Sydney Marathon

You’ve done the training. You’re feeling fit. It’s time to think about your strategy for the big day. Factors such as the type of training, food, recovery, and race day strategies can be the difference between a PB and a PF (personal flop!) What can you do in the two weeks leading up to a race and on the day that will deliver your best running effort yet?

Taper your training:

Tapering training will enable your body to be fully recovered from all those long runs you’ve subjected it to. It gives you a chance to build up important stores such as your iron levels, zinc and white blood count. Do you need any more reasons to cut your training back? Most people jump at the opportunity!

Tapering is dependent on the distance of your race. For a marathon I would suggest halving your total distance/time run for the last two weeks. Doing shorter easy runs, mixed with a few sprints will help with speed, but really it’s just about maintaining what you’ve already got.

For a half marathon, the more prepared you are, the more time you have for tapering. Your last long run should be 8 days before, but if you only decided only three weeks before the race to do it, you may very well need that extra bit of time! You won’t make a huge difference to your fitness in the 8 days leading up to the race, but you run the risk of being tired/injured if you smash yourself so close to it.

For any distances less than a half marathon, give yourself four days off running before the race and you should fresh a daisy on the day.

Get stretching:

Admit it, you don’t stretch enough. What is it with most runners and stretching? It’s about as popular as a cold shower in winter (maybe because it can feel just as painful!). Hamstrings, calves (stretch with both a straight leg and bent), glutes, hip flexors, and lower back are the essentials. Click here for a video on some popular runners stretches. You may prefer to join a yoga or body balance class as this will stretch not only your running muscles but others you never even knew you had.

What to eat and drink before the race:

The ‘last supper’ is an important one. Actually what you eat that entire day could make a difference. Eat sensibly all day, rather than stuffing your face at night. Eat the same amount as you normally would, or slightly more, but don’t be a pig. What goes in must come out, and you don’t need that half way around the course! Don’t try a new meal or something you’ve never eaten. Spicy, rich foods are a no-no, so is salt and high salt meals.

You definitely want carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, cous cous etc) to make up about 80% of your evening meal. If you suspect you might be intolerant of wheat, best to stick with brown rice or potatoes the night before, rather than bread or pasta.

I would suggest adding some iron rich food and protein your evening meal as well. It could be spinach and white meat, but I prefer a small piece of red meat. The protein from the meat will also help in your recovery, but save the big, heavy protein meal for the days after the race.

Some people are camels and can run on a completely empty stomach (like me). I would suggest sticking with what you know on race day, but you may want to have a sugary drink prior if you haven’t eaten since dinner.

Those who need to eat before a run, make sure you leave three hours between your meal and the run and keep it light like a banana, porridge, or toast with jam.

Hydration before the race

Pre-hydration the day before, not just re-hydration after the race is a crucial factor. Each day you need 30ml of water for every kilo you weigh. Then between 500ml- 1litre (depending on body size and race intensity ) for every hour you exercise. If you feel you might be dehydrated, you may want to increase that amount the day before. They say that a normally hydrated person will often need to get up once during the night.  So it’s a good sign if you need to get up the night before your race.

If you are well hydrated before the race, you will need less drink stops, which can help with your race time. You also don’t want to be having big gulps while you run as it can lead to stomach cramps. Besides, they say that once you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated so best to tackle that the day before and just sip at your drink stations.

Sleep

Try to get 7-8 hours each night in the week leading up to the race. Have an early night the night before and do what you can to reduce your jitters so you sleep well. If, however you have a restless night, don’t despair. One night out of seven won’t make that much difference, and I can assure you, I’ve done many a fast run on little sleep!

Race day strategy

Everyone has their own little systems that work, but here are some tips for race day that you might want to consider;

• Don’t change anything! No new shoes, outfits, food, drinks, gadgets, that have not been tried and tested in training. Not even your underpants!
• Get there early – however don’t freeze your butts off: There can be a lot of standing around, so bring an old jumper you don’t mind throwing away, or have your pit crew nearby to toss it to right before the gun. By getting there early, you can relax, enjoy the atmosphere, use the bathroom, and most importantly have a proper warm up and stretch.
• Go to the bathroom before the race: But remember the queues can last up to 45 mins in some of the bigger races.
• Know your race plan: Position yourself in the correct start place so you aren’t elbowing the slow pokes to get past, or getting trampled by the keen beans. Have your watch or heart rate monitor set up to all the correct laps and settings so you can pace yourself. Some races have pacers wearing shirts with their estimated pace time. They can be a really good helping hand but pull away if the pace is different to your norm.
• Enjoy the race! You have trained hard for this, and you are quite possibly the fittest you have ever been. Be in the moment throughout your race, and blow away any negative self talk. Yes you will be hurting, but remain positive in your attitude and watch how much more fun you will have. If you can’t enjoy the race, I promise you will enjoy the feeling of accomplishment afterwards.

Good luck and keep me posted on your results!

One of the most popular articles on this site has been Spinning Classes- 5 reasons why you need to learn to love them. I always get lots of questions about Spin and RPM like “will it make my butt look big?” and “how many calories does it burn?” So I have asked James Sutherland,  an experienced RPM instructor and bike riding nut, to answer a few questions for us.

1. James, what, in your mind are the best benefits of spin or RPM classes?
[James Sutherland] Increasing cardiovascular fitness, is the biggest benefit. Of course along with that is weight loss and increasing overall tone of your body, in a single RPM class you can burn from 400 to 900 calories!

2. One of the biggest questions about spin class or RPM class is ‘Will my butt get big?’ or ‘Will my legs or calves get big?’ What’s your view on this?
[James Sutherland] Take one look at the riders in the tour de France. They spend hours riding a bike every day and there are no big buts there, but plenty of toned bodies. RPM will not give you a big butt but what you eat and drink after RPM might, so you should always avoid the fat crave and replenish your body with plently of fluids and proteins.

3. How many spin or RPM classes maximum would you recommend people do per week?

[James Sutherland] I have always felt that 2-3 is the right amount, but if you can only fit in one that is still great!

4. What are a couple of riding tips for getting the most out of your spin classes, especially as your fitness levels increase?
[James Sutherland] Your first challenge is just to finish, but as time goes on look at trying to work harder each time. It might never get easier but your recovery will get faster. Lots of people use heart rate monitors and try to gradually increase their calories burnt

5. What is your preferred handle bar position? What do you recommend for beginners and advanced spinners?
[James Sutherland] Years ago I read that the best handle bar height was 2 – 5cm below your saddle. In the 25 years I have been riding bikes I have always found this to be true. Although if your riding for first time or if you have lower back trouble, equal to or higher than your saddle if fine. Where you feel comforable, will always be the best place.

6. Any tips for preventing a sore butt?
[James Sutherland] Sit your bum right back in the saddle. The saddle is designed so you sit on you sitting bones, so pushing your butt back a little will help releive pressure. Also remember there are millions of different bottoms but not millions of different shaped saddles, so try a gel seat protector if you can’t get comfy.

7. How many calories does a typical class spin or RPM class burn?
[James Sutherland] Research says about 400 to 900 and I have seen evidence of both ranges. To burn over 800 though you will have to ride hard.

8. Compared to other types of exercise, is RPM or spin a good way to lose weight? [James Sutherland] Its the best way to lose weight! Low impact, fun and effective what more could you want!

9. You are known as one of the best spin/rpm instructors around. What, in your mind is the difference between a good instructor and a great one? What should participants look out for?
[James Sutherland] You should look to be challenged and have experience that takes your mind outside of the confines of the 4 walls that the studio is in. Sure it’s going to hurt, but great things don’t come easy. Most of all you should look to have fun! A great instructor will make you forget about your problems and give you an experience that may just change your life (well for a little bit anyway)

10. You are also an avid cyclist. What kind of riding/racing do you do? Do you think spin classes benefit people who race or ride recreationally? Why?
[James Sutherland] I love all sorts of riding, but most of the racing I do is centred around mountain bikes. I race in longer endurance races and sometimes up to 24 hours, but also enjoy the shorter cross country format. I have also done a fair amount of bicycle touring before, and have dragged my wife around Tasmania. I think there are many benefits to RPM, particularly the intense interval format that the class has, this format helps to increase cardiovascular fitness and strength and because you are inside no problems with the weather.

If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment and have your question answered!

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The Psychology of Fat Loss: Part 1 of 3

Editors Note:

Did you know we have just experienced our hottest decade on record? While many of us love the heat, training in hot and humid conditions can have serious repercussions. What are the effects of training in the heat and what are the signs and symptoms of heat illnesses??

Anyone exercising in hot conditions are prone to heat illnesses. Conditions such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion are common, especially if you are unfamiliar with the warning signs. The key to avoiding them? Recognise the symptoms and follow the basic guidelines!

What are the main types of heat illnesses?

Heat cramps: are severe cramps often felt in the legs and or abdomen during prolonged exercise. They are the least severe of the three heat illnesses and are usually caused by imbalances or deficiencies in your body’s electrolyte stores resulting from heavy sweating. When sodium in particular falls to a certain level the incidents of heat cramps increase. To treat; rest quietly in the shade and drink plenty of fluids which contain electrolytes. Use cool towels to cool the skin, and gently massage the cramping muscle. Hold the cramp in a stretched position until the pain stops. If the pain doesn’t subside within an hour seek medical advice. As well as following the basic guidelines to preventing heat illness you can also avoid heat cramps by stretching regularly before and after exercise in particular the calf, hamstring and quadriceps muscles.

Heat exhaustion: is more serious and is again caused from not replacing lost fluids during prolonged exercise, which can result in dizziness and weakness. Heat exhaustion is characterized by a moderate rise in body temperature, nausea, vomiting and headaches. You might also experience lack of coordination, heat cramps, heavier than usual sweating, accompanied by moist and cold skin. Your heart rate may rise and you won’t be able to run as fast due to fatigue.

If you experience any of these symptoms whilst training this summer stop running immediately. Drink fluids containing electrolytes, cool your body with wet towels, lie down, elevate your feet a few inches above your heart, and immediately get out of the sun. Since heat exhaustion can lead to the most severe form of heat-related illness, heat stroke; seeking prompt medical attention for heat exhaustion is also highly recommended. More severely exhausted patients may need IV fluids, especially if vomiting keeps them from drinking enough.

Heat stroke: is the most severe heat illness and unlike heat exhaustion, can strike suddenly and with very little warning. Usually the body is able to cool itself effectively though sweating, but when exercising in hot humid conditions the body’s cooling system can fail, resulting in heat stroke. If you become dehydrated, the body can no longer provide the water required to sweat, as a result the skin feels dry to touch as sweating depletes and causes the body to rapidly overheat. High humidity can also prevent sweat from evaporating, again reducing the bodies ability to cool. Blood vessels dilate, making the skin red and gradually the raised body temperature will affect the nervous system and hence produce slurred speech, confusion and disorientation.

Heat stroke can be life threatening so knowing the symptoms are crucial so you can look after yourself and others when training in the heat.

Signs of heat stroke include a body temperature of around 40 degrees, hot, dry skin, lack of sweating, fast pulse, confusion, and possible loss of consciousness, fatigue and hallucinations. If left untreated Heat stoke can lead to seizures, comas or can even be fatal. Therefore victims of heat stroke must receive immediate treatment to avoid permanent possible damage to internal organs and systems.

To treat call the emergency services and cool the body immediately. Position yourself in the shade and remove as much clothing as possible. Apply cool or tepid water to the skin, and if possible submerge yourself in a pool or have a shower. Fan the victim to promote sweating and evaporation, and place ice packs under armpits and groins. Monitor body temperature with a thermometer and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 38.3-38.8°C.

10 Tips for preventing heat related illnesses

The Good News? Heat illness’s are easier to prevent than to treat so when you’re out training keep in mind these simple guidelines!

1. Pre-Hydrate: By the time you are thirsty you are already dehydrated so be sure to take on board plenty of fluid prior, during and post exercise which contain electrolytes. Drink often and be sure to replace fluid lost though sweating. Monitor the colour of your urine to make sure you are still hydrated. 2 liters of fluid can be lost in sweat every hour in a hot environment, so unless you are drinking water at the same rate, you will dehydrate and then stop sweating.
2. Train early/late: Avoid intense exercise during the hottest time of day; train closer to sunrise or sunset.
3. Lower Intensity: Think about reducing the intensity or duration of your exercise in hot conditions
4. Buddy-up: Train with a buddy where possible. (They may pick up symptoms quicker!)
5. Dress Cool: Wear light, loose clothing so sweat can evaporate. Better yet, invest in some clothes that wick. My favorite is the climacool garments from addidas. Addidas can be a bit on the pricey side so try other brands such as New Balance which have a cheaper range.
6. Slip Slop Slap: Use sunscreen to prevent sunburn and wear a cap if you can– protect your head!
7. Listen to your body: If you feel your exercise performance is suffering, stop activity and try to cool off.
8. No Diuretics: Sorry no alcohol or beverages with caffeine before exercise because they increase the rate of dehydration!
9. Acclimatize: Get used to hotter climates slowly
10. Look out for symptoms: If any symptoms of heat illness appear, stop exercise immediately so they don’t worsen. Remember, it is easier to prevent heat illness than to treat it once symptoms develop. Look out for signs such as confusion, irritability, fatigue, light headiness, chills and in coordination.

After reading these guidelines, carefully consider how the heat will affect you and your training especially if you are likely to take part in prolonged activity in the sun. Be sure to look after those bodies and enjoy training outdoors. Do you have any heat illness stories or remedies to share?

Editors Note: This post is written by Lisa Spooner, aspiring trainer and one of the fittest Brits in Australia! Running mad and aiming to do her first marathon in 2010.

Recently I ran the Melbourne Marathon. I had the most incredible weekend, not just because I scored a PB of 3hr 16min but because I shared the experience with my new training buddy Michelle Bridges. Although we’ve been friends for many years, becoming training buddies was quite left field.

Mish and I had a long lunch one day, and after a few cheeky wines, she started heckling me about running marathons. “Put your money where your mouth is girlfriend!” I said. “You think you’re pretty fit? Lets see you run 42km..! In fact come and run 22km on Sunday with me and the STaRs. That’ll sort you out!” The conversation continued along that path for quite some time until other patrons were clearly disturbed by our rowdy behaviour.  I got a sheepish phone call the next day asking if she really had to come running at 6am on Sunday? I insisted that she join us and thank God she did!

What is a training buddy?

Most people think of a training buddy as someone that you actually train with, but this isn’t always the case. A true training buddy is anyone who is committed to your journey to the same degree (sometimes even greater) than you are. This could be a running partner but it could also be a family member, a trainer, your twitter followers, or a website forum buddy. Many people think their training buddy should be fitter or more experienced than them, but I argue that it can be even more fulfilling to mentor a newby who will gain so much from your experience.

The best training buddies:

• Need you just as much as you need them
• Are reliable
• Always encouraging
• There for support when you need it
• Tell you to harden up when you are wimping out (in a caring way of course!)
• Assist you with programming and advice
• Competitive but in a healthy, sportsman-like way
• Hold you accountable for your sessions
• Make workouts much more enjoyable

How to get the most out of each other:

Woody Allen once summed it up saying “eighty percent of success is showing up.” For exercise this is also true. One of the biggest benefits of your training buddy is committing to your training sessions. If you tell someone you are going to do it, then you really have to do it. Whether they are physically with you or not, if you’ve committed to your sessions that week, you don’t want to let them down. Besides commitment training buddies should also;

• Hold each other accountable for training sessions
• Phone/email/text after each training session. Not only will you try harder knowing you are relaying your workout, but it will inspire them to get up and do the same.
• Send motivating/educational material over when you stumble across it.
• Don’t let injuries/illnesses affect the relationship, you can still assist each other, even on the bench
• Be training for the same or a similar event.

How to find your training buddy

If you belong to a gym or a running group you are already halfway there. I am sure many of the people you chat to at the various events would make perfect training buddies. Start by swapping email addresses or phone numbers, drop them a line a few days before a session to see if they are coming, send them some interesting running info such as websites or articles. If you both sign up for a similar event, get busy getting involved in each other’s training. Before you know it, you have ‘buddied-up’ and are well on the way to receiving the benefits that follow. Fitness level, age, gender, all that jazz can be thrown out the window. Are you both keen? Do you get on well? Who cares if you aren’t actually running together, you can still support each other! Twitter is a great medium for this. When I ran Boston Marathon on my own last April, I searched “Boston Marathon” in twitter and started following lots of people who were tweeting about it. I got so much support and help that way.

Michelle and I buddy up for Melbourne Marathon

After two Sunday’s with my running group the Sydney Striders, one 22km (13.7mi) and one 30km (18.6mi), Mish had been bitten by the striders bug. I double checked she wanted to run the marathon. Yes. We shook on it. Melbourne here we come. With only 6 weeks to prepare, it was straight into the heavy stuff. I set Mish a training program of 80kms (50mi) per week broken up into one sprint session at the oval, one 30km run, and various other tempo sessions. Usually my marathon programs start 16 weeks out so it was pretty heavy going on both of us at first.

The only time we trained together was the Sunday runs, the rest of the time we trained alone but would be calling or texting most days. I remember one morning when I was seriously thinking of ditching my sprint session, then I received a funny text from Mish, something along the lines of “Faaarrrrk those sprints. I’ve coughed up a lung! I can’t believe you’ve made me do this – but I love it!” How could I have slept in? So off I went to cough up the other lung and hold up my end of the bargain!

We had our moments, never with each other but certainly with training. Mish missed an all important ½ marathon one day, miscalculating the traffic. I completely forgot about daylight saving and left her high and dry (actually wet) on our last (rainy) 30ks before Melbourne. We had dust storms and bad weather, Celebrity Masterchef and all sorts of distractions but with the support of each other, we remained focussed on the race. The beauty of the Sydney Striders is that when one buddy can’t be around, there are others to lean on.

When it came to marathon weekend that’s when a buddy really comes in handy. From carb loading to laying out our clothes. From bib collection to bag drop off, having a buddy to help navigate the complexities of race day is very comforting. The only thing we weren’t able to help each other with was attempting to walk down stairs after the race. There were no pillars of strength when it came to tackling those stairs! Before the race, Mish said she only ever wanted to do one marathon, but since then she tells me she has actually been missing her Sunday runs and all the great (she may have said insane) people who make up the Sydney Striders.

So for anyone out there who suffers from the dreaded de-motivation virus, inject some fun back into your workouts by finding yourself a training buddy. Who knows what they’ll inspire you to do or could it be the other way around!

Do you have any good training buddy stories? Have you ever mentored anyone?

Editors Note: This post is written by our elite performance specialist

The well known “30 minutes a day” exercise guidelines were released back in 1995. These guidelines have recently been updated and new guidelines for physical activity  were released by the ACSM.

The ACSM is the American College of Sports Medicine. It is the peak body for sports medicine in the world and is the  largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world with more than 20,000 members.

The new guidelines for health adults under 65 years are:

• The basic recommendations are:
• Do 30 mins 5 days a week of  MODERATE intensity cardio or
• Do 20 minutes a day of VIGOROUS intensity cardio, and
• Complete STRENGTH training twice per week

Quite an update- and keep in mind these are the minimum  levels recommended for an average adult to  maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease. If your goal is weight loss then they expand these basic levels out to 60-90 minutes of activity per day.

Definitions:

Moderate intensity- this is hard enough to raise a sweat and increase your hear rate but you can still talk. As a guide your hear rate would be 100-130 bpm

Vigorous intensity -  this is an intense cardio session. Your hear rate would be higher than a moderate session and you could NOT hold a conversation. As a general guide your heart rate would be 140 bpm plus.

Strength training - the ACSM  defines as 8-10 different exercises with 8-12 repetitions completed of each.

Changes to the 1995 guidelines:

1. Moderate intensity exercise has been clarified to set a recommended minimum- ie 5 days per week.
2. Vigorous exercise has been specifically incorporated as crucial
3. The light  daily activities of routine life are not intense enough
4. More is better- the fact is emphasised that these are the minimum levels. Exceeding the minimum levels further reduces the risk of chronic disease and improves health. There is a clear dose – response relationship.
5. Strength training is now included and recommended to be completed twice per week as a minimum.

Tips to meet these guidelines:

• Short bouts - You can accumulate 30 mins in short bouts
• Mix it up – combine moderate and vigorous intensity into the one cardio session. Eg you can walk and jog together in one session or walk and climb hills or stairs to increase  the intensity
• Get organised – Set a schedule to set aside a specific day and time to exercise each week.
• A gym is not a necessity- all they suggest you need is a good quality pair of shoes, a plan, some guidance and motivation!
• Get the whole family involved- parents, spouse, kids and friends can all make good exercise partners.
• Variety - Higher intensity physical activity can be accumulated through a variety of activities- do not fall into the trap of thinking you have to run to get your heart rate up. Think outside the trap of the boring “I have to go for a jog.”

As an exercise coach I am happy to see the levels of intensity be specified very clearly as well as the introduction of a strength training recommendation. I believe most people live their lives in 1st or 2nd gear to use a car analogy. You need to get your engine into 3^rd, 4^th or 5^th gear occasionally too. Your body uses different energy systems and different chemical processes at different intensities and all should be used across a week.

I am very strict with all my clients to get some strength training in their week. I have seen some great results from strength training on a variety of clients from teenagers to several clients in their 70’s and 80’s. strength is crucial at all stages of life. It leads to good posture, stability and  independence as we age as well as stimulate healthy lean body mass and tissue for many positive health benefits.

So what does this mean for the average person?

Most people I consult with or talk to are active – vey few people are not aware of the health benefits of regular activity BUT these new recommendations define clearly WHAT  and well as HOW OFTEN we should be active. The minimum is 5 days per week up from 3 days and the type and intensity of the activity have  also been specified. What will surprise some people who go for a brisk half hour walk three times per week is they are NOT meeting the MINIMUM levels of exercise.

How many people do you know who meet the minimum requirements?

This post is written by our elite performance specialist Andrew Verdon. Andrew has completed a Diploma in Exercise Science, Certificate IV in Fitness, Level 1 Strength Coaching Qualifications with ASCA. Should you have any questions for Andrew, please direct them to the ‘Ask Me’ section of www.ameliaburton.com.au

What’s your training program like? Do you focus on increasing your miles each week, maybe a bit of speed work here and there, and of course a token stretch at the end of each session? Well hats off to you because unlike 85% of the population at least you are doing something! But whether you are an amateur runner or a competitive athlete, adding a resistance session each week might just be the thing you need to take your further, faster and with fewer injuries.  This article looks at the reasoning behind resistance training for runners and identifies the top resistance training exercises all runners should do.

What is Resistance training for distance running?

Conventionally we think of resistance training as weights machines, dumbbells, slow movements and heavy weights (with lots of grunting).  Resistance training for runners is quite different. It’s about loading the muscles in a manner that replicates running to improve their strength power, endurance and most importantly coordination. It’s about identifying the weaker muscles in the body and developing them to prevent injury. It is NOT about building unnecessary bulk or damaging already fatigued tissue and I must stress that incorrect resistance training can tighten you up and slow you down.

What purpose does it serve?

There are four key areas that resistance training will help you with: Speed, muscular endurance, efficiency of running technique, and injury prevention.

• Increase strength of your prime movers for speed and distance: The stronger your quads, glutes and hamstrings are the faster your will go and the longer you will be able to maintain your pace. Obviously nothing beats running to strengthen these,  but resistance work involving sprints, uphill and downhill running improve their strength much faster.
• Prevents injury by Increase strength of your stabilisers: Your prime movers can only work as hard as your stabilisers will allow. It doesn’t matter how strong/fit you are, if you have poor hip knee and ankle stability, you will never reach your full potential in both speed and endurance.
• Increase coordination: Similar to stability, the faster you fatigue the sooner your coordination goes. Look at a distance athlete and how smooth their running style is. That is good coordination. All muscles, tendons, ligaments and joint actions are working in smooth unison to create effortless strides. The more fatigued you get the worse these actions interrelate creating a less economical stride which slows you down and increases your chance of injury.
• Increase stride length: As you fatigue, your stride naturally shortens, your muscles tighten and you slow down. By increasing your stride length (within reason) you can maintain a faster pace and waste less energy through excessive foot strikes.

Two Training Programs for Runners

Click here for a printable program you can take to the park/oval for your resistance session. Ideally you will need a stop watch and a skipping rope, but exercises can be performed without them.

Click here for a printable program for Core Stability and VMO/Glute Activation. You will need a swiss ball and leg extension machine for these.

The below animations will help you understand the exercises in the programs. Familiarize yourself with these exercises before printing out your workout sheets:

Skipping/Hopping

Bounding

Jumping on/off step

Plyometric Lunges

Burpees

1. Start in a standing position and bend your knees and place your hands on the ground.
2. Extend your legs back into a push up position. Bring your knees back in towards chest and explosively jump in the air.
3. This should be a continuous motion and be fluid.

Walking Lunges (Hand weights optional)

Single Leg Squat (Try not to hold on and I prefer foot to balance in air not across other leg)

What are the best muscle balancing exercises for injury prone runners?

Leg Extension: from 15-30degrees, toes turned out slightly, focusing on VMO activation. Light weight. 3 x 15-20 reps.

Lunges: Focus on the VMO of the front leg and glutes of the front leg. Keep your knees tracking straight and don’t let them internally rotate as you lower.

Core Stability exercises: Click here for a printable program

1. Alternating Single Leg Bridge

3 x 15 reps

2.Double Leg Pike:

2 x 2 min

3. Alternate Arm Swings and Single Leg Raises

3 x 15 reps

4. Side Raises on Ball

3 x 12 each side

Click here for Printable resistance program. Click here for printable Core and VMO/Glute activation program

For more detailed core stability exercises,  click on my core stability four part series linked here.

• Core Stability Part 1- A Remedy For Back Pain
• Core Stability Part 2: The spinal neutral test
• Core Stability Part 3: Challenging your core muscles
• Core Stability Part 4: Functional Exercises -the plank and its wacky variations
• Abdominal Exercises: Exercise Your Oblique Muscles to Get Rid of the Love Handles

Have you got any other Resistance training exercises that would be good for runners? Link to them in your comments below.

Some recent research has further emphasised the need for a proper cool down after intense exercise. Japanese researchers looked at the effect of  light activity after an intense exercise session on rugby players. While they found it difficult to validate the of  impact any physical recovery on the players they did find the recovery work acted as a mood booster and left the players with a positive feeling afterwards.

Why would this happen? I think even though the positive benefits reported were mental there is still a  physical process going on here. I do believe a proper warm/cool down  mentally gives you a chance to “switch” off after an intense engaging workout or session.

Physically the light exercise will enable the waste products  produced (during the chemical processes of energy creation) to be removed more effectively and will flood the blood supply (including the brain) with freshly oxygenated blood.

So what is intense exercise? A very broad definition I would use is anything that gets your heart rate over around 140 bpm in a session or activity (eg a run or sports game)  or takes you to a feeling of hard exertion say over 7.5/10 if you were to score it subjectively (eg a weight session). If you do either of these invest 5 -10 minutes to warm down. I tell my athletes if they do not have time to warm down then they do not have time to “squeeze” in a training session – it’s crucial!

So make sure you include around 5 minutes of light activity (under 120 bpm) at the end of a session. This may be a walk or cycle or even a swim.

This post is written by our elite performance specialist Andrew Verdon. Andrew has completed a Diploma in Exercise Science, Certificate IV in Fitness, Level 1 Strength Coaching Qualifications with ASCA. Should you have any questions for Andrew, please direct them to the Ask Me section of www.ameliaburton.com.au

Many people who have a dream of running a marathon push it to one side because they are filled with the fear that it’s too much training, they don’t have the time, or they aren’t fit/strong enough. Well I am here to dispel that fear by showing you in the simplest way possible a training program for anyone who can currently run 10km without stopping. If you are an experienced marathoner wanting to run a PB (personal best) then this program may not be detailed enough for you. But if you are a first time marathoner, or an amateur, then this program is exactly what you need to get fit enough to complete 42.2km.

The five ingredients for a successful marathon training program

1. The 10% rule: A good friend of mine David (who leads the Kirribilli runners) once taught me the golden rule of marathon training; only increase your miles/km 10% per week. This reduces the chance of injury and allows your body the time to acclimatise to the extra running.

2. One long run every week: As soon as you start running one long run per week, your body will become so much stronger. 30km (18.6 mi) is the magic distance. Once you can run this, you can run a marathon. The more long run’s you get in leading up to the race, the stronger you will finish.

3. Stretch: I will say this once: If you don’t stretch your entire body properly and deeply, you WILL get injured. I hate stretching after a run because I am tired, hungry, hot, thirsty, so I do what one would call a pseudo stretch (aka a pathetic attempt to stretch). It certainly isn’t good enough, therefore I go to a semi-private pilates class twice per week. Yoga is also incredible for runners. Pilates should be a reformer class focussing on flexibility. Try before you buy because some pilates studio’s don’t put enough emphasis on stretching. If you want to cut costs, buy a yoga DVD and follow that twice per week.  Whatever it takes pleeease stretch, and not just a pseudo stretch!

4. Speed sessions: Not all your training runs will be long runs, in fact you will see that short speed sessions are part of your program. They will get you running faster and strengthen all your running muscles which helps cope with the longer distances.

5.  Join a running group: This will not only improve the quality of your training but it adds an essential fun, social aspect to running. I do a long run with the Sydney Striders every Sunday, and they put on a breakfast spread afterwards. I look forward to this run as much as I look forward to my Friday night pub crawls (well almost as much!). Google ‘running groups’ in your local area and find out the fitness levels catered for. If you are Sydney based, the Sydney Striders and the Kirribilli runners are fantastic running groups. They are also great for running visitors who want to see more of Sydney on foot.

The 16 week training plan in Kilometres

Click here to view a larger, printable version of this program.

The 16 week training plan in Miles

Click here to view a larger, printable version of this program.

Training notes:

• Shorter distances are to be trained at a faster pace. Use Mc Millans calculator to determine your pace.
• For longer distances do not worry about your speed at first, just get through the distances at a steady pace. It is about how long you run for, not how fast.
• Pick one short run per week to be a bit of a time trial. Record your times each week and monitor the improvements. Don’t be alarmed if they don’t improve quickly, you won’t necessarily get much faster training for a marathon, but boy will you get fitter!
• Fit in a second stretch workout somewhere in that program. I’d be tempted to do it on your shortest distance day, that way you have Saturdays off completely.

Training tools

• Heart rate monitor with GPS: These can be expensive (around AU$400) but I wouldn’t train without one. Garmin 405 is by far my favourite. The Polar GPS is second in line.
• Map my Run: If you don’t want to fork out money for a gps, use Map My Run to map your routes so you know how far each workout is. It’s not hard and doesn’t take long. Create your own profile so you can save and share your runs.
• McMillans Calculator: This is an awesome tool where you can punch in a time you did for pretty much any distance, and it will tell you how fast you should be running for other distances. You can read more on McMillans if you want. Minutes per Kilometre are the units we use, and that is what your heart rate monitor with GPS will use too. It’s runners speak, you’ll see!
• Beep test: Or any running fitness test really. I suggest you do one at the start of your training so you know how much you have improved. Always record your heart rate at the very end and exactly 60 seconds after you finish. Sometimes fitness shows itself in the rapid recovery time more so than the test itself.

It’s as simple as that! Follow the training program but ultimately listen to your body. Occasionally you will need to skip a workout, and that’s better than having a slow, frustrating run. If you feel you need more guidance, you can use a marathon training coach to give you a specialised program.

What is cross training?

You can read the dictionary definition of cross training, however, I like to call it the ultimate ‘Smash-em-up’ session! You know those days when you’ve got pent up stress, or you are feeling down, they are the best days to get into that gym (or lounge room) and go NUTS! Crank up the music, don’t worry what other people may think (security may be called) because when cross training you do whatever it takes to get your heart leaping out of your chest, and sometimes that means going crazy!!

Cross training is the combining of different exercises for different parts of the body that will improve strength, agility, fitness, and power. It usually involves big compound movements where multiple joints are working at once which elevates the heart rate giving the person a cardiovascular and strength workout at the same time. Explosive movements, such as jumping, build strength and fitness at the same time which is the ultimate aim.

Who should cross train?

Anyone who wants a body that is lean, muscular, well proportioned, but not overly pronounced. If you imagine on one end of the spectrum a marathon runner, and on the other a bodybuilder, a cross trainer’s body will fall right in the middle.

People requiring explosive movements for sport or work benefit greatly from cross training, and the general population who have limited time to exercise and need to kill two birds with one stone (ie lose weight and tone up).

Who should-not cross train?

• Beginners
• People looking for a lot of muscle bulk,
• people with back/neck/knee issues,
• pregnant women,
• elderly,
• if you are really inflexible be careful not to injure yourself by going beyond your range of motion

How to create your own cross training workout for your total body

Pick 6 strength training exercises, 2 x leg, 1 x back, 1 x chest, 1x shoulder and either a bicep or triceps exercise. Pick 3 plyometric exercises. Create three different circuits of three exercises as follows:

#1: 2 x leg + 1 plyometric: Repeated for 3 sets (no rest between sets)

60sec break

#2: Back, Chest + 1 plyometric: repeated for 3 sets (no rest between sets)

60sec break

#3: Shoulder and arm + 1 plyometric repeated for 3 sets (no rest between sets)

60sec break

#4 Cool-down: Abs and stretch.

Tips for the exercises you choose:

• Must be compound, ie more than one joint is moving. For example bicep curls are isolated (only your elbow moves) so you’d have to add something in such as squats while you curl.
• Body-weight exercises are best, such as push-ups, chin-ups, reverse pull-ups, dips, swiss ball work.
• Use a heart rate monitor and set a lower limit so it beeps if your heart drops below 65% maximum.
• If your heart rate drops too low, jog on spot, skip or do whatever you can to lift it up, then continue.
• Strength exercises may be performed a bit faster than a normal weights session to keep heart rate up.

Example workout

Click here for a larger, printable version of the workout below:

Signs of a good workout

• The pool of sweat on the floor
• Your heart rate stayed above 65% the whole time
• You have shaky muscles which are sore the next day
• You can’t decide if your lungs or limbs are more exhausted

Watch this You Tube Clip for some plyometric ideas (I think these guys are wannabe break dancers!)

Your 5 day weekly plan

Depending on your body type, structure your weekly workouts as follows:

• For emphasis on weight loss;

Day 1: Run

Day2: Cross train

Day 3: Run

Day 4: Cross train

Day 5: Rest

Day 6: Yoga/pilates/stretch

Day 7: Rest

• For emphasis on Muscle growth

Day 1: Cross train

Day 2: Legs (weights)

Day 3: Cross Train

Day 4: Upper (weights)

Day 5: Rest

Day 6: Yoga/pilates/stretch

Day 7: Rest

What to do next…

Print up the above program, make sure you understand all the exercises I have given you. If not, substitute your own exercises that you feel comfortable doing. Click on the Plyometrics link if you need more plyometric suggestions.

Dig up your heart rate monitor. If you don’t have one, just learn how to count your pulse over a 6 second period and add a zero (eg 15 beats in 6 seconds means a HR of 150bpm).

Get to the gym/park/garage/lounge room, clear the space you need, get the equipment you need before you warm up. Crank up your music and off you go! The above workout should take about 40-50mins.

Let me know how you go. Do you have any awesome cross training exercises to share with readers??? Remember, don’t make it complicated, and don’t stop moving!