Only 20 weeks til Melbourne Marathon!!

It's already less than 5 months until our Melbourne Marathon rolls around, or 21 weeks this Sunday.

This means that if you're not already running regularly & you are planning to run the marathon this year, then it's time to get started. 

Am I Ready to Run a marathon? 

The sooner you start, the longer you spend preparing for the marathon, the better prepared you will be. Sounds logical, but it's true. And the better prepared you are, the more enjoyable your experience will be, and the better your performance too. 

 "The hardest marathon you will ever run is the one you are least prepared for."

Are you a first time marathoner but not sure where to start?

Taking on the marathon for the first time can be a life changing experience, and an exhilarating one that requires a great commitment and dedication to succeed, and hence should not be entered into lightly.

At this point you should aim to be running at least three times per week for a total of 30-35 kms per week, ideally for the past month until your official program starts. This would leave you with 18-20 weeks in order to start your actual program, being an ideal preparation time. But if you haven't started yet, then 20, or 18 weeks is enough time to be well prepared.

If you're already running regularly & exceeding that mileage then great, it's time to start to hone your running routine to develop the strength & condition to improve your performance. If you're looking to run your best marathon or looking for a PB, you've come to the right place. 

Importantly, the earlier you start your training program, the easier & better your body will adapt to the greater demands and running loads of training for the marathon. Too many people leave it too late, end up poorly prepared or even worse injured, and often do not make it to the start line, let alone the finish line!

At Run Well Marathon Training, our goal is to provide you with a personalised training program that will;

1. get you to the start line well prepared & in one piece, i.e not injured!
2.   provide you with a race plan to ensure you get to the finish line and finish well,
3.   enjoy your event (it shouldn't be absolute hell)  and finally,  
4.   maximise your performance to reach your race goal! 

Most importantly you will have a great chance of having an enjoyable & rewarding experience.

In last year's Melbourne Marathon, 'Run Well' clients improved their Personal Best by an average of 24 mins!

Here's what some of our past Run Well clients have had to say.

If you want to be a FINISHER at this year's marathon, or if you;re looking to run a PB and you're looking for some professional guidance, Run Well Marathon Training can help.

Contact me here & I will get in touch with you soon.

As always Run Well.

What the GOR Marathon & Milking a Cow have in common

What I love about a great running event like the Great Ocean Road Marathon is the people you meet.

Every runner has their own story, journey & reason for being there and we all share a few things in common. A love for running, and the challenge of it. Further to that, each has their own unique & typically colourful personalities & idiosyncrasies on display before the start. Whether it be their clothing, accessories, warm up routine and rituals to get them ready to race, it truly is a wonderful spectacle to observe.

The start studded field of past, present & future champions lined up on a delightful sunny morning in mild conditions with a bit of a headwind to add to the challenge of it all. What a great event that allows you to mingle with, chat with and compete on the same playing field with Olympic champions. You can even rub shoulders with these running greats, at least until the gun goes.

The race itself of course is superbly stunning as it twists and winds it's way up, down and around this spectacular coastline to Apollo Bay. According to my local mate at the Apollo Bay Hotel, Rudyard Kipling regularly visited the region, describing the Otways as " absolute paradise" and this is just one special way to see it.

Another is to explore a sneaky back road out of Apollo Bay in search of another route to Beech Forrest through some of the most beautiful rainforest areas I have ever seen. But alas, that is a whole other story (rather calamitous).

Back to milking the cow...

Running events bring together wonderful people who love to share their stories of challenge, and reward. One of those ladies chuffed from her own run on the Saturday spoke of the merits of some of her coach's training tips when approaching the hilly parts of the course. Her coach, none other than Monners himself recommends the rope pulling metaphor which we quickly dubbed, " milking the cow". Imagining clasped hands reaching forward and milking the teet with every step, "The arms drive the legs", was one of my own coach's favourites. I was inclined (boom boom) to put this into practise myself during the race with great effect. Thanks for the tip Allana.

What follows is many gruelling & unrelenting minutes and hours running with, and working with fellow runners that may join you, push you, drop you and be dropped by you with barely a word spoken, until you finally get to meet and congratulate those that have ultimately helped you to the finish line. And new friends are made to trade your story with..

We bask collectively in our glory and satisfaction of achievement; of finishing another training campaign, another run, another race.

This is what running is all about, we are in it together, part of a running community. We are all friends and that love the sport.

That's the GOR ticked off, and with two new PB's. What's next?

Less than 22 weeks til Melbourne Marathon, 25 weeks til NYC, here we come!!

Thinking about running the Marathon this year?

Or are you looking to run a Personal Best at your next race start?

As always, Run Well.

What I learned at Trail Running Camp.

lake bellfield from the pinnacles

Last weekend I had the pleasure of joining a Trail Running Camp in the Grampians. Whilst I have done a few trail running races in the past few years, most of my running & training is confined to the Bayside & Melbourne CBD area, hence rather flat and very few trails, let alone mountains! It was my recent foray up to the Mt. Buffalo Chalet a few weeks ago, that inspired me to seek more trail running experience as I prepare for the Wonderland Run in August

And so I joined the Wildplans Trail Running Camp, and this is what I learned.

• Trail Running is fun! 

Actually, not just fun, it is exhilirating! Spectacular scenery, fresh mountain air, challenging terrain, and fast wind in your hair descents that feel like mountain biking without wheels. So much fun!

• You are allowed to stop in Trail Running!

You are allowed to stop and take photos, you can talk, you're even allowed to walk when trail running. Well, it is almost impossible to run all the way, as some of the climbs are so steep, walking or climbing is the only option, and often more efficient than trying to run anyway.

Typically marathon training is all about paces, heart rate zones, threshold runs, pace runs, fast intervals. There's no stopping for photos, and you can barely talk anyway except on your blissful long steady runs on a weekend. In Trail running you are training all your different energy systems at once or altenating between them depedning on the terrain, at the same time as developing strength & condition from hills, stairs, climbs, & tricky descents. This requires good mental focus that also hones your running skills of foot placement, knee drive, glute activation and trunk stability to keep you upright & moving efficiently over the ground.  It's definitely an all-in-one workout!

• It's easier on your body!

Trail Running is overall slower paced than road running, and you tend to take lots of smalerl steps hence lightening the load on your body. Additionally, the terrain is so varied that your feet, legs, hips and trunk are constantly adjusting & changing their position and loading all of the time. In essence sharing the work-load around. You definitely use all of your body negotitating the trails, and whilst you can feel it the next day in areas you don't normally, it's a good kind of sore. As a result, you are less likely to develop the repetitive overload issues associated with pavement pounding.

• You get to buy heaps of cool stuff

Trail running require a bit more gear than on the road, which means you get to buy more cool stuff, which runners love. When hitting the trails or mountains you need to be prepared for anything, and could be out there for a long time, and in any kind of weather.

One of the coolest pieces of kit I was introduced to is called a THIR, which is a multi-functional headwear and a must for all runners looking to keep their ears, or head warm on chilly mornings and mountain tops. Not forgetting, but they are also sun (UV) protecting, eco-friendly, high performance fabric (Endura-cool), moisture wicking (sweat wiping), lightweight & highly breathable;  You should really check these out!

that's Kellie with a THIR on right there!

• WILDPLANS

Wildplans are a highly professional outfit, lead by two of Australia's finest trail & ultra running athletes in Kellie Emmerson, and Tegyn Angel. These two can teach you everything you need to know about trail running, most importantly how to be well prepared and safe in the process.

Thanks WILDPLAN for a spectacular weekend!

Trail Running is a great adjunct to your training program, regardless of what you are training for. It provides variety for your body & mind, is both physiaclly & mentally challenging, and above all exhilirating and fun. However, make sure you are well prepared, know what you are getting yourself into, and be safe.

As always, Run Well!

The hills are alive in Melbourne?

view from Mt. Buffalo

I was in the spectacular region of Bright last weekend, and it was only natural to go for a run that took me to the Mt. Buffalo Chalet. The last 11.3 kms of which rises 700m or so as it follows the BIG WALK hiking trail, which is also known to Buffalo Stampede runners. A most spectacular course, but I quickly discovered that whilst I am reasonably quick on the flat tracks around bayside Melbourne, the hills or mountains quickly brought me undone.

This lead to the realisation that I need to find and hit some big hills around Melbourne ASAP, as I prepare for the GOR Half in 5 weeks time, and then the Wonderland Run in the Grampians in August.

Hills are an integral part of many runners' training, and serve to build strength, form and condition to your running, and hence boost performance. Here's a link to a previous post I have written on the beneficial effects of hills training & why you should include these in your training regime.

Whilst you will find plenty of good long hills on the outer suburbs of Melbourne and beyond, such as in Heidelberg, Templestowe, Dandenongs, 1000 steps, You Yangs etc, there are not many around the pancake like flat-lands of inner Melbourne.

So, I've decided to compile a short list of decent hills that we can access around inner Melbourne that will help with your hills training.

1. Anderson Street, The Tan

A popular running location, with a decent mid length hill of about 400m to work with. Most of us have completed many, many reps of this local favourite, and you can catch my own Friday morning running group here every Friday morning from 6:15am.

So, I've decided to compile a short list of decent hills that we can access around inner Melbourne that will help with your hills training.

1. Anderson Street, The Tan

A popular running location, with a decent mid length hill of about 400m to work with. Most of us have completed many, many reps of this local favourite, and you can catch my own Friday morning running group here every Friday morning from 6:15am.

2. Kew Boulevard

An excellent course of undulating hills stretching about 7kms from end to end, popular amongst cyclists and runners alike.

3. Walmer Street ( off Kew Blvd)

Walmer Street runs past the southern end of Kew Blvd, and if you start from down near the Yarra River, it stretches up at a good gradient nearly 1 km to Studley Park Road. That classifies it as a Long Hill!

4. Princess Street to Barclay St/St.Kilda Road to Alma Road

One of my local favourites, and basically the only decent hill nearby, these two hills that meet together at the top (Barclay Street) offer a shorter steeper option ( Princess St-400m) or the longer, less steep section along the highway ( 600m). Not such a pretty option (traffic) but it's about the best I can offer in the area.

5. Fitzroy Gardens

As I often run during work hours from the CBD, I have found Fitzroy Gardens at the Eastern end of town a very attractive place to punch out some surprisingly good length hills. Whilst not so steep, these longer inclines can be weaved up, down & around in all kinds of combinations to give you a pretty decent workout.

6. Back of Essendon Airport

Somewhere in my distant track training past ( thanks Coach Bisinella) is the painful memory of a (horrendous) long set of steep stairs somewhere out the back of Essendon Airport. I can't even tell you what street it is, but it rises from the depths of the creek and bike paths up & up into a residential court. Too many painful repeats were done here to take any more notice of this place other than the vague memory of the airport in the distance, as we lay flat on our backs sucking in gulps of air.

Please feel free to share and add some more of your favourites that I and others can enjoy also.

Happy hill running and as always Run Well!

Improve your Running Efficiency with these 4 steps!

It's the time of year where many of us are in the early stages of a running program or thinking about it. As we look way down the calendar to our chosen events, our goals can seem a long way away. 

Sometimes early in the program it can be hard to keep focussed or motivated with our running training, but this is the ideal time to focus on what really matters when it comes to your running training. And that is, running with good form, and improving our running technique & efficiency, hence Run Well.

As always running training is about becoming a stronger & better runner, which given time will result in you becoming a faster runner. Hence the key here is in practising good technique, and thus developing good, strong motor (movement) patterns as we run. Train well, get stronger, improve your efficiency and faster will come.

Here are a few key pointers to get you started; 

1. Tall posture, strong trunk.

Running tall, chest up with a strong trunk allows you to keep your hips on top of & in front of your feet, to access your glutes/hips for power. Look out in front, not down to the ground. 

2. Shorter stride length , more steps

Reducing your stride length will also keep your hips over your feet, reducing the tendency to reach out in front with your foot ( over-striding). This also help you to land through your mid-foot for energy recoil, More steps, means reducing the load with each step, 

3. Pick up you feet!

This is called 'Knee Drive'; so pick your feet up off the ground at the end of your stride to get your knee coming through high & forward in position for your next step. This focal point will also help prevent you from reaching forward with your stride and over-striding.

4. Push from hips.  

Your glutes come from (the back of) your hips, and are the strongest muscle in your body. These are the runner's powerhouse that will allow you to run well, and fast. The combination of the above factors will allow you to push your body forward as you stride, thus increasing your stride length behind you during knee drive, and not reaching out in front.

Keen to learn more? 

Come to my regular running group sessions, held every Wednesday evenings 7pm at St.Kilda, and Friday mornings 6:15am at the Tan. These are coach led sessions with an emphasis on good quality running & form.  Wednesdays will include some running drills/strength, and Fridays is all about hard intervals - hills & track.

You can find out more here. 

Or if you're interested in  learning how to "Run Better, Run Stronger, Run Faster", you can join my next Running Technique Clinic to be held after Easter; all the details you will find here. 

I hope to see you out for a run soon.

As always, Run Well, always!

Great Ocean Road Marathon - just the Half?

It's just over 12 weeks until the GORM Running Festival!

if you're thinking of running in this spectacular event, it's time to step up your training.

I've entered the Half ( 23 km), and have put together my own 12 week Personalised  Training Program to help me to a PB. If you'd like to jump on board with a personalised training program from 'Run Well' to help you achieve your own PB in the GOR Half Marathon, then get in touch here.

And for this week only, you'll enjoy a 25% discount on the price. Your personalised program includes;

• A Detailed Runner questionnaire
• Follow up phone call to further discuss your goals & needs
• Personalised 12-week Training Program with Pace Guide
• Detailed Information Sheet explaining how to use your Program & Pace Guide
• Runners Pre-hab & Injury Prevention & Maintenance Guide
• Personalised Pre-Race Guide & Race Day Plan
• Access to Smart Training Options
• Exclusive access to Friday morning training session (6:15am@theTan, just $5) 

Hope to see you down there for a Run Well get together after the race!

- Rohan 

Summer Runnin': a month in Jamberoo.

Summer holidays have just ended for most of us, myself included. However, i was fortunate enough to have spent most of January in the beautiful surrounds of Kiama & Jamberoo. 

The region of Kiama - Jamberoo is one of great natural beauty. It offers spectacular coastline, numerous beaches, rolling green hills, mountains set amongst dairy country & rainforests. It is nothing short of ridiculously beautiful as you will see in the pics that follow. Jamberoo means 'track' in Aboriginal, but I think that's underselling it just a little. Perhaps bloody steep track would be more appropriate for this area is one of many, many steep hills.

Kiama; lots of hills and cows.

As with any other holiday destination, this represents the opportunity to explore new running routes, trails & workouts in a different environment. Being from Melbourne, where hills are scarce in the inner city, I do love to run the hills around here.

Regardless of where you are, or which time of year, a running session is never far away. Here's a few of my favourites from the region, and whilst you may not get to Kiama itself, you can take these suggestions with you almost anywhere.

1. Hill circuits:

Find a hill which is not hard here, and run it. Repeat, repeat again, and so on. Kiama boasts the 5 X Bs; 5 streets starting with B, that are horrendously steep and about 400-500m long. The one I found in Jamberoo was 1.7 km long with an elevation gain of 160 m with each repetition, & taking just over 9 minutes to get up, and just as long coming down for each rep.

Rating : Bloody hard but beautiful on the way down.

2. 1000 steps.

Find a decent set of steps, 81 in this case. Run the set, recover on the way back down. Repeat til you've done 1000. 12.3 repeats for me, ouch!  

The shorter the set, the harder you go!  

81 steps on the way to 1000.

3. Trails. 

If you're from the city, spoil yourself & your feet and get off road whenever you can. The Coastal Track between Kiama and Gerringong is an absolute gem. It's 6 kms one way ( you can catch the train back?), or 12 km return. Absolutely stunning too.

4. Run the Mountain.

6 km of uphill hell to Saddleback Mountain. Locally known as the Saddleback Smash raced in October. Sadly, cancelled last year, but hoping it will make a comeback soon.

5. The Epic Trail Run. 

This run involves setting yourself a destination or goal and just heading out and seeing where it takes you. The last time I did this in Kiama a few years back, I ended up running to Geroa and back, a total of 38kms. I probably won't make that mistake again. For me this time, it was continuing up and up beyond the end of our Jamboree road, (the 1.7km hill) and into the Buderoo NP, more up and into the pine plantation, and down the steep muddy descent to the most magnificent little stream & waterfall to cool off. take in the breathtaking drop off, before continuing downhill to the main Road. And then come back again! Took, an hour and 45 mins. Totally worth it!

Like every run, running hills, stairs, trails, & tracks all involve the opportunity to work on your strength & technique as you conquer endless hills. Great training early in the year as you build your base before getting stuck into your specific race training program.

Sounds like the perfect place for a Summer Running Training Camp.  

And that's exactly what we're going to do next January 2017. If you like the sound of that, please let me know & you can join us!

As always, Run Well!

How's your New Year's Running Resolution going?

We are already into the second week of the New Year, which leaves me wondering how our resolutions are holding up, 8 days later?

Typically, New Year's Resolutions involve promises of healthier and fitter lifestyle changes, which will often include running related goals, challenges and even the threats & dreams of marathon finishes!

have runners, will run.

To start with here's a few tips to get this year's running resolutions into gear;

1. Start by Running Regularly; try for every second day, allowing a day in between for recovery. 

2. Be realistic when you start. If it's been some time since you've run, then start slowly, with short distances, and take it easy. Try 15-20 minutes, and include short walking breaks if you need to along the way. Many people that break down , do so by doing ' too much, too soon'. Listen to your body. Your body needs time to adapt to the demands of running, so let it. It may take 6-8 weeks before you can run 5k, and that;s okay. The next 5 k will come easier I promise.

3. Recovery; Most important for all runners, and in particular those starting out. Work on your recovery when you're not running, this will help your body adapt between runs, thus keeping you running and on track. This will involve your foam roller, stretching, try yoga which is great for running recovery, body & mind.

4. Be patient. Good runners are strong runners. You need to be strong and mobile. This takes time to develop and work to maintain. Take your time, and build your running fitness. Again, don't fall into the trap of 'too much, too soon'

5. Set goals. There's no better way to stay motivated than to be training for a goal, and you can't reach a target if you don't have one! Start with a 5k Personal Best, or maybe 10k and work your way up. Soon enough you'll be looking at a Half Marathon, and then maybe even a Marathon!

Maybe you ran the Half or Full marathon last year and now you're looking to improve on your performance and aim for a PB!

Either way, allow enough time to adequately prepare & train for your race and give yourself every chance of making it, and making a PB!

6. Enter a Race!! Now it's time to really plan out and train for that race. Pick your distance and commit yourself to a solid training program of 12- 20 weeks, depending on your distance. If you need some help or advice on this, feel free to email me here.

Now that you've made a start here's a few race events to consider for the year ahead;

Here's a link to all of the 2016 Australian Running Calendar of events.

And just for good measure, a list of my faves to consider for the year ahead;

• Two bays Trail Run 28/56k; 17 Jan
• Rollercoaster Run 43/21.5k; 27 Feb
• Run 4 The Kids 15k; 20 March
• Puffing Billy Run 13.5k; 1 May
• Great Ocean Road Marathon 44/23; 15 May
• Surf Coast Trail Marathon 42 solo/relay/22: 25 June
• Run Melbourne 5/10/21; 24 July
• Wonderland Run, Grampians 20/36: 21 August
• Melbourne Marathon 21.1/42.2; 16 October
• NYC Marathon 42.2; 6 November!!!!

If you're looking for any running or training advice to help you achieve your running goals for 2016, please email me .

And if you're planning on running in the 2016 New York City Marathon, so am I!! get on board with your personalised Run Well Marathon Training Program here!