty of time to set yourself a goal.

A typical Half Marathon program is 12 weeks long, and if you have a goal time in mind we can create a personalised program to build strength & speed into your running to help you reach your goal. But that doesn't mean you spend the next 4 weeks sitting on the couch until your program starts. Keep up your regular running and think about adding some interval or tempo running into your program.

A typical program will have a number of different run types, such as easy runs, tempo runs and faster interval runs to help you build strength and speed into your running. All this adds up to a faster race time. If you want to find out more, please send me an email.

Whatever running you do, Run Well.