On Sunday 15th July I ran the inaugural Hamsterley Forest 10k. I wasn’t planning to run it particularly fast, being only a few weeks after completing an ultra-marathon and currently building my training back up again, which is a good job as the course was a bit of a killer! Loads of hills and mixed-terrain, but I still managed 8th place and less than 4 mins outside my PB from a flatter course.
The impact of the race was evident during the week as I trained, with stiff and sore legs for a few days later. I run twice on a Tuesday, an early morning easy run then an evening training session (could be hills, interval training, track, etc.) at Gateshead Harriers. On Wednesday I do my own run from home, which is a longer run with hard mile intervals thrown in. Normally I train again at the Harriers on a Thursday, but I had managed to get hold of a last minute highly-prized number from a club colleague for the Northumberland Coastal Run, so felt that I needed an easy run and a couple of days rest/recovery before the race.
The impact of the race was evident during the week as I trained, with stiff and sore legs for a few days later. I run twice on a Tuesday, an early morning easy run then an evening training session (could be hills, interval training, track, etc.) at Gateshead Harriers. On Wednesday I do my own run from home, which is a longer run with hard mile intervals thrown in. Normally I train again at the Harriers on a Thursday, but I had managed to get hold of a last minute highly-prized number from a club colleague for the Northumberland Coastal Run, so felt that I needed an easy run and a couple of days rest/recovery before the race.
The race itself is a breathtakingly scenic affair, beginning on the beach at Beadnell, winding its way along the coastal trails and roads roughly 13+ miles later to finish on the beach at Alnmouth. It is also a very tough course – running on sand and weaving your way through the dunes is not something I do well! I’m also not at the top of my game yet. However, I finished inside the top 40 and in approx. an hour and a half.
This week I have managed a total of 39 miles, which is some way short of my target of 70+ miles per week in the build up to the GNR and the New York Marathon. I will be looking to add a total of 5-8 miles across my various runs next week.
Also this week, I watched the Panorama programme that set out to challenge the claims of various sports drink, shoes and supplement manufacturers. Personally I felt the programme was one-sided and just as misleading as any dodgy manufacturer’s claim. Proudly dismissing sports drinks because they are no use to assisting moderate or low exercise is missing the point somewhat. Asking a scientist how Powerade Zero would give you energy, when the product is clearly designed for hydration, is disgraceful. Also, as much as a jam sandwich will provide the same energy as a gel, I don’t want to be choking on a mouthful of bread at mile 20 of 26.2.
Having said all of that, there were some important points that any beginners planning on running the GNR, or any distance race, should take on board.
1) Energy drinks during training are NOT necessary, unless you are training for more than an hour. Personally I do not carry any drinks, etc on any training run, unless it is unusually warm or I am training for more than 1:30. On my very longest runs prior to the ultra (four hours+) I had 800ml of energy drink and two energy gels. During races, I will only take on extra energy or fluids in distances of a half-marathon or longer – during the marathon I have three energy gels and a couple of drinks on the entire course, during the half I will only have an energy gel at halfway and usually nothing more. Seeing people line up on a 5k start-line with fistfuls of gels, etc is ludicrous.
2) Please, please, please DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR SHOES AND GO BAREFOOT!!! There has been an explosion in recent years in barefoot or nearly barefoot running, powered by the success of the Born to Run book. What you wear on your feet has minimal effect in comparison to your running form. Randomly going barefoot after years of wearing shoes will probably cause injury. Unless you have excellent form already or have the time and patience to completely re-invent your running form from scratch, I would advise giving this craze a miss.
3) After heavy sessions and long runs I will take on a protein-recovery drink. This is for convenience (I don’t always have a steak dinner ready when I finish training) and because, entirely anecdotally, it works for me. Since I started taking protein recovery drinks I have felt better prepared to train again the following day.
As with everything in running, what works for others is not necessarily what will work for you.
This week I have managed a total of 39 miles, which is some way short of my target of 70+ miles per week in the build up to the GNR and the New York Marathon. I will be looking to add a total of 5-8 miles across my various runs next week.
Also this week, I watched the Panorama programme that set out to challenge the claims of various sports drink, shoes and supplement manufacturers. Personally I felt the programme was one-sided and just as misleading as any dodgy manufacturer’s claim. Proudly dismissing sports drinks because they are no use to assisting moderate or low exercise is missing the point somewhat. Asking a scientist how Powerade Zero would give you energy, when the product is clearly designed for hydration, is disgraceful. Also, as much as a jam sandwich will provide the same energy as a gel, I don’t want to be choking on a mouthful of bread at mile 20 of 26.2.
Having said all of that, there were some important points that any beginners planning on running the GNR, or any distance race, should take on board.
1) Energy drinks during training are NOT necessary, unless you are training for more than an hour. Personally I do not carry any drinks, etc on any training run, unless it is unusually warm or I am training for more than 1:30. On my very longest runs prior to the ultra (four hours+) I had 800ml of energy drink and two energy gels. During races, I will only take on extra energy or fluids in distances of a half-marathon or longer – during the marathon I have three energy gels and a couple of drinks on the entire course, during the half I will only have an energy gel at halfway and usually nothing more. Seeing people line up on a 5k start-line with fistfuls of gels, etc is ludicrous.
2) Please, please, please DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR SHOES AND GO BAREFOOT!!! There has been an explosion in recent years in barefoot or nearly barefoot running, powered by the success of the Born to Run book. What you wear on your feet has minimal effect in comparison to your running form. Randomly going barefoot after years of wearing shoes will probably cause injury. Unless you have excellent form already or have the time and patience to completely re-invent your running form from scratch, I would advise giving this craze a miss.
3) After heavy sessions and long runs I will take on a protein-recovery drink. This is for convenience (I don’t always have a steak dinner ready when I finish training) and because, entirely anecdotally, it works for me. Since I started taking protein recovery drinks I have felt better prepared to train again the following day.
As with everything in running, what works for others is not necessarily what will work for you.