Ăš special summer issue!
Australian & New zealand edition
Get Back In Shape Training, 99 Health, Nutrition And Motivation Tips The 12-Step Plan to a Fitter, Faster You
EAT BETTER, RIGHT NOW! Six Food Traps
(And Tips To Avoid Them)
+ One Vitamin You Need Every Day Fast Recovery
Build An Injury-Proof Body
THE PERFECT WORKOUT FOR TOTAL-BODY STRENGTH Power-Packed 30-Minute Meals, p51
february 2013
Beginners
How To Set Achievable Goals
THE #1 TRAINING TOOL EVERY RUNNER MUST HAVE, p.38
RW Heroes Of Running
The Fighters, Fundraisers and Remarkable Runners
TRAIN SMARTER When To Push, When To Take It Easy incl. GST $8.50 incl. GST NZ $9.70 PP 349181 / 00853
runnersworldmag.com.au
75 3 4 POWER FOODS FOR RUNNERS
econstruct your diet with R these supercharged foods.
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FORM MATTERS
rase four style quirks you E never knew you had to become a stronger, more efficient runner.
48 THIS YEAR I WILL…
he RW 12-step guide to a T stronger, healthier, faster you. By Dimity McDowell
63 HEROES
A look back at the most inspiring runners of the past year.
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COACH YOURSELF
Achieve your long-term goals by thinking like a coach.
STAY FIT: Now’s the time to come up with a plan.
inside REGULARS 8 10 12
RAVE RUN EDITOR’S LETTER LETTERS
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UMAN RACE This runner found a H way to honour his mum: attempt to break a world record. PLUS: The Intersection (16) Ask Miles (18) Back Story: Rowan Walker (18) What It Takes To… (20) 98 I’M A RUNNER Guy Leech, former world Ironman champion By Tim Guille
WARM UPS
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COLUMNS
46 L IFE & TIMES A runner wonders why a post-run supermarket shop is such a challenge. By Paul Tonkinson
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22 O N THE RUN Fitness news and views from around the globe. 30 TRAINING How to factor recovery into your training plan. 40 F UEL Debunking weight-loss myths. PLUS: A tasty summer sensation: Italian Salad with Baked Salmon and Prawns (44). 35 MIND & BODY How yoga can make you a better runner. 38 THE BODY SHOP Use a foam roller to add some muscle.
87 G EAR Run-worthy headphones and audio accessories. 91 R ACES & PLACES A destination race at idyllic Coffs Harbour offers a beautiful course and community charm. By Tim Crosbie
rave run Photography by David Heap runner Kathleen Ives The Location Flinders Island, Tasmania
➔ THE EXPERIENCE Tasmania’s Flinders Island is the biggest of the Furneaux Group, a collection of 52 islands stretching towards the mainland across Bass Strait. At the mercy of the “Roaring Forties” (strong winds found at latitudes in the 40s), Flinders Island is wild, rugged and often described as “Mountains in the Sea”. The Flinders Island Running Festival’s Pub2Pub Race is a 25.4km run that starts in the sleepy coastal settlement of Whitemark. Leaving the Interstate Hotel, runners steadily wind their way up the two-kilometrelong Martins Hill, passing through lush, green pastures before sidling the granite slopes of Mt Strzelecki. “From there it is a steady descent along the Coast Road, alongside pristine beaches looking across the sea to Cape Barren Island and beyond to north-eastern Tasmania,” says race organiser David Heap. “The festival is a big thing for our island community of 700.” – flindersislandrunning.org
training ACHIEVE IT: Crush a PB with a structured plan.
make you faster only on that type of course – and only to a point,” she says. THE PLAN Ú Schedule two to three runs and two to three cross-training sessions a week to challenge different energy systems, make gains, and avoid burnout. Push back your fatigue point with one 20- to 40-minute comfortably hard run (you can speak in phrases); increase the duration by five per cent every week. Boost your aerobic fitness with a speedwork session: Do six to 10 hard efforts (you can utter just a word or two) lasting 10 to 30 seconds, with 30 seconds to two minutes of rest between each. Every other week, add a repeat or lengthen each effort by five to 10 seconds. Each month, aim to lengthen your repeats by 20 per cent or decrease your recovery time. Maintain your aerobic base with a long run that’s twice the length of your comfortably hard run.
RACE A NEW DISTANCE
Coach Yourself
Now's the time to come up with a plan to stay fit, run a race, or set a PB BY LAUREL LEICHT
W
HILE MANY RUNNERS revel in identifying goals and penciling in training blocks, many more coast along with only a vague idea of their intentions for the New Year. But whether you’d like to stay fit or crush a PB, you’ve got a better chance of achieving your goal if you think like a coach and devise a plan for yourself. “To get faster, avoid plateaus, and prevent injury, you need a structured program with different types of workouts,” says Kelly Wissolik,
a coach at Energy Fitness Coaching (energyfitness.com). Follow these guidelines for plotting your year, and put on your coach hat periodically to chart your progress.
STAY FIT Even if you’re not racing, you need a schedule to stay accountable and make progress, says Shelly Florence-Glover, co-author of The Competitive Runner’s Handbook. “Running the same sixkilometre course over and over will
Whether you’re plotting your first 5K or stepping up to the marathon, following a structured training plan ensures that your workouts are targeted and spaced appropriately so you get to the start in peak shape and free of injuries. Ticking off planned runs will also boost your confidence and inspire calm come race morning – both keys to a strong performance and fun experience, says Brad Hudson, coach and author of Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon. THE PLANÚYour weeks should include an interval workout, a long run, and two to three easy runs. If you’re racing a 5K or 10K, start with 8 to 12 x 200 metres at goal pace (or a moderately hard effort) with 30 to 90 seconds recovery. Every other week, add one or two repeats and after about four weeks, bump up the distance (aim for 6 to 12 repeats of 400 metres for a 5K or 800 metres for a
The length of your training blocks depends on your fitness, your experience, and the amount of time left before your goal race.
RUN better
warm ups
NAIL A PB
10K). For a half or full marathon, start with 2 to 3 x 1km repeats at goal pace (or a comfortably hard effort) with 90 seconds rest; work up to 3 to 4 x 2km with 30 seconds rest. Begin long runs at half your race distance, and add one to two kilometres each week. Do three sixto 10-kilometre runs before a 5K or 10K,
Experienced runners know the value of completing a variety of weekly workouts. The trick lies in elevating what’s worked for them in the past to reach the next level. “The body needs different stimuli and challenges to get a boost,” says Wissolik. Having a plan ensures that you incorporate upgrades without overdoing it. THE PLAN Ú Whatever your target distance, do weekly long runs and intervals, and add a third key workout; alternate weeks doing a tempo or a progression run. Tempos will increase your lactate threshold: Run at 20 to 45 seconds slower than race pace, gradually increasing the distance until you can complete a 5K, a 10K, or half the distance of a half-marathon or marathon (depending on your race length). Train to push through late-race fatigue with the progression run: begin each run about 20 seconds slower than goal pace; speed up each kilometre so you’re running the final kilometre six to 12 seconds faster than race pace. Build distance according to race length.
Week at a Glance
A sample seven days of training for three different goals STAY FIT
RACE A NEW DISTANCE
NAIL A PB
Monday
Comfortably hard run Rest, run easy, or cross-train
Rest
Tuesday
Cross-train
Easy run
Intervals
Wednesday Rest
Intervals
Cross-train or run easy
Thursday
Intervals
Cross-train
Easy run
Friday
Cross-train
Easy run
Tempo or progression run
Saturday
Long run
Rest or cross-train
Easy run
Sunday
Rest or cross-train
Long run
Long run
Follow the Leader Advice from the world's best runners
courtesy Athletics Australia
several 16km runs before a half, and one or two 32km runs before a marathon.
JESS TRENGOVE, 25, of Erindale in South Australia placed 39th at the London 2012 Olympic Marathon (2:31:17). 1. ENDURANCE PREP
“I run 3 x 5km with 2-3 minutes recovery between. The first rep is 5 seconds/km slower than race pace; the second rep is at race pace; and the third is 5 seconds/km faster. The increasing pace stops me from going out too hard, builds aerobic endurance, and helps develop my pace judgement.”
2. STRENGTH PREP
“I do hill reps followed by a threshold run for 10 minutes. The hill reps help my body learn to buffer lactic acid build-up, and the threshold run teaches me to run well on tired legs.”
3. MENTAL PREP
“For long sessions like tempo runs, I like to break them down mentally into smaller parts, such as a 12km run is 4 x 3km, and I tick off each quarter in my mind as I go. It helps me feel more relaxed about the workout.”
➔ 32% OF RUNNERS METHODICALLY PLAN THEIR TRAINING, WHILE 26% PREFER TO SIMPLY WING IT, REPORTS AN RW ONLINE POLL. runnersworldmag.com.au
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PUTTING A RACE on your calendar
now is one of the best ways to get and stay motivated. You commit to a goal. But staring down a year of race options, you may feel excited or daunted – or both – especially if you’ve never raced before. Should you tackle a first 5K? A mud run? The annual mega-10K all your colleagues sign up for? Aim for a PB in a half-marathon? Here are some guidelines to help you figure out what event – or even better, events – to sign up for in 2013. Set two primary goals. If you’ve never run a race before, set your sights on your first 5K. Veterans can take it up a notch – within reason. “Maybe it’s a faster 5K in autumn and your first marathon in spring,” says running coach Carl Leivers. “Having two goals lets you train hard, have a little downtime, then focus again. It’s a nice mental balance.” Make them appropriate. A PB in a race distance you’ve already run is a great call, as is covering a new or longer distance race. In
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an ideal world, wannabe marathoners work their way up from a 5K to a 10K to a half-marathon to a full marathon. In the real world, the marathon becomes so tantalising that it’s tempting to leap to that distance too quickly, before you are ready. “If you gradually build up to 42.2km, you – and your body – will enjoy it much more,” says Leivers. “And you significantly reduce your chances of getting injured while training.” Pen it in. Writing down your goals makes you accountable for the entire year. October may seem far off, but if you register for a spring half-marathon now, the race will feel non-negotiable when mid-winter comes around. Similarly, if you’re a newer runner and are taking on your first half or full marathon, aim for a 5K a few weeks after the longer race. “The longer you take off running, the harder it is to get back into it,” says Beth Baker, founder and chief running officer of Running Evolution (runningevolution. com). “Sign up for the shorter race before you race in the longer one.”
Race regularly. Setting two annual goals doesn’t mean you should race only twice a year. “Racing regularly is a valuable tool,” says running coach Jason Fitzgerald. “You can gauge where your fitness is, it helps you hone your raceday routine, and it’s a great workout. You always push harder in a race than you would on your own.” Race at the beginning of a training schedule to get an idea of paces and about halfway through your plan to gauge your fitness. Aim for a race that is about half the distance of your goal race. Recover well. In order to make sure you get to the next starting line fresh and healthy, give yourself adequate recovery time after any race by planning an easy day for every 1.5km you raced (that’s roughly three easy days for a 5K; 14 for a half-marathon). “Go for a relaxed run, take a short spin on a bike, or spend some time in the pool,” says Fitzgerald. “There’s one caveat: the day after a marathon, get in about 20 minutes of easy exercise, then feel free to take the rest of the week off.”
by michael puche/shutterstock.com
1.Plan Your Race Year
TAKE NOTE: Writing down your goals makes you accountable.
this year
I Will...
FAST AND HEALTHY: Bok choy and red cabbage cook up quickly.
Dinner & More
These three recipes, which produce enough for dinner for two and leftover lunch for the following day or two, are favourites of Devon Yanko, an elite runner on The North Face team and a personal chef. “Asianstyle foods are either inherently healthy or easy to modify to make both tasty and healthy,” she says.
Chicken Coconut Rice & toes or ta po t ee edium sw
2.
Commit to Cooking
ALTHOUGH GOOD SHOES and a healthy dose of motivation help you improve as a runner, there’s another set of tools you should use: an oven and a stove. Eating food you prepare at home guarantees you know exactly what you’re eating, how it’s been prepared and keeps your kilojoule count down. “It’s no surprise that when you eat out you could ingest an additional 500 to 600 kilojoules compared with meals prepared at home,” says Anthony Meade, a sports dietitian at Adelaide’s Wakefield Sports Clinic. “Plus, when you eat out, serving sizes are bigger and you eat fewer whole grains, fruits, and vegetables and more unhealthy fats and sodium, often without knowing.”
Plan ahead. Spend a halfhour on a weekend mapping out your meals for the week – think about how much time you’ll have, what you’re likely to feel like and what you’re going to make. “You don’t make good decisions when you’re tired and hungry,” says Meade. Become a prep cook. On the weekend, tackle prep work: preslice meats and poultry into the portions you need, cook meals ahead of time and freeze individual portions for during the week. Think about meals where the leftovers can be used as an ingredient of another night’s meals – chilli con carne is a great topping for a baked potato, or risotto can be made into arancini balls.
2m tato 1 large sweet po 2 carrots 2-3 jalapeños 1 medium onion ai coconut milk 1 can organic Th 1 can water 1 cup white rice g pot with a lid, brin e pieces. In a large siz tebi to e in ric ies d gg Cut ve les to a boil. Ad water, and vegetab w the coconut milk, rice is cooked (follo til un at and simmer he ed ill ce gr du th Re r. wi p sti d To an e tender. age) and veggies ar l. ea m ete pl m co a directions on pack side salad for a d ad d an en ick or rotisserie ch
Thai Beef Stir-Fr y & Asian Greens
Thai Beef Stir-Fry olive 1 ½ tablespoons oil ut or pean rlic, minced 2 tablespoons ga asted chilli 3 tablespoons ro paste, divided ef 450g minced be y sauce so s 3 tablespoon n sugar ow br on 1 tablespo basil, 1-2 handfuls fresh d choppe
Quick-Cooked Asian Greens 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil , 2 large bok choy d choppe age, 2 cups red cabb shredded y sauce 2 tablespoons so
at the g In a hot wok, he e bok coconut oil. Toss th age into choy and red cabb at coat he to gh flame, the wok and stir g In a wok over hi e to c on rli r ga fo l and add with oil. Cook olive or peanut oi soy in d ted as Ad . of the ro two minutes and 1 tablespoon ore m e on c ok rli ok ga sauce and co red chilli paste. Co ld ou sh d an ns t, ee ea Gr dm minute. for 30 seconds, ad der. oden spoon, wo a g be crisp but still ten in us up k brea ning to cooking until begin tablespoon r he ot brown. Add an y sauce, so , ste pa i roasted chill Cook another and brown sugar. tablespoon of minute. Add final . Add chopped roasted chilli paste ther. Remove basil and toss toge er white or from heat. Serve ov brown rice. runnersworldmag.com.au
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gear
Pump It Up Run-worthy headphones and audio accessories BY JEFF DENGATE
T
ODAY’S PORTABLE music players are nearly as powerful as your old laptop, and ear buds now feature designs more in tune with runners’ demands. After run-testing all of the newest equipment, we like the sound and fit of these the best.
TUNED IN: The best headphones stay put and let you focus on running.
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BOSE SIE2i SPORT HEADPHONES
The ear tips, specifically engineered for exercise, come in three sizes (S, M, L) for a customised fit. (A$199; NZ$269) AUS bose.com.au; NZ bose.co.nz RUNNERS WILL LIKE The speaker elements are covered with hydrophobic cloth that keeps sweat and bad weather at bay but lets sound pass through. An inline remote lets you change tracks without touching your music device. Comes with a matching Reebok armband. WATCH FOR Best for running outdoors where you need to hear approaching traffic, as the earphones don’t completely cut off noise around you.
All-inOne
One in three runners listen to music on every r run, while 22 pe cent plug in on long runs. rvey
*Based on RW su
YURBUDS INSPIRE DURO
Finally, headphones that stay in your ears – even if sweaty. (A$79.99; NZ N/A) AUS yurbuds.com.au; NZ N/A RUNNERS WILL LIKE Sticky medicalgrade silicone buds remain in place and, say our testers, stay comfortable for kilometres on end. A Kevlar cable ensures you stay tangle-free. WATCH FOR Yurbuds allow in ambient noise, so the audio isn’t as full and deep as on models that seal off your ears.
JABRA SPORT
Bluetooth connectivity lets you listen to music or take phone calls wirelessly. (AU$149.99; NZ$199) AUS & NZ jabra.com.au RUNNERS WILL LIKE A slim and flexible design makes these the most comfortable Bluetooth headphones we tested. Speakers positioned over, not in, your ear canal provide great-sounding audio and still allow you to hear traffic. WATCH FOR Wear your music player on an armband for the best reception.
Kevlar Cable
MONSTER iSPORT BLUE
Monster’s new iSport in-ear headphones isolate any outside noise for incredible audio. (A$199; NZ $239) AUS & NZ e-hifi.com.au RUNNERS WILL LIKE The iSport offers deeper bass and a fuller sound than we found on other sport-specific headphones. A rotating speaker tip and five different sizes of silicone caps ensure a tight seal in your ear canal. WATCH FOR Best for the treadmill because they block all ambient noise.
Bluetooth
Listen Up!
Waterproof
1. Pause music w hen crossing roads so you ca n hear traffic. 2. If you can’t he ar the person next to you talkin g, it’s too loud. 3. If you’re runnin g with an Apple device, se t a sound limit through iTune s.