Training

Being a novice runner with no prior knowledge of running, yet alone marathon running, it has been a steep learning curve. The training schedule has evolved around intuition, research and key people around me offering specialist advise, physiotherapy, personal training etc.

Jonathan (personal trainer and strength & conditioning coach from Balance Physio) supplied me with a daily training schedule (see excel spreadsheet). Within this, he contacts me every day to tell me specific training regimes, with times, distances, stretches etc.

The key with so little time to train a non conditioned body for such a physical task is balance. I found to my cost that running too many miles with an unconditioned body is paramount for injury. And I did just this, which took me a month to recover from. Thankfully I had use of the G-Trainer, a running machine that reduces body weight, allowing the user to improve performance and train through injury. Therefore I could continue training and not lose any precious time. I was fortunate to find such a piece of equipment at Balance Physio in Clapham, SW London – it’s the only publically available one in the world outside of the USA. And it’s only a short jog from where I live. Perhaps too close.

You may be surprised to see in my training schedule that running is not the centre piece. Monday is the key running day, and my mileage increases each week, reaching 26 miles by 23rd February - almost marathon distance. The final 7 days will beresting to let the body fully recover from the shock of February. Stretching, sleep, diet, supplements, hydration and mobility will be key here.

I will fly out to Chile to acclimatise, recover from jet lag and all the above. The adrenalin and nerves will start to combine. And then its go go go...

The body is at its most energetic and productive first thing in the morning, so when I can I train in the mornings. This also gives me enough time to regain myself before my evening of yoga. Through trial and area I have learnt that yoga first then training is an energetic disaster.

The key aspects of my training regime in varying proportions are:

Running
both outdoors and on the G-Trainer.
Block training
using cardiovascular exercises such as cross trainer and running machine to help with fitness and condition the body to long periods of exercise. They are obviously low impact, and so help the body not to break down.
Strength
muscle strength is crucial to run 184 miles in a week. Russian kettle bells are used, Swiss ball and free weights.
Movement, mobility, and flexibility
with all the running and block training, the body is only getting forward motion exercise. The body cannot sustain such high periods of injury free exercise without including this into my program. There is a lot of twisting and turning to enhance joint mobility. Hot Bikram yoga at the end of the day is the icing on the cake, and with the additional benefit of a cardiovascular workout too.
Stretching
I put this in its own category, because it’s essential but easy to forget, especially when the mind and body are tired after a big training session. But stretching the key areas, such as glutes, IT band, hamstring and hip flexors, helps prevent injury. I have a combination of stretches from the Balance Physio staff, with particular emphasis on the hamstrings and hip flexors, as this is my weakest area.
Sleep
This is the easier part of the regime. But essential for muscle repair and re-energising. 10pm – 2am is an essential period for recovery, so an early night is a must.

Based on Jonathan’s training schedule, here is a magnifying glass over each day over an 8 day period.

28/01/09 (Average day)

  • Cycle - 45 mins
  • Run outdoor- 30 mins
  • G-trainer – 60 mins (max. 85% body weight)
  • Movement - 45 mins - Dynamic stretches, walking hamstrings Cossack and joint mobility drills
  • Bikram yoga– 90 mins

29/01/09 (Average day)

  • Row - 30 mins
  • G-trainer – 60 mins (max. 85% body weight)
  • Cross trainer – 30 mins
  • Walk – 30 mins
  • Cycle – 30 mins
  • Stretch -30 mins – hamstrings, lower back & hip flexors
  • Bikram yoga– 90 mins

30/01/09 (Average day)

  • Run outdoor - 30 mins
  • Row- 30 mins
  • Cross Trainer – 30 mins
  • Cycle – 30 mins
  • Walk – 30 mins
  • Stretch – 15 mins
  • Bikram yoga– 90 mins

31/01/09 (Average day)

  • Run outdoor - 30 mins
  • Walk- 30 mins
  • Row – 30 mins
  • Cross Trainer – 30 mins
  • Row (again!) – 30 mins
  • Stretch – 15 mins

01/02/09 (nothing day)

  • Rest day (this is my only rest day in February – whilst rest is essential to a training program, I am time limited. Therefore the schedule accounts for resting muscle groups, so these still have time to recover and repair without increasing the risk of injury)

02/02/09 (heavy day)

  • Run outdoor – 6 miles
  • G-Trainer – 10 miles (max. 85% body weight)
  • General stretch off

03/02/09 (medium day)

  • Run outdoor – 3o mins
  • G-Trainer – 58 mins fast pace – typically 7 minute mile
  • 20 mins, 85% BW
  • Interval session, 1 min, 85% BW then 2 min 60% BW
  • Repeat the interval section a further 5 times
  • 20 mins 85% BW
  • Movement - 30 mins - Dynamic stretches, walking hamstrings Cossack and joint mobility drills
  • Bikram Yoga – 90 mins

03/02/09 (a gentle day to substitute a rest day after 26 miles running the previous 2 days)

  • Strength & Conditioning with Jonathan (heavy emphasis on Russian kettle bells)
  • Row – 30 mins