When discussing training plans with clients the conversation often turns to how to build the weekly parkrun into their schedule. Seems a silly question because a run is a run surely?

Well yes and no. All good training plans should mean that every training run has a purpose – whether it’s an easy run, a faster set of intervals or a strength-focused hills session.

And this is where making your weekly parkrun meaningful, as part of a wider training programme, does require some thought.

Not sure about you but most weeks I head to parkrun with the intention of ‘taking it easy’ and making this one of my easy 3 mile runs. Then I turn up, get caught up in the buzz and then sprint off the line way to fast.

End result is the intensity has been too high for an easy run, and I’ve not really tackled it as an interval session or any other speed session. So it’s become a ‘grey zone’ run with limited purpose.

And on top of that I’ve not rested either and now have to tackle the long slow run with too much ‘pace’ left in my legs.

But there are ways to make sure parkrun can feature AND be a structured part of your training routine. One such way is to build parkrun into a longer run. Plan that longer route so that parkrun features either at the start, finish or mid run.

All three options can work really well and there’s other things you can do to make parkrun interesting too.

For example, with a 3 lap parkrun why not try to make it a progression run by increasing your pace after each lap?

If you’re going to tuck parkrun into the middle of a long run, why not make the 3.1 miles a goal pace segment?

If parkrun comes at the end of a long run can you focus on maintaining an even pace for each kilometre?

Bottom line is that parkrun has so many non-running benefits associated with being part of an awesome community I’d never advise against attending parkrun. It’s too much fun to be had on a Saturday morning to deprive you of that feeling.

But please don’t make the mistake I made – just once. My local parkrun was going to be the last 3 miles of a ten miler. However, having not quite judged my pace right I found myself heading into parkrun at 9.01am running against the throng of 200 plus runners, to then have to turn around at the start and head back onto the course about 250 metres behind everyone else.

Guess what? I couldn’t help myself, tried to catch the pack and nearly died in the process. All the good intentions of an easy long slow run undone by my ego 🤦🏻

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

Back in 2017….. which feels a lifetime away as it pre-dates me as a runner….The GOAT Kipchoge attempted to run 26.2 miles in less than 2 hours. He failed (only temporarily) but in failing he introduced us all to a new ‘thing’ – carbon-plated running shoes.

Since then the debate has raged and the marketing departments of all the major brands have been working overtime. Your ‘must have’ shoe will improve you by 2% or 4% or 24% or any percent that will make you more likely to buy.

Now I succumbed in Dec 2020 and bought my first pair of carbon shoes and shortly after improved my half marathon time by 9 minutes and my marathon time by over 20 minutes – so on face value the improvement performance claims were validated.

No doubt the birth of carbon shoes has transformed performance at the elite end of the pack and we continue to see world records fall at nearly every major race.

But research is now emerging questioning whether the same level of performance improvement cascades down the field. So is the high cost of carbon shoes worth the investment?

Without answering that question direct – mainly because I’ve not done any of my own research – my view is that there are real benefits but not in the way you may think.

It’s all to do with the placebo effect. Let me explain.

Put simply, if it makes you feel good then chances are you will perform better. Now the ‘it’ may be new fancy carbon shoes, the ‘it’ may be new funky socks, the ‘it’ may be a new brand of gel.

The brain is a powerful tool – a bit of an obvious statement I know – and academic research in many fields, not just medicinal, is now showing powerful evidence that we can think ourselves into improvement.

Don’t get me wrong, hard work also plays a key role, and when I look back at my own personal improvements, I was training hard and striving to improve so the shoes may have only played a marginal impact.

But having the right mindset – one that is positive, one that has clear objectives, one that allows you to feel and focus on the process, will provide the framework for you to improve.

And if carbon-plated shoes helps give you a warm fuzzy feeling, that sends you out into a race feeling good about yourself, then chances are you will perform well. Conversely, where the opposite is also true, the shoes are likely to make diddly-squat difference.

Some hope that clears up the debate 🤣

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

We all have days like today. Days that are CBA. Days that feel too hard. Days where the voices are so loud you can’t fight the urge to stay in bed, instead of tackling that easy 3 miles.

And sometimes a day turns into a few days, a few days turns into a week, and a week turns into a month. And then your mojo isn’t just dormant, or lost, but has packed its bags, headed out the door and is on vacation!

The symptoms of losing your mojo can be varied. It may be your feeling tired and fatigued when you’d normally feel energised. It may be you get easily distracted and find excuses to put off the run or the workout. Or worse still you force yourself up and out and then spend the next hour or so hating being up and out.

So when you start to feel the enthusiasm or love from running wain, what can you do.?

Sometimes, and in the extreme, it may be time to take a break. Find a different focus or set aside time to do something different. This happened to me after virtually 18 months of constant marathon training because of covid delayed races.

It also took a long time for me to recognise this as a problem and force myself into a reset – rather than keep repeating things and hoping I felt different.

But hopefully there are other things, less dramatic things you can do to reset without the need for that storm break. The aim being to create an environment where you look forward to a run because it’s fun and uplifting – physically and mentally.

Start off by mixing things up. Find new places to run and new routes to explore. We are creatures of habit and it’s too easy to run the same route time after time and then find yourself just a little bored with your training. Being in a new place (as long as you feel safe) will do wonders to stimulate your brain to look, feel and sense things differently.

It’s a cliche but it’s also true – it’s often better to run in company as the social element meets other needs that go beyond the physical needs of a training run. Running with friends or a running buddy always makes the miles feel less in distance and less in terms of demands on the body. And a nice easy paced chatty run should always be in your weekly training plan anyway.

Other things to consider include running without the constraints and pressures of tech. Ditch your watch, forget about Strava (I can’t believe I just wrote that 🤣) and run for the fun of it. Run until you’ve had enough but don’t forget to turnaround and head for home at some point.

I’ve blogged previously about trail running but why not get out and about and explore nature. Woodlands, heathlands, waterways all provide a different and stimulating back drop to spark that mojo back into life.

And in the end if your mojo remains elusive don’t stress about it. It will return when you are ready. Everything else I’ve described above are just distractions and if they don’t work just wait.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

If like me your trying to conquer long distance endurance running then the long slow run, sometimes referred to as an easy run, needs to become your friend.

Unlike what the description may suggest the ‘easy run’ needs to become one of your essential building blocks – and when done properly is a major factor in a successful race day.

All too often easy runs can be mis-labelled as junk miles and can be skipped in favour of more lung- busting harder sessions.

Instead, easy runs can be categorised as delivering three main benefits as follows: building general endurance, stimulating physiological changes, and supporting more efficient use of energy systems.

For any new runner, building endurance is the most fundamental benefit. Building miles over a number of runs, all at a relative low intensity is key to injury prevention. As cumulative miles increase the endurance benefits start to narrow and focus on things such as running form.

Easy miles are the best place to think about good consistent running form, especially when fatigue start to mess with posture, cadence and heel striking.

Easy miles are also where the body starts to make the physical adaptations needed to run long. Bone density, tendon development and muscle fibre growth all occur when the body is ‘running easy’.

For those that care it’s all about developing the slow twitch muscles that are more fatigue resistant. And it’s the slow twitch muscles that are better at burning fat for energy.

The third element relates to how easy running works to teach your body how to use your fuel stores more effectively. Slower, easy running allows the body to burn fat stores, rather than carbohydrates. And the body has copious amounts, near endless supplies of fat stores.

So working in the low intensity zone means that the body burns around 70% fat stores and 30% carbohydrates. This is much more efficient and allows runners to keep topping up its glycogen levels throughout a run hence avoiding the dreaded ‘wall’ later in the race.

So next time you feel the urge to work through the gears and blast out a quicker, tempo run just remember slower wins the day.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

Today is a very personal post, only tangential to running if I’m honest.

The picture above is a delivery of meds received by my elderly mom. And it got me realising life should be as much about quality (your healthspan) as it is about quantity (lifespan).

For many decades the measure of a successful nation has been an increase in expected lifespan. But for my mum those ‘extra years’ of life have come at a cost – of pain, infirmity and loss of independence.

So should we strive to live as long as possible without any consideration of the impact of those extended years.

That’s why I subscribe to healthspan ie the amount of time I’m healthy and not just alive courtesy of modern drugs and medical intervention.

Form this point on it is down to me to take personal responsibility for taking those decisions that make a good healthspan more likely.

It starts with putting my physical well-being at the top of my priorities. Eating well, sleeping enough, finding time to manage and handle stress better. if I do this well then pushing myself to train for marathons and other crazy running adventures becomes a little easier. It’s a virtuous circle for sure.

But it’s easy to get sucked into the instagram world of well-being and assuming that more is better. I’d challenge that and say that ‘a little often’ is better. Consistency over quantity every time.

Having an extended Healthspan also means I have to take responsibility for my emotional well-being. Over the last two to three years, and through working with a therapist, I’ve come to realise connection and communication is both the foundation and the pinnacle of feeling awesome.

And here’s the crux – being part of the running community allows me to walk comfortably within both spheres of well-being. I work hard in my training to perform as well as I can. But it’s not everything.

Creating new connections and building new friendships adds a layer to well-being, and ultimately my healthspan, which is harder to assess but is more fulfilling in the long run.

Here’s to having a fulfilling, fun filled healthspan culminating in my world majors six star medal – solely achieved in my 9th decade 🤣🤣🤣

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

As runners when should we stretch – is it best to stretch before or after we go for our run? This kind of question can lead to intense debate and argument so here’s my two penny worth.

For me the answer is both. And I’ll try and explain why that is not so much a ‘sitting on the fence’ type answer as it seems.

We would probably all agree that we should do more to warm up before heading into mile one. And by warming up I’m not referring to having another cup of tea, quickly checking Instagram, or leaving a note for the kids to explain that there is food in the fridge should they need feeding.

Instead, we should be activating our key muscle groups in preparation for the session ahead.

And this is where my ‘maybe’ answer is explained because activation should take the form of DYNAMIC stretching. Dynamic stretching is important for a number of reasons including increasing blood flow to the muscles, activating your nervous system too, as well as allowing you to work on flexibility, balance and control.

If you’re not sure what dynamic stretching looks like google it and you will see a range of different movements including lunges, twists, leg swings and some specific running movements like A skips and B skips. The key is to build a programme that mimics the actions of running but with a lower intensity.

Something else we SHOULD do before running is foam rolling. Now I bet most of you are now thinking he has moved onto the paragraph about post run stretching but I haven’t.

Foam rolling works before a run or exercise because it targets the myofascia that lays over and around all our muscles. Visually that thin layer of tissue that lays over your chicken breast before you cut into it and that’s your myofascia. We all have it all over our joints, muscles and bones.

Now foam rolling will help extend your range of movement (ROM) by loosening the myofascia and allowing joints and muscles to move more freely when exercising or running. So for example, foam rolling the thigh will increase your ROM at the knee and may reduce or prevent knee pain (if you’re a sufferer).

The post run stretch is a bit better known but again is often ignored (me included 🤦🏻). Stretching after a run will allow tight muscles to loosen off which in turn prevents stiffness and the delayed onset of muscle soreness, also known as DOMS.

A post run stretch programme will also support recovery by allowing your heart rate to slowly return to normal.

The difference after a run is that this form of stretching is more passive and is normally referred to as static stretching – because you are either prone or standing still while you target the different muscle groups.

So there you have it – we should do both because they have different purposes. If anything, and especially when time is tight, it would be better to make your run shorter to allow for pre and post stretching rather than not stretch at all.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

Sorry Elvis.

For you stats geeks. 6 laps. 30 miles. 3 hours sleep. That’s enough about the technical side of Harp24 – a 24 hour endurance relay.

The biggest ‘win’ of the weekend was not one of teams winning a trophy (well done to the female team 6 – 8) but the sheer joy of watching everyone interact.

This weekend was put together because a few of us had taken part in last years Harp24 and had such a good time (including the thunder storms) that many more wanted to join us. That’s a honour in itself.

This year was bigger and better. Not because we had bigger numbers but because I had more opportunities to connect with people I often ‘chat’ to over social media but rarely get the chance to converse with in a long form conversation.

For me that meant spending time on the trails chatting all sorts of nonsense with some of my best running buddies.

It meant going a bit deeper into people’s backstories to appreciate them more and better understand how they have overcome their own personal challenges.

It meant talking to people I’ve met but never really spoken to other than perhaps a passing nod, and a few friendly words of encouragement.

I also took the time to sit back and watch people being their best selves – mucking in, helping out, making time for each other, and having the space and freedom to either join in or just chill.

Whether the connections came from helping others (ie me) to erect a tent, to communal camp kitchen serving hungry runners, or to team captains discussing race tactics, what was noticeable was the hum of conversation, laughter and kindness that came from those connections.

These traits are not unique to the running community but we do them well when we come together to challenge ourselves by taking on crazy chalenges. And that’s why I love making weekends like one happen.

Our trajectory has been 12 in 2022, 43 in 2023 and who knows in 2024. And you’re all welcome.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

Photo courtesy of Kim Tobin Photography

Today is a rare day. No parkrun. But it’s for a very good reason. I’m doing ‘hard things’ with my running club – Fordy Runs Running Club.

Starting at 12 noon we are taking part in a 24 hour endurance race – basically running as many five mile loops as we can – either as solo runners or as part of a relay team.

Nearly 40 of us have signed up, pitched camp and have started to make memories.

We are taking part with some serious long distance runners and we fully expect the individual winners to go over 100 miles in the 24 hour cut-off.

But the most important thing is we are doing hard. For some that may be a certain distance, for others it may be the mental challenge of keeping going when the body and brain are screaming stop.

And it doesn’t really matter what your hard is , as long as it is pushing you out of your comfort zone.

In 5 years of running I’ve done physically hard several time. I’ve completed my first marathon. I’ve completed this same challenge this time last year in some of the worst thunderstorms the UK had experienced in decades. I’ve run a mile every hour for 24 hours and I’ve completed the David Goggins challenge ( 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours ) twice.

With each of those events the hard has resulted in a medal, a tee shirt and a few aches and pains.

And in the same time I’ve done a lot of ‘hard’ emotionally and mentally.

I’ve learnt to enjoy camping, I’ve travelled internationally as a solo traveller, I’ve stayed in a hostel for the first time, I’ve learnt new things and gained new qualifications.

Doing hard is often associated with pain – and pain is often ther place you need to go to make change. But I prefer to re-purpose ‘doing hard’ as stretching myself beyond my known limits.

Each ‘hard’ in turn has pushed me out of my comfort zone and as part of that journey I’ve learnt things about myself.

Most of that learning has been positive, some less so but all of it has meant I’ve grown as an individual and become a better partner, father, friend and colleague.

So I’m gonna keep doing hard – starting with a dark run for lap 3 of this challenge. Along with a load of crazy running mates.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

Today is Friday. Today is all about preparation. Tomorrow is a 24 hour endurance race. Tomorrow is also about camping, having the right race kit, knowing when to fuel , having options about when to sleep, and making sure fun is factored into the event.

Today’s preparations are a bit extreme compared to most race weekends. But the principles are always the same. Don’t plan, don’t prepare in advance and race day morning will throw a surprise at you. Maybe it’s a lack of safety pins for your bib, maybe it’s NO running shoes because you left them at the front door, maybe it’s too few gels to see you through to the end because you didn’t check your stocks.

Running a long way is always hard, so don’t make it even harder. Start preparations early. In fact having a training plan and sticking to it is a form of preparation. You’d never try to run that marathon without having trained.

Real meaningful preparations start for me a few days before ‘race day’ when attention turns to fuelling and hydrating properly. What I really mean here is be thoughtful, and consider what’s ahead of you and make sure your food intake is sensible and balanced, and that your hydration is better than normal.

Travel arrangements, or lack of them, can so easily undermine and ruin all the investment you’ve made in your training. Know where the race HQ is. Know your route to the event. Is there adequate and suitable parking? Will I be able to get there in time using public transport. The stress of a delayed train or traffic jam are NOT ideal race preparations so invest some time before hand making sure you have a travel plan.

If you’re staying away from home have an idea of where you’re going to eat and what food options are available. It may be your ‘go to’ cuisine is just not on offer and your routine, carefully built to help you optimsie your race, is less than ideal.

And most important of all don’t forget your flat lay. It may look awesome on Instragram but it’s also a really useful last minute checklist of all your race day needs.

If needs me start that ‘to do list’ a week ahead I’d schedule, maybe straight after your last long intense run. Keep it accessible and add to it as things pop into your head.

I’m the worlds worst at leaving things to relatively late in the day, and to date all potential disasters have been averted but there will come a point where I come a cropper.

So let’s go and check whether I’ve packed spare socks, bug spray, emergency toilet roll, hob nob biscuits, and a whole lot more.

Cool Runnings

Coach Al

I’m writing this post just after midnight – not my normal hour to scribe. But with a 24 hour endurance race just around the corner it somehow seems appropriate.

I’m even contemplating getting up to go for a run and it left me thinking as to whether it would count as a really late run or a super early run? Ultimately it doesn’t really matter – a run is a run, but it also had me thinking about when is my favourite time to run – the conclusion is… not at 12.10am 🤣

More interestingly my view about this has changed, as a consequence of the covid years.

Before covid, and in part due to my crazy work schedule, I was a confirmed early morning runner. Get up before dawn, run commute to catch the first train, and then settle into at least an hours training run all before most people have even snoozed the alarm.

It had a satisfying pattern of regularity. It was a fasted run and it was a run that set me up for the ‘smug zone’ for the rest of the day. OK, by 2pm I was flagging a little, and by home time it was a real effort to start the journey in reverse, finishing with a killer kilometre uphill.

And by 8pm I was done! But tomorrow I’d repeat the process again, and the day after, and the day after that.

Then along came covid. And I was out of work, with no need to set the alarm. The hour of compulsory exercise (in line with government guidelines at the time) was gladly used but the tendency was still to lace up in the a of the m.

Roll forward to 2022 and with work settling back into a routine – this time without the need for a 2 hour plus commute – and a different pattern of behaviour has emerged.

The lunchtime run. Something alien to the pre-covid running version of me. A run slipped in between meetings. A run to break up the day. A run to exercise the demons of email.

Now, by definition the lunchtime run has become shorter in duration and the lunch can start any time from around 11.30am until 2.30pm because of work demands. And with the prospect of a midday run to look forward to my work day seemed less onerous as I opened up my laptop.

And then in recent weeks, and with a new marathon training block starting, suddenly the early am run has emerged again as if from nowhere. This time not so early that it all happens before sunrise but still early enough to catch the first peaceful sightings of the day.

Having said all this my running routine was never quite as fixed as I’ve made out. And it has flexed to meet other demands over time. But 3 years post covid and I think I have discovered a better mix of running.

Early morning for longer, slower easier runs including weekends. Lunchtime runs for faster, shorter interval sessions, and evening runs as social runs – with friends and running club members.

And this mix has surprised me because it’s made me realise I can get different benefits from running at all different times of the day.

Whereas in the past I had assumed (wrongly) that as a morning person, the morning (and my biorhythms) made it the best time to me to run.

Has this new approach made me a better runner? I’m not sure, my PBs haven’t improved but I now feel like a better all round runner – more flexible in my approach, and more able to enjoy running for what it should be. Time for me spent doing something that I love. How about you?

Cool Runnings

Coach Al