Right a quick post on the 2018 man versus train race where we leave North Dandalup train station and run the 35k to Serpentine train station and catch the only return train back to the start. Miss the train and you have a 18k run on a busy road or a 35k trail run back to North Dandalup. !!

The Serpentine train leaves North Dandalap at 10:20am so we decided this year to leave a tad earlier than previous years due to the various running injuries we were all embracing. Calf strains, Achilles issues, carrying too much weight (I’m not sure this is an injury Barts!)  and good old Plantar Fasciitis to name a few. Thus at 6:40am we set off up the scarp, mainly due to Bart’s insisting we get a move on as he really wasn’t ready for a 35k sprint to the finish. He had got lost last year when he was dropped halfway up the scarp and had to run a lonely thirty or so kilometres to the finish. This year he was determined to stay the course and refused to leave a key hidden on the car so if he got lost he knew I’d have to find him and my lift home. Little did he know I had arranged alternative transport if we ‘lost’ him.  In the end he made it and ran a large proportion of the run with us, complaining most of the way of course. I don’t think Bart’s like any hill in any direction, up or down, as both seem to set him off on a tirade of abuse. This from a man who loves trail running ?

The photo below shows the starting line up for 2018 taken at North Dandalup train station, funnily enough we were the only people about early on a Sunday morning in the country. I managed to persuade five  ‘newbies’ to join us and supplied all of these with a GPX file of the course as I didn’t want them to suffer the same fate as Bart’s from last year, bless him.

So  off we went up the scarp, which is a road section and probably one of the hardest sections of the run as you’re in danger of getting collected by mad country drivers cutting corners. Thankfully this year it was very quiet and I don’t remember seeing any cars, which is unusual, they were probably all still in bed after the West Coast Eagles, a local footy team, managed to sneak into the Grand Final the day before. As you can see from the elevation below the start is a challenge but the finish is ‘to die for’. It was a this point last year we lost Bart’s (the start not the finish.) and history repeated itself with Mark, a new runner from Brisbane, dropping off the pace early and, in Choo-Choo tradition, left to fend for himself. I felt a small amount of guilt but this was quickly forgotten when I realised the task ahead and I had supplied Mark with a GPX file of the course , so he had no excuse to get lost.

The conditions this year was perfect and we had given ourselves more than enough time to finish by leaving probably half an hour earlier than the year before. This certainly made the journey less stressful than previous years and we settled into a good rhythm with enough pace to complete the task at hand but not enough we couldn’t natter away discussing a plethora of topics and generally putting the world to rights. We as a group splintered early which seemed silly truth be told as it wasn’t a race and there seemed no point running a few hundred metres infront of each other. I ran with Jon, because he had the GPX route loaded into his Garmin 310, and Liam for conversation. (with Bart’s always a few hundred metres behind us complaining about something?) The three of us eventually caught up with the two Mark’s at the  ‘drinks stop‘. I say drinks stop in italics because there was no drinks. Simon had hidden a carton of water and a box of Gu’s behind a tree but it seems these country people are resourceful with good eyesight because there was no supplies to be seen. Not a problem though but it did the make the last 5k or so a challenge as we were into the ‘dead zone’ (over 32k) with little water and no nutrition, a good test of your bodies capabilities to survive on it’s won internal fat resources I suppose.  Luckily the last 10k is predominantly downhill so you can sort of ‘fall‘ to the finish line. ( It is to be noted this year Trish refused to bake for us which made the return trip to Dandalap a bit of an anti-climax as the reward of Trish’s baking (which is awesome by the way) would not be there to greet us, in the end we made do with McDonalds pancakes but thrust me they ain’t the same!, anyhow I digress.)

After regrouping with the two Mark’s the group of five set off to the finish and the conversation continued to improve with numbers. The highlight of the last part of the run was most of us falling prey to the only puddle on the whole course, how does that  happen ? Mark C,. attached it with gusto (he’s Scottish you know and use to large expanses of water !) and nearly went in, this made me more cautious but it was to no avail and I ended up in the same situation, soggy socks and shoes for the last 10k or so.! Once we started to descend of course it was ever man for himself and Mark C. probably set the record for the fastest kilometre with a 3:10 down the steepest part of the hill. He was very excited and reported feeling a runners high as he snowballed down the hill at speed, more probably he was just totally knackered as we had all just ran just about 35k on a few sips of water.

It’s hard to put into words the run itself as it really was just about the perfect day. A good distance, beautiful trails and great company rounded off with Brownes Mocha and a danish at the Deli. Chuck in a train ride where the guard announced to the whole train of our adventures as we boarded and departed and the day really couldn’t of got any better. Talk at the Deli (see below) centred on next years departure time as we had plenty of time to relax at the deli before the train, well most of us that is. If you remember at the start I mentioned Mark from Brisbane getting dropped at the 3k mark, you’ll see he’s not in the photo below. We all thought he was gone and I had even arranged at the Deli to let him know we’d drive back and pick him up, save him the 18k walk back to the train station. Well he made it with 3 minutes to spare, albeit the train was late as usual so he could have probably stopped at the Deli for a danish.

As you can see from the photo below taken at Serpentine train station Mark is back into the fold and happy to be there, he currently holds the record for cutting it closest to missing the train, probably beating Trailblazers record set a few years ago. I’m sure Jon can get closer with a bit of effort ? Honourable mentions must go to Allister Caird who set a course record running the route in 2hrs 27 minutes, thats a 4:11k average, sub 3 pace for a hilly trail run, Boom! He could have left nearly as hour after us and still made it. Nigel also went well considering he twisted his ankle at 15k and ‘hobbled‘ to the finish in good time, a big call as if the ankle had given way completely it would have been a long night on the trails. Of course Mark gets a mention for running the whole route by himself under the stress of a potential long walk back to the car. He looked relaxed when he finish and puts his time down to this was his first trail run back in Perth, he’s from Brisbane you know. Bart’s also went well after we dropped him just after halfway, we actually dropped him earlier but always made sure he could see us, sort off. At least this year he ran the whole course after his miracle run last year.

Right that’s the Choo-Choo for another year. I’ll try and drum up some more enthusiasm next year as if you live in Perth you really need to do this run. We all agreed we’d leave later next year but the departure time is personal to your ability and general fitness and also if you want that added bonus of really ‘racing a train’ and trying to cut it closer tham Mark, fromBrisbane’s,  valiant effort of three minutes to go. Up for the challenge ? All aboard…..

Last year I wrote a post on my old mate the T-Train and his cross training adventures as he trained for a half-iron man (would a half-iron man be a ‘rubber’ man, or maybe ‘wood-man’..?)  He even had the cheek to turn up for a post Sunday long run pancake feeding frenzy wearing a triathlon top.  You can read all about it here : https://www.runbkrun.com/2016/12/04/cross-training-as-useful-as-cross-dressing-to-runners/  The subject of cross training has again become central to my daily activities as I continue to battle Plantar Fasciitis and I eventually gave up on just running and released the Elliptigo for a second time.

Long term readers of my blog (assuming I have any bar my Mum) will know I purchased the Elliptigo ( http://www.elliptigo.com.au/ ) last year to help me get over my calf tear.  ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2017/06/24/elliptigo-is-proving-a-life-saver/ ) As with all things , non-running, though the Elliptigo was forgotten once my calf tear was repaired and it was sent back to the garage to sit next to my very expensive Giant carbon fibre racing bike. (Much to my Wife’s disgust.) I merrily returned to running twice a day and all memories of the fun I experienced on the GO was quickly erased and any thoughts of continuing cross training disappeared faster than an avocado smoothie at a models convention.

So what changed and why this post. ?  Another long term injury eventually dictated I had no choice but to dust off the GO and start commuting to work as well as keep running lunch times. This served two purposes. First I was getting in three decent cardio exercise sessions a day compared to only one, secondly I needed to work more on my core as the last 3-4 months of inactivity (relatively) had not been good to the waist line and for the first time in many years my ribs disappeared and I started to see these ‘handle’ like growths above my waist. ! My Daughter and Wife even remarked that I was getting ‘a belly’  when I was changing into a t-shirt. Truth be told this was the last straw. I had suspected as much but when your 10 year old notices, much to her amusement, something had to be done. This made me scuttle off to the garage and dust down the GO as I decided I still didn’t really enjoy cycling enough to make another comeback. I feel with cycling you don’t get the same benefits for your running related muscle groups as you do on the GO and this was hammered home this morning when, due to a slow puncture becoming a fast puncture, I was forced to leave the GO at home and mount the Giant.  Cycling in I just didn’t get the same workout I experience on the GO albeit I was taking it easy for the first half of the commute as I got use to sitting down compared to my normal ‘loud and proud’ standing position. I know there’s the old saying about ‘as easy as riding a bike’  but it’s been over a year since I got on the Giant and it can be a tad unforgiving, add in a decent cross wind and my deep rimmed wheels are purpose built to dismount a ride at speed. (As I nearly found out this morning !)

Are there alternatives to the Elliptigo. ? There use to be an Australian product which was even more designed for runners in mind but this product was let down by Chinese suppliers (you can’t trust some people!) and unfortunately they went under.  They had designed a product to mimic running seamlessly and I had a test ride after I purchased the Elliptigo (always the way !) and was converted. Unfortunately No1. Wife wasn’t convinced and forbid me to buy another bike, for some reason she considered three enough and four was just a ‘bike too far’, I’ll never understand Women ?  The Bionic and Predator was built by an Irun.com but is no longer available which is a crying shame. Luckily for me one of my colleagues at work has one of the last models and I’m just waiting until he gets bored and decides he’ll never use it, I’m biding my time; just got to convince No1 Wife.

So as usual I have digressed. The reason behind this post is to highlight the benefit of cross training and recommend every runner makes an attempt to add some cross training time into their busy running schedule. It may be the difference between an injury free period or an interrupted period, and trust me I am talking from experience here. I know Meb Keflexighi is a big believer in using the Elliptigo for a good daily second workout the pounding another run would entail, he explains why in this YouTube video.  ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTBE93OIlk )  I’m also a big fan of this method of grabbing your exercise high without the risk of injury. (albeit some car drivers may think otherwise, bless ’em. ?)  This weekend I have some GO maintenance planned and will be changing out the back inner tube and ordered two new tires on the interweb this morning. I can’t be doing with all this cycling for fear of ending up sitting in a café,  drenched in sweat , cocooned in lycra ordering a soya, light frappacino……..

Of course you don’t need to buy an Elliptigo to get a good cross training hit. Circuit classes at the gym are a good alternative concentrating on your core muscle group and high repetition, low weights. Alternatively there is another train of thought which recommends heavy weight, low repetition. Personally I tend to steer clear of these as I’m not really a gym fan and just prefer to get my exercise high outside, standing up at all times if possible.  Another avenue I feel is over looked by nearly all runners is the Pilates, Yoga type exercise.  ( https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/good ) Being an ‘older’ runner I can’t even touch my toes with hamstrings so tight you could probably perform Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony on them. I will eventually pluck up the courage and attend a Yoga class, probably. I know Mike K. swears by them and he is a lot older than me ! (Sorry Mike) My Wife has a Pilates Reformer which has stood idle for nearly two years, (due to my Wife’s bad back which is why we brought it in the first place ? A classic chicken and Egg scenario? Which came first, the Pilates Reformer or the bad back?)  maybe one day I’ll actually read the manual and strap myself in, so to speak. In the meantime it’s back to the GO for me because it really is just so much fun.

Footnote: Since  writing this post and before posting I had a weekend on the GO after rotating the tyres and putting in a new back inner tube, the joys of riding ? Anyhow I rode to Kings Park for a 12k trail run and then rode home afterwards. I’d done the same a few weeks ago and let me tell you it doesn’t get any easier. The GO-run-GO brick session is a killer and I backed it up this morning with a 20k Kings Park trail run with Damo and Mark L. ; I convinced them too leave the beach run for a week. Needless to say I am ‘cross trained’ out and can only assume this has done me some good. The last three weeks I’ve averaged 12 hours a week exercise with virtually a 50-50 split between running and the GO. It’ll be interesting to see how I go when I eventually get rid of this pesky PF and hit the ‘road’ , literally.

Note : The reference to cross dressing in the title was purely to get your attention and for all the readers who have struggled through this post in the vain hope of some juicy cross dressing information I can only apologise. So sorry T-Train.

Follow me on

What started as an inconvenience has all of a sudden become a really big deal. Plantar Fasciitis (PF) sneaks up on you because it’s one of those injuries that doesn’t stop you running, as such, it just eats away at your daily, weekly and monthly schedules until you finally give up and take to the Elliptigo, you do have an Elliptigo don’t you? ( http://www.elliptigo.com )

Last week I rode 173km on the GO, mainly due to commuting to and from work. At 19kg the Elliptigo is not light and due to the standing position when you’re faced with a strong head wind you are in for a serious physical examination ! Luckily for me last week was a particularly bad week for weather in sunny Perth so I was beaten back on many occasions during the week, much to the disgust of my ‘man made’ traffic jam of irate drivers wondering initially what the hold up was and then as they passed me what the hell that was ?  The Elliptigo is still a relatively new item for the Perth streets and I certainly made an impression. I’ve found children, professionals and women like the Elliptigo,   ‘tradies’ (tradesmen) not so much !

I’ve now had four treatments of Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) so far but am still suffering with PF to a point I still cannot run on hard surfaces. Luckily for me I have Kings Park less than 500 metres from my office desk and am blessed with trails of sand or grass that allow me to exercise without doing damage to my PF injury. (I’m assuming?) This has been my salvation for the last four months but unfortunately I have not been able to shake PF to allow me to scuttle back to the asphalt and bike paths that I love so much. This has cost me two marathons this year and currently is looking like taking out Rottnest as well.  This will be a huge disappointment as I ran second at Rotto last year and was targeting a good time this year. At the moment I’d say it would be a Lazarus like recovery to be ale to run Rotto in October as the last four months has eaten away at my fitness levels and I’m not prepared to start ‘running’ marathons just yet in my running career, for me it’s all about testing yourself and racing the bad boys.!   I’ve got plenty of time to ‘run‘ marathons when I mature as a runner, remember I’m only 51 years young?

Rottnest Marathon has got to be one of the most scenic marathons in the world and I highly recommend a visit if you ever come to WA.  ( http://www.rottnestisland.com/ ) I could spend hours posting pictures of what I consider to be paradise on earth but I’m biased as I always spend a week after the marathon recovering on the Island with my family and these memories we create  I cherish.

There’s also a few more target runs and races I have to try and get fit for coming up this year. First off the ranks is the ‘Choo-Choo’ run on Sunday September 23rd. I’ve written a few posts on this run and all are welcome to join us in the Perth area. Of course you are always welcome to fly over for it but it’s not the biggest event in the WA running calendar so probably not worth it. For those Perth runners who are reading this I highly recommend this run and I’ll see you on the 23rd either at the start , North Dandelup train station, or the end, Serpentine train station. ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2017/09/15/choo-choo-run-2017-man-against-train/  or https://www.runbkrun.com/2016/11/15/the-choo-choo-run-an-exercise-in-living-on-the-edge/ ) You’ll need to buy your ticket and get the 10:20 from Serpentine to North Dandelup, if my memory serves me well; there’s only one train down to Bunbury and one back per day so choice is limited. (Australind  timetable for those interested in joining me on the 23rd.  https://www.transwa.wa.gov.au/plan-your-journey/the-australind )

Then there’s the 6 Inch Ultra Trail Marathon on December 16th, funnily enough my 10th in a row. After missing 10 in a row for the Perth and City to Surf marathons it’ll be nice to actually run this ? Again if you live in Perth, or even Australia, this race is a must-do. ( http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com/ ) So many good times running this race at the end of the season, more about the challenge of the course and running with good friends rather than time, although under four hours is a target. (You need to keep yourself honest people ?)

Final goal race of the year is the shortest and certainly one of the funniest. The infamous St. Georges Terrace Running Club Beer Mile. Never been a race where I ever expect to podium mainly due to the fact I probably drink more in this one mile than I do the rest of the year. I’m famous for pouring most of it on my head as I reckon natural evaporation drains beer quicker than I drink it ! Certainly no records are set but its a nice way to recover after running the 46k 6 Inch Trail Marathon the day before  ! Of course all of these could be null and void if I can’t get rid of this pesky injury, why does running have to be so hard ?

Follow me on

As most avid readers of my blog will know ( Assuming I have any avid readers apart from my Mum of course?) I’m a big fan of distance. Distance unlocks running dreams, assuming you can first of all lock up dreams but you get the idea. Phil Maffetone, the guru of slow aerobic running constantly with some speed work closer to a goal race ( https://philmaffetone.com ) is a big influence on the way I train. I also follow Arthur Lydiard who took normal runners and turned them into champions, it is well worth researching both of these methods for improving.

“It’s not the best athlete who wins, but the best prepared.” The mantra of legendary New Zealand running coach Arthur Lydiard, whose training methods are as relevant today as they were almost 60 years ago when he first sprang to prominence.

During the 1950s, Lydiard formulated a systematic approach to athletic conditioning that propelled New Zealand to the top of world middle distance and distance running and produced 17 Olympic medallists. Aside from his central claim to fame as the founder of what was to become the world-wide phenomenon of jogging, Lydiard’s logical and fundamental approach to conditioning still forms the foundation of many of the programmes top level athletes in sports as diverse as running, swimming, figure skating, cycling and American Football, use today.

Lydiard discovered running for sport when, unfit and middle-aged, he struggled to run five miles with a friend. For the next 10 years during the 1950s, he used himself as a guinea pig, experimenting with his training to formulate a system, perfected over the following decades, that would conquer the world. Central to his plan was periodisation – the importance of training in phases and peaking for races. For Lydiard, running to your potential was about having a substantial mileage base and not overdoing your anaerobic training. Most importantly, there were no shortcuts. It was a simple premise – the more mileage you got under your belt, the greater your stamina and aerobic capacity. Simple, but devastatingly effective.

According to Lydiard, any successful training programme must culminate in a goal, race or event, that means planning months in advance, and dividing your training into sections for base conditioning, hill training, speed development, sharpening and tapering. His programme is certainly not for the faint-hearted, but the principles are sound for runners of all abilities. So if you are serious about preparing for that 10K or half-marathon, start counting down those weeks with the Lydiard training system below.

“It’s not the best athlete who wins, but the best prepared.” The mantra of legendary New Zealand running coach Arthur Lydiard, whose training methods are as relevant today as they were almost 60 years ago when he first sprang to prominence.

During the 1950s, Lydiard formulated a systematic approach to athletic conditioning that propelled New Zealand to the top of world middle distance and distance running and produced 17 Olympic medallists. Aside from his central claim to fame as the founder of what was to become the world-wide phenomenon of jogging, Lydiard’s logical and fundamental approach to conditioning still forms the foundation of many of the programmes top level athletes in sports as diverse as running, swimming, figure skating, cycling and American Football, use today.

Lydiard discovered running for sport when, unfit and middle-aged, he struggled to run five miles with a friend. For the next 10 years during the 1950s, he used himself as a guinea pig, experimenting with his training to formulate a system, perfected over the following decades, that would conquer the world. Central to his plan was periodisation – the importance of training in phases and peaking for races. For Lydiard, running to your potential was about having a substantial mileage base and not overdoing your anaerobic training. Most importantly, there were no shortcuts. It was a simple premise – the more mileage you got under your belt, the greater your stamina and aerobic capacity. Simple, but devastatingly effective.

According to Lydiard, any successful training programme must culminate in a goal, race or event, that means planning months in advance, and dividing your training into sections for base conditioning, hill training, speed development, sharpening and tapering. His programme is certainly not for the faint-hearted, but the principles are sound for runners of all abilities. So if you are serious about preparing for that 10K or half-marathon, start counting down those weeks with the Lydiard training system below.

PHASE ONE (10 WEEKS)

Developing aerobic capacity
The first phase in the Lydiard programme, and the most important, is about building an aerobic base, the foundation on which you develop your distance running. The 10-week period is about getting miles under your belt, and as many of them as you can manage, in order to increase your aerobic endurance. The capacity you develop determines the success of your programme. As Lydiard explained: “The bigger the foundation, the bigger and higher the house can be built.”

He suggested starting out with out-and-back running to learn how to even your pace (10 minutes out, 10 minutes back) and increase the duration of the run every second or third day. The goal is to return in the same time or slightly faster. If it takes longer for the second half of the run, you have paced yourself too fast. ‘Train but don’t strain’ was another of Lydiard’s favourite sayings. The object of these runs is to be pleasantly tired – it’s likely your cardio will develop quicker than your poor old body, leading to injury, if you push yourself too hard, too soon.

An ideal training week during this phase, or marathon conditioning as Lydiard called it, would include two or three long runs, and shorter, easy runs in between. Start with times or distance you are comfortable with and gradually increase the length of the run until you can go for two hours without collapsing in a sweaty heap by the kerb.

PHASE TWO (4-6 WEEKS)

Hill circuit training/ leg speed
Hill training – tw0 words to strike fear into the heart of every runner, but a necessary evil to boost power and flexibility in your legs, improve your range of motion and start activating anaerobic metabolism.

Lydiard used three different exercises – steep hill running, hill bounding and hill springing – in order to produce a more economical running style. Ideally, you should find a hill with a flat 200 to 400 metre area for sprints, a 200-400m slope for bounding and a moderate downhill section for recovery. Failing that, you can work out on a treadmill, adjusting the incline for each section of the circuit.

Warm up for 15 minutes before bounding uphill with “a bouncing action and a slow forward progression”. The slower the forward movement, the more resistance will be felt. Once you reach the top, jog easily on the spot for three minutes before running downhill with a fast, relaxed, springy action. This will develop leg speed and also stretch the leg muscles. At the bottom of the hill, include several sprints, ranging from 50 to 400 metres. This marks the end of one complete circuit. Lydiard suggested including the sprint sections every 15 minutes, so that you don’t overdo the intense anaerobic training. Go through the circuit again until you have been working for an hour. Do this hill circuit three days a week with the alternate days used for leg speed running.

For leg speed training, Lydiard recommended 10 sprints of 120-150 metres on a flat surface at three-minute intervals. Run with a normal stride but try to move your legs as fast as possible. Warm down thoroughly afterwards for 15 minutes.

PHASE THREE (4 WEEKS)

Track (anaerobic) training
Lydiard described the anaerobic training phase as “the icing on the cake”, but it’s necessary if you want to race well. The objective is to develop big oxygen debts which stimulate the body’s metabolism to battle against fatigue.

Basically, during this phase it doesn’t matter how much you do or how quickly you do it, as long as you finish the session completely and utterly knackered. However, as a practical guide, Lydiard advises fast running for a total of about three miles or 5,000 metres, i.e 12 x 400m, 6 x 800m, 5 x 1000m etc with a recovery jog of an equal distance in between. Perform these sessions at the track or on flat ground three times per week for four weeks. Use the remaining four days for a long run, leg speed work and sprint training drills to develop strength, form and speed.

PHASE FOUR (4 WEEKS)

Coordination
You have now developed all three elements of your running make-up (aerobic, anaerobic and speed), but that doesn’t mean you can race well. Phase four is about combining these three elements so that you can run distance efficiently and smoothly by simulating race situations.

Lydiard called this process, ‘sharpening’ – testing for your strengths and weaknesses as you prepare for your race. There are three workouts in this phase, as well as some speed work. The first is an anaerobic session done at a greater intensity but lower volume. Lydiard recommended five laps of a 400m track, sprinting 50 metres, then easing off for 50 metres – effectively interval training with 20 sprints. The workout sharpens your anaerobic capacity and gets you into racing shape without exhausting your body.

The second workout is a time trial at the distance which you are training for – so if you are preparing for a 10K race, run 10K. Ideally, it should be done on a track where you can record every lap to determine your weaknesses.

Add sprint training sessions and a leg speed workout (120m x 6, after warming up and exercising) on another day before completing the third workout at the end of the week, a long run, done at a nice relaxed pace.

PHASE FIVE (1-2 WEEKS)

Freshening up
You cannot train hard and race well at the same time. According to Lydiard, the 10 days before your race is when you should be freshening up – reducing your training load while preparing mentally and physically for the competition ahead. The length of freshening up depends on the individual, so train every day but keep the faster running low in volume and the longer runs at an effortless pace. It is important to realise that you have trained for the race so you need to stay fresh and sharp. You can’t be race-ready if you’re still doing hard repetition training.

Follow me on

Since April I have been struggling with Plantar Fasciitis, what I consider one of the worst injuries due to the fact there is no light at the end of the tunnel, let me explain. With a good old fashioned sprain, tear, fracture or even a break there is normally a set period of recovery, a tear may be a few months, a strain even less and even a break a number of months; with all of these there is always , well normally, guaranteed improvement with time and a set ‘return to running‘ date to aim for. Plantar Fasciitis is different, it can linger for a very long time and has been know to finish the career of many good runners. I suspect it is out of frustration that eventually a runner just has enough of running round in circles , on grass, in the dark, alone. Trust me people I’m there at the moment as you can see from one of my Strava runs below. (Remember, if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen…probably,  http://www.strava.com ; follow me on Strava with the link at the bottom of this post)

What is worse with Plantar Fasciitis is you really need to protect the foot and so are constrained by running on grass or trails; which is fine but lonely as most of your (mine) running friends are on the beautiful asphalt ; and who can blame them ! ?  Thus I have been having lots of ‘Kev time‘ lately. A positive is my new headphones supplied by Jaybird which arrived just as I started out on my injury journey. (Link to my post on the wireless headphones, built by runner for runners is here : https://www.runbkrun.com/2018/07/21/do-headphones-make-you-run-faster-or-smarter/ Please make sure you check these out as the more hits from my blog the more chance I get of getting more free gear. Note: they really are very good wireless headphones and, if you are in the market for a pair,  these bad boys are the ones to get!) I digress…

So to the point of this post reference the drugs being the answer, what was the question ?. As a newbie runner I really had no idea that most of my running buddies were as good as professional drug dealers. Truth be told I only found out the day before my first Comrades run in 2008 when my fellow runner, who shall be known as Phil (as that is his real name) dragged me down to another runners bedroom (known as Richard, for that is his name!) where he was handing out high quality Voltaren tablets to all and sundry. Unbeknown to me these anti-inflammatories were the staple diet of the ‘older Comrades runner’ so I put out my hand and wolfed a few down, just to be on the safe side. This tradition has continued for most of my marathons from that time on , probably more of a placebo but I justify it as, at the end of a marathon block of training, there must be something, surely,  that needs some help becoming un-inflammed. (Is that a word?)

As I’ve got older I find I am certainly more open to taking as many tablets as possible and on a number of occasions have helped myself to some of my Wife’s better, prescription, anti-inflammatories. In for a penny , in for a pound type attitude. This came back to bite me on one occasion where, unbeknown to me, there was also a tablet to be taken with the strong anti-inflammatories to help with any possible side effects. These said side effects were eventually embraced by me which meant a very long toilet visit and an upset stomach. My Wife found this very amusing.

Of course I am  not advocating ‘popping pills‘ for no reason but merely advising that as a runner you will get niggles or sprains and rather than suffer in silence get yourself down to the local chemist and get some anti-inflammatories, these really do what they say on the packet. They also have their place to really help with a known area of concern by blitzing the problem before/while  embarking on remedial exercise; short term of course. I’m by no means advocating long term NSAID use, that would be silly,  although there have been studies advocating using aspirin daily but that helps with heart conditions etc, as with all thing medical Dr.Google has the answer.

Follow me on

My running friend Nic Harman is a man going places, quickly.  I first came across Nic when he first started his running career and was fortunate enough, at that time, to be able to race with him and finish in similar times. This didn’t last long as his running progressed under the guidance of Raf Baugh, our local celebrity trainer and owner of the Running Centre, http://www.therunningcentre.com.au .  Over the years I think Nic has taken all my Strava segment records as we both use to live very close to each other.( http://www.strava.com Remember if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen! Both Nic and I can be followed on Strava though I’m probably running times more achievable that young Master Harman. His times can sometimes be confused for ‘a ride’..!) ) Please note I was able to seek out one of Nic’s Strava segments a few months ago and take it off him, albeit I was probably at my maximum effort and Nic would have run his time at a tempo at best. !

Nic epitomises what you need to be successful in running, he is driven, consistent, loves what he does and, above all, motivated on a journey which will one day take him to the Olympics.  With Raf guiding him I am sure he’ll one day compete for Australia in the Marathon and maybe even give Deeks’s Australian record a tilt.

The article below was published on the Runners Tribe website ( http://www.runnerstribe.com ) and Nic highlights four key sessions that have helped him on his journey to running super-stardom. Keep an eye on this young man, as I mentioned earlier,  he is going places, and usually very quickly !!

FOR THE LOVE OF RUNNING – 4 KEY SESSIONS FROM LONG DISTANCE ATHLETE NIC HARMAN – COACHED BY RAFAEL BAUGH

My name is Nic Harman and I am a 22 year old long distance athlete currently training with Front Runner Athletics Club led by Rafael Baugh and Ben Green in Perth, Western Australia. Before writing any further, I would firstly like to express the privilege I have been given to feature in the workout series for Runner’s Tribe who contribute greatly to a worldwide running community.

Funnily enough, what first sparked my passion for long distance running was when I competed in the 2009 Perth City to Surf at the age of 14. I entered the 12km walk and ended up running the whole way. As a result of the experience, I began training twice a week with a local triathlon club that was coached by Matt LaSpina and began infrequently participate in various local fun runs conducted by the West Australian Marathon Club throughout the year.

Compared to most, I only recently began taking an interest in competitive running. At age 17, I joined the University of Western Australia athletics club under the guidance of David Leeder and made my first State Cross Country Team. The following year, I transitioned to Front Runner Athletics Club and to this day I am coached and mentored by Rafael Baugh.

Over the past 5 years at Front Runner AC, I have seen consistent progress through implementation of key training principles and specific training blocks that build towards targeted races. Since 2013, I’ve seen my 5000m and 10,000 m times drop annually down to current PB’s of 14.26 & 29:46 and my Half Marathon time recently lowered to 65.50. Other than simply being motivated just for the love of the sport, an exciting indicator for the years to come is in the gradual progression in training load and volume having a direct correlation with improvement as I transitioned from Junior to Senior level. It is this progression that I am immensely grateful for and in the coming years I aspire to be able to present myself as a candidate to represent my country in the World Half Marathon Championships and ultimately Olympic Games in the Marathon.

Regardless of the distance I am training for, training sessions and mileage remains fairly constant at about 140 – 150km per week. I will always have a track session on Tuesday, Threshold work on Thursday and Saturday will be a Tempo session sometimes over hills or on somewhere flat depending on the time of the year.

Track Session:

Location: West Australian Athletics Stadium.

Track sessions vary week to week but always involve maximal efforts that encourage leg turnover and assist in building VO2 max which is central to my athletic development at this stage.

Deeks Quarters – a well known track session invented by Rob De Castella and tackled weekly by the greats of distance running. This session is performed by my training squad every month and a great way to benchmark levels of fitness for each individual athlete. This session is normally performed on a 400 meter athletics track where an athlete performs a 400 m effort that is slightly faster than 5, 000 m pace followed by a 200 m float that is at Half Marathon (Tempo) pace. This session is exactly 4, 800m long and can be used as a predictor of 5, 000 m race time when at peak fitness. I find that this session is a great way to build and test fitness, as the 200 m floats don’t allow the athlete a full recovery from the hard 400 m effort, rather than the recovery being static or easy.

Threshold Session:

The Threshold sessions always take place on a flat and sealed footpath around Herdsman Lake or Lake Monger. Many of our Threshold workouts are continuous meaning that there’s no standing or jog recovery with the exception of 1 kilometre and 1500 m repeats. Most commonly our Threshold sessions will consist of an effort at Threshold then a short float at Tempo pace to recover. Examples of these sessions are 2 minutes at Threshold with 1 minute float or even as long as 5 minutes at Threshold with 2 minutes float. Similar to what was mentioned in the Deeks Quarters session, the challenge with these Threshold sessions are that the floats don’t allow the body a full recovery ahead of the following effort. I believe this mimics the fatigue that is commonly felt in a race.

Gregson Threshold – made famous by Ryan Gregson, the national indoor and outdoor 1500 m record holder, this 30 minute Threshold session is fantastic in how it simulates the fatigue felt in a race. This session is broken into 3 parts each fatiguing the body in different ways.

Part 1: 10 minutes at Tempo. I quite like how this first effort helps the body ease into the session and feels like a 7/10 effort.

Part 2: 10 minutes alternating 1 minute that is slightly above Threshold (9/10) then 1 minute at Tempo (7/10)

Part 3: 10 minutes at Threshold (8.5/10). This final effort in the session is the component I find the most challenging, but the most beneficial as it forces the body to run at Threshold despite already having 20 minutes worth of fatigue in the legs which simulates the feeling of the back end of a race.

Tempo Session

Location: King’s Park for a hilly course or around the river foreshore for a flatter course

Tempo sessions are the sessions that I tend to look forward to despite the early start. I prefer Tempo sessions because they are more aerobic in nature and build fitness for the longer distances that I prefer to compete in. Tempo sessions will always be more than 30 minutes in duration, sometimes continuous and at other times a short 2 minute jog or static recovery. A key session that I perform ahead of a Half Marathon is a flat 15km progressive Tempo. This Tempo session acts as a pace run the begins slower than targeted Half Marathon pace (3:20 – 3:15/km) for the first half and then for the second half is run at desired Half Marathon race pace (3:10 – 3:05/km). This session normally occurs 2 weeks before the event and is excellent for simulating the fatigue felt in the final 5km of a Half Marathon.

Long Run

Location: From home over rolling hills along the coastline

This run takes place on the Sunday and for me is equally as important as the previous sessions I have described. My long run is always 1 hour and 45 minutes in length but when I am tapering it can be 15 minutes shorter. In terms of the pace I will begin running at over 4 minutes per kilometer and then progress to 3:20 per kilometer in the late stages. This long run can average out under 3:40 per kilometer depending on how my body is feeling from the week of training. I consider the weekly long run as a staple in my training program as it allows me to establish rhythm and feel strong as the run progresses.

I hope that these insights into my weekly training schedule have been of some value to those reading. I would again like to again thank Runner’s Tribe for presenting me with the opportunity to be able to write for their website and to encourage every single runner out there to continue their great work simply for the love of the sport.

Running regards.

The article below was written by Reid Coolsaet a top ranked marathoner in Canada. At the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon last September his time was 2:11:23 – the fastest by a Canadian in 24 years. Reid spent time in Kenya at Iten, the breeding ground for running superstars. The article is good in that it emphasises all the things I talk about on this blog. As I have said many, many times running is not rocket science,  just common sense really and lots of hard work.  To run faster you need to look at the people who are running the fastest and learn from them, try to be more like them. The main points (for the lazy readers amongst you who won’t finish this post!) are consistency, train hard, rest hard, soft surfaces, group training, proper warm up, nutrition and Hakuna matata.

Kenyan distance runners have been dominating the world scene for more than 30 years. Just last month, a Kenyan, Mary Keitany, was the first woman to break one hour and six minutes in the half-marathon when she set the world record at 1:05:50. Last year, Kenyan men won four of the five world major marathons and lay claim to 60 of the top 100 ranked marathoners.

An astonishing 239 Kenyans broke two hours and fifteen minutes last year in the marathon. (By contrast, Canada had three under the same time – and that was a good year for us.) Factor in the population of the two countries (Kenya, 39 million, Canada, 34 million), and it’s evident just how excellent the East African country is at producing world-class distance runners.

As a marathoner, I wanted to observe first-hand how these great athletes were training and living. For one month this winter, I went to Iten, Kenya, and immersed myself in the culture of Kenyan running. Iten is a small town of 4,000, about 300 kilometres northwest of the capital, Nairobi, and is home to many of the world’s best distance runners and hundreds more who make a living winning road race purses.

It’s not a coincidence that the rural town sits about 2,400 metres (about 8,000 feet) above sea level where athletes benefit from training in thin air. I soon learned, however, that there are many other reasons why Kenyan runners dominate. Here are some tips that all runners can incorporate into their training in order to run like a Kenyan.

Consistency. Running – a lot – is the key to distance running, and the Kenyans are no exception when it comes to logging many kilometres day in, day out. Most of the runners I met run at least twice a day but some run up to three times. If you can squeeze a few more kilometres into your week, without compromising quality, you will reap the benefits.

Train hard. The motto “train hard, win easy” is exemplified by Kenyan runners. If you want to run hard come race day, it’s best to prepare with some sort of speed session (intervals, fartlek, tempo) one to three times a week to get used to the specific effort of your race pace.

Rest hard. After bouts of hard training it is vital that the body has time to repair and recover for the next training session. Kenyan runners incorporate naps into their days and get to bed early. Plus, they don’t run hard all the time; most people would be surprised on how slow they run their recovery runs. Make sure you’re not running hard every day and take it easy the day or two after a hard run.

Soft surfaces. Running on dirt trails rather than pavement is much easier on the body. When I was in Iten, all of my running was on trails and dirt roads (of course, this is easy to do when there is only one paved road in the area). Seek out soft surfaces for most of your running, and your body will thank you.

Group training. Seeing a Kenyan run alone is the exception to the norm. Kenyans run in groups during speed sessions as well as their easy runs. Running with a group can provide that extra push during hard runs and it can help keep the easy runs leisurely with chit-chat. Many running stores offer group runs if your friends are too lazy to join you.

Proper warm-up. Many times while I was running with Kenyans I was surprised how slowly they would start off. It’s best to ease into your runs, and it is especially important to do some easy jogging before any type of speed session or race.

Nutrition. In Iten, a 100-mile diet would seem absurdly long. Kenyans eat fresh food that usually comes from small-scale farms in their region. Ugali (a cornmeal dish) is their staple carbohydrate of choice and is served with beef or chicken stew and veggies. It’s important to replenish carbohydrates and protein soon after a run and get the proper fuel into your body.

Hakuna matata. The Lion King popularized the Swahili phrase “hakuna matata” which, loosely, translates to “no worries.” Kenyans keep stress to a minimum by embracing hakuna matata in their everyday lives. It’s important to leave stress behind to allow your body to perform at its best, and sometimes the best way to relieve stress is to head out the door for a run.

Throughout my month in Kenya, I gained fitness, but more importantly, I came away motivated and inspired. To test out my fitness I went to Belgium to compete in a 10-kilometre cross-country race where I surprised myself with a fifth-place finish; the rest of the top eight were African. Training with the best runners and taking advantage of altitude training allowed me to perform much better.

I’ve attached my Golden Rules for all you readers who are still enjoying this post. These are the rules to live by and the key to unlocking your running dreams.. (do you unlock a dream? , probably not but it sounded good when I wrote it so it’s staying…)

1. Run Further. Add distance, not speed.  As you can see from the table my weekly average has steadily increased year on year with this year being the first I will break the 100k a week average for the year. In 2012 I was injured with a nasty calf knot, that I didn’t treat, which explains the delta compared to the previous year.  2014 my training had plateaued which is why I turned to Raf ( http://www.therunningcentre.com.au ) to train me in 2105 where my distance increased by 10%. I have taken this training forward and will probably increase another 10% this year.  Distance first, everything else comes once the ‘foundation of distance’ has been achieved.

2. Run Faster. This is about adding pace after you have got your foundation after rule 1. 2011 was a break out year for me after 3-4 years of building a good running base. I had ran 3 Comrades campaigns in 2008-2010 ( http://www.comrades.com ) so my distance foundation was well and truly complete. In 2011 every time I put on a bib I was confident of a pb.  It was a wonderful year. Unfortunately in 2012 I had a nasty injury which set me back but towards the end of the year I was able to train consistently again and in 2013 I was again rewarded with a magical year of running.  

3. Don’t get injured. This is the hardest rule to obey as you always want to do more of rule 1 and 2 which can result in an injury. (I even hate typing the word!) In 2012 I succumbed to a calf knot which took me out for over a month. I struggled to recover from this and as you can see from the table I only ran 3 pb’s for the year compared to 13 the previous year and 10 the following year when I recovered. If this doesn’t back up this rule nothing does.! Don’t get injured, so easy to type but in reality one of the hardest thing for a runner to do, period.

4. Nutrition, nutrition and nutrition… Did I mention nutrition. It’s all about the proper fuel. So underestimated by so many runners. The number of times I hear the old ‘I run xxx kilometres a week so I can eat what I want’ . Not true, imagine putting low grade fuel in a Porsche, eventually the head gasket blows and you are faced with a serious bill, not to mention a misfiring engine. The human body is a finely tuned machine and should be treated as such, we all know what is good food and what is bad (normally the nice tasting stuff!), avoid the bad and put in the good, easy really. (bar the odd Yelo muffin of course, we are after all only human.)  I’ll be exploring nutrition more next year when I have one more go at a sub 2hr 40minutes marathon.

5. Weight. So important, use to believe because I ran 100k+ a week I could eat what I wanted. Not true. This is another golden rule so often ignored. Runners can run so much faster is they hit their racing weight rather than a running weight. My go to man , Matt Fitzgerald, when it comes to everything running even has a website dedicated to this. ( http://www.racingweight.com/ ) If Matt has a website dedicated to this subject it must be important.

6. Baseline, document and evaluate everything. If it isn’t on www.strava.com it didn’t happen. Once you set a goal you have to be able to know how far you have come to achieving this, small steps but constant feedback. So buy a Garmin and start recording , everything !!! Contentious subject here. I’m a Strava addict and I know it but the purest will be horrified. You need a baseline to see improvement, set new goals and realize your goals. Buy a Garmin and to quote a small clothing company ‘just do it’.

7. Sleep. So underestimated but the bodies way of refuelling and preparing for the next day of running. Common sense but so often ignored. Sometimes the most obvious, common sense tips are the ones ignored. Sleep is when your body repairs itself, the more sleep the more repairs can be completed. It really is that easy, go to bed and dream about running.

8. Consistency. No point running 100k one week and then nothing. Marathon fitness is built up over time and this works hand in hand with rule number 1. I feel the figures from my running log back this up. I’ve steadily increased the duration consistently year in, year out (bar injury) and have reaped the rewards with 2016 being my fastest year yet as I move towards my fifth sixth decade. (Thanks Dave Kennedy) Running is all about getting out there on a regular basis again and again and again. Time on feet initially and then add pace before targeting certain distance with different run types, most important thinkg to note though is always consistently putting on the trainers and just running. ‘If you build it they will come’ type approach, keep running, build the foundation and the personal records will come. (This also works for baseball pitches apparently.)

9. It’s all in the mind. After 32k a marathon is down to mental strength and the ability to persuade your body you can still perform at your desired pace without falling to fatigue, which is the minds way of protecting itself. Never underestimate the power of the mind in long distance racing. Finally another massive part of running, the Noakes ‘central governor’. I’ve talked about this at length in various posts on this site. With experience I believe I can mentally finish a marathon stronger now then when I first started. I know what to expect and to this end can persuade my old friend fatigue to stay away for longer allowing me to achieve better finishing times. The mind is such an important part of running and needs to be trained as much as the body. When you race a marathon you will spend time in the ‘pain box’, the runner who can spend the most time in this little box of joy, before opening the door and embracing the old enemy fatigue, will run the fastest. I spoke to Steve Moneghetti after the Perth Marathon this year after he ran the 3hr30min bus and asked him how the professional athletes are so much faster than us recreational runners. His answer surprised me as he replied that a professional runner can stand more pain and this gives them the advantage need to push through and achieve the faster times. Again turning off the ‘central governor’  and spending more time in the ‘pain box’ avoiding fatigue and thus not slowing down. Common sense really, thanks Steve.

Over the last few months I have been struggling with motivation,  initially due to low iron levels in my blood brought about by poor diet in a vain attempt to lose weight and lately with a bout of every runners worst nightmare, plantar fasciitis. (No, this is not something you pick up in a Swedish brothel, more a tear in the large tendon at the bottom of your foot.) I’ve had Plantar Fasciitis three times in my running career but this is the worst by far.

It is an injury where recovery can take anything from days to months or even years in bad cases. I know it has finished the careers of many fine runners. The previous two times I suffered were probably down to poor show choices when faced with difficult terrain. As you can see from the image below in 2012 I wore Nike Luna Racers when I ran the 6 Inch Trail Ultra Marathon. ( http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com/ ) Although I ran a great time Luna Racers are  built for track or asphalt, not an off-road trail ultra where the bottom of your foot takes a good old fashioned beating due to poor shoe choice.  I was lucky enough that it was a mild case and I was able to continue training albeit I suffered the morning hobble to the bathroom that all PF sufferers experience as blood returns to the tendon after sleeping horizontally all night. Apparently you can purchase splints to wear while you sleep but I was always wary of these as Mrs. Matthews may think I was being kinky and she can be hard to fight off when she has the bit between her teeth, so to speak … (That was a joke by the way just in case No1 Wife reads this… )

The second time I picked up a small case of PF was when I started to ramp up my running in 2013 and even a cortisone from my favourite Doctor didn’t help. Again it was mild enough that it didn’t affect my training and the ‘hobble to the bathroom’ was soon replaced by my usual ‘gazelle like spring’.

This time though the ‘hobble to the bathroom’ turned into a limp/hop, at best, and running was a no-no. Another cortisone was dispatched but yet again with little effect. My old mate Voltaren helped but popping pills, long term, never ends well. So it was a few weeks of no running and lots of ‘rolling the water bottle filled with ice’. This is the tried and tested best method for treating PF and has always worked for me.  As you can see from the Strava image below ( In Strava we trust… http://www.strava.com , follow me on Strava by clicking on the link on the main page , towards the bottom) PF can cause large blocks of ‘rest’  which for a runner is not something we enjoy doing. As I’ve always said ‘I’ll rest in my box!’………

So is there light at the end of the tunnel ? . At the moment I can say ‘maybe’, I have ramped up the mileage this week and I am confident I’m on top of my PF issues but it means running on trails and grass only and avoiding my beloved asphalt. I’ve made the training more interesting by running in Kings Park, which is stunning and trying to hit as many sandy trails as possible. Adding elevation also helps and I’m confident with 6 weeks to go until the Perth City to Surf Marathon I’ll be in with a good chance to continue my 27 in a row sub 3 streak.

So what brought on PF case number three, probably the infamous steeplechase in racing flats in April this year for the Australian Masters championships, I feel maybe, just maybe, my water jump technique needs something to be desired….maybe.

For all those sufferers of the ‘bathroom hobble’ I recommend these activities, in no order of importance.

• Never go bare feet anywhere and if possible trainers at all time.
• Calf raises as much as possible, and off a step is best. This will strengthen the calf and stop it pulling on the PF tendon.
• Anti-inflammatories help but these are not a long term solution of course. (Voltaren is my poison of choice)
• Rolling a water bottle filled with ice under your affected foot is another exercise that helps.

If you need more information on Plantar Fasciitis it’s all on the interweb , like all things these days, so let your fingers do the walking…

As I seem to have lost my running mojo at the moment I am unable to post anything new and feel after a morose post last week I cannot continue down this path. Thus I’ll do another trawl through the archives of my previous posts in 2016 when I had a following of one, thanks Mum. This post from December 2016 explains the main road to improvement is doing what we all love to do most, that is run. No real pressure of pace just pure distance. This is the number one rule in my nine golden rules of running, 1. Add distance. There really is no alternative really, if you want to be a good runner you need to run as much as possible and if you want to see improvements you need to run more than you are running now.

It amazes me how coaches can come up with all different scenarios on how to improve and authors write all new books and papers on the subject but, trust me people, if you run more you will improve. I am certainly proof that this theory is sound after a big 2016 and 2017 resulted in times I though beyond me as I turned 50 years old. Even now in 2018 I am still setting track PB’s and distance PB’s for 100km races, even Australian records. I put all this down to distance and double-up days.  As I have said many times running ain’t rocket science. (They don’t call me Sherlock Holmes for nothing!)

Of course a good coach will use other methods to aid in the improvement process but I don’t know anybody who say ‘don’t bother to run to improve, let’s concentrate on <insert exercise here>‘ , doesn’t happen. Of course there are great cross training exercises that will help but when we take it down to the bare basics of improvements doing more is the number one benefit, the most bang for your buck so to speak.

So to improve look at your weekly or monthly totals and add more , be it 10% , 25% , 100% , any percent really. I’ll even go so far as to say ignore the +10% rule for adding kilometres to your weekly totals. As long as you’re slow and don’t stress the body too much you can add as many kilometres as you can make time for.  The only caveat here is you must listen to your body and at the first sign of a ‘twinge’, ‘tear’, ‘niggle’ etc., drop back or take some time off. It is good to add distance but you must make sure you don’t get injured (golden rule number 3).  Injury will set you back to square one and you’ll be starting again so it is imperative you know when to step back. This is when some cross training can help. (my favourite cross training is my Elliptigo of course. http://www.elliptigo.com.au )

As 2016 draws to a close the one thing I can say for sure is distance is king when it comes to improving your running.  Arthur Lydiard got it spot on and his method of training has been mimicked by most of the successful coaches ever since. From the article below  “For Lydiard, running to your potential is about having a substantial mileage base and not overdoing your anaerobic training.”  Matt Fitzgerald, as you will know my go-to man, also advocates this method of training. ( http://mattfitzgerald.org ) and I recommend you purchase any of his books.  This year I have managed to achieve times I though beyond me on a number of occasions and far from slowing down has refocussed my goals for 2017 on faster times and more PB’s.

What changed for me in 2016? Distance, plain and simple. I achieved the extra time on legs by running twice a day as much as possible and since June this year averaging nearly 140k a week and 10-12 runs. Pace wise I slowed down in the week but tried to race at least once a fortnight, sometimes more often. This allowed me to move into the Matt Fitzgerald 80% slow and steady and 20% at pace training split.  I’ve attached a typical few weeks blow taken from my Strava account ( you have to be on Strava, http://www.strava.com , and feel free to follow me; search on ‘Big Kev’, Perth.)

 

Last year was a record year for me as I managed to break 5000km for the year, this year I’ll be over 5900km’s and this extra 1000km, I believe, has been the major difference, coupled with the twice a day running. It seems with running the more you do the better you are, it really is that simple. Of course you can add tempo, thresholds, VO2 , Mona fartlek’s , progressive etc. to make the training more interesting but in the end just put on your trainers and get out there more. Of course there is always the issue with injury waiting in the shadows to pounce  when you are at your most vulnerable and by adding all the ‘exciting‘ training methods you leave yourself susceptible to falling victim. Common sense dictates you are more likely to get injured straining your muscles on quicker paced training runs but it really is a two edge sword as the benefits can be worth the risk. Distance running does minimise the risk of injury as you’re putting less strain on the muscles, increased fitness purely by repetition.

Maybe improving isn’t that simple after all ? After reading the last paragraph again I realise that there is no magic bullet for improvement but running distance is probably the best way to stack the odds in your favour. It has many benefits, you get to do what you love most, i.e. run, a lot, it minimises the risk of injury and it is a sure fire way to improve. This is good enough for me. The adding pace bit is a necessary evil I suppose and worth the risk. After all the whole point of this running thing is to improve and run distance faster,  isn’t it ? To do this you need to understand what your goal pace is and also be able to better it at shorter distances.

An article below is a good starter on the Lydiard method and I recommend you adjust your training accordingly. If it can help an ageing runner like myself achieve times beyond my wildest dreams it can make a difference to your running. Finally remember, the best part of this training is you get to do what we all love doing in the first place, run a lot.

Forty years ago at the Rome Olympics, athletes guided by legendary New Zealand coach Arthur Lydiard made history. Among Lydiard’s protégés were a total of 17 Olympic medalists, including Peter Snell (800 and 1,500 meters), Murray Halberg (5,000 meters) and Barry Magee (marathon). Lydiard, now 82, toured the U.S. last fall, speaking to runners on the Lydiard method of training. He was as passionate as ever about sharing the methods he developed 50 years ago.Lydiard hasn’t changed his training advice over the decades, and why should he? His ideas work. Moreover, if you look carefully at the most popular and successful programs today, most have a Lydiard emphasis. For Lydiard, running to your potential is about having a substantial mileage base and not overdoing your anaerobic training. There are no shortcuts.

A Revolutionary Method

Lydiard discovered running for sport when he struggled to run five miles with a friend. Forced to confront his own unfitness, he self-experimented with training, including running more than 250 miles in one week. He developed a plan that he felt confident in using with other runners. Central to his method was the importance of training in phases and peaking for major events.According to Lydiard, any successful training program must culminate in a goal race or racing period. This means planning several months. The ideal training schedule is at least 28 weeks: 12 weeks for base conditioning, eight weeks for hill training and speed development, six weeks for sharpening and 10 days for tapering/rest.Phase 1: Base Conditioning/Aerobic Training

This three-month period is the most important in the Lydiard system. If you want to give yourself every opportunity to reach your goal, you must commit to developing your aerobic capacity, says Lydiard. Why? Because although every runner has a limited anaerobic (speed-building) capacity, that limit is largely set by one’s aerobic potential—the body’s ability to use oxygen. Thus, the aerobic capacity that you develop determines the success of your entire training program.

The foundation of Lydiard-style base conditioning is three long runs per week. These are steady runs done at more than recovery effort. To determine your pace, choose a relatively flat course and run out at a strong pace for 15 minutes, then run back. The goal is to return in the same time or slightly faster. If it takes you longer for the return trip, you paced yourself too fast. The objective of these runs is to be “pleasantly tired,” says Lydiard. Running slower will produce positive effects, but the results will take longer. Do not run to the point of lactic-acid buildup.

An ideal training week during this period includes a two-hour run and two one and one half-hour runs. On the other days do short, easy runs; one run with some light picking up of the pace; and one 5K to 10K tempo run (below lactate-threshold pace). Decrease the times and distances if you don’t have the mileage base to start at such high volume, then build gradually.

Phase 2: Hill Training/Speed Development

Lydiard-style hill training, the focus of the first four weeks of this period, involves a circuit that includes bounding uphill, running quickly downhill and sprinting. These workouts develop power, flexibility and good form, all of which produce a more economical running style. Ideally, you should find a hill with three parts: a flat 200- to 400-meter area at the base for sprints, a 200- to 300-meter rise for bounding and a recovery area or moderate downhill segment at the top. Alternatively you can work out on a treadmill with an adjustable incline.

After a warm-up, bound uphill with hips forward and knees high. Lydiard describes the stride as “springing with a bouncing action and slow forward progression.” If you can’t make it all the way up, jog, then continue bounding. At the top jog easily for about three minutes or run down a slight incline with a fast, relaxed stride. Then return to the base of the hill for the next bounding segment. Every 15 minutes (after about every third or fourth hill), intersperse several 50- to 400-meter sprints on flat ground. These sprints mark the end of one complete circuit. Lydiard recommends a total workout time of one hour (plus warm-up and cool-down). Do this hill circuit three days per week.

On three of the four remaining days, focus on developing leg speed. Lydiard suggests 10 repetitions of 120 to 150 meters over a flat or very slight downhill surface. Warm up and cool down thoroughly.) The seventh day is a one and one-half to two-hour steady-state run.

During the second four weeks, shift from hills to traditional track workouts. The objective here, says Lydiard, is to “finish knowing that you could not do much more nor any better.” This sensation of fatigue matters less than how many intervals you do at what speeds, though the workout should total about three miles of fast running. Perform these track sessions three times per week. Use the remaining four days for a long run, leg-speed work and sprint-training drills traditionally done by sprinters to develop strength, form and speed.

Phase 3: Sharpening

How many times have you died in the last half of your race? Or alternatively, finished with too much left? Sharpening allows you to test for your strengths and weaknesses as you prepare for your goal race. Three workouts do not vary. The first is the long run, done at a relaxed pace. The second is an anaerobic training session done at a greater intensity and lower volume. Lydiard suggests five laps of a 400-meter track (about seven to eight minutes of running) alternating 50 meters of sprinting and 50 meters of easy, but strong, running.

The third consistent workout is a weekly time trial at or below the distance for which you are training. A 10K runner would do a 5K to 10K trial; a 1,500 meter runner would do 1,200 to meters. Ideally, do this workout on a track and record every lap to determine your weaknesses, and work on them throughout the rest of that week and the following week. For example, if the second half of your trial is slower than the first half, run a longer tune-up race that week and a longer time trial the next week. If the pace felt difficult but you were able to maintain it pretty evenly, work on your leg speed.

Round out your training week with a sprint-training session, a pace judgment day (4 x 400 meters at goal race pace), a leg-speed workout and a tune-up race. All these workouts should be geared to your goal distance and pace.

Phase 4: Tapering and Rest

Lydiard calls the final 10 days before goal race “freshening up.” This involves lightening your training to build up your physical and mental reserves for the target competition. Train every day but keep the faster running low in volume and the longer runs light in effort.

Unquestionably, Lydiard’s program tests your commitment and desire, and it requires a solid understanding of your individual needs. If you are serious, start counting out those 28 weeks.

Christine Junkermann has a 10K PR of 33:34 and lives in Woodbridge, CT. She recommends Run the Lydiard Way and Running With Lydiard, both by Arthur Lydiard with Garth Gilmour, for more information on the Lydiard method.