Hello my footings,

So I understand things are a bit nippy at the moment. Having to step out the door when it is cold has to be one of the hardest things but as long as it is not raining stop your moaning and just do it. I have said this a few times over the years writing this blog but the best bit of advice my coach gave me is that if you are able to run then run because there will be times (injuries/illness) when you cannot. We have hit February and to be fair the winter has been quite mild this year so get over this cold snap and spring is on its way. It could be worse, Moscow is minus 23 today so count yourselves lucky this weekend!

I am going to go through some tips for running in the cold. You may want to also read a blog I wrote back in December for some more cold winter running tips- Click here

Vaseline up

Men you are adults so stop sniggering! There are a few ways to try and make cold running more bearable. The old school way is to use some vaseline on your face, arms and legs. Not too much but enough to notice it. Nowadays there are quite a few gels out on the market that will do a better job (and actually come off your skin in the shower!). Cyclists use a lot of these gels because the wind chill factor must be horrible this time of year. If you really suffer in these conditions then I suggest you go on the net and try out embrocation or liniment.

Run with someone

You know it's cold and raining and so does your friend. Individualy you are weak but plan to meet up with each other and you will be less likely to let each other (and yourself) down. If the weather is bad then reduce the length of the session but force yourself to get out that door. Set yourself a small target of crossing the road before you can turn back.

Or race

Use a local race or free park run to motivate you. You do not have to go all out in the race but use it as a session. I.e. Find a park run which is 5km. Warm up, perform at 90% effort, 5mins recovery and then run the same route again. You have then done a good 10km session and made lots of people feel ashamed at only running 5km. Another would be to do an extra warm/ run before the 5km. 30mins run – 5km race- 15/30mins warm down. You have then made the most out of the race as running a 5km is probably too short for you marathon runners!

Achilles issues! (picture for the ladies!)

Those of you suffering with sore achilles (possibly early tendonitis) might want to get a bowl of warm water or put their feet underneath a warm tap or shower before they run. This will loosen up the tendon and make running a lot less painful.

Gloves and socks are key!

Prepare yourself for war. Buy your self some running gloves. If you have forgot your gloves or have not bought yourself any yet put on a pack an extra pair of socks. Socks make great running gloves but make sure they are clean. I know this from experience # ToeJam!

Running in the snow

If there is snow where you are then I suggest you read this blog that has some tips for these conditions. http://www.realbuzz.com/blogs/u/Footnote/athlete-s-foot/posts/running-in-the-snow-5/

Before you go if you are looking for something to listen to when you are stretching or 'working' this Friday afternoon then why not listen to this BBC radio program. It is an interesting show about running in Kenya and touches on the blog I did a couple of weeks ago. Very interesting conversation with a man called Brother Colm. The Alex Ferguson of distance running. It is only available for 6 days so enjoy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/bigscreen/radio/episode/b01bbd09/

Hello my footings,

I hope you are well and you are getting stuck into your training. New year, new you, remember! I hope I have not lost people already. I am not back from Kenya and it is a big culture shock in regards to weather and obesity levels! It was this journey to Kenya that I truly saw the difference between young Kenyan children and British children. It does put things in perspective the difference from an early age. We need to get Jamie Oliver and UK athletics together!
Back to training… So at this time of year we start to focus on spring races in March and April which is good because we a have a lot to do. Luckily this first phase is important for every runners regardless of what event you are running I.e. 10km, half or full marathon.

Base training

The first 4-6 weeks of any training schedule I set includes a lot of steady running to get the body ready for what is to come. This is normally the worse you will feel as an athlete. For beginners or unfit athletes (I include myself in this category after my lazy December/ January) this is an annoying time. You are going to feel bad and unfit. Your body is questioning every step you are making and your lungs are threatening to collapse on you. THIS IS NORMAL, so let's not worry about this and just do it!

Monitor progress
One of my best tips for this period is to select a run a week where you can evaluate your fitness. You will still feel like crap but, you will notice big improvements on your time. I would even suggest you take notes of splits during your run. This does not have to be distance splits (I.e. Mile splits) but could be certain buildings or gates. You are 1/4 or halfway in your run and you pass that big tree, if you know your normal time for this marker then it will give you a boost to know you are running quicker than usual!
Over the next few weeks you will see these gains and they are really helpful at mentally stimulating yourself. How about entering a park run near you? www.parkrun.org.uk/

Weight
Now I am not going to say this is a big indicator of fitness as you may not see a big drop in weight until a months time but again it might be useful to weigh yourself as a marker for progression. As I said you may not lose a lot of weight in the first few weeks because you will be gaining some leg muscle. Another way to monitor this is taking a photo of yourself and revisiting it in a few weeks. With the right training your body will make some big adaptations during this period so always remember where you have come from (especially on them dark, cold and lonely running nights).

Food and diet
This is the perfect period to help your body adapt with foods that are good for you. Lets make a ban on fatty foods: Crisps, chocolate and chips are shocking for you but you can replace these with things that will help. Your reward after a run can be jelly based sweets – jelly beans, jelly snakes, nuts/ nut bars, yoghurt. These are low in fat and the energy inside them will give your body a big boost. I want you to get into the habit of eating a good protein meal after your bigger runs. Fish is obviously the greatest type of meal but you can also eat meals with beans, or chicken. This is important for recovery.

Carbohydrates
One of the benefits of running is being able to eat lots of pasta and rice. This is true but I would stay off these for now and try and stay with a normal balanced diet. There will be plenty of time to eat these meals later on in your training but for now you do really need these extra carbs. Once you start running over an hour plus then we will start to introduce these meals in bigger quantities. For now help your body eat into your perfectly defined carb reserves. haha

Equipment
If you have not done so already please visit your local running store and purchase your training gear. An investment in running tights and gloves are advised and believe me you will get your moneys worth by the time spring comes along. I recommend a few dry fit tops and shorts. You do not have to buy the latest ranges as these are expensive so look around for some bargains. Running shoes are a must so look up your local running and give them a visit. Nowadays there are many different choices of shoes depending on the way you run. I strongly suggest you ask your local running store for a few different brands to try on. Everyones feet are different so trainers that are good for your friend in the office might not be great for you. Jog around in them in the store (this is normal behaviour for a runner!) before purchasing them. OH and I do recommend you purchase some running socks. Again all of these items will make you feel a lot more comfortable on future runs so they are a good investment now!

Final bit of advice is…

DO NOT OVER DO THINGS!

Yes you are eager to take on these Kenyans but be sensible and do not run hard every single run. Your body needs to recover and adapt and you cannot do this by giving 100% each time. Make sure you abide by rest days/ easy runs in your schedule. You have plenty of time to give yourself pain in the coming months. If you are eager then why not add some stomach and leg exercises into your training. Again do not over do these but it would not hurt to strengthen up your supporting muscles. Plus these exercises will make you more attractive so why not give them a go! Calf raises, stomach holds, glute exercises are good and you can find some of these in my previous blogs or on you tube! Use your own body weight for this so any videos where they have weights please ignore. Baby steps people!

Right I am off for my 2nd run of the year. My legs are a bit sore from yesterdays hour run so Im taking the iPod and going to enjoy the scenery. Enjoy your running over the weekend and get in touch if you have any questions about your training or injuries etc. Im hear to help!

Hi my footling’s,

I have just returned back from an amazing trip to Kenya with the Virgin London Marathon team. This was a slightly different press trip to those I have seen previously because this time we had the opportunity to go to the epicentre of marathon running – a small town called Iten.

Iten is a small farming village, perched 7,875ft on the western escarpment of the Great Rift Valley where there is no such thing as a flat road or path. It is here that the UK endurance athletes are preparing for London 2012. These stars include Mo Farah, Paula Radcliffe, Helen Clitheroe and Steph Twell. This is part of UK Athletics endurance initiative, supported by the London Marathon, which funds the athletes training at the High Altitude Training Centre set up by Lornah Kiplagat and her husband Pieter Langerhorst. An Olympic medal is the only honour that has eluded Lornah in her long career, something that she is hoping to put right in London.

Paula Radcliffe and Mo take time out of training in Iten, Kenya.

Some quick facts for you about Iten - The average annual wage is about £375 and the town only has a population of 4,000 – 5,000. About 1,000 of these are runners which makes the following statistic unreal: 75% of Kenya’s medals at last years World Championships came from runners born or living in Iten!

So why were the Virgin London Marathon in deep Kenya? With Kenya’s dominance in the World Marathon Majors last year (every male race was won by a Kenyan!) race director David Bedford felt it was right to hold the elite Men’s press conference on the edge of the Rift Valley.

The world’s greatest marathon press conference setting was only bettered by the field announced. 10 male athletes have personal bests below 2:05:30 including the World Record holder Patrick Makau, last year’s London winner Emmanuel Mutai, two time World Champion Abel Kirui, the 2^nd fastest man in history Wilson Kipruto and 3-time London winner Martin Lel. Not bad 16 weeks before the Olympic Games which goes to show that it is harder to win the Virgin London Marathon than the 2012 London Olympics! There are only 3 Kenyans in the Olympics!

That was not the only reason why the London Marathon was in town. They have been working hard behind the scenes to help promote Iten tourism and an identity with the heritage that is producing the world’s greatest distance athletes.

Arch to Arch race with 200 local school children

The famous Iten Arch has been given a much needed facelift and now lets the world know that Iten it is truly the ‘Home of Champions’. In fact there are now two arches in Iten and the inaugural ‘Arch to Arch’ kids race saw 200 local children aged 7-15 race from the lower arch to the top arch (distance 2,000m). I have obviously seen many Kenyan adults run over the years but not young Kenyans. The running techniques were so natural and efficient I felt I was learning from them! It is said that Kenyan children will have ran 18,000 times before a western child has started to train. This may explain their speed and efficiency.

Winners of the kids Arch to Arch race with British athlete Steph Twell

There was a small personal touch added to both arches from the race director. Two cockerels stand firm at the top of the arch that used to symbolise a political party. Now it symbolises Dave Bedford’s favourite football team – Tottenham Hotspur!

The Home of Champions would not be complete without a good running store and Iten can now boast the ‘London Marathon Store’ owned by Willy Songok. We are still not sure how he managed to afford the celebrity fees but marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe and current 5,000m World Champion Mo Farah were able to officially open the store. Stocks include much needed chocolate and performance enhancing giraffes!

Official opening of the Iten London Marathon Store - With Paula and Mo.

The weekend was wrapped up with the launch of the ‘Wall of Champions’ in Eldoret (a larger town 30 minutes from Iten) that celebrates every single Kenyan winner of the London Marathon in Eldoret. Douglas Wakiihuri starts the wall off as he was the first Kenyan to win the London Marathon in 1989. Since then 11 Kenyans have won the race with Emmanuel Mutai and Mary Keitany being 2011 champions.

Martin Lel and David Bedford open Eldorets Wall of Champions

The most successful athlete in London is Martin Lel who has won the race 3 times and was 2^nd last year despite suffering many injuries over the last 2 years.

Wall of Champions - Every Kenyan London Marathon Winner.

Lel was there to open the Wall on the main road into Eldoret from Nairobi. A special moment occurred at the opening when Lel and agent Federico Rosa stood in front of Olympic and London Marathon champion, the late Samuel Wanjiru. Wanjiru along with every other London Marathon winners’ achievements will now be celebrated for many years to come. Above them it reads “Virgin London Marathon - Where champions are made.”

Dr Rosa, Martin Lel and agent Federico agent pose with lost Olympic champion Samuel Wanjiru