Firstly this is my 50th written blog and I’ve surprised myself with my consistency, even if some of the content is a bit rubbish. So here’s to the next 50!

Today’s topic is a little left field. Barefoot running. Having raised two children who loved Lego I feel I have undertaken some training for this but I thought I’d better research a bit more before taking the plunge.

In the era of max cushioning shoes am I looking in the wrong place for my next level improvement? Maybe, maybe not.

Having googled barefoot running I was already aware of Christopher McDougall and his book Born to Run, and his story of the Mexican ultramarathon tribe – the Tarahumara’s.

Next up was some research on how barefoot running may lead to fewer injuries. But once you read the finer points barefoot runners tended to run less so by default may get injured less. However, the research did throw up some interesting points about how barefoot running can change your running gait by pushing you more on to your toes more naturally. And we know that less heel-striking is better for the knees.

But like most things the counter to that is that running on your toes too much will increase the risk of calf and Achilles tendon injuries – so maybe the research juries are still out.

Wearing my PT hat, I’ve also been taught that high levels of cushioning in gym shoes is not ideal. Ankle and foot strength is best achieved through minimalist shoes because you will activate a range of muscles that ‘stay asleep’ when wearing super comfy, plush cushioned shoes.

Better ankle and foot strength will help improve your running form. So maybe there is something in running barefoot after all?

And here’s the thing… Most of my athletic heroes of the 70’s and 80’s would not have trained and performed in modern shoes with all the tech advantages that are available today. And they did ok. That’s not to say they wouldn’t have performed even better using the latest next x% or 900mm stack. And it’s not really fair to make inter-generational comparisons so let’s move the conversation on.

Now it’s confession time. I’ve owned a pair of minimalist shoes for about 2 years now. My vivobarefoot shoes weren’t bought as running shoes but I was curious to see what benefits they may bring if I wore them as casual footwear. And I think they have improved certain things.

My balance does seem better (I said better, not best), and when I workout in them I feel more grounded and better able to activate calf and lower leg muscles when squatting, lunging and deadlifting.

But I also exist barefoot in the house more often than not. Minimalist shoes are also too cold for my liking in the depths of winter because you are in much closer contact with the cold pavement, etc, and therefore I only tend to wear them for a few months each year. So it’s hard to know how much of that perceived improvement in strength is down to the shoes or my barefoot lifestyle.

Bottom-line is…. We would all probably benefit from spending a little more time in direct ground contact for both physical, and well-being reasons (there’s a whole host of other research about the impact of going barefoot, being in contact with the earth and how this generates emotional and spiritual well-being).

For now, I’m probably too wimpy to go all out barefoot or even to follow a minimalist footwear-based training regime.

But that guy at Walthamstow parkrun who runs and wins barefoot most weeks leaves me with a nagging curiosity. And I’d be a lot less poor too!

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

I wonder if you’re like me…. You love data but also have a watch or wearable that can do so much more than you can ever track and monitor. I see a lot of you nodding. Cadence is one of those measures – I know what it is but what should I do about it?

If you’ve not come across cadence before the definition is the number of steps you take every minute whilst running (or walking or cycling). And ironically you don’t need a smart watch to work out your cadence at any given pace. Just pick a leg and count your steps on that leg over 60 seconds and then double it – that’s your cadence.

Go count your steps and work it out! But don’t worry there is no right or wrong answer as it’s affected by many things including you age, height and physique.

If you have come across cadence you may have seen lots of references to hitting the magical 180 (no darts puns please). I believe that most of us non-elite runners have a natural running pace (one that we just drop into without thinking) and therefore we will have a natural or normal cadence.

But as non-elite runners why should we care about our cadence?

In essence cadence dictates your ground contact time when running. And the longer the ground contact time the greater the pressure and force on your joints. One simple test of this is to start with a long overstride walking pace and feel the forces on your legs. Now take shorter, snappier strides and the forces should feel less (although you may feel you’re working your cardio harder).

And improving your cadence ie increasing the number of steps you take per minute, will help you improve as a runner on a number of levels.

It will improve your speed – the more steps you take in a minute the more ground you will cover, it will improve your posture (because you won’t be leaning into an overstride), and you will prevent injury (less contact time and less braking effect).

So what should you do to improve your cadence. Here’s some simple tips.

1) Think light and fast.

2) Focus on bringing you feet up rather than placing them down.

3) Count your steps for minute (exactly the same as ‘how to measure’ and for the next minute try and increase this by 5 steps.

4) Try and land your feet under your hips, this will prevent overstriding and help quicker foot turnover.

5) Practice with a metronome app or listening to a beats per minute playlist on things like Spotify. Apparently Rock Lobster by the B52s is perfect if you’re trying to hit 180 bpm 🤣.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

Today the plan was simple. 150 minutes of easy running at 11 minute miles. And the route was planned such it all ended with a rewarding cool down dip in the sea.

And today was a prime example of how plans don’t take into account real life. And that, as an athelete, the true measure of success is not how you nail the good days but how you recover from the bad days – because today was one of those bad days.

No rhyme or no reason physically for that to happen but a lot to do with my current mental state. And in particular how the challenge of marathon training is beginning to make me question my ability and my commitment.

It was a route we’ve run before. It was at a pace that should’ve felt comfortable. And it was the kind of run I would routinely conquer previously ie before my Amsterdam DNF.

But right now something isn’t working, something isn’t clicking and it’s making me begin to feel anxious days ahead of the long, slow easy run.

I’m finding that comparison to previous training blocks is becoming harmful. And not being able to look in the present, and assess what’s happening now without reference back to younger days, faster paces, and triumphs of the past is now holding me back physically as well as mentally.

I know I can be clumsy and I’ve taken a few tumbles in the past. Today’s hurt more than most though because I was trying be be mentally tough, trying to run the current mile and not those that layin front of me.

My fall brought me to a halt and brought me to tears – tears of frustration. It seems all gone for now but has it all gone forever. When will my hard work and consistency begin to show? Are the sacrifices for better nutrition (read that as cutting out the beer) really pay dividends?

On the plus side I carried on and completed another 3 miles but would it have been better to called it a halt at the fall – and reconvene another day for another run.

I feel that pushing on physically is now having a more damaging effect mentally than should be the case. So how do I reset?

And here’s the real frustration because as a coach I can see this in my clients, I can analyse the issues and make recommendations and suggestions to help them reset accordingly.

But I struggle to execute my own advice and this leaves me inviting Imposter Syndrome to mess with my head. How can I be authentic when I can’t listen and act on my own advice?

Wood for the trees. In the thick of it. Too close to be dispassionate. These are phrases I know and understand but I am also a ‘fixer’ by nature – unless it applies to me.

Tomorrow is a rest day. I will pick up my kettlebells and feel the dopamine hit deliver its dose. And for the next few days I will skip through easy 3, easy 4 and easy 5 mile runs. And then come Thursday the anxiety may return.

This time I need to be ready for it and have a stronger, different mindset to cope. Easier said than done.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

Don’t worry I haven’t morphed into Ashes cricket commentary…

It’s Saturday so it’s parkrun day. And quite often if I’m not touristing for a letter or a number challenge we will find ourselves heading to a location to share in someone’s milestone. Today was no exception but it didn’t play out as initially expected. It was so much better than that.

Today was about celebrating birthday’s and we thought we were doing well combining a sixtieth and a seventy-fifth birthday and a potential 250th parkrun milestone (he was injured so that rolls over to next week).

But as soon as we arrived at Bushy Park (the original home of parkrun) we realised we had been topped trumped in spectacular style.

May I introduce you to the Octogenarian Club – a group of runners where the membership requirement is to be on this earth for a minimum of eighty years. I tried to apply for ‘early bird’ membership but was refused 🤣

It soon became apparent this was going to be a big event for this group, especially when they donned their ‘race bibs’ – not the usual entry number, but an indication of their age e.g. 80+ or 90+.

After the initial chuckle of such a spectacle those feelings were soon replaced by a deep sense of humility because we read too much about how society ignores, forgets and fails to value our elders.

Not here because every member of the club came here with a driven sense of purpose – to beat the expectations of society and to prove to themselves that age is just a number.

And this is one of the things that makes parkrun so awesome. This group of intrepid runners were fully embraced, respected and even generated a degree of emotional investment from those around them.

Without sounding superficial or condescending it was such an honour to be part of their day, and walking alongside them as equals – for the next 45 minutes and longer.

I bet many of the O club members are still super competitive, still eagerly await their ‘parkrun ping’ and may have age-grade rivalries, just like the rest of us. And so long may that all continue.

Mainly because I want to be a member of this group in 23 years time. If I make it I will have made so many more memories, so many more friendships (and hopefully completed all my 5K app challenges).

But more importantly I will be able to continue to take responsibility for my well-being in a way that many of my peers will not.

The secret to their success has many elements. And living a Blue Zone style life is part of that I’m sure but I’ll save that for another blog. Instead I’m going to go and look up today’s results for those aged 90+ as I want to start to manage my expectations for the future.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

As we arrive at the last Friday of a June and we reach the half way mark of the year i thought I’d write a little bit about how to increase the fun element in your training.

I find myself having a regular conversation with fellow runners and clients based on the premise that ‘no one makes me do this’. And whilst this is often meant as a tongue in cheek response to a hard run or a hard session it also leaves me thinking about how to make sure I’m able to balance the need to have fun while also doing hard things. Are the two even compatible?

Many of us have fitness goals. And having a goal is often enough motivation to make the difference between going for that run or not. But our goals, whilst vailiant and challenging, shouldn’t be so hard and frightening that they look unachievable.

Now marathons don’t run themselves so plugging into the hard miles, and working your way through 3 or 4 months of consistent routine just has to be done. However, who dictates that you can’t add in some fun, spice things up with a little creativity, and change your focus from focused to frivolous. So may I’m present the Frivolous Fun Fitness Goal (FFFG) – you’re new best friend.

The whole point of a FFFG is that is should be fun to do, but not in a belly laugh kind of way. Instead, it should be something you ‘just do’ because you enjoy it. It doesn’t need a purpose, it doesn’t need a specific outcome., and as long as you enjoy and it involves movement then it can be a FFFG.

And unlike your marathon training plan you can mix it up every daily or weekly with something different. Do 10 squats an hour on the hour during my working day. Run for a mile in a different park for a week. Stand on one leg for a minute on day one and extend that by 10 secs every day. The sillier the better.

And here’s the thing. By setting and achieving FFFGs you WILL be helping yourself work towards that bigger, more purposeful goal because you will be teaching yourself to be consistent and to value the ‘little wins’. The compound interest on FFGs will feel awesome too!

Psychologically, having FFGs will also allow you to focus on success and not failure. It’s too easy to get wrapped up in that run that was to hard or that workout that just sucked. FFGs are the opposite by definition.

Whilst FFGs may feel like a distraction they are actually additive. They are adding something to your fitness journey, not taking something away. And the more joyous your fitness journey can be the more likely you are too succeed.

I’m now off to stand on one leg while the kettle boils. What will be your FFFG today?

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

Apologies to Kool & The Gang for messing with a classic. Apologies to all my regular readers for going a little Southern Cali woo woo…

As some of you will be aware I have been working on myself for 18 months or so to help address my mental fitness (aka mental health). Part of that work has been getting into meditation.

Now I bet you’ve immediately got some very visual images of what you think meditation entails. And you’d be partially right and partially wrong.

In recent days I’ve been looking at how meditation could also bring some goodness into my training too. Now before you ‘swipe’ to another site think about it.

I’ve bet you’ve been on a run where you hit your stride, the run feels effortless and before you are even consciously aware you’ve run further than you planned and feel like you could just keep going. Without realising it you’ve entered a flow state.

And this is the essence of how meditation could help your running. Many of us already run to ‘clear our heads’ so that’s a major benefit of mindful running but meditation could take it further because it helps to remove and manage stress and can make any workout, or run, more effective.

With many of us now embarking on marathon training a daily dose of meditation can help build endurance by teaching the brain to retain focus and to manage the mental stress of undertaking tough training sessions.

We already know the physiological benefits of running with the dopamine hit raising our mood. But if you can’t get out of the door because of anxiety then you won’t feel the benefit. So meditating before a run may help clear out negative thoughts and remove the anxiety that may be holding you back.

The process of meditation helps calm and relax your mind and in turn relaxes your body – an essential marker for effective running. And we know as we fatigue staying relaxed becomes harder.

Meditation uses mantras to help you focus on your own well-being so finding your own mantra may help you power through your long runs. I’m trying to use the mantra ‘your tougher than you think’ when runs get hard and my body / brain is screaming at me to stop.

And to finish where we started i.e in the flow, an approach that includes elements of meditation will allow you to stay focused during your run. It’s easy to find the mind wandering and wondering what’s for tea.

Mid-run meditation sounds hard but in essence it is all about staying in the moment, feeling the rhythm of your breathing, and feeling and sensing contact between the ground and your feet. There you go you’re meditating and you didn’t even realise.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

Not sure if it’s just me but there seems to have been a lot of talk amongst my running tribe about being stuck on the injury bench.

No one likes to be sidelined as that stops us doing what we love the most. And I’m really lucky as I’ve not yet suffered an acute injury that has required me to be off my feet for any length of time. Just a few aches and pains that required a few days to let the inflammation subside.

But for anyone unfortunate enough to be struggling with injury and worrying about what it is going to take to get recover fitness and form it is worth thinking ahead and planning, not just for your physical rehabilitation but also refocusing your mindset to help you recover.

For anyone having to take several weeks off from running the biggest mental barrier is fearing and worrying that you will need to start again, as a newbie. It’s gonna feel hard, you’re gonna feel like you suck and where is the joy in that?

In this situation the best thing you can give yourself is time and patience. There’s no getting away from it but your aerobic gains will have dimished and it will take time to gain it all back.

So here’s a few simple tips to mentally help you whilst your on the physical journey of recovery.

Tip #1 – remember who you are and why you love doing this. It’s all about being in the present and lovin today’s challenge – and not getting too far ahead of yourself.

Tip #2 – just run, but not too fast. Run the mile you’re in and run to time, not pace or distance. Don’t set unrealistic goals based on where you’ve been.

Tip #3 – calibrate your expectations. There is no reason why you can’t come back stronger but that’s probably not tomorrow. Celebrate the small successes and the daily gradual improvements. Over time you’ll surprise yourself how far you’ve come.

Tip #4 – progress will not be linear because life is not linear. Some days you will feel like a world beater and other days you’ll question all the progress you’ve made. And that’s all natural and understandable.

Tip #5 – you will have to put the work in – daily. Fitness and form evaporates all too quickly but hard work will build it back. Be consistent and little and often wins the day.

Follow these simple ‘rules’ and the stress of being benched will be a distant memory. Good luck.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

Aches and pains have influenced today’s blog. Basically a sore back side has reminded me of the importance of working on your glutes to power up your runs.

Why are the glutes so important? The glutes and in particular the gluteus maximus is the largest muscle and strongest muscle that controls hip extension and extends the leg when running, jumping and walking up inclines. The smaller glutes help with stabilising the hips during side to side motion.

Given their important role in the mechanics of running it’s still common for many runners to have weak glutes which means that your running form places an over-reliance on your hamstrings. The glutes get a free ride and ‘switch off’ and go to sleep.

So how do you know if you have weak glutes? Common ‘symptoms’ of weak glutes include lower back pain when lifting heavy objects, sore hamstrings after an extended run, and poor balance as informed by an extended pelvic tilt when standing on one leg, or a ‘drop of the hip’ opposite to the active leg (think left leg moves and right hip drops).

And most common of all is knee pain because weak glutes can place extra stress on the knee, and the IT band.

So given their key role in good form and injury prevention what can be done to focus on the glutes and getting them fired up before key workouts.

The answer is….quite a lot.

Working on your glutes should take two main forms – building stronger glutes through muscle growth, and glute activation by teaching the brain to switch on those key muscles.

A resistant programme to strengthen the glutes should include exercises such as sumo squats, single leg deadlifts, reverse lunges and lateral step ups. Activation exercises include glute kick backs, banded lateral walks, skater squats and leg swings (back and forth as well as side to side).

Work on both elements and your stronger glutes will keep you running faster, for longer, with better form that prevents injury. What’s not to like.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

What better way to start a Monday morning, and a new week, than discussing the benefits of the run commute. He says that slightly tongue in cheek as I’m having another work from home day myself. But at least I have experienced the benefits and the dramas of being a run commuter in a previous working life.

For one thing it creates a warm glow and a big dose of smugness when you do land at your desk (possibly still a little sweaty, office showers are never the best!) and colleagues ask after your well- being. Smashing out 4, 8 or more miles before logging on allows you to lead with a great initial response.

However it also has its downfalls.

I’ve not had a complete wardrobe malfunction, and I’ve never forgotten any trousers but fresh underwear, socks and a shirt have been forgotten routinely. And the beauty of this epic fail is that because the office knew I was a keen runner it never really raised any eyebrows when I wore my finishers tee to a budget meeting 🤣

For me run commuting started as a way to build in some extra miles when training for a marathon. It also naturally leads into days where you’re training your body and mind to run twice in a day.

As a morning person the early ‘to work’ run was never really an issue but the evening ‘run home’ used to really mess with my head and my legs.

It took a while therefore to work through the issues, and after a little experiment I realised I needed a nice afternoon snack (or second lunch) around 4pm. What’s not to like about that.

The covid years brought an end to my time as a run commuter and I now have to travel to The Midlands for work so it’s not a realistic option for now but I will return when the chance offers itself. So while I’m waiting for that opportunity here’s five things I learnt along the way.

1. You have to be organised. See above about clothing fails post run commute. For many this means Monday is a day to set things up for the rest of the week. Think about meetings, think about off site visits, think about mobile tech needs. Get things in the right place on a Monday and then run commute stress free.

2. Failure to plan, as in 1 above, leaves you facing a combined run commute and strength session. I normally hate to run with anything in my person other than essentials such as phone and keys. So running with lots of extra ‘stuff’ because you haven’t planned ahead makes the run commute even more challenging. It also risks you suffering a double hernia as you try to lift your backpack into place.

3. Feel smug as often as you can. My run commute also required a longish tube journey across town ( I’m an amateur run commuter) so this provided another opportunity at both ends of the day to send out a message to fellow travellers “I’m an athelete” – I may not have always looked like one but at least I felt like one.

4. Choose wisely when purchasing a backpack. This is a tricky balance as you need to consider weight against storage capacity. And if you fail to do 1 above running with 2 bags is even worse.

5. Sandwiches are vulnerable during your run commute. No matter how hard you try to fix that filling, the chances it is has dislodged and made a sticky mess in your zip-lock pouch. Trial and error of breakfast and lunch options inevitably led me to Pret A Manger but at least with the money I was saving I could just about justify the expense.

Those tips are designed to make your run commute a positive experience so ditch the train and lace up.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

I’m writing todays blog from a position of privilege. I do own 4 pairs of shoes I use for race day, every day, easy runs and trails.

And I know it’s not possible for everyone to enjoy that luxury.

But if you are considering increasing your quiver of shoes then here’s some things to justify that next purchase.

First up, rotating shoes does help prevent injury (as long as you are rotating between the right kind of shoes e.g neutral for neutral). Each shoe brand makes there shoes slightly differently with varying width, toe box, materials and levels of cushioning.

In turn this means each ride is slightly different and will therefore work the muscles groups of the legs, ankles and feet ever so slightly differently. This increases overall strength in the lower body and contributes to better form and performance.

Different types of shoe are designed for different purposes and therefore choosing a shoe to match your workout is likely to help you achieve the objectives for that run. It’s not essential to have ‘race day’ shoes and everyday shoes and all other types of shoe but it will help you feel focused on the job in hand.

Many experts even suggest it’s best not to wear the same shoes days on end (even if it’s for the same purpose) as that prevents the shoe itself from ‘recovering’

Rotating shoes is also good value for money. I know that sounds bizarre when the suggestion is to head out and buy a second, third or fourth pair of shoes but rotation will mean that shoes do last longer, the cushioning retains a little bounce longer and the role of the shoe will not be overtly compromised as you start to add miles.

Having different shoes to rotate also means that over time you will learn to better understand your own shoe preferences. Do you like a firmer ride? Is weight a major factor? Does a favoured brand keep changing the design and affecting size and fit.

Rotation between different shoes and different brands will help you work your way through this minefield and settle on shoes that work for you.

So this brings me to the question – what about those that find a show they love and buy a second and multiple versions of the same but in different colour ways. Nothing wrong here either. Why fix it if it ain’t broken.

Shoes are an investment and as a runner you need to have complete confidence in getting the support (no pun intended) form your shoe mile after mile, race after race. If your lucky enough to have found that shoe go mad and buy up as many pairs as you can because the next iteration won’t be the same – just ask the marketing departments of the big brands.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al