ELLIOT GILES The 800m star on his journey from despair to Olympic contender
P L U S
IN THIS ISSUE REGULARS
WARM-UPS
HUMAN RACE
FEATURES
AUGUST 2021
COACH
GEAR
RACE
MAN WITH A VAN (AND A PLAN)
P H OTO G R A P H : D U N CA N N I C H O L L S
Middle-distance specialist Elliot Giles trains like no other runner and it’s paying off
ON THE COVER Photographer: Duncan Nicholls Hair and make-up: Laura Tucker Kit: Courtesy of Nike Runner: Elliot Giles
P09 How Running Can Boost Vaccines Being fit is a shot in the arm for these medical miracles P30 Elliot Giles The 800m star on his journey from despair to Olympic contender P36 The Great Escape Your ticket to trail-running heaven
P52 Power Lunches Easy recipes for peak performance P68 Strong, Fast, Fit How to get ready to go the distance P74 8 Simple Ways To Fix Your Mindset Never again will you stop during a hard session and think, ‘What am I doing out here?’
P82 On Test: 25 Best Sports Bras Whatever your needs, we’re here to support you all the way P89 These Gadgets Speed Recovery Some discomfort may be involved (but only a little) P94 15 Super Summer Races Ah, races, how we have missed you!
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WE’RE FIRST FOR NEW GEAR
THE HIGH LIFE Madeira’s trails will take your breath away
For news and reviews on the latest shoes, tech, apparel and accessories, visit runnersworld. com/uk. Here’s what’s hot right now
RED WINNER Follow the colour code
FEATURES
P06 Rave Run Belledonne Massif, Isère, France
P44 After She Rejected Her Strict Religious Community, Running Helped Her Build A New Life The extraordinary story of one woman’s fight for her freedom
P98 I’m A Runner Travis frontman Fran Healy on his Hollywood route
P58 Four Million Footsteps In 1969, former 5000m European champion Bruce Tulloh set out to run across the United States…
WARM-UPS P11
Fitness When it comes to running, how little is just enough?
P17
Support system, p82
P76 Quick On The Slaw Four surprising coleslaw dishes
P18 Once More With Feeling A veteran runner pulls on her shoes for one last marathon
P79 Fast Food How to stay hydrated, all day, every day P80 Red-S Alert The dangers posed by relative energy deficiency in sport are considerable
P20 Social Movement Fancy a nice run with the SAS? Go tabbing Tonky Talk Yoga will bend Paul but it will not break him
Saucony has just unleashed the Endorphin Pro 2, its fastest shoe ever. We give it the once-over. bit.ly/2Smx22s
P88 On Test We take a close look at the Brooks Aurora-BL Lunch with punch, p52
RACE
P24 Your World Your words, your pics, your pages
P90 Race Lead The Longhorn Marathon, Nottinghamshire
P27 The Flamingo Diaries Lisa says ‘Cheers’ – to everyone!
P92 Still Going Strong The Tunbridge Wells Half
004 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK AUGUST 2021
READY TO RACE?
GEAR
P22 By The Numbers Deo Kato is running 10km a day for 381 days P23 Murphy’s Lore Sam has map, will travel, will get lost…
P72 Roll Your Own How to get the most from your foam roller P73 Ask Jo Our resident Olympian, Jo Pavey, on downhill running
Injury Search engines show a big rise in running-injury queries
HUMAN RACE
P21
Here’s our pick of the best running shorts for women this summer. Time to ditch the tights. bit.ly/359Euki
COACH
P13 M+H Wear red, run faster P15 Nutrition Watching your hydration? Watch what you eat
SHORTS STORY
WATER WORKS Swimming is one of the best ways to cross-train. Here’s our pick of the best swimsuits out there. bit.ly/3wfpQEi
I L L U S T R AT I O N : CO L I N B E AG L E Y . P H OTO G R A P H S : JA M E S CA R N E G I E , L U C K Y I F S H A R P, S U N L E E , N I K E , S AU CO N Y, S W E AT Y B E T T Y
REGULARS
RAVE RUN
BELLEDONNE MASSIF, ISÈRE, FRANCE
THE LOCATION In the heart of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of the French Alps, Isère is a natural jewel of protected parks, with crystal-clear lakes and glaciers nestled among majestic peaks towering to 3,600m. Trail running here is a breathtaking experience in every sense. THE RUN This image was taken at Seven Laux Lakes, at the 55km point of the 149km Echappée Belle Intégrale ultra race, the longest of four distances over the Echappée Belle race weekend, which also offers 84km, 62km and 21km race options. It goes with the territory that all the routes feature a challenging amount of ascent on technical mountain trails in thin mountain air, but your hard work earns you the right to run immersed in the most spectacular scenery the planet has to offer. The 2021 event takes place from August 20-22. For more information (and more stunning pics), visit lechappeebelledonne.com PHOTOGRAPHER Jean-Luc Augier
AUGUST 2021 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 007
CALUM FORBES PR and Communications Manager, Health and Wellness
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
JOE MACKIE Deputy Editor KERRY MCCARTHY Commissioning Editor RICK PEARSON Senior Editor JOHN CARROLL Chief Sub Editor
WAYNE HANNON Creative Director JACK TENNANT Art Editor
BEN HOBSON Executive Editor JANE MCGUIRE Deputy Digital Editor
JO PAVEY Contributing Editor YANAR ALKAYAT, DAVID ALM, LINDSAY BERRA, HOWARD CALVERT, KIERA CARTER, TOM CRAGGS, JESSICA DOWNEY, STEPHEN GLENNON, LISA JACKSON, HANNAH MENDELSOHN, ADRIAN MONTI, RACHEL MOORE, JESS MOVOLD, SAM MURPHY, KIM PEARSON, JAMES POOLE, DAVID SMYTH, RACHEL STEIL, PAUL TONKINSON, SCARLETT WRENCH,
JAMES WILDMAN CEO, Hearst UK | President, Hearst Europe JULIEN LITZELMAN Finance Director, Hearst UK MATT HAYES Chief International Brand Officer SURINDER SIMMONS Chief People Officer SOPHIE WILKINSON Director of Operations STEVEN MILES Group Brand Director CONNIE OSBORNE Group Managing Editor ROMAIN METRAS Business Strategy Director, Hearst UK STACEY TOMLIN Editorial Business Manager
JANE WOLFSON Chief Commercial Officer MARK McCAFFERTY Head of Partnerships OLLIE LLOYD Head of Clients JONI MORRISS Head of Digital Sales ALI GRAY Branded Content Director NATASHA BAILEY Client Director, Wellness LEE RIMMER Head of Classified and Independents 020 3728 770
Where in the world do you dream of running when travel restrictions lift? ‘I’ve always dreamed of running a big trail race in California, before retiring for a craft beer. Or four.’ – Rick Pearson ‘The Italy Coast to Coast relay, a four-day epic from east to west: for the food, the scenery, the food (yes, again) and the chance to practise my Italian, which will entail learning Italian.’ – John Carroll ‘The Comrades Marathon in South Africa. Been on the bucket list for a while now!’ – Andy Dixon ‘I’m dreaming of a big city marathon. I’ve so missed the buzz of the start pens, the crowds and the intensity of shared experience. I know it’ll be a while before they return in anything like their full glory, but when they do, New York would do nicely.’ – Joe Mackie
REID HOLLAND MD, Consumer Revenues & Marketing JAMES HILL Circulation & Subscriptions Director JUSTINE BOUCHER Head of Subscriptions, Marketing and Circulation SEEMA KUMARI Digital Marketing & CRM Director
EFFIE KANYUA Director of PR & Communications
008 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK AUGUST 2021
SHIRIN NAZEMZADEH Partnerships Director, Hearst Live ALICE MATTHEWS Sponsorship Executive, Hearst Live MEGAN DUFF Event Marketing and Campaign Manager
ROGER BILSLAND Production Manager PAUL LOCKETT Senior Ad Production Controller
DEBI CHIRICHELLA President, Hearst Magazines KIM ST CLAIR BODDEN SVP/ Editorial & Brand Director CHLOE O’BRIEN Deputy Brands Director SHELLEY MEEKS Executive Director, Content Services
Runner’s World is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint, please email complaints@hearst.co.uk or visit www. hearst.co.uk/hearst-magazines-ukcomplaints-procedure. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk RUNNER’S WORLD is published in the UK by Hearst UK. Copyright © All rights reserved. RUNNER’S WORLD is printed and bound by Walstead Bicester, Chaucer Business Park, Launton Road, Bicester, Oxon OX26 4QZ RUNNER’S WORLD is distributed by Frontline Ltd, Peterborough. Tel: 01733 555 161
EDITOR’S LETTER EVENTFUL JOURNEYS, both literal and metaphorical, feature prominently in this issue. On the epic side of things, there’s an account of the late, great Bruce Tulloh’s run across the US in 1969 (page 58). After he retired as an athlete, but well before he became coaching editor of this magazine, Bruce decided to try to break the record for crossing the US on foot. With his family in tow in a caravan, he set out to cover 2,830 miles from LA to New York City in 66 days – an average of 43 miles every day. It was a mind-boggling undertaking, and he battled injury, high terrain, low morale and extreme weather along the way. But what shines through now is just how far you can go if you’re blessed with an indomitable spirit. Proof of that can also be found in this month’s cover star, 800m runner Elliot Giles. Seven years ago, he suffered terrible injuries in a road accident. He’s now a British record holder and, in a few weeks, he’s hoping to represent Team GB in the Tokyo Olympics. In our interview on page 30, he tells us how he has done things his own way. Or there’s multiple marathoner Anne Harwood (page 20), who’s getting ready to have another crack at the London Marathon, at the age of 77 and having recovered from cancer. All of their stories show us that, no matter the destination, it’s the journey that counts.
CONTRIBUTORS
House of Hearst, 30 Panton Street, London SW1Y 4AJ Editorial enquiries editor@runnersworld. co.uk Advertising enquiries 020 3640 2220 General enquiries 020 7439 5000 PR enquiries media@hearst.co.uk Subscriber enquiries 01858 438852 (Lines open weekdays, 8am-9.30pm; Saturdays, 8am-4pm) Visit hearstmagazines.co.uk/ managemyaccount to update your contact details, renew your subscription and find out when your next issue is due to be delivered. Please note You can also contact us regarding back issues and special editions.
JAMES POOLE
DAVID ALM
The globe-trotting ultrarunner and adventurer spends his life seeking out the best trails the planet has to offer. He offers his insider’s guide to a true runners’ paradise, the sub-tropical Atlantic island of Madeira, in The Great Escape, on p36
The Brooklyn-based writer and runner has written for the likes of GQ and Men’s Journal. In this issue, he tells the powerful story of a fellow New Yorker: After She Rejected Her Strict Religious Upbringing, Running Helped Her Build A New Life, p44.
P H OTO G R A P H : D R E W R E Y N O L D S
Andy Dixon
WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . I L LU S T R AT I O N : JAS O N LYO N . 1. B R A I N , B E H AV I O R A N D I M M U N I T Y
WARM-UPS
FITNESS
WA LK I NG POLES FOR R U NN E R S
WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . P H OTO G R A P H : L U C K Y I F S H A R P 1. J O U R N A L O F S T R E N G T H A N D CO N D I T I O N I N G R E S E A R C H ; 2. W I L D E R N E S S & E N V I R O N M E N TA L M E D I C I N E
Research2 shows you walk faster with poles than without. These are good options for a hilly long-distance race or hike.
LEKI MICRO TRAIL PRO £139 / SPORTSSHOES.COM
Light yet durable and can be folded up small enough to fit inside your race vest.
BLACK DIAMOND DISTANCE CARBON Z POLE £79.95 / AMAZON.CO.UK
These are also light and offer excellent grip, but they lack some of the build quality of the Lekis.
MOUNTAIN KING TRAIL BLAZE £76.49 / AMAZON. CO.UK Better known
in the US, these compact poles are ideal for tough terrain.
DOUBLE DATE WILL DO
You can get by on two short sessions a week, but don’t expect miracles
CHANGE THE WAY YOU HILL-TRAIN
Runners training for a race that has inclines often add hill repeats to their regime. But another approach better simulates the race-day experience: including hills in your longer endurance runs. Doing this trains your body to maintain speed when you reach the top of a hill, instead of pausing or slowing down. Here are three hill sessions for all your running needs:
IN AN IDE AL world, we’d all be running as often as we like. But when life gets in the way, the focus must shift from building fitness to maintaining it. So, what’s the minimal amount of running you need to do to stay fit? A new study1 suggests you can get away with two cardio sessions a week, for 15 weeks, without a drastic downturn in fitness. The researchers concluded you can make ‘large reductions in exercise frequency and volume’, as long as you put in some effort when you do your workouts each week. So, if you drop to just two 15-minute aerobic sessions twice a week, as in the study, you have to be working hard (85 per cent of maximum heart rate). But don’t expect to run a marathon PB with such a plan. For that, it’s back to the long miles.
BUILDING POWER
6 × 8-second sprints at maximum intensity up a steep hill, with 2 minutes’ recovery
BUILDING SPEED ENDURANCE
8 × 30-second hills at 5K pace, with jog-down recovery
BUILDING STAMINA
20 minutes of continuous hills at half-marathon intensity
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WARM-UPS
MIND+HEALTH
MO RN ING ROUTINE Four things to make you healthier, happier and smarter 1 / HAVE A COLD SHOWER One study found that 30-second cold showers every morning for 60 days could decrease sick days by 30 per cent. 2 / LOSE THE PHONE Studies link greater social media use to decreased mood. Leave the phone out of the bedroom.
WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . IPLHLOTO U S T RGAT R AI O PH NS: :CO N ALM I NE BNEAAG M EL E Y. 1. N O O M
COLOUR SCHEME Seeing red could give a crucial edge
BETTER OFF RED
Looking to beat a running rival? You could train harder – or you could simply wear red ATHLE TES AND TE AMS wearing red are more likely to win, according to research conducted by Durham University. The reason? The colour enhances perceived dominance and aggression. In humans, anger reddens the race, which conveys a sense of fierceness. In the animal kingdom, red colouration is often associated with male dominance. Zebra finches fitted with red leg bands
tend to become dominant, while those given blue bands are more submissive. There is, of course, a limit to red’s performance-enhancing powers – don’t expect a sub-two marathon just because you’ve rocking a red vest. Red not your colour? Blue is also highly associated with winning teams. But avoid white – it’s the worst-performing colour on the spectrum, just behind orange and yellow.
3 / GET OUTSIDE Being in bright light early in the day brings forward your body clock, making you more ready to go to sleep at night. 4 / SQUAT A study found leg exercises, eg squats, send neurological signals that are vital for producing new brain cells.
64
Percentage of UK adults who said they were trying to lose weight by June 21.1
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WARM-UPS
NUTRITION
A W HO L E LOT BETTER
3 hydrating whole foods to add to your plate
WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N A N D J E S S D OW N E Y. P H OTO G R A P H S : S U N L E E , G E T T Y I M AG E S 1. L AT I N A M E R I CA N A R C H I V E S O F N U T R I T I O N
LETTUCE / 96% water content and high in vitamin A
PAY THE PRICE OF A SLICE
CELERY / 95% water content and packed with potassium
Hydration is not just about what you drink – look at your plate, too
WE GENER ALLY get as much as 20 per cent of our water from food. But the more highly processed foods you eat – such as ice cream, mass-produced breads and shop-bought pizzas – the more likely you are to become dehydrated, because these foods tend to have a low water content. That’s the conclusion of a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,
which looked at more than 24,000 participants in a nutrition survey comparing total water intake with consumption of ultra-processed foods. Researchers found the more people ate these foods, the less water they drank – particularly if sugar-sweetened drinks were in the mix. So if you are going to indulge in ultra-processed food, do so in moderation – and wash it down with some delicious, sugar-free water.
WHO’S A GOOD CHOY?
Kale’s been hailed and spinach celebrated, but one leafy green that’s flown under the radar is bok choy. It is a rich source of antioxidants, including vitamins A and C. Nutritionist Jennifer McDaniel says bok choy aids heart health, helps with bone-building and may reduce the risk of developing some cancers. ‘It pairs well with veg, as well as oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil,’ she says.
PLAIN YOGHURT / 88% water content and high in calcium
PROBLEM PLATES Female runners struggling with injuries or slower times may need to examine their diet. A recent study1 found female athletes are more susceptible to deficiencies in iron, calcium and vitamin D, which can a have a major effect on performance. It’s easiest to stock up on vitamin D by taking a supplement, but iron can be found in dark greens and red meat, while calcium is abundant in dairy products, dark greens and sardines.
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WARM-UPS
INJURY
running-injury prevention running-injury prevention – Google search How to help shin splints Sore knee from running Ankle support for running Sore Achilles after running
CLICK AND CORRECT
The growth of running has led to a surge in searches for cures to running injuries. Physio Richmond Stace and Olympian Ross Murray joined forces to find the most commonly clicked – and provided some solutions
WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . I L L U S T R AT I O N S : L AU R È N E B O G L I O
THE PROBLEM
TRY THIS
‘HOW TO HELP SHIN SPLINTS’
‘SORE KNEE FROM RUNNING’
‘ANKLE SUPPORT FOR RUNNING’
‘SORE ACHILLES AFTER RUNNING’
UP 600%
UP 400%
UP 250%
UP 250%
‘Take a look at your training routine – is it too intense? Or is there a lack of recovery time?’ asks Stace. ‘Shin splints can also be caused by the wrong shoes, a sedentary work life, stress, ill health or even poor sleep. The best place to start is rest.’
Murray: ‘A recovery programme should include stretching, range-ofmovement exercises such as knee circles and strength training to build up the muscles that support the knee.’ Once your knee feels better, slowly return to running.
Murray’s advice is to strengthen your ankles. ‘Using ankle supports only masks the issue,’ he says. ‘Completing 10-15-minute foot and ankle circuits three to four times a week will build strength, improve performance and help prevent injuries.’
Stace advises you ask yourself some questions: ‘How many miles have I done in my shoes?’ ‘How sedentary am I before I run?’ ‘Do I have a daily stretching routine?’ Murray suggest cutting back on training by 15 per cent until there is improvement.
Soleus squat. With your back to the wall, slide down so knees are almost at 90 degrees. Push up on your toes; hold for 30 secs.
Knee circles. With hands on knees, legs slightly bent, roll your knees in a circular motion, changing directions periodically.
Standing calf raises. Rise onto your toes for 15 reps. To increase the challenge, stand on one leg or hold weights.
Ice the Achilles. Fill a bucket or basin with ice and cold water, and keep your foot in it for 12 minutes, says Murray.
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TRY A TAB WORKOUT p20
RUNNING FOR 381 DAYS p22
HUMAN( )RACE NEWS, VIEWS, TRENDS and ORDINARY RUNNERS doing EXTRAORDINARY THINGS
ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING Anne Harwood is dusting off her running shoes for a marathon with added meaning
H
LIKE A REFORMED criminal
tempted back for one more big score, Lancashire runner Anne Harwood will be running her first marathon since 2010 when she takes on the London course in October. She’ll be 77. ‘I’m getting my mojo back!’ she says, 11 years after making the local news for travelling to China for her last 26.2: ‘Clitheroe pensioner to run Great Wall Marathon after recovering from cancer’ was the headline in the Lancashire Telegraph at the time. Harwood had undergone a 10-hour operation to remove part of her liver just months earlier, and ran the race to raise money for a cancer fund set up by the surgeon who had performed the operation.
WO R D S : DAV I D S M Y T H . P H OTO G R A P H S : DAV I D TOW N H I L L
‘ THIS RACE WAS ANOTHER WAY OF GETTING CLOSURE FOR THE FAMILY’ This time, the motivation is to raise money for Parkinson’s UK. Harwood’s husband, Keith, who was an accountant and former professional cricketer, had been living with Parkinson’s disease since 2000. Complications following heart surgery in 2014 left him in a vegetative state and he died two and a half years later. Harwood hopes to raise awareness of the need for hospitals to understand how to manage Parkinson’s when dealing with sufferers for any other medical reason. ‘I’ve been in a hole for quite a few years, but I’ve come out the other end now,’ she says. ‘I thought this race was another way of getting some closure for the family.’ Harwood was always sporty, regularly playing golf with her husband and enjoying swimming, aerobics and step classes, but she was a latecomer to running. She turned 50 and decided to do the London Marathon, as you do. ‘It was a bet, really. You reach this wonderful age and think, “What can I do? Shall I jump out of an aeroplane?” So I started running to do this specific
Top: Anne, her Great Wall Marathon medal and with her husband, Keith; (inset) Anne first appeared in RW in 1995, when the mag looked a little different…
thing. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it so much.’ She may well be setting some sort of record for the gap between first and second appearances in this magazine. She was featured in Runner’s World in 1995, after writing in to tell us about her experiences running her first marathon. But there have been plenty more races in between. She joined Blackburn Road Runners – ‘My second family and, certainly, the backbone for my improvement and genuine love for running’ – and went on to complete 20 marathons, including three Manchesters, two Snowdonias and two in New York. Near the start line in New York in 1997, Harwood experienced a rare moment of celebrity: a fellow competitor from the UK recognised her from the television. She and a running friend had just appeared on Style Challenge, a daytime makeover show hosted by John Leslie. They came on stage in full kit to the sound of Keep on Running by The Spencer Davis Group. ‘We said, “Our husbands are fed up seeing us in our running
R
gear all the time. Can you make us look a bit more glam?” Then a Scottish woman came up to me in the toilet queue in New York, all excited that she’d seen me. I told my friend I’d beaten her – she was only recognised in the local Tesco!’ That period, around the turn of the Millennium, was Harwood’s sporting peak. In 2000, she was encouraged to have a go at triathlon. ‘I could run and I could swim, but I hadn’t been on a bike since I was a little girl. My husband bought me this Giant bike, just an ordinary offroad type of thing.’ In her first attempt, at Windsor, having been sneered at by another competitor because of her chunky steed, she finished third in the 55-59 age group and was immediately invited to represent Great Britain at the World Triathlon Championships in Edmonton, Canada. ‘The coach for Great Britain rang me up on Monday to tell me I’d done 15 minutes under the qualifying time for the World Championships. I put the phone down on him. I thought it was a scam! He still thinks to this day we must have got cut off,’ she says. ‘So I went and did that as the new kid on the block, and I would have carried on with it if Keith hadn’t started to get more poorly, because triathlon training does take a lot of time.’ Now, after a long period of sadness, Harwood credits lockdown with getting her running again. ‘This last year gave you time to think about a lot of things. I just started running round the block and after a while I’d lost two stone.’ When we speak, she’s recovering from Achilles tendonitis, but still sounds upbeat about getting that 21st marathon in the bag. ‘I know in my heart I can do it. I say to myself, “If you can run the Great Wall of China after nearly dying, you can get over bloomin’ Achilles tendonitis.’” As she says, age is a state of mind. “I don’t think there are any boundaries to what anybody can do. You might think the sands of time are passing, but I really do believe you can slow them down tremendously. If you can keep fit, the sky’s the limit.”
virginmoneygiving.com/AnneHarwood1
AUGUST 2021 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 019
TAB HAND Steve O’Connor (left and inset) hosts a tabbing podcast and puts his money where his mouth is; (below) Angela Copeland got lost on her first outing, but loves the sport
FIT TO TAB? Get your body ready with these two exercises, courtesy of Ed Wilson at wilson physiotherapy. co.uk
TAB FAB Why the military exercise of tabbing is proving popular on civvy street DITCHING YOUR running shoes for leather boots and hoisting a 20kg pack on your back to march over mountains might not be everyone’s idea of a fun weekend. But for some people, ‘tabbing’ is proving irresistible. The word ‘tab’ stands for ‘tactical advance to battle’ and is a core skill in the Special Forces and other elite military units, such as the Royal Marine Commandos. It requires the individual to self-navigate long distances over arduous terrain while
carrying survival equipment – hence the heavy backpacks. This gruelling form of exercise is now being embraced by a growing number of civilians. Over 1,500 eager tabbers currently share their love for the sport via a Facebook group called ‘Gone Tabbing’. There are more and more events, too, such as the Fan Dance, which is run by ex-SAS officers and takes participants through the 24km test march over Pen Y Fan – the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons.
‘It hasn’t got the razzmatazz that you’d find at a marathon,’ says Steve O’Connor, who hosts the tabbing podcast series The Allycast. ‘I arrived late to the start of the Fan Dance last year and was shouted at and made to do press-ups before I set off. So it has that military ethos, but it is fun, too, with lots of camaraderie.’ When O’Connor began entering the events, only a few others would turn up, mostly ex-military. The Fan Dance now welcomes up to 4,000 people a year, spread across two weekends in both January and July, and tabbing events have become popular among men and women of all abilities. Angela Copeland is just one of the many women to have thrown herself into tabbing and fallen in love with it. Despite getting lost during her first race and thinking she ‘was going to die’, she has quickly risen through the ranks of the tabbing world and is now a regular at some of its biggest events. ‘They [the SAS veterans] are quite gruff and scary to begin with, but that’s their style of training and when you get to know them, they are incredibly down-to-earth, humble people,’ she says. ‘They have such good training, so to be able to rub shoulders with them and take part in these events, and learn from their training, is just great.’ The ex-Virgin Airlines cabin crew member is testament to the sport’s growing inclusiveness. ‘I had red painted nails and lipstick for 20 years,’ she says. ‘I couldn’t be more opposite to a military, tomboy kind of girl, I’m not that kind of person. But I fit in so well; everyone is so welcoming.’
Visit ‘Gone Tabbing’ on Facebook
020 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK AUGUST 2021
NEURAL BAND SWINGS 3 sets of 12 reps on each leg Lie on your back. Loop a resistance band under your right foot and hold the other end in both hands. With your left leg flat, pull your right leg up until you feel the stretch in your hamstring. Keeping tension in the band, return your right leg to the starting position. That’s one rep.
BERGEN WEIGHTED CALF RAISES 4 sets of 15 reps Calf strength is essential for endurance events on unstable terrain. Use the weight of your bergen on your back, and go up and down with a slow tempo (2 secs up, 2 secs down).
WO R D S : J E S S I CA D OW N E Y
M
SOCIAL OVEMENT
H
R
Tonky Talk BY PAUL TONKINSON
GENTLY COME INTO PRAYER POSE – AND PRAY FOR MERCY
THE BIG QUESTIONS by John Carroll
I L L U S T R AT I O N : P I E TA R I P O S T I
I
t’s my habit with cars to drive them until they can’t go any longer, then call a garage, sell it for scrap and move on. I’m starting to feel like that about my own body. I’m injured again. As always, it came just at the moment I felt I was getting back to something like normal – ramping up the mileage, throwing in the odd surge on a long run and then came the familiar twinge of the calf, so sharp there was no option: I was walking home. I’ve taken stock. The cycle of running, injury, partial recovery, running, injury has to stop. The belief about my body’s ability to withstand any punishment without any strength work or stretching has been proved incontrovertibly wrong. There can be no rush back. This needs a full body reboot. So I’m planking, doing calf raises, stretching. The ultimate proof that I am taking this seriously is that I have started doing yoga. Now that’s a sentence I never thought I’d write. I’ve done yoga once before, about 20 years ago, just one session. It felt brilliant; I wasn’t too good at it but I came out of the session tired yet revitalised – and never did it again. Part of it was I didn’t see myself as that kind of person. I’ve just always been a tad distrustful of it all. The accoutrements of the yogi – the mat, the Lycra, the faux spirituality. Friends raved about how good it was for the mind and body. I’d sniff derisively, put my shorts on and run through the woods. My wife would come home glowing after her Saturday morning sessions. ‘You’d love it,’ she’d exclaim, and I’d make silly jokes involving the word ‘namaste’ and hobble to the shower. But now there’s no getting round it. I’m in. So I find myself in front of the YouTube channel, doing a beginners’ class with Adrienne, whom everyone has been talking about. Adrienne is feline
Q. I often make a bet with myself that if I can reach point X in a certain time or catch that runner up ahead, then I can end my run early. I feel I am sabotaging my sessions. What can I do? A. Rename yourself Mississippi Slick and make that bet. You will lose, every time, and so will have to continue your run. There may also be a posse on your tail, which will do wonders for your speedwork.
grace personified, a gentle guide artfully straddling the chasm between yogi expert and beginner with humour and understanding. The first thing she does is sit down cross-legged on her mat and invite me to join her in the beginners’ pose. I try, I really do. It’s like dropping a bag of spanners on the floor. Everything hurts. My quads ache when I cross them. My lower back goes into a spasm. Adrienne softly cajoles me into a pattern of deep inhales and long, smooth exhales. I’m hunched over, trying to get my shoulders back, so broken I can’t even sit. Then she’s rotating her neck. I can sort of do this, but it cracks and I fear I’m inducing a stroke. I breathe again. Adrienne suggests I look for my centre. She wants me to place my head over my heart and my heart over my pelvis. This is impossible but I am told not to worry, to find my own integrity and breathe into discomfort. Over the next 20 minutes, we go through basic yoga moves. I am, seemingly, too inflexible to do simple things. At one point, I struggle to lock my hands together and keep them above my head. I breathe, I strain. At times, I stop and look at Adrienne, defeated, as she suggests I lengthen my neck and straighten my back. Eventually, it’s over. We return to the prayer position, one last deep breath and then out. The next day, I do it again, and it’s slightly easier. The following day, easier still. I’m tempted to rush this, but it’s slow. To work, it has to be slow. This is a new beginning. I can't believe it. I’m doing yoga – no joke .
Paul is a stand-up comedian and co-host of the Running Commentary podcast. His book 26.2 Miles to Happiness is out now.
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BY THE NUMBERS
34, DAGENHAM, RUNNING 10KM EVERY DAY FOR 381 DAYS THE NUMBER 381 MEANS A LOT
to the civil rights movement in the US. Following Rosa Parks’ arrest in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, a boycott of the city’s transportation system resulted in the desegregation of the buses 381 days later. With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement last year, and taking inspiration from that totemic number, Deo Kato, a personal trainer and trail runner from Dagenham, east London, began a personal protest against racial injustice: he’s running at least 10km a day for 381 days and sharing his progress on Instagram (deoruns_381). ‘I wanted to see how far I can go with this, not to give up when it’s hard and try to represent and give all I can,’ he says. ‘Fighting for equality can’t be a trend for 2020. It needs to keep going.’
FIVE 5:00am Minutes to a nature reserve from his house. ‘But Dagenham is not very woody. I have to go a long way to get the full experience’
Time Deo started his daily runs in winter before going to work as a building manager
TWENTY NINE
ONE
MILES RUN IN THE NORTH DOWNS – THE LONGEST SINGLE RUN HE’S DONE DURING THIS CHALLENGE
‘I DO A LOT OF TRAIL RACES. WHEN I’M STANDING AT THE START LINE, I’LL USUALLY ONLY SEE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME’
382
389
MEMBERS OF THE BLACK TRAIL RUNNERS GROUP ON FACEBOOK
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Summits on the Ramsay Round, which Deo tackled in June. ‘Charlie Ramsay is Black. I don’t know how many other Black people have done it’
TEN
The age at which Deo arrived in London from Uganda. ‘I’ve been racially abused many times since I came here’
The day after. ‘What will I do on day 382? I’ll probably just go out again. Maybe 5km instead of 10km, then sit somewhere and watch the sunset as a celebration’
SIXTY FIVE
MINUTES TO RUN A ‘SLOW 10KM’ IN HIS HOUSE WHILE SELFISOLATING. ‘I JUST RAN FROM THE FRONT DOOR TO THE KITCHEN AND BACK FOR THAT AMOUNT OF TIME’
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300
‘For my 300th run, I did a half marathon through London. About 10 people joined me. It was a good day out’
14
DAYS MISSED DUE TO COVID. ‘I HAD NO ENERGY. THE FIRST FOUR DAYS; I COULDN’T MOVE FROM THE SOFA’
WO R D S : DAV I D S M Y T H . P H OTO G R A P H S : D E O KATO, A L A M Y, G E T T Y I M AG E S
DEO KATO
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Murphy’s Lore BY SAM MURPHY
IT’S TIME TO PUT ORIENTEERING ON THE MAP
THE TAKEAWAY...
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nproductive,’ declares Hal (my Garmin), as I squelch back to the car park. He’s got a point. I’ve just run 2.5km in 28 minutes. But what Hal doesn’t appreciate is that this was no ordinary run – I’ve been orienteering. Like any race, an orienteering event has a start and a finish, between which you need to run as fast as possible. But there is no set route. And here lies the challenge. You have to navigate your way through checkpoints (called ‘controls’), using a compass and map, which demands ‘considerable cognitive skills and physical endurance’ according to Swedish researchers – and they should know, since they invented the sport back in 1919. While the idea of cheating wouldn’t cross my mind, I couldn’t help noticing the door to every opportunity for doing so had been tightly shut. For one thing, you are only given the map on the start line, so there’s no chance of planning your route. Then, runners are set off individually (with gaps of one to four minutes between them) to prevent you following the person in front – and to top it all, you have to tap your electronic ‘dibber’ at each control (called ‘punching’) to prove you’ve been to each one and visited them in the correct order. I’d figured I would compensate for my limited navigational skills with physical prowess, so when it was my turn to go, I sprinted across the field to the orangeand-white flag of the start control at the edge of the wood. I punched my dibber and then stared blankly at my map, panic rising within me. The speed at which runners can extract key information from the map is one of the most notable differences between novice and expert orienteers, according to a Chinese study. The pros focus the beam of their attention on the
Orienteering was once famously described as like ‘running for a train while doing the Times crossword’. So you could try that. But the best way to dip your muddy trainer toe into orienteering is to find a local club and do an event. Courses are colour-coded by technical difficulty, from yellow (easiest) to black (hardest). britishorienteering.org.uk
most useful details, while newbies like me scatter their gaze all over the map, hoping a) they will be passed by someone they can then follow, or b) they’ll spot the control on a random search of the 100m radius around them. After a few quivering breaths, I remembered to turn the map the right way up and headed northwest in search of a ‘path junction’ to find my first control. Yes, there it was! Follow the path around the bend, then a sharp turn, with a steep bank to my right to close in on my next target. Dib dib dib! Five or six controls in, I was getting into my stride – even managing to glance at the next-but-one control on the map as I ran, and noticing some of the topographical details from the map in the landscape around me. Evolutionary biologists claim humans were born to run – we evolved to cover long distances on foot, to forage and hunt. These endurance forays weren’t just about brawn – the ability to spot predators, read animal tracks and droppings, or deduce where there might be water or edible plants, were crucial to survival. As I duck under branches, keep an eye out for roots, note the incline levelling off or the ground becoming marshy, I can’t help thinking that orienteering is the closest we can get to our ancestral running past. Orienteers have to engage their brains as they move through the landscape. Doing so, say researchers in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, builds cognitive skills such as planning, decisionmaking, attentional switching, multitasking and self-awareness. I’d call that a pretty productive morning.
runningforever.co.uk
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LETTER OF THE MONTH
YO U R WORLD
SNAP CHAT
#CLUBMATES
RELIGHT MY FIRE
Send us a pic with your running friend, club or crew (cheesy expressions welcome)
Having read the excellent article about Chariots of Fire (The Fire Still Burns, RW July), it struck me just how much that one film did for my running. I was a sprinter at school and took on kids two or three years above me, won the 200m on a lethal old cinder track, without wearing spikes, and loved how this film seemed to spur me on. There were other movies that did this, of course – Raiders of the Lost Ark helped enormously with my fedora wearing – but Chariots was so great at capturing the essence of running. I even learnt the theme by Vangelis and played it at a school concert (I was very uncool) because I loved it so much. Your article brought it all back – the soft focus/slow motion, the stillness, that bit at the start on the beach. Wonderful. So thank you, Richard Askwith, and don’t beat yourself up too much about the Oscar! – Tim Armitage, London
‘Me and my running buddies, the Tutti Frutti running crew.’ – Michelle Pheasant
Forty years after its release, Chariots of Fire seems to have lost none of its potency. We look forward to your return to the track, Tim. Vangelis may well spur you on, but if you find yourself being pursued by Nazis, the Raiders theme music is the way to go. No words, but the togetherness says it all. – Kapil Uppal
OLD RUNNER, NEW TRICKS I enjoyed reading the article on the experience of Lynn Rathjen (Run Strong Forever, RW July). Even now, at 74, I fit in at least one interval session a week and limit my mileage to 20-25 miles a week. Not being an avid swimmer, yoga and lots of walking make up my cross-training sessions. Not sure I’ll get back to a sub-6 mile like Lynn...but I’ll give it a go. I certainly know some inspirational V70+ athletes. – Bernie Mundy, via email
LOCAL LEGEND I tagged along with my husband to a local track one morning for some intervals. We thought it might be fun if he timed me running 100m, as I hadn’t done that since I was a kid. As I lined up, a local octogenarian runner I’d just met came over and gave me a tip. He said, ‘Run it once and then come back and run it again – you’ll go faster the second time.’ So I ran it once, and the second time he said he’d run it after me. The previous week he had run it in
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38 seconds. I finished mine, and shortly after he ran past and said, ‘28 seconds.’ I was so impressed. He smiled and said, ‘You inspired me!’ No, my friend, you inspired me. I’m now looking forward to many more years of running ahead of me! – Lesley Dwyer, via email ‘Motherwell Athletic Club.’
BIG ISSUE I’ve been a runner for many years and have always worn the Shock Absorber Run Sports Bra – other sports bras are available, I know. From the waist down, I look like a runner – narrow hips, small bum and slim legs. From the waist up, I look like a glamour model – so, obviously, I need the support of a good sports bra. This week, I have been trying to buy a new one online – with no success. Most companies (I include John Lewis, Bravissimo, Amazon, Start Fitness, Simply B and many more) are either ‘out of stock’ or this size is ‘no longer available’ – and ‘this size’ can be anything above a 34D and below a 40FF or G. Sports bra companies
– Gillian McCaffian
‘RED runners. Fantastic run friends.’ – Darren Latter
Next month: #TOPGURN Show us your best race face pics
should provide for all female runners – as they used to. We don’t want to go back to stopping the traffic with our boobs bouncing around uncontrollably! – Pam Kirkup, Durham
HOOKED ON RUNNING I’m a 47-year-old male who took up running last year, during the first lockdown. At that time, I was 18st 9lb (and only 5ft 8in). My blood pressure was high and I was advised by my GP that I should work from home. I already had a treadmill in the garage for years (which I didn’t use – it was great for hanging up some wet clothes on a rainy day). I started on the Couch to 5K app and was hooked. I also bought my first ever edition of RW. The treadmill broke after two weeks, so I just continued my running with a loop round my village. I can’t understand why I didn’t do this sooner in my life. I now weigh 12st 6lb and am running almost every day. Most days, I just plod along, but the feeling it gives me afterwards is epic! – Jim McCaw, Ballygowan, NI
WELCOME BACK
P H OTO G R A P H S : G E T T Y I M AG E S
Oh, how we have missed the excitement of an organised running event. In June, I attended a local organised race which, owing to the pandemic, was my first event since spring 2020. There was an excitement in the air, you could hear the laughter, see the smiles and smell the adrenaline (or perhaps that was just the Deep Heat). Chatting to people, I quickly realised that, for many participants, it was their first organised event, having discovered a love of running during lockdown. Being with likeminded individuals, seeing both runners and spectators enjoying the experience, reaffirmed what a beautiful sport we partake in. People were even happy to be queuing for the loos! – Liam Glasper
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WE ASK, YOU ANSWER
WHAT’S THE STRANGEST ANIMAL YOU’VE ENCOUNTERED ON THE RUN? ‘I once had a young badger cub dash out from a hedge bottom, straight into my path and under my feet.’ – Andy Wilson ‘When I lived in Australia, I used to run in a park where there were water dragons – like iguanas. Problem is, if all you see is the tail, they look a lot like a snake…’ – Nick Read
‘A peacock. The family up the road own it, but it managed to jump their garden fence.’ – Lee Pullen ‘While on holiday in Florida, I went for a run round the hotel golf course and encountered an alligator on the fifth hole.’ – Gordon Bain ‘A hare! Obviously, I couldn’t keep up.’ – Steph Girvan
‘A baby wild boar (fortunately, mama boar was nowhere in sight) up Mount Ymittos in Athens.’ – Anne Marie O’Neill Zafiropoulos
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OUR WORLD
RW staff were not slow off the mark when races returned…
Senior editor Rick Pearson ran the Endurancelife Northumberland Half
‘I leapt over a pretty long snake while trail running in Denver.’ – Laura Sheridan Grossart ‘Elephants and warthogs, while running in Botswana.’ – Gemma Hawker Deputy digital editor Jane McGuire ran a 10K PB at RunThrough Battersea
THE POLL
In hot weather, what do you wear on your head?
40% Hat
10% Visor
6% Buff
44 % Nothing
Based on an RW Twitter poll with 572 responses
WHAT’S INSPIRED, IMPRESSED OR, PERHAPS, ANNOYED YOU LATELY ABOUT RUNNING OR RUNNERS? THE WRITER OF THE WINNING EMAIL OR LETTER RECEIVES A PAIR OF SAUCONY TRIUMPH 19, WORTH £145 RUNNER’S WORLD, House of Hearst, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1J 4AJ Email letters@runnersworld.co.uk Tweet @runnersworlduk Facebook runnersworlduk
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The Flamingo Diaries BY LISA JACKSON
CHEER FROM THE SIDELINES AND FROM EVERYWHERE ELSE, TOO
WORDS TO GIVE YOU WINGS ‘There are two types of people in the world: cheerleaders and those who wish they were.’
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pocalypse Now with pompoms’ is how Rolling Stone magazine described Cheer, a series I recently watched on Netflix. The story of a group of Texan college cheerleaders preparing to compete in the National Cheerleading Championship, Cheer opened my eyes to a world of human pyramids and gravity-defying gymnastics. These cheerleaders gave superb support to their teams, but what was most touching was the way they supported each other. Battling injuries and fears that their teammates might not catch them as they plummeted from dizzying heights, they urged each other on with an almost constant barrage of encouragement known as ‘mat talk’. Runners need this too. I remember an online debate in the 100 Marathon Club, of which I’m a proud member, as to whether aspiring members should be awarded a medal when they reached 50 marathons. One person pointed out that marathon runners don’t get medals at 13.1 miles. I thought they should get one, reasoning that runners relish the cheers not just at halfway, but all the way round the course. Anything that gives a boost gets a thumbs-up from me. In the 2012 London Olympics, the main stadium was designed to maximise crowd support. ‘The athletes are so focused, it’s very easy for them not to hear the crowd,’ said the stadium’s architect, Rod Sheard. ‘We’ve got to make it really loud for them to get any benefit from it.’ And so Sheard ensured the 80,000 people in the stadium were packed like sardines and that the roof was shaped to echo their cries down onto the track. And Team GB won 65 medals. What’s wonderful about being a runner, however, is that, as I saw in Cheer, we don’t need to wait for spectators to cheer us on; we can do it for each other.
This anonymous quote reminds us all to stop wishing and start doing. One great thing about being a runner is that you don’t have to sit on the sidelines, cheering on your heroes; you can often line up on the same start line. And you don’t have to be a spectator to offer support; you can root for other runners as you race. A high five will gladden your spirits as much as it motivates those around you.
During the 2014 London Marathon, I spotted a burly runner sitting near Big Ben, his head bowed in defeat. ‘Are you OK?’ I asked. ‘I can’t go on,’ he replied, his face pale with exhaustion. ‘You have less than a mile to go – it would be crazy to give up now,’ I exhorted him. ‘Come with me. I promise I’ll get you to the finish.’ Reluctantly, he dragged himself up and took his first steps. What followed was a mile of low-volume cheerleading: ‘Looking good, well done, keep going, nearly there,’ I panted beside him as we trudged down Birdcage Walk. Before we knew it, we were on the home straight, The Mall, which is coloured red with a synthetic iron oxide pigment to make it resemble a giant red carpet, and I began digging around in my bumbag. ‘What are you doing?’ asked Adam. ‘I’m getting out my lipstick so I’ll look good in my finisher photos.’ ‘Can I have some, too?’ ‘Of course,’ I said, handing it over while wondering what his girlfriend was going to think when they were reunited. We bagged our medals but I also got something I treasure even more: a photo of Adam, rugby-honed muscles bulging out of his race vest, proudly sporting a red-lipstick smile. And so, as we once again put our quads, glutes and hamstrings to work at parkrun or in chasing PBs, let’s not forget the two small muscles that can make all the difference, to us and those around us: our vocal cords.
Lisa is the author of two bestselling running books, Running Made Easy and Your Pace or Mine? Her new books, Travel Seekness and Travel Agents, which have been released as audiobooks. also contain chapters about running.
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PHOTOGR A PHS:
DUNCAN NICHOLLS
ELLIOT GILES
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WHEN ELLIOT GILES BROKE SEB COE’S BRITISH 800M INDOOR RECORD IN FEBRUARY IT WAS, BY ANY MEASURE, A REMARKABLE RUN. His 1:43.63 knocked over a second off Coe’s 1983 time and it was the secondfastest indoor 800m in history. What made it even more remarkable was that it marked the latest chapter in a story that has seen Giles fight his way back not only from persistent injuries, but also the terrible damage his body suffered in a motorbike accident in 2014. Giles, 27, has rebuilt himself by adapting his training to suit his body, running just 15 miles a week. Indeed, the ‘world’s greatest crosstrainer’ shows runners at every level that there are many paths to becoming the best we can be. Runner’s World caught up with Giles to hear about the power of thinking outside the box and refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer.
RW How did your running journey begin? EG ‘I started running just after I left school, when I was 16. I got fed up with
playing other sports and decided to try running. So I went down to the local running club and got turned away, but luckily my first coach, Eddie [Cockayne], gave me a shot and took me under his wing and it blossomed from there.’
get injured, run for six weeks, get injured. I’ve got a Word document that shows it all and when I look back, I don’t know how I’m where I am now with how little training I was able to commit to over the years. ‘I think that’s why my performances of late have improved so much, because back then I only had guts and determination; I never had consistency. It’s only been in the last year that I’ve had a full year of training and I was able to come out at the Indoors off the back of the only winter I’ve been through without having a significant injury. That showed in the fact I ran as well as I did.’ The injuries you sustained in the accident were horrific. How did it happen? And how were you in the aftermath?
‘It happened in Birmingham city centre. I had picked my younger brother up from rugby training and I was in the left lane of a three-lane road leading up to a set of traffic lights. A lady in the far-right lane made a late manoeuvre, jumping across two lanes, not realising I was coming up to go past the lights. So as she came across, she sideswiped us. My brother went over the top of the bike and where she hit me, my knee was wedged between the bike and the car. Then I was thrown off to the side and I landed on the kerb, so I damaged my lower back. I hit my head on a bollard and was knocked out. Even now, I can only give you what I’ve seen on the CCTV and what my brother remembers. ‘He was OK, but he saw big bro knocked out, so it was pretty scary. I woke up in pain in the hospital. The bruising on my lower back made it feel as though my back almost wasn’t a part of me. I also tore my PCL [posterior cruciate ligament, in the knee] and ruptured my glute, and I suffered brain damage. Even now, the glute is still sort of deformed – where it detached from the muscle, it’s reattached in kind of a ball instead of a curved shape. My PCL sorted itself out because I spent three weeks bed-bound after the accident. ‘It was tough, but I always think when you go through adversity, it shapes your character and shows you what you can achieve.’ It must have been incredibly tough at the time
They turned you away? Seems a bit of a not-signing-the-Beatles moment…
‘I’ll take that as a massive compliment, but I’m not quite there yet! Birchfield [Harriers] are quite strict on who they let in because they’re a big club, with a long waiting list, but I figured if I didn’t try my luck, I’d never find out. Luckily, as I was turned away at the registration desk, my coach-to-be was walking past and said “I’ll take him on. Let him come with me and I’ll give him a trial” and we hit it off.’ Sixteen is late to start running. A lot of the people you were up against must have joined the club at six or seven
‘I’d always played loads of sports and kept fit. Yes, I came to running late in terms of being a professional, but I think that if I had started any earlier, I probably wouldn’t have continued because I had got bored of so many different sports. I think I may not have been running at this point if I’d come to it any earlier.’ How close was your accident to costing you your career?
‘The crash was back in 2014. I was 19 and my PB was 1:53, so at that point you could argue I wasn’t even really considered to be an athlete because 1:53 didn’t even get you an invitation to the British Champs. But a lot of the start of my career was spent on the sidelines. In my first year, I managed to get an England vest, but then 17, 18 and 19 were all injury years. So the crash came after this long period of injury and it helped me gather myself and rebuild slowly through the help of [coach] James Brewer. He was based at my university, Twickenham St Mary’s, and he is largely the reason I was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together. He slowed me down whereas, prior to that, I was stuck in a cycle of run for six weeks,
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‘It was the worst period of my life. Because my head was such a mess and I’d suffered brain damage, I didn’t really understand what was going on. I couldn’t move out of bed for three weeks – I had to wee in a milk bottle because I couldn’t get up. I couldn’t go to the toilet for a number two for three weeks, so I had constant constipation, and then I had trapped wind and was wincing, and every time I winced I couldn’t crouch because my back was hurting so much. Every time my knee moved, it felt like it was going to fall off. And because the nerves were damaged, I had no sensation in part of my lower back and my right side. ‘It was rough. I remember going through one period, about two weeks in, when I felt so down and out, and my hands started peeling. I could just peel the skin off my hands and I can only put it down to a form of heightened depression. I’ve never experienced a low like it. ‘It would be wrong to say I was really an athlete back then – my PB was 1:53 and I was on the back of constant injuries – but I knew if could get through that period, then I would be able to become an athlete. I believed I could be one of the best, I’d just never had the opportunity to prove it. And I guess after those three weeks in bed I knew that, relatively, the running was easy. I just had to
ELLIOT GILES
‘When you go through adversity, it shapes your character’
I N T E R V I E W: R I C K P E A R S O N , JA N E M C G U I R E . S H O E S A N D A P PA R E L : N I K E .CO M H A I R A N D M A K E- U P : L AU R A T U C K E R
take it slowly. Standing on the start line when you’re fit is the easy bit – the dark days are what shapes the champions.’ It must have taken some serious determination and self-belief to come back
‘I think I was just a young, stupid kid who wouldn’t take no for an answer. My problem is that my superpower is also my biggest downfall. Because I’m willing to push through the pain, I often make problems out of nothing. When I should just stop, my mind tells me I can get through anything. But it’s my superpower when I step on the start line, because I’m more than willing to go through that pain. There are pros and cons to having that mindset, which is why I run very limited miles now and only three or four days a week.’ It’s incredible to hear an elite athlete only running three days a week. How have you adjusted your training to work for your body?
‘I just do the three sessions a week and maybe a drill session around that. I don’t do any long runs any more. I’d had so many calf tears and Achilles issues that something had to change. I had to figure out a different way to train because I knew I didn’t need the same running load as the other guys to compete at the world level. What I needed was consistency, because consistency trumps talent every time. The way to get that consistency was to focus on the key sessions and top up the rest with cross-training. ‘By limiting training to three days a week, I became consistent – you’re training for six weeks back to back and then those six weeks become six months. I was doing stuff in training and not feeling fatigued or tired; not feeling like my
Achilles was going to snap or my calf was going to snap. It was the first year where I ran pain-free and I wasn’t considering, “Am I going to finish the race?” or “Am I going to get through the session?” That consistency, on top of everything I’d built as foundations, really rocketed me forward.’ It’s refreshing to hear that it can be successful to work with the body you’ve got rather than try to fit in to the ‘standard’ way of training…
‘There are different ways to make it work. But my 15 miles a week have to be taken with a pinch of salt because I do cross-train like an absolute animal. In fact, I’d argue that I cross-train better than anyone in the world in my event. I’d back myself that I work harder than any of the other guys. While they do a 15-mile run, I’ll go out on the Elliptigo. It’s a weird contraption, like a cross-trainer on wheels, and it weighs about 24kg, so it’s an absolute lump to get up a hill. It’s hard work. In fact, it’s about 33 per cent harder than cycling and my challenge is to keep up with a group on bikes. ‘I know I’m getting a real workout because I often bonk. I push myself so hard that I start seeing stars and shaking, so I’m definitely working as hard; it’s just thatE
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my training takes a different form. And it shows that you don’t necessarily have to run big mileage, which is why a lot of athletes get injured.’ Is all of your cross-training on the Elliptigo?
‘No, I mix it up. On a session day, I’ll do my session, then the gym, then I’ll hit the bike hard. On the days when I’m just cross-training, it’s the Elliptigo, which is running without the impact. I don’t get the arm movement or the same range, but I’m getting everything else and I can almost guarantee I’m working my aerobic system harder than everybody else. I’m surprised it’s not used more by marathon runners because they ping out some serious mileage and the trauma their bodies take is insane.’ With limited time on your feet, is there one session you value above others?
‘Probably five 300s. It’s not about the session, it’s more a test of character. It’s a really hard session to get your head around and most people don’t have the guts to really attack it the way you’re supposed to, whereas I always know that this session is not about times, it’s about effort, so it’s eyeballs out from the get-go. Anybody can run quick when they’re relaxed and it’s going good, but I get to the third rep in that session and suddenly I’m questioning everything. Then the fourth rep is a complete write-off and in the fifth rep, you feel like you physically can’t walk to the line. ‘If you attack the first two reps like they’re your last two, then the last three reps are going to hurt, but you’re testing your character. I know that session will always hurt a million times more than a race. Racing hurts, but it doesn’t hurt anywhere near as much as training does if you’re doing it right.’ Do you have any complete rest days?
‘We [Giles lives with his girlfriend] have a little dog and we’re lucky to live in a nice part of the UK, and I like walking just to clear my mind and be free. So pretty much every day I’ll go for that walk, but if I’m fried, I’ll lie in bed or watch Netflix all day.’ It’s not just your training that’s unconventional; tell us about the ‘van life’
‘I grew up camping and doing outdoor activities like canoeing, kayaking and sailing. We would go to Scotland and walk, or take the bikes and disappear, and I’ve always enjoyed that lifestyle. So I had this idea to convert a van into a camper. The problem was I did it during the track season, which was probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. But the reason I did it was because I was in such a bad place. I’d run with a slipped disc at the Commonwealths and I was in a lot of pain and in such a bad place that I came back and bought this disability bus to cheer myself up, and converted it. I put in a king-sized bed, fridge, cooker, sink, shower…there’s electric, solar on the roof, a composting toilet, so it has all the creature comforts. ‘Then it went from the original plan of a trip around Europe with friends to moving in to it for six months, but after a while you think, I probably need to get back in a house because I’m trying to be a professional athlete. I had to provide GPS coordinates to show anti-doping exactly where I was. So I thought, I can live in a van after my career, but now I better get the focus back on where I need to be.’ There’s been a lot of focus recently on what athletes are wearing on their feet. Do you think footwear makes a big difference?
‘I think so. I’ve changed up my shoes and I think that’s contributed to why I’m getting injured less; the cushioning means the impact is greatly reduced. At the moment, I’m wearing Nike Air Zoom Fly 3 and Nike Air Zoom Tempo Next%. I wore the Nike Air Zoom Victory spikes for the Indoors and I’m testing the Nike Air Zoom Maxfly.’ Will you be wearing the Maxfly in Tokyo?
‘I think so. I like an aggressive spike, but I also like some cushioning. I want to know I can do a session in them without feeling like my calf is going to snap. The Maxfly
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are cushioned while being aggressive and when you marry those two things together, it gives you something you can perform in and then go out and do the same the following day. I ran the Indoors in the Victory, but I was always looking for something slightly more aggressive. You don’t want any wasted energy, especially when you’re running from the front, and the stiffer the spike, then, in theory, if your body can handle it, the quicker you can go.’ Can you tell us more about that Indoor record run? Was it a shock when you saw the time?
‘I had this aura of invincibility at that time. I laid down the foundations early. My first Indoor race, I opened in 1:45.5, which is pretty quick and I was still very comfortable, so I knew I was going to pop something big because I always shift about two seconds from what I open with. ‘The evening before that race, I was getting the shakes in bed and thought I was ill. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen that day and I said to myself, it’s either going to be great or it’s going to be disastrous, so I figured I may as well strive for great. ‘It was the first race where the pacer asked me what I wanted, so it was set up for me. The guys in the race were looking to me, they were happy to sit on me and let me do the work, which is not what I’m used to, but great, because I want to do the work. Let me do the work, you guys can ride the wave and if you’re going to beat me, then I’m going to make you work for it. ‘I was gutted not to race again after that because I knew I was getting quicker. But my coach said, “No, I’m shutting you down now. We don’t need any more from this. The main aim is the outdoors.” So we made a call and shut down early.’ After the record at the Indoors, what qualifies as success in Tokyo?
‘I think quite short-term when I train, so I haven’t thought about Tokyo too much. I’m focused on tomorrow and getting my body right. Of course, the main goal is Tokyo, but I try not to think too far ahead. I’m super excited for it, but the competition in the UK is so high that if you think too far ahead, you might get caught napping.’ Why do you think we are enjoying such a golden period of middle-distance running in the UK now?
‘I hope it does become golden. It’s not quite there yet because none of us have won a medal. But I think we’re edging there. And there’s a spread of ages – I’m 27 and there are others going down to the age of about 19. I plan on being around for a good five or six years, so they’re not going to shrug me off anytime soon – I’m going to make them work for it! ‘The why now, for me, comes back to spending so much time on the sidelines unable to compete until I found out what works for me. I think when you have one person running well, it brings on the next and that brings on the next, and then that hunger sparks and we’re all realising that we’re not just running for second and third place now. We’re contenders and we are going to have to be brave enough to run from the front and run hard. We can’t settle for second best any more. Nobody remembers the guy who came second; they only ever remember the guy who won it.’
ELLIOT GILES
‘Of course, the main goal is Tokyo, but I try not to think too far ahead’
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A SLICE OF MADEIRA
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Rugged red cliffs along the western shores plunge into the sea
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Constrained to local parks, trails and perhaps even the ‘dreadmill’, many of us are desperate to escape those confines and make a dash for somewhere more exotic. The Portuguese island of Madeira, roughly four hours by air from the UK and a year-round destination with often glorious autumn weather, is the perfect place to break those lockdown blues with a glorious running adventure. Part of a small volcanic archipelago situated in the Atlantic, around 300 miles off the west coast of Africa, Madeira is not as popular a holiday destination for Brits as the Canary Islands, but it offers a wilder experience. Rising from the Atlantic breakers, its rugged, mountainous terrain, criss-crossed with trails and irrigation channels, could have been tailor-made for runners. While the island is only 35 miles long, what it lacks in length it makes up for in height, with numerous peaks reaching well above 1,000m and often shrouded in cloud. The old saying, ‘If you don’t like the weather, wait 15 minutes’ couldn’t be more apt for Madeira, so make sure you pack a waterproof jacket and adaptable mindset to go with your sunscreen. For those looking to push themselves, the island also possesses some of the most technical trail-running terrain you will find anywhere in the world, with razor sharp lava rocks, moss-covered cobbles and energy-sapping volcanic grit. Madeira can be as challenging as it is beautiful, so be prepared to hike hard and put your best trail shoes through their paces.
A SLICE OF MADEIRA Ponto do Pargo's trails, at the westernmost point of Madeira, offer up the best panoramic views of the shimmering Atlantic Ocean
How to get there Many airlines fly direct to Madeira’s capital, Funchal.
When to go Madeira is a year-round destination, but the best months to go are late March to May and late September to November. The weather can be unpredictable at any time, so make sure you pack for the changing conditions.
Where to stay There are accommodation
options to suit different budgets across the island and for those who like to maximise their outdoor experience, there are campsites at Porto Moniz and Ponta de São Lourenço.
(limpets), octopus, black scabbard fish with banana, bolo do caco (garlic bread) and our postrun favourite, picado – a platter of chips topped with marinated steak.
Getting around
Races
There is a bus network, but it is infrequent. It’s best to hire a car at the airport.
Each year thousands of runners flock to the island to challenge themselves at the Madeira Island Ultra Trail (MIUT). With distances from 16km to 115km, there’s an option to suit everyone. Usually held each May,
Fuel and refuel For the full experience, chow down on some of the local specialities, including lapas
the race has been moved to November in 2021 (miutmadeira.com/en/).
Getting organised Madeira Trail Tours (madeiratrailtours.com) offer hiking and running trips on Madeira. In addition, James Poole is planning to stage running camps on the island later this year and in 2022, travel restrictions permitting. Keep an eye on his Insta channel @jamesdpoole for more details. E
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Porto Moniz to Seixal, 20km out-and-back
Faja da Quebrada Nova loop, 16km
X
X Porto Moniz X
Porto Moniz to Ponta do Pargo loop, 44km
Porto Moniz to Seixal to Porto Moniz, 20km hilly route
X Seixal
Ponta do Pargo
Sao Vicente
Santana
1,640m Pico Ruivo do Paul
Porto da Cruz loop, 17km
X Madeira 1,862 m Pico Ruivo
X Porto da Cruz
Pico Ruivo easy loop, 5.5km
Canical Calheta
X
Canhas Ponta do Sol
1,129 m Pico Alto
Ribeira Brava
COAST STORIES SITUATED ON THE MOST northwesterly point of the island, and around one hour’s drive from the airport, the picturesque village of Porto Moniz is the ideal starting point for a Madeira running adventure and serves up several challenging trail routes. Those who want to go big early in the trip should head west along the rocky coastline towards the Ponta do Pargo lighthouse, which has been warning ships off the rocks since 1922. The picturesque route provides epic views down to the rocky coves below and out across the Atlantic. The lighthouse signals the halfway point and 20km run back along windswept and exposed trails. For a shorter run and the chance of a wild swim, or to explore the all-but-deserted traditional village of Fajã da Quebrada Nova, you can start out on the same route and then head down the steep, two-kilometre path that runs by the cable car at Achadas da Cruz. The descent is a truly breathtaking experience and if you don’t fancy the lung-busting climb back up, the cable car offers a get-out-of-jailfree card. Either way, you can end the day and soothe your tired legs with a long soak in Porto Moniz’s natural complex of lava pools, which are filled with crystal clear seawater from the rising tide. The full out-and-back, up-and-down to this unique spot is approximately 16km, with 500m of ascent. E
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Funchal
Pico Ruivo hard outand-back, 26km
Santa Cruz
A SLICE OF MADEIRA
(Left) James picks his way across volcanic rock at Praia da Maiata, which resembles a mini Hawaii, with black beaches, lush green hillsides and decent surf; (top to bottom): the black sands of Seixal, northwest coast; slippery lava outcrops near Porto da Cruz; Ponta do Rosto, a popular lookout over jagged coastline; beach running along Praia da Maiata; be ready for rain…
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BLACK AND GREEN NESTLED BETWEEN THE cliffs and enclosed by terraces of vines growing the grapes for Madeira wine, Seixal is as picture-perfect a place as anywhere on the island. On the short drive from Porto Moniz or a pleasant 10km run along the rock-strewn old coastal road, take a moment to admire the imposing needles of Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela on the way to this quiet black-sand beach, which is also a killer spot for a coffee or to refuel with a prego em bolo do caco – a popular lunchtime snack of steak in garlic bread. Take the coastal route back the way you came for a roughly half-marathon-distance loop or, for the more adventurous, climb up through the vine terraces and join the PR13 Vereda do Fanal. This is one for the mountain goats, with
more than 1,200m of climbing in just over 6km. On returning to Seixel, you will have racked up 30km and around 2,000m of ascent. Drive 20km further east from Seixel to Porto da Cruz and you’ll find black sand is replaced by black pebbles, washed smoothed by the ferocious Atlantic waves. The coastal coves feel as remote as anywhere on the planet, but the rocky beaches make for an almost un-runnable surface, so head south into the interior of the island and enjoy a 17km loop through the lush green vegetation. Starting from the beach, follow the Caminho do Cabo de Larano towards Pico da Coroa – the highest point of the loop, at around 700m above sea level. Follow the rolling paths of the Estrada Florestal de Serra da Funduras for around six kilometres before turning north just before Miradouro da Portella and descending back to your start point.
RUNNING THE LEVADAS for anyone with a sense of adventure is complete without a run along one of the hundreds of levadas that criss-cross the island. Dating back to the 16th century, these irrigation channels NO TRIP TO MADEIRA
James hits his stride in Seixal, one of the few natural (and black) sand beaches on the island. Best visited at sunrise for a deserted run and swim as the sun creeps over the gigantic cliffs and waterfalls
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A SLICE OF MADEIRA
Madeira’s internal terrain is astonishingly verdant. Running the levadas (irrigation channels, of which there are over 200) requires some deft footwork
were built to transport water from the wetter west and northwest of the island to support agriculture in the drier southeast. Along with irrigation, today they also provide hydroelectric power and, more importantly for runners, some 1,350 miles of trails cutting through the wild spaces of the island. The cobbled, often slippery paths meander through the jungle-like undergrowth that provides a striking green contrast to the black and barren rocky coastline. One of the best levada runs begins in the Queimadas Forest Park, a short distance from Santana on the northern coast. Following the PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde, runners will be transported into a world of hobbit holes, gushing waterfalls and rhododendrons. The PR9 also allows access to Pico das Pedras and the gateway to the highest point on the island, Pico Ruivo. For a relatively mellow 10km run, start at the Forest Park and head southeast towards Pico das Pedras on cobbled trails alongside the levadas. After around three kilometres, you will begin to climb upwards through the treeline trails to the highest point of 1,400m, before descending back to the start point. Keep your eyes peeled for resident bird species such as the Madeira firecrest and Madeira chaffinch.
James living the high life at the summit of Pico Ruivo (1,862m), surrounded by swirling cloud inversions that add an extra touch of drama and wonder
ABOVE THE CLOUDS AT 1,862M, PICO RUIVO is the highest point on the island and can be a popular site for tourists, so avoid the middle of the day if you want to enjoy uninterrupted views. There are two routes to the summit – a simple 5.5km run/hike from the car park and a longer route following the PR1, which connects Pico do Arieiro (the island’s third-highest peak at 1,818m) with Pico Ruivo through a series of tunnels, ridges and steps. The longer route begins at the Parque Ecologico do Funchal and follows the PR3 towards Pico do Arieiro and connects with the PR1 to the highest point. Retrace your steps for an epic run of almost 25km and more than 1,200m of ascent. A word to the wise: this is a high-altitude route and the weather is extremely changeable, so be sure to have some warm layers (and a headtorch for the return if you set out late in the day), so you can enjoy the local Coral beer as the sun sinks beneath a cloud inversion.
James Poole is a globe-trotting ultrarunner, adventurer and member of The North Face Explorer Team. Over the past decade, he has run all over the world, competing in some of the most prestigious races, including UTMB, UTMB Gaoligong, Gobi 400 Ultra, Western States and many more. In recent years, his passion has turned to self-supported running adventures with multi-day runs, exploring the world’s best trails, from the Balearic Islands to Nepal.
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AFTER SHE REJECTED HER STRICT RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY
RUNNING HELPED HER BUILD A NEW LIFE WORDS: DAVID ALM
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IT’S R ACE DAY – AND IT’S FREEZING. Connie doesn’t have gloves or a hat. She wears black yoga pants, a cotton sweatshirt and bulky, five-year-old Nikes. The crowd around her buzzes with strange talk of Garmins and racing flats, whatever those are. At the gun, her friend says, ‘Just run. Just follow the people.’ It’s 2013, and Connie is 24. When her friend suggested she register for the Valentine’s Day 5K in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, New York, she’d asked, ‘What’s a 5K?’ ‘It’s just a loop of the park,’ he said. She thought, how hard could it be? But now she’s following a big, swarming crowd. And when they get to a hill, they keep going. Connie stops. I can’t do it, she thinks. Running outside, let alone among hundreds of other runners on a frigid Saturday morning, is new to Connie. For years, she had to hide her runs from her husband and family. The hill before her is steep, but not nearly as steep as the one she has already climbed just to reach the starting line. Sundays were school days when Connie was growing up. Only a few hours most Sundays, except for the first Sunday in November each year, when the New York City Marathon ran straight through the heart of South Williamsburg. That was a full day of school. She would see only the marathon’s aftermath: an avenue strewn with paper cups, empty gel packets and police barricades. Marathoners were crazy people, she was told. They were going to break their legs, or die the moment they crossed the finish line. But most important, they were not part of the community. Connie Allen, née Schlesinger, was raised Satmar, an ultra-Orthodox sect of Hasidic Judaism that originated in Hungary in the early 20th century but really took root in post-Second World War New York. After the Holocaust, thousands of Orthodox Jews fled Europe and established tightly knit communities throughout Brooklyn. Connie’s mother, Devorah, was born in Israel; her father, Lipa, in Brooklyn. His parents, Holocaust survivors from Hungary, had their first child on the ship from Europe. For that first wave of Jewish émigrés, postwar Brooklyn represented a new start, but not a happy one. ‘Even in this land of safety and abundance, the pain of the Holocaust wasn’t
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very far from the surface,’ writes Warren Kozak in his book The Rabbi of 84th Street. ‘One could hear it in discussions and see it on the faces of those who survived.’ They seemed to be ‘stuck in a dark void’, a state of constant mourning. South Williamsburg measures less than one square mile, but it’s grown into one of the largest Hasidic enclaves in the world: estimates suggest it’s home to some 73,000 Hasidim of various sects. Most are Satmar, who reject modern life and maintain the customs and dress of their Hungarian ancestors. Insular and culturally conservative, the Satmar believe that through strict piety and a refusal to assimilate, they can guard against another attempt at annihilation. As a child, Connie knew nothing of the world beyond South Williamsburg. From her third-floor apartment, she would sit at the window, staring out, and whenever she saw a non-Hasidic person, her eyes would be glued. ‘I’d just try to understand what life was out there, because the life I was living was so miserable.’ It’s spring 2002 and Connie is 13. She’s small, with big brown eyes. Her hair hangs in a single braid; her traditional black housedress leaves only her face and hands exposed. Connie’s Satmar school is closed to girls each spring so they can help their mothers with Passover cleaning. They empty cupboards, scour surfaces and scrub walls to rid their homes of a ny t race of bread produc t s. The r it ua l commemorates the exodus of enslaved Israelites from Egypt, when, according to the Bible, they were liberated by Moses so abruptly that their bread had no time to rise. Today Passover is observed without leavened grain products, a tradition that honours their exile and hardship. For those weeks, Connie’s typically silent apartment is full of commotion, and she sees opportunity. She may not be able to change her dress or her hair, but she can change her body. As her mother and sisters clean, Connie slips into her bedroom. She lays towels on the creaky wood floor to muffle the sound. She begins: first jumping jacks, then high knees, then sprinting on the spot. She repeats the cycle for 20 minutes and again the next day. And the day after that, until it’s time to go back to school. ‘I wasn’t overweight, but I wanted to lose weight,’ she says. ‘Not because I wanted to lose weight, but because I wanted people to notice that I’d lost weight. And not even that I’d lost weight, necessarily, but to notice me.’ Looking back, she realises how unhealthy that thought process was for an adolescent girl. But 13-year-old Connie, who wasn’t even allowed to wear her hair down, just wanted to be seen. By her classmates, her teachers. Anyone.
OUT OF STEP CONNIE WAS LIPA and Devorah’s fifth child of eight. The family
was severe even by Satmar standards. Lipa believed food was for nourishment alone, not pleasure. He had never tasted chocolate or ice cream. Devorah spent most days reading her prayer book. She rarely showed affection. At sundown on Fridays, Devorah would light Shabbos candles, Connie and her sisters would queue up and one by one, Devorah would kiss them on the forehead; in return, they would kiss her hand. Connie says she didn’t feel any particular affinity for Judaism or God. But she cherished those moments of closeness with her mother. The family spoke only Yiddish and dressed in dark colours. The girls wore their hair in braids; the boys, in traditional payos, or ‘side curls’. Connie and her sisters were forbidden from talking to other girls who styled their hair
P R E V I O U S S P R E A D : CO U R T E S Y C O N N I E A L L E N ( FA M I LY P H OTO S )
BREAKING FREE
differently, or wore colourful clothing. Her brothers were forbidden from talking to girls at all. When Connie and her sisters turned 12, their father stopped looking at them or speaking to them directly. When he chastised them, it was through Devorah. Connie got chastised a lot. She was rebellious. She liked to listen to the radio; sometimes she brushed her teeth on Shabbos. ‘I know a lot of people who grew up better than I did,’ says Connie. ‘They had more freedom and more love. I always feel like things would have been different if I’d had that love.’ By 16, she decided she was done. Or rather, the decision was made for her. The sequence is a little murky, but of this she’s certain: in the summer of 2005, Connie was told not to return to school. She had made a friend at Satmar sleepaway camp who’d acquired a reputation for hanging around with boys. The school disapproved. Connie was fine with this. She’d never felt like she fit in.
Connie’s marathon PB is 3:31, but she excels on the track, where she recently posted a 2:35 800m
She got a job at another school, where she befriended the janitor. He was the first non-Jewish person Connie had ever known. And though nothing ever happened between them, Connie considered him her boyfriend. What else to call a man she talked to in private? Devorah had reached her limit. She demanded Connie talk to her uncle, ‘who supposedly knew about stuff’. Connie agreed, on the condition that her mother find her a match by the time she turned 17. It’s not uncommon for young ultra-Orthodox Jews to get married to escape their parents’ homes, says Yael Reisman from Foot steps, a nonprofit organisation that provides assistance to ultra-Orthodox Jews transitioning out of the community. But getting married further cements them in the community. ‘Once you’re married, it becomes much harder to leave,’ says Reisman. Connie’s parents found her an eligible Satmar boy. The couple had a 15-minute meeting and were married 12 weeksE
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‘W HEN CONNIE AND HER SISTERS TURNED 12, THEIR FATHER STOPPED LOOKING AT THEM OR SPEAKING TO THEM DIRECTLY’
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CO U R T E SY CO N N I E A L L E N ( FA M I LY P H OTO S )
BREAKING FREE
later. Once married, Connie cut off her hair and began wearing a wig; only a woman’s husband should see her natural hair, according to ultra-Orthodox custom. They moved into a small apartment close to where they’d both been raised, and began building a life. In the Orthodox community, that meant starting a family. Every month after her wedding, Connie walked to an unmarked brick building. Connie hated the mikvah, a ritual bath that dates to at least the first century BC, but she had no choice. Married Orthodox women are expected to go to the mikvah at the end of their menstrual cycles to ensure they are ‘pure’. She would descend a set of stairs to a damp basement. An older woman would lead her into a private room, where Connie undressed, showered, clipped her nails and combed what remained of her hair. Then she would go to a room with a small pool. Connie would submerge herself entirely six times as the older woman watched. After each submersion the older woman would offer a simple affirmation: ‘Kosher.’
GROWING APART CONNIE AND HER husband had little in common, but they shared
a rebellious streak. Unlike most Satmar men, he didn’t shun the secular world. He had a job. He had a car. He introduced Connie to movies. These became an escape, however brief. But they also made her sad. Her heart sank during ‘the love parts’ – any scene depicting a deep, affectionate relationship between the characters. ‘I didn’t have that,’ she says.
Left to right: Connie holds a photo from her wedding day, when she was 17; Connie (centre), aged 14, on a family outing. It was her first time on the subway, even though she is a lifelong resident of New York City; Connie and one of her older sisters, who also eventually left the community
Connie got pregnant the first time she and her husband had sex. Within weeks, she was so ill she could barely get out of bed. She never saw a doctor. Instead, her husband called a rabbi. ‘You have to take care of your husband, you have to support your family,’ the rabbi told her. ‘You can’t just lie in bed all day.’ Connie seethed. She realised her husband thought she’d been faking. A week later she had a miscarriage. After nearly two more years of trying to get pregnant, Connie gave birth to a son, Chaimy, in August 2008. She was 19. She joined a nearby YMCA gym, where she began walking on the treadmill to lose some pregnancy weight. Connie went to the YMCA a few times a week, after she put her son to bed. She wore a long-sleeved T-shirt, black leggings and a long skirt, and covered her hair. On her feet she wore the Nikes she’d lace up five years later for that Valentine’s Day 5K. Gradually, she learned to pick up the pace for brief intervals, jogging for up to three minutes. During her pregnancy, Connie had been able to avoid the mikvah because she wasn’t menstruating, but eventually she was expected to go back. She realised that once a month, during the time she would normally allocate to the mikvah, she could disappear for two and a half hours without drawing suspicion. This gave her the idea of heading to the gym to ‘make my own mikvah’. She learned to use the weight machines, to do crunches on a Pilates ball and climb the stair machine. Afterwards she’d take a quick shower, clip her nails and go home. Her husband had no idea. At home, Connie continued to rebel. She wore jeans and put on a skirt only when she left the house. She grew her hair and wore it down, donning her wig only in public. She listened to the radio. ‘It was just me in the house doing what I wanted and if my husband didn’t like it, we’d fight. I didn’t even care,’ she says. Besides, he could be loose with the rules, too. But now they had a son. They had to think about where he’d go to school, what kind of clothes he’d wear, whether he’d have side curls. They fought. ‘He wanted to keep living that double life,’ she says. For Connie, that was unacceptable. ‘I thought, you can watch TV but your child can’t? That’s not how I want to raise my kid. That’s not honest, not truthful.’ She told her husband she wanted to leave the community. He tried to dissuade her. Then he said they’d do it together. ‘But he didn’t have it in him,’ she says. Reisman says that for people who leave the community, the repercussions extend far beyond those who go. Leaving ‘tarnishes the entire family’, she says. ‘Your siblings might not be selected for certain marriages, your father might be ostracised at shul (synagogue).’ As oppressive as life in the community might appear, Reisman says it can also be one of great warmth and beauty. ‘Everyone looks out for you,’ she says. ‘Almost every need is taken care of. If you leave that, not only are you going out on your own, but you’re losing your whole safety net.’ For many in the ultra-Orthodox community, this presents the biggest risk. ‘Because of the way you were brought up, you don’t know how to function in the world,’ says Reisman. ‘You may not even speak English. The ultra-Orthodox are essentially immigrants in the place where they were born.’ No one in Connie’s life supported her decision. They told her of people who’d left and committed suicide, or who tried to return but were never accepted back into the fold. That there was nothing out there for her. That she’d lose herE
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son. ‘She had every thing to lose,’ says Reisman. But Connie could see no other way. She had to leave for her son’s sake. Connie met another young single mother who was also leaving the community, and they got an apartment in central Brooklyn, several miles from South Williamsburg. She got the bus to her old neighbourhood every day to her job at a tech support company. Connie was 21, with limited education and an 18-monthold to support. She had only begun to learn English four years earlier. She had little money and almost no time for
herself, let alone for working out, one of the few things that brought her joy. She stopped going. ‘Everything just fell apart,’ she says. ‘Just so much chaos.’ To alleviate stress, Connie and her flatmate partied whenever their kids were with their dads. They drank. They went to clubs with other disillusioned Hasidim. One day, when things were especially rough, Connie called her mother. ‘Why couldn’t we have further education after high school, so we can support our families?’ she asked. Her mother replied: ‘Why are you questioning the way of life?’ Reisman says that for Satmar Jews, questioning the way of life is tantamount to forgetting the past, and forgetting the past is tantamount to extinction. ‘Everything the Satmar community does is because of the Holocaust,’ she says. ‘They suffered incredible loss.’ For those who leave, this inherited trauma compounds the challenges of adjusting to the secular world. A lot of people fall into destructive habits as a way to cope. ‘I could have easily become a drug addict,’ says Connie. One morning, after a night of partying, she woke up and couldn’t remember the previous 12 hours. ‘I thought, “I’m done.”’
MOVING FORWARD IT’S THE BEGINNING of 2013, and Connie has been on her own for
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three years. She hasn’t seen her family since 2011, when she was asked to leave her sister’s wedding for not wearing an appropriately modest dress. She no longer has the friends she partied with when she left the community. She has only her son and when he’s at his dad’s, she has no one. So she returns to the thing that gave her solace in her old life. She spends up to five hours at a time in the gym, in the weights room and running on the treadmill. Bodybuilders and yoga instructors become her new friends. Gradually, she meets other runners, too. When one invites her to race the Valentine’s Day 5K, she doesn’t hesitate. But Connie has never run outside in winter. She isn’t prepared for the cold or the hills. As she squeezes into the crowd behind the starting line, a friend loans her his hat. Just one loop of the park, she says to herself. I can do this. At the gun, Connie gets swept into the current of the crowd. At that first hill she stops, looks up at the incline and starts to walk. When she reaches the top, she starts to run again. She finishes as the clock ticks past the 27-minute mark and signs up for another race the next weekend. By mid-March 2013, Connie has run a handful of 5Ks and four-milers and wants to try something longer. That April, she runs a 15km in Central Park in 1:22. ‘Everything was hurting, but I loved it,’ she says. ‘When it was over, I thought, how do I train for something like this in the future?’ She joins a club, North Brooklyn Runners, and begins training with another runner on the team, Hershy, who also grew up Orthodox. With him, Connie starts to do regular runs at a 7:30 pace and ‘crazy track workouts’. ‘I didn’t have a Garmin, I’d just follow him and he’d time me,’ she says. ‘We’d do hill repeats on the Williamsburg Bridge. Then we’d do a 20-minute cool-down. One day, on the way home, I passed Prospect Park and did another loop.’ Soon she buys a Garmin. Then she buys new shoes. She starts running to and from work, eight miles each way. Connie doesn’t know her best distance, she just knows she loves to run. She applies to the 2013 New York City Marathon, but doesn’t get a place, so she registers for Philadelphia instead. Then she gets a spot in New York through Team for Kids and decides to do both. So just nine
BREAKING FREE
months after her first road race, Connie finishes two marathons just two weeks apart.
FINDING REDEMPTION IT’S 2020 NOW . Connie is 31. She carries herself like an athlete,
confident and strong. When she speaks, she’s direct; when she listens, she does so with intent. Her eyes are alert. She lives in New Jersey with her new husband, their two-year-old daughter and her son. He turned 12 in August. Her husband, Ken, is a runner, too. Like most of her new friends, she met him through NBR. Over the past seven years, Connie has completed four marathons and has a PB of 3:31. But where she truly excels is on the track. Through NBR, she met James Chu, a certified coach who saw immediately that she had the explosive speed for shorter distances. Chu began coaching Connie in late 2013 a nd t hey set t heir sig ht s on t he 5th Avenue Mile the following September. Connie and her coach met regularly at the McCarren track in North Williamsburg for speed sessions and to develop Connie’s form. She learned to drive her knees forward, to use her arms, to run tall. It paid off. In September 2014, Connie finished 5th Avenue in 5:53. The following year she brought her time down to 5:35. Last year, she posted a 2:35 800m.
Left: Connie with her son, Chaimy; above: training in a local park. When Connie first got into running, she’d run to and from work, eight miles each way
She kept working on the longer distances, too, clocking a half-marathon PB of 1:32. Like any runner, she’s had her share of injuries and slumps. The 2016 Boston Marathon left her exhausted and she struggled all summer to train for 5th Avenue in September. She made it to the start but dropped out at the three-quarter mark. She needed a break. She hung up her shoes and focused on her family. She had just married Ken and was trying to get pregnant. In July 2017, her mother called. It was the first time they’d spoken in six years. She saw it as a chance to ask some questions, to understand her mother better, to find a path toward reconciliation. ‘Why didn’t you give us kids any love?’ Connie asked. ‘Why was there no affection in our house?’ Finally, her mother answered, ‘I just did what my parents did.’ Two months later, just before Connie’s daughter was born, her mother called again. This time, Connie didn’t pick up; the pain of the previous call was still fresh. Her mother left a voicemail. ‘Chumy,’ she began, using Connie’s Yiddish name. ‘It’s Mommy. I didn’t forget about you. My heart is open for you.’ Her mother was crying and for a moment, Connie thought she might finally be ready to accept her for who she is, to give her the love she had always craved, to be the mother she had always longed for her to be. But she wasn’t calling to offer any of that, or because Connie was about to have a baby. ‘God is waiting for you to return to him,’ her mother said, her voice muffled by tears. ‘He loves you. God is never going to leave a Jewish child. You can always return.’ ‘That voicemail started out well,’ says Connie, ‘but it took a turn when she mentioned God. They will only accept me if I return to God’s ways.’ These days, Connie identifies as an atheist. ‘Holidays we still celebrate because of the history. I believe in history. But I don’t believe there is a God or a higher power.’ Her mother hasn’t called since. Today, Connie is at once forgiving and resolute when she speaks of her parents and her ex-husband. After all, they didn’t make the rules. But she also can’t abide a life that was so unbearable and so lonely. She wants her children to know something different. After a nearly three-year hiatus, Connie resumed training in May 2019. Last spring, she ran a 30-second 200m PB. She had hoped to break 65 in the 400m last summer, but then races were cancelled due to the pandemic. These are much shorter distances than the New York City Marathon that captured her imagination as a child, but the journey to get there has taken a lifetime. She thinks back to those bulky white Nikes, that first 5K in Prospect Park and the friends who helped her train for her first 26.2-miler through the city’s five boroughs in 2013. She remembers the thrill of descending the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, the only place she’d ever called home, and crossing the finish line at Tavern on the Green. But most of all, she remembers running through South Williamsburg. ‘Just going through that one mile, the feeling of redemption,’ she says of racing up Bedford Avenue, the same stretch of road that took her to the mikvah and, later, home from the YMCA. She’d been on that road countless times, but never like this. She didn’t feel invisible this time. She didn’t feel lost. She felt like a marathoner. As she ran, the few Hasidic spectators stared at her like she was crazy, or was going to break her legs, or would die the moment she crossed the finish line. Connie just smiled back at them. She couldn’t stop smiling.
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THE WORK KNIFE BALANCE Your dreams of cooking gourmet midday meals while working from home never quite materialised, so lunch remains the same sad salad or sarnie on repeat. Whether it’s time, energy or inspiration holding you back, consider this your toolkit for building delicious dishes that will see you through to dinner. These chefs have your lunchtimes sorted 052 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK AUGUST 2021 2020
LU N C H P O W E R
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Moju Salad For a week’s worth of nutrient-rich fuel, bulk-prep this salad from Sri Lankan restaurant Hoppers. It’s an easy way to counter the damage of days sat at a DIY desk set-up. hopperslondon.com
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173kcals / 15g carbs 3g protein / 10g fat Serves 7 / Vegan INGREDIENTS
4 parsnips, cut into 3-inch batons, 2 carrots, cut into 3-inch batons, 200g Jerusalem artichoke, diced, 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced, 3 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp turmeric, powder, 2 red onions, finely sliced, 100g coriander, chopped, 50g mint, chopped
FOR THE DRESSING:
METHOD
10 shallots, finely diced, 3 green chillies, diced, 4 garlic cloves, peeled and diced, 8 curry leaves, 2 tsp ground mustard seeds, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar, 2 tbsp coconut oil
1 / Roast the vegetables, apart from the red onion, for 20-30 mins with coconut oil, turmeric and seasoning. 2 / While they cook, make the dressing by mixing the ingredients. Coat the veg in as much dressing as you want, adding the red onion. Combine with the herbs before eating. This will keep in the fridge for a week. Plus, you can pair it with different proteins – try chicken breast smothered in hot sauce for a non-vegan option.
WO R D S : S CA R L E T T W R E N C H . P H OTO G R A P H S : S U N L E E . F O O D S T Y L I N G : I O N A B L AC K S H AW; R O S I E B I R K E T T. A D D I T I O N A L P H OTO G R A P H Y: S KC/S TO C KSY; G E T T Y I M AG E S
Protects the heart
LU N C H P O W E R Builds muscle
Piri-Piri Chicken This dish from Portuguese hotspot Casa do Frango has the ideal macronutrient balance to help your muscles recover. casadofrango.co.uk 459kcals / 44g carbs 28g protein / 17g fat Serves 2 / Dairy-free INGREDIENTS
1 chicken breast, Chilli powder, to taste, Zest of 1 lemon, ½ garlic clove, crushed, Drizzle of olive oil, 60g cooking chorizo, diced, ½ white onion, sliced, ½ red pepper, sliced, 300g cooked arborio rice, Worcestershire sauce, to taste, 100ml chicken stock, 60g frozen peas, Handful of parsley, chopped, Squeeze of lemon juice
METHOD
1 / Grill your chicken (free-range, if possible) and coat in a piri-piri glaze: whisk together the chilli powder, lemon zest, garlic and a glug of olive oil. 2 / Fry the chorizo, onion and pepper until the veg softens. Tip the rice into the pan and sauté. Add as much Worcestershire sauce as you like, and the stock, then throw in the peas and parsley and heat through. 3 / Split into two portions, add lemon juice and top with half the chicken. A portion packs 28g of protein – perfect for after a sweaty lunchtime interval session – plus fast-acting carbs to boost muscle synthesis.
Boosts energy
Cashew Tabbouleh Gear up with vegetarian restaurant Bubala’s grain salad, packed with slow-releasing carbs to keep you going all afternoon. bubala.co.uk 545kcals / 59g carbs 13g protein / 28g fat Serves 2 / Vegetarian INGREDIENTS
100g freekeh, 60g toasted cashew, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp honey, 50g parsley, 50g mint, 100g spinach, 1 red onion, diced, 1 tomato, chopped, 100g pomegranate seeds
METHOD
1 / Rinse the freekeh, then boil in salted water for about 15 mins until soft, with a slight bite. 2 / Meanwhile, pulse the cashews in a blender to form a coarse crumb. (Adding fat to your carbs slows down absorption, giving you longer-lasting energy.) 3 / Drain the freekeh; then, in a separate bowl, whisk the oil, molasses, lemon juice, cinnamon and honey. Slice the herbs and spinach (don’t chop it too finely or it’ll end up mushy), then combine everything with the red onion, tomato and pomegranate seeds. It’ll keep for a few days in the fridge. E
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Busts hunger
Sweet Potato Salad Often distracted by hunger during your mid-afternoon meeting? Bubala strikes again with this delicious and satiating vegan dish 629kcals / 56g carbs 23g protein / 36g fat Serves 1 / Vegan INGREDIENTS
1 sweet potato, 1 tbsp ras el hanout (£2.10 for 45g sainsburys.co.uk), drizzle of olive oil, ½ tin of chickpeas, 1 tbsp chermoula, 50g tahini, 20ml lemon juice, Handful of rocket
METHOD
1 / Heat the oven to 200C. Cut the sweet potato into wedges and put on a baking tray before adding the ras el hanout with a glug of oil. Cook in the oven for 35 mins, turning halfway. 2 / Drain the chickpeas and combine with the chermoula, an antioxidant-rich North African marinade that you’ll find in most big supermarkets. Whisk 100ml of cold water into the tahini until you have a pancake batter-like consistency, and season with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. 3 / Now, build your plate. Start with the sweet potato, then top with the chickpeas, tahini and a big handful of rocket.
Boosts immunity
Pumpkin Tirshy Bubala’s versatile dip is an easy upgrade for your lunch staples, and it’s rich in micronutrients to help offset the effects of stress or sleep loss
INGREDIENTS
1 delica pumpkin, approx 850g (eatvita. co.uk), 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tbsp preserved, lemon, mashed, 2 tbsp rose harissa, 100g coriander, chopped feta, crumbled, to serve, olives, chopped, to serve
METHOD
1 / This dip contains around a third of the fat you’d find in shop-bought hummus. Pumpkin is full of immunity-supporting vitamin C and beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A. Cut the pumpkin into wedges, discard the seeds, coat with oil and season. Roast for 30 mins at 180C. 2 / Allow it to cool, then blend with the spices, lemon paste, rose harissa and 200ml of water, before stirring through the coriander. Top with feta and olives. Serve with flatbread as a pre-gym snack, or with any leftover veg kicking about in your fridge.
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WO R D S : S CA R L E T T W R E N C H . P H OTO G R A P H S : T T K T K T K T K T K T K
134kcals / 21g carbs 4g protein / 5g fat Serves 4 / Vegetarian
LU N C H P O W E R Sharpens the mind
Tuna Ceviche This brain-healthy bowl from Venezuelan restaurant Sabroso will keep your mood elevated. facebook.com/sabrosorestaurants 648kcals / 73g carbs 39g protein / 17g fat Serves 1 / Pescatarian INGREDIENTS
65g quinoa, uncooked ½ tsp grated fresh ginger, 2 tsp sugar, 3 tbsp soy sauce, Drizzle of olive oil, 75g sushi-grade tuna steak, diced, 2 spring onions, sliced, 5 plantain chips, ½ an avocado, sliced THE CHÉVERE SAUCE:
1 tbsp soy sauce, 300ml red wine, 50g sugar, 1 tbsp cornflour
METHOD
1 / Fry the quinoa in a saucepan for 2 mins, then add 150ml of boiling water. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 mins. 2 / Drain, cool and mix with the ginger, sugar, soy sauce and a glug of oil. 3 / Make your sauce. Bring the soy sauce, red wine and sugar to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 10-15 mins. Mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp of cold water, then add it to the sauce, whisking until thick. 4 / Top the quinoa with the raw tuna, spring onions and sauce, and place in the fridge overnight. Top with the plantain chips and avocado when you’re ready to eat.
Supports the gut
Salmon Grain Bowl This recipe from wild-food specialists Mac & Wild contains prebiotics, which may help to alleviate anxiety symptoms. macandwild.com 634kcals / 36g carbs 41g protein / 36g fat serves 1 / Pescatarian INGREDIENTS
70g precooked mixed barley and lentils, 1 wild salmon fillet, 1 tbsp cooked edamame beans, Handful of chopped kale, 4 broccoli florets, roughly chopped Drizzle of olive oil Chilli flakes, 1 tbsp kimchi, Drizzle of sriracha mayo 1 tbsp flaked almonds
METHOD
1 / Save yourself some faff by using a microwave pouch of barley and lentils. As the pouch cooks, dice the salmon into 1cm cubes, then add to the heated grain mix. A pre-cooked fillet will do the job, but high-quality raw fish retains more omega-3s. 2 / Top with the edamame, kale and broccoli (all of which have prebiotics), and dress with a drizzle of olive oil and chilli flakes, tossing everything together. Cutting costs? Use half the salmon and bulk out the rest with extra lentils. 3 / To finish, top with gut-healthy kimchi, the sriracha mayo and a sprinkle of flaked almonds.
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Four million footsteps HOW PIONEERING RUNNING ICON BRUCE TULLOH CONQUERED THE EPIC COAST-TO COAST CROSSING OF THE US WITH A CARAVAN, CORNFL AKES AND COMMON SENSE
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B R U C E T U L LO H
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A
a successful athletics career in 1967 – he was European 5000m champion in 1962 – Bruce Tulloh was ready for his next challenge. Looking through The Guinness Book of Records, he came across the record set by Don Shepherd of South Africa, who, in 1964, covered 3,200 miles from Los Angeles to New York in 73 days and eight hours. Tulloh, then 33, planned to set off in April 1969, giving him plenty of time to train, agree a term off from his job as a biology teacher and try to find sponsorship deals to support the trip. He trained intensively through the summer, autumn and winter of 1968, having never before run more than 23 miles at a stretch, and set a target of 66 days – an average of 43 miles every day. After six months of letters, British Leyland agreed to lend Tulloh two cars (an MGB convertible and an Austin America) for the trip, while Caravans International loaned a Sprite 400 caravan and the drinks company Schweppes sponsored the attempt. Tulloh’s support crew comprised his wife, Sue, who would find campsites for overnight stays, drive the caravan to pre-arranged meeting places along the route, provide food and drinks, and give Tulloh leg and foot massages. His 18-yearold cousin, Mark, drove the second car, while the couple also took along their six-year-old son, Clive. After over a year of planning and preparation, Tulloh was ready to set off from Los Angeles City Hall on April 21, 1969. What follows are selected dispatches from the run from Tulloh himself, extracted from his book Four Million Footsteps. They capture the wonder and spectacle, along with the pain and exhaustion, of crossing the USA on foot. FTER RETIRING FROM
A p r i l 2 1 // L o s A n g e l e s // C a l i f o r n i a We drove down to City Hall in good time on the Monday morning, arriving soon after nine. I took off my sweater and tracksuit bottoms, so that I was wearing just T-shirt, shorts, shoes and socks. I carried a street map and my dark glasses. As the clock on the tower jerked to 10 o’clock, I set off. I felt good to be on my way, after so much planning and worrying. It was just up to me now.
A p r i l 2 3 // P a l m S p r i n g s // C A The temperature got up to nearly 90F, and only a few weeks before I had been doing all my training in 40-50F temperatures. I was taking precautions to protect myself from this change of climate. Before going out in the afternoon sun, I would put on sun cream, dark glasses, a silk scarf round my neck and a peaked cap. Every three miles, I would sponge myself
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Previous pages: Bruce Tulloh’s journey took in spectacular scenery, but not always. This page: Sue, Bruce and son Clive try to work out their route; Sue and Bruce stretch it out in 1962; baby Clive looks on
down with cold water and drink about half a pint of cold orange juice diluted down. If I had been sweating a lot, I would take a salt tablet. It worked out very well, because after that first day I never suffered from cramp, and never from sunburn or heat exhaustion.
A p r i l 2 6 // C a l i f o r n i a // A r i z o n a b o r d e r The Colorado River forms the border between California and Arizona and is spanned by a wide bridge. There is something about crossing rivers which is meaningful to the traveller – another river behind one, like another mountain range, gives the impression, false in this case, of having surmounted another barrier. Here the wind was blowing sand from the bank, nearly taking my cap off, but this added to the excitement I felt at having reached another state.
A p r i l 2 7 // S a l o m e // A Z The next morning was mercilessly clear. By nine o’clock it was already hot and it was 37 miles to the next village, Salome. It was one of those days when each mile seems like a mile and a half. I had to have a sponge-down and a drink every three miles, and even that distance seemed a long way. During this day and the two succeeding days, as we approached Phoenix, the run became a personal battle, with the sun as my enemy. When things got bad, I would think of green and peaceful England, or of being down by the shore in the little E
B R U C E T U L LO H
When things G OT BAD I would think of G RE E N and peaceful England
Bruce runs on while Sue and Clive follow in the relative comfort of the Austin America
Devon village I come from, sailing on the river or fishing in the rockpools.
M a y 1 // S u p e r i o // A Z I had been running for 10 days now, and had 440 miles behind me, most of it desert. I believed that the worst was behind me, whereas it was just beginning – it’s a good thing we don’t have foreknowledge.
M a y 2 // G l o b e // A Z During the morning my thigh muscle stiffened up again, forcing me to run with a limp. On the downhill grades I could not use this muscle for ‘braking’ as I would normally, so had to come down very heavily on my right foot. The scenery was fine – ridges of brown rock divided by wooded valleys, each with a steep river gorge, but my mind was having to concentrate entirely on my striding. The pain was due to inflammation of the tendons in the lower part of the right shin, a complaint familiar to road runners, who call
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The Sprite 400 caravan that was home and race base for the Tullohs for just over two months
it ‘shin splints’. If you go on running on shin splints it is likely to lead to a stress fracture of the tibia. The only cure, as a rule, is complete rest, and it may take two or three weeks to clear up. The next morning, the problem was still there. The only hope lay in getting strong boots, which would give more support to foot and ankle, so Sue and I drove back into Globe, where I found what I wanted. As I limped along, I kept doing sums in my head to calculate how long it would take me if the injury lasted a week – this was the only way to prevent despair from creeping in. The longer I went on walking, the greater would be the mileage necessary in the later stages of the run, but I was sure I would be able to get up to 50 miles a day or more towards the end. If I had to walk for a week, at 30 miles a day, then a week of running 50 miles a day would bring me back to an average of 40 – sufficient to beat the record, if not to achieve my 66-day target. The next three days were a struggle against the elements: at times grim; at others, invigorating. Certainly, it was a time that I remember very distinctly, because that period, together with the three days I have just described, was the period in which I was really working at full stretch, using my physical and mental powers to the utmost.
M a y 7 // S p r i n g e r v i l l e // A Z On the morning of May 7, I started off 20 miles west of Springerville. I was miserably cold, my muscles ached from the constant tension and
B R U C E T U L LO H my ankle hurt at every step. There was nothing to see except the road winding down across the desolate prairie. I think From top: Sue it was the worst time of the whole trip. and Bruce enjoy At times, I shouted at the wind in my anger and a quiet moment in the caravan; frustration; at times, tears poured down my face and I longed Bruce reaches to be back home. I thought of the warm bar of the White Texas, the Hart in Wargrave; I thought of walking along the beach in Lone Star Devon, running my toes through warm sand; I even thought State, in May of being back in the desert. There could be no question of giving up; no one was going to come out to me for two hours, and it was too cold to sit down and rest. There was nothing to do but curse and keep going, until at last it grew a bit warmer and the pain in my ankle lessened. We had been 12 days in Arizona and had endured the greatest extremes of weather, as well as the worst injury of the whole trip.
M a y 8 // Re d H i l l // N e w M ex i c o Our first morning in New Mexico dawned bright and clear, but also very cold. Ahead of me was another 23 miles of dead-straight road, disappearing into a frieze of blue hills. Behind me were the higher hills I had come through, and either side of me the grassland stretched away like an ocean, with the occasional homestead floating boat-like on that vast expanse. Though I was walking and might well have felt frustrated at not being able to run fast along the level road, I felt peaceful – in that immensity of land and sky, it was sufficient just to be part of it. My mind adjusted to the pace of the country and as I moved slowly, the folds of the hills altered their patterns and slowly the shapes of clouds built up on the horizon.
M a y 1 5 // S a n t a Ro s a // N M When we joined Route 66, we had also joined the route taken by the pioneers of 1928, in t heir ‘Bunion Derby ’ [t he f irst A nnua l Transcontinental Footrace], and in the store in Montoya we met for the first time one of the people who had seen them come through – the old man who kept the store. He had been keeping the store in 1928 too and remembered well how they looked: ‘They were an untidy lot, like a lot of tramps; they didn’t care ’bout anything, just come in, buy a can o’ beans an’ eat ’em straight outta the can, then off they’d go again.’ It was Friday now, the day for sending off my Observer [newspaper] piece and at last I was able to send a fairly encouraging report home. My leg had improved, I had gone 45 miles for the last three days and, even more important, I clocked up that day my thousandth mile of running since leaving Los Angeles.
M a y 1 8 // A c r o s s Tex a s The change on crossing into Texas was quite amazing, considering that the border is only a line on the map. From a land of rather arid prairie we were suddenly in arable farming country, green and fertilelooking, with square fields bordered by irrigation ditches. The farmhouses, as well as the fields, looked more prosperous; they were neatly painted wooden houses, mostly white, or light grey with white woodwork, and they had green mown lawns and flower beds. The best thing of the morning was passing a sign which read ‘Oklahoma City 250 miles’. I had reached a stage where 250 miles didn’t sound much – only just over five days – and Oklahoma City was very near the halfway mark. It really gave me something to run for.
M a y 2 2 // S a y r e // O k l a h o m a The sight of the caravan at the lunchtime stop gave me the kind of feeling that must manifest itself to the faithful getting their first glimpse of the towers of Mecca. I would put away several bottles of iced Schweppes, sitting at my ease on the long seat of the caravan, while Sue prepared lunch, and then revel in the pleasure of being able to eat as much as I felt like and doze for an hour after it. When you are healthy and hungry, simple pleasures become bliss; I spent some happy moments dozing on that seat, watching the clouds drifting across endless blue skies until I too drifted into oblivion. I would wake up just before it E
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M a y 2 4 // S a l ye r L a ke P a r k // O k l a h o m a A big day for us all. It was Clive’s birthday, and that makes it a very big day when you are seven years old. He was awake before seven, to see what presents he had got; there were two parcels from home, a game and a puzzle from Maury [Schweppes PR man], a penknife and cowboy boots from us. Mark said he would have to wait for his, but when we got into town, he bought Clive a gorgeous tooled leather belt with a silver buckle, which was his pride and joy for the rest of the way.
J u n e 4 // S t L o u i s // M i s s o u r i St Louis had come to be a major landmark to me – two-thirds of the distance gone, the Mississippi River to cross and, best of all, half a day’s rest, more than I’d had in the whole trip. For the first time in weeks, I felt able to step back from the obsession of the run and look at the whole scene in a detached manner. Mark, Sue and I were sitting in our MGB, on a warm night beside the Mississippi; if I tipped my head back, I could see the smoke of my cigar dispersing the light of the mercury lamps; above that was the magnificent curve of the great Gateway Arch, its burnished steel plates catching the lights, its crest soaring to a height that made your head reel. If I looked out in front of me, I could see the wide river flowing quietly on its way to the Gulf. Beyond the streets were the vacant avenues of the suburbs, stores with deserted car parks and neon signs repeating their trite messages endlessly, with nobody to watch. Beyond that was the open country, forests and farms and deserts stretching 2,000 miles to the west, where the breakers of the Pacific still fell on the coast that I had left six weeks before.
J u n e 5 // i n t o I l l i n o i s Each state had its own atmosphere, and in Illinois it was that of a flat land lying under the sun. There were fewer trees and hills than in Missouri, more dust, heat and humidity. Every few miles along the road, towns or villages were marked, but as the atlas showed the same-sized dot for populations from 0 to 1,000, we never knew quite what to expect. Sometimes we would find a little town with a store, launderette and the other essentials of life; sometimes, just a road junction and a farmhouse.
J u n e 7 // C a s e y // I L In the afternoon, things became much less restful as the freeway died out, and all the traffic was on the same road as me; there was no hard shoulder for me to run on, so that every few yards I had to hop onto the rough grass or stony verge, to avoid the streams of cars and trucks. Our teatime stop was on the verge, at a point where the trucks were going
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IN MY FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS BRUCE’S SON CLIVE RECALLS THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY I was six years old when we set off with Dad. I was more excited to be missing school than thinking about what he was trying to do. We lived in a tiny caravan – the table folded down into a double bed for Mum and Dad, my 18-yearold godfather, Mark, slept on the bench and I was in a hammock above him. On the first day, Dad passed out with cramp after 25 miles. I was meant to be keeping a diary but even at six I realised asking how you spell ‘faint’ wasn’t a great idea – so the diary has a little stick-man runner lying on the ground. There are moments I remember vividly – three nights in the Salt River Canyon when Dad was hobbling along with an Achilles tendon problem, yet I thought it was brilliant; a campsite in the Wild West. I was unaware of the struggle Dad was going through. I remember the pover ty of the southern states, the excitement of arriving at Manhattan and the fuss everyone made. For a six-year-old it was just one great big adventure, and my Dad was the hero. Now, 52 years later and having been a runner all my life, I am in awe. The thought of running 42 miles a day in a pair of Adidas Rom for over two months seems incredible. The only thing I think Dad did wrong was run too fast – he tried to average just under seven-minute miles. There were no headphones, no audio books and hardly any runners in America at the time, so only on a few occasions did people join him. I used to do the first mile of walking with him every morning. I have an ambition of trying to do the run myself, at a slower pace. Next year is probably my last opportunity, as I’ll be 60 – anyone fancy joining me?
flat out at the bottom of a slope, and we had to endure the continuous blasts of sound and hot air as they came past us. It was with the utmost reluctance that I got out again, with 38 miles behind me, to run the last 10 or 11 miles into Casey. I hated the road, I hated the trucks and their drivers, I hated the sun and the dust.
J u n e 1 0 // I n d i a n a p o l i s // I n d i a n a All through the past week, across the plains of Indiana and Ohio, the physical side of the running had been working very well. It justified my faith in the adaptability of the human body, which can adjust itself to practically anything in time. My body was now a running machine, if you can imagine a machine which ran on cornflakes, salads, beans and Schweppes drinks. As long as I kept putting the fuel in, the miles kept coming. I was now on the last stage, but I had been warned that the mountains ahead, the Allegheny and the Blue Ridge Mountains, were tough, and if I did have any trouble there would be no time to catch up on the schedule again. It was a matter now of doing a job of work and not losing concentration, for even on the last few days a single strained ankle or overzealous dog could turn the whole thing from a triumph into a fiasco, and with 2,500 miles behind me I didn’t want that to happen.
J u n e 1 7 // M o u n t P l e a s a n t // Pe n n sy l va n i a We had expected Pennsylvania to be urban and industrial; instead, we found miles of unspoilt country. The mountain ranges here run roughly north and south, which makes it difficult for anyone travelling from west to east, but the views made up for it. When you are out in the open, you are particularly sensitive to small changes in temperature and humidity; you even notice changes in the flora and the insect life, thus I got the real feel of a piece of country, even though I might learn little about its human inhabitants. For me, the feel of the wind, the way the clouds move over the face of the sun, is reality; it is the thing on which life on the planet depends. It was very good to be up in those hills, we had had too much of towns. From the top of one ridge you could see another beyond, and then another, and between each was a veil of moist air that changed the quality of the light and gave the Blue Ridge Mountains their name.
J u n e 2 5 // N e w Yo r k C i t y // t h e e n d I lay in bed listening to the rain. I had slept in many different places in the last three months, and it took me a moment to recollect where I wa s. I wa s in a motel, beside an expressway. The motel was just north of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and it was 20 miles from New York. Behind me lay over nine weeks of continuous running and walking, all the way from Los Angeles on the Pacific coast.
P H OTO G R A P H S CO U R T E S Y O F T H E W I N D I N T H E T R E E S A N D S C H W E P P E S P U B L I C I T Y
was time to get started again, climb into my boots and roll off down the road before I was properly awake.
B R U C E T U L LO H
The human B O DY has greater powers of E N D U R AN CE than people give it credit for
The moment we were on board, the [Staten Island] ferry set out, and it seemed to be tearing through the choppy grey water of the harbour, though, in fact, it takes half an hour for the fourmile journey. Nothing could spoil this moment for us. The Statue of Liberty loomed up out of the greyness, and then the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan. The wind and spray blew in our faces; Sue’s eyes sparkled and her face glowed; Clive shouted and pointed. Outside the ferry terminal, a police car was waiting to escort me up to City Hall. The photographers drove in front of me to get their pictures, and just behind, two cars with TV cameramen on them jostled for position like chariots. I ran faster and faster. The lights were held for us; people in the streets stopped to look; gusts of steam blew up from the manhole covers. The hundreds of weary hours dropped from my feet as I covered the last quarter of a mile, veered across the square on my left and jogged up the steps of City Hall.
The press and public turn out in New York as Bruce reaches the end of his odyssey. It is a moment to savour
The clock stood at 10 minutes to noon. I had covered the distance from City Hall, Los Angeles, 2,876 miles, on foot, in 64 days, 21 hours and 50 minutes. I had improved on the previous fastest crossing by eight-and-ahalf days, averaging over 44 miles a day. The human body has far greater powers of endurance and adaptability than most people give it credit for. I did that run without a day’s ill health, without a day’s rest and without any special diet or food supplement of a ny kind. What injuries I did get, I recovered from completely, so that I was fitter as a running machine at the end of the 65 days than I was when I started. The other reason is simple – common sense. I kept myself clean, avoided sunburn, dressed any scratches, rested and ate regularly and generally kept in mind the need to keep my body in a state of equilibrium. If I was thirsty, I drank; if I sweated a lot, I took salt. Then there is the matter of will. Whether you call it pride, self-importance, mind-overmatter or libido, there is a part of one’s personality which carries the responsibility for pushing this thing through, and if it fails to dominate the other aspects, one will not succeed. At the conclusion, what memories remain most clearly? I remember a time when each day was a challenge, when at every step I felt the raw breath of experience. I can recall every one of those 65 days. I can remember how the waves fell on the Pacific shore, and how they lapped greyly at the piers of New York. I can remember the sharp brown hills and how the storms fell upon them and sent white water tumbling down the canyons. I can remember the Rio Grande, brown and sluggish through the swamps, and noble rivers flowing between wooded hills. I remember, very well, the long road winding across the nation, and the little towns along it, where the people whose lives we touched so briefly are getting up, going to work, taking their kids to school, and working with patience and hope towards an unknown future.
The 50th anniversary edition of Four Million Footsteps is available to buy at thewindinthetrees. com/books/four-million-footsteps
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25 top tips for a great marathon.....p68 Get the most from the foam roller...p72 How to run downhill on trails..........p73 Harness the long-run mindset.........p74 Cracking coleslaw recipes.............p76 The art of good hydration...............p79 Always be on RED-S alert..............p80
REACH your PERSONAL BEST
FOAM OH!
P H OTO G R A P H S : L U C K Y I F S H A R P, T R E VO R R A A B
We know the foam roller strikes fear into the hearts of runners. But what if the problem is that you are using it incorrectly? Read on, dear reader, and you will see that rolling out those knots can be a marginally less painful experience
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25 STEPS TO A MAGICAL MARATHON Finally, marathons are in the diary again. My key tips will help make your 26.2 journey a happy one
TRAINING Training for the marathon involves adapting your body to the rigours and demands of 26.2 miles of running. To get it right, you need to increase your cardiovascular fitness and endurance, as well as your ability to conserve and manage energy during the race. All this needs to be done while respecting your recovery so you don’t burn out.
prepares you specifically for the marathon, but for most runners, getting out the door and running at an easy and steady effort, with a good frequency and consistency, is what will get you ready. The most effective training plan is one you can stick to and enjoy. It is far better to get in four to five runs, week in, week out, than six runs one week and nothing the next.
→ YOUR BEST TRAINING PLAN / The marathon is a long way and your training needs to reflect that. Variety of training is important, as is making sure you have a training plan that
→ GO LONG, BUT NOT TOO LONG / While it is important to have banked good time on feet, if you go too far in your long runs, you’ll struggle to recover and then you will start your
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VARIETY PACKS Easy running is vital, but try to pick up the pace every now and then
marathon already tired. Three hours to 3:15 is as long as your longest run needs to be and, for many, 2:30-2:45 is enough, three to four weeks out from race day. Any more than that and you risk not recovering in time. → SPREAD THE LOAD / But if you’re limiting the length or duration of your longest run, how can you be confident of handling the distance? The long run is critical, but your overall volume of training is even more important. Four to five runs a week is a good target, while any additional cross-training will boost your fitness. Consider a
TRAINING
and adding 10-20 minutes, or working out 105-108 per cent of your half-marathon time also work. → STRESS YOUR SYSTEM / The marathon is a game of energy preservation. Much of what you are aiming to achieve with training is teaching the body to be good at using fuel. One way you can do this is with sessions that vary efforts between predominately using stored fats or carbohydrate. Try this: embedded in a 75-90 minute run, alternate between three to five minutes at around 10K race pace and three to five minutes at, or just slower than, marathon pace, with no rest. Start with 30 minutes of this and aim to build up to around 60 minutes as the weeks progress.
P H OTO G R A P H S : G E T T Y I M AG E S
midweek run that also builds in volume, up to 75-90 minutes, to supplement your weekend long run. → PRACTISE CLOSE TO RACE PACE / Easy running is important as you build up your training volume. But as you get close to your marathon, there’s a benefit in doing some of your long runs closer to race pace rather than the typically recommended 60-75 seconds a mile slower. In the final eight to 10 weeks of your schedule, try long runs at a steadier pace, averaging 15-30 seconds a mile slower than your goal race pace.
THE LONG RUN IS CRITICAL, BUT YOUR OVERALL VOLUME OF TRAINING IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT
→ PACE YOURSELF / When the gun goes, you need to know what pace you’ll be running. Adding marathon-pace sections to the end of some long runs is a great mental and physical stimulus. A good peak long run might be 2:45-3:00, including four sets of 20 minutes at goal marathon pace, with five-minute recoveries. There are a few ways to estimate your marathon time based on your performances across other distances. Multiplying your 10K PB by five, then subtracting 10 minutes, is one option; doubling your half-marathon time
→ CROSS-TRAIN / Running is high-impact. In recent years, we have seen great examples of elite athletes performing at the highest level while including lots of non-running training. Time spent on a bike or elliptical trainer, or even aqua-jogging, can be hugely effective in developing your fitness. Convert your running sessions to time and perceived effort and they can be conducted as cross-training, which increases your training volume while minimising injury risk. → HIT THE HILLS / Hill training can be a great way of doing ‘speedwork in disguise’, as you’ll very quickly see your heart rate jumping up while also developing more strength in your glutes, hamstrings and quads. Challenge yourself by taking one of your midweek runs over a hilly route and working stretches of uphill at a strong sustained effort, where you stay tall and light on your feet, and drive your arms strongly. → TRAIN YOUR GUT / Fuelling on the run is a good way to ensure you get to the final 10km of the marathon feeling strong and ready to hold your pace. But you need to practise your race-day fuelling strategy. Gels help to get energy quickly into your body on the run; sip your gel gradually over three to four minutes and target one gel every 30 minutes or so during the race. If you struggle with gels, ensure you try a range of other options well in advance of your taper. E
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→ WORK ON STRENGTH / Runners who can hold their posture and technique will find it far easier to maintain their pace in the final stages of a marathon. Strength training is all too often neglected by runners, even though it can boost performance. Use one or two sessions a week to focus on strength, with exercises such as split squats, single-leg squats and bridges, as well as core work such as planks and side planks. → TAPER WELL / Bank your longest run three to four weeks out. Two weeks out, this might reduce to 1:45, with the final 30 minutes at your goal race pace; then, a week out, reduce further to 75 minutes or so, very easy and relaxed. As you move through the final two weeks of training, aim to keep the frequency of runs the same; if you are running five times a week in your peak weeks, run five times a week in your taper. Aim to reduce the volume of each run, though, by roughly one third two weeks out and roughly a half in race week. Of course, if you feel you need extra rest, take it.
of motivation. Be prepared to change your plan around busy periods and work or family-life stresses. → SLEEP YOURSELF FIT / A critical element of adaptation is getting enough recovery and sleep. We have all heard of the magical ‘eight hours’ but, in truth, the quality and continuity of your sleep is just as important. Create a cool, calm and dark environment to sleep in, try to avoid using your phone in the final 60 minutes before bed and aim for a consistent sleep and wake-up time.
BREAK YOUR TRAINING DOWN INTO CHUNKS – THIS CAN HELP YOU MANAGE THE BALANCE BETWEEN WORK AND RECOVERY
LIFESTYLE Your body gets fitter through stress and recovery. You need to work your body hard and go beyond your current comfort zones to build fitness, but it’s not until you recover that all of the beneficial adaptations take place. So, managing your lifestyle is key to a successful marathon campaign. → MONITOR YOUR HEALTH AND ENERGY / Your marathon training doesn’t just sit in isolation. Your work, family and social life will affect your ability to train and recover well. Keep an eye out for the warning signs of ‘under-recovery’. You can monitor your day-to-day training readiness with a HRV [heart-rate variability] app, and watch for inconsistent sleep, regular small colds or niggles, or a loss
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→ FRESHEN UP / Constantly pushing a little harder each week will often result in your peaking too early, or getting overtrained or injured. Break your training down into smaller chunks – this can help you manage the balance between work and recovery. Every three to four weeks, include a lighter week of training (also known as a recovery or ‘down’ week), cutting back your volumes by about a third to allow your body a bit more adaptation time. Respect your rest days and recovery weeks – your body will reward you.
→ EAT FOR ENERGY / Good nutrition will see you hitting your runs feeling more motivated and energised, but will also help you to adapt to the training more effectively. A balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and including whole-food groups, should be a starting point to fuel your training and your recovery. Aim for 4g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight on days before your key hard sessions or long runs. After your sessions, take on food or a shake with a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein within a 20-40-minute window of finishing. → ENJOY YOURSELF! / Running is something we choose to do – no one forces us to enter a marathon. You learn a lot about yourself through the
course of marathon training, so enjoy the process. Stay social – the joy of running with others has been limited in the last year. Sharing some long runs with other runners can make all the difference.
MINDSET The marathon involves a leap of faith. The fact that few runners will cover the distance in training before race day means the mental side of training becomes even more important. → RESPECT, NOT FEAR / Don’t fear the marathon. This can lead you to make poor decisions and to try to progress too far, too fast, too soon. Your goal is to arrive at race day healthy and energised, so respect the distance, but recognise it is achievable. Build your training in gradual increments and set small training goals, lifestyle goals and strength goals for each three-week block. The more goals you hit, the more the marathon will start to feel possible.
TRAINING
→ FOLLOW FAMILIAR ROUTINES / In race week and, in particular, on race day, practise familiar routines as much as possible and stick with what you know. Have your normal pre-long-run breakfast on race day – you might need to pack and plan this in advance if you are staying in a hotel. Graze on your food over 20 minutes or so – with the nerves jangling, it’s easy to rush. → STAY CALM / Nerves on race day are normal, but keeping them in check by being organised will prevent wasted energy. Get to the start a minimum of 75 minutes before the gun goes, ideally a little longer, and plan your race-day logistics well in advance. You shouldn’t be rushing at any point. Have your logistical plan clear in your mind.
→ FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES / Marathon training is a journey and progress is not always smooth and linear. There will be workouts that don’t go to plan, races where you don’t feel great and runs that you need to miss or reschedule. As the weeks go by, make sure you focus on positive outcomes – it’s about what you do complete, not what you don’t. Keep a training diary and note down two or three positives every week, runs that went well, conditioning you completed or an improvement in your nutrition. If something hasn’t worked, note what you learned from that experience and make changes. → REHEARSE RACE DAY / Feeling psychologically primed and ready is a key weapon in your armoury. Race day should feel familiar; this will allow you to stay calm and focused. Aim to mimic your planned race-day routine in a couple of your key long runs – run at the time the race starts, wear your race-day kit and have your
NUMBERS GAME Running with others helps to prepare you for race day
planned race-day breakfast. If you can, aim to complete a race during your training (a half marathon is ideal), as this will get you used to running around other people and pacing sensibly. → IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL SKILLS / The marathon is a long race – your mind may wander and doubts may creep up on you as the miles go by. Use you training to build your toolkit of mental skills to use on race day. Practise different positive self-talk strategies in training – these could be focused on relaxation (‘breathe and relax your shoulders’), technique (‘keep your leg speed snappy’) or focus (‘pull in that vest in front’).
THE RACE
Tom Craggs is Road Running Manager for England Athletics
No matter how fit and well prepared you are, you won’t be able to get away with poor decisions on race day. From fuelling to pacing, practise what you prepared for in training and you’ll get to the finish feeling strong.
→ PRESERVE YOUR ENERGY / Aim to keep your energy levels topped up. If you had breakfast several hours before the start, consider taking on an energy drink, or an energy bar, half an hour before the start. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the start and wear warm clothes. Don’t worry about a warm-up. You have 26.2 miles to get into your running and if you spend time warming up in the holding area, you will only need to stand still again when you get into your pen – save those glycogen stores! → BE PATIENT / Remember, it’s a race about you against the distance. Start sensibly is the most common race-day advice you will hear, but it’s also the advice runners ignore more than any other. Aim to run the first 5-10km either at your goal race pace or a few seconds slower. If you are not worried about time, work at the speed of chat. Most people who hit a wall in the marathon will have run the first 15-20km/9-12 miles too hard. Be prepared to arrive at 30km/18 miles feeling strong. → PUSH YOURSELF / During the final 10km/six miles, focus on the mile you’re are in. It’s easy to get carried away with the work still to be done. Focus on a vest in front and aim to pass the runners ahead of you. Keep your posture tall and relaxed. Dedicate every mile of the final few to someone important to you – you won’t let them down when it really counts.
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BODY+MIND
ROLL YOUR OWN
These dos and don’ts will help you to get the most out of your foam roller
hours of sitting during your nine to five (with no chance to move around the office over the last year), or sore from a long run or intervals at the track, the foam roller is an excellent way to give your muscles some TLC. And, when it is performed correctly, foam-rolling works. That ‘correctly’ part, however, doesn’t always occur. Some people roll too hard (which can be…discouraging), others skip essential parts of the foam-rolling process as they rush through the moves. That can prevent your muscles from getting the most from the process. ‘The foam roller allows you to down-regulate your nervous system and prep your body for recovery,’ says physiotherapist Dan Giordano. ‘It increases blood flow so the body can heal itself properly and you can optimise your performance the next time you get out there.’ To get those benefits, simply keep these dos and don’ts in mind:
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DO Foam-roll pre- and postrun
Giordano says the foam roller can and should be used both pre- and post-workout, albeit with a slightly different method for each scenario. ‘If you’re foam-rolling prior to activity, do only 15 seconds per area to increase blood flow and release muscle tension, then do your warm-up,’ says Giordano. ‘Postworkout, roll for a minute on each area and dig a little deeper.’ If you roll too long before a workout, the nervous system is down-regulated rather than prepared for activity, and force output could be decreased.
your right glute with the right leg crossed over the left in a figure-four position and it’s too intense, uncross the top leg to decrease the pressure added by that extra weight. DO Foam-roll side to side
(and up and down)
‘Because of how fascia can misalign, it’s important to roll side to side as well as up and down,’ says Giordano. If you find a really sticky spot, go side to side there as well, rolling on and off instead of just digging into the area to release tightness. DON’T Foam-roll on your bones
DON’T Foam-roll to pain
Foam-rolling should not be painful. If it is, adjust your body weight and the compression by shifting slightly off the area. If you want more pressure, increase the weight. So, if you’re rolling
should get into the tendon area closer to the bone, because nerves run through that muscletendon junction and rolling into the tendon can provide relief. ‘Go as far as you want on the muscle or the tendon without touching the bone,’ says Giordano.
Keep the roller away from bones and joints. ‘If you press the foam roller into your bone, the only thing it can possibly do is cause a bone bruise,’ says Giordano. But he points out that in some areas, such as the hip flexor, you
DO Try the ‘pin and stretch’
The ‘pin and stretch’ technique is a great way to release a very tight spot. ‘If you’re foam-rolling your quad, and you feel a sticky spot, bring that quad muscle to a stretch position,’ says Giordano. ‘If you’re on your stomach, bring your heel toward your bum by flexing the knee, and hold the stretch while you move up and down and side to side on the roller.’ By moving through range of motion, you can help get rid of painful trigger-point areas. See page 89 for our pick of six of the best massage rollers.
WO R D S : L I N D S AY B E R R A . P H OTO G R A P H : T R E VO R R A A B
WHETHER YOU’RE tight from
TRAINING YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY OUR RESIDENT OLYMPIAN
BY JO PAVEY
* P L E AS E N OT E : J O PAV E Y I S U N A B L E TO R E S P O N D D I R E C T LY TO Q U E R I E S . P H OTO G R A P H : G E T T Y I M AG E S
Jo’s tip: downhill workouts
BOTTOM LINE Downhill running is harder than it looks
When you’re conditioned to downhill running, you could try a low-volume downhill workout, but it should be designed for practice rather than pushing hard. It’s best to avoid downhill running in the week before a race, so you don’t go into the event with muscle soreness. Try these:
→ 4×400m
I’ve entered a trail race that is mainly downhill. How do I best prepare for it?
downhill at race pace on a hill with a gradient of approximately 3 per cent, with slow jog-up recovery.
→ 5×150m Downhill running calls for good leg strength but also a level of skill, especially on uneven surfaces. Add it to your schedule gradually – downhill running may feel easy aerobically, but it usually causes more delayed muscle soreness than uphill running. It requires eccentric muscle contractions, meaning muscles are lengthening as they contract, and this tends to cause more microtears. Begin by downhill running at slower speeds during your normal training runs, then add to the speed, length and gradient of the hills. When running downhill, take
smaller steps and increase your cadence to avoid excessive heel strikes and overstriding. Don’t lean too far back, as this creates too much braking force, but also avoid leaning too far forward, as this could cause a fall. Land on a soft knee rather than a straight leg to reduce impact through the knees. Look 10 metres or so ahead to give yourself time to pick your route on uneven sections. Use your arms for balance and engage your core to improve stability. Exercises such as single-leg squats and lunges are good strengthening exercises for downhill work.
downhill at race pace on a hill with a gradient of approximately 7 per cent, with slow jog-up recovery.
What’s your favourite injury-prevention stretch? It’s important to do a wide variety of stretches, but my favourite is a hip flexor and quadriceps stretch. Begin in a lunge position, front foot flat on the floor. Place the knee of the back leg on the ground, on a mat or pillow. Lunge forward slightly and use your hands to pull the foot of your back leg up behind you, towards your glutes. Hold for about 20 secs and repeat on the other side. This works the hip flexors, so it helps improve stride length and prevent groin strains. It also helps reduce lower back pain, as tight hip flexors tilt the pelvis forward, which can lead to lordosis (excessive curvature of the lower back). The stretch also works the quads. What’s the best fuelling/ hydrating strategy for long runs? Gels are great for long runs. Isotonic gels come premixed with water, but it’s best to drink water during your run, too. As the run progresses, your digestive system slows down, so start taking on gels fairly early, when your body is better able to process them. Every runner is different, but a good guide is to take on around 35-60 grams of carbs an hour. Most energy gels contain around 25g carbs. Try taking a gel after about 30 mins, then every 30-40 mins during the run. Your strategy will be different if you’re using sports drinks, too, as gels should only be taken with water. I tend to carry some water in two small bottles on a belt with the gels, and stash a bottle in a hedge on my route to loop back to. Some runners use hydration backpacks with water bladders.
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TAKE THE LONG VIEW For best result, focus on the future
HARNESS THE LONG-RUN MINDSET Extend your long-run strategies to your whole training plan, says running coach Jess Movold
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CONFESSION: tempo runs scare me. Those long, hard, sustained efforts always look impossible when I see them on paper. Doubt creeps in. Some of my worst workouts have come from tempo runs. I remember one run in particular – a 50-minute slog at a ludicrous pace in the spring of 2018. I saw it on my plan and immediately created a laundry list of excuses for why this was just not going to work, why I wasn’t fit enough, why I wouldn’t finish – why I would fail. Before I even laced up my shoes, I’d already convinced myself I couldn’t do this. Instead of using the warm-up to find my groove, prepare for success,
and get excited to make the best of it, I adopted a loser’s mindset, revisited my list of excuses and fell further into the bad-attitude trap. How’d it go? You already know. I quit the workout mentally before I’d even started. Who knows how many times I stopped and restarted my watch? If you count the time I spent sitting on the kerb feeling sorry for myself, it made for an awfully long afternoon. It made for an awfully long few weeks, actually. One bad workout would derail me for days. The doubt lingered. I questioned my fitness. I shortened more workouts. And pretty soon, my fitness plateaued – or moved backwards.
P H OTO G R A P H S : E R I C RYA N A N D E R S O N ( J E S S M OVO L D); P R O D U C T S S H OT S CO U R T E SY O F B O M BA S , T R AC K S M I T H , M AU R T E N , G A R M I N
TRAINING The problem, I realised, was that I treated my entire training plan like a tempo run – hard, fast, strict. In a tempo run, if you don’t hit your pace early, it’s nearly impossible to catch up. In my training plan, I felt that if I didn’t hit a workout early, I wouldn’t be able to catch up. So how did I fix my mindset? I realised I needed to treat my training like my favourite workout: the long run. I love long runs. I love ignoring my watch, settling into a relaxed pace, enjoying the route and focusing on only one goal – finishing. I love that I can have a bad mile in the middle and still end strong. Now, when I set a new goal and write a new training plan, I have what I call ‘the long-run mindset’. I find success and value in my training because I’m not desperate for immediate results, as I have been in the past. I care more about the big picture and my long-term goals as a runner. Yes, there is still an important place for hard, fast tempo runs, but I have shifted my attitude to think bigger than short-term outcomes and instead work toward lifelong success. As you evaluate, set and chase new goals, I challenge you to have a long-run mindset too. How? Adopt the same tips and tools you need to survive a good long run into your training as a whole. → Pace yourself A good long run always starts slow – slower than you think. It’s the same with training. Realistic timelines are essential for success. Generating movement forward at a speed that is sustainable is key. Consistent efforts over a long time reap large rewards. → Focus only on your next mile marker It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you recognise or overthink the long route ahead. So don’t do it. Focus on one mile (or one workout) at a time. Work towards mini victories that keep you moving in the right direction. Small, meaningful efforts on a consistent basis lead to progress. But in the moment, all that matters is the next mile. → Find your why Meaningless miles are the hardest miles, which is why, during long runs, I like to run to somewhere – a brunch spot, my friend’s apartment, a gorgeous view. In training as a
whole, your ‘why’ will probably be more abstract and meaningful, but just as important. What are you running toward? A healthier lifestyle? A PB? Figure out the reason for the miles and they become easier.
1/
→ Fuel your body Fuel is vital during a long run, and just as crucial on a daily basis. Eat a healthy diet, but don’t be afraid to reward yourself. Every experienced runner knows that if you’ve waited until the wall to care about nutrition, you’ve waited far too long. Be smart in your food choices to live a wellbalanced and energised life. 3/
→ Stop looking back It steals time and energy from your ability to move forward. Stop comparing yourself to an old version of you – focus on the road ahead. Worry less about what is behind you, and put time and effort into what is in front of you. This will not only lead to more overall happiness, but it will also bring you closer to where you want to be, with a clear focus forward. → Allow room for adjustments Mentally prepare and plan for curveballs. Nothing goes perfectly all the time, and the sooner you can accept the challenges and mishaps that might come your way, the sooner you can be prepared to work through them and overcome unexpected obstacles. During a long run, that might mean slowing down because of the heat. In training, that might mean taking a break because of an injury or a big change in your life. It’s OK to change goals halfway through. → Keep it interesting I design my long-run routes to be fun, new and rewarding. It’s the same with training. You have no obligation to chase a PB in every race you enter. You don’t even have an obligation to race. If you are stuck in a rut, change course. → Don’t do it alone There will be times when you need additional support. Don’t feel afraid or ashamed to reach out to those important to you to ask for help, or just to join you on a run for several easy, conversational miles. If they truly belong in your network, they will be happy to be there with you, right by your side in the moments of difficulty and the moments of reward.
4/ 2/
THE GEAR THAT GETS ME THROUGH AN ACTUAL LONG RUN 1 / Bombas Performance Running Socks / £64 (for pack of six, plus shipping to UK), bombas.com Blister prevention and breathability are really all I want in a sock. These do the trick in any weather. 2 / Maurten Gel 100 / £32.40 for pack of 12, maurten.com / Maurten sponsors Eliud Kipchoge,
who used their sciencebacked fuel to break two hours in the marathon. The taste doesn’t linger and it’s easy on my stomach. 3 / Tracksmith Lane Five Tights / £62, tracksmith.com / No chafing. Pockets. There’s nothing more I really need, but the fact that these shorts don’t slip or bunch up is a huge plus. 4 / Garmin Forerunner 935 Watch/ £390, garmin.com / It’s got all the bells and whistles (heart rate, GPS, elevation etc), but I love it because it is light – I forget about it when I need to not worry about any metrics.
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QUICK ON THE SLAW
FIGHTS MUSCLE SORENESS
Four healthy recipes that will help you forget the days when coleslaw was just cabbage in mayo Tutti Frutti Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties; studies suggest it may reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
1 apple 1 pear 1 cabbage 175g cooked beetroot 1 pomegranate (seeds) 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1cm cube fresh ginger, peeled Pinch of sea salt Handful of blueberries Juice of ½ a lemon or lime
1 / In a food processor, pulse the apple, cabbage and pear into chunks, then set aside. 2 / Pulse the beetroot and add it to the mixture. 3 / Stir the ingredients well and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds. 4 / Drizzle the vinegar over the mixture and add the lemon or lime juice. 5 / Grate the ginger and add. Sprinkle with sea salt. 6 / Garnish with blueberries and serve.
RAISES ENERGY Broc-a-mole Guacamole – but not as you know it. A creamy way to get your five a day and it will add extra pep to your step.
136kcals / 9g fat / 13g carbs / 4g protein / Serves 4
400g broccoli 150g sugar snap peas 8 green olives, pitted 2 small avocados 1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes 1 red chilli, deseeded 1 lemon, juice only Pinch of sea salt Glug of olive oil (optional)
1 / Roughly chop the broccoli and pulse it gently in a food processor until it’s reduced to chunks, then set aside.
076 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK AUGUST 2021
2 / Repeat the process with the sugar snap peas. Pulse them for a few seconds to avoid over-chopping, or slice into strips using a knife. 3 / Add the olives, avocados and tomatoes to the food processor. Blitz until the mixture is thick and smooth, then mix into the veg. 4 / Slice the red chilli, removing any rogue seeds, and add to the mix. 5 / Squeeze the lemon juice over the vegetables and sprinkle with sea salt. Taste the dressing and drizzle with a little olive oil to thin out the mixture, if necessary.
R E C I P E S F R O M SU P E R S L AW : B L I T Z YO U R WAY TO 5 A DAY , B Y J I L L G R E E N WO O D ( £ 1 2 . 9 9, E B U R Y ) ; A D D I T I O N A L WO R D S : R AC H E L M O O R E ; P H OTO G R A P H S : H E A R S T S T U D I O S ; N U T R I T I O N I S T: G R AC E BA R N E S @ G R AC E BA R N E S N U T R I T I O N
174kcals / 0.8g fat / 42g carbs / 4g protein / Serves 4
FUEL AIDS RECOVERY
Watermelon and basil Watermelon contains the amino acid citrulline, which boosts blood flow and can aid post-workout recovery.
81kcals / 4g fat / 10g carbs / 2g protein / Serves 4
200g radishes, topped and tailed 4 handfuls of kale ½ red onion 2 handfuls of basil 2 handfuls of mint 1cm cube of fresh ginger, peeled Drizzle of olive oil 200g watermelon, cubed Pinch of sea salt
1 / Pulse the radishes and kale in a food processor until they’re in chunks, then scoop them out into a bowl. 2 / Repeat the pulsing process with the onion and herbs, then add them to the bowl. 3/ Grate the ginger over the vegetables (or chop into tiny pieces by hand, if you prefer) and stir it in. 4 / Mix the ingredients together and drizzle with olive oil, then stir through the watermelon and season with salt.
BOOSTS IMMUNITY Veggie vit kick With more vegetables than you’ll find in an entire aisle at Whole Foods, this one’s a powerhouse of nutrients.
207kcals / 11g fat / 27g carbs / 4g protein / Serves 4
7 carrots, peeled 200g broccoli 3 handfuls of watercress 1 apple, peeled and cored 1 small cube fresh ginger ½ tsp ground turmeric 1 lemon 1 red pepper ½ a pomegranate (seeds) 3 tbsp olive oil Pinch of sea salt
1 / Place the carrots in a food processor and pulse until
chopped. Alternatively, you can finely slice them with a knife, then add to a bowl. 2 / Repeat with the broccoli and watercress, then toss them into the bowl with the carrot and mix well. 3 / Next, repeat with the apple and ginger. 4 / Mix it all together and stir in the turmeric. Squeeze over the lemon juice and mix some more. 5 / Slice the pepper (be sure to remove the seeds) and stir it into the mix. Finally, add the pomegranate seeds. 6 / Drizzle with the olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
Decathlon unveils the Kiprun KS500, an expertly designed road-running shoe with a focus on comfort and stability
For those of us not lucky enough to have a park or track on our doorstep, the pavements and roads are our running terrain. But a tougher surface requires a tougher shoe that offers instant comfort, unerring performance and versatility. Decathlon’s new Kiprun KS500 trainers are built to deliver exactly that, wherever your miles take you. Designed and tested by Decathlon’s team of road-running experts, the Kiprun KS500 delivers the perfect combination of support and stability. Available in men’s and women’s versions, it’s ideal for every type of runner, whether you’re on double-figure marathons or just enjoy a 5K to keep active and support your mental health – the kind of run the Runner’s World #RunSome campaign, in partnership with Decathlon, is encouraging us all to do more of.
CREATED FOR COMFORT At 10 per cent lighter than the Kiprun LONG 2, and packed with upgraded technology, the KS500 is as happy conquering longer training miles as short runs. It features an entirely redesigned lightweight, breathable mesh upper with a seam-free onepiece liner for zero rubbing and ultimate comfort. Underfoot, the new Kalensole EVA midsole foam provides 34 per cent better cushioning and boosts propulsion by 25 per cent compared with standard foam. It’s also been re-engineered with flex grooves that work with
your foot’s natural motion for improved flexibility, stability and lasting comfort up to 1,000K.
SUPPORTS STABILITY The KS500 also has a larger contact area, with ARKSTAB technology to prevent the collapse of the arch and offer stability during the foot-roll. The new midsole shape helps the foot roll more efficiently from heel down through to toe off, encouraging a more relaxed foot motion and reducing the energy needed for control. That means more effortless miles. To provide even more impact protection, the designers have also added what Decathlon calls the K-Ring, located in the heel,
THE KS500 IS AVAILABLE FROM DECATHLON.CO.UK FOR £69.99
to help dissipate the force when your feet first strike the ground. Flip them over and the outsole is designed like a car tyre, offering excellent grip and control in wet conditions, even at top speed. Pavements may not be as pretty as parks, but that post-run high comes wherever you run. So enjoy the ride and let the KS500 support you along the way.
FUEL
NUTRITION ADVICE FOR HEALTHY, HUNGRY RUNNERS
BY KIM PEARSON
HYDROPOWER Make sure that water features
WE ALL KNOW drinking
plenty of water is vital for our health, but many of us still aren’t doing it. Research by hydration-supplement brand ViDrate found 45 per cent of people in the UK don’t drink the daily recommended amount of fluid, while over six million Brits aren’t drinking any sugar-free fluid at all. So why is drinking water so important? And how can we make sure we get enough? Why is water so important? Water delivers vital nutrients to our cells. It regulates body temperature, moistens tissues, protects our organs and carries oxygen to our cells. Up to 60 per cent of the human body is water. How much should we drink? The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends a daily intake of two litres of fluids for women and 2.5 litres for men. Higher intakes have not been shown to provide additional health benefits except for the potential prevention of recurrent kidney stones. However, there are circumstances when we require more, such as when we run.
GOOD HYDRATIONS
P H OTO G R A P H : C H R I S H I N K L E
We know it’s essential, but plenty of us still don’t drink enough water. Here’s how to avoid H2-woe
THIS MONTH I’M…
Running and water intake We lose water through digestion, breathing, sweating and other bodily functions. It is essential that we stay hydrated, especially when running, as we sweat and breathe more, and lose water quicker than usual. Dehydration can lead to a loss of strength and stamina, and accelerate exhaustion. You need to ensure you are replacing fluid to make up for losses during your run. It’s recommended we hydrate at least 30 minutes before and after running. Research suggests about 530ml of water before and after a workout of any sort will support recovery and help prevent dehydration post-exercise. Recommendations on how much additional water we should consume per hour when running vary
from 300-800ml. Consider the outside temperature and how much you sweat, as well as your thirst. What are the consequences of not drinking enough? Chronic dehydration can lead to low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, sunken eyes and dry skin. Dehydration negatively affects running performance and can hamper your recovery. Your heart has to work harder to cope with your activity and your mental functions are also compromised. Noting the colour of your urine can help you tell if you’re becoming dehydrated. You want a pale straw colour rather than a dark yellow. Practical ways to drink more Establishing practical ways to ensure you are drinking enough can make it easy to hit your water intake: → Have a glass of water first thing in the morning, then 30 minutes before each meal. Our body can confuse thirst for hunger, so not only will this habit increase your water intake, but it can also help prevent overeating. → Prepare a bottle of water the night before, preferably in a reusable water bottle. Jazz up the flavour with fresh lemon or some cucumber and mint. → If you find yourself forgetting to drink water, set reminders in your phone, or download an app that prompts you to hydrate. → You can consume water through fresh fruit and vegetables too. Cucumber, celery and watermelon are all good hydration options.
Kim Pearson is a nutritionist with over 10 years’ experience. Web: kim-pearson. com; Twitter and Instagram: @kimmypearsontrackmafia_
DRINKING… Water, of course!
FREEZING… In cold showers
WAKING UP… With a Lumie clock
Specifically, Actiph. It’s Shropshire spring water that has been blended with electrolytes and minerals (including sodium and magnesium), then ionised to a pH of 9+, producing a smooth, clean-tasting, alkaline water.
I am particularly cold-averse but the possible benefits of controlled exposure to cold are significant: better sleep, improved energy, a higher level of alertness and a more robust immune system.
In my ongoing attempt to detach myself from my iPhone, I bought a Lumie to use as my alarm clock. The gradual 30-minute sunrise setting wakes you with light and the sound of birdsong.
AUGUST 2021 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 079
reach his goal. His restriction both worked and backfired. ‘I hit my peak lightness, but I was really weak and consistently injured for a year and a half.’ Unfortunately, this kind of food restriction – though perhaps on the extreme end of the spectrum – isn’t unusual. It has been estimated that up to 20 per cent of athletes aren’t eating enough, and though many aren’t necessarily restricting on purpose, elite runners often don’t take in enough fuel to support their intense training regimes. Elise Cranny, elite runner for the Bowerman Track Club, in Oregon, US, spoke out recently on social media about this: ‘RED-S, or Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, needs to be talked about more,’ she wrote. Her post was inspired by her own experience: ‘I was super strict about my diet and would cut out different food groups. I didn’t have a period, and it took me a while to realise that wasn’t a good thing.’ But recreational runners can fall into this underfuelling trap as well, which can lead to a range of negative effects, from poor performance to hormonal imbalances that affect your overall health.
What is Relative Energy
UNDER PRESSURE Jesse Thomas felt losing weight would help him make the grade
RED-S ALERT
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport can be a real problem for some runners – here’s what you need to know
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JESSE THOMAS , a retired elite
triathlete, didn’t always fuel his long runs in the manner of a two-time Ironman champ. Years before he won his first triathlon, he’d sometimes go 24-48 hours without eating – but still train. ‘It was really, really bad,’ he says. ‘But working hard is part of being an athlete, so it didn’t feel abnormal at the time.’ Plus, he wanted to make the US national team and he thought losing weight would help him to
Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)? In the simplest sense, RED-S implies inadequate energy intake compared with the energy you need; it’s a more inclusive version of the Female Athlete Triad, defined by the lack of a period, low energy availability and a decrease in bone density. RED-S is a broader concept that acknowledges the complexity of the problem, says Anna Melin, an associate professor in sport science at Linnaeus University in Sweden. ‘Low energy availability affects males as well, and there are very few female athletes who have all three aspects of the triad.’ You don’t need to be incredibly lean, either. ‘You can have a normal body weight but still not have enough energy available for normal hormone production, protein synthesis and recovery,’ says Melin. There’s also an overlap between RED-S and eating disorders, but they’re not one and the same: ‘Low energy availability may be due to
BODY+MIND
WO R D S : K I E R A CA R T E R ( M A I N ) , R AC H E L S T E I L ( B OXO U T ) ; P H OTO G R A P H : J O R DA N M A N S F I E L D/G E T T Y I M AG E S
THERE IS AN OVERLAP BETWEEN RED-S AND EATING DISORDERS disordered eating, but it can also occur unintentionally, owing to poor awareness of sport-specific fuelling requirements,’ says Clare Corish, associate professor in clinical nutrition and dietetics at University College Dublin. Basically, low energy availability could cause an eating disorder, just as an eating disorder could cause low energy availability, but you could still have low energy availability (such as RED-S) without having an eating disorder. ‘Low energy availability could be due to a lack of appetite, which happens with intense training,’ adds Melin.
RED-S: the warning signs and health risks The symptoms are similar to those of overtraining, according to Fabio Comana, a faculty instructor at San Diego State University, US, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. That means fatigue, mood changes, reduced performance and increased injury. To distinguish between RED-S and overtraining, Comana suggests reducing your training volume by 50-70 per cent for 10 days without changing anything else in your life. ‘If you feel recharged afterwards, it may be an overtraining issue,’ he says. However, if your symptoms come back in two days, it could be RED-S. And if that’s the case, you should speak to a health professional as soon as possible, because the long-term risks – such as osteoporosis, heart disease, muscle loss, depression and reduced immunity – go way beyond merely compromised performance.
For a true diagnosis, bone health and reproductive, cardiovascular, endocrine and metabolic functions are relevant areas to investigate. ‘We take blood samples to measure hormones and assess body composition and bone health,’ says Melin.
Treatment and prevention A treatment plan for RED-S is intended to restore energy, and it could be intertwined with treatment of an eating disorder or unknowingly underfuelling. ‘It can be hard to identify an eating disorder when you’re in the middle of it,’ says Riley Nickols, a counselling and sports psychologist. ‘And, sometimes, a disordered mindset around food, training or body image can be normalised in the context of sport,’ making it even tougher to spot. Either way, we need more education on the topic – for both athletes and coaches. ‘Sports providers can have good intentions but sometimes veer outside their lane of expertise,’ says Nickols. So, unless your coach is also a registered sports dietitian or a doctor with formalised training in setting goal weights, Nickols says he/she shouldn’t set weight targets or give specific nutritional recommendations. In fact, working with the right experts is a crucial piece of the recovery puzzle, whether it’s a sports dietitian, a therapist or both, says Nickols. ‘Don’t underestimate the complexity of the problem and overestimate your ability to solve it on your own.’ Thomas and Cranny both hit a crossroads when they realised their strategy wasn’t effective. Thomas rethought his approach when he didn’t make the cut for the US team. And Cranny says a series of stress fractures made her realise the reality of her restriction. She eventually saw a nutritionist who helped her make small, manageable changes to her diet, and a therapist who helped ‘challenge [her] ingrained thoughts and habits’. Those unhelpful ingrained thoughts – that certain foods are bad, that athletes need to look a certain way, that working yourself into the ground is part of the sport – can be hard to shake. But, as Thomas notes, ‘Once I found balance, I had so much more success.’
COACHES AND PARENTS NEED TO BE ON THE FRONT LINE Recognising disordered eating – and that athletes are vulnerable to physical and emotional distress – is an additional responsibility for coaches and parents. They need to know enough to recognise the warning signs, know when to act and know where to turn. Here’s what Paula Quatromoni, associate professor of nutrition at Boston University, US, suggests you can do as a coach or parent:
Understand that eating disorders come in all shapes, sizes, genders and sports – at any level of competition.
Seek education on the range of behavioural symptoms, from restrictive eating to binge eating and purging.
Know that a lost or delayed menstrual cycle is not normal, and it requires an evaluation by a medical professional.
Develop an action plan for eating-disorder identification, which includes help from doctors, therapists, counsellors and nutritionists.
Raise funds to bring in a registered dietitian to speak to teams or athletes.
Discreetly contact athletes you suspect may be struggling, to express concern and connect them to the help they deserve.
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Gear SPORTS BRAS
£20 AND UNDER
Marks & Spencer GoodMove Medium Impact Sports Bra
Decathlon Seamless Gentle Yoga Bra
H&M Seamless Light Support Bra
£12 | marksandspencer.com UK 6-22 | STYLE : Pull-on, adjustable straps
SIZES :
£12.99 | decathlon.co.uk xs-2xl | STYLE : Pull-on with crossed straps
£14.99 | hm.com SIZES : xs-l | STYLE : Crop top
SUPPORT LEV EL :
SUPPORT LEV EL :
SUPPORT LEV EL :
WO R D S : H A N N A H M E N D E L S O H N A N D YA N A R A L K AYAT. P H OTO G R A P H S : P I X E L E Y E S P H OTO G R A P H Y
SIZES :
Low to medium
Low
Low
FOR DAYS OFF running, this pull-on sports bra is a steal. Despite it’s medium-impact design, we found it more comfortable for lower intensity activities such as Pilates. It looks good worn on its own but does come up a tad small, so you may want to go up a size for a better fit.
CLEAR YOUR MIND and stretch out in comfort with this seamless pull-on yoga bra. The simple design isn’t adjustable and the fabric won’t wick away your sweat, so we wouldn’t recommend it for any pulse-raising workouts, but for active recovery sessions, it’s a constriction-free winner.
HAVE SPORTS BRAS become everyday bras for you over the past year? Then you’ll like this bralette style that can do both. It’s not substantial enough for running, but the comfy design will take you from your desk to the yoga mat – and even the spin bike – in supportive style.
Reebok Strappy Back Low-Impact Bra
New Balance NB Pace Bra 3.0
Sundried Power Bra
£18 | reebok.co.uk SIZES : 2xs-2xl | STYLE : Pull-on racerback
£20 | newbalance.co.uk SIZES : xs-xl | STYLE : Pull-on racerback
£20 | sundried.com SIZES : s-xl | STYLE : Racerback pull-on
SUPPORT LEV EL :
SUPPORT LEV EL :
SUPPORT LEV EL :
Low
IF GENTLE GYM WORK is a key part of your training plan, then this technical sports bra is worth a look. A racerback pull-on, it is made with wicking fabric that does a good job. The minimal coverage works best for smaller boobs and can’t be worn for anything bouncy. But for yoga, it ticks all boxes.
Low to medium
WHEN YOU’RE TAKING things easy, this is a striking item. It’s supposed to be a mediumsupport bra but our testers, especially those with bigger breasts, only felt comfortable in it for lower intensity activities because of the lack of adjustable features and cup support. A cooling option for relaxed gym sessions.
Medium
BUILD YOUR STRENGTH in this intricately designed sports bra. The laser-cut holes keep you cool in the gym and the crop-top style is comfortable for extended cross-training workouts. The fabric isn’t structured enough for high-impact work, but our testers loved wearing it for weights sessions and yoga. E
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£20 TO £35
Next High Impact Full Cup Wired Sports Bra £28 | next.co.uk SIZES :
32B-42G | STYLE : Wired
SUPPORT LEV EL :
High
Pour Moi Energy Empower Bra
Marks & Spencer GoodMove Extra-High-Impact Sports Bra
£28 | pourmoi.co.uk 32B-38G | STYLE : Wired
SIZES :
SUPPORT LEV EL :
SUPPORT LEV EL :
SIZES :
Medium to high
£28 | marksandspencer.com 32A-42E | STYLE : Wired High
WIRED SPORTS BRAS are an acquired taste, but if they work for you, the design has a lot to offer. With individual cups, this is a great all-rounder that provides support without compression and the breathable fabric feels smooth. Testers felt secure in the bra and it reduced movement on the run.
THIS MIGHT NOT LOOK like a typical sports bra, but if you have bigger breasts the support and coverage this underwired design provides is excellent. By crossing the straps at the back, you boost the support of this lightly padded bra further, for extra comfort. Best for shorter, easy runs.
IF YOU LIKE WIRED SPORTS bras and wear smaller cup sizes, this is a contender. It comes in sizes up to an E cup but testers wearing the bigger cup sizes found the support better for cross-training than pavement pounding. For runners it does suit, this versatile bra is comfortable, adjustable and secure.
Under Armour Seamless Low Long Sports Bra
Next Low Impact Light Pad Non Wire Sports Crop
Nike Medium-Support Dri-FIT Swoosh
£30 | underarmour.co.uk SIZES : xs-xl | STYLE : Pull-on with crossed straps
£32 for t wo | next.co.uk SIZES : 6-22 | STYLE : Crop top
£31.95 | nike.com SIZES : xs-2xl | STYLE : Pull-on racerback
SUPPORT LEV EL :
SUPPORT LEV EL :
SUPPORT LEV EL :
Low
THIS IS A SUPPORTIVE, low-impact option that holds its own in downward dog, hiking in the hills and even strength work in the gym. The adjustable crossed straps provide a personalised fit with added security, and help this lightly padded bra work for a wider range of chest sizes. The fabric is soft, too.
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Low
IF YOU NEED AN INCENTIVE to stretch regularly, treat yourself to this set of lowimpact sports bras, which are perfect for yoga. The two ruched crop tops are lightly padded and despite a lack of adjustable straps or fastenings, they make for comfy additions to your rest-day wardrobe.
Low to medium
THIS CLASSIC-STYLE item stands out in more ways than one. It’s made from recycled bottles, has just one removable pad for fafffree washing, and a built-in pocket on the front. It’s not supportive enough for running, but the crop top is comfortable and secure for cycling and most cross-training.
Gear SPORTS BRAS
£35 TO £45
Tala SkinLuxe Tank Sports Bra
Elomi Energise
£36 | wearetala.com xs-xl | STYLE : Sports bra/crop top hybrid
£36 | elomilingerie.com SIZES : 32GG-46DD | STYLE : Wired
SUPPORT LEV EL :
SUPPORT LEV EL :
SIZES :
Medium to high
Medium
Shock Absorber Shaped Support Bra
HIGHLY C O M M E ND E D
£38 | shockabsorber.co.uk SIZES : 32BB-38F | STYLE : Padded cup bra with adjustable straps | SUPPORT LEV EL : Medium
SUPPORT YOUR CHEST and do your bit for the planet with this soft-feeling but highimpact sports bra that’s made from 76 per cent recycled nylon. The size choice is limited and it’s a tight fit, but if you fit into the crop-top style, this bra, with its substantial compression band, may suit.
AFTER A LOWER-IMPACT bra for bigger breasts? Then go for this encapsulation bra; with underwiring and individual cups, it’s close in design to everyday bras, only with more support. The lack of compression meant testers preferred it for low- to mediumimpact cross-training such as cycling.
OUR RUNNER-UP in testing, this sports bra is ideal for cross-training. The mediumimpact design works hard to support you on the bike or in the gym and moisture-wicking fabric keeps skin dry. The fit can be variable – on some testers, it either gaped or came up tight in places – but it comes in many sizes.
Royce Aerocool Sports Bra
Brooks Drive Convertible Run Bra
Sweaty Betty Mindful Seamless Yoga Bra
£45 | royce-lingerie.co.uk SIZES : 32G-40K | STYLE : Hook-and-eye back with adjustable straps | SUPPORT LEV EL : High
£45 | brooksrunning.com SIZES : 32B-40F | STYLE : Hook-and-eye back with adjustable straps | SUPPORT LEV EL : High
£45 | sweat ybett y.com SIZES : xs-xxl | STYLE : Racerback pull-on
IF YOU WEAR CUP sizes G to K, finding a well-fitting compression bra may be a challenge. This supportive solution helped testers go the extra mile with no discomfort. The adjustable straps can be worn normally or as a racerback, though the clip’s a little fiddly. It comes up small, so size up.
THIS LIGHTWEIGHT offering is made for running. The technical fabric feels luxe and supportive, and the easy-to-access adjustable straps and racerback clasp make it simple to fit this compression bra how you like it. There are no built-in cups, but the bra feels secure – especially for those with smaller boobs.
FIND YOUR FLOW in luxury with this highend sports bra that looks the part and feels great. Made with modal – a sustainable fabric sourced from wood fibres – this is a treat for yoga and rest days. The design gives minimal coverage and support, so don’t wear it for anything strenuous. But it’s so comfy! E
SUPPORT LEV EL :
Low
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Gear SPORTS BRAS
OVER £45
Shock Absorber Ultimate Run Bra
Reebok PureMove Motion Sense Bra
Runderwear Easy-On Running Bra
£46 | shockabsorber.co.uk 30A-38G | STYLE : Non-padded racerback
£50 | reebok.co.uk SIZES : xs-3xl | STYLE : Hook-and-eye back with
£55 | runderwear.co.uk SIZES : 30D-42H | STYLE : Padded bra with double
SUPPORT LEV EL :
adjustable straps SUPPORT LEV EL : High
fastening SUPPORT LEV EL : High
FROM SPRINT SESSIONS to marathons, this gives maximum support on the run by counteracting the figure-of-eight motion your breasts make. What this compression bra lacks in style – it’s not a design to wear on its own – it makes up for in comfort, thanks to adjustable straps and a nifty clasp.
OUR TESTERS FOUND this bra supportive for running, but where it shone was in HIIT workouts. The compression is better suited to smaller boobs and the straps are, initially, a bit of a puzzle, but it keeps the skin dry during hard sessions and the high neckline provides unrivalled coverage.
THIS SPECIALIST BRA will go the distance. It features clever design details that make it a top performer, including two fastenings, moulded cups, padded adjustable straps and fabric that feels luxe. The cups provide individualised support for each breast and testers with bigger breasts raved about it.
Lululemon Wunder Train Long-Line Bra
Adidas Studio Two-Tone Bra
Maaree Solidarity High-Impact Sports Bra
£58 | lululemon.co.uk SIZES : US 2-14 | STYLE : Pull-on racerback
£60 | adidas.co.uk SIZES : xs-4x | STYLE : Pull-on racerback
£64 | maaree.com SIZES : 30C-38G | STYLE : Hook-and-eye back with
SUPPORT LEV EL :
SUPPORT LEV EL :
adjustable straps SUPPORT LEV EL : High
SIZES :
High
Medium
ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT designed for running, it’s a good investment if you crosstrain; it performed well across 10 activities, from spinning to lifting to yoga. Where it came up short was sizing – the snug fit was better suited to testers with smaller frames but if you find the right size, it’s a good choice.
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Low to medium
BRING A TOUCH of environmentally friendly glamour to your recovery-session wardrobe with this sports bra that’s made from 84 per cent recycled fabrics. It will stand out on the yoga mat and has enough support for strength training – for a lowimpact style, the compression is impressive.
THIS INNOVATIVE BRA all but ensures a bounce-free fit. It’s not just the straps that are adjustable – the design features an ‘overband’ that sits across the top of your breasts and can be altered to achieve the support you need. It fits true to size and is comfortable for even your longest run.
Gear ON TEST
LIGHTEN UP YOUR RUN Brooks Aurora-BL £180 / brooksrunning.co.uk
A quick look is all that’s needed to spot that the Aurora-BL is not a shoe that’s going to be on the feet of the masses at big city races (they’ll be back). Quite aside from the hefty price tag, it’s a limited-release shoe, to be launched here later this year, and is being used by Brooks to showcase some innovations. There’s no doubt they look unusual, which will be off-putting to those who like to blend in, but do they do more than just stand out? They sure do. One of two key features is the use of Brooks’ updated DNA Loft midsole foam. It’s one of the company’s lightest, plushest foams and the Aurora-BL contains what Brooks is calling DNA Loft v3 – a foam that has been
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injected with nitrogen to give the shoe more bounce at a reduced weight. It certainly does this – while the shoe may look chunky, it feels anything but (the weight is low: 240g for men’s size 8 and 215g for women’s size 5). Running in such a bulbous but light model made us think this is what a running shoe made by Nasa might feel like. Heel, midfoot and forefoot strikers will all find this a great running experience. The wide heel is a dream to land heavily on, but somehow tucks out of the way if you land further forward. This is owing, in part, to the other main feature: a decoupled midsole that, in effect, means the rear half and front half are separate. This gives the shoe a wonderful responsiveness and accelerates roll-through from heel to toe,
simply because there’s less shoe to bend in half with the weight of your foot on each step. There are a few concerns about durability, especially since the bottom of the midsole is not covered by the traditional full coating of rubber; instead, to keep weight down, Brooks has placed rubber grips in key landing sections only. → RW verdict / A big tick for the Aurora-BL. Faster runners may find this suitable only for their longer runs, but, for most, this will prove a sleek, cushioned, adaptive ride for anything from 5K to half marathon. It’s to be hoped some of the features showcased here make their way into the mainstream models because they deserve a wider audience. ●●●●○
P H OTO G R A P H : L U C K Y I F S H A R P, WO R D S : K E R RY M CCA R T H Y
The Brooks Aurora-BL is a niche shoe with some mass-appeal features
Gear S I X O F T H E B E S T: M A S S A G E R O L L E R S
5 1 3
KNOT A PROBLEM Unkink your tired muscles with one of these selfmassage devices 6 4
WO R D S : K E R RY M CCA R T H Y A N D JA N E M CG U I R E
2
1 Meglio Asteroid Ball / £6.99, mymegloi.com
2 Decathlon Domyos Soft Roller / £12.99, decathlon.co.uk
A light, very firm ball that’s perfect for areas that need targeted triggerpoint release; it’s excellent for the glutes, upper back/ shoulders and your feet. Comes in two sizes: 8cm or 12cm diameter.
A good-value roller with dual textures – larger knobbles down the centre, for broad pressure across big muscles; and small, diamondshaped bits along each side, should you need to go a bit deeper.
3 Theragun Wave Vibration Foam Roller / £125, johnlewis.com
Vibration with foamrolling is thought to relax tissues, enabling increased range of motion. This vibrating roller is controlled by a smartphone app, and has five speed/ intensity settings.
4 Riixo Ice Ball / £19.98, riixo.com
A steel ball with a liquid core, housed inside a silicone hand grip. Stick this in the freezer while you’re out on your long run and feel the bliss when you roll out those sore spots on your return. Stays cold for up to six hours.
5 Lululemon Double roller / £48, lululemon.co.uk
6 Myomaster Myolite / £149, myomaster.com
Two for the price of one here. The exterior tube is ideal for applying broader pressure to big muscles. Inside is a more textured roller, with defined ridges that are ideal for targeting knots and tighter spots.
Many massage guns are large, noisy and cost several hundred pounds. This one is compact, well priced and fairly quiet. It has four attachments, to target different muscle groups.
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RACE
LET YOUR RUNNING LOOSE
Howard Calvert (above) feared the route would be a touch repetitive, but the fine weather and scenery put him at his ease
YOU HERD IT HERE FIRST Howard Calvert heads to the Midlands for the Longhorn Marathon
ENGLISH LONGHORN CATTLE, with their distinctive downward-sweeping horns and mottled brown colouring, are not animals you see every day in the UK. So it’s no surprise to learn they were protected by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in 1980 in an effort to increase numbers. The reason for mentioning this is that you will see lots of Longhorn cattle during this race. Fields full of these striking beasts make this event a unique proposition – and the perfect pic for your Strava feed. The route passes through private property for the majority of its 6.5-mile loop. The land belongs to Thoresby Park, and houses the
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splendid Thoresby Hall, where the race starts and finishes. The grand building was built in 1860 by the 3rd Earl Manvers, and is now a high-end hotel, so if you’re looking for the ultimate in postrace relaxation, book a room and you’ll only have to hobble 100 metres from the finish line to your bed. My main apprehension going into this marathon was that the looped format would be a mental stumbling block. I’ve only ever run point-to-point marathons or those that loop back to the start. Running four repeats of six miles was a new challenge – how would my mind (and dodgy knees) handle it?
LONGHORN MARATHON
P H OTO G R A P H S : R O O F OW L E R, G E T T Y I M AG E S
I set off from Thoresby Hall and within half a mile the course takes you off the asphalt road and past the scenic St John’s Church, tucked away in the woodland. We’re in the depths of Robin Hood country here. Sherwood Forest – featuring Robin Hood’s alleged home and the biggest oak tree in the UK, the Major Oak – is just over the road. Speaking of oaks, tree devotees will be entranced – you’ll see mighty and historic oaks, some of which are more than 1,000 years old; Spanish chestnuts; beeches; pines and redwoods. Not only that, but swathes of the forest are carpeted in ferns, making you feel you’ve wandered off the set of Prince of Thieves. After I’ve wound my way past fields of cows and sheep, the course saves one stunning surprise for last – Thoresby Lake stretches out before me, glittering in the morning light. It’s a sight to stop me in my tracks as I fumble for my phone’s camera. Luckily, I get to enjoy it four times. Once I pass the lake, I’m on Lap One’s home straight. The marshals do a sterling job of providing encouragement, much-needed
THE RUNDOWN The Longhorn Marathon, Notts (2021 stats) First man: Mike Blair, 2:55:33 First woman: Kate Bowden, 4:00:36 Last finisher: 6:27:06 No of finishers: 50
Finishing stats ● Under 3:00 2% ● 3:00-3:59 22% ● 4:00-4:59 50% ● 5:00-5:59 16% ● 6:00+ 10%
affirmations, bass-heavy pop tunes, dancing and, crucially, rejuvenating electrolyte drinks. What makes this race stand out, aside from the marshals and the landscape, forests and wildlife, is the other runners. There are differentdistance races taking place at the same time on staggered starts, so, to begin with, I pass ultra runners tackling loops two or three of the 50km or 60km races. Next, I pass the tail end of the runners being pulled along by their excitable dogs in the Canicross event, providing entertainment as dogs get distracted by sheep or eat questionable items; and halfway through my third lap, I’m overtaken by the leaders in the 10K. The undulating miles (total elevation, 366m) tick by in a pleasant haze of sunshine, friendly chat and the unmistakable whiff of manure. Each loop provides something new – the animal life I spot includes a buzzard soaring on the wind, a stag charging through the woodland, Hebridean sheep trying to work out why there are so many humans disturbing their peace and a giant horsefly drilling into my calf.
RACE
The fourth and final loop is tough. Mentally, I know exactly how far I have to go, what the terrain’s like and where the marshals are to give me a much-needed boost. It covers the critical miles, 20-26, where the wall looms, like an ancient oak blocking my way, Kevin Costner perched halfway up, firing arrow after arrow at my aching knees. But after starting that conclusive loop, something unexpected happens: I feel good (perhaps ‘good’ isn’t the right word; more like ‘still capable of maintaining forward momentum’). With three miles to go, my legs aren’t declaring that they’re clocking off for the day and as I run by the Longhorns, I wonder what this rare feeling is – it’s almost like I have more in the tank. After rounding the final corner and crossing the line, I stare at the finishers’ medal in a daze, admiring the intricate carving: it is, of course, a massive cow’s face. Afterwards, I skip the burger van in tribute to the fine beasts whose mere sleepy existence inspired me round this memorable course. Run it: the next Longhorn Marathon will take place in April 2022. sbrevents.co.uk
Like this? Try...three more looped trail races WENDOVER WOODS 50 A 50km ultra consisting of five loops of a 10-mile course through forest trails in the Chiltern Hills. With an elevation of 3,050m, it’s not short of climbs for the south of England.
GLENMORE 24 TRAIL RACE See how far you can go by running a four-mile loop as many times as possible in 24 hours. To have a hope of winning, you’d be looking at doing upwards of 120 miles (30 laps).
BACKYARD ULTRA CYMRU The Backyard Ultra is Lazarus ‘Barkley Marathons’ Lake’s second-most-famous race, now held around the world. Run the 4.1-mile loop within an hour, every hour, for as long as you can.
Wendover, Bucks, Nov 6, centurionrunning.com
Aviemore, Highlands, Sep 3-5, runyarocket.net
Bridge, Gwynedd, Aug 27, trailevents.co
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STILL GOING STRONG: TUNBRIDGE WELLS HALF RW tips its cap to classic British races that have stood the test of time
H O W D I D I T S TA R T ?
AFTER THEY HAD RUN together to prepare for the inaugural London Marathon in 1981, a tight-knit training group formed Tunbridge Wells Runners, later becoming the Harriers. The clubs staged the Kent town’s first half marathon and still organises the race today. For its debut, on January 23, 1983, the road race started beside Wellington Rocks, the sandstone outcrops on the town’s common. This circular route passed through Rusthall village, which was handy, as its vicar, Bob Whyte, was club chairman and ran on that day too. For that first outing, 53 runners (including six women) started and 49 finished the race. The records held by former race director Bob Lawrence do not reveal first names, but an A. Brown won it (1:17:29), while an N. Brown was the first woman home (1:29:01).
1
W H AT I S I T L I K E ?
WHEN THE RACE WAS STAGED for the second time, the following April, running fever gripped the town – there were more than 400 entrants. Newspaper cuttings from the day tell how the mayor had to resort to a conventional starting pistol after the firing of a 25-pounder field gun that was intended to send the runners on their way failed to do its duty. But that kerfuffle didn’t faze Martin Knapp, who won the 1984 edition three years after winning the Barcelona Marathon. Numbers continued to grow but the course, which took in the villages and suburbs around the royal spa town,
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3
2 1 / The big-gun misfire of 1984 – but the mayor had a backup 2 / A painting of Penshurst Place from 1903 3 / Snow was no match for some runners in 2005
remained largely unchanged. One daunting ever-present has been the Spring Hill climb around mile seven, just before Fordcombe. This mileand-a-quarter slog regularly breaks even the best: in 1999, four-time Great North Run champion Benson Masya from Kenya in effect lost the race on this hill to Kent’s own Barry Royden, who powered to victory.
WHO RUNS IT?
THIS RACE BOASTS two Olympic champions among its entrants, though neither can add a win here to their list of achievements. Britain’s
Don Thompson became a national hero when he won the race-walking 50km gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics; in later life, he set his sights on running more than 100 full and half marathons and so was a regular here for several years. Meanwhile, double gold medallist and local hero Kelly Holmes is often a familiar face on race day, usually handing out finishers’ medals. In 2016, after acting as official starter she ran the course, too. Other big names include 1983 London Marathon winner Mike Gratton, GB international Liz Yelling (who triumphed here in 2011) and Paralympian gold medallist Richard Whitehead. But the race is still a must for local club, charity and all
RACE
TUNBRIDGE WELLS HALF MARATHON 4
off the course. With the river at Penshurst rising rapidly, we just got the last of the runners safely across the road there before it flooded. It’s a very scenic race through the Kent countryside and, apart from Spring Hill, is a fairly fast course with a final flat few miles.’
standard of recreational runners. Although numbers swelled in the 1990s (for its 30th outing, in 2013, more than 2,000 ran it), a manageable 1,500 now run it each year.
THE STALWART
‘This was my first ever half and where I also achieved my PB,’ says Amanda Smith of Tunbridge Wells Harriers, ‘I love running through the villages where the crowds come out of their houses, whatever the weather. In the past, I have run slowly and even walked up some of Spring Hill, but I always make it in the end. In the last two years, I’ve handed out the finishers’ medals, including one to my son, Billy Hobbs, who won the 2020 race [in 1:13:18], which was amazing. I’ve run it nine times in a row since 2010 and, as I live locally, hope to take part many more times.’
WO R D S : A D R I A N M O N T I . P H OTO G R A P H S : A R C H I V E P H OTO S / S T R I N G E R, G R A E M E R O B E R T S O N , H U LTO N F I N E A R T, G E T T Y I M AG E S
THREE REASONS TO RUN
RUNNING UP Spring Hill, a climb of almost 95m, is among the most testing ascents on the halfmarathon road-race circuit. IT WAS ORIGINALLY seen as the perfect tune-up for London and other spring marathons, but after almost 40 years, it has long been regarded as a top-notch race on its own terms. WITH ALMOST FIVE MILES completed, you pass the historic grounds of Penshurst Place, which was once Henry VIII’s hunting lodge; some of the scenes from the period drama The Other Boleyn Girl were shot here.
4 / Gandhi cleans up at the 1983 Oscars; 5 / The race always attracts a big field 6 / Dame Kelly Holmes often turns up
5
WHO KNEW? ANYTHING NEW?
The event is held in late winter, so the weather can be unpredictable. This was proven in 2005, when a heavy snowfall 90 minutes before the start meant the race was called off following police advice. Though there was no official race, about 75 runners ran the course; later, they conceded that the decision to cancel had been correct.
ALTHOUGH THE RACE was deemed safe in February 2020, before tighter Covid-19 restrictions came in, it was not possible to stage it this year. With its planned return in 2022, the organisers’ main aim is to re-establish the event as it approaches its 40th birthday.
WAY B A C K W H E N W H AT T H E Y S AY
1983: Derby winner Shergar was kidnapped, but the ransom was not paid and the racehorse was never seen again; the movie Gandhi, starring Ben Kingsley, won eight Academy Awards; and the pound coin entered circulation as pound notes were phased out.
THE RACE DIRECTOR
‘When I took over in 2014, I was very aware it was one of the oldest half marathons anywhere in the country, as well as a huge local charity fundraiser,’ says Mark Taylor. ‘The 2020 race was a challenge even before Covid struck, as Storm Dennis hit on raceday morning, meaning we delayed the start by an hour to clear trees
6
The next Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon is set for February 2022. Visit twharriers.org.uk
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RACE
START LIST
THE START LIST
Our selection of the best, fastest, toughest, quirkiest and most enjoyable UK races this month
SMILE FOR THE MILE
Night of the Supermile Almost all of us runners, regardless of ability, would benefit from a little more speedwork in our training routines. But…it’s just awful, isn’t it? Come on, admit it. Thankfully, this event provides an excellent solution to the problem of necessity versus pain. Yes, it’s just a mile and yes, that means you have to push yourself to go fast, but photos of the event show that, with a crowd and a little healthy competition, going all-out for the four-to-14 minutes that the mile can take (and all paces are equally welcome) can actually be fun. Seriously. Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, August 13, curlysathletes.co.uk
HORSES FOR COURSES
The Lucky Horseshoe Challenge It’s fair to assume that a town with the name Horseheath has a long association with running, even if it may not primarily be humans doing it. There is a racecourse just outside the town and on August 14 it will
RW POLL Do you have a pair of running shoes
REMEMBERING RON
reserved for races?
48%
I have one pair for all runs
23%
Dr Ron Hill Hyde 7 Mile Road Race This event is the culmination of the week-long Tour of Tameside series of events in honour of running legend Ron Hill, who died in May at the age of 82. The route leaves Hyde town centre and heads into the suburbs, so we can’t really describe this one as scenic. But it’s been a long time since we could recommend a fast, flat, urban road race and the idea of thundering along with a few hundred other runners, cheers ringing in your ears, sounds brilliant after the last year and a half. And it’s a great way to remember Ron Hill, too. Hyde, Cheshire, August 1, sportstoursinternational.co.uk
Yes, I have one pair for races
15% I have several
14%
I choose randomly for races
be for the exclusive use of us human runners. The course is a 5.3km loop, and you can complete as many laps as you want in the six-hour time limit. With plenty of wide-open space and a relaxed aid station, this sounds like a chilled-out way to clock up marathon distance or more, if the mood strikes you, for reasons that are past understanding. Horseheath, Cambridgeshire, August 14, zigzagrunning.co.uk
RW Twitter poll with 493 responses
BARGE ON THROUGH
WoMan v Barge For this interesting event, runners must race a barge that will be chugging through the Standedge Tunnel from Marsden to Diggle. The route for runners is, thankfully, rather more scenic (and hilly): they head up and over Marsden Marsh before finishing at Diggle Hotel, hopefully before the barge emerges from its underground journey. The route is approximately five miles and is well marked, but the best news of
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all is that there’s a bottle of beer waiting for you in Diggle. Marsden, Yorkshire, August 8, organicadventure.co.uk
ADD A LITTLE FLAVOUR
Salt Cellar Fell Race This 10.9km fell race takes in one of the most scenic routes in all of the UK, and that is surely saying something. It starts at the impressive Derwent Reservoir, one of the biggest bodies of water in England, and then heads steeply up into the hills to cross Derwent Edge, home to some eye-catching rock formations with names that are just as striking: the Salt Cellar, the Horse and Coaches, and the Cakes of Bread have all been eroded into unusual shapes over the centuries by wind, rain and frost, although a good deal of imagination is required to match the shapes to their descriptive names. Fairholmes, Derbyshire, August 6, steelcitystriders.co.uk
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
flatter seven-miler.
hear, are downhill or dead flat.
Ramsey, Isle of Man, August 8, isleofmanmarathon.com
Conwy, Caernarfonshire, August 1, runwales.com
The Railway Relay After over a year of being forced to run alone, a relay race sounds like an extremely attractive proposition. Add a traffic-free route along an old rural railway track between Peterhead and Ellon, and this event sounds like an absolute delight. Teams of three, four or five are welcome for this 43.5km event; if you’re really smart, you’ll schedule your leg (there are nine in total) to avoid the long uphill between kilometres 16 and 23. Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, August 1, therailwayrelay.co.uk
RW POLL If you saw a runner in distress by the side of the course would you…
82% Always stop and help
LONGER THAN IT LOOKS
11%
Stop if it wasn’t
Scafell Pike Trail Marathon While it’s advertised as a marathon, this tough trail event actually clocks in at 27 miles/44.9km. We just thought you should know that well in advance and not find out after finishing your marathon only to realise that you still have a heartbreaking couple of kilometres to go. If that hasn’t scared you off, this race looks quite spectacular, with a route that starts and ends in the northern foothills of the Lake District and reaches the top of Scafell Pike around the 21km mark. Some navigation skills are required for the steep mountainous sections.
WALES, YOU WIN
North Wales Half Marathon We’re huge fans of north Wales on these pages and this race really explores the best of what the region has to offer. The first half of the event follows a bike path along the rugged coastline west of Conwy, before turning inland and heading up into the Snowdonia foothills. The elevation goes no higher than 240m above sea level – a mere bump in the grand scheme of things, but a bump that will no doubt hurt when the time comes to run up it. The final four miles, you’ll be glad to
LOOP THE LOOP
Chorley 10K The route for this event is a 5km loop that starts and ends in the town centre, but spends a couple of kilometres looping around Astley Park. The course briefly follows some forest trail, so runners will need to be prepared for all forms of terrain, from road to gravel path to mucky forest trail. There’s also a 2km Family Run option and your kids will be unhappy to note that it mostly avoids the fun muddy bits, though there are still a few inclines. Chorley, Lancashire, August 29, checkoutchorley.com
an important race for you
7%
ALL RACES TAKING PLACE AT TIME OF
Keep going
GOING TO
RW Twitter poll with 881 responses
PRESS
WO R D S : S T E P H E N G L E N N O N . P H OTO G R A P H S : J I M H O L D E N , S T E V E P O L L I T T
Keswick, Cumberland, August 15, highterrainevents.co.uk
ISLE TAKE THAT
Isle of Man Marathon & Half Marathon The organisers of this road race were kind enough to avoid the hilly interior of this beautiful island in favour of a flatter event in the north. But be warned – very little of the Isle of Man is truly flat and the halfmarathon loop that begins and ends in Ramsey has some tough uphills. If an undulating marathon isn’t enough to tire you out, there is a whole week of optional events to follow, with races every day, ranging from one mile (steeply uphill) to a
RW ONLINE RACE LISTINGS
Thirsty for more? Go to runnersworld. com/uk and click ‘Events’ to get to the UK’s most comprehensive race database, where you can search over 4,500 races by location, terrain, distance and more.
A RUSH TO THE BAR
Kings Head Canter 5K As you might expect from an event named after a pub, and which finishes at said pub, there’s a free locally brewed beer for those who complete this race. There’s a real community feeling to things, with all proceeds going towards the organisation of a spectacular village carnival that takes place every November. The organisers are also reassuringly precise about the length of the route: it clocks in at 4,980m, so you’ll be 20m short if you’re aiming for a 5K PB. You could always run to the bar and back. Several times. Chiddingly, Sussex, August 30, kingsheadcanter5k.org.uk
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I’M A RUNNER
FRAN HEALY THE TRAVIS FRONTMAN, 47, ON COLD STARTS AND HIS HOLLYWOOD ROUTINE when Travis were based in London, about 10 years later.
‘I can’t listen to music when I’m running. My brain shuts down’
I WAS AMAZED at how unfit I was. I could only run for about five minutes and it floored me. I’d be in bits. So I just thought, ‘Tomorrow I’ll run for seven minutes, the next day I’ll run for eight,’ and so on. I slowly worked my way up to full match fitness. I DON’T BELIEVE in marathons. I’d never do one. I don’t think people are meant to exert themselves that much! It’s not a good thing to do to your body. My thing is speed and short distances, and I’ve got a brilliant route for doing that now. THE RUN I DO now is my only run.
It’s a lap of the Hollywood Reservoir, a six-minute drive from my house in LA. My family lived in Berlin for 10 years and we’ve been in LA for the last three. It’s almost three miles, a bit hilly, and I do it about four times a week. I DIDN’T REALISE how OCD I was
about it. A few months ago, I got part of the way round, and a gate that’s usually open was closed, so I had to go back the way I came. It was the most upsetting feeling, not being able to go clockwise.
I HATED CROSS-COUNTRY but I was good at it. I was the typical 15-yearold who never trained and just turned up on a Sunday. It would be the icecold environs of a Scottish park, a guy would bang his gun and 200 boys would tear away. I remember being cold and hating every minute of it, but I’d usually come in the top 10. I THOUGHT THE strip of my running club was cool. I ran for Bellahouston Harriers in Glasgow for about four
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years. We had these blue vests, with a St Andrew’s cross down the chest, that looked great. In the track season, my main event would be 800m, but then I got weirdly very good at long jump and triple jump, and started to prefer that to anything else.
The latest Travis album, 10 Songs , is out now. travisonline.com
IT’S A SIMILAR feeling to being on stage. Going on tour, to me, feels like this going-up-the-mountain, Zen thing. You don’t eat much. And you go into this weird, transcendental state when you’re singing. When I come back off tour, running is a simple way to recreate that Zen feeling. BEING IN A RACE is like performing.
I STOPPED RUNNING when music took over. At 16, I started singing in a band at school. Then I went to art school. That period of your life, you’re just partying. I started running again
I said I didn’t like cross-country, but it is a different dynamic when you’re racing. Running by yourself is the rehearsal. When you get in front of an audience, you tighten the belt slightly.
I N T E R V I E W: DAV I D S M Y T H . P H OTO G R A P H : C L AY K RY S T
I CAN’T LISTEN TO music when I’m running. I know some people go out for a run and sort through all their problems. My brain just shuts down.
Get ready for your first or fastest 6.2-mile race
6.2
Full training plans – from beginner to advanced
Expert tips and moves to run well and injury-free
TRAIN FOR YOUR FIRST OR FASTEST RACE
PHOTOGRAPHS: MATT TRAPPE, DAVID JAEWON OH, MITCH MANDEL
is one of the most popular race distances throughout the world. It unites fast and slow, experienced and new runners in a way other distances don’t. Because the distance is reasonably short, PB-hunters can train for and compete in a 10K without having to significantly alter their training plans for the rest of the year; marathon runners can use it as a speedwork day; and for newer runners, it’s an accessible distance that offers a realistic step up from 5K. In this guide, you’ll find training schedules, strength moves to keep you on track and hard-won tips and wisdom from experts to ensure you arrive at the start line primed and ready to go.
Ten Out Of Ten ....... Go Under An Hour.. Go Under 50 Minutes Go Under 40 Minutes Be A Good Middle Manager 19 Tips For Your Best 10K Hard Core ............. The Seven Habits Of Winners
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RUNNER’S WORLD / Run your best 10K
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OFF TO THE RACES 10Ks are hugely popular
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TEN OUT OF TEN
The 10K, ideal for all types of runners, is the most popular race distance in the UK, and there are good reasons why this is the case is the perfect distance over which to test your endurance and speed. For new runners, it’s a challenging but achievable step up from 5K, and it’s a great sharpener for those who prefer to focus on longer races. ‘It’s not just endurance you need – it’s speed endurance, the ability to sustain your pace for a prolonged period,’ says running coach Julian Goater. That means a high aerobic capacity and lactate threshold are equally important assets; therefore, a balance of speed sessions – such as intervals – and tempo runs to raise lactate threshold are on the training menu. One of the great things about a 10K is that it’s a race in which you can take a few risks. Going off too fast might make the latter stages tough, but it won’t ruin your race. And if you do get it wrong, you can try again a couple of weeks later, because you should recover relatively quickly from your exertions – and, hopefully, your disappointment if things have not gone according to plan. Even better, if you decide to move up to longer distances, you’ll find your 10K training has paid dividends. On the pages that follow, you’ll find training plans for runners targeting sub-60-, sub-50and sub-40-minute finishes. TEN KILOMETRES – 6.2 MILES –
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GO UNDER AN HOUR This eight-week plan consists of three tough sessions per fortnight, mixing race-pace efforts with fartlek (a Swedish word that translates as ‘speed play’), hills and tempo running. In the latter stages of the plan, there will also be some intervals to hone your speed. But the bulk of the sessions should be run at a comfortable pace to build the endurance you’ll need to run for an hour without becoming fatigued. A 5K race or parkrun halfway through will give you a chance to assess your progress and check that your goal time is realistic. Who’s up for it? / First-timers with good
fitness and those who have previously run under 30 minutes for 5K.
reduce the risk of injury. ‘Your feet should land quietly and move lightly,’ says Goater. He suggests short, light steps to improve your leg turnover. ‘You should feel as if you’re falling forwards and that only by bringing your legs through quickly do you stop yourself from falling over,’ he says. Good hydration / There’s no need to take
fluid or fuel on board during a 10K. However, there is evidence that ‘mouth-rinsing with a carb drink can reduce fatigue when you’re exercising hard for 30-75 minutes’, says sports dietitian Ruth McKean. ‘I’d suggest mouthrinsing for those running nearer the hour mark. With 2km to go, it could give you a lift.’ Finish strong / Expect the pace to feel tough
Choose the right race / Many beginners pick
large-scale events for their debuts, but being stuck behind hundreds of runners isn’t the best way to bag a personal best. Choose a race that is PB-friendly, but not too competitive – you want to remember it for the right reasons. Go to runnersworld.com/uk to search our database of upcoming events. Work on form / Improving your running form
will help you to run more efficiently, so you use less energy to sustain a given pace and
from about four miles (roughly 6.5km) in. ‘It’s part of racing a 10K, so prepare for it mentally,’ says coach Jeff Gaudette. ‘With one mile to go, keep your head up and focus on catching the person in front of you. Imagine tying a fishing line to their back and reeling them in.’ Arm up / Feel yourself flagging? Focus on
your arms. ‘If you move your arms quicker, you’ll drive your legs faster, too,’ says Goater. Imagine you are trying to pull your arm back a split second earlier than usual.
WHAT WE MEAN BY THOSE TRAINING TERMS
EASY Just what it says. STEADY Should feel comfortable – between easy and tempo pace. TEMPO 10-15 seconds per mile slower than your current 10K pace. HILL REPS Run hard up the hill and jog or walk back down. SHORT REPS Run at 15-30 seconds per mile faster than your 5K pace. Recovery is twice the length of the effort. FARTLEK Continuous run with faster intervals of varying duration in it. MILE REPS (MR) At or close to your goal race pace (9:35 per mile).
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Eight weeks to help you run a 10K in under 60 minutes
Week
MON
TUE
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
SUN
Rest
MR: 4×1 mile, each 1-2 secs faster than the last, 2:30min recs
30 mins easy or rest
8-10 x 20-sec hill reps – gradient 4-6 per cent
Rest
40 mins easy
Long, easy 8 miles
Rest
Short reps: 8×30 secs hard, with 90-sec recoveries
30 mins easy or rest
1 mile easy, 2×10 mins at tempo, 2-min rec, 1 mile easy
Rest
4-mile fartlek, with efforts from 20 secs to 2 mins
Long, easy 8 miles
Rest
5-6 x 1200m at goal 10K pace, 3-min jog recs
30 mins easy or rest
8-10 x 30-sec hill reps – gradient 6 per cent
Rest
45 mins easy
Long, easy 10 miles
Rest
1 mile easy, 2×12 mins tempo, with 2-min jog recoveries
30 mins easy or rest
Short reps: 10×30 secs hard
Rest
parkrun
Rest
30 mins easy
4×1 miles at goal 10K pace, 3-min jog recs, 1 mile easy
30 mins easy or rest
5 mile hilly fartlek, with efforts of 20 secs to 2 mins
Rest
7 miles steady
Easy, long 9 miles, last 2 miles faster
Rest
6-8×2 mins: 1 min at 10K pace, 1 min at 5K pace, 2-min recs
30 mins easy or rest
1 mile easy, 20 mins tempo, 1 mile easy
Rest
50 mins easy
Long, easy 10 miles, last 2 miles faster
Rest
2×2 mile 10K pace, 5-min rec; 2×2 mins 5K pace, 90s jog recs
45 mins easy or rest
Short reps: 6×30 secs hard, with 90-sec jog recoveries
Rest
5 miles steady
7 miles easy
Rest
2 miles easy, 5×1 min at 5K pace, 2 miles easy
30 mins easy or rest
4 miles out and back: steady out, faster on way back
Rest
20 mins easy
Race day
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GO UNDER 50 MINUTES This programme consists of two tough sessions per week, but with the elements – speedwork, hills, tempo running and goal-pace reps – spread across a fortnight. The race-specific efforts progress from your current 10K pace to goal 10K pace, with tempo training to boost lactate threshold, and intervals and hills to build strength and speed. Don’t feel that you have to do the intervals on a track. In fact, Goater recommends varying your surfaces to avoid injury. Who’s up for it? / Runners with 5K or 10K
racing experience and who are capable of around 25 minutes for a 5K. Divide and conquer / Five-time British
Olympian Jo Pavey, a 10,000m specialist, recommends splitting the race into three chunks and handling each differently. ‘Doable pace for the first two miles, push a bit in the middle two, then go hard for the last two,’ she says. Perk run / Gear yourself up for the race with
a coffee or a caffeinated gel. Caffeine helps to reduce your perception of effort when you’re running. Nathan Lewis, lead performance nutrition scientist with the English Institute
of Sport, says one dose will suffice. ‘Taking it 45-60 minutes before the race gives time for its effects to take hold.’ A study in the Journal of Sport Sciences found that a caffeine dose of 3mg per kg of body weight, taken one hour before an 8km race, improved performance by an average of 23 seconds. Master steady pacing / Use out-and-back
runs to develop your sense of pacing. Legendary running coach Arthur Lydiard made his athletes do time-based out-and-backs on even terrain. ‘The goal is to run both halves as evenly as possible, or with slightly negative splits [doing the second half faster],’ says former Olympic marathoner Lorraine Moller. ‘If you’re unable to maintain your pace, you’re starting out too fast. This is a costly mistake, so repeat the out-and-back exercise regularly until you get the hang of it.’ Race more / Don’t restrict your racing to
one big ‘A’ event. ‘I suggest runners schedule a race once every two to four weeks to get feedback on how their training and fitness are progressing,’ says veteran running coach Joe Rubio. ‘Racing is a skill and you need to practise to improve.’
WHAT WE MEAN BY THOSE TRAINING TERMS
EASY Just what it says. Be sure it really is easy and make the most of it. STEADY Between easy and tempo pace. TEMPO 10-15 seconds per mile slower than your current 10K pace. HILL REPS Run hard up the hill and jog down. CONTINUOUS HILLS Find a gentle slope and run up and down the hill at tempo effort. SHORT REPS Run 15-30 seconds per mile faster than 5K pace. Recovery: twice the length of the effort. LONG REPS Run at your 5K race pace. Recovery is half to the full length of the effort. MILE REPS (MR) At or close to your goal race pace (8:00 per mile).
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Push yourself to go a little bit faster with this plan, which will give you the confidence you need
Week
MON
TUE
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
SUN
Rest
MR: 4×1 mile, each 1-2 secs faster than the last, 2:30-recs
Rest
8-10 x 20-sec hill reps – gradient 4-6 per cent
Rest
5 miles easy
Long, easy 9 miles
Rest
2 miles easy with strides; 5×3 mins 5K pace, 90 sec recs, 1 mile easy
30 mins easy or rest
2 miles easy, 20 mins tempo, 1 mile easy
Rest
5 miles steady
7 miles easy
Rest
5-6 x 1200m at goal 10K pace, with 3-min jog recs
Rest
2-mile WU*, 8-10 × 30 secs hard, 1:30 jog recs, 1 mile easy
Rest
parkrun
Long, easy 10 miles
Rest
2 miles easy to steady, 25 mins tempo, 1 mile easy
30 mins easy or rest
2 miles easy, with strides, 5×4 mins at 5K pace, 2:30 recs, 1 mile easy
Rest
6 miles steady
Rest
30 mins easy
1 mile easy, 3 × 50m strides, 8×1K at 10K pace (2:30-recs), 1 mile easy
Rest
8-10 x 20-sec hill reps – gradient 4-6%
Rest
5 miles steady
Easy, long 9 miles, last 2 miles faster
Rest
2 miles easy, 30 mins tempo, 1 mile easy
35 mins easy
10×30 seconds hard, 1:30 jog recs, 1 mile easy
Rest
6M**: 3 at 10 secs slower than tempo; then speed up 5 secs each mile
Easy, long 10 miles
Rest
2×2M goal pace, 5-min recs, 2×800m 5K pace, 3-min jog recs
Easy or rest
Hills – 5×3 mins with 1-min rec – gradient 3-4%
Rest
6 miles steady
Easy 6 miles plus 3×50m strides
Rest
4-6 × 400m at goal 10K pace
Easy or rest
4 miles easy plus 3×50m strides
Rest
20 mins easy plus 3×50m strides
Race day
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GO UNDER 40 MINUTES Who’s up for it? / Experienced runners who
are running a 5K below, or close to, 20 mins. The schedule consists of two tough sessions a week, mixing fortnightly race-specific efforts at goal pace with tempo training to boost lactate threshold and above-race-pace intervals or hills to build strength and speed. The other sessions are easy, to aid development and recovery.
warm, run for two minutes at race pace, aiming to finish five minutes before the race starts. Lighten up / Lighter shoes can boost speed.
One study1 found that every 100g of increased shoe mass meant a one per cent increase in oxygen consumption. Tuck in / Running fast in a headwind uses
Do the splits / Most coaches recommend running even mile splits, or a slight negative split, running the first half of the race slightly slower than the second half. ‘This means you don’t want to run the first mile too fast, but this can be difficult and will require focus,’ says coach Jeff Gaudette.
three to nine per cent more energy, so running in someone’s slipstream is a smart move. Of course, someone might do the same to you!
No pain, no gain / Maintaining a pace that
isn’t far off your 5K pace for twice as long will hurt. Concentrating on your goal will help you rise above the pain, says Andy Lane, a professor of sport psychology. Be race ready / Don’t just jog in your warm-up, advises Alex Hutchinson, author of Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? ‘It takes time for your oxygen-delivery system to get up to full speed, but you can prime it by doing a hard effort before a race.’ After you’ve jogged yourself
HILLS Find a gentle slope and run continuously up and down the hill at tempo effort level for the duration/reps. EASY Just what it says. Make sure it really is easy. HILL REPS Run hard up the hill and jog or walk back down. LONG REPS 5K pace for longer intervals. MILE REPS At or very close to goal race pace. SHORT REPS 15-30 seconds a mile faster than 5K pace. STEADY Should feel comfortable – between easy and tempo pace. STRIDES Short bursts of speed to warm up. TEMPO 10-15 seconds per mile slower than your current 10K pace.
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1. U N I V E R S I T Y O F CO LO R A D O, U S
WHAT WE MEAN BY THOSE TRAINING TERMS
THE SUB-40 10K PLAN Ambitious goals require tough regimes, but you can do it if you focus and follow this plan
Week
1
MON
TUE
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
SUN
Rest or 30 mins easy
5 miles, with 8-10 x 30-sec hill reps – gradient 4-6%
6 miles easy
2 miles WU* and strides; 5×1 mile at goal 10K pace, 3-min jog recs
Rest
5 miles steady
Easy, long 10 miles
Rest or 30 mins easy
2 miles WU and strides, then reps: 8-10 × 300m, 1 mile cooldown
6 miles easy
1.5 miles easy, 3 miles tempo, 1 mile easy
Rest
5 miles steady
Easy, long 8 miles
Rest or 30 mins very easy
2M** WU, inc strides, 1×2M goal pace, 5 mins easy, 3×1M, 3 mins easy
5 miles very easy
5M, inc 8-10 x 45 secs at gradient 4-6% and 4×200m, 2-min recs
Rest
6 miles steady
Easy, long 12 miles
Rest
2M WU and strides, 5-6 x 600m at 5K pace, 1M cooldown
6 miles easy
6M: 3 at 10 secs under tempo; speed up 10 secs next 3 miles
Rest
parkrun
Easy, long 10 miles
Rest or 30 mins easy
2M WU, with strides, 2×2M, 5 mins easy, 2×1M, 3 mins easy
Rest
7 miles easy plus 4×50m strides
Rest
1 mile easy, 3 miles halfmarathon pace, 1 mile easy
Easy, long 12 miles
Rest or 30 mins very easy
2 miles WU and strides, 5-6 × 800m at 5K pace, 1 mile cooldown
7 miles easy
Hills – 6×3 mins with 1-min recs, gradient 3-4%
Rest
3 miles, easy
Easy, long 10 miles, last 3 miles faster
Rest or 30 mins very easy
2M WU and strides, 3×2M at goal pace, 5-min jog recs
Rest or 30 mins easy
6 miles steady
Rest
2M easy to steady, 2M tempo, 1M 10K pace, 1M easy
Easy 6 miles, then 4×50m strides
Rest
2 miles WU, 4-6 × 400m at goal pace, 1 mile cool-down
3 miles easy
2 miles easy, 2 miles steady, 1 mile easy
Rest
2 miles easy plus 5×50m strides
Race day
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5
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CENTRE POINT, The middle of a 10K is where the work really starts
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BE A GOOD MIDDLE MANAGER
The middle section of a 10K, when the pace begins to bite, is when you really need to focus THE 10K IS A LITTLE LIKE A TROJAN HORSE .
It seems safe from the outside, but it is filled with danger – waiting to inflict pain on those who let their guard down, especially in the middle, when the pace begins to take its toll but you know you have another half ahead of you. ‘It’s the worst feeling in all of running,’ says running coach Ben Rosario, describing the pain of oxygen debt in this seemingly simple race. The distance is relatively short compared with the half or marathon, but because of the extra speed required, it represents a long time for runners to spend on the edge of the red line. Here’s how to approach the meat of the race.
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Start at the beginning / Don’t go out too fast.
Cross-country coach Eric Heintz says he sees the slowdown in the middle miles in those who go out too hard; they then try to get back into their comfort zones. Christo Landry, the 2014 US road 10K champion, says staying controlled early gives you the best chance of a fast time. ‘There’s a reason the world records at the mile and above have been run that way,’ he says. He recommends focusing on your effort to gauge if you’re going out too hard. The effort at the start of a 10K race should feel similar to a tempo run, says Rosario. ‘You’re amped up, so even though the pace will probably be faster than your tempo-run pace, the feeling is pretty similar,’ he says. Heintz also recommends being realistic about where you line up for the race – if you are in the right place, it’s more likely you’ll begin at a sustainable pace. Practise the pain / Even with a smart start to the race, the middle miles will be difficult. Scott Simmons, coach of the American Distance Project, says the challenge in the
middle section is maintaining pace after fatigue has set in. Your training is designed to help you meet that challenge. Danny Mackey, coach of the Brooks Beasts, says most adult runners are not prepared for the intensity of an all-out 10K. He says that your brain and nervous system need to be prepared ‘to be OK with that intensity and know it’s safe to go that hard’. That training can take a variety of forms (see right), but the common thread is workouts that simulate aspects of the race. A workout doesn’t need to be at race pace to be race-specific, says Rosario. Although a three-mile tempo run isn’t as tough as a race, the lack of rest means the workout will test you at roughly the same point at which the race starts to feel hard. Keep perspective / Aiming for race-specific workouts also doesn’t mean that each one needs to feel as hard as a race. Mackey says you should only do this once every 14-18 days and warns that doing too many such workouts can wear you down.
GRIN AND BEAR IT Get your brain in gear
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The start-pace settler GOAL TO PRACTISE
Settling into an appropriate race pace after a quick start. WORKOUT Run 500m at ‘starting effort’ (untimed), then move directly into one mile at your 10K race pace per mile plus 20 seconds (so if you were aiming for a 40-minute finishing time, this would be 6:26 + 20s = 6:46). Repeat three times, taking four minutes of rest between efforts. COACH NOTES ‘It’s a chance to settle back in and find that pace,’ says Eric Heintz. ‘You don’t need to do it often, but you need to do it a little bit to know how to turn it
down after the start and settle in, so you’re not putting in too much, too early.’
Ride the line GOAL To focus on
maintaining pace throughout the race. WORKOUT 5-6 x 1km at goal 10K race pace, with 90 seconds’ rest. COACH NOTES ‘I usually want the athletes to go out at goal pace straight away,’ says Danny Mackey. ‘I want them to ride that line as much as possible during the workout – versus being too conservative early on – and not have to focus in the middle and final reps.’
Think tough / Although practising pain in
hard workouts can build mental toughness, the race itself is a psychological challenge. When the pace starts to lag in the middle miles, Ben True, who has won US 10K road championships, says it’s usually a psychological rather than a physical issue. ‘Most people pick it up at the end of the race,’ he says. ‘If you can do this, it means you could have gone harder in the middle.’ Thinking about the finish in the middle of the race is ‘way too daunting’, says Mackey, and can cause you to become distracted. ‘I tell my athletes to think about what they are doing
The hammer GOAL To better simulate
late-race pain and fatigue. WORKOUT 6x800m at goal 10K pace or slightly faster, with 75 seconds’ rest; ‘hammer’ reps 5 and 6 at faster than race pace. COACH NOTES ‘We inject a “hammer” or two in the last part of this workout to mirror what the challenge of the race will be,’ says Scott Simmons. ‘The hammer is faster than race pace. The athlete really pushes and crosses into the anaerobic area. Coming into the last interval more fatigued, the athlete tries to get back to race pace, practising putting in more effort to keep pace.’
right at that moment,’ he says. Landry’s coach, Alex Gibby, tells him to ‘go dumb’ during the race – to not overthink things and just focus on racing. Other coaches recommend finding positive energy to keep your thinking upbeat. Mackey says using cues that work for you in hard workouts is helpful, giving you a feeling of familiarity as race-day dawns. Finally, Heintz says you need to accept the race will be hard. He recommends reminding yourself that your toughest workouts have prepared you for the challenges. This should help take the mystique away from the event.
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GET INVOLVED Find a 10K and sign up. You’ll be glad you did
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R u n Yo u r B e s t 1 0 K / RUNNER’S WORLD
19 TIPS FOR YOUR BEST 10K
A 10K is a great distance for newcomers and experienced runners alike. Sign up now! its spot at the top of the popularity stakes on the UK racing scene. The distance is accessible – yet challenging – for new runners and it’s a true test of stamina and speed endurance for the more experienced among you. The training required to run a good 10K also lends itself well to all-round running fitness, so it’s the ideal springboard for longer – or shorter – distances. And with only a short taper and recovery time needed, it won’t take chunks out of your regular training regime. The training and race-day tips on the following pages – from the best sessions to getting that crucial psychological benefit – will ensure you are prepared in body and mind for the big day. THE 10K DESERVES
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NAIL THE 3 X 2
5. GO HANDS-FREE
‘A session of 3 x 2 miles at race pace is a simple workout, but it’s hard to accomplish,’ says its creator, Greg McMillan. He suggests building up over eight weeks, progressing from 6 x 1-mile reps to a mix of 1- and 2-mile reps (for example, two 1-mile reps and two 2-mile reps). Schedule this session for nine to 12 days before your race to allow for recovery time.
There’s no need to take fluid or fuel on board in a 10K, but if you’re thirsty, drink (most well-organised 10Ks will have a drinks station around the halfway mark). ‘Mouth-rinsing with a carb drink can help when you’re exercising hard for 50 minutes,’ says McKean, ‘but stopping to have it might slow you down too much.’ Of course, this is not an issue if you are just planning to enjoy yourself. After all, your best 10K could be the one you love the most.
2. TAKE A TURN
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Running the shortest distance can save you seconds on race day. ‘On curves, run a straight line from inside corner to inside corner for the shortest distance,’ says McMillan. Bear in mind that most runners slow down at bends. ‘Keep your cadence fast and your stride short, and you’ll blast through.’
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BUY A PAIR OF GO-FASTER SHOES
Wearing a lighter racing shoe can maximise your PB chances. ‘It’s estimated you run one second faster per mile for every ounce [28g] you shed from your shoes,’ says running coach Pete Magill. Swapping a 350g shoe for a 250g one could save you 3.5 secs per mile – 22 secs over the distance.
TAPER YOUR TRAINING
In the week before the race, cut down your total training volume by 50-60 per cent, and divide what’s left equally between high-intensity work and recovery runs. This will ensure you are rested, recovered and ready on race day.
7. TAILOR YOUR TRAINING Depending on your fitness, you will typically be working at 85-90 per cent of maximum effort in a 10K. ‘Your ability to maintain a high percentage of your pace at VO2 max is more important than your max speed,’ says David Chalfen, a British Athletics Level 4 endurance coach and author of Running 5K and 10K: a Training Guide. ‘Include sessions at 3-5K race pace as well as more sustained runs and efforts at your target 10K pace.’
4. GET A CAFFEINE HIT ‘Caffeine peaks an hour after you have it,’ says dietitian Ruth McKean. ‘If you expect to run a 10K in 60 minutes, have your caffeine 10-20 minutes before a race. If you’re aiming for closer to sub-40, take it half an hour before the start.’ McKean’s rule is 3mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight.
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LIGHTEN THE LOAD
It’s said you’ll shave off 10 seconds per mile per 5lb/2.2kg of weight lost. So if you’re carrying a little excess, consider the fact that shedding it could knock a minute off your 10K PB.
TRAIN TRACK Race-specific sessions will pay dividends
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TRY PAVEY’S 10K TUNE-UP
‘Mixing speed work and tempo running in one session helps with a fast 5K or 10K,’ says former 10,000m European champ Jo Pavey. ‘It’s best done 3-4 weeks before your race. Focus on the 800s and 400s at 5K pace or quicker. The tempo adds endurance and volume when you are tired. This last part is unmeasured – don’t save yourself for it, as your full effort needs to go into the early reps. The 200s don’t have to be full-on.’ 1 / 3 x 800m with 2-min recoveries: 3 mins rest 2 / 3 x 400m with 90-sec recoveries: 5 mins rest 3 / 10 mins at tempo pace: 5 mins rest 4 / 4 x 200m with 60-sec recoveries.
Start with shorter efforts, such as 200m or 30 seconds, at the slower end of the pace spectrum outlined above, and work up to 400m or one-minute reps at the faster end.
12. RUN TALL There are many different theories on the ideal running technique, but you won’t go far wrong if you simply focus on running tall, believes McMillan. ‘Your head should be balanced over your shoulders. Your shoulders should be balanced over your hips and your hips should be balanced over your legs. You’ll have better technique and it puts less stress on your body,’ he says. ‘It’s quite simple to say “run tall” out loud to yourself as a reminder; try it.’
10. LATCH ON Once you’re a couple of miles in, latch on to a group that is running at your pace or a little faster. Research published in the Journal of Sports Sciences found that athletes who ran in a pack of similar ability slowed down less over the course of a race.
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GO SHORT AND STRONG
At rest, your body pumps around five litres of blood per minute – your ‘cardiac output’. To run a sub-60:00 10K, that will increase to 15-17 litres per minute. To go sub-45:00, cardiac output may top 23 litres per minute. According to Rubio, short intervals are the session of choice. ‘They significantly improve the heart’s ability to move blood around the body,’ he explains. For 10K PB-hunters, he recommends a weekly session of short, fast efforts at a pace that is 15-40 seconds per mile faster than your current 5K pace, with equalto-double the length of rep time as recovery between each.
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TOUGH IT OUT
There will be negative moments during your race – so be prepared. ‘Have a positive strategy ready,’ says Professor Andy Lane, a sports psychologist. ‘Try focusing on your technique – I encourage athletes to focus on their arm action, as the arms will feel less tired than the legs. Swinging them naturally should help with rhythm. Or spur yourself on by thinking about an inspirational figure who has overcome difficult challenges.’
14. HOLD BACK To avoid going off too fast, target a pace that is around 5-10 seconds per mile slower than your goal race pace for the first two miles, says coach Jeff Gaudette of runnersconnect.net. ‘It will feel slow, but this is the most effective way to run a race.’
TAKE A STANCE When the going gets tough, stand tall
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15. POWER UP YOUR STRIDE BENCH STEP-UP WHY? / Builds hamstrings HOW / Stand on a bench, weight on your left foot, right foot behind you. Lower until the toes of your right foot touch the floor. Push through your heel and straighten your leg to go back to the start. Do 2-3 sets of 15 reps. ONE-LEGGED SQUAT WHY? / Works the quads and glutes. HOW? / Stand with your left foot forward, right foot on a 6-8in block. Bend your left leg and squat until the left knee is at 90 degrees. Return to start. Do 2-3 sets of 15 reps on each leg. ONE-LEGGED HOPS WHY? / Builds strength in the foot, leg and hip. HOW? / From the onelegged squat, hop rapidly on the left foot (3 hops a second). Try to strike the ground with the midfoot and spring up rapidly. The right leg and foot should stay stationary and the hips level. Do 2-3 sets of 10-30 secs on each leg.
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GET RACE READY
A quick jog won’t get you up to speed, says former elite Alex Hutchinson. ‘A few minutes of hard running as part of your warm-up will bring oxygen delivery up to max efficiency,’ he says. ‘After your easy jog, do four minutes, starting at marathon pace and steadily accelerating to threshold pace.’ Do this about 10 minutes before the start of the race.
17. TOUGH IT OUT To replicate the intensity of 10Ks, include some tough sessions in which you alternate between 10K race pace and a strong-ish steady pace, says Chalfen. So a runner aiming for a sub-40:00 10K could try: 6 mins at 4:00min/km pace (6:26min/mile) with 3 mins at 4:30min/km pace (7:15mins/mile), repeated five times.
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SET YOUR GOAL
Set a realistic target. Visit runnersworld.com/uk/training and use your performances in other distances to figure out where to set your sights. Then find a training plan. ‘To run your best 10K, it’s vital you prepare your body for the physiological challenges of the distance,’ says Gaudette. ‘A personalised plan will also keep you motivated and consistent in your training.’
19. ARMS RACE RACE SMART Be ready for the physical and psychological challenge
Practise keeping your elbows close to the body – this will eliminate upper-body tension, keeping the shoulders relaxed and allowing for better breathing. Doing this will help ensure you have the energy to finish strong.
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HARD CORE Perform one sequence of these exercises after each run to beef up running-specific muscles and prevent common injuries
STANDARD CORE SEQUENCE These moves work your abs, hips, glutes, lower back and hamstrings – all the muscles that help you maintain proper form even when you’re tired. ‘I seem to get hurt when I stop doing this routine,’ says coach Matt Fitzgerald. Do each exercise for 45 seconds. Do all the moves twice; it will take about nine minutes. After a few weeks, do one minute per exercise.
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MODIFIED BIRD DOG
PLANK
Start on all fours, back flat. Lift your left arm so it’s parallel to the ground. At the same time, lift your right leg so your thigh is parallel to the ground. Your knee should be at 90 degrees, glutes firing. Hold for several secs, then switch sides. Continue alternating.
SINGLE-LEG BRIDGE
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Lift your hips to form a line from shoulders to knees. Extend your right leg, hold for several secs, lower and repeat with your left leg. Continue alternating legs. Make sure your hips don’t dip and your bum doesn’t sag.
SIDE PLANK
Lie on your left side. Lift your body so your weight is on your left forearm and the side of your left foot, forming a diagonal line from head to feet. Hold. To make it harder, lift your right leg to 45 degrees, hold for a few secs, then lower. Repeat five to 10 times. Switch to your right side for next set.
MODIFIED B I CYC LE
Lie on your stomach, then prop your weight on your forearms and toes, forming a straight line from head to feet (no arching your back or sticking your bum up in the air). Hold for as long as you can maintain good form. Lower slowly down.
SUPINE LEG LIFT
Lie on your back, with legs extended. Raise your left leg and bend it 90 degrees. Raise your right leg two to three inches off the floor. As you do so, twist your torso to bring your right elbow towards your left knee (you do not need to touch the knee). Lower knee and arm at the same time and do the move with the opposite limbs. Continue alternating.
Lie on your back with weight on elbows and heels. Lift your hips and maintain a straight line from toes to shoulders (activate your glutes and core). Now lift one leg about 20cm off the ground for several secs, then switch to opposite leg. Continue alternating. This works glutes, hips and back.
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TWO INTO ONE Get your mind and body working together
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THE SEVEN HABITS OF WINNERS
The secret to success lies in how you treat your body and how your mind deals with adversity to a breakthrough can lie in unexpected places. Most runners dissect the runs, workouts and nutrition, but the best also look beyond those to reach their full potential. That’s the key takeaway from a book by running experts Steve Magness and Brad Shulberg called Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout and Thrive with the New Science of Success. Though Magness coaches elite athletes and Shulberg writes about sports science, they discovered ways to optimise performance by interviewing world-class artists, intellectuals, entrepreneurs and musicians. On the following pages are seven of the science-backed strategies they discovered. THE SECRETS
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1
FIND YOUR PURPOSE
A well known sports-science theory says the brain shuts down the body long before it reaches its physical limits. But new science shows it may be possible to transcend this – if you stay inspired. For a recent study, researchers used brain scans to see what happens when people are presented with threatening messages. In individuals who were asked to reflect on core values (eg to be a good spouse or parent) before receiving such a message, their underlying neurology became more receptive, moving them towards the challenge instead of going into protection mode. The more we think about our core beliefs and values, the better we rise above in-the-moment concerns and disconnect from our perceived limits. APPLY IT / Set a goal beyond the race itself. You
could raise money for charity, dedicate your race to a person or join a team. Your purpose needn’t be complex: it can be as simple as ‘to inspire my children to live a healthy lifestyle’. When the going gets tough, reflect on your purpose to power through to the end. Some say they run well without them, but it’s possible that many among you will need these ideas or mantras at some point during the course.
challenge and you’d think, ‘I’ve got this.’ Any more of a challenge, however, and the feeling of your heart pounding in your ears would make it hard to focus. You’re after the sweet spot: when the challenge is on the outer edge of your current skills. APPLY IT / Select a training plan and time goal that are just outside your comfort zone. While you shouldn’t blow up (well, not often), you should struggle to nail your hardest training sessions. Think carefully about what you believe your current level is, and if one of the three plans in this guide is not near it, we’d recommend using an online race-time calculator, where you can key in a recent race time to get an estimate of what a justmanageable goal for your next 10K might be.
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CHOOSE LIFE
2. AIM FOR THE SWEET SPOT
Having a workplace ‘uniform’ – eg the grey T-shirt and hoody Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wore for so long – is common among high-performers. Why? Psychologist Roy Baumeister believes we have a set amount of mental energy to use each day – one study showed that making decisions wears us out. In the study, when subjects were asked to decide between consumer goods (eg soap) or given no choice, those asked to make a choice solved problems less well later on.
When psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was studying how the best performers continually improve, he noticed they pushed themselves to their perceived limits, and perhaps just a bit beyond – a ‘just-manageable challenge’. These challenges manifest when you try something that makes you feel a little out of control, but not anxious. Any less of a
APPLY IT / If you can, work with a coach so you won’t burn precious energy planning your training. The night before your race, lay out your gear, commit to a departure time and have your breakfast ready. Automate as much of your day as you can to conserve energy for running your best.
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FIRM FOCUS Think about the reason you are running
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WARM UP BODY AND MIND If your brain’s in a funk, your body will surely follow: research by exercise scientist Samuele Marcora found that even subtle mood influencers affect performance. In one study, Marcora flashed either happy or sad faces onto a screen as well-trained cyclists pedalled at maximum effort. Those who saw the happy faces performed 12 per cent better than the ones confronted by the sad faces. Marcora’s findings support years of evidence that people
perform best when everything is clicking in a race as well as in their wider lives. APPLY IT / Try to boost your
mood for hard workouts and on race day. Listen to your favourite music, go for a quiet walk, or spend time with loved ones. In the week leading up to your race, minimise life stressors: avoid people who drag you down, choose to watch comedies over horror films, and get the rest you need to feel 100 per cent on the big day.
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5. FOLLOW STRESS WITH REST US elite runner Bernard Lagat takes a rest day at the end of every hard training week – an uncommon practice among pros. On those days, the five-time Olympian engages only in activities that relax and restore his body and mind, such as massage, light stretching and playing with his children. He also takes a fiveweek break from exercise at the end of each season, a practice that has helped his career stretch on for almost 20 years. Many of us believe that if we’re not always working hard, we’ll fail to thrive. But if we never take ‘easy’ periods, we are never able to go full throttle. APPLY IT / Stress plus rest equals growth, which
is dubbed ‘the growth equation’. Too much stress leads to injury or burnout; too much rest leads to a failure to improve. Follow hard days with easy ones and plan regular rest days (one to three per week). After a few hard weeks of training, take an easier, step-back week. And consider scheduling a longer break of around 10 days from running after your race.
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When pain sets in during a hard run, many think, ‘This hurts and I’m still not near the finish.’ Such thoughts can lead to tense muscles and an elevated heart rate, which affect performance. The best runners know to say, ‘This is starting to hurt. It should. I’m running hard. But it is going to be OK.’ Separating pain from suffering like this promotes recovery: after hard training, elite athletes’ heart rates return to baseline far faster than that of recreational runners. APPLY IT / Use calm conversations. As your
effort and pain levels increase, practise accepting them; pain is a sign that you’re working to become faster.
PRACTISE CALM CONVERSATIONS At the start of an Olympic event, few of the athletes appear to be anxious. Contrast this with any local 10K, where runners trying to go sub-50 minutes stress out before the start. It’s not that pros are immune to stress – they just know how to channel it. In a study of elite and non-elite swimmers, researchers used a survey to measure stress before a major race, and then asked each athlete if they viewed stress as beneficial or harmful. Before the race, both the elite and non-elite swimmers experienced the same intensity of cognitive and physical
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REFRAME RACE-DAY NERVES
stress. The difference was that the non-elites viewed stress as something negative to try to quell, while the elites interpreted it as an aid to performance. APPLY IT / Recent research has
shown that ‘forcing’ yourself to calm down can work against you: when you try to suppress nerves, you are telling yourself that something is wrong. It takes emotional energy to fight the anxiety – energy that could be better spent on racing. Know the feelings before an important race are neutral: viewed positively, they could actually boost your performance.
EASE OFF Don’t be ruled by race stress