As I have stated previously in this blog, I am not a big fan of GPS for running. The foot pod offers a cheaper, smaller and less energy hungry method of measuring speed to the same accuracy as GPS. For example, my 9 gram Suunto foot pod is generally 1% off when doing 1km repeats.

However, I also acknowledge that many runners believe that GPS is the superior method and it offers the obvious benefit of mapping. It is this popularity that has resulted in Suunto developing it's new Ambit heart rate monitor (or training computer when you see all the functions it has). Personally, I don't see inbuilt GPS as being overly exciting but what I am really excited about in the new Ambit is that the inbuilt GPS is combined with an inbuild accelerometer. One of the major issues with GPS is their accuracy in a watch as small as they are and the arm is continually moving meaning the GPS is far from ideal. Additionally the smaller the GPS, the less the signal strength and thus the greater drop outs. By intergrating the accelerometer, the watch can then smooth out these errors as it knows the arm movements and is far more sensitive to rapid speed change. All sounds good, right? But now comes the really exciting bit.....

When the GPS signal is poor, the accelerometer can take over and provide speed measurements on it's own. So the accelerometer in the watch is not only correcting the GPS but offering to ensure good accuracy even when the GPS signal is lost.

The Australian release of the Ambit is expected next week and I am very excited to try it and see if it lives up to all these promises. Currently I use my T6d daily and love it, so the Ambit looks like a super powered T6 with all its extra features. 

If this post is of interest, you may also like this YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCpOK0L8o5E

In this first post back I want to discuss the pre-season training approach for a marathon runner. By pre-season, I prefer to that period more than 3-4 months out from your next marathon (we will focus on this period later). We are now in February and while there are some early season marathons in April, as a general rule, most marathons are later in the year. Yet, we get inspired over the Christmas period and start focussing on running a marathon PB. This inspiration leads to a spike in motivation which in turn leads to us getting out there for long weekend runs, extra volume during the week and dreams of great marathon times. 

The problem is we are possibly still 6+ months out from our goal marathon and all this work in the short term will probably do us more harm than good when it comes to marathon performance. Quality long runs of 2 hours or more are demanding on the body; therefore our body can only tolerate a certain number of them. Additionally, they are mentally draining, requiring motivation, focus and the ability to push through those hours of hurt. So if our bodies and mind only have a certain number of good long runs per year, why are we wasting them so early in our preparation? They will likely lead to an increase risk of injury, reduced motivation by the time the key training period come around, and possibly fatigue which will hamper our preparation closer to the marathon.

So what is the best approach? We are still 6 months out from the race and we are ultra keen to train, so what should we be doing?

I recommend that during this pre-season period, you aim to race some shorter races, maybe 5-10km, with the aim of getting in some good shape for these. Thus the focus becomes on improving your speed through intensity work, while not focussing on volume. This will allow you to be motivated and physically ready to step it up in those final 3-4 months pre-marathon. Additionally, this approach of developing speed and then building your volume on top has been shown to be effective. Traditionally called reverse periodisation, it is becomes more of a common practice in modern training.

So your training during this pre-season period might include sessions like:

• Long runs of 100-120 minutes - giving you a good base to build to the marathon later.
• Short intervals - this could come in the form of 1-3 minute efforts, or track work of 400-1000m efforts. Aiming for an intensity around 3-5km race pace and having short recoveries between efforts. In total, 15-20 minutes of hard running would be the maximum recommended. 
• Longer intervals - the idea of the longer intervals is to sustain a speed at close to your half marathon pace. At times you might be a bit quicker than this but never quicker than 10km race pace. These are the early stages of tempo sessions which will be the backbone of your marathon training, however at this early stage, we only want 20-25min of total running at this speed. So something like 2 x 10-12 minute efforts are ideal.
• A range of moderate intensity aerobic running to pad out the rest of the week. We probably don't want a third intensity session at this point so any extra running can be aerobic sessions. 
• Injury prevention sessions - you arn't going to be in good shape if you are injured, so aim to include 2-3 weekly injury prevention sessions (core stability, flexibility and specific strength work).

So in summary, this is an important part of your marathon preparation, not just because of what you can gain but also because of what you can lose if it is done incorrectly. 

This was probably the most consistent block of training I had undertaken over the years and it was a good test of this consistency theory. My 2010 goal was to break 35min for 10km. I had previously run ~35:15 twice, but I had never managed to break that elusive barrier. So how did performance during this period compare to other years?

I had some ok races, enough to keep me happy but no PB and in same cases I was actually further than I should have been off my PB. So this got me thinking, how did I achieve those previous PBs? Well it wasn't consistency. My 10km PB came after only training for ~8 months, following several months of no running due to injury.

How can I be running slower now than I did with only 8 months of training under my belt? To answer this, I think we have to look away from the consistency theory. To get that extra few percent improvement, it isn't a matter of just being out there consistently, the key is to be able to really overload the body, test it, try and push it to the limit. 

This is a slightly higher risk approach as if you really push yourself, the risk of injury is much greater and you are not going to be running PBs when injured. However, if you don't try, you will plateau and be able to get to that next level. I would call this approach the overload theory. If you are aiming for shorter events, it measures focussing on hard sessions that push you to the limit on a regular basis. For the longer distance athlete, the focus is on volume and tempo based intensity work.

The next question is then, can you have both consistentcy and overload? Well possibly, but when you overload yourself, you also need to allow more recovery as without this recovery you won't be able to maximise the next overload period very well. Therefore, just as you have to have those periods of pushing yourself to the limit, you also need those periods of easing things back and letting the body repair and recovery in preparation for the next overload period. 

So what can we take away of this information? There is no doubt that training consistency is crucial; without it you will not get results. However, consistency alone will not help you reach those PBs. Look at the graph below. If both lines are a measure of an athlete's training load, the average in each is the same, but the way in which the load is constructed is completely different. The blue line shows a consistent training approach, similar week in and week out, while the red line shows an overload and recovery approach. The red line is what will get you the results.

In saying this, it is important to consider the training background of the athlete in mind. To use my example from above, I have been running for 18 years, so the consistency theory has maybe done it's dash with me. It is perhaps better placed to assist those with a younger training age or regular injury concerns. I have no doubt that endurance athletes who have been doing their sport for less than 2 years will benefit more from consistent training than the overload approach. This just goes to show that your training approach needs to be individualised: horses for courses!

Why is it that a large number of athletes spent huge amounts of money of the latest cool equipment when the impact this will have on their performance is minimal. This trend is definitely more evident in cycling and triathlon than it is in running, but there is no doubt it is a trend across all endurance sports.

A cyclists or triathlete might try and justify that their new $5000 bike frame will assist performance with improved aerodynamics; and there is no doubt that it will but........ 

Take an average recreational triathlete who is say 75kg. He could get an 80sec improvement in his 40km TT performance simply by losing 2kg of weight. Or that same athlete, could get the same 80sec improvement by improving power output by only 2%. Lets go one step further, this athlete could save more than 2 minutes by simply improving their riding position. So how much does that new expensive frame save? About 60 seconds.

So there is no doubt that equipment can be beneficial in improving performance, and it is an easy saving, but it is also a very expensive way to enhance performance compared to the other examples given. This is especially the case given that most recreational athletes still have a lot of performance to gain through simply optimising training. The expensive equipment is only really a necessity for elite athletes looking for that extra edge.

It is important to remember that most of us train for enjoyment, and race performance is a secondary priority. So this means that expensive new bike frame is actually more of a cool toy to show your friends, than it is a means to racing faster.

The bottom line, when you are next about to lash out and make that big purchase that will help with your performance, think about it. Are you buying it just so you have the latest toy, or are you buying it as you couldn't be bothered to make the hard changes that will result in even greater performance. 

Anyway, rather than rabbit on for hours about it, I thought I would refer through to a recent post at The Science of Sport blog. Check it out here.

One thing that every runner, and other athletes, encounter many times throughout the years is injury. While there are many causes of injury there is no doubt that runners are at high risk of overuse injuries due to the endless pounding. But what is an injury, what is a niggle and what is just normal wear and tear?

We have all experienced soreness during hard training blocks or the days after a tough race. So lets not get this confused with injury. You will recover quickly from this soreness and it shouldn't restrict you are several easy training days.

But when the pain continues to hang around, even when it isn't severe, that is when it becomes a concern. While it might only be classified as a niggle at this point, and may not be limiting your ability to train, this is the key phase for sorting the issue out. Left as it is, if you continue to train hard, the odds are it will only get worse. Despite what we all hope, injuries rarely just go away by themselves.

It is at this point where something needs to be done, but what?

None of us like to stop running, but in some cases, easing back the load can have a big impact. This doesn't mean you need to stop training, but instead it might be a good idea to reduce the overall volume and intensity of sessions. Doing this for a week may be enough to get on top of the injury, but in many cases the injury simply returns when full training resumes.

Therefore, my general rule of thumb is to see a physio (or similar) if the injury is still there after a week. At this stage, if it goes untreated, it is likely to get worse and start impacting on training even further. 

So to conclude this short post, the steps after experiencing a niggle are:

1. Reduce training volume and intensity and see if you can shake the niggle.
2. If it continues to persist and is still evident a week later, see a physiotherapist or the like to get some treatment and/or rehab exercises. A good physio will also be able to provide you with a rehab plan that includes training recommendations while you manage the injury.
3. If the injury continues to linger for many weeks, get a second opinion, and consider visiting a sports physician. 

Despite these health benefits, lets look at this from a running point of view. Is there any value of completing strength training as a method to improve your running performance?

The key point here is that if you want to run well, then you have to run. No amount of strength training will help your running if you arn't completing enough running sessions. To further this point, running is your priority and that means you can't have strength sessions causing fatigue for your key running session. It would be better to start your strength sessions fatigued as a result of a hard running session than vice versa. This means your weekly training structure must be well thought out. An example might be:

Monday - Day Off

Tuesday - Intensity Session in the morning; Strength training in the afternoon

Wednesday - Aerobic Run

Thursday - Intensity Session in the morning; Strength training in the afternoon

Friday - Aerobic Run

Saturday - Intensity Session

Sunday - Long Run

Now to look at the impact of this strength training. Lets break it into three categories:

1. Weight training - this is what most people refer to when they think of strength training. While benefits are associated with running, it is important to ensure these sessions are not leaving you sore and overdone. They should be focussed on high rep strength endurance. One of the keys to this type of work is the eccentric loading associated with lowering a weight. It is this type of eccentric muscular activity that results in post-session soreness when you run. It is most prominent when running downhill, running fast or running when fatigued. Thus strength training is especially important for the marathoner. Additionally, it is difficult to get enough of this training from running alone, so strength training can assist.
2. Stability and Basic Strength - this is the type of work you can do at home and the type of exercises your physio will give you during injury rehab. These sessions arn't focussed on strength gains as much as stabilisation. The main goal here is injury reduction. The benefits of this type of training are less direct; their aim is to keep you injury free and out there running. At the bare minimum, I would recommend all runners complete this type of training on a regular basis.
3. Plyometics and explosive training - Plyometrics are a type of power training focused around jumping activities. The research has shown that this can be very effective in improving running performance by reducing ground contact time. Foot strike during running slows us down, so if we can reduce the contact time we can run faster. This benefit is largely driven by improvements in the stretch short cycle which aids us in getting some spring off the ground after ground contact. So there is no doubt that it can be beneficial, but it is also demanding on the body and therefore increase injury risk. For this reason, it is recommended you have a solid running background,  or even better, a strength training background.

So what does this mean for the runner? Strength training can be beneficial, when not overdone. The challenge is fitting it in. Don't sacrifice a run to fit it in, but at the very least aim to complete 2 stability sessions at home (or at the end of your runs) each week.

It is generally well accepted that the aim of the warm-up is to prepare the body for exercise and reduce the risk of injury. Traditionally this takes the form of some easy jogging, some stretching and then into the main session we go. The main issue I encounter is that this traditional approach is often still used, and it isn't effective.

The research has never shown stretching prior to exercise to be beneficial for injury reduction. Actually, some research has shown that pre-exercise stretching will actually impair performance by reducing the speed and force of muscle contraction. 

One of the key goals of the warm-up is to increase core temperature, however if we follow that traditional warm-up approach, we may not actually achieve this. We start with the easy jog which warms the body up; we then stop and stretch which in turn starts bringing us back to our resting state. By the time we start into our session our body is back close to it's resting state.

So what better way could we approach this?

My recommendation would be to start out easy, even walking if required. Then gradually lift the intensity to a comfortable aerobic pace for at least 8-10 minutes. This achieves our initial goal of getting the body moving, loosening up and increasing core temperature.

Secondly, we want to stretch our body out a little, but rather than stopping and having a stretch, lets try and achieve this dynamically. The goal here is to increase the range of motion around our joints. This is best done through completing suitable running drills and some dynamic stretching; examples include high knees, butt kicks, leg swings etc.

The third aspect of our warm-up then needs to specifically prepare us for our session and the intensity we will be running. If we are going to complete some high intensity efforts, then we need to undertake some warm-up efforts in preparation for this. At some stage most of us will have had the experience of a poor warm-up where we start our first efforts and after a few hundred metres the intensity really catches up with us and we slow dramatically. This is definitely something we want to avoid and thus we need to include some intensity in the warm-up so the body is ready for the session. To do this, I recommend some short surges, starting at ~10seconds and building to ~30seconds. 

Ultimately, everyone will have different variations of a warm-up that suits them, but as a guide I would recommend starting with something like this:

1. 8-10 minutes of easy jogging.
2. 3-5 minutes of drills and dynamic stretching with jogs between (keep moving throughout)
3. 4-6 short surges with a full recovery between.
4. A couple of minutes of jogging, then off you go into the session.

When preparing for an aerobic session such as a long run, there is no value in completing this thorough warm-up as the speed will not greatly exceed your warm-up speed anyway. For these sessions just start out easy, then build the speed gradually over the first 10-15 minutes.

Should I eat before going for a run?

1. Yes - it provides energy to ensure maximal performance.
2. No - it will help with fat utilisation and stimulate human growth hormone.

This highlights my point, sometimes training can look like a complicated mess with all the research adding more confusion than clarity. What does it all mean and how do you work your way through it to make it practical?

In today's post I want to come up with a simple approach to putting together your training program.

Ultimately, to improve your running, you need to run, so let's see how we can put together a run training program that is both effective and suits your life.

Lets start with a blank program. We have 7 days to fill in.

Step 1. Block out your days off. Aim to have 1-2 days off per week. Ensure these days are not consecutive. They might be days you have other commitments or times you like to relax.

Step 2. Schedule your key sessions. Your key sessions are the most demanding sessions of the week and the ones that will best help you achieve your goals. For runners, this generally consists of a long run and two intensity sessions. Scheduling 3-4 key sessions a week is ideal but ensure you are adequately fresh leading into your key intensity sessions. Additionally, always have an easy day or day off after your long run.

Step 3. This now leaves us with 1-3 days empty depending on what we did to fill in the above. On these days, we want to schedule our lower priority sessions. Our lower priority sessions can take many forms. They may be easy runs, cross training or strength and injury prevention sessions. This will be largely dependant on the individual, their needs and preferences. 

You should now have your week filled up, providing you with a basic weekly structure on which to base your training. Now it is just a matter of fluctuating the sessions each week to make some weeks tougher and some easier. My general rule is not to make two weeks the same; there will always be slight variations in your sessions.

To get an idea of a basic structure to suit your needs, try this: http://www.fitsense.com.au/ipd/ 

We all know the key benefits of running on the treadmill, so lets get them out of the way early:

• Can run regardless of the outdoor conditions (rain and cold)
• Can run when it is dark outside
• Offers a safe training environment

But what about from a training and performance aspect, is treadmill running an adequate substitute for hitting the trails or the paths? 

1. All good treadmills have sprung platforms meaning the impact stress on the body is reduced. This is definitely a positive as it reduces the risk of injury associated with treadmill sessions. 1-0 for the treadmill.
2. The treadmill is great for top end speed work. You can really get some good speed sessions on the treadmill if you are after neuromuscular adaptations. Set the grade to 0% and with no wind resistance you are ready to fly. Couple this with the motivation of having to keep up with the treadmill belt and your ability to recover well after treadmill sessions, and the treadmill becomes a popular form of speed work for even elite runners. 2-0 for the treadmill.
3. But the benefit of the 0% grade for speed work can also be a negative. Many runners set the grade to 0% but forget that without the wind resistance we get when running outdoors, the intensity at the same speed is reduced. The general rule of thumb is that you set the treadmill to 1% to account for the wind resistance. However this in turn means you actually change your technique and get higher knee lift to run up that slight incline. I would say this is back to 2-1 for the treadmill.
4. When you are outdoors you are thinking about your pace and adjusting it based on how you feel but on the treadmill you lose this need to listen to your body and understand pacing. Now this is a big negative when it comes to racing as you have to control the pace and without that digital board in front of you, it can be difficult to get the pacing right. There is no doubt that if want to run well, you have to be outside doing regular intervals sessions in order to get the most out of runs. 2 all.
5. However, the set speed on the treadmill can also offer some motivational benefits. If you are doing efforts on the treadmill and you have been running them at 15km/hr (4min/km) and you are on your last effort and starting to feel it, you are motivated to push through and maintain the same speed. When you are outside, it can sometimes be easy to unknowingly slow the pace a little in these situations. Treadmill back in front at 3-2.
6. You can definitely do hill work on the treadmill but it is all very structured. When you are outdoors you are continually going up and down short hills while also encountering longer climbs at various grades. However on the treadmill the grade does not continually fluctuate like this; it is much more steady state as you run at the same speed and grade for extended periods. While it is difficult to accurately account for the benefit of these undulations, research using both runners and cyclists has shown that intermittent activity and hills are beneficial to performance. Back to 3 all.
7. Now for the big one. Is your TECHNIQUE different on the treadmill? While there isn't a lot of research in the area, it (1, 2) indicates that your technique on the treadmill does vary. The moving belt of the treadmill brings the supporting leg back under the body quicker and joint angles vary. Additionally, substantial but inconsistent differences exist showing that the treadmill running technique varies significantly to overground running technique but the exact differences vary between individual runners. Now this last point is the major concern for me. If you do a large volume of your work on the treadmill, you are actually using a different technique to what you would use in a race. 

So to summarise, we could say that the treadmill offers various benefits to outdoor running and definitely allows you to increase your fitness, but if your goal is to get faster and perform in races, then the treadmill should be used sparingly. There is no doubt that treadmill running is better than no running, so use it when you have to such as when the weather or darkness prevents you running outdoors; additionally it can offer some benefits for top end speed sessions, but ultimately treadmill running should make up only a small portion of your overall running volume if your goal is performance.