So THAT’S How You Run!

Posted on June 24, 2013 by James Clay

I’ve been running for a little over 3 years now. In that time I’ve shared pavements and paths will all manner of experienced athletes, I’ve read countless magazines, blogs, and websites about running as well as several books. I’ve had advice on events, injuries, equipment, but I have never had anyone tell me how to run.

I’d been managing. Putting one foot in front of the other with greater urgency than if I was walking had so far been treating me well. I’m not sure how it looked from the outside, but inside my running bubble I felt content and had happily negotiated many miles.

However I recently won the chance of a session with Conor Graham, founder and coach of Cheltenham Running Club, in a competition in conjunction with the Cheltenham Half. So today I went to speak with an expert…

The first half of the session we talked about a training plan. Conor had started to piece together a plan for the Cheltenham Half, but as soon as I threw the Bournemouth Marathon 3 weeks later at him and then further complicated things with this triathlon in 3 weeks it was clear a rethink was needed. It was great to talk over a training plan and have some input in to it, rather than just pull one from a magazine and worry about how to fit it around my life. Conor explained the benefits of each session, how to structure the increase in mileage and then taper etc. None of it was new to me, I’d heard it all or read it all before, but never actually had a chance to question it or have it explained in a way that was relevant entirely to me. Scheduling training around the club runs and existing commitments  has resulted in a bespoke schedule I’m much less likely to have to adjust.

Then came the practical, and a quick warm up on the treadmill. Conor videoed me running and it was the first time I’ve ever seen myself plodding along. We talked about the areas that could be improved on quickly, namely my wayward arms and heavy heel strike. Conor took me through a series of increasingly daft looking drills starting with walking along lifting one high knee and pumping the arms slowly to try and get the elbow and knee in sync. Through alternating knees, something akin to the ministry of silly walks, some skipping and finally a roadrunner impersonation Conor had instilled in me the idea of driving my arms differently and helped me realise how that automatically brings my knees higher, lengthens my heel flick and makes me land lighter and drive off more efficiently.

Back on the treadmill to put it in to practice and the difference was huge. I almost felt like a runner! Again Conor videoed me and this time on playback it didn’t look like I was labouring at all. In fact I was able to take the treadmill up higher than I normally would brave and comfortably ride it out with my legs turning over faster but more efficiently underneath me. Once or twice I forgot to focus on my arms and they got lazy, but when they did I could feel the difference in my stride and correct it again quickly. The trick now is going to be making this unnatural feeling arm movement second nature, so it happens without me concentrating. That’s going to take some doing, but the relatively short speed work of the next few weeks is the perfect time to make changes and hopefully carry them in to marathon training in July.

It was definitely worth talking to an expert and I’m sure I’ll be back again soon to work on further improving my style and efficiency. It may just be about time I tried being the best runner I can be, rather than just turning up for t-shirts and medals…

I’ve just found this blog post by Conor about the art of arms which covers some of the stuff we did this afternoon which made such a huge difference. If you want to improve your running it may be worth clicking HERE and taking a look. More information about Cheltenham Running Club and getting expert advice can be found HERE.

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Terrifying Research

Posted on June 23, 2013 by James Clay

I’ve just watched highlights of the Blenheim triathlon & last weekend’s 70.3 Ironman action, as research for my impending tri try.

Terrifying.

The swim looks more like wrestling, with added drowning. I watched one guy repeatedly punch another in the head, whilst they both carried on swimming. Even in the most physical of rugby battles if you punch a guy in the head you’re off, but add water and it’s perfectly legal!

The bikes used were all tiny, skinny wheeled, high saddled racing razor blades. I’m a big bloke. I could be cut in half if I went over a bump on one of those. I don’t trust them on corners either, and there’s bound to be at least one on the course.

And finally the run. The easy part. Assuming you haven’t been disqualified for messing up in transition of course. Often called ‘the fourth discipline’ watching the pros strip their wetsuits while running, leap on to moving bikes and tie their shoe laces while sprinting reminds me how little I know and how little time I have to learn.

So, research has put the fear in to me. Instead of getting more confident with training I’m getting more nervous with time.

Three weeks to go…surely that isn’t long enough?!

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Exercise Jim, But Not As We Know It.

Posted on June 22, 2013 by James Clay

The idea of Juneathon is to exercise every day, and I was doing really well until today.

Today I was up and out at 8am to help build a music festival and there was no chance for a run, swim or bike ride, so I was facing disappointment. But as I sit here, aching, I can reflect on a day of tough workouts that have certainly taken their toll!

The day started with weight training as I shifted picnic tables, staging, bars and festival art.

Next was HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) as I went at dirty flooring with a hose and hand brush, scrubbing furiously.

A brief interlude while I plumbed in an outdoor shower.

Then came the walking carry, 6 and 8 foot scaffolding poles, lots of them, walking around site with them in my hands, back and forth, again and again.

Once they were all out it was back to HIIT with a squat, press, pull down combo using a post rammer to get the scaff in the ground.

Throughout all of this I was working my core (driving a silly fast quad bike around the farm) and put in a few hill sprints (when stuff fell off the silly fast quad and I had to go back and fetch it)

So, far from doing nothing, I’ve actually been in a day long training montage like something from a Rocky film. I even chased a chicken at one point!

All of a sudden I don’t feel so bad about not running today…

I didn't punch any meat

I didn’t punch any meat

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“If I Could Choose The Life I Lead…

Posted on June 21, 2013 by James Clay

…then I would be a boatman”

That Levellers song was rolling around and around in my head this morning as I rode the 32 mile canal path from Gloucester to Sharpness and back. Indeed I was so happy at times I was belting it out loud, scaring the old folks on their narrow boats!

From there, to there, then back to there.

From there, to there, then back to there.

The reason for the ride was twofold, firstly to give the legs a blast on a long flat route and secondly to recce a route that may become my first ultramarathon later in the year. (there are vague mutterings about just turning up and running it sometime after the Bournemouth marathon in October)

Worse places to ride/run

Worse places to ride/run

It was beautiful. The paths were a mix of fast hard track and tough, rutted grass, but the scenery made up for it. The boats were beautiful, from the narrow barges with their ornate paintings to the big motorboats with aspirations of Monaco. Everyone we passed had a smile, there were waves from passing sailors and the bridge keepers were a friendly bunch. We saw rabbits who raced us, swans taking off, lazy dogs. We heard birdsong for hours and even the sound of cuckoos. 

Where the rabbits race the bikes

Where the rabbits race the bikes

We passed a boat graveyard, with the hulls of retired barges wrecked on the banks of the estuary to protect the land from erosion. I’m glad we took a few moments to stop and explore, wouldn’t want those distractions if I was running 32 miles!

Each boat skeleton is marked with a plaque describing it's life.

Each boat skeleton is marked with a plaque describing it’s life.

Yes, I steered a concrete boat, straight in to the banks of the estuary, through the mud.

Yes, I steered a concrete boat, straight in to the banks of the estuary, through the mud.

We paused briefly to admire the engineering feat that was the original Severn Bridge. Sadly destroyed by fire in 1960 the foundations were still impressive enough to warrant admiration…and of course a photo.

Big bricks, big builders?

Big bricks, big builders?

And in what seemed like the blink of an eye we were in the less than salubrious surroundings of Sharpness Docks. A quick stop to catch our breath, admire the estuary and we were turned around and heading home.

The estuary...picturesque at a push.

The estuary…picturesque at a push.

The way back we really pushed, revelling in a tailwind that had been our nemesis on the way down and not needing to pause to admire the view. In all we covered the 32 miles with pauses in 2:40 which given that we had no aspirations of going quick was pleasingly fast.

As for ultra aspirations…I noted the location of drinking water taps at Sharpness so I guess I must still be thinking about it now I’ve seen the route!

“If I could choose the life I please 
Then I would be a boatman 
On the canals and the rivers free 
No hasty words are spoken 
My only law is the river breeze 
That takes me to the open seas 
If I could choose the life I please 
Then I would be a boatman”

 

 

 

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Swimming, It’s Just Like Golf.

Posted on June 20, 2013 by James Clay

Years ago I lived with three professional golfers. They all played, they all taught, they all knew best.

We used to have bags of clubs in the kitchen, by the back door, and when we popped out for a smoke (I know, I hate myself for ever having done it) we would usually pick a club to swing while in the garden.

So you’d think, with three professional golf tutors on hand every time I swung a golf bat, I would be pretty handy at golf? You think wrong.

Housemate 1: “Tilt here, drop this, keep that straight, slow that down and turn there as you finish your swing”

Housemate 2: “Tilt there, lift that, bend those, quick through there and finish with the club under your armpit”

Housemate 3: “Swing it twice round your head, scream “Bananarama”, take a run up and kick the ball as far as you can, finish by throwing the club in the lake”

Every time I swung a club I was being told something different. All good advice, it all works for someone, but there were three alternative ways of achieving the same goal and it was impossible to learn all three at once. That is why I still hack my way around a golf course comfortably in triple figures and taking a good look at the shrubbery, trees, lakes, in fact every part of the course but the fairway and greens.

I cannot hack my way around the lake on July 14th.

I’ve received some brilliant advice from several sources since starting swimming 9 days ago. I’ve come further than I thought possible in that short time and I could never have done it alone. But now is the time to choose how I swing and stick with it. I’ve been given some drills to try, tools to improve technique and lessons on body position, breathing and other essentials, but I think it’s time to go solo.

One of the things I’ve noticed whilst sat on the edge of the pool trying to get the chlorine out of my lungs is that every single swimmer has a different stroke. You may be able to group them by how often they breath (4 strokes looks most popular, I have no idea how they survive) or they method they employ (front crawl for chaps, breast stroke for the ladies) but when it comes to how they power themselves through the water every single person is slightly different.

So, it’s time for me to find my style. It may not be the most efficient or the prettiest but I need to choose my stroke, my pace, my breathing and just stick to it from now on. I’ve got three weeks to make it second nature and feel comfortable in the mass ranked when I run in to that lake and there simply isn’t time to still be making changes now.

I just hope I choose right…

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