Switching to Tom Alfry blog

Hi. If you have arrived here then welcome. However for now I will only be writing on my personal blog at www.tomalfry.blogspot.com. There are two reasons for this. One is that I am incredibly busy and don't have the time to write posts for two blogs and the other is that I am not running at the present time. The latter leaves very little I can write about on this running blog, so tune into my blog above instead.

Until next year when I am back to running again,

Tom

Marathon round up

I am suitably sore from the weekend's marathon adventure. Not running more than three times in the last three weeks before a marathon is not advised! As I look at how the marathon went and what I could do differently this is just one of the things that stand out. The other was getting a massage the day before the race. Don't get me wrong it was great prep for the run, I felt great after and was extremely relaxed. But it probably aggravated my traps a little too much before the race because I was having to constantly massage them as I was running. I like to break the rules and I certainly broke them in style again this time.

In the end I ran 3 hours 43 minutes, which is my second fastest time, so I can take some consolation from that and know that even without running in the last three weeks of my program I can run a half decent time. Could I have done things differently? Of course. But that would have required me to say no to carpentry work that I did on top of working at Apple and I was focused on earning that money to pay off debts. Like everything in life it is a constant balancing act and when the work is there I am motivated to take it. The knock on effect was that I felt knackered and wasn't motivated to train at all. So my race result was to be expected. You can't fluke a marathon, unless you are naturally gifted and those people deserve the post race soreness they will inevitably experience!

My running mate Andrew ran a new PB by about 5 or 6 minutes, so I am chuffed for him. We were both feeling the effects after 16km of the run, which suggests that something wasn't right. For me it would have been not training and being overworked, for Andrew it may have been his running shoes as his feet were hurting him from this point onward. The good thing is that we both have the sub 3:30 goal to aim for next year, possibly at Canberra marathon, so our motivation levels are probably higher than if we had achieved it this time around.

For now I am taking a little time off running. I have been swimming in the ocean the last couple of mornings and have made this a regular thing the last two weeks. It is great to get down to the water, have a dip for 15 minutes and enjoy the beach at it's quietest. I am planning on getting back to strength training, so I will most likely do a light jog to the bars at Queens Park or on the Coastal Path overlooking Tamarama. In my mind the latter is one of the most amazing outdoor gyms I've experienced, it is all too easy just to look at the view and watch the surfers rather than actually train! Over the summer months I will probably work on my speed over 5 & 10km and do some good hill training. That way come January when I start training again for Canberra I will be fitter and faster.

I was going to focus on half marathons next year, but as I just confirmed above the Canberra marathon is my next target. I will probably aim to run a fast half or two in training for the marathon as I am fairly confident I can go sub 90 minutes. As our friend Ellis the Achilles Chairman said on the weekend, "the trouble with marathon runners is that they have a terrible memory". I can attest to that, I have almost forgotten the pain from the weekend already. I must be mad.

T :)

Damn that run hurt

Last week's training was a marked improvement on the previous week's despite working 13 days straight. I managed two whole runs and they were both reasonably successful.

I covered the interval session already, so let me tell you about the long one yesterday.

That run was 29km at a pace of 8:11 minute per mile (5:04 per km), which was considerably faster than I have run all my other long runs previously. The other runs were around the 5:20 per km mark. So I was happy to smash myself up and down a hilly run to get a quicker time. I didn't feel that good and I probably didn't look pretty, but it felt good to push my body to the limit one last time before the marathon. That's not to say I won't be running more long runs before Melbourne, but they will be shorter and probably not as quick. I've learnt that I work best when I don't overdo it before the race.

The run itself was simple enough. I ran from Waverley south towards La Perouse for 5 miles, then turned back. On the return to home I felt a little "crook" and had to stop at the petrol station to sort myself out. Somehow when I started running I managed to go the wrong way and promptly got lost. I had a rough idea where I was and which direction I needed to run, but was just enjoying the unexpected as I tootled along the streets between Kingsford and Randwick. After what seemed like forever running uphill I came out at a junction near Randwick, (one I didn't expect to see) and realised where I was. A short run downhill and past my local Bunnings got me back home after 10.3 miles. From there I decided to nip down to Bondi beach and see if I could kill some miles not too far from home. Down at the beach you can do this loop which is fairly flat and uninterrupted by traffic lights, but it is about as boring as listening to Tony Abbott, so I chose the hard route instead. Running past Bondi beach I headed past the North Bondi RSL winding up and through the fancy apartments overlooking the sea and beach. Eventually I came back to the main road at North Bondi which heads up hill for ages. It is a right mother effer, but I thought "why not!" It's definitely a mile up hill if not more and by the end I was "rooted" (knackered/tired/shot for my English pals) and did not know how I was going to finish the run off. I told myself to run an out and back towards Watson Bay, which meant that when I was heading back I would finish the run with a reasonable distance under my belt. I knew at this point I was running way too fast to do more than 30km, I just didn't have it in the pins. So I distracted myself from the hurt in my lungs and heart and trudged onward, getting through the out and back to enjoy a mile downhill back to Bondi beach. From there I ran along the promenade and up the hill towards home. Part way up the hill I had to stop and have a rest overlooking the sea, I had only drunk 500ml in 2.5 hours and I had a little cramp setting in. If I had taken any money with me at this point I would've got a cold beer and kicked back. However I had no money on me and no bus pass to get home, so after a little stretch and breather I picked myself up and headed up Bondi road. I thought the rest would do me good, but it is another half a mile (easily) up hill from there and I felt worse as I struggled up the hill. At 18.25 miles I stopped and called it a day. I had nothing left to prove to myself and was happy with what I had achieved for the run.

Looking forwards there are only two long runs left before race day in Melbourne. The next one will probably be around the 25km mark and the week before I will run 15-20km. My focus for these last week's will be to get my training in during the week, doing tempo and interval sessions. These are the confidence and fitness boosters before the marathon distance. They rest the body and legs from the long distance, but keep you prepped for what's to come. I am fairly good at listening to my body and after all I am Tomthesloth, so I will never over do it!

This week will see me run tomorrow and Wednesday before a long one on the weekend. Fingers crossed I can get time to fit yoga and massage in over the next two weeks, otherwise I'll be running like a pencil on race day.

Happy training,

Tom ;)

Running man

I wish I could dance and that this post was about how well I could do the running man. Sadly it is not. In my mind I can do the running man really well, so I’ll hold onto that and update you on my training.

I would like to say that I have done a lot more training since I last tapped out an update, but frankly it has not been much better. I managed a couple of runs last week and so far this week I have only done my speed work session. Ultimately I can’t really be bothered to run at the moment unless it is with my friend Andrew, so I take my hat off to him for his commitment and thank him for keeping me motivated.

Although I didn’t do my tempo run last week I did manage a 33km run with Andrew on Saturday morning before going to work. We ran from Central through Darling Harbour to the ferry terminal, through the botanic gardens, up Oxford street to Bondi Junction and then down towards La Perouse. We then run back to through Randwick to finish in Waverley. Although my legs were feeling it at the end (missing two long runs in a row will do that) I did feel pretty good fitness wise and fairly strong up the hills. Andrew was certainly pushing the envelope at the end of the session when we had some hills and I can honestly say I don’t think I could’ve pushed much harder to keep going. This is all good though, because after this Saturday’s long run we will start a three week taper. This actually means that our long runs become slightly shorter, not that I stop training altogether as some of you may be thinking! Also our long runs have been moderately hilly, so despite not hitting lightning quick times we are getting in some great leg strengthening work on the hills, which is amazing for the flatter terrain of the Melbourne marathon. That’s one good thing about training in Sydney, you are never too far from a good hill.

Yesterday morning Andrew came over to Bondi to run intervals. We had 10x400m to do and gave ourselves 300m recoveries. We walked 200m and jogged the last 100m of the recovery to allow some respite, but prevent the legs getting too relaxed between intervals. Andrew wasn’t feeling too hot as he felt like he had no power in his legs and I felt like my lungs were on fire. So all in all it was a great session! If anything we can say that we got progressively faster on our intervals and were pushing to the limit, that’s all I can ever ask of myself, so I’m happy.

Tomorrow I am going to smash out a tempo run at sparrow’s fart, before I head into work at 7am at Apple. No doubt the day will feel long and tiring, but I seem to be more upbeat after a good training session than not doing anything. I have no clue what distance I am supposed to run, but hope that it is less than 10km, so I can have longer in bed!

Saturday Andrew and I are meeting at Central at 6am to head off for our last long run. I am not entirely sure where we will go, but I thought Central to Darling Harbour, through the CBD and The Rocks, past the ferry terminal and The Opera House, through the botanic gardens, all the way down Anzac Parade to La Perouse and then back up to finish at Waverley again. This will leave me enough time to shower, eat a large breakfast and stretch before i head straight to work for an 11am start. There is something satisfying about getting that done before work and then having a couple of cold ones at the day’s end. Roll on Saturday night!

Righty-O! That is about if from me at the moment. I have not had much time or inclination to get to the gym or do anything else training wise. As it is I am trying to get in two yoga sessions a week to keep things in check, but it hasn’t been happening. After all we all need some down time and to have a life.

I’ll let you know how it all goes when I have my day off on Sunday.

Happy training!

T :)

Lazy Tom

As you can imagine from the title of this post I have been a little lazy since my last update. Despite missing a couple of long runs (I'll admit I couldn't be arsed) I still got my tempo session in last week, which was a 16km run at 4:45 per km, or roughly 7:30 per mile. It's naturally not a great idea to miss long runs when you train for a marathon, but for those that know me I've trained less in the past and suffered well. I definitely don't advise anyone do this for a marathon though, so read on.

This week I started with a bang. Normally I wouldn't try and play catch up, but I genuinely love speed work, so I did last week's session yesterday. This consisted of 1000m in 3:47, 2000m in 7:56 and two more 1000m intervals as the first. Recovery between each was 400m, which because I am Tom the Sloth was a 300m walk and a 100m jog. To keep it simple and not bore you I've outlined the results below.

1. 1000m, target: 3:47. Actual time: 3:57. I was trying not to look at my watch for this and go on how I felt. Unfortunately I thought I was going off to fast, so I reined it in and finished slower. Balls.
2. 2000m, target: 7:56. Actual time: 7:40. After the first interval I thought I'd go conservative and then smash the second half. This highly evolved tactic seemed to work. Note to self, do this more often.
3. 1000m, target 3:47. Actual time: 3:58. Not it may appear as though I was tiring at this point, but no! I was running around Centennial Park and there is a point where it's 1000m up hill. It's not a bad hill, but when you are running fast it smashes you. Taking that into account I was happy with this one.
4. 1000m, target 3:47. Actual time: 3:41. I told myself to give it a 100% for this last interval and that I would smash it. Sometimes that level of confidence and self belief pays off. However when I started running this last one I felt like I had no energy in my legs and was running the slowest of the day. But what do I know eh?!

 Tomorrow I am running this week's intervals with my mate Andrew. We are going back to Centennial Park to run 3x1600m in 6:17 per interval with a 400m recovery. I can tell you now that these ones are absolute mother f*ckers, so I imagine the times could be all over the shop.

On Friday I have another 16km tempo run to do at the same pace as above. Although I have today, tomorrow and Friday off I am working for my mate Steve laying a path and then back to Apple on Saturday. Technically my week starts on Saturday, so I will be squeezing in my 32km long run on Sunday.

If I'm still able to move after the long run I will update you.

Until then ladies and gents,

Happy training :)

Rainy training

The Sunday before last was a wet reintroduction to marathon training and an enjoyable return to training after a ten day break for illness. Certainly running two hours early on Sunday morning made me feel right at home, all be it a lot warmer than a winter in England! That 25km was just the start of a great week of training and a boost to my dwindling motivation after being sick.

On Tuesday last week I smashed out a 4 mile tempo run in the rain and surprised myself at how good it felt. Although I haven't been doing my cross training recently (lazy) I have got back into hot yoga and managed three sessions last week between runs. Balancing training and enjoyment is my hardest challenge ;)

Thursday saw a very hard interval session come round. Andrew and me had to push hard to crack it. The first half was 2x1600m with a 90s rest between, which we hit target perfectly around 6:15 for each mile. The second half was a slightly different story and we were a little off the pace for the 800m. However it was a strong training session and I felt we were pushing the limits without much more to give.

I later found out that the marathon program, which was based on my 5pm PB, was meant for a 3h 16min marathon! Considering this PB was set at the end of the Gold Coast half I have no excuse not to reach that one day. It just won't be this year as I've set a realistic aim of 3:25,  which will be 11 minutes quicker than my Newcastle PB set in April.

With that in mind Andrew and I met up on Sunday morning for a 32km long run. Having run the previous week's 25km at an average of 5:20/km in the rain I thought an average of 5:10 would be achievable. The program said 5:03 was the target so I thought this would be a reasonable adjustment.

After running 3km from UTS we met up with Achilles chairman and legendary distance runner Ellis and ran our first 13km around a 5:00 per km pace. This felt challenging but we were still able to chat, so it was an enjoyable stretch of the legs past the Opera House and over the harbour bridge. On returning to the art gallery we still had 18km left to run to get back to the start so we headed out towards my "hood" in the Eastern Suburbs. Taking our run along Oxford Street at 830 in the morning is always interesting as late night revellers spill from the pubs and clubs, still partying from the night before. It makes you feel good that you are doing something healthy (relatively speaking) though and a gave us a push up the hill. As we ran past Centennial Park (CP) and through Bondi Junction we saw plenty of people heading to the colour run to get splattered with paint. At several points over the next 10km I thought I'd rather be doing that than running for three hours! As we came around CP we scoffed gels and took on a little water to get us through the last ten kilometres. That certainly helped, but our legs were feeling those last few kms and it was with a great relief (on my part at least) when we got back to UTS.

Our average was 5:13/km and I think we agreed that it may have been better if we hadn't smashed the first 14km quicker with Ellis. However these are the days to make our mistakes, mix things up and find what works and what doesn't. Come race day we will be ready to take on the distance.

I think there will be a fair few training days of rain coming up, which is fine by me. Next weekend is a faster 25km run, but I'll update you on my sessions before then.

Until next time,  happy training,

Tom :)

The do's and don'ts of running

I've been running marathons for ten years this year and have had my fair share of mistakes and successes. I've probably read all the do's and don'ts of running a thousand times and broken most of the rules along the way. It may be a mistake but it sure has been fun!

So I asked some friends what their do's and don'ts of running were recently to see if there were some new ones. I've compiled a ten point list, because this could go on forever. There are 5 do's and 5 don'ts. Feel free to add your own in the comments section.

Running do's

Whether you run 5k or 100 miles the points below are valid to all.

Do:
1) Get the right shoes.

Go to a shop that specialises in running. If they don't have a treadmill and cameras to video your gait (commonplace nowadays) then they should have runners with some training or an idea of what's going on.
This can save injury and heartache down the road (no pun intended) from blisters, alignment injuries and worse.

2) Progress gradually.

Nobody is superhuman. Even if your heart and lungs can progress rapidly there are areas that are slower to respond. These are the weak links that will break when you push too quickly.
Just follow a sensible program that includes cross training and rest days to ensure you give your body time to repair. Those rest days are where you'll get stronger, not the back to back sprint sessions.

3) Mix it up

Yes you should be focused on the thing that matters most to your goal, running. But running 6-7 days a week as a novice or even experienced runner can lead to overuse injuries and hold you back from reaching your potential on race day. I often find that runners smash themselves so much in training that when they reach their race their bodies and minds are too exhausted to function at 100%. By incorporating some cross training such as cycling, weight training, yoga or even climbing we can allow our bodies a form of rest, but still develop key strength in our core and develop our cardiovascular fitness. We also help to keep motivated to run and can save our energy for race day. Just try running 3-4 times a week and substituting two runs for something different. Your body and brain will thank you for it.

4) Try out new things in training

Whether it is a new running top or an energy gel, give your body a chance to test these things on your training runs. That way you can find what works for you as an individual in advance of race day, thus leaving you prepared and relaxed on the morning of your event. Listen to what other runners might be using, but don't be swayed until you've tried it a few times in training.

5) Run with others

I've found a certain enjoyment in running with others recently. It mixes it up and can provide you with an insight into new run routes and challenges. There is something in sharing the pain of a tough interval session with a friend, you certainly can't give in until it's completed! Don't get too social though if you have an event to train for though, you will find you'll run a lot slower if you are constantly chatting through those long runs.

Don't

1) Run when you are ill

It sounds obvious, but we have all gone for a run or a bike ride when we've had the start of a cold. "I'll just flush it out with a blast of the legs." No you won't. Your body is already fighting illness and now you are just stressing it even more by exercising. Let it take it's course and find the positive in working on areas that you are weak or inconsistent with. Namely core training, stretching and foam rolling ;) If you are constantly getting colds then maybe you need to look at the big picture. How hard are you pushing in work, training or another area of your life? Are you eating a balanced diet to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to repair and grow? We can't push, push, push no matter how amazing we think we are.

2) Wear crotch-less running pants

That got your attention didn't it! Wearing the right gear for your chosen activity is key. Don't get me wrong I am not a believer that the latest big name sports brand gear will make any of us faster. We may look great, but you need substance underneath that gear to run well. However running in an old pair of cargo shorts or baggy t-shirt may not be the answer either. By wearing something that is loose, comfortable and doesn't chafe in the sensitive areas you can avoid missing out on runs. Let me tell you I've had some bad chafing before and it puts you off running quicker than a broken leg. Avoid unnecessary pain and interruption to training, try out your gear on short runs first before using it on longer adventures.

3) Try anything new on race day

I know I have already said "Do try out new things in training", but I think this needs to be said too. The amount of times I have broken this rule and (luckily) got away with it is unreal. But it could go a lot worse. Imagine that you turn up to your first half marathon race. In your race expo goody bag you get some nice freebies. There's a muesli bar, some energy gels and a hat. On the morning of your race you decide to have your free muesli bar instead of your normal race breakfast, it just seems easier at 5am. You feel buzzing at the start of the race and fly off the start line, along the way you chow down on one of the free gels you got the day before. It is really sunny today, but luckily you have your new hat on to shade your eyes. Half an hour later you start to feel a bit sluggish and have a sort of gut cramp, you also feel a headache even though you are well hydrated. 

Now from here it only goes downhill and you end up doing a Paula Radcliffe at the side of the road (Google it if you don't understand), you have to stop and walk because you feel terrible and the hat was tight enough to give you a headache. The rest of the race is a disaster.

We've all done it and it may seem innocuous at the time, but try it out in training, not on race day. Stick to what you have practiced week in, week out and you will be great on the day.

4) Be ignorant

This is a personal rant that I know a lot of other runners have at some stage in their lives. When you are training or racing acknowledge other runners that you pass. It is the smallest thing, but makes the biggest difference. If someone looks like they are struggling then they probably are. We may be running our own race, but that doesn't stop us considering others and say "you alright mate/sheila?" in your best faux Steve Irwin Aussie accent. If nothing else they will smile and appreciate the concern before lumbering on like a sloth on ecstasy. It could also help those out that actually need medical attention during a race. Just saying.

5) Do a Bolt at the start line

Depending on the distance of your race I am fairly certain that running like the World famous Jamaican athlete will not help you. In a marathon it is a recipe for disaster. In a 5km race it could mean giving too much too soon when you should be saving it for the final kilometre. Either way try to stay at the back of your pace group and don't be tempted to overtake everyone in the first kilometre/mile. By doing this you can follow all the people that do shoot off like a sprinter and revel in the enjoyment of cruising past them easily within the last stages of the race. It is the must so satisfying thing in a marathon let me tell you!

Righty-O! I best be off, but feel free to add more do's and don'ts in the comments below. It's a pretty long list.

Happy running!

Tom :)

Rest and improve

It seems that after 10 days off from running I have not lost fitness despite feeling like a large blob. Strangely a few friends have said that I look like I have lost weight, so I decided to weigh myself and see if they were right. Surprisingly I have actually lost 1.5 kg despite eating at least this amount of chocolate every other day. Sadly I expect this is more to do with some kind of muscle atrophy than any helpful fat loss. Not that I am concerned about losing weight. But it would be helpful for running a marathon if I weighed 80 kilos rather than 85.

I have been thinking about my first run back for a number of days now. Originally I thought I would start out with an easy ten kilometre trot just to help bring my lungs back into the game. However as the days went by and I did a cycle, a gym session and two yoga sessions I started to up the ante. Yesterday I was meant to do that easy ten km but instead I did yoga and thoroughly enjoyed not having to run! So with work out of the way this afternoon I fuelled myself to take on this week's speed session, not exactly "easing back in".

Essentially I have 8 weeks of training left until Melbourne marathon and feel like I've gone backwards with my training. So today was a real test to see how I was doing. The intervals were 6x400 metres with 90 seconds rest between each. After that there was a 2.5 minute recovery interval and then the same 6x400m again. The target time for each interval was 1:28 (just under 6 minute mile pace).

I had a nice little warm up jog down to Centennial Park which left me with a double stitch, great start! Once into the park I set off like a dog after a squirrel and knew I was back. The first interval came in at 1:25, nice! Once I had seen that on the watch I knew that I'd be able to do the lot as I wasn't pushing to the max or feeling like my lungs might explode (as with Monday's cycle!) I won't bore you with all the details, but after that I ran at least 1:28 for the other 400s if not quicker and finished with a smile and a swagger as I cruised back home.

Tomorrow I'm going to do a shortened version of this week's tempo run before I run 18 miles on Saturday after my shift at Apple. I definitely feel that being ill has given me back my motivation to train and focused my mind on what I need to do over the next 8 weeks. If I was to give any advice I would tell you to rest up and ease off when you are sick. There's a reason you are ill and by kicking back you will surprise yourself when you get back to full training. Besides as a runner there are always other areas to focus on, like core training, flexibility and strength work, which are forever being left out.

Until the weekend,

Happy training!

T :)

Karma yoga

Last week I started doing Karma yogi work at my yoga studio. I basically do cleaning and any odd jobs for 45 minutes each time and in exchange I get an hour yoga class. I started doing this as I wasn't getting to yoga because of work and was shelling out $30 each week for membership. Now I'm working twice a week at the studio and getting in 2 yoga sessions. Evidently I value my time more than I do money!

Today I did my second yoga class this week and really enjoyed it. I am starting back with running tomorrow, so it has been great to do something different beforehand and just enjoy training rather than feel I have to do it. The benefits of yoga are clear to me as I work on the tight areas of my hips in class. This helps balance out my running and ensure I don't get any knee or back issues from the mileage I'm going to undertake.

As my week officially begins tomorrow I am off running early in the morning before I do 2 hours of concreting and then a days work at Apple. This will be my tactic for training going forward as I am definitely too lazy to run after work in the evenings! As I still have a cough after ten days I'm going to try a 10k just to ease back into it.

I'll let you know how I go.

Tom :)

Day One - back to training

So the struggle has begun. Catherine and I went to the gym this morning to clear the cobwebs out of our lungs. I hadn't trained in a week, so I was expecting it to be a bit hard on the breathing, boy was I in for a surprise. It wasn't a little hard to breathe, it was painfully hard. The kind of burning pain you experience when you do sprint training in rugby or football or during PE at school when you were a kid. Or when you are recovering from illness and haven't done anything in a week, lazy!

Our workout began with a ten minute warm up on the spin bike, followed by ten minutes of fairly straight forward intervals. Now these intervals weren't Tour de France speed intervals, but more post man pedaling up a steep hill intervals and I was dying. My chest was burning and I felt like I was breathing through a straw (I wasn't), but I guess I had to start somewhere. The annoying thing through this session was that Catherine was uber sprightly and keen, having been ill and weak the day before. I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from the human Duracell bunny, she loves to train!

After the "casual" warm-up and intervals on the bike we decided to do a little strength training. Not wanting to strain Catherine too much I suggested we keep things simple and do three rounds of four exercises. The round went like this:

1. 45 secs of squat and press
2. 45 secs of pull-ups
3. 45 secs of push-ups
4. 45 secs of bent over row

After each round the time was reduced by 15 seconds, again this was to accommodate Catherine who had been sick the day before (I'm all heart).

The results of above workout were as follows:

1. I became more out of breath than a fat man chasing an ice cream van
2. After the second exercise of the second round I thought I was going to barf and had to rush off to the toilet
3. On returning to the gym (where Catherine was continuing said training) I had to sit down and have a "breather"
4. I stopped my training at this point, before someone died.

So my thanks go out to Catherine for thoroughly destroying me on my first session back. I hope that my cobwebs have been thoroughly blown away. After this training session I can confidently say that the "little one" is no longer sick and has some sort of super human powers. Dammit.

Tom :)

Getting back into it

It's been awhile, but in my absence from writing my running blog it has been a busy old time. Having run a PB of 1:31 at Gold Coast my goal of a sub-3:30 marathon at Melbourne in October looked ever more likely. However the last two weeks have seen training take a back seat to work and illness.

I finished a 7 day work week last Monday and felt relieved and grateful for a couple of days off. Of course as soon as I relaxed I got ill. The worry from work had obviously got me a little more stressed than I thought and as soon as I told myself not to worry and relax I began coughing. Now a week later having not trained at all, eaten a lot of sweet treats and missed out on City to Surf I am ready to get back to it. I just have to shift this cough out with a little trot tomorrow!

Catherine ran a PB at Gold Coast marathon too with a time of 3:51. I think she did really well considering how hot it was that morning. She is now ill too (obviously) and is just wanting to get back to running. She has no immediate plans for another race, but I think she will do well to focus on speed in shorter distance races and help her marathon times next year. If I hate being off ill it is ten times worse for Catherine. A day off training is hell for her!

I should probably get myself entered for Melbourne and I'll layout my training plan for each week on a blog update soon. That way I can keep myself accountable.

Until then,

Happy training.

Tom :)

Back in the mix

I have been absent from my blog for awhile now. Since running Newcastle marathon in April I have been consumed by two new jobs, volunteer work and of course training.

For those of you that don't know already I ran 3:36 at Newcastle marathon taking 14 minutes of my previous best at Sydney Blackmores last year. Naturally I was chuffed with my performance and thoroughly enjoyed the race, mainly because I had trained for it this time!

Post marathon I was a little down in the dumps. Having achieved what I set out to do I had no other events booked in to focus on. This left me a little deflated and unsure what I was doing. Needless to say I had a stern word with myself (see my previous post) and booked in for Gold Coast half marathon in July. This event is to improve my speed for the marathon and not a change of event. Although I am aiming for a new PB of 1:35 at GC it is merely to improve my speed stamina for Melbourne marathon in October, where I aim to run 3:30. Six minutes quicker may not sound like a lot, but I can tell you it will be a challenge.

I was hoping to get a trail race or two in this winter in order to enjoy a run in the woods and to mix training up. But because of my work requirements at my new job at the Apple store in Bondi I can't commit to a race until I know my schedule. Fortunately my managers are accommodating of my running and because I told them well in advance I have got the all clear for both Gold Coast and Melbourne. I will have to do a last minute entry when I know what my schedule looks like!

There's not much else to report regarding training. I did manage to pick up a new pair of Altra running shoes when I was at the Sydney half marathon expo earlier in the month. It was a great result as I saved $60 and got the new edition of my running shoes. So I am already setup for Melbourne with a pair of blue Altras to run out in. Check out Altras on Google if you have wide feet like me and enjoy a minimal running shoe.

Until next week,

Happy training!

Tom :)

The anti-climax

How do you overcome an anti-climax?
 
Having run a personal best time of 3:36 at Newcastle (Aus) marathon a few weeks ago I found myself in a strange position. I completed what I set out to do at the beginning of the year, but was left feeling depressed. There was no fanfare at the end of my marathon finish (not that there usually is), just a heavy downpour and a few beleaguered supporters. I even had to queue at a tent in order to collect my finishers medal from a box labelled "marathon" and then remove it from its plastic wrapper in order to congratulate myself. It was the epitome of an anti-climax.

You see the trouble with a goal is that you need to line up a whole year of them in varying sizes in order to keep motivated and progressing. Otherwise you question why you run at all and that is a dark place for anyone not just a mad runner! Strangely with the Newcastle marathon the enjoyment came from the strain and pain of the run and not the end result, the success. Perhaps the yoga that I have done has finally paid off, because being "present" is a huge part of yoga practice. For once I have vivid memory recall of the marathon run, how it felt and how I was enjoying it and despising it in equal amounts. The result that I had worked so hard for in training has suddenly been made inconsequential. So why bother at all?

Well there is a question and not an easy one for anyone to answer. But I will say that for me personally goal setting and organisation has become the most important tool in my life to avoid stagnation, depression and melancholic states of mind. There are times when I am sad to say that life seems boring. Don't get me wrong, I am very fortunate to have the life I have, I am grateful for that every day. But that doesn't stop me as a human being wanting to do more. I have always seeked change and variety because it offers excitement and stimulation of the mind, body and soul. It is the reason I have had many jobs, travelled to different places and the reason I run. Running takes me to the places I don't always reach in life. It empowers me to strive for more in work, in giving and helping. If I know that I can achieve it in running then it tells me I can achieve anything I put my mind to in life.

In two short paragraphs I have managed to answer my own questions (the joy of writing). So what can you or I do to avoid feeling depressed/de-motivated? Well here's some suggestions which can apply to all of life, not just running.

1) Set goals. You need to know where you want to go and write out a plan. It can be simple, but the more detailed you are the easier it will be to recognise how to get there and when you have achieved your goal. I have numerous goals, so I start at the main one for the year (running a marathon pb) and work back from there with short and mid term goals.

2) Book events. Part of a concrete plan should include races both small and large. Not only do they make life interesting, but they prepare you for race day and put the fun back into training. Whether it's a 10km trail run or a road half marathon, just make sure you select a few, pay for them and then put them in your diary. It will keep you focused throughout the year.

3) Variety. It is the spice of life don't you know! I am going to get into trail runs over the winter season to mix things up for my body and keep the enjoyment levels up. It will also help prevent overuse injuries by strengthening weak areas such as the core and lower limb muscles.

4) Change. As with variety it is important to welcome change. I am changing my focus to the half marathon distance for my next big race at Gold Coast in July. This is in order to reduce the volume of miles on my legs and focus on speedwork, core and flexibility instead. This will help in the long term of running a pb at Melbourne marathon in November.

5) Cycle, swim, have fun! Running is a huge part of my life. For some it is there lives. I advise everyone to take a break from it and do something different and leave your serious head at home. Forget the GPS watch or the heart rate monitor. Leave the lycras and skins at home. Just relax a little and enjoy doing something new and different. 2-4 weeks without running won't kill you, if you try a new activity it will most likely help you to rest your body's systems and come back with renewed passion and energy. Nobody and I mean nobody can go 100% forever. At some point it will come back to bite you.

Having written all this out I have taken my own advice and booked myself in for some ten km races, the GC half and the Melbourne marathon. Thus ensuring that I avoid depression. Will you do the same?

Until next week,

happy training,

Tom :)

2)

Newcastle marathon result!

Hello everybody.

It is the day after the Newcastle marathon (in Australia not England) and I am happy to say it was a success! I ran a personal best time of 3:36 (previously 3:50 from Sydney last year) and Catherine ran 4:01. Catherine struggled from half way, but stuck with it, stayed strong and finished in a very respectable time. Now is the time for us to reflect and work out how we can improve for the next marathon. For Catherine this will be in July at the Gold Coast marathon and for me it will be in Melbourne in October.


Overall I enjoyed the Newcastle marathon experience and I think bar a few teething problems it will improve and provide a great marathon course. There were plenty of marshals to point out where to go and as the first marathon there in roughly 25 years I think the organisers should be proud. I'd like to say thank you to the organisers, the marshalls and the volunteers that gave up their time. I know how much hard work goes into these events and if you weren't prepared to put up with us then I'd have to run marathons alone!
 No doubt they will receive some moaning and bitching from the marathon crew. Most likely it will be because of the following. The downsides for me were the number of runners on Nobby's breakwall, the number of out and backs and the slightly confusing nature of one point of the course.

There were roughly 3,500 people there for the whole running festival across a variety of distances. I had not paid any attention to where the 10km and half marathon courses were running to. In my self absorbed marathon brain I had assumed (wrongly) that Nobby's 2km breakwall would be a desolate land, devoid of any runners. Instead it was a moving car park of runners. I am not sure if the 10km and half marathon were both on the breakwall, but it felt like they were all there at the same time. This worked two ways, good and bad. I found it good in that I was expecting to be on my own, so I now had people to zone in on and was distracted from any pain by the need to overtake all manner of runners and walkers. The bad side was that I now had to overtake all manner of runners and walkers. Once again if you haven't run a marathon then you would consider the simple task of overtaking someone whilst running a piece of cake. Well it is not. You have to judge your own speed, the speed of those you are overtaking and look for a gap in the oncoming runners. You also have to factor in the potential for someone to move sideways or stick an arm out to point something out to the friend they are running with. All of this is taking place whilst running 35-40km of a 42km. A point at which you are not in the prime of physical and mental shape and are either just holding it all together or mildly psychotic with the pain and about to kill.

There were numerous out and backs on the course, probably the most I have ever done in a marathon. I think they totalled over 10. Again this can be good because at least you know how much you have run out and what is coming up. It is bad in that you know what is coming up, it literally works both ways in your mind at different points of the marathon.

I need to look up what km marker it was, but there was a marshal directing people either left or right at an intersection depending on the number of times they had run to that point. We ran over a bridge and round to the right to run under said bridge and do an out and back. On running back we passed where we had come in on our left and ran down to an aid station to another out and back. On the way back from out and back 2 (OB2) we reached the above marshal who asked how many times we had been there. We said "first time", "ok turn right" he said. We turned right and ran along the dual carriageway to OB3. Running back the local copper was tailing us and told us to just jump in. The three of us that were running together were sorely tempted! On our return to the marshal we turned left and headed back to OB2, which was now OB4 and the aid station down the end. We then ran back to the marshall who did the same question again, this time directing us left to OB5. On our return from OB5 we then made a left and ran back over the bridge we had originally run across. I haven't actually counted this in my total estimate of 10 out and backs.

Are you confused yet?

The reason this can be tricky is the simple medical term (my medical term, not an actual medical term) "marathon mode". When runners get into the "zone" or "marathon mode" they are so focused that even basic commands are hard to listen or respond to. This can often be confused with the "tired and confused mode", but they are completely different. It takes an expert to notice the subtle differences in the two. A simple solution for next time would be to have a sign much like the one used at the entrance and exit of Nobby's breakwall. This sign simply had two arrows on it. The left arrow pointed to 36km and the right arrow to 41km. So you knew when you came off the breakwall the first time that you have to go left and the second time you ran off the breakwall you went right and to the delights of the finish. They should keep the marshall there, but ultimately runners in "marathon mode" can read and process quicker than they can listen, process and then find suitable words to respond with.

This all may sound a little pedantic, but I have learnt over the years that when you run a marathon you don't want ANY little thing to upset the months of hard work you put into training. I found a tiny stone in my shoe at the race start and took the time to remove it, check for it's friends and then relace my shoe, about 30 seconds before the start. It matters a lot!

Any how that enough from me for now. We are flying to the UK tomorrow and I hope that both of us are still feeling as good in the legs and body tomorrow as we have done today. We will be resting for a week before resuming training, but I will do a podcast interview with Catherine from the UK and let you know about the fun we have on holiday!

Until then, happy training!

Tom :)

P.S please check out the interview with my friend Andrew Van Der Saag from Achilles Sydney. He is running Canberra this coming weekend, so I hope to report on his first marathon outing the week after. 

The mystical land of goal setting

This week I hope to shed a small shaft of light onto the basics of setting goals in your training and how it can help you to avoid disaster.

In the beginning...
 
Goal setting for runners is experience specific. When you start running your first goal setting may go something like this, "Rob and Sam have just run New York marathon under 4 hours, they are 35! I'm going to run a marathon, I've wanted to tick that off my list." Often these words are uttered by males and females between 25 and 35 years old. This is because many of us are ultra competitive during these years. We may have moved away from excessive weekends of binge drinking and have a slight paunch or "kanga" pouch that we wish we could get rid of. We may also have not yet "tripped" our sensible switch, (which older/experienced runners use regularly), preventing us from voicing crazed ideas as damaging as running a marathon, cycling holidays in the Pyrenees and bungee jumping. Luckily (or unluckily) for some this trip switch never works, hence why 40+ year olds run marathons, jump out of planes and wear lycra in bright colours.

Once we utter the words "I am going to run a marathon" we lay down a marker by which our friends and family will judge us. They may say supportive things such as "why?" or "running is bad for your knees" whilst all the while wishing that they were taking up the challenge. Many will tell you that it is ok if you don't make it, but really it is a right of passage. Once you say those words you are committing yourself to a mission of strain, pain and suffering, and that's just the good part. We often set ourselves ridiculous goals, which stem from a variety of sources from dreams to bets on drunken nights out. Nothing is easy when this is the start of our goal setting, but we can make it a lot easier by working backwards from our ultimate challenge.

Old father time
 
As we get older, more experienced or just more sensible we begin to set goals. In running this would sound like, "I'd like to run Berlin marathon this year in 4 hours. How many weeks do I need to train for? What plan should I follow? Are plimsols suitable to run in?" We may then plan additional races (keenos) to get "race ready" and practice drinking from plastic cups whilst running 13kph. This is the fun side of running. As we develop our experience level we start showing off by adding speedwork and tempo sessions to our training. We talk about anaerobic threshold as though its common parlance and believe electrolyte gels will vastly improve our performance. Our advanced experience level means that when we buy our ludicrously expensive running shoes we now know why we need them and what overpronation actually is. Ultimately as our experience grows we get more specific and realistic with our running and goal setting.

Run sloth run!

I began running during my education as a personal trainer ten years ago. Back then I ran after an odd shaped ball. Yes, I was an egg chaser and I had no idea of pace setting. During my first month of training I dragged myself out of bed and ran with a triathlete friend. I progressed quickly, not because of my natural athletic ability (of which I lack), but because of pure stubborness. This was a gift I inherited in my genes from my Dad, of which I am forever grateful. I went out running 3-4 times a week and hit the gym for the same whilst learning about the muscles I was training. Ironically I was studying the sport injuries section of my course when after 4 weeks of pounding the streets I injured myself. I had run too much too quickly and was suffering from compartment sydnrome. The treatment? REST. That was running over for a little while. But I had the bug.
Had I  set a goal of any sort when I began? No. What had been the outcome for my eagerness and energy? Injury. Did I learn a lesson on goal setting? Sort of. It took a brutal half marathon experience and several marathons to learn how to do it properly. Let's make sure you don't make the same mistakes.


Setting up to succeed

If like many of the aforementioned runners (myself included) you chose a huge goal such as running a marathon, then you need to work backwards. Your long term goal is to run the marathon. You may need to more specific depending on your experience level. For beginners just finishing the marathon is a great achievement. For the more experienced runner it will be a time specific goal, such as finishing in 3 hours 45 minutes.

I would look to use good old fashioned SMART to set out your goals. Literally write them down. When you make that commitment you will start the process of success at your chosen goal. You are actualising on paper what you have in your mind.

Let us imagine that I my mate Barry is a 27 year old male in average shape. He goes to the gym three times a week, but hasn't run consistently since he was at school. He is not vastly overweight and is in good health. He foolishly made a bet with our mates at the pub that he'll run a marathon in 4 hours.

S - Specific - "I want to run" isn't specific enough. "I want to run 26.2 miles in 4 hours" is perfect. It lays out what your end goal is and allows less wriggle room.
M - Measurable - The above goal is measurable. He bet his mates that he will run 26.2 miles in 4 hours. Time and distance, perfect for measuring.
A - Achievable - Ok he was drunk when he made this bet. He hasn't run regularly in at least 10 years (other than for the bus). It could be achievable, if he commits to regular training of 4-5 times running a week.
R- Realistic - As I mentioned alcohol may have skewed Barry's judgement. Perhaps 4.5 hours is more realistic.
T - Time framed - He hasn't said when he will do it. But a year is a perfectly long enough period of time in which to build up gradually to a marathon from beginner status.

This is just for the long term goal. Now that we have a revised goal of Barry running 26.2 miles in 4.5 hours in one year I can work back from there to plan medium and then short term goals for him.

With the long term goal in a years time I would set the medium term goal for 6-8 months time.

I would like Barry to get an experience of running a few races before his big marathon effort. So one of his medium term goals will be a half marathon. Using our SMART tool lets say he should run a half marathon race in 7 months in a time of 2 hours. I also want to ensure he builds up to regular running, so lets say he should be running 5 times a week in 6 months and be able to run at least 3 of those runs for an hour each time. He should be able to run for 90 minutes in one run of the week at this point.

That gives him 6 months to build up his running gradually and progressively increasing his distance, whilst allowing plenty of time for recovery weeks. His short term goals need to be small, achievable and simple. Let us say he should be running 3 times a week for 30 minutes a run by week four. He can run and walk but he has to commit to consistently going out for 30 minutes total time per session. Perfectly achievable as he already goes to the gym for an hour three times a week. By week 8 he should be able to run 30-45 minutes a session for 4 times a week. Again he can run walk these sessions.I will also set a goal of running a 10km event under 75 minutes by week 12.

From there I would have Barry follow a half marathon specific program for 3-4 months and then a marathon specific program for the last 4 months of his year build up. The groundwork at the start and gradual nature of the goal setting allows him plenty of time so that he does't overtrain. It is also beneficial if he gets injured or ill as there is plenty of time to recover and still complete his ultimate goal.

So you can see that it takes a fair bit of planning, but it's not really rocket science! If you follow SMART and write out your goals you can actually question your ideas. It may be beneficial to have a friend ask the questions, you may be more honest with them than yourself. You can use SMART for any goal setting, I've used the marathon as the goal distance. But if you want to run 5, 10km or a half marathon then the process is the same. Set a goal and work backwards. Ultimately you will only let yourself down if you don't plan realistic goals, so take the time to do it now and you will reap the benefits down the line. Like the marathon, setting goals is a process of many small steps. Just be sure to plan them and not do it on the fly!

Until next time.

Happy training,

Tom :)

Brian O'Dea interview

This week I caught up with Brian O'Dea from Achilles run club Sydney to talk about running.

Brian wasn't too keen to be recorded for the podcast, but I hope to persuade him for a follow up interview later in the year.

I have been volunteering at Achilles for about a year and have met a lot of fantastic people there. Brian is one of the key organisers. With his commitment and support the club thrives. There are many others from Achilles that are worthy of this praise (and more). I hope to interview them over the coming weeks.

I would like to show you all how amazing Achilles is and hopefully encourage you to help out in your own community. Achilles is a worldwide organisation, so Google it now and see where you can volunteer.

To the interview....

1.      How long have you been running for?

I used to run cross-country at school. Then I went to sea for 13 years. If I ran during that time, it was in circumstances best not described here.

2.      What got you into running?

We were living in NZ and I was playing in a social-grade soccer team. Most of the training was done in the pub. I realised that I was becoming very unfit by “exercising”. I started running on my own then joined a local running club, Olympic Harriers in Wellington.

3.      What is your preferred race distance?

Half Marathon or 10K, though I have enjoyed most of the 11 marathons I have done.

4.      What's your favourite race memory?

Boston 2010 – a “bucket list” item.

5.      What was your worst running experience?

A Wang Marathon in Sydney in the 80’s. I had been aiming for a sub-3 hour finish. With about 10K to go, the wheels fell off. As I was trudging along feeling wretched, a little old man jumped out in front of me and yelled encouragement along the lines of “Don’t quit! Keep going!” In what was meant to be a stage-whisper, I suggested that he “f*ck off!’ Unfortunately, he heard it, as did about 30 spectators. They started to jeer me and I shuffled a bit faster so that I could round the next corner and leave them behind. Since then, whenever I have struggled in a race, I have remained polite.

6.      Do you have a favourite training run? Tell us about what makes it special.

This is a difficult one. I have lived and run in Australia, NZ and the USA and I have regional favourites. There are common features: scenic, challenging and in good company. Runners can be amusing buggers on a long run.

7.      What are you currently training for?

I am sidelined, having just had an arthroscopy. I was training for the Berlin Marathon in September and have not ruled it out.

8. What is your target for the race?

Now it will be simply to finish under 4 hours.

8.      Do you take any nutrition such as gels, sports drinks or water when you run? If so what do you use and why?

In runs under two hours, I will just drink water – and only when I am thirsty. For longer runs, I will carry a couple of sachets of GU “just in case”. I do take electrolyte drinks in races longer than 10K. In training, I like to condition the body to go without electrolyte drinks or gels when I can. In longer races I do appreciate the lift that they give in the second half of the race.

9.      What shoes are you running in?

In the earlier years, I tended to use Lydiard [an NZ-made shoe no longer available], Brooks and New Balance. I later switched to Asics but they kept changing the design. Now I run in the lighter Adidas range. They are good value and comfortable.

10.  What advice would you give new runners?

Apart from the obvious ”enjoy your running,” I would urge the new runner to set medium and long-term running goals and build up to them sensibly. Setting a single-race goal will often leave the new runner feeling “flat” after he/she achieves it. If the runner likes to read a lot, I would encourage the building of a running library. There is much to learn and enjoy in the pages of running literature. If running becomes part of your lifestyle, it can enrich your life beyond the obvious health benefits. I have been lucky enough to run in about 20 countries and now have a collection of quirky, amusing d exhilarating memories.

11.  Is there a race you've always wanted to do?

The Boston Marathon was always my goal. I am also in awe of those who have run Comrades and The Six-Foot Track.

13. If you had a million dollars to be able to train like an athlete, eat like a God and receive all the support you needed for a once in a lifetime event, what would it be and what time would you expect to run?

With my knee injury, I would still take your million dollars and do the Marathon du Medoc. Once there, I would talk like an athlete and drink like a God [Bacchus].

Thank you Brian! Its great to hear about runner's stories and what each individual does. I look forward to hearing good news on Brian's knee and the Berlin marathon later in the year.

This week's podcast is just a short update on our training for Newcastle marathon. Next week I will have an interview with Andrew Van Der Saag from Achilles Sydney. We have been running a few of our long runs together as he aims for his first marathon at Canberra this year.

Until next week,

Happy training!

Tom : )

Podcast interviews

Just a short update. I hope to have some interesting and exciting interviews for you in the weeks ahead. I hope to interview two legends of running and an upcoming star of the Achilles running club.

Don't forget to send me you topic suggestions at Tom Alfry

Injury and the comeback

This week I spoke with my fiancee about injury and how she has overcome injury to return stronger to her running. You can hear the interview on the media player on the right of this post.

To accompany that interview I thought it would be useful to give some tips for any runners suffering with injury. Whether it is blisters of a strained muscle the quicker you attend the problem the sooner you can return to full training.

R.I.C.E

We all may have learnt the basics of first aid when we played sport as a kid. My experience came from playing rugby and learning the benefit of ice and elevation when we took a big knock. For those that don't know it stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. It is not advised to do all four as this can severely reduce the blood flow to the affected area. The goal is to reduce the amount of swelling that the body naturally produces at the injury site. By reducing the swelling and inflammation the body can still perform its repair process, but will also mean that recovery time is reduced as mobility is maintained around the injury. I always have an ice pack in the freezer in case of injury.

Visit a specialist

Doctors know a lot about medicine. But they don't know everything about sports injuries. Otherwise why would we need sport physios or sport massage therapists? My advice for any injury is to follow R.I.C.E and then seek the most suitable specialist for your injury. It's common sense. If your break your leg whilst out running, you go straight to Emergency. If you are performing a speed session and you feel a sharp strain in a muscle then you follow R.I.C.E and then visit a sports physio or sports massage therapist. There may be times when you are unsure on what to do. Always err on the side of caution and visit the doctor first. Once they have given you the all clear on broken bones and serious medical issues, then you can book into a sport physio. The importance of getting to see a specialist within the first week of an injury can't be exaggerated enough. The quicker you are assessed and treated, the less time you spend away from running and the quicker you can work on mobility, flexibility and strengthening before returning to full training. The added benefit of a specialist is that they can give you a program of exercises or activities to speed your recovery. If they are decent then they should take into account your mental wellbeing. If you are a super keen runner and can't run for four weeks then you will need assurances via a plan of rehabilitation that all will be ok and that you have the best information to keep you focused and positive.

Make a plan

As I said above a good sports physio should give you advice or a plan of rehab to help you through your injury. If however your injury is something smaller such as blisters, chafing or over training (technically not an injury) then you will have to make a plan yourself and act to prevent an injury. On this week's podcast Catherine talks about how she took a week off running because of her blisters from Coastrek. She substituted running for activities that didn't cause further damage to her blisters, whilst allowing them the time they needed for the new skin to toughen. She was quite low in her mood, but because she could still cycle and do yoga she kept some positivity and maintained her fitness. If anything it has helped to freshen her legs before this weekend's 32km long run!
Depending on the injury process you may want to try other activities. Use your time away from running to try out low impact sports such as cycling and swimming. Perhaps even switch to kayaking or a completely different activity to keep you positive and stop you going mad!
There is plenty of advice online from runners that have experience with the insidious things like blisters, chafing etc. It is worth reading over as the small things can become worse if they are not given the adequate time to repair.

Remember why you run

Whether you run competitively or run for enjoyment it is always worth reminding yourself what you are running for. What is your motivation? Is it a 10km personal best or do you just run every other day to relieve stress? Now consider how you'd feel if you couldn't run at all. With that in mind you can help yourself to focus on the long game and not just the immediate moment in time. A small injury might slow you down in the short term and not seem significant enough to warrant rest or attention. But without that attention it could develop into something more serious that prevents you from running altogether. Like the cars we drive and bikes we ride we too need a little service and repair to keep us doing the thing we love.

Ease back in

When you do get back to full strength from injury don't beast yourself! Remember that you may have lost some strength and fitness and your body will need time to get back to your previous fitness level. However if you do this right you may well find that you are stronger because of a good rehab program. I would look to do some manageable distances and small races for fun. Just enjoy being able to run whilst you are building back up towards race fitness.


There are many running forums and blogs where you can meet other runners. Twitter is an excellent way to meet other runners that will have experienced a variety of injuries and thus be able to offer advice. More importantly these runners will be able to offer support to keep you positive through the injury process. Sites like Runner's World or Running Bug are two great places to visit.

Until next week, stay healthy,

Tom :)

Running, running, running!

I've just posted an update on my blog Tomthesloth about the running and trekking I have been doing with Catherine over the last two weekends. But today's post is a little update on my own training for Newcastle marathon on April 6th.

After completing Coastrek on Friday night with team Achilles Cake Walkers 35 we had 3 hours sleep on Saturday morning when we returned home. We chose not to sleep longer so as to make sure we got a regular sleep on Saturday evening. But it felt like I had jetlag for most of the day as my body came to terms with being up all night trekking! However we had a great day of relaxing with our friend Caitlin and eating like machines!

For me the rest was a necessity because on Sunday morning I got up at 6am to head into the city and run with my Achilles friend Andrew. I woke and felt pretty good in my legs after a restorative sleep, so I was confident that the run would go well. However you never know on an 18 mile run how your body will respond. Some days you feel great and have a terrible run and other days when you expect little your body can produce near miracle performances. Fortunately Sunday was one of the latter days and I ended up running quicker than the target pace for the run. The only difficulty was running up hills where I felt as though I had no "oomph", no fast gears to change into. For me a hill is a chance to push and power up the slope, but on this occasion I truly felt like a sloth as I lolloped upwards, just managing to keep my breathing under control as I reached each summit. I also found it difficult to talk throughout the whole run (I know it's shocking, but there is something that works!) despite running at a pace that would normally be very comfortable. None of this was surprising but was a useful guide for future run training.

After a day's rest on Monday I was back into training on Tuesday with speed work again. I had a "lovely" session of 3 mile (1600m) intervals with a target of 6:49 for each one. It was a great run in Centennial Park in the late afternoon, with a cool breeze providing a little respite from the warmth. Having run the 18 miler on Sunday I wasn't sure how my body would go, but with a little self talk beforehand I took on the task and surprised myself. I ran 6:47, 6:40 and 6:42 without any muscles cramping, so it was a good day!

Today I managed to hit the gym for an hour cycle on the spin bike. This was always part of my original marathon plan; to cross train between run sessions, but I haven't been as regular as planned. Never the less I felt pretty strong on the bike and it was enjoyable to forget running and focus on a different activity for a change.

Ultimately all of the training I get under my belt helps to build my confidence in my fitness to run a PB on April 6th. But if I have a crap session I will still let you know about that!

Next week I will have a new post about training when injured, hopefully with an interview from my very own fiancee Catherine!

Until then,

Happy training!

Tom :)

Run Forest! Run!

Speed work, intervals, sprints. Whatever your name for them may be we often despise running fast. Perhaps it's because it is hard work. Or we relish the steady monotonous pace of a longer run where we can think. Whatever the reason for hating these sessions there is no doubt that they are effective.

I love speed work. There I've said it. I am a self confessed speed-aholic. I know that's not a proper word, but my research team have been too busy running repeats to look up the scientific term. For me personally speed work is linked to play, it's much like being a child again and running very fast for a short time for no particular reason. Speed work is the adult version of running like a 6 year old. It's organised and has a purpose, but ultimately it still comes down to running your socks off for a short period of time.

So we all have a good idea of why we don't like speed sessions. But do we know what the benefits are of running them? Well here's a short list of what you could be missing out on:

1. Improved endurance
2. Improved efficiency in stride and arm movement
3. Increased tolerance for physical and mental discomfort. 
4. Greater calorie expenditure
5. Looking like you know what you are doing

"Wow!" you think, I would like some of those benefits. Maybe I have been doing these "intervals" all wrong. How should I be doing it?

Well let me guide you with a few simple lessons.

Lesson one

Don't try and kill yourself in the first two intervals/repeats. Speed work is about running quality repetitions of speed, not going as fast as possible for two reps and then failing the other four because you vomit your breakfast everywhere. If that's what you want then go and do some HITT workouts.

Start simple and try this:

Warm up jog: ten minutes of light jogging to the point of a little sweat on the forehead.

Main sessions: 6 x 20 seconds at a pace around a fast run. Not a sprint, but where you can only speak a few words if running with a friend.

Take 60s walk recovery between intervals to get breath back. Jog lightly for last 15 seconds so that you can accelerate from a rolling start into the speed interval.

Cool down: 5 minute jog, then a 5 minute walk. Light easy stretches for all major muscle groups, holding each stretch for 15-20 seconds each.

NOTE: If you have any heart, lung conditions, have had major surgery in the last 5 years of are recovering from injury, please speak with your doctor/specialist/physio before beginning a speed work program.

Speed work need only be run once a week. Any more will affect quality as it is a high intensity activity that places a lot more strain on your body than a regular easy run. I would aim to do between 5 and 10 repetitions, any more than that and you could be compromising quality and risking injury.

If you are more experienced with running then there are a huge number of different sessions you can do. If you listen to the accompanying speed work podcast you can hear one of the FIRST sessions I do from the Firmin University in the states. Just google FIRST program and follow the 2005 Runners World article link to read more. I personally enjoy Fartlek training and Yasso 800s. Google them and read the detail before trying them out. Well worth a go to advance you through any training plateaus.

A great way of keeping quality is to monitor your interval times. Use your first interval as a baseline for the rest. For example you run your first 400m interval in 2:00. Thereafter you should not run slower than 4 seconds on your first time. So if you run your following intervals in 2:02, 2:01, 2:03 and 2:07 you would stop after the 2:07 interval as it is a good indicator that you've reached your max for that session.

Lesson Two

Just once a week.

Whether you are new or have been running for years there is no need to run more than one speed session a week. You want to be fresh and have a great quality speed work session. Overtraining or injury is more likely with too much speed training.

 On speed days I often feel a little lazy because I am only running for 30 or 40 minutes. For some there may be a temptation to run more. In this area more is not better. If you feel like you need to do more on speed work days then combine complimentary activities such as yoga, swimming or an easy cycle. Forget your boxing class, crossfit session or spin classes on speed training days.

Lesson Three

Enjoy running!

Everyone gets a bit serious after they've been running for some time. They soon focus on distance, speed and personal bests, forsaking the fun and enjoyment that running can bring. Speed sessions allow you a shorter session (all be it harder) where you can run like a kid again and have some healthy competition against friends. Pick a park, somewhere in nature and enjoy running like a kid for 30 minutes!

Until next time,

happy training!

Tom

Welcome to the jungle!

Gidday from Australia!

Welcome to Run Sloth Run and the writings of Tom Alfry, sloth extraordinaire. I have been sporadically writing a blog at www.tomalfry.blogspot.com for over and felt it was time to set up this blog in order to talk solely about running.

Each week I will post a random amount of times and talk about subjects as far reaching as visits from the ginger bread man to the complexities of running an ultra marathon in minimalist footwear. Topics will include sports nutrition, running for beginners, women's running, marathon training and much more. So please feel free to leave your comments, minus swear words and contact me if you have any topics for discussion on the Run Sloth Run podcast.

The first podcast is available below and is exactly 24 minutes of awesome chat (I am self promoting here), so download, listen and let me know what you think of my ramblings. It's my first one, so don't expect it to blow your socks off. That will come in episode 29.

Happy running!

Tom