Weekly Training PDF's Sample by Graeme Hilditch

Welcome to the Enhanced fitFAQs Weekly Training PDFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

THE FITFAQS WEEKLY TRAINING PDF’S

Welcome to the Marathon Welcome to the first of many marathon training PDF’s which you’ll be receiving from fitFAQS every week in the build-up to your Marathon. The fitFAQs weekly training PDF’s have now been running (pardon the pun) for over 5 years and have helped thousands of runners achieve their goal of training for and ultimately finishing a marathon. Your charity has signed you up for these PDF’s to help give you training, nutrition and injury advice throughout your preparations, so that come Race Day you’ll have the confidence that you have done what you can to get into shape to cover the 26.2 miles.

Started Training Yet? If you are one of those people (like many) who have decided to delay your marathon training until now, then these weekly PDF’s will be particularly useful as they will help to keep you on track - without over doing it. Every week, a training PDF will be emailed to you and provide you with some gems of information, including: • • • • • • •

Training tips of the week Nutrition tips of the week Injury Tips of the week Videos of the week Pep talks and words of encouragement Race Day tips Prize giveaways

As if that wasn’t enough, here at fitFAQs towers we have been chatting up some of the major running and fitness brands such as Brooks and Moving Comfort and we’ve managed to coerce a healthy stash of running gear from them for you to win. The first “16 weeks to go” PDF will be sent out to you soon, and although every PDF is most relevant at the beginning of every training week, their contents will still give you some good tips even if you do read them a little late.

THE FITFAQS WEEKLY TRAINING PDF’S

fitFAQS are here every step of the way

There is no escaping the fact that training for a marathon is hard work, so along with these weekly training PDF’s, fitFAQs are proud to offer all charity runners a little extra help as you prepare for what will be one of the most memorable days of your lives. In addition to these enhanced weekly training PDF’s, if you are looking for extra training tips to help make these coming months a little easier, it’ll be well worth your while signing up for exclusive fitFAQs downloads, newsletters and special perks. By signing up on the dedicated Charity subscriber page, not only will you have access to a forever growing selection of downloads and videos but you’ll also be automatically entered into a draw to win a range of prizes such as Brooks Running shoes and Moving Comfort Sports bras. With peace of mind that your details will never be passed onto third parties, you’ve got nothing to lose by clicking here and signing up to the growing family of fitFAQs subscribers. You will receive training-specific newsletters on a range of topics such as how to improve your speed, how to monitor your heart rate during training, race day nutrition and injury prevention. We also promise that you’ll never receive spammy, or non training-specific advice. So, to keep up to date with all the latest training advice, gossip and info on new giveaways, sign up here and we’ll be in touch soon.

THE FITFAQS WEEKLY TRAINING PDF’S

Social Media - Let’s Engage

Although social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have their critics, when it comes to training for an endurance event such as a 10k, half marathon or marathon, engaging and interacting with people on such platforms can be incredibly helpful. fitFAQs have been advising runners for years to use Twitter and Facebook and have found both platforms invaluable to stay in touch with runners and keep them up to date with training advice and also give runners the chance to engage with us. So, if you are about to take your first intrepid steps into the world of long distance running, I strongly suggest you get yourself a Twitter and/or Facebook account and start following us so we can stay in touch.

Twitter To follow fitFAQs on Twitter, all you need to do is sign into Twitter and search for the username @fitFAQs. It really is as easy as that. That said, if that sounds a bit too complicated – just click here. Sign up and say Hi – I’ll see you in there!

Facebook To follow fitFAQs on Facebook, all you need to do is “Like” the fitFAQs facebook page by clicking here and keep an eye on your timeline for updates and training advice and maybe even the chance to win running kit. The digital world is now more interactive than it has ever been – come and join in and see how it can help you with your training. Page 3 of 8 Copyright © 2014 Graeme Hilditch

THE FITFAQS WEEKLY TRAINING PDF’S

Training Considerations - for now! In my book “The Marathon and Half Marathon: A Training Guide” (which I strongly recommend you buy) I suggest that you should be able to run a good 5 or 6 miles before you start the official 16 week training programme. (Training plans can be downloaded for free from fitFAQS by clicking here) If you can’t then don’t worry, but I recommend that you try and get a few good runs in before the programme starts or you’ll always be a little behind on your suggested weekly mileage. At this stage of the training process, don’t get intimidated by the distance you’ll be running in four month’s time but instead just set yourself little goals - one at a time. Why not just set yourself the target of being able to run 3, 4 or 5 miles before the end of the month? If you have to walk every now and again - that’s fine! Over the next few months, you will go through a rollercoaster ride of emotions and at times feel daunted by the task ahead of you. I’d be lying if I said that the training was going to be easy but the three most important things to do to help you get through the training are: • Make running part of your weekly routine • Always run within your means - no-one else’s. • As leading Running Company Brooks says “Run Happy!”

THE FITFAQS WEEKLY TRAINING PDF’S

Prehab - Injury proof yourself When it comes to injury prevention, choosing the right running shoes for your gait is just the first step in safeguarding yourself against injury. Throughout the course of your training, muscular imbalances can create a “pull” on a range of joints and structures such as your pelvis, knee, hip which may well be unaffected in the early stages when your weekly mileage is low, but can start to present themselves as sites of pain and inflammation as your training progresses. Therefore, one of the key elements you need to stay injury free is muscular balance. By ensuring the body is balanced during your running gait (in part helped by good running shoes) you can help to protect yourself from injury and by performing simple “pre-hab” exercises, any muscular imbalances which are caused by tight and or weak muscles can be both identified and treated. Although not the perfect analogy, think of your body like a car. If you create an imbalance within the car, such as loading the boot up with heavy goods, eventually your rear axle is going to start to fatigue under the chronic stress it is being put under for miles and miles on end. All might be well and good for a while, but over time the weight imbalance will lead to driving inefficiency and a weakened or even broken rear axle. Luckily, there are several measures you can take to restore balance in your body and help reduce the chances of muscle niggles etc, so keep following The emphasis of the the weekly PDF’s during your training and we’ll 2014 PDF’s is to help help you stay fit and injury free.

you avoid injury. Got a minor niggle? GET IT SEEN TO”

In the meantime, take some time out everyday to stretch out the major muscles in your legs, especially your calf muscles. These are worked incredibly hard during training and need to be stretched on a regaular basis.

THE FITFAQS WEEKLY TRAINING PDF’S

As helpful as I hope these weekly training PDF’s will prove to be over the next few months, there will be times when you’ll need a little extra help. Whether you have a specific training question, or you’re unsure about what to eat and when/whether a muscle niggle needs to be rested or not, I’m here to help you whenever you need it. As a subscriber to the fitFAQs weekly training PDF’s, you have priority access to the #askgraeme service, guaranteeing that any question you have will be answered the very same day you ask it. If your question can’t be answered in 140 characters, I’ll give you suitable links and advice on where you can find an accurate answer to your question. #askgraeme is proving to be an incredibly useful service for runners all over the world, so when you have a “push to the front of the queue ticket” why not make the most of it?

Signed up for a “practice” race before the big one in 2014 yet? If not, then get to it!!

All you need to do is click this link and ask your question and / or see if your question has already been answered, or you can simply log into Twitter and ask your question with the hashtag #askgraeme. If you are not on twitter and are more familiar with Facebook, then no problem. Just “like” the fitFAQs Facebook page and ask your question. I’ll get it answered as soon as possible!

THE FITFAQS WEEKLY TRAINING PDF’S

You’ll be fine If you’re starting to wonder what you have got yourself in for, don’t worry - because you are certainly not alone. Every year, marathon runners often put the upcoming months of training to the back of their minds until the last possible minute and then panic when they realise that there are only four months to go until they have to run 26.2 miles. All you need to do from now until you receive your first “16 weeks to go” PDF is just head out for a few casual, easy paced jogs, to help ease you into the running mentality. To whet your appetite, take a look at the following video of me talking to Bizzibox about marathon training. It’s not technical - just a brief interview on the marathon as a whole and what you’ve got to look forward to.

THE FITFAQS WEEKLY TRAINING PDF’S

About the Author: Graeme Hilditch is a Celebrity Personal Trainer and leading authority on running. His Book, “The Marathon and Half Marathon: A Training Guide” has already entered its sixth reprint in just 5 years and is the currently the bestselling marathon training book by a British Author having sold over 15,000 copies. Used by BBC Newsreader and Presenter Sophie Raworth for her successful London Marathons in 2012/2013 and describing it as a “ Fantastic book - with everything you need to know to run a marathon at your fingertips” I hope you too will find the book useful and that it helps you with your weeks of upcoming training. Graeme lives in the Cotswolds with his wife Jo, 5 year old daughter Poppy and 3 year old son Jasper.

Books:

16 Weeks to go

“There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work... THERE ARE NO LIMITS.” Michael Phelps

16 Weeks To Go Aim of the week Welcome the first official weekly training PDF. Although it might still be 16 weeks until you line up to take on a 26.2 mile run, I’m afraid to say that this is now the time to start focusing on your training Whatever marathon you are training for, be it London, Edinburgh or the hilly Snowdonia, the next 16 weeks are going to be tough, but hopefully the 16 weekly PDF’s we have designed for you will help to give you some comfort and helpful advice every step of the way. For training this week, I’m not expecting you to put in a hard week of training. Instead, try and use this week to just head out of the front door with the sole purpose of enjoying your first “official” training run. Strap your iPod to your arm, listen to your favourite playlist and don’t over exert yourself or fall victim to the dangers of running in extremes of the heat or cold (depending on what season you are in). By all means, if you already have a decent level of running fitness and you have a fartlek or interval training session scheduled then take it on, but don’t overdo it. This is the start of a long road ahead, so the importance of this week is to get your confidence up and enjoy the sensation of running – without needing to gasp for air or collapse in a heap after your training runs.

Use the services As you would have read in the introductory PDF you were sent a few weeks ago, these enhanced weekly training PDF’s have been provided to you by your charity and come with a range of perks such as gait analysis and advice through twitter. Please do use the services as even the most seemingly irrelevant question may very well help you to either prevent an injury or help you gain maximum enjoyment out of your training. Your training should be enjoyable – and fitFAQs is here to ensure that happens.

16 Weeks To Go Nutrition tip of the week To carb or not to carb? Thanks to a trend of “carbohydrate bashing” books being written from the mid 90’s onwards, the word CARBOHYDRATE fills many a dieter with dread. Do carbs really make me fat? What sort of carbs am I allowed? It goes on! For runners, as a general rule carbs are your friend and the further you run the more carbs you need to help fuel your next run. That’s not to say that you need shovel a barrow load of carbs down for every meal, but as your miles increase you need to make sure you not only eat carbohydrate rich meals, but also eat them a the right time. The best time to eat carbs is in the 2-3 hour window after a training run. This is the time where your body will soak up the carbs like a sponge and store them away in the liver and muscles – and not on your hips. So, if you’re afraid that carbs will stop you fitting into that summer frock (which they won’t provided you eat them in correct quantities) eat your carbs straight after a run to restock them for the next run. Try to avoid falling for the common mistake that just because you have started your marathon training, it means that you should be wolfing down bucket loads of carbohydrates in the form of pasta, potatoes, rice and bread etc. I have had so many runners complain to me over the years perplexed that they have put on weight at the start of their training regime – when they expected to lose a few pounds. Invariably, those people have been getting a little too excited with their carb intake in the early stages of training. Just concentrate on eating a balanced, healthy diet - the carbs will come later.

16 Weeks To Go One for the Ladies Sports bras - the “elephant in the room” of women’s running and fitness apparel but without doubt the most important item exercise clothing a woman can buy. No matter what size or running standard you are, good support whilst you are running is vital for both your running comfort and long term health of the breast tissue. Yet, despite this seemingly obvious fact, according to a survey by a leading sports bra manufacturer, a staggering 68 per cent of women do not wear a sports bra during exercise. This is not only a shocking statistic in itself, but what makes it worse is that it is predicted by leading leisure wear Company Moving Comfort that around 8 out of 10 women who do wear sports bras, are either wearing the wrong size or the bra needs to be replaced. For the breast health of the nation, this statistic must change - and change fast. Running is one of the UK’s most popular ways to keep in shape, with thousands of women pounding the streets and treadmills every day. Without the right supportive bra during exercise, breast tissue can be permanently damaged, so read on if you want to avoid being be a statisitc.

What’s The Big Deal? Wearing a sports bra while working out offers more than just great comfort, it also helps prevent irreversible damage that can lead to “sagging” breast tissue. Women can help minimize this damage by investing in a great fitting, quality sports bra The breast is comprised of connective, fatty tissue attached to the chest wall by fibrous strands called Cooper’s ligaments. There is no internal structure for supporting the breast tissue against gravity and excessive movement beyond this band of fibrous tissue. When the breast is unsupported during activity, the weight of the tissue, coupled with the breast movement, causes the ligament to stretch. This can cause both discomfort and

16 Weeks To Go Finding The Perfect Fit So, ladies, for the long-term health of your breasts, it’s a really good idea to invest in a high-quality sports bra; they might not be the cheapest item of sports clothing out there, but they are certainly worth it in the long term. It gees without saying that a personal fitting from someone who knows what they are talking about is ideal, but if you are a little embarrassed about getting that personal with someone you don’t know, check out this video so you can work it out for yourself.

We Are All Unique Once you have a good idea of what size you are, I’m afraid there’s still a bit of work to do before you can confidently head out for a run or exercise class wearing the right sports bra. There are a range of different sports bras on the market depending on your activity level, body shape and personal preference. So with that in mind, do not be afraid to try on half a dozen bras before you commit to purchasing one. You have to be sure the one you invest in is going to support you and your girls up to three times a week whilst pounding the pavements, so you have to be sure you’ll be comfortable and confident whilst exercising.

To help give you an overview of some of the choices of sports bra out there and how to tell if the fit is right, take a look at this video by leading sports bra manufacturer Moving

16 Weeks To Go Pre-Hab Tip of the week

Take a look at images A and B above. It’s hard to believe that image B was captured less than half a second after image A, yet looking at the runner’s waistline; you’d be forgiven for thinking that they were different people. What you are looking at is a very common biomechanical problem in those new to running, where the glute (bum) muscles are weak and are unable to keep the pelvis stabilised during a running stride. All looks good and balanced in image A, but as soon as the right leg takes the weight of the body in image B the (right hand side) glute muscles are too weak to keep the pelvis upright, resulting in the pelvis to drop to the left. Overtime, this weakness can place stress on the hips, knees and ankles of the right leg causing any number of injuries. If you can, have a friend video you from behind whilst running and see if you notice something similar happening with your pelvis. If you do, keep reading these weekly PDF’s and I’ll give you some exercises to do next week to address the muscular imbalance.

12 Weeks to go

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have notâ&#x20AC;? Lucille Ball

12 Weeks To Go Aim of the week Four weeks down and just twelve to go. A third of the way through and I’m afraid that it is about now that the real work begins. As your weekly mileage starts to grow, so does the size of the task ahead. I have had many heart to hearts with marathon clients over the years about 4 or 5 weeks into training where there is a definite shift in attitude. For many people, especially novice runners, at this stage of preparations, the novelty of training starts to wear off and the weekly challenge of combining work, family life and running is becoming more and more difficult.

Why not sign up to one of the many running forums on the internet such as www. runnersworld.co.uk or www.therunningbug. co.uk

If you are finding the going is starting to get tough, please don’t think you’re alone - there are thousands of runners out there who are feeling exactly the same. Marathon training is a long and gruelling journey and there will be a number of low points along the way, so try and keep your chin up and be positive. It is worth it in the end, so hang on in there.

Getting support from family and friends is vital from now up until race day, so use them as a sounding board and let them help you through the low points. You’ll be fine. As the running company Brooks says - “just Run Happy!” Here, you will meet other people training for the same race and it’s amazing how much better you feel when you realise you’re not the only one feeling down in the dumps. You’ll find so much comfort discussing training with fellow runners that it can give you a real boost and renewed vigour

12 Weeks To Go Injury of the week - Illio-tibial band friction syndrome The “ITB”is a non elastic cord originating from a muscle called the TFL just below the pelvis, to below the outside of the knee. If this band becomes excessively tight, it can cause friction on the outside of the knee and even in the hip joint causing a great deal of discomfort. Pain is usually experienced on the outside of the knee when it is flexed and is sore to touch. (click on image to the right for a short video)

Symptoms • Discomfort on the outside of the knee or hip • A “clicking” sensation on knee flexion on the outside of the knee as the tendon rubs against bone. • Pain in the knee or hip when attempting to walk downstairs and sometimes when sitting down in a low chair. • Sudden onset of pain after several miles into a run.

Causes There are a number of causes for ITB syndrome and it can affect any runner regardless of sex, age or fitness levels. The main causes include: • • • • •

Running on a cambered or uneven surface Upping your running mileage too quickly Increasing the intensity of your runs Incorrect running shoes for your gait Muscular imbalance in the leg muscles

Treatment If you are unfortunate enough to experience the symptoms of ITB syndrome the first thing you must do is follow the RICE protocol, especially with the application of ice to help reduce inflammation. Whilst you are living with the injury and running is not possible, you may find that other forms of aerobic exercise such as swimming, cycling and rowing may be possible to do without pain. If this is the case, substitute your running for one of these to keep your fitness levels up. Take a look at this video for more information on ITB syndrome. It’s clear, informative and one of the better explanations out Page 2 of 4 Copyright © 2014 Graeme Hilditch

12 Weeks To Go Nutrition Tip of the week - Vitamin C The subject of vitamin and mineral supplementation in general is a very contentious issue. Some experts claim they are a “must have” and others dismiss their benefits altogether. There is unlikely to ever be a unanimous decision, so ultimately it is up to you which side of the argument you lie. Vitamin C is perhaps the most popular nutritional supplement and for good reason. Vitamin C plays a vital role in a number of physiological processes including: • Keeping the immune system healthy • The synthesis of collagen (the protein that makes tendons and ligaments) • Helping with the absorption of iron • Its role as an antioxidant - essential for the athlete. The suggested daily requirements of vitamin C are again continuously under debate. Some argue that the amount consumed in our diets is sufficient but others maintain that large doses are needed to help ward off infection, strengthen the immune system and even help to fight cancer. If you had to choose one vitamin supplement to take as part of your endurance training, my tip would be to choose vitamin C. Doses of 1000mg- 2000mg may seem excessive when the recommended daily allowance is just 60mg but evidence suggests that this is the optimum level for a positive effect on your health. Due to the regularity of an endurance runners training, the body’s immune system is depressed slightly after a run. It is for this reason that many top runners are vulnerable to colds and upper respiratory tract infections. By supplementing your diet with vitamin C, your immune system is strengthened helping to ward off any unwanted viruses.

12 Weeks To Go Video of the week When the weather gets bad, training inside on a treadmill often seems like a very good idea. Although, you should not rely on the treadmill as a platform for all your training runs, I’m actually a big fan of them every now and again when you’re training for an endurance event. The soft “runway” and the ease at which you can alter your training intensity can actually be a very effective way of training - particularly for hill and interval training. Of course, it can never replace the road where you should be doing the overwhelming majority of your training, but every once in a while the treadmill serves a purpose. They are not without their dangers though. A belt speeding along at 7-8 mph might not sound particularly dangerous, but if you lose your footing and end up falling over, it can be a pretty painful experience – and highly embarrassing one if you’re training at the gym. With that in mind, click on the video below and see just what can happen if you don’t take care (or you mess about) on the treadmill.