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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!