Right so this week has been used to write up and test out the first 4 weeks of our strength conditioning work.
My intentions for this first phase are to get us working hard from the off and I mean hard. It may be 6 months away but we have to train as we mean to go on. You see so many people approach their gym sessions half heartedly and they wonder why they don't get results. This isn't an option for me personally and something that I will ingrain into Staff, JK and Dave.
I fully intend after each training session to be sprawled out onto the gym floor trying to recover. Only when you have given that effort will it pay off. (may have to bring a sick bucket just in case)
The way I structure the training is based on the structure and principles of Charles Poliquin.
Things you will notice when I write the sessions on here;
1 - exercises will be listed by a letter and number.
any exercise that that has the same number attached to it are performed together either as a superset (SS), tri set (TS) or circuit. The number dictates the order of the exercises.
a
b
c - single letters and no numbers means that exercises are not linked, they are done fully before you move to the next one.
Super sets
a1
a2 - this structure means 2 exercises are super set (zero rest or prescribed rest times in between)
b1
b2
c1
c2 - this type of session means there are 6 different exercises to complete
Tri sets
a1
a2
a3 - 3 exercises linked
b1
b2
b3
Circuit
a1
a2
a3
a4
a5
a6
You will also see rest times in between exercises and after linked exercises.
What a lot of people do not know is that your prescribed tempo for an exercise has a massive effect on how your body works and the results that you obtain. You want to increase the level of time a given muscle(s) have to work for a given repetition and overall for the set - this is known as 'time under tension' (TUT). The tempo will be written as a four number configuration such as 3010.
The numbers mean the following.
1st no. - time taken to move through the eccentric/stretching movement of the muscle
2nd no.- length of pause at the end of the eccentric/stretched position
3rd no.- time taken to move through the concentric/shortening movement of the muscle
4th no.- length of pause at the end of the concentric/shortened position
As an example I will describe some of the varieties you can do using barbell back squat.
a-tempo of 1010 - 1 sec down, no pause, 1 sec up, no pause
b-tempo of 3010 - 3 sec down, no pause, 1 sec up, no pause
c-tempo of 2222 - 2 sec down, 2 sec pause bottom, 2 sec up, 2 sec pause top
d-tempo of 51X0 - 5 sec down, 1 sec pause bottom, explode up, no pause top
X - this indicates you have to go through the concentric phase or in the case the upward phase of a barbell back squat as quickly and as powerfully as you can.
To work out the time under tension for the above tempo all you do is add up all the numbers
a- = 2 sec (per repetition)
b = 4 sec
c = 8 sec
d = 6 sec (X should be less than 1 second)
Depending on your training goals you work using specific tempos.
A good thing to look out for when you work with a trainer is this level of detail and that they record all of your sets, reps, % increases etc - if not, go find a trainer that does and you will see the benefits.
So when you see our training sessions on this blog if anything is confusing please refer back to this entry and ask me any questions you may have.
Nick
Friday, 27 January 2012
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Tip 265: Beware of Cardiovascular Damage From Intense Endurance Training
I have just come across this article via the Charles Poliquin website that provides some good information on potential negative effects of long duration cardiovascular training. http://www.charlespoliquin.com/AboutUs/Overview.aspx
The article gives food for thought. It doesnt say not to do it - just be mindful of recovery afterwards.
I feel runners benefit from reading this kind of research as to be aware of what the body's reaction to this kind of event could be.
Our choice of training runs are key to how we progress. After our long weekends away we may need a week to 10 days of non running sessions to get back to normal.
As a side note this isn't intended to scare people out of running/endurance events. From my point of view I have to make sure that the training I am planning will allow for the appropriate rest times after our training so that we remain healthy and arrive at the event in tip top condition.
A new study in the European Heart Journal suggests that the acute dysfunction of the right ventricle that comes from intense endurance training occurs in a dose-response relationship such that longer duration training leads to greater impairment. This dysfunction is evident with arrhythmic disorders, which appear as a rapidly beating or racing heart rate for a period of time.
The study measured cardiovascular function in 40 experienced athletes before and after an endurance event. Participants in the study had to perform at least 10 hours of intense training per week and have performed in the top 25 percent of the field in a recent endurance event. They did not have any evidence of cardiovascular risk factors. The study included marathoners, triathletes, ultra triathletes, and alpine cyclists, and the athletes’ cardiovascular function was tested a few weeks pre-race, immediately after a race, and two weeks after the race.
Results showed that the athletes demonstrated a significant immediate reduction in right ventricular heart function following the endurance race. The longer the endurance race, the greater the impairment in function. For example, the marathoners completed their race in less than 3 hours, whereas the endurance triathletes competed for an average of 5.5 hours, the alpine cyclists for 8 hours, and the ultra triathletes for almost 11 hours. In general, right ventricular dysfunction was greatest in the ultra triathletes and least in the marathoners, suggesting that the heart has a finite capacity to maintain the increased work demands of exercise.
The acute immediate reduction in right ventricular function in the athletes correlated with increases in biomarkers of myocardial injury, providing additional data that endurance training may not provide health benefits and does, in fact, cause repeated damage. Researchers expressed concern that athletes that repeatedly place their hearts under such stress will develop myocardial fibrosis, or a hardening of the heart tissues.
In this study, left ventricular function was not changed, which is not surprising since there is evidence that the work demand on the heart with increasing exercise intensity is greater for the right side than the left. Researchers suggest this makes the right side more susceptible to fatigue.
Ten days after their races, the athletes right ventricular function did recover almost to the baseline level that was recorded two weeks prior to the race, indicating that the impairment is short term, but the concern is that habitually stressing the heart in this way and causing dysfunction may lead to longer term poor health outcomes. This concern is supported by the fact that right ventricular function and related biomarkers were all slightly lower than baseline at two weeks, although these reductions were not statistically significant. Also, reports of arrhythmic disorders in previous studies of endurance athletes lend support to the concern.
Take away from this study the understanding that long duration, intense endurance exercise is unlikely to be beneficial for health. Shorter duration endurance or “aerobic” exercise has not been shown to cause the same damage, but it does produce oxidative stress, which will lead to chronic inflammation and may impair organ function. Researchers note that regular exercise is essential for health and well being and has been shown to improve life expectance by seven years over a sedentary lifestyle. This is true—a sedentary lifestyle is one of the worst things you can do for health and longevity, meaning that any kind of physical activity, even aerobic, is better than sitting on your couch watching TV. But, I suggest that the ideal exercise for health, well being, and cardiovascular health is a resistance training program that includes intense energy system training for conditioning and weight management. To learn more about the negatives of endurance training, read The (Many) Negatives of Aerobic Training.
Sharma, S., Zaida, A. Exercise-Induced Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: Fact or Fallacy. European Heart Journal. December 2011. Published Ahead of Print.
Copyright ©2012
The article gives food for thought. It doesnt say not to do it - just be mindful of recovery afterwards.
I feel runners benefit from reading this kind of research as to be aware of what the body's reaction to this kind of event could be.
Our choice of training runs are key to how we progress. After our long weekends away we may need a week to 10 days of non running sessions to get back to normal.
As a side note this isn't intended to scare people out of running/endurance events. From my point of view I have to make sure that the training I am planning will allow for the appropriate rest times after our training so that we remain healthy and arrive at the event in tip top condition.
Beware of cardiovascular damage from intense endurance training. There is evidence that the continual stress placed on the heart during intense endurance trainingcauses acute dysfunction in the right ventricle of the heart, the part of the heart that receives deoxygenated blood from the body and sends it to the lungs to pick up oxygen to fuel the working muscles. Acute dysfunction of the right ventricle may lead to enlarging or hypertrophy of this part of the heart, placing stress on the body.
A new study in the European Heart Journal suggests that the acute dysfunction of the right ventricle that comes from intense endurance training occurs in a dose-response relationship such that longer duration training leads to greater impairment. This dysfunction is evident with arrhythmic disorders, which appear as a rapidly beating or racing heart rate for a period of time.
The study measured cardiovascular function in 40 experienced athletes before and after an endurance event. Participants in the study had to perform at least 10 hours of intense training per week and have performed in the top 25 percent of the field in a recent endurance event. They did not have any evidence of cardiovascular risk factors. The study included marathoners, triathletes, ultra triathletes, and alpine cyclists, and the athletes’ cardiovascular function was tested a few weeks pre-race, immediately after a race, and two weeks after the race.
Results showed that the athletes demonstrated a significant immediate reduction in right ventricular heart function following the endurance race. The longer the endurance race, the greater the impairment in function. For example, the marathoners completed their race in less than 3 hours, whereas the endurance triathletes competed for an average of 5.5 hours, the alpine cyclists for 8 hours, and the ultra triathletes for almost 11 hours. In general, right ventricular dysfunction was greatest in the ultra triathletes and least in the marathoners, suggesting that the heart has a finite capacity to maintain the increased work demands of exercise.
The acute immediate reduction in right ventricular function in the athletes correlated with increases in biomarkers of myocardial injury, providing additional data that endurance training may not provide health benefits and does, in fact, cause repeated damage. Researchers expressed concern that athletes that repeatedly place their hearts under such stress will develop myocardial fibrosis, or a hardening of the heart tissues.
In this study, left ventricular function was not changed, which is not surprising since there is evidence that the work demand on the heart with increasing exercise intensity is greater for the right side than the left. Researchers suggest this makes the right side more susceptible to fatigue.
Ten days after their races, the athletes right ventricular function did recover almost to the baseline level that was recorded two weeks prior to the race, indicating that the impairment is short term, but the concern is that habitually stressing the heart in this way and causing dysfunction may lead to longer term poor health outcomes. This concern is supported by the fact that right ventricular function and related biomarkers were all slightly lower than baseline at two weeks, although these reductions were not statistically significant. Also, reports of arrhythmic disorders in previous studies of endurance athletes lend support to the concern.
Take away from this study the understanding that long duration, intense endurance exercise is unlikely to be beneficial for health. Shorter duration endurance or “aerobic” exercise has not been shown to cause the same damage, but it does produce oxidative stress, which will lead to chronic inflammation and may impair organ function. Researchers note that regular exercise is essential for health and well being and has been shown to improve life expectance by seven years over a sedentary lifestyle. This is true—a sedentary lifestyle is one of the worst things you can do for health and longevity, meaning that any kind of physical activity, even aerobic, is better than sitting on your couch watching TV. But, I suggest that the ideal exercise for health, well being, and cardiovascular health is a resistance training program that includes intense energy system training for conditioning and weight management. To learn more about the negatives of endurance training, read The (Many) Negatives of Aerobic Training.
References:
La Gerche, A., Burns, A., et al. Exercise-Induced Right Ventricular Dysfunction and StructuralRemodeling in Endurance Athletes. European Heart Journal. December 2011. Published Ahead of Print.
La Gerche, A., Burns, A., et al. Exercise-Induced Right Ventricular Dysfunction and StructuralRemodeling in Endurance Athletes. European Heart Journal. December 2011. Published Ahead of Print.
Sharma, S., Zaida, A. Exercise-Induced Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: Fact or Fallacy. European Heart Journal. December 2011. Published Ahead of Print.
Monday, 23 January 2012
Good Footwear - what I just got reminded of (NICK)
This is in fact a story of a man who wore the wrong sized ski boots.
The day was Sunday 22nd Jan 2012.
Up in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Spain there are some good wide slopes to hurtle down. The fool (lets call him Nick) in this tale is a chap that should've known better.
He went through his check list before heading up to the slopes that morning.
Ski socks - check
Ski's - check
thermal top - check
ski jacket - check
Ski trousers- check
Ski Boots - check
It turned out that all of his ski gear was borrowed from a friend. His main decision was whether the boots he was going to use would be of any use. He squeezed them onto his feet, snapped the clips down and stood. Nick (the fool) contemplated the following things, are they too tight? when I start to ski will my feet expand too much making these too small? Will I do any lasting damage to my lower legs and feet by having boots that don't fit me properly?
The one thing that that he didn't really ask himself was 'am I just convincing myself these will be fine so that I can save a bit of money?'
There was the sudden reality check for Nick as soon as he arrived at the slopes going up in the first gondola of the morning. He tried in vain to reassure himself that it's only for the day, he is man enough to take a little discomfort. In actual fact it turned out he wasn't :-(
About an hour into the day his legs had been working hard, feet getting hot, enlarging under the constant use and rapidly decreasing space inside the demon boots. His friends asking all the while if he was fine?? quite merrily replying 'yeah I'm sound - what nice weather it is as well', all the while saying to himself that 'if it's this uncomfortable now I can't wait for the next 3 hours!'
Turn, turn, turn, woosh...... 'this skiing is great' (what I will point out is that whilst I was skiing it actually took the pain away for a brief minute.....I repeat A BRIEF MINUTE)
What started as a fun day on the slopes for Nick started to take its toll...... he didn't need to be asked again about how he was doing, it was evident. He didn't even want to acknowledge the beautiful surroundings, the witty banter from his friends, all he could do was look down at his legs and apologise for the decision he had made as they were making him pay for his frugal choice!! 'Never again I promise, just stop hurting, I can't feel my feet!'
What he could feel is the boots compressing his right medial soleus (right calf) to the point of submission.
It finally happened where the numbness in the feet, the pressing on the calf's had gotten too much 'I can't go on! leave me here, I'll be fine' (actual words)
At a chair lift he had the relief that he had craved and it's not often you will see someone taking their ski boots and socks off on the mountain-yet here sat the fool for all to look at.
The End.
To be fair I have never experienced that level of pain through skiing or running. It painfully reminded me that the choice of footwear you decide to get has to be the right one otherwise you will end up on your backside, barefoot, unable to walk, nerves shot to hell, and not wanting to move. I couldn't actually raise (dorsiflex) my right ankle as the muscle had been squashed that much. It was very tender! Seeing me hobble along would've made you laugh......I wanted to cry! haha
I am actually in the process of deciding what trail shoe will be best for me during the transalpine event. This bad skiing decision was just over the course of a few hours. I will be running for 8 consecutive days through the Alps so I had better learn from this and pick the shoes that will give me the best chance of staying pain free, safe and able to keep going.
I understand how the body should move when you run and for me picking a shoe shouldn't just be one that is just based on comfort and cushioning- something most shoe stores use as their selling point and one that in the past I have fallen for.
I actually wear my Vibram Five Fingers quite a lot for weight training, sprinting and road running as these allow my feet to move in the way they are actually designed. The are a lot of bones, tendons, muscles, fascia and the like in and around the foot and ankle which in a conventional shoe design are 'protected' by thick soles which in actual fact block the natural movement of your feet which then has a impact on how your ankles, knees, hips and lower back react and move to the demands of running. (you can also link in upper body complaints to bad footwear)
What you get then are niggling injuries such as 'runners knee' or other excess loading complaints through the ITB, deep hip rotators, 'shin splints'.....the list goes on.
As much as I like and endorse barefoot shoes such as Vibram Five Fingers I know for my event that they won't be viable due to the terrain I will be running along. I need to find a shoe that won't affect my technique, is lightweight, doesn't impair my body's movements too much and one that protects my feet for my event.
The morale of the story - try not to borrow all of a friends gear as no persons body is exactly the same as another's. Also don't let the price of footwear lead you into a bad choice. If it costs more than you have then save up the extra money to get the right shoes for your feet. Protect your feet otherwise you won't be out running at all.
Oh one more thing - learn how to run correctly, build up muscle through strength conditioning work and keep your muscles adhesion free and mobile (Sports massage, ART etc)
Don't be a fool...have the right tools (this is shockingly bad but it does rhyme! haha)
The day was Sunday 22nd Jan 2012.
Up in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Spain there are some good wide slopes to hurtle down. The fool (lets call him Nick) in this tale is a chap that should've known better.
He went through his check list before heading up to the slopes that morning.
Ski socks - check
Ski's - check
thermal top - check
ski jacket - check
Ski trousers- check
Ski Boots - check
It turned out that all of his ski gear was borrowed from a friend. His main decision was whether the boots he was going to use would be of any use. He squeezed them onto his feet, snapped the clips down and stood. Nick (the fool) contemplated the following things, are they too tight? when I start to ski will my feet expand too much making these too small? Will I do any lasting damage to my lower legs and feet by having boots that don't fit me properly?
The one thing that that he didn't really ask himself was 'am I just convincing myself these will be fine so that I can save a bit of money?'
There was the sudden reality check for Nick as soon as he arrived at the slopes going up in the first gondola of the morning. He tried in vain to reassure himself that it's only for the day, he is man enough to take a little discomfort. In actual fact it turned out he wasn't :-(
About an hour into the day his legs had been working hard, feet getting hot, enlarging under the constant use and rapidly decreasing space inside the demon boots. His friends asking all the while if he was fine?? quite merrily replying 'yeah I'm sound - what nice weather it is as well', all the while saying to himself that 'if it's this uncomfortable now I can't wait for the next 3 hours!'
Turn, turn, turn, woosh...... 'this skiing is great' (what I will point out is that whilst I was skiing it actually took the pain away for a brief minute.....I repeat A BRIEF MINUTE)
What started as a fun day on the slopes for Nick started to take its toll...... he didn't need to be asked again about how he was doing, it was evident. He didn't even want to acknowledge the beautiful surroundings, the witty banter from his friends, all he could do was look down at his legs and apologise for the decision he had made as they were making him pay for his frugal choice!! 'Never again I promise, just stop hurting, I can't feel my feet!'
What he could feel is the boots compressing his right medial soleus (right calf) to the point of submission.
It finally happened where the numbness in the feet, the pressing on the calf's had gotten too much 'I can't go on! leave me here, I'll be fine' (actual words)
At a chair lift he had the relief that he had craved and it's not often you will see someone taking their ski boots and socks off on the mountain-yet here sat the fool for all to look at.
The End.
To be fair I have never experienced that level of pain through skiing or running. It painfully reminded me that the choice of footwear you decide to get has to be the right one otherwise you will end up on your backside, barefoot, unable to walk, nerves shot to hell, and not wanting to move. I couldn't actually raise (dorsiflex) my right ankle as the muscle had been squashed that much. It was very tender! Seeing me hobble along would've made you laugh......I wanted to cry! haha
I am actually in the process of deciding what trail shoe will be best for me during the transalpine event. This bad skiing decision was just over the course of a few hours. I will be running for 8 consecutive days through the Alps so I had better learn from this and pick the shoes that will give me the best chance of staying pain free, safe and able to keep going.
I understand how the body should move when you run and for me picking a shoe shouldn't just be one that is just based on comfort and cushioning- something most shoe stores use as their selling point and one that in the past I have fallen for.
I actually wear my Vibram Five Fingers quite a lot for weight training, sprinting and road running as these allow my feet to move in the way they are actually designed. The are a lot of bones, tendons, muscles, fascia and the like in and around the foot and ankle which in a conventional shoe design are 'protected' by thick soles which in actual fact block the natural movement of your feet which then has a impact on how your ankles, knees, hips and lower back react and move to the demands of running. (you can also link in upper body complaints to bad footwear)
What you get then are niggling injuries such as 'runners knee' or other excess loading complaints through the ITB, deep hip rotators, 'shin splints'.....the list goes on.
As much as I like and endorse barefoot shoes such as Vibram Five Fingers I know for my event that they won't be viable due to the terrain I will be running along. I need to find a shoe that won't affect my technique, is lightweight, doesn't impair my body's movements too much and one that protects my feet for my event.
The morale of the story - try not to borrow all of a friends gear as no persons body is exactly the same as another's. Also don't let the price of footwear lead you into a bad choice. If it costs more than you have then save up the extra money to get the right shoes for your feet. Protect your feet otherwise you won't be out running at all.
Oh one more thing - learn how to run correctly, build up muscle through strength conditioning work and keep your muscles adhesion free and mobile (Sports massage, ART etc)
Don't be a fool...have the right tools (this is shockingly bad but it does rhyme! haha)
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Training record - Dave
Have done 30 miles this week (Saturday to Saturday) - so just need to increase this to 200!
Friday, 20 January 2012
Not fit - (JK)
Last night saw me drag myself along for another run with the club. Luckily for me they had a ‘steady’ 5 miler on the cards. This suited my empty legs and gave the opportunity for the faster runners to increase the distance. I was somewhere in the middle!
The proof of me being worn out from Tuesday night was when the cycle home, which is downhill, turned out to ache my legs and that the nuun drink actually tasted good!
Roll on Saturday morning’s muddy run.
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
A little peek into my plans (Nick)
As I write this I am making plans to open up my very own training studio.
I have never done anything like this before and the unknowns of it are quite something. There is a potential site that I looked at today which with the right work ethic and understanding from the freeholder could turn into something that could really work out.
I am going through a business learning curve that is steeper than some of the peaks I will be running at the Transalpine event!!
Am I nervous........actually I'm not (at this stage). This in itself is somewhat of a surprise yet I'm sure that this would be likely to change when money starts to be involved. I'm 27yrs old and ready for the tough challenges ahead.
Lets see what happens when I have the meetings with the site owners :)
I have never done anything like this before and the unknowns of it are quite something. There is a potential site that I looked at today which with the right work ethic and understanding from the freeholder could turn into something that could really work out.
I am going through a business learning curve that is steeper than some of the peaks I will be running at the Transalpine event!!
Am I nervous........actually I'm not (at this stage). This in itself is somewhat of a surprise yet I'm sure that this would be likely to change when money starts to be involved. I'm 27yrs old and ready for the tough challenges ahead.
Lets see what happens when I have the meetings with the site owners :)
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
First taste of a running club - JK Bert
Went out for the first time with a running club tonight. Started cautiously, but the intervals still made me work. About 5 good miles done on a proper winter's night...perfect.
Monday, 16 January 2012
JStaff - Bert 1
6 Miles this evening. Not so smoggy this evening. City looks amazing from Parliament Hill.
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Mont Blanc Marathon and Past Running Events (NICK)
This will not take to long to write up!
Great North run - Newcastle 2008 (September I think?)
- I believe I completed 5/6 training runs of 10 miles leading up to this event. Best time I had for those was 1hr 8mins.Turned out that when I ran the event my legs (hip flexors) ceased up on the 11.5 mile mark and had to hobble to the end!! To be fair I wasn't expecting this to happen and the photo's I had from this event were of me in agony holding onto railings..... I wanted to chase the photographer, yet could only muster a crouched over walk....good times!!
Great South Run - Portsmouth 2008 (October)
- I ran this with a friend called Kimberley. She had never done any running in her life before so I trained her up over a 7 week period and she done amazingly well. Finishing the race strongly...in fact we were going to cross the finish line together but she was a tad over excited by seeing the end she shot off like a bullet! I would've gone with her had I not been laughing!
Mont Blanc Marathon - Chamonix June 2009
- To date this is the only big challenge I have done. I will say now that I only trained through five 14-20 mile runs for this event.
Jamie (JK) had the best experience of me on one particular run during this time. Runners will appreciate the term 'hitting the wall'
OMG!!!! To this day I have never been in so much discomfort or pain on a run. I had cramp hitting me in places I had never had it before. All the while having to a chorus of JK's laughter.
If you were recording it, I'm sure it would've sounded like this;
aaahh, oooww, hahahahahaha, stop laughing! sh*t this hurts....I can't go on...vision has gone funny.....hahaha
After that fun experience I must say I never felt fitter and better whilst running.
The event itself was brilliant. The organisers and volunteers need to be commended for their organisation and skills for making the event such an enjoyable experience.
As we were in the mountains we thought it may not be that hot but as we didn't really check this it turned out to be 35 degree heat.........bring on the water!!!!
The sights, sounds, smells, chats and great people during the run made it special. I personally found it quite easy which was a surprise...not to say I didn't have a quiet moment here and there to reflect on that moment in time in which I was feeling knackered! Slurp down an energy gel and some grub and away I went again!........ no laughing this time JK!
Transalpine team members that I done this with
Me - in the black Skins Gear ( I LOVE SKINS)
JK - Red top, white shorts
Dave - Red top, blue shorts
We also had Neo the big Welsh guy with us on the Mont blanc....great guy.
All smiles.
At the summit.
We all love a medal
Victory pose!!
Dave showing us the alternative fashion choice
If you haven't done this run...go do it!
Great North run - Newcastle 2008 (September I think?)
- I believe I completed 5/6 training runs of 10 miles leading up to this event. Best time I had for those was 1hr 8mins.Turned out that when I ran the event my legs (hip flexors) ceased up on the 11.5 mile mark and had to hobble to the end!! To be fair I wasn't expecting this to happen and the photo's I had from this event were of me in agony holding onto railings..... I wanted to chase the photographer, yet could only muster a crouched over walk....good times!!
Great South Run - Portsmouth 2008 (October)
- I ran this with a friend called Kimberley. She had never done any running in her life before so I trained her up over a 7 week period and she done amazingly well. Finishing the race strongly...in fact we were going to cross the finish line together but she was a tad over excited by seeing the end she shot off like a bullet! I would've gone with her had I not been laughing!
Mont Blanc Marathon - Chamonix June 2009
- To date this is the only big challenge I have done. I will say now that I only trained through five 14-20 mile runs for this event.
Jamie (JK) had the best experience of me on one particular run during this time. Runners will appreciate the term 'hitting the wall'
OMG!!!! To this day I have never been in so much discomfort or pain on a run. I had cramp hitting me in places I had never had it before. All the while having to a chorus of JK's laughter.
If you were recording it, I'm sure it would've sounded like this;
aaahh, oooww, hahahahahaha, stop laughing! sh*t this hurts....I can't go on...vision has gone funny.....hahaha
After that fun experience I must say I never felt fitter and better whilst running.
The event itself was brilliant. The organisers and volunteers need to be commended for their organisation and skills for making the event such an enjoyable experience.
As we were in the mountains we thought it may not be that hot but as we didn't really check this it turned out to be 35 degree heat.........bring on the water!!!!
The sights, sounds, smells, chats and great people during the run made it special. I personally found it quite easy which was a surprise...not to say I didn't have a quiet moment here and there to reflect on that moment in time in which I was feeling knackered! Slurp down an energy gel and some grub and away I went again!........ no laughing this time JK!
Transalpine team members that I done this with
Me - in the black Skins Gear ( I LOVE SKINS)
JK - Red top, white shorts
Dave - Red top, blue shorts
We also had Neo the big Welsh guy with us on the Mont blanc....great guy.
All smiles.
Saturday, 14 January 2012
4 blokes and a few hills: Silver Lining
4 blokes and a few hills: Silver Lining: Today has been a day where I have sat back and really started to think about what's about to start for me and my friends. I look back at m...
Silver Lining
Today has been a day where I have sat back and really started to think about what's about to start for me and my friends.
I look back at my sporting achievements growing up and they were full of winning trophies through football. I literally played every chance I got as a kid and loved it. I was lucky enough to travel around America, Holland and Denmark through the ages of 11-14 representing my region (East Anglia).
I wasn't half bad at the game and by the age of 16 I was playing semi pro at Arlesey Town before an ACL rupture in my right knee curtailed my football dreams...... I sometimes think back to then and wonder if I could of made a career for myself in the game.
As I was the youngest in the squad I had to work harder than anyone else to get noticed and I tell you what.... I really did apply myself and listen to the coaches to make them believe I had what it took for them to trust in my ability.
Then the injury came.
I wasn't half bad at the game and by the age of 16 I was playing semi pro at Arlesey Town before an ACL rupture in my right knee curtailed my football dreams...... I sometimes think back to then and wonder if I could of made a career for myself in the game.
As I was the youngest in the squad I had to work harder than anyone else to get noticed and I tell you what.... I really did apply myself and listen to the coaches to make them believe I had what it took for them to trust in my ability.
Then the injury came.
Slowly but surely my mentality to apply myself seemed to drain away from me, both in sport and general life.
Looking at it, was I in a state of depression (when injured) as I was no longer capable of keeping active or was I just turning lazy. I believe it is the latter.
Laziness seems to have been a consistent thorn in my side but it's something that I am in complete control of and only now am I beginning to take action. Tony Robbins' 'Awaken The Giant Within' talks about becoming the person you could be by making the right choices not just in the future but right in this instant and acting on those decisions. There are loads of these types of books out there, I don't treat them as gospel however I do like to see how successful people build their strategies, taking the bits that I find most relevant.
Over 2011 I had been in a state of mental stress and stagnation. The guy I was working with I realised wasn't the mentor that I had previously thought him to be and slowly our working relationship broke down. The very recent conclusion to that happened just before Christmas where he decided on the spot to cease my employment....something that in all honesty doesn't sit well with me and talk about timing!!!! So having my lively hood taken from me in an instant I had to move from my flat in London, take all the gear back to my mums and try to sort things out for the new year. You may of guessed that I was a tad agitated over the holiday period!!
BUT!!!!
The Silver Lining. I am no longer in an environment that is restricting my personality and skills, I'm back up and running doing my personal training work in London (Wapping) and I am realising more each day that I am capable of achieving.
Fortunately for me I have built up some great friendships with my clients over the time I have been working with them to which end they have all given me such immense support and belief. Truly thankful to those people.
My personal aim this year is to have set up my own training facility to deliver a brand of training that will inspire people.
Fortunately for me I have built up some great friendships with my clients over the time I have been working with them to which end they have all given me such immense support and belief. Truly thankful to those people.
My personal aim this year is to have set up my own training facility to deliver a brand of training that will inspire people.
That links us back to this event quite nicely................INSPIRATION.
I do believe that to inspire others you have to know how to inspire yourself.
The Transalpine run is my way of inspiring myself not only by competing in the event but by also taking the standard of work that I deliver to my clients to a much higher level. I will be using this blog to show myself that I am capable of leaving no detail to chance and delivering a result. If you get a sense I'm slacking feel free to let me know!
This step of my work life and training will be the hardest of my life to date yet I am excited by what can happen even if at times I have fleeting doubts. It's not a new start for me, just a progression to a more successful me.
This is going to be fun!!!!
I do believe that to inspire others you have to know how to inspire yourself.
The Transalpine run is my way of inspiring myself not only by competing in the event but by also taking the standard of work that I deliver to my clients to a much higher level. I will be using this blog to show myself that I am capable of leaving no detail to chance and delivering a result. If you get a sense I'm slacking feel free to let me know!
This step of my work life and training will be the hardest of my life to date yet I am excited by what can happen even if at times I have fleeting doubts. It's not a new start for me, just a progression to a more successful me.
This is going to be fun!!!!
No Regrets.
Nick
Friday, 13 January 2012
A visual perspective
I have just been looking at last years event photo's and can't help but get a little excited!!
pics 34 and 44
http://www.transalpine-run.com/pic/rennen2011/PlanB_Impressions_TAR_2011_3/index.html
http://www.transalpine-run.com/pic/rennen2011/PlanB_Impressions_TAR_2011_2/index.html
Pic no. 30 expect a few shots like this one above from us...may just be trying to stand up instead of messing about!
I will add one more picture in here..speaks for itself really. In case it doesn't though I will say it looks immense!!! How ever tired you are, being in those surroundings makes it worth it.
Click to photo no. 38.
http://www.transalpine-run.com/pic/rennen2011/PlanB_Impressions_TAR_2011_2/index.html
pics 34 and 44
http://www.transalpine-run.com/pic/rennen2011/PlanB_Impressions_TAR_2011_3/index.html
http://www.transalpine-run.com/pic/rennen2011/PlanB_Impressions_TAR_2011_2/index.html
Pic no. 30 expect a few shots like this one above from us...may just be trying to stand up instead of messing about!
I will add one more picture in here..speaks for itself really. In case it doesn't though I will say it looks immense!!! How ever tired you are, being in those surroundings makes it worth it.
Click to photo no. 38.
http://www.transalpine-run.com/pic/rennen2011/PlanB_Impressions_TAR_2011_2/index.html
2012 Transalpine intro!!
Right then!! Here we go with my first foray into blogging.
I will get straight into linking you into what it is we are actually trying to achieve and complete so take a click onto the link below and see for yourself. I have taken the first few words from the site to entice you in....
http://www.transalpine-run.com/alps_cross_start.htm
A couple of things strike me in the words above. Firstly 'countless' - I'm sure that could be inspiring to some people but blimey!! all that sounds like is that we're going to be running around the alps thinking this isn't so bad but oh wait! we have more countless peaks to crawl up....believe you me, crawling could well happen once I show you the piste maps.
Secondly the word 'last'.......... is that in there because you won't actually come out alive the other end?!?! haha
Straight away I can tell you that the four of us are in for a fantastic time from the start of training on the Feb 4th to the completion (we hope) of the 2012 transalpine event come this September 8th.
I will get straight into linking you into what it is we are actually trying to achieve and complete so take a click onto the link below and see for yourself. I have taken the first few words from the site to entice you in....
| GORE-TEX® TRANSALPINE-RUN 2012 |
| Eight stages, countless summits and peaks and an amazing itinerary off the beaten paths on rocky tracks constitute one of the last true sporting challenge. |
A couple of things strike me in the words above. Firstly 'countless' - I'm sure that could be inspiring to some people but blimey!! all that sounds like is that we're going to be running around the alps thinking this isn't so bad but oh wait! we have more countless peaks to crawl up....believe you me, crawling could well happen once I show you the piste maps.
Secondly the word 'last'.......... is that in there because you won't actually come out alive the other end?!?! haha
Straight away I can tell you that the four of us are in for a fantastic time from the start of training on the Feb 4th to the completion (we hope) of the 2012 transalpine event come this September 8th.
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