Contents Stories World Athletics Champion
4
New To The Shufflers
5
Gdynia Triathlon
6
Pontesbury Potter
7
Favourite Places To Run
8
Who’s Who?
9
40 Before 40
10
Snowdon Trail Marathon
11
More Mature Years
12
Advice
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Minimal Marathon Training
14
How To Be A Vegan
16
Coaches Corner
17
Exercise Motivation
18
Emma’s Eats
20
Newbie Coach
22
Sports Therapist Advice
23
Contributors Nick Pollock Peter Loose Madeleine Rose Anna Bentley Alan Morris Amy Doyle Niki Wilkinson Heather Fras Bill Cork Bob Parker Phil Lowry Rafal Pasko Iain Day Rob Corcoran Julie Harrison Tony Welsby Vannessa Tobin Glenn F Joe Brocklehurst
Editors Graham Evans Helen Grime Chris Purcell Design:
www.studiopayne.com
CHAT FROM THE CHAIR Welcome to this edition of the Shuffler Magazine. Your editorial team have been working hard to put it all together so I hope you enjoy it. I write this reflecting on a brilliant summer of running for the club. There have been a succession of Alternative Runs based in a range of beautiful locations. All the runs have been very well attended, especially Gail’s charity run; was it the routes on offer or the excellent food afterwards? The beginners’ group has, once again, been very successful in supporting less confident runners. It was great to see so many of you complete the club 10k and move into the Improvers group. Lots of local races have seen large numbers of Shufflers running, from Shrewsbury Half, to Vyrnwy to the Severn Bridges 10k. The latter was also supported by nearly 50 Shufflers who gave up their chance to run to marshal. The sense of community about the club is palpable, particularly in the less happy times, such as when long-standing club member Pete Booth sadly died in August. Our club could not exist without a large team of volunteers and I’d like to formally thank Linda Black for doing a fantastic job as club secretary as she prepares to stand down. Linda has quietly and modestly worked behind the scenes for nine years, making sure that your club committee are organised and that lots of small but important things, like claiming the club’s allocated London Marathon places, actually happen. Linda’s contribution will be missed. We are always in need of people to help keep the club going. This may be a formal committee role, but other contributions are very welcome. We need lots of coaches too of course, but if you see something that you think the club could or should be doing to make things better for everyone, perhaps you could be the person to step forward to make it happen? As ever, the club aims to be a great and welcoming running club so, if you’d like to contact me about club matters – positive comments or suggestions for improvements - you can find me at training most Monday nights or you can contact me via Facebook. I hope to see you at training or a race soon. Happy running! Nick Pollock Chairman
World Athletics Champion Anybody who has run with me could be excused for believing I was deluded if they heard my aim to be a runner at the World Athletics championships, but it’s true and indeed I did the same at the Para Athletics championships and I’m hoping for a similar role in the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham in March. Of course, Shufflers who have run with me will already have realised that this “Runner” role couldn’t possibly involve the same activity I imitate on Monday or Wednesday evenings. “Runner” is in fact the name given to the teams of volunteers. For this year’s Championships I was part of the spectator services team which involved welcoming spectators to the park and attempting to get them into the London Stadium as quickly and happily as possible. It proved to be a surprisingly varied role with an emphasis on wayfinding for which knowledge of the Olympic Park and the layout of the stadium was important – “all the tickets scan at all the bridges” was an important message, whilst knowing the best route to each block in the stadium and the shortest queues was a trick of the trade. High-fiving children wasn’t in the task list but was expected and I have become a fully trained pointyfinger operative. Daily preparations included learning which events were on the schedule and who the best medal hopes were in Team GB (Usain Bolt was an honorary Brit). I particularly enjoyed the days when I was the designated photographer – we had a large frame and the best view in the park but it amazed me how few people realised that posing with the stadium and Orbit in the background and the sun over your shoulder made for a better photo than facing the sun and including the wheelie-bins and exit signs! Support for people with mobility problems also fell into our remit and that involved escorting spectators into the stadium to their seat and bringing the courtesy wheelchairs back (lots of 4
steps). During the Para Championships we also had the opportunity of joining the spectators for the rest of the evening once our shifts were completed although we had to change out of our pink tops (I insist they’re not pink, they are magenta – I’ve read the label). Entry to the stadium wasn’t an option for the World Championships which were mostly a sellout, although other roles such as brand protection, ticketing (seat finding), media and results running or event services (setting up hurdles etc.) operated inside the stadium. My involvement in these events began with London 2012. I was determined to be part of the Games whatever my role and I really didn’t mind whether it involved seeing the sport or enabling others to do so. I found myself as a Gamesmaker at Wembley Arena (Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics) in the venue entry team – our target was to pass spectators through security within 14 seconds. We became expert at anticipating coins, keys, watches, belts and liquids in bottles but there was one thing that would activate the metal detectors which I couldn’t do anything about - certainly not as a man. Through the Olympic legacy organisations, I had the opportunity to help at the Olympic Park during the Anniversary Games, enjoying customer service roles inside and outside the stadium whilst in 2016 my job was in the days immediately before the championships, welcoming athletes and officials at Heathrow Arrivals and escorting them to the Heathrow Express. My experiences as a volunteer have enabled me to see some special sporting moments (I was stationed at the finishing line to see Usain Bolt win 100m and Mo Farah win 5000m and enabled Georgina Hermitage to take her daughter on a victory lap), to meet and assist elite athletes, to get to know the magnificent Olympic park and to enjoy a behind-the-scenes experience at major sporting events. But the real pleasure is to be part of the experience, enabling people to have a good day out and to carry out a customer services role
which is so well appreciated. Some of the roles are physically tiring but my team in London included 18 year olds with youthful enthusiasm and an 82 year old with ... youthful enthusiasm, all doing similar things. I’m hoping for a different role in March because I don’t know Birmingham as well as the
London Stadium, but if my application is successful whatever I do, I know I’ll have a good time and some memorable experiences. Peter Loose
New to the Shufflers As a new Shuffler, I imagine you will expect me to tell you the usual new-starters’ story of how nervous I was before my first club night . . . but the truth is I was more excited than nervous. You see, Shuffler’s isn’t the first club I’ve joined, but I’m happy to report that it’s lived up to my high expectations! Having recently moved from Reading where I have been a member of Reading Road Runners for 2 years, I’ve also been on runs with Bracknell Forest Runners, Harpenden Arrows and Ludlow Runners. One thing’s for sure though, every club I’ve been to has been incredibly supportive and bonkers in equal measure, and the Shropshire Shufflers are no different. The first Monday night I spent with Shufflers I was particularly impressed with the huge range of abilities and groups available to run with, definitely more so than other clubs, even with equal numbers. I tagged along with the “improvers” group, but have since also run with (or clung to the back of…) the “intermediates”. Although it’s quieter on a Wednesday evening, there’s still a great no-man-gets-left-behind vibe, with regular loop backs. There’s always opportunity for either a casual social run or a lung busting workout on any training night, which is a real plus. My favourite experience so far was the “Alternative Run” out of Longden Common. Our hosts Helen and Bill created 3 routes. I chose the 6 miler and loved the night; exploring new areas and hunting down views is one of my main run motivators and this run definitely delivered. In fact, the route was so good I’ve since been back with my boyfriend to walk the other routes I didn’t get a chance to run. Never the one to be accused of not throwing myself into the swing of things, this morning I have just got back from marshalling at the Severn Bridges and last week I ran Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon. My experience cheering on my fellow shufflers and running alongside them has only confirmed - the first thing in my basket come pay day will be a little red and blue vest. Madeleine Rose 5
“No one puts that in your training plan” Anyone who knows me, knows I can’t say no to a challenge, so last year when I was asked if I wanted to do Gdynia (Poland) 70.3 triathlon of course there was no hesitation, however this would be my only one... I thought! A few weeks later the realisation hit that I hadn’t done longer than a sprint triathlon and a considerable amount of training was needed. The running I felt comfortable with, this being my main love, cycling I thought I can get by, but swimming was my main concern. However, with a good training plan, determination and babysitters, I learned to enjoy the blood, sweat and tears that it took to achieve the level of fitness in all 3 disciplines that I was happy with. 10 months later after ‘How to pack a bike box’ googled many times, lists of kit, nutrition and those things you always take but never need were all packed. Arrived in Gdynia, had a few days to prepare, take it all in and get more and more nervous. Finally race day came, bike was racked, last check in transition and off to the beach to the start. 2000+ people in wetsuits and the rolling starts began, my turn came around before I knew it I was in the water with 1900m of swimming in front of me and all I could think about ….JELLYFISH!! Millions of little jellyfish had been disturbed from their slumber by a stampede of triathletes. No one puts that in your training plan!! Not thinking about swimming but being at one with the jellyfish, before I knew it half the swim had gone and I was on the way back to shore. Reaching land with shear relief brought the next challenge of finding my kit and bike. Out of transition through the streets of Gydnia with hundreds of spectators was incredible. Couldn’t understand a word but it didn’t matter, the excitement and enthusiasm in their voices meant it didn’t make a difference where you came from. The 90km bike course took us out into the countryside seeing some beautiful scenery but also some very sobering sights. There were times when I had to remind myself I was in a race and not sightseeing! Whatever the backdrop the people of 6
Poland were out cheering, shouting and supporting every athlete that cycled past. Coming back into Gydnia, back into transition, bike racked, helmet off, now for the 13.1mile run. The training, so far, was paying off, I felt good and strong. “Just 3 loops then it’s done” I said to myself. As with the bike the support was incredible, loads of high fives, hose pipes, sponges, even chocolate being given out. 1st lap done, yep felt ok, 2nd lap and the mental battle begins “just 1 more and it’s all over”, 3rd lap and one more sickly sweet gel to get me to the end. It worked, I peeled off to run down the finishers shoot, the noise was deafening, the atmosphere was amazing, just had to get in front of the tall man so I could get a good finishers photo! After 5hrs 49mins I crossed the line and was bombarded with emotions, relief, elation, exhaustion, you name it I felt it and by the look of every other athlete, they felt it too. There is nothing that compares with the feeling of achieving something that is out of your comfort zone and I would recommend it to anyone. After a serious amount of food and cake over the next 24 hours of course I considered the obvious question …. Would I do another? DEFINITELY! Anna Bentley
PONTESBURY POTTER Some twenty two years ago I had this little idea to raise a few bob for charity, the plan was to provide a route that runners or walkers could follow without the pressure of a race. It was to be a “potter”. The route would be indicated by instruction with markers on route to assist. Nobody should get lost, and not knowing where they were going until each instruction, the route would be a surprise. A grand total of 117 turned up and took part and I did everything from the back of my car, it raised the grand total of £500 which I presented to Hope House. I only planned to do it once but following requests (pleads) I did it again and again presenting cheques to a number of different local charities. After 10 years I wanted a rest and Wendy-Jane Walton who had done all 10 refused to see it die and undertook to organize it for the next five years until she too wanted a rest. After much consideration I couldn’t stand by and see it die so I took it back on but only to plan the route. By the time Wendy-Jane was the organizer participant numbers had grown to in excess of 500 or so she had taken the decision to pass the administration on to Severn Hospice. Having just had a meeting with the Hospice I am told that this year 2017 it raised a whopping £20,000 and they also shown me the feedback which they have had. I have set out my comments to the feedback as below in the form of Questions and Answers. Do I have to get sponsorship? No. Sponsorship is encouraged as the Hospice needs to raise as much money as possible to support the running of the Hospice. It is recognized that many participants come back every year, running is their sport, and it is unrealistic for them to raise sponsorship. However, if you can raise extra or make a donation over and above the minimum entry fee then this is very much appreciated. Can the route be on a Map? No. The essence of the potter route is always the surprise, with a map this wouldn’t be possible, as well many people are put off at the mention of a map. There is nothing to prevent anyone bringing their own map and plotting their position and progress on a map if they wish. Can the date be later in the year to avoid the mud? No. Mud has been a feature of the Potter since it first began, I don’t go looking for mud it is just there, you may be surprised to know that it is always drier on the day than it is when I plan the route. In addition, later in the year brings its own difficulties of overgrown paths and stiles and possible crop damage, and not least it suits me to have it early March. Is the route checked for safety? Yes of course it is. I run the route regularly in the weeks leading up to the event, consult with farmers about stock etc and should there be any potential problems I modify the route or note them on the instructions for participants to be especially careful. The route is almost totally on public rights of way or through open access land where the public has access at any time, so effectively it is no different to following a book of local walks. Where the route goes on to private land this is always noted on the instructions and I will have agreed this with the farmer. However no event such as this is totally risk free and participants should expect slippery slopes, rocky uneven paths, steep climbs and should come prepared for this. It is a mountain and valley trail. This question arose because last year a large machine appeared without notice or signs to start cutting undergrowth along one of the paths. In the 22 years of the event this I the first such occurrence. Should such an event occur again participants should signal to the driver from a safe distance and negotiate safe passage, make a diversion around the problem or as last resort back track. Under no circumstances should participants put themselves in danger. Alan Morris is a star! Well I don’t know about that, I only plan the route from an OS map that is available to anyone. But like any star at they always fade and this “star” will be 76 at the next event and can’t continue forever, so I think it is time for a new star to be borne if the event is to continue. Offers Invited. Alan Morris
FAVOURITE PLACES TO RUN
Maesbury Marsh Mostly flat route along the canal followed by quiet lanes around west Felton with a great cafe in a beautiful location at the end. The cafe owners are very accommodating but just ask them before you park as they have an overspill car park for you to park in while you run. Thanks to Bill Cork for this one. If you have a favourite run you would like to share please let us know with a helpful map and brief description for the next edition.
WHO’S WHO? In the last Shropshire Shuffler Sam Ostermeyer nominated Amy Doyle for this issue’s ‘Who’s Who?’! Amy will then in turn nominate another shuffler and carry on the chain…
What made you join the Shufflers? I was originally a Shrewsbury road runner over 10 years ago. After my TA stint I met Dave Webb at Albrighton hall gym and we started the odd run pre boxercise. He convinced me to come along to try shufflers with him and the rest is history. I’ve had a couple baby breaks since! What’s your favourite run or race ever? Gosh that’s a toughy. I’m a big fan of Ironbridge half in March. I would recommend it to anyone. It’s not that hilly..…honest! The weather is also nice too with it being the start of spring. The Snowdonian half was great too this year although you would be lucky to run it all unless you are part goat! What’s your biggest achievement in running? Generally putting one foot in front of the other and getting back to it after having my girls. I found the first race after each very emotional! What are your future goals and aspirations? Sub 25 at park run…I’ll leave that to Sam to sort me out. Would love sub 50 in a 10k. Just can’t quite get there! Favourite running song? I’m a grunge chick at heart. Any Foo Fighters or Pearl Jam track does the trick. Best bit of kit or equipment? My running buddy Louise Coss among my other beautiful running buddies. She loves dragging me round and is an inspiration ;-) she’s a good piece of kit to own! Favourite post run food or drink? A big fat rump steak, cooked by my other half, washed down with a John Smiths is always a must after a half marathon or I’ll settle for a chicken caesar wrap. If you could race anywhere in the world where would you go? New York half marathon is definitely on the bucket list. Currently trying to convince the fiance it would be a good mini moon…he’s having none of it!
Name: Amy Doyle Age: 33.6-ish Occupation: Medical Secretary
If you could run alongside anyone dead or alive who would you choose? I want to say someone off my laminated hotty list but not sure that would be appropriate! Lets go with good old Paula Radcliffe for obvious reasons.
Nominate the next Shuffler to be interviewed and your reason why: I’m feeling nostalgic so let’s go with Dave Webb!
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Here’s what we’ve run so far. Stay tuned for updates on our progress...
Niki:
A CHALLENGE WITHIN A CHALLENGE
A-Z of Half Marathons and 40 before 40! Sat on the train on a cold and miserable Saturday afternoon, in late February 2017, on our way to Brighton ready for the half marathon the following day. We wanted a running challenge, but something a bit different...an A-Z of half marathons? Oooh that sounds good! How about completing 40 half marathons before we’re 40? Yep, we like that sound of that! How about both? Definitely, game on!! Several hours have been spent googling half marathons up and down the country trying to fit in our A-Z, but hit a few stumbling blocks with Q, X and Z. Looks like we’ll be going abroad for those ones! As we’re writing this we are two weeks away from running the Great North Run; Niki’s 7th half and Heather’s 14th. We then have one more before the year is out: Glasgow in October. Going into 2018, Niki will need to run 32 half marathons in 9 years and Heather, 25 in 6 years. The race is on! From here on out we need to be a bit more strategic with our half marathon planning so we can achieve our two goals. The plan is to aim for 6 runs a year, doable we think. So far for 2018 we are signed up for Farnborough in January and Ironbridge in March. Niki Wilkinson & Heather Fras
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1. Lake Vyrnwy – September 2015 – 1:55:07 My first half marathon! I was aiming for 2 hours, was chuffed with my timing. I picked it because I thought it would be flat, ye right!! 2. Brighton – February 2016 – 1:54:09 3. Cardiff – October 2016 – 1:48:04 I was so pleased to knock approx 6 minutes off my previous PB. To date this is my favourite half marathon. 4. Conwy – November 2016 – 1:59:09 Well....beautiful day, but.....hard! This did me in, I cannot run down hill without getting injured! 5. Brighton – February 2017 – 1:44:47 New PB, yes!!!! 6. Liverpool Rock ‘n’ Roll – May 2017 – 1:52:46 Really good atmosphere, but a relentless last 3 miles....it went on forever!
Heather: 1. Shakespeare – April 2008 – 1:52:04 My first half marathon & loved it! 2. Lady Godiva – October 2008 – 1:49:32 Quite a boring course unfortunately. 3. Birmingham – October 2010 – 1:48:04 Amazing! Really enjoyed this one. 4. Stafford – March 2011 – 1:52:34 Enjoyable course. 5. Shrewsbury – June 2014 – 1:57:32 My first half marathon following the birth of my first child. It was an extremely hot day, the start was delayed and I ran with my Dad. 6. Wrexham – March 2016 – 1:50:09 The first one after my second child. I did not enjoy this one one bit! 7. Shrewsbury – June 2016 – 1:47:20 Well organised race. I enjoyed it this year. 8. Birmingham – October 2016 – 1:45:19 The hill!!! So close to sub 1:45, still a PB though. 9. Conwy – November 2016 – 1:56:16 Really enjoyed it despite The Great Orme! 10. Brighton – February 2017 – 1:40:56 PB – woohoo!! 11. Liverpool Rock ‘n’ Roll – May 2017 – 1:52:47 Warming up for Shrewsbury. 12. Shrewsbury – June 2017 – 1:43:47 Hot, hot, hot!!! 14th female yay! 13. Isle of Man – August 2017 – 1:43:29 Such a beautiful race.
Snowdon Trail Marathon July 2017 Bill Cork, Bob Parker, Phil Lowry and Rafal Pasko Q; Was this the hardest event you had ever entered?
Q; Do you think it is ever possible to do enough training for an event like this?
BC; Yes definitely because of the hills which went on forever.
BC; Everyone thinks you never do enough training for a run, generally you do just enough so that it doesn’t hurt too much afterwards.
BP; Yes, it was advertised as a trail marathon, in my opinion it’s really a trail endurance test especially after mile 19. PL; Yes, not the longest but the hardest. RF; It was, we trained on hills but I was not prepared for Snowdonia. Q; Why enter such a bonkers hard event? BC; Because I like a challenge really. BP; Because I hadn’t done it before, I had done Snowdon marathon twice before but not this event. PL; It was Bill’s fault, but when it’s on the borderline of whether I can do an event, it makes me want to do it. RF; The challenge as I had already done 6 road marathons. Q; Did you actually enjoy the training? BC; Yes, as much as you can for this type of run, it was all off road, so lots of lovely views. BP; Yes I did, the varying capabilities of my running partners made me train harder. PL; I particularly enjoyed a training run over Langollen, it was 22 miles and gave me the confidence to think I could actually complete the event. RF; I enjoyed the scenic off road training. Q; Did you actually enjoy the event?
BP; No, unless you are a professorial or part mountain goat. PL; I can manage on 4/5 weeks of good training which may not be enough for others. RP; Yes, I would recommend training in the actual location; Shropshire is really not hilly enough. Q; Why have you already signed up for an even harder ultra-Marathon in Snowdon next year? BC; Because I’m stupid! PL; I will worry about it at the last minute like I always do, we did ok last time and I loved the atmosphere afterwards, especially the camaraderie. RP; For the challenge, I can’t live with the feeling that this mountain beat me! Q; How do you manage to balance training with relationships/work/social life? BC; By making training fit in with my life rather than the other way around, and remember; it’s just a hobby! BP; The training shouldn’t dominate your life but enhance it. PL; My partner trains too or goes to the gym and we plan ahead. RF; I’m lucky that we both work week days and have weekends off and having daughters they want to shop with their mum not hang out with me at the weekend!
BC; I enjoyed certain parts of the event, particularly running down hill and passing people who had overtaken me on the way up! Gravity helped too! BP; I enjoyed miles 1 to 19 and then the end, some of it I would never do again unless my life depended on it! PL; Yes I loved it (although I hated it at the time), I loved the finish and quite liked the Snowdon bit. RF; The weather was kind and the support was awesome, also it was a well-organized day.
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Running Towards More Mature Years After being given “mature” by Graham where to begin, apart from giving him a good kicking. It did start at school where anything under a mile was not for me and with that, plus cross- country, I was set to go. I really enjoyed cross-country. Dunlop plimsolls were the footwear plus cotton running kit. A lot was run solo: down a main road for a couple of miles, then across fields that flooded sometimes up to your thighs and the only way you could see the river crossing was the railings on the footbridge showing above the water. I do not think this would get past today’s health and safety check lists. Running continued into my early twenties and then like for many of us other distractions came along. I did start playing squash but this was done at a running pace, which was not the way to beat your opponent though when I did it was purely because I had worn them down. My method was described as “wind Iain up like a clockwork mouse, open the door, chuck him in and he’ll whirl round the court, and after 45 minutes open the door and let him out”. I was keeping pretty fit working on our small holding at weekends and in my late thirties briefly started running again. This spell culminated with the Telford marathon in 03:15:04 but I then stopped.
When retirement beckoned I joined my friend’s yacht, which was to be brought from Antigua to the Med, as a deck hand. I left work on a Friday and was in Antigua on the Monday afternoon with an iced beer in my hand. Over twelve weeks we sailed via Bermuda, The Azores, Gibraltar, and North Africa. I finally left her (the boat) on the east 12
coast of Spain and re-introduced myself to my wife, Maureen. As you can imagine I was pretty unfit as 50 foot of deck does not give you much exercise. Back in the UK I gave myself a good talking to and went and bought some good running shoes. The lanes around Pontesbury, Eastridge Woods and the tracks up onto the Stiperstones make a good training ground. However this all kept going awry as there always seemed to be a need for a deckhand. For the next seven years I kept going back to help move the boat around. This meant suffering the hardships of Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria but after a last voyage in 2012 back to Sicily I was able to look at running regularly again, or so I thought. With not much in the way of mileage under my feet I entered the Shrewsbury Half in 2013. I am sure we all remember it. The half was two laps and the whole four laps. It was miserable but with a time under 2 hours I knew I could “do it”. Looking back I am not sure as to why I didn’t start being serious regarding running. I kept doing the odd race and on half marathons managed to still keep below 2 hours but I then had a light bulb moment, or rather a 13.1 mile moment. Jonathan (younger son) was working in San Francisco and a holiday was arranged for October/ November 2014. This happened to coincide with the Golden Gate Half so Jonathan and I entered. One problem though and that was that I had a road trip planned for the two weeks before the race. After 2 weeks of basically sitting on my backside in the car, eating a lot and generally enjoying everything available I stepped out of the car and into my running kit. The start was early to avoid the heat and everyone was very friendly with lots of introductions to everyone nearby with questions as to why would a Brit on holiday do this. Not being familiar with the course I crossed the start mat full of enthusiasm only to be faced with a typical San Francisco hill that was hidden by a bend in the road. It was steep, or at least felt it. Here I was in the first
half mile with every muscle in my legs twanging. Park Run Hill seems to be a doddle. I settled down into a steady pace, leaving Jonathan behind, and enjoyed the views. The bridge was in front and this was to be the highlight. Because the course goes both ways over the bridge this race is “a must do”. It was a beautiful clear day so the views from the bridge going out, as you are running on the harbour side, were superb. Alcatraz, as expected looked foreboding, though on a visit there later, if you got the right cell, the view of the city would be difficult to buy. Another shock to the system awaited as at the end of the bridge they had not closed the road so you could cross to come back on the other side; down a steep slope, under the bridge, and then back up to the footway. Going down the slope my heart was sinking as I knew there would be a very steep climb back up. At 8.75 miles coming off the bridge I was struggling. Jonathan passed me around 10 miles. I finished in 01:59:38 and in the M65+ was 9th out of 51. Back in the UK I felt really inspired and was determined to see how I would fare if I did train. The lanes around Pontesbury started to feel like an old friend though I was not very disciplined. With my 70th approaching in August 2015 part of my birthday present was membership of Shufflers and
a Shuffler vest. Why did I join Shufflers? Looking at some other clubs they felt too serious and I wanted to enjoy my running as well as pushing myself. This is what leads onto where I am now: running as a “mature”, which makes me sound like an aging wine, though red wine is in my diet programme. I now have the bug. I have gone back full circle and again enjoy training, even on my own, and entering races is appealing to my competiveness. Shufflers gives me a focus as well as giving a good circle of friends. I am now working towards the 2018 London Marathon having entered under “good for age”, which I discovered last year through a fellow Shuffler on a Monday night run. The Manchester Marathon got me in with 03:49:26. I have now set myself one hell-of-a-target for the future. My build up to that was extremely disciplined. There was a 6-day a week training programme over 20 weeks and a stomach stretching diet. I can assure you that no matter how much you like pasta there is a limit. In the week before Manchester I was sitting down twice a day to pasta counting down how many times it would be in front of me. Following Manchester I had an invitation from England Athletics to run Chester in The England Age Group Masters Marathon Team M70+, so bang went my rest period before picking up training for London in December. I just couldn’t resist another challenge and of course I’m bloody minded! Iain Day
GRUMPY OLD MAN Why do they always give prizes to the younger winners first? Don’t they realise that someone could die waiting! And HOW do they expect us get up those steps without a Stannah!”
How to Run a Marathon with Minimal Training When I speak to people about running a marathon I regularly feel that there is a common misconception that it requires months and months of dedicated training. In response I say that most people could do a marathon whenever they like regardless of their level of fitness there is only a requirement to train hard if you want to run a particular time. Therefore the barrier to taking part in a marathon is something of your own making, not the challenge itself. When preparing for a marathon, most programmes will suggest a 40-50 mile training week or running 6 days in 7. Not everyone has this time at their disposal and amongst the challenges of modern life, training opportunities can be limited. I should add a major disclaimer at this point. I am not a scientific expert, nor a running guru – merely an average 30 something runner with a keen desire to keep fit while not completely neglecting my responsibilities as a dad and breadwinner. None of this article is based on any scientific foundations or proven theories, merely my attempts to cobble together the best plan I could for the dark winter months of January to March this year. If you don’t have the time to follow a comprehensive programme but would like to push yourself to achieve a particular time, then some of these pointers may be of some help. 16
1. Use your Christmas holiday The festive break is the perfect opportunity to get a decent number of miles under your belt and establish a good fitness base before you return to work and only have dark nights and weekends at your disposal. Don’t wait to start your training until the new year. Long runs at this point will ensure you are ahead of the game in January, which means the inevitable setbacks over the coming months won’t be showstoppers.
2. Don’t attempt to follow a professional running programme Ideal as they are for people who have plenty of time at their disposal, they can be demoralising when you miss a few sessions. With the minimal amount of training you are going to be doing, you will have to get the most from every session you do, so scrap the easy runs. They can help but are an ineffective use of the time you have.
3. Keep to three essential types of training - fartlek, intervals, long hill runs: Fartlek – Most running clubs will have this form of training as part of their weekly routine (the Shufflers Monday night run is ideal). Sessions will vary but ultimately you need include a weekly run that includes prolonged (3-5 minute) efforts, followed by recovery. This will increase your lactate threshold and your endurance. Interval/track sessions – If there is one type of training that will improve your running immeasurably, it is interval training (Thursday night sessions for Shufflers). If you can do this, preferably in a group, then you will find the benefits are rapid and significant. Increased strength, endurance, speed, stride length, lung capacity, mental strength and more. Long hill runs – Most running books talk about the advantages of incorporating both hill runs and long runs in a training schedule, so my advice is to combine the two. The distance you travel doesn’t matter so much, it is the length of time that you run that is most important. This should get progressively longer – up to about 3 hours for your longest run. Do one of these every fortnight and your body will have enough time to recover in between. If you can run in countryside on
soft ground; trails, tracks etc, you will reduce the risk of injury, and the scenery is a lot better than road running. The Shropshire Hills couldn’t be a better place to do this training. It will build your strength, speed, aerobic capacity and stamina.
4. Stretching If you find yourself getting back from work too late to do a run, you can still get significant benefit from an evening in front of the TV by stretching and using a foam roller. By keeping supple you will find that, when you do have the opportunity to train, you will be in good shape to make the most of each session.
5. Technique Technique coaching seems to be a major part of many sports (golf, skiing, tennis etc) but for some reason, most runners don’t seek advice on their form. As a coach explained to me ‘The more efficiently you run, the less effort it is going to take you to get from A to B.’ There are some simple things you can do to ensure you are running more efficiently. By getting a proper coach to look at your style and give you advice, you may find it is like taking the breaks off.
6. Eat Well In order to maximise the effect of each run you do, you can help yourself by aiding muscle recovery with decent protein recovery shakes. Also, prepare for the long runs with plenty of carbohydrates, and the big race with a proper nutrition plan.
7. Mental Toughness You will need this in spades on the big day as you won’t have the confidence from hours and hours of training. There is likely to be plenty of self-doubt but you can train your brain just as well as your legs on all of your training runs. Read The Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters and understand your inner chimp, then figure out how to override it in order to keep going through the pain and constant internal dialogue. Most importantly, keep going and don’t give up. The sense of achievement is something you will remember for the rest of your life. Good luck! Rob Corcoran
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How to be a Vegan: My Life as a Runner Bean! A man walks into a doctor’s surgery with a cucumber up each nostril and carrots sticking out of his ears. The doctor says “You’re not eating right!” If you have any better veggie jokes than this please lettuce know. Since about 2014, I have been mostly vegan....well, about 90% if I’m honest. It’s far from straightforward and being a runner on a vegan diet isn’t a walk jog in the park either but it’s getting easier. I am no expert by any means but have learned a few things along the way. So if you’re thinking about trying a plant based diet for the first time, this has been my purely personal experience so far; Pros: Big supermarkets are getting better at stocking vegan and non dairy products such as non dairy milk and tofu and even chocolate! Check out the freezer and chiller cabinets. The range of meat free products suitable for vegans are on the increase and taste better than ever. (Where there’s grass there’s brass!) There is at least one vegan cheese that actually tastes a bit like cheese! Yippee! It’s good for your health and the planet. Cons: Eating out is a challenge (but... Shrewsbury now has 2 vegan restaurants and one vegan coffee shop) Most cake is not vegan :0( People look at you funny and ask “what do you eat?” (this happens a lot!....keep calm) Obviously, it’s really important to ensure you are having a balanced diet containing all the nutrition you need, including enough protein which is something I can still struggle with at times. Tofu and soya products are good sources as are nuts and seeds, good ol’ green vegetables and pulses. Many of the non dairy milks are fortified with extra vitamins too especially B2 and B12 which help release energy from food. 16
Sometimes I Supplement my intake with a soya protein powder mixed with soya milk to make a high protein milk shake. A couple of heaped dessert spoons mixed with 250ml of soya milk will give me 26g of protein in one hit. A daily multivitamin is not a bad idea either, preferably one containing iron. I try to cook from scratch and avoid too much processed food as there are often ingredients that make it unsuitable. Batch cooking at the weekend means that I end up with a freezer full of healthy meals ready to go for the week ahead. If you need inspiration try the BBC good food website or Jamie Oliver and even Nick Knowles have vegan recipes available online. For more hard core vegan athlete diet tips, check out ultra runners Scott Jurek or Matt Frazier. To work out how many grams of protein you need per day try the following; 0.17 x bodyweight in KG x 6.25 = g of protein required per day Having eaten my bodyweight in carbs whilst training for a recent marathon I found myself in the bizarre position of having gained weight! On a vegan diet? How was that possible?? But it was. So... I decided to complicate things even further by trying a low carb, high protein and high fat diet. I’d heard that instead of having protein post training, you should eat carbs to replace the glycogen used during your run. So, I thought I’d give this new approach a go – being a vegan, I can honestly say it is very effective...... mainly because there is hardly anything left I can actually eat! Seriously though, I have found I’m less hungry through the day, have more energy and feel more alert and am having fewer slumps in energy.....Knowing I can have those yummy carbs post run motivates me to train too! Speaking of which......I’m feeling peckish....Does anyone know how many carbs there are in a shufflers magazine....? Julie Harrison
No meat? What do they eat? Lightbulbs?
Members might like to know about a new feature that is available for the Club Calendar. Teamup now have an Android & Apple App, which you may find useful. All you need to do is just download the app and put the following code in, and the Shufflers calendar will be available on your phone!
ks85c78c69777f6366 It is much easier than trying to use it through a web browser on your phone.
Coaches Corner I think it is always worthwhile to reinforce the message about warming up and cooling down before and after a run and I cannot emphasise enough the importance of stretching. A good warm up prepares the body and the mind for what lies ahead. I appreciate that running for us is more or less, a forward motion but in order to prevent injury, we all need to mobilise joints and muscles, so a warm up should start with a gentle run and then move onto mobility exercises. Most but not all Physiotherapists advocate mobility exercises before running but UKA always advocate these be used for warm up exercises. These can be, moving leg lunges, low and high leg skipping, running on the spot and do not forget the upper body. When you have completed these you will be ready for your run. After completion of your run you need to cool down, you need to dissipate any accumulated acid from the muscles used in the exercise, lactate is more or less re-used by the body as a recycled energy source, but if you do not carry out this you may, and probably will, suffer from soreness and aches and pains from muscles. The best way to dissipate acid build up is to complete a cool down run of about 10 mins. After this you will need to carry out a static stretch of each of the muscle groups you have used. So it is mobility stretches before a run and static stretches after a run. I know we keep on about high-viz clothing as the nights are drawing in, but it is for your safety, if vehicles and cyclists can see you it will keep you safe. Tony Welsby 17
Exercise Motivation What keeps you running? As someone who runs regularly, I am intrigued about what keeps people exercising/running, and what the crucial ingredients are for life-long participation. In a previous life, I was involved in a doctoral research project that examined different kinds of motivation for exercise behaviours, and so in this article I thought I would write about this in the context of running. Motivation (or ‘behavioural regulation’ as it is also referred to), spreads along a continuum ranging from doing things purely for external reasons (e.g. someone telling us that we have to); right through to doing something for its purely internal reasons (e.g. inherent pleasure and enjoyment). These two types of motivation sit at opposite ends of a continuum and are known as ‘external regulation’ and ‘intrinsic regulation’ respectively (see fig.1 below): Figure 1: The Behavioural Regulation Continuum
1 - External Regulation
2 - Introjected Regulation
3 - Identified Regulation
4 - Intergrated Regulation
5 - Intrinsic Regulation
Externally imposed rewards or punishments linked to a behaviour.
Internal pressure (e.g. to avoid feelings of guilt).
Personal valuing of the activity and goals. Valued goals motivate one’s participation.
Activity is aligned with other values and identity. Undertaken willingly without coercion.
Activity is purely for enjoyment, pleasure, and fun.
CONTROLLING MOTIVES
SELF-DETERMINED MOTIVES
Research has shown that the more internalised and self-determined our motivation, the greater the likelihood that we will participate in the long-term. A person who takes up exercise or running because their GP tells them to do so for health reasons for example, would be said to be ’externally regulated’. The individual themselves might not value or wish to do it, but they feel like they have to. If the person continues to exercise/ run, it is likely that the motivation has started to internalise so they may still not really want to do it, but the pressure now comes from themselves rather than from others (e.g. running to avoid feelings of guilt if they don’t). Research also shows that the kinds of motivation mentioned above which spring from internal or external pressure, is often short lived. If running becomes increasingly valued by a person however, motivation is likely to internalise further and the person will begin to value the activity and accept it and it starts to become part of their identity (i.e no.3 and no.4 on the diagram). Both of these types of motivation have been shown to correlate with longer-term participation in exercise. In terms of us having a purely intrinsic motivation to run (i.e. no.5 on the diagram), the general consensus is that it is fairly unlikely because the by-products of running are not in themselves ‘enjoyable’ - e.g. sweating, breathlessness, exertion, and muscle strain. Realistically, the most self-determined form of motivation we can hope for is for it to be valued by us and for it to be become ‘part of who we are’.
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So what enables peoples’ motivation to become more selfdetermined? Self Determination Theory (SDT) tells us that in order for us to persevere and continue with any given activity, three basic psychological needs must be met (see fig.2 below): So according to the theory, provided each of these needs are adequately supported by our running environment, then the chances of developing more self-determined types of motivation for running should increase. Running on our own might support us with needs 1) and 2); but perhaps running with a club like the Shufflers enables us to meet the third need more fully perhaps.
Competence: We need to feel that we know what is involved in an activity and believe that we are capable of doing it.
I will leave you with a couple of questions to ask yourself:
Relatedness: We need to feel connected to others and feel that those around us genuinely relate to us.
Figure 2: The three basic psychological needs
Autonomy: We need to feel that we have choice and control over what we do (as opposed to pressure and coercion).
1) Where do you think you are on the motivation continuum now? 2) Where do you think you were when you started running? 3) What has helped you to keep running or get back into it after a period of not running? Vannessa Tobin
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EMMA’S EATS!
LAMB TAGINE
Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 1 boned shoulder of lamb 2 garlic cloves, chopped 3 onions, diced 2 tsp turmeric 2 tsp coriander seeds crushed 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
Chef Michel Roux’s Jr has run over 20 marathons here is his recipe - ideal after a hard run on a winters day Makes 4-6 servings.
Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 140C. Heat the olive oil in a casserole dish and pan fry the lamb until golden brown. 2. Add the garlic, onions and spices to the dish and cook for 10-15 mins, stirring.
1 tbsp honey
3. Add the lemons wedges, honey and stock to the dish and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook in the oven for one hour.
300ml chicken or vegetable stock
4. Stir in the toasted almonds and serve!
50g blanched almonds, toasted
Serve with cous cous for added carbs, which will take the calories straight to your muscel cells for rebuilding and recovery. This can be cooked before and reheated to save time post run.
GROUP APPS
Garmin Connect Just to let everyone know; if you use a Garmin watch there’s a Shropshire Shufflers Group on Garmin Connect – which you can search for via the Groups tab on the main menu.
ENDURANCE BOOSTING PISTO (V)
Ingredients
Get more oxygen to your tired muscles with this fiery veg-packed Spanish dish!
4 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, halved and chopped
Makes 2 servings.
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
Instructions
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper, cover and cook gently for seven minutes until lightly golden.
1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp crushed dried chillies 300g aubergine, cut into 2cm pieces 200g courgettes, cut into 2cm pieces 400g skinned, chopped tomatoes, fresh or tinned 2 large free-range eggs pinch of hot pimentón (or normal paprika) sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2. Uncover, stir in the garlic, cumin and chillies, and cook for one minute. Stir in the aubergine, cover and cook for four minutes; stir in the courgettes, season and cook another four minutes. 3. Stir in the tomatoes, 150ml of water and the seasoning. Simmer for seven minutes until all the veg is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly. 4. Break the eggs on top and sprinkle with some pimentón/ paprika. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer gently until the eggs are set to your liking. Serve with fresh crusty bread. Non vegetarians can add chorizo to make it more robust. Source Runner’s World
Strava Also we have a group on running Strava (running app & website connecting millions of runners & cyclists worldwide) which you can search for via the Explore menu. So why not join and see where other Shufflers are running. (and how well they are doing too!)
“RUN ‘TIL I BLOW THE WHISTLE”
The Ponderings of a Newbie Coach Google “coaching definition” and you will get 51.8 million results, but I like the following:
“
Coaching refers to methods of helping others to improve, develop, learn new skills, find personal success, achieve aims and to manage life change and personal challenges.
It’s this altruistic aspect that led me to qualify as a Level 2 Coach in Running Fitness (CIRF) with England Athletics. I’ve also been heavily inspired by coaches both within and outside the club, and have been a life-long student of self-development using such tools as psycho-cybernetics early on in my management career (Earth calling Glenn!!). Most run leaders on club nights hold a Level 1 Leader in Running Fitness (LIRF) qualification which enables them to safely take out groups of runners over risk-assessed courses. The CIRF qualification builds on the LIRF and focusses on the technical side of running, skills and drills to improve athletes, risk-assessment & safety, nutrition, injury and planning and delivery of sessions amongst other areas. I’m now qualified to develop individual athlete profiles, analyse their level of running fitness, and develop training programmes to help them achieve running goals. I’ve been lucky to use some gifted and spirited club runners as guinea pigs in my study, and now need to work on their programmes with them to hit their targets! The Thursday evening track session at London Road has been instrumental in helping me practice coaching running skills and drills, and Martin and Tony have been an immense source of wisdom and knowledge supporting me. Track gives coaches and runners an environment to focus on the technical aspects of running, and is geared towards runners of ALL abilities, not just the faster and elite amongst us. I’ve tried to incorporate an element of fun into my sessions, but instead have delivered mayhem and chaos – but I am still learning! I’ve also tried to mix the different ability groups up occasionally. My lasting memory of the relays we ran recently was Tony finishing his 100m sprint only to find no runner to hand his baton to, and having to run another 100m. (I’ve pondered on that set Tony, and have made improvements to ensure it’s more structured next time, sorry). When track has been unavailable, I’ve held a few mixed ability sessions in the Quarry with Matt Wally, where we have been able to focus on the technical aspects of running up and downhill. Runners have asked for more hill sessions, so we’ll try and plan some in. Our club has some gifted runners, leaders and coaches on road, trail and fell, and I’d urge any runner wanting to improve their running to consider the range of sessions on offer, and tap into the coaching and other expertise available within the Shufflers. Although our club doesn’t offer 1:1 coaching as a routine, whilst I’m consolidating my qualification I’m happy to work with any runners who would like a personal profile, programme, and target goals developed to improve their running ability and performance. Glenn F
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One Leg is Better than Two When you think of a gym or home workout what’s the first thing you think of? Many traditional strength and core training plans focus on exercises such as squats, sit-ups, and planks. At Optimal movement we focus on single leg exercise for the reasons discussed below. When running, as with most sports, we constantly go from one leg to another, so it’s more effective to train one leg at a time rather than both together.
CORRECTING IMBALANCES AND INJURY PREVENTION We are cross lateral beings, this means we use the opposite arm and leg when moving. The way we use our upper body has a massive impact on the balance, control, and proprioception (The unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself) of our lower body, for example; if you’re right handed the chances are you’ll have better proprioception of your left lower body. However if your right side is dominant this often results in your right leg being stronger than your left. These imbalances will increase if you continue using double leg exercises, the stronger side will compensates for the weaker side. This transfers over to your running, you become reliant on using one leg more than the other, making you less efficient and more prone to injuries.
INJURY REHABILITATION Injuries have a bigger affect on our bodies than you may realise. When we get injured and experience pain there is an automatic compensation response from the brain, to protect and allow us to keep moving. This is great in the short term, but longer term it leads to movement dysfunction and imbalances. Here are some of the affects of this protective mechanism: - Poor activation of the correct muscle groups during movement - Reduced left to right co-ordination - Slower reaction times - Poor stability - Reduced speed and strength Take this scenario for example; you injured your left knee training for a marathon but you can still run on it (but probably shouldn’t be!), just as it starts feeling better your right knee starts to really hurt. This has happened because you’re relying on your right leg too much along with other compensatory patterns which disturb your gait. This is why it’s so important to retrain movement patterns after injury - to help rebuild the motor patterns that were disrupted and damaged.
THE ADVANTAGES OF SINGLE LEG EXERCISES Single leg exercises can be use to improve your running efficiency, they also plays a crucial part in the recovery from injuries and even better prevent them. They improve your stability and strength by isolating the weaker side and getting the stabilising muscles in the hip and core firing. It’s always better to master the technique of single leg exercises first before adding any additional load. Here’s two of my favourite single leg exercises to get you going: Split squat – This exercise is great for improving running form because it helps strengthen the stabilising muscles in the hip, especially your gluteus medius. Things to focus on: keep your body upright, only bend your knee to 90 degrees, keep your knee in align with your toes (not dropping in or out), and keep your knee above your ankle (preventing it from coming to far forward). Single leg deadlift – This exercise recruits your posterior chain of muscles (hamstrings and glutes) and hip stabilisers, along with your core. If your posterior chain is strong you’ll be able to generate more speed and power when running. Things to focus on: using your core muscles to keep you stable, perform the exercise slowly and controlled, try to keep your stance leg straight (or slightly bent if required), bend from your hip throughout the movement (not your knee). Thank you for taking you time to read this article, I hope you found it useful. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Joe Brocklehurst Sports Therapist BSc
www.optimal-movement.co.uk | info@optimal-movement.co.uk | 07532 012 188 23
RIP Shufflers Sadly the past few months has seen the club lose two long serving members.
Pete Booth It is with sadness I write a few words about Pete Booth who passed away in early September after a brave battle with prostate cancer. Pete joined the club in 2004 and soon became a very popular club coach. He had a no nonsense approach to his coaching and life in general and lived for every minute. He was devastated when his illness forced him to stop running but not to be outdone he carried on with his other passions for as long as possible. I, along with some other Shufflers were privileged to attend Pete’s send off and celebration of his life where his son mentioned in particular the love that Pete had of the Shropshire Shufflers Running Club. Pete still holds several club records which can be seen on the club website, he was very proud of the records and I am sure they will be there for many years to come. Some of you may recall I did an interview with Pete for the magazine in April 2016 just after he had been told he couldn’t run again, I will leave you with what Pete said to me about running and hope that it inspires others when the going gets tough. “Running was a life-force for me; I loved that feeling of speed; the rush of the air and grace of movement when the body was running perfectly. I also loved the challenges that the different types of terrain and distances presented. Whenever I see runners now I envy them that opportunity to throw their mind and body into the activity, I suppose I still live in hope that someone will find a way round my running barrier and if I’m ever told I can run again – I will be right back!” Pete Booth Our thoughts are with Pete’s widow Sally, his son’s Adam & Ed and all his family.
Giuseppe Azzolina Guiseppe joined the club in 1996 and very rarely missed a Monday night session. He was a character who always had a kind encouraging word to everyone in the group he was running with. He enjoyed training with the Shufflers immensely and he was still running regularly with the Shufflers at the age of 83 before he sadly passed away after a short illness in May. Our thoughts are also with Guiseppe’s widow Clara and his family.