Cornbury Deerstalker Race - British Heart Foundation

All over

30 November, 2010

Well done everyone, we had about 22 runners under LBL Training colours which was great and all finished with lots of goals achieved. I’m planning a new orienteering challenge which other interested parties are welcome to join in if they get in touch – watch this space.

Five become four

16 November, 2010

The Cornbury Deerstalker is firmly in our sights. I went out for five miles of hills, mud, muck and some nice straight canal path with two of Leo’s female clients, on Sunday morning. It wasn’t easy. The field gates, and very deeply rutted fields, meant that we had to slow down at times. Otherwise we all kept going, and when it got tough, there was just enough girlie chat to distract!
Husband and middle son went out later that day, younger son played rugby, and older son developed a lovely cold and remembered that he has a rehearsal for a musical which begins at 10am this Sunday, so now we are four! Are we looking forward to it? It will be challenge, I couldn’t have imagined I’d be doing this ten months ago, and definitely not with most of my family. We look forward to a sense of achievement, and supporting a very good cause.
Only one training session possible this week, so we better make it a good one.
A dedicated runner said to me today; “Watch out for the endorphins, they’ll get you, and then you won’t be able to stop!”
We’ll see!

Week to chill

15 November, 2010

So hopefully you’re feeling good, 3 of my clients went out for a 5 mile run in my absence yesterday, all completed it comfortably and had a text saying “Thanks 4 being the worlds best personal trainer”, which came through whilst sitting with 15 personal trainers, good for the ego, but even better for the client who had just run 5 miles coming from a low fitness level when she started with me in August. This week take it a bit easier, there really isn’t time for you to stress your muscles them to adapt and recover and be better for Sunday. Two or three nice easy runs will maintain both your confidence and your fitness. Don’t pig out on carbs it will just add weight, your normal diet is fine 5 or 10 miles is a long way but within our bodies normal working range (if you’ve been doing the training).

Week to go

12 November, 2010

So it’s just a week to go, I recommend for a race like this go out this weekend and run the distance you have chosen. Take it easy, make the first mile or two over slow, this run is to be enjoyed and to give you confidence it’s primary objective is not to make you fitter. Decide a route now and a time to run it, then come rain or shine get out whatever the weather throws at you after the first mile it will be as good as ay other run. On Sunday night I’ll try to remember to post some ideas for next week.

Two and a half weeks to go

02 November, 2010

Still time to get out there and get in some miles to be better prepared. Here is an update from our family of 5 who are running the five miles.

Just now, we were all in the kitchen, where we have a TRX suspended from a beam (voted best piece of fitness equiment in the world, by the Gadget Show). During half-term all our boys and their friends have been using it for all sorts of acrobatics, and some strengthening exercises too ……..its true purpose. This time it was my husband’s go, enthused by his first training session with Leo……… Hurray! As you might have read, Tim is one of us five running the Deerstalker together. Up until Friday, he had not even broken into a trot. Over the course of the last 4 days, he has jogged four miles, had his first session with Leo, and walked 5 miles around Heythrop carrying a golf-bag (as an avid anti-golfer, I don’t really rate this latter form of exercise!). I can now report that all five of us are on our way to being able to stay the 5 mile course of the Deerstalker. I managed a four and half mile run last Wednesday, and hill training with Leo yesterday. As he warned, I can feel its affects today. Our youngest son left Tim and I standing when we jogged on Friday – he says he’s fitter than he has ever been, and indeed seems to be able to do anything he wants, and recover quickly. The other two do not do so much in school, and I think will feel the demands of the 5 miles, as will their parents. How comforting of Leo to say that walking a bit is fine!

So it looks like they will all make it, though the author having run over 4 miles does not have a license to walk!

Where should you be?

25 October, 2010

4 weeks to go, you should be getting some mils in, gaining confidence that you can go the distance and wear the T-Shirt at the end, not have it draped over you. But don’t worry, walking is OK, remember on your training runs start out very easily, get into a rhythm before upping the pace, do the same on race day, and you’ll be OK. So get out there, enjoy the sunshine, run some tracks and smile.

Train and taper for results

18 October, 2010

I had a salient reminder yesterday of the benefits of training and tapering for a run. Firstly I do run quite a lot each week, mainly with clients, but specific marathon training has not happened in the last couple of months. Then some high intensity sessions during Friday and Saturday did not leave me feeling mentally or physically prepared on the start line at 0900 Sunday morning. So a 15 minute fall in my time was understandable but also avoidable, though it was still 26.2 miles which is a long way. The moral is choose your goal, plan and work towards it so you feel you’ve given it your best shot.

News from the family of 5

18 October, 2010

Does picking (lots of stretching) and carrying 22st of apples count as distance running training? I think I know the answer…. so it’s lucky that I did my first independant run this morning. Two weeks ago, I ran a trail that I had only ever walked and biked before – a very familiar route to my whole family. A few months ago, I would have laughed if you had told me I would be running it. I still find it hard to believe that I managed it – yes, even the slippery clay path up from the river – the one where I usually push my bike. Today, in the glorious autumn sunshine, I ran about three miles with our dogs. My legs tell me when I’ve done about two miles. The muscles that hurt are the ones from my hips to my knees – on the outside. I think that means more squats, but I will consult the expert. Breathing is getting stronger – except up the hills, which takes me out of my comfort zone – which is where Leo advises going now and then. My next target is to run to Leo’s (mostly downhill) and back – almost completely up hill!….. I hope to do this by the end of half-term.

I’ve registered the rest of my family for the Deerstalker. None of us have ever done anything like it before. All three sons used to be fine distant runners – when they were 11. Now they are 6’ teenagers, a seventeen year old and twins of 16. They can all run, but I’m not sure that slippery Cornbury on a late November morning, would be the venue of choice. However, they are fit, and at the moment they are all coming…… even the one who will be playing bass guitar in a gig later that day, and doing whoever knows what the night before! My husband is a lesser known quantity. He believes he has latent fitness, and indeed often manages an hour of fathers and sons football, without too much trouble. He is soon to meet up with Leo, for his first assessment, and try to get into a training programme in time for the Deerstalker. Luckily, some good friends have just moved house, 3+ hilly, slippery miles away….. they might be getting a few more visits than they were expecting.

Why listen to me?

14 October, 2010

Sport is one area where masses of research is done by universities, sports institutions and armed forces to name a few. Some of this research will be based on sound scientific principles, some won’t, some will have concrete conclusions, some won’t. What I do as an exercise professional is look at some of this research, mainly via magazines, trade press and trade websites and together with both my experience and what I have been taught decide what to pass on to you. You in turn will decide what to take on board and whether to act on the information. Just because my training programmes recommend; run, fartlek & hills as your three weekly sessions, this does not mean you can’t run the race if you don’t do them it is just what I believe will make you stronger and faster and able to run a more enjoyable race. However you may be like me with my running where I just go out and run, be it 3, 8, 12 or 20 miles and when a race comes around I always know I have the potential to do better.

Like most things in life it’s what works for you. I’m just trying to help you find out what that is.

Getting out there

11 October, 2010

Two of the biggest obstacles to keeping to a training programme are general lethargy and time. I find with the first focus on what you will do after the run that will be all the better because you ran; bath, sandwich, hot chocolate be what it may. Time can be more mentally constraining, firstly think about times you could be running, be it 7 in the morning or 11 at night, then think about how yo might transfer something else to that time and free up a more suitable running time. Head torches are great and mean you can go out into the late evening, don’t focus too much on how you feel running at different times of day, we’re not looking at the olympics getting 80% return on a session is always better than nothing and I’m always surprised how good sessions are when you really don’t feel like doing them beforehand.

Get out there and run!

10 mile training

10 October, 2010

Took one of my 10 mile racers out for just over 13 miles this afternoon, all cross country, weather beautiful, just looking at the views and the autumnal colours makes you feel good Another client has just signed her two children up as well, I think that brings LBL Training’s tally up to about 20, so go out and find friends, family and passers by and get them running to Cornbury.

Have you started?

10 October, 2010

Weather’s looking good make sure you out there enjoying it. Just been out with a small group, ran 3.5 miles with some stops for squats, press ups, lunges, dips etc. this is a great way to break into longer distances and allows you to get your breath back and breaks the run into manageable bits, we did couple of fartlek sessions for about .25 miles each, this is an ideal type of run to be doing now to run the 5 mile race with confidence.

First dedicated training run

04 October, 2010

Yesterday morning, 0930, rain and wind, 3 intrepid ladies. We went out for a straight 3+ miles taking in mud, grass, tracks and hills, so a good introduction as to what to expect on the day. This showed up one pair of trainers that needed an upgrade, room for some more hill work but generally all strong enough for the 5 miles room to make their race faster and more comfortable.

What kit?

03 October, 2010

Shoes – £120, shorts – £40, socks – £15, t-shirt £50, jacket – £100-£400, that should do the trick, definitely no more than £625.

STOP

Cut the shoe bill in half and that should do you, and they should last you a good 500 miles if used off road, you won’t be out long enough to use the rest. So what shoes? Well the problem with these races is that if it hasn’t rained for a week before, road shoes might suffice however if it is wet then even the flattest trail can become a nightmare of slipping and sliding every step. Trails shoes generally are more reasonably priced as they have less cushioning and are more about an aggressive sole for grip. Always look at the sole and make your own decision as many ‘trail’ shoes are only suitable for a graveled track, if you’re going to run on some tarmac some compromise must be made, I have some Inov8 Flyroc’s which have great traction but are hard and wear down at an alarming rate on tarmac. Try a specialist running shop and I would think £45 – £70 is enough, remember waterproof gortex uppers still fill with water when the puddle goes over the top, treat them as splash resistant (and expensive)

Hope that helped

Start Preparing

30 September, 2010

Now’s the time to pull out the maps and find some new off road running routes, streetmap.co.uk gives a view of the 1:25000 walking maps on I think the second highest zoom this gives all the footpaths, print it off, walk/run and get to know a route, a nice ploughed field with a footpath through it is great!

Group training session

29 September, 2010

One client has just signed her entire family up for the race – 5 entries!
I am now making my Sunday morning group training session a cross country running session, all abilities welcome, let me know you’re coming.

Countdown to the race

24 September, 2010

Welcome to this blog, here I will be posting tips on running this race and I will also be introducing and following the training (and occasionally lack of training) of some of my clients who have willingly entered the race and some of my friends who have been persuaded to enter.

Firstly a few brief details about the race:
5 or 10 miles
Multi terrain
Traffic free
Start 11am on Sunday 21st November
Cornbury Park, Charlbury, Oxfordshire
Link for more details and to enter yourself:

I want you to enjoy this race, before, during and after. We’re not looking at the world cross country championships, we’re looking at personal goals, having fun, socialising and looking after ourselves.

Make sure your goals are SMART:

Specific – to complete Cornbury Deerstalker
Measurable – 5 or 10 miles
Achievable – not more than 10% further than your longest recent run
Realistic – can you train and are you medically OK to do it
Time constrained – remember the marshals have jobs on Monday morning!