Are you ready to start your marathon training?

It’s that time of the year again where many of you are waiting to hear if your London Marathon Ballot has been accepted. If you’re one of the lucky ones and it’s your first marathon, or if you’re ready to tackle your first marathon regardless of the ballot, below is some advice to help you along.

Running coach: It is advantageous if you have a specific time as a goal to have a running coach. There are many available in person, online and with a running club. In fact, joining a running club can be very helpful to learn more efficient and economic running styles.

Equipment: You don’t need all the fancy gadgets. A running watch with GPS that can give you distance, speed and pace is great for training. Shoes that fit and are comfortable. Go see a specialist like Runners Need or Podplus in Ashford, Kent. They will not only do gait analysis with a specially trained individual to get you in the right shoe. Always buy socks made from synthetic material, DO NOT USE COTTON! All other clothing should be appropriate for running and comfortable.

Training: You don’t get better running if you don’t run. So, expect to be out there a lot, normally 3-4 times a week. And it’s not just doing the same thing over and over again. Be sure to vary your running from tempo runs, interval runs and long slow runs – this is where a running coach can be helpful. Also, don’t just run. Include strength training to your regime. If you’ve never done any strength training, get a good base going during your early training while the running mileage is lower.

Recovery: Probably the most important thing here. Get a good night’s sleep as much as possible. Sleeping is when a lot of our muscle recovery happens. Get a good diet, don’t eat crap all the time and wonder why your runs all suck. Try and get your five a day, avoid too much alcohol and drink plenty of fluids. All other things like recovery tights, sports massage and foam rolling are less important and helpful than sleep and food.

Have fun: Even if the training plan goes down the toilet, if you don’t have a tight time limit on your marathon, your best plan is to finish and have fun doing it. All of us have bad races, it’s okay and not the end of the world.

If you have any questions about sports injuries and rehabilitation, please email me sara@prestigesportinjury.co.uk

Are you under-recovering?

We've all been there. Focused on a goal, whether it be a weight, distance or time. So we push ourselves, sometimes too hard.

Symptoms of overtraining/under-recovering can seem mild at first, but they become more prevalent as time goes on. If we ignore the signs, we're heading into a downward spiral. Symptoms often start as an increase of muscle soreness, elevated heart rate, an increase in colds due to reduced immunity, increase occurrence of injuries, irritability, depression, loss of motivation, insomnia, decreased appetited and eventually weight loss. 

If you've ever had this happen then you know all too well that not recovering properly can leave us feeling pretty low. But, there are ways to ensure that you don't put yourself into this position.

Rest, yes, rest is the key. If we don't allow the body time to recover we will suffer. Make sure you take a break after a hard training day, don't force yourself to train 6-7 days a week without rest. You can also reduce the volume and intensity of the exercise. For instance, a runner can reduce effort or distance, a weight lifter can reduce reps or weight.

It is also important to make sure you are eating properly. Often, in search of weight loss, we don't eat enough for the amount of energy we are exerting. Having a balanced diet of carbs, good fats and protein is essential for a good recovery. Avoid fad diets. If you're unsure of where to start with nutrition, seek the advice of a registered dietician. 

A great way to make sure you stay on track is to use the help of a personal trainer to help you make a training plan. There are plenty of folk that can help you produce a running plan that will keep you on track, just make sure you take advantage of rest days!

Always remember that it's okay to take an unscheduled rest day. If you are feeling under the weather or sore from the training from the day before, one day won't hurt you. And if you think you're suffering from a lack of recovery, take a short time off and let your body recover with other types of exercise like swimming, stationary bike or cross training.

If you have any questions about sports injuries and rehabilitation please contact me at sara@prestigesportinjury.co.uk

Stay sensible in hot weather

For any of you who took part in any running over the London Marathon Sunday then you’re aware of the discomfort that warm weather running can be. Especially since most of you would have been training during the cold winter and very cold March.

Now that we’re into May we need to start thinking about how we can make warm weather running more tolerable so that you keep going in the summer.

First, try running earlier or later than normal to get most of the cooler temperatures. Avoid running during the peak of the day. If you must run during the daytime, try and find a shady path or trail to avoid the heat of the sun directly.

Second, stay hydrated. This doesn’t mean drinking all the water you can on a run but more like staying hydrated during the day and day before you’re running. Be sure to drink an electrolyte drink when you’ve been training in the heat.

Third, slow down! Remember the pace you normally run at may not be comfortable or tolerable. Running at a perceived rate of exertion rather than a specific pace is more sensible.

Finally, if it’s too hot and you have access try running on a treadmill. Especially for shorter runs this may be the best choice to keep you going.

And remember if you’re on medication make sure to check if they have a sensitivity to heat.

Please stay safe in the heat and enjoy the weather!

No shame in being a newbie runner

Inspired by the upcoming marathon season, but not sure where to start? You’re not alone. All of us started as a newbie, so don’t be afraid or feel intimidated as there are many resources that you can use to get you started.

First, while information is good, don’t get too wrapped up in it. It’s best to just get out there and be proud of every milestone.

Equipment:

This is my bug bear. As a graduate sports therapist, I see many people who are having foot, ankle and knee pain, often due to improper shoes. So, my first rule is to get your gait checked. NOT by a high street store. Go to a specialist shoe store with appropriate gait equipment and advice. Two near me in Kent are: Up & Running, Sevenoaks and The Running Hub, Tunbridge Wells. You can also seek the advice of a local podiatrist.

Having the appropriate shoes is important especially when you start racking up the miles, you’ll thank me later.

Athletic Clubs:

A great way to make new friends and get support is through an athletic or running club. Most have organised runs twice a week and participate in races throughout the year. Clubs are also a good way to work on technique.

Injury Prevention:

Now this is a biggie! There are a ton of resources for injury prevention, however, the best advice I can offer is to make sure you include strength training into your regime. I have a beginners program here which will help you to get started without little equipment. It’s important to work your posterior chain, single-leg strength, core strength and hip mobility. This will make you a more efficient runner and help reduce injuries.

Another way to reduce injuries is to make sure you progress slowly. Don’t push yourself into injury. Don’t progress more than 10% per week, meaning if you run 6 miles per week, you should only progress by .5 miles the following week. It is also important to allow your body to recover after training, give yourself at least one day of non-running after a day of running, or plan on running 3 times per week.

If you do get injured don’t try and Google for help. Go see a Graduate Sports Therapist or Sports Physiotherapist and get your injury assessed and appropriate rehab started. I focus on sports injury rehab, as do many other sports therapists, but please ensure the person you are seeking help from is qualified. A graduate sports therapist or Level 6 is qualified to assess and diagnose injuries using clinical reasoning to give you the best rehab possible. Anything less than 5 is not qualified to assess injuries, so be sure to check their website and make sure they’re qualified.

Running Plans:

If you’re just starting out, try the NHS Couch to 5k training plan. It’s a run/walk program that’s great for getting you started. You can even use Parkrun as a way to help improve your running and meet new people, to find your nearest parkrun click here. When you complete that you can move on to the 5k to 10k plan, Cancer Research has some training plans that could get you started.

Nutrition:

I’m not a nutrition expert but eating fruits and vegetables and unprocessed foods are best. I have used books such as Fast Fuel – Food for Running as a guide, but there are a ton of resources out there. If you have money to spend you can also seek the advice of a local nutritionist who can help you meet your goals.

Coaching:

There are some great online running coaches that you can use to help you reach your goals. By using an online coach, you can relax and let them put together your plan. This means all you need to do is get up and go running. Two online coaches I can recommend are Kyle Kranz, he’s based in America, but does his plans and coaching online for anyone in the world. The other is Alexa Duckworth-Briggs from On the Run Health and Fitness who is a running coach, outdoor leader, sports massage and offers nutrition advice, she’s based in the UK.